Once on a time there was a poor peasant who had his hut full of children and not much to give them, either of food or of clothes. Pretty children they all were, but the prettiest was the youngest daughter. She was so lovely there was no end to her loveliness. So it was on a Thursday night, late in the fall of the year, the sky was cloudy and it was very dark, and it rained and stormed so the walls of the hut creaked and groaned. There they all sat round the fire busy with this thing and that, when all at once something gave three taps at the windowpane. The father went out to see what it was, and when he got out, what should he see but a great big white bear. “Good evening to you,” said the white bear. “Good evening,” said the man. “If you will give me your youngest daughter, I’ll make you as rich as you now are poor,” said the bear. Well, the man liked the thought very much of getting so rich, but still he thought he had to talk with his daughter first; so he went in and told her that there was a great white bear waiting outside, who had promised to make them so rich, if only he could have her. She said no, and refused it outright, so the man went out and settled it with the white bear, that he should come again next Thursday night and get an answer. Meanwhile he talked his daughter over and didn’t give her any peace, and kept on talking and telling her of all the riches they would get and how well off she would be herself. And so, at last, she thought better of it, washed and mended her rags, made herself as pretty as she could, and was ready to set off. I can’t say her packing gave her much trouble.