OF AN INSECT HUNTER. 75 



low, and made obeisance with great humility. " To be sure 

 I will," says the devil, " to be sure I will ;" and he cast a look 

 at her out of the corner of his eye — "to be sure I will, but 

 the cow 's worth something, I must make a bargain for toll — 

 keep that dog quiet, can't you ! " Now the devil said this 

 about the dog, because the old woman had a little rough-haired 

 cur dog, that bristled up his mane, and kept on growling and 

 grumbling at him. " Harkee, old girl ! if I build you a bridge, 

 I'll have the first that crosses it. — Is it a bargain?" The old 

 woman was sore perplexed when she heard this ; if she went 

 over for the cow, she knew very well she had sold herself to 

 the devil ; and if the cow came to her, then she lost her cow ; 

 but a lucky thought came to her, that she might save both 

 herself and the cow : at any rate she would try. " Bridge or 

 no bridge ?" said the devil ; " Be quick, old girl ! Bridge or no 

 bridge?" " Build the bridge, sir, if you please," said the old 

 woman ; and again she made a very respectful obeisance. 

 " Ay, ay !" said the devil, " it's very easy to say, Build the 

 bridge; but do you agree to the toll?" "Yes, sure, sir," 

 replied the woman ; and with that the devil put both his fore- 

 fingers into his mouth, and gave such a shrill whistle that the 

 mountains, woods and rocks rang again ; the hawks and owls 

 left their hiding places in the rocks, and flew about, not know- 

 ing where they went ; and one struck another in its flight, and 

 both fell together into the abyss, and were carried away by 

 the rushing waters : and trees tossed and waved their branches, 

 though there was not a breath of air. But there was the bridge, 

 sure enough, and the devil was sitting on the very middle of 

 it, and rocking himself to and fro, and grinning pleasantly with 

 delight: and the old woman shook like an aspen leaf; but she 

 took a crust of bread from her pocket, and showed it to her 

 dog, and threw it over the bridge ; and the dog ran bounding 

 over for the bread, and passed the devil where he sat on the 

 middle. " Whip the dog!" said the devil, for he was cut to 

 the quick; he had been outwitted by an old woman ; he did 

 not want the dog, so he did not try to stop him ; but the 

 moment the dog had passed him, he knew that the bridge was 

 crossed, and the spell was broken: he was very angry and 

 very mortified, but he was a gentleman, and did not attempt to 

 hurt the old woman, for he knew his bargain only extended 

 to the first that crossed; so he arose and dofled his cap 



