Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: WILD ROBIN. A SCOTTISH FAIRY TALE. In the green valley of the Yarrow, near the castle-keep of Norharn, dwelt an honest, sonsy little family, whose only grief was an unhappy son, named Robin. Janet, with jimp form, bonnie eyes, and cherry cheeks, was the best of daughters: the boys, Sandie and Davie, were swift-footed, brave, kind, and obedient; but Robin, the youngest, had a stormy temper, and, when his will was crossed, he became as reckless as a reeling hurricane. Once, in a passion, he drove two of his father's " kye," or cattle, down a steep hill to their death. He seemed not to care for home or kindred, and often pierced the tender heart "of his mother withsharp words. When she came at night, and " happed " the bed-clothes carefully about his form, and then stooped to kiss his nut-brown cheeks, he turned away with a frown, muttering, " Mither, let me be." It was a sad case with Wild Robin, who seemed to have neither love nor conscience. " My heart is sair,". sighed his mother, " wi' greeting over sich a son." " He hates our auld cottage and our muckle wark," said the poor father. " Ah, weel! I could a'maist wish the fairies had him for a season, to teach him better manners." This the gudeman said heedlessly, little knowing there was any danger of Robin's being carried away to Elf-land. Whether the fairies were at that instant listening under the eaves, will never be known; but it chanced, one day, that Wild. Robin, was sqnt, across the moors to fetch the kye. " I'll rin away," thought the boy: " 'tis hard indeed if ilka day a great lad like me must mind the kye. I'll gae aff; and they'll think me dead." So he gaed, and he gaed, over round swelling hills, over old battle-fields, past the roofless ruins of houses whose walls were crowned with... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.