Among the mountain pastures and valleys that lie in the centre of France there dwelt a kind of spirit, whose delight it was to play tricks on everybody, and particularly on the shepherds and the cowboys. They never knew when they were safe from him, as he could change himself into a man, woman or child, a stick, a goat, a ploughshare. Indeed, there was only one thing whose shape he could not take, and that was a needle. At least, he could transform himself into a needle, but try as he might he never was able to imitate the hole, so every woman would have found him out at once, and this he knew.  
Now the hour oftenest chosen by this naughty sprite (whom we will call Puck) for performing his was about midnight, just when the shepherds and cowherds, tired out with their long day’s work, were sound asleep. Then he would go into the cowsheds and unfasten the chains that each beast in its own stall, and let them fall with a heavy clang to the ground. The noise was so loud that it was certain to the cowboys, however they might be, and they dragged themselves wearily to the stable to put back the chains. But no sooner had they returned to their beds than the same thing happened again, and so on till the morning. Or perhaps Puck would spend his night in plaiting together the manes and tails of two of the horses, so that it would take the hours of labour to get them right in the morning, while Puck, hidden among the hay in the , would peep out to watch them, enjoying himself amazingly all the time.
 
One evening more than eighty years ago a man named William was passing along the bank of a stream when he noticed a sheep who was loudly. William thought it must have strayed from the flock, and that he had better take it home with him till he could discover its owner. So he went up to where it was , and as it seemed so tired that it could hardly walk, he it on his shoulders and continued on his way. The sheep was pretty heavy, but the good man was merciful and staggered along as best he could under his load.
 
‘It is not much further,’ he thought to himself as he reached an avenue of trees, when suddenly a voice out from over his head, and made him jump.
 
‘Where are you?’ said the voice, and the sheep answered:
 
‘Here on the shoulders of a donkey.’
 
In another moment the sheep was standing on the ground and William was running towards home as fast as his legs would carry him. But as he went, a laugh, which yet was something of a , rang in his ears, and though he tried not to hear, the words reached him, ‘Oh, dear! What fun I have had, to be sure!’
 
Puck was careful not always to play his tricks in the same place, but visited one village after another, so that everyone trembled lest he should be the next victim. After a bit he grew tired of cowboys and shepherds, and wondered if there was no one else to give him some sport. At length he was told o............