148 ANGLING LITERATURE IN 



The Fair Maid of the Golden Locks. A gilded trout lay 

 one sunny day upon the banks of a stream. A fair lady 

 passed by, and said, " you shall be rewarded at no distant 

 time." A king had fallen in love with her; but she had 

 made a vow of perpetual celibacy. In passing over a 

 river, she accidentally let her glove fall into it, and also 

 a ring which she wore. The royal personage still con- 

 tinued his importunities; but she as steady kept by her vow. 

 At length she was induced to say to him, I will marry 

 you, " if you can find a certain ring which I dropped into 

 the river some time ago." The king sent his secretary to 

 seek after it. He stood at the brink of the stream. The 

 little golden trout made its appearance, with the lady's 

 ring in its mouth; and the consequence was that the 

 monarch sat aside the fair maid's vow. 



The various tales connected with fish, and fishermen, 

 interspersed throughout the Arabian Nights, need not be 

 here enumerated. Every one is acquainted with them. 



The tale called TJie Lambton Worm is a very old one, 

 though full of the grossest absurdities. The head of 

 this family, then a young man, went out one Sunday to fish. 

 He caught a very small eel, which, thinking it not worth 

 while to carry home, he carelessly threw into a small pool 

 of water. He was called to the Holy Wars. In his 

 absence the eel grew to such an enormous size that the 

 produce of seven milk cows would scarcely keep it. 

 Many tried to kill it, but as fast as they cut it to pieces, 



