to get me anything I want; and I should be much obliged if you would begin by giving me some money to relieve my poverty.”  The young lady said she would; and next evening, when she came again, Ma asked her where the money was.  “Dear me!” replied she, “I quite forgot it.”  When she was going away Ma reminded her of what he wanted, but on the following evening she made precisely the same excuse, promising to bring it another day.  A few nights afterward Ma asked her once more for the money, and then she drew from her sleeve two pieces of silver, each weighing about five or six ounces.  They were both of fine quality, with turned-up edges, [38] and Ma was very pleased, and stored them away in a cupboard.  Some months after this he happened to require some money for use, and took out these pieces; but the person to whom he showed them said they were only pewter, and easily bit off a portion of one of them with his teeth.  Ma was much alarmed, and put the pieces away directly, taking the opportunity when evening came of abusing the young lady roundly.  “It’s all your bad luck,” retorted she.  “Real gold would be too much for your inferior destiny.”  There was an end of that; but Ma went on to say, “I always heard that fox-girls were of surpassing beauty; how is it you are not?” “Oh,” replied the young lady, “we always adapt ourselves to our company.  Now you haven’t the luck of an ounce of silver to call your own; and what would you do, for instance, with a beautiful princess?  My beauty may not be good enough for the aristocracy; but among your big-footed, bent-backed rustics, [39] why, it may safely be called ’surpassing’!”

A few months passed away, and then one day the young lady came and gave Ma three ounces of silver, saying, “You have often asked me for money, but in consequence of your bad luck I have always refrained from giving you any.  Now, however, your marriage is at hand, and I here give you the cost of a wife, which you may also regard as a parting gift from me.”  Ma replied that he was not engaged, to which the young lady answered that in a few days a go-between would visit him to arrange the affair.  “And what will she be like?” asked Ma.  “Why, as your aspirations are for ‘surpassing’ beauty,” replied the young lady, “of course she will be possessed of surpassing beauty.”  “I hardly expect that,” said Ma; “at any rate, three ounces of silver will not be enough to get a wife.”  “Marriages,” explained the young lady, “are made in the moon; [40] mortals have nothing to do with them.”  “And why must you be going away like this?” inquired Ma.  “Because,” answered she, “for us to meet only by night is not the proper thing.  I had better get you another wife and have done with you.”  Then when morning came she departed, giving Ma a pinch of yellow powder, saying, “In case you are ill after we are separated, this will cure you.”  Next day, sure enough, a go-between did come, and Ma at once asked what the proposed bride was like; to which the former replied