CHAPTER XVII 



MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS 



The following letters written to and by Newton, 

 dealing with various subjects, which do not find a place 

 in the foregoing chapters, are arranged in order of date. 



From John WoUey to A.N. : — 



Muoniouiska, 



November 15, 1853. 



Ludwig Knoblock tells me the following as a Finnish 

 story. Kiowroo (one of the names of the devil, for he 

 has very many in Finland) had taken a lad as drang 

 for one year, a lad of seventeen years of age and very 

 clever, Kiowroo was somewhat jealous of him, and 

 would constantly have wagers with him which could do 

 things best. 



One day they agreed to see which could bear the 

 heavy trunk of a tree furthest without setting his end 

 to the ground. They agreed that whoever had the 

 small end must go first, and if he looked back the other 

 might poke him in the eye besides winning the wager. 

 The boy said he was quite ready to take the large end, 

 so ofi" they started. But they had not gone far before 

 the lad slipped his share upon the ground and sat upon 

 it ; Kiowroo suspected something but he durst not look 

 back for the lad called out that he had a sharp spike 

 ready for his eye in case he turned his head. At last he 

 could go no further and began to say it was wonderfully 

 heavy, but the lad declared he did not feel it at all. 

 Presently he could not stand it any longer, but let his 

 end drop : and before he dare look round the lad was 

 on his legs with the tree upon his shoulder. So the 

 devil lost that wager. 



Another day they were to try which could drive his 



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