Brave Old Brum. 112 see if there were any place where he could throw himself off with safety ; but he was not used to sledge-driving, and he thought he bad better not risk it. When he had driven some distance he met a pedlar.
- Where is the sheriff off to, to-day ? " said the pedlar ;a he must
have a long way and little time, since he is driving so fast.'* But Brum did not say a word, for he had more than enough to do to hold on. In a little while he met a beggar-woman. She greeted him, nodded her head, and begged for a penny in God's nåme. Brum said nothing, but stuck to the sledge, and away he went as fast as ever. When he came a little further down the road he met Reynard the Fox. " Hallo, are you out taking a drive ? " shouted Reynard. " Wait a bit ; let me sit behind, and be your postboy ! " Brum made no reply, but held on to the sledge, and the horse ran as fast as his legs would carry him. "All right!" shouted Reynard after him, "if you won't take me with you I tell you this, that although you drive like a travelling gent to-day, all in your furs, you'll hang to morrow with your back bare ! " Brum did not hear a word of what Reynard said ;he never stopped a moment. But when the horse came into the farmyard, he galloped right through the stable door at such a speed, that he left both harness and sledge behind ; and Bruin—why he knocked his skull against the top of the door, and there he lay, dead on the spot. In the meantime the farmer went on turning over the one layer of leaves after the other, till he thought he had loaded his sledge • but when he came round to tie the rope round the load, he saw neither horse nor sledge. So he had to tramp along the road looking for his horse» In a while he met the pedlar. " Have you met any horse and sledge ?* said the farmer to the pedlar. — "No," said the pedlar, u but I met the sheriff down the road. He was in such a hurry, he was surely going to serve a writ on some one." — Shortly he met a beggar-woman. " Have you seen any horse and sledge on the road? "he said to the beggar-woman. — "No," said the beggar-woman,
- 'but I met the parson down below nere; he was surely going to
