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diff --git a/36760-h/36760-h.htm b/36760-h/36760-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0c88d31 --- /dev/null +++ b/36760-h/36760-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4708 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!-- $Id: header.txt 236 2009-12-07 18:57:00Z vlsimpson $ --> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Minnie; or, The Little Woman, by Caroline Snowden Guild + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .5em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Minnie; or, The Little Woman, by Caroline Snowden Guild + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Minnie; or, The Little Woman + A Fairy Story + +Author: Caroline Snowden Guild + +Release Date: July 17, 2011 [EBook #36760] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINNIE; OR, THE LITTLE WOMAN *** + + + + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/image01_frontispiece.jpg" alt="Minnie and the Squirrel." title="Frontispiece" /><br /><span class="smcap">Minnie and the Squirrel.</span><br /> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:160%">MINNIE;</p> +<p class="center">OR,<br /></p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:130%">THE LITTLE WOMAN<br /><br /></p> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:120%">A Fairy Story.<br /><br /></p> + +<p class="center">BY THE AUTHOR OF "VIOLET."<br /><br /><br /></p> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:130%">BOSTON:</p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:100%">PHILLIPS, SAMPSON AND COMPANY,<br /> +<span class="smcap">13 winter street.</span><br /> +1857.</p> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + + +<p class="center" style="font-size:90%">Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by<br /> +PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO.,<br /> +In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p> + + +<p class="center" style="font-size:80%">STEREOTYPED BY<br /> +HOBART & ROBBINS,<br /> +New England Type and Stereotype Foundry,<br /> +BOSTON.</p> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:120%">HOW THE STORY CAME TO BE WRITTEN.</p> + + +<p>One evening, last summer, a little girl, with laughing +eyes that no one could resist, looked up into my face, and +said,</p> + +<p>"'Touldn't you wite me a story?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. What shall it be about?" was the answer.</p> + +<p>"O, wite something I could wead myself,--something +with pictures,--something like Tom Thumb, you know; +and I shouldn't care if it had pink covers, too, and +wasn't larger than--this." And she held up the palm +of a rosy hand.</p> + +<p>In a moment more she came bounding back to whisper, +"I shouldn't care if you left off the fingers, only make a +<i>cunning</i> story, and something I can wead."</p> + +<p>Instead of leaving off, I should have to add a great +many of Minnie's fingers, to cover the book, which +would grow so large, and I couldn't help it, any more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +than you can when a little bud opens out to a great +flower. So, I ask her forgiveness; hoping that she will +find, inside of the volume, something "cunning" enough +to make her forget the covers.</p> + +<p>And now, dear children, if you like my story, you must +all thank Minnie C----, to whom it is dedicated, with +the heartiest good wishes of</p> + +<p style="text-align:right"><span class="smcap">The Author.</span></p> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:125%">CONTENTS.</p> + +<table summary="Contents"> +<tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td><span class="smcap">page</span></td></tr> +<tr><td>CHAPTER</td><td style="text-align:right">I.</td><td><span class="smcap">—rodocanachi,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">9</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">II.</td><td><span class="smcap">—dandelion,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">15</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">III.</td><td><span class="smcap">—minnie's home,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">21</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">IV.</td><td><span class="smcap">—minnie and the squirrel,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">26</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">V.</td><td><span class="smcap">—a squirrel-back ride,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">31</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">VI.</td><td><span class="smcap">—living in a tree,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">36</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">VII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—master squirrel,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">40</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">VIII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—night,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">45</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">IX.</td><td><span class="smcap">—the new home,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">51</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">X.</td><td><span class="smcap">—in the woods,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">56</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XI.</td><td><span class="smcap">—the squirrel's party,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">60</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—by the river,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">63</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XIII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—yellow-bird,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">70</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XIV.</td><td><span class="smcap">—in a bird's nest,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">75</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XV.</td><td><span class="smcap">—minnie and the birds,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">81</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XVI.</td><td><span class="smcap">—the squirrel's team,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">87</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XVII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—the moonlight dance,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">92</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XVIII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—the little nurses,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">96</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XIX.</td><td><span class="smcap">—mouse,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">100</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XX.</td><td><span class="smcap">—housekeeping,</span><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">104</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXI.</td><td><span class="smcap">—trouble for minnie,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">108</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—trouble still,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">113</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXIII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—free at last,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">118</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXIV.</td><td><span class="smcap">—turtle,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">123</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXV.</td><td><span class="smcap">—minnie's wings,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">127</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXVI.</td><td><span class="smcap">—hide-and-seek,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">130</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXVII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—minnie in prison,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">135</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXVIII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—narrow escapes,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">140</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXIX.</td><td><span class="smcap">—the little seamstress,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">146</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXX.</td><td><span class="smcap">—stork,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">151</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXXI.</td><td><span class="smcap">—the sea-shore,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">156</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="center">"</td><td style="text-align:right">XXXII.</td><td><span class="smcap">—storm and calm,</span></td><td style="text-align:right"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">161</a></td></tr> +</table> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:140%">MINNIE;</p> +<p class="center">OR,</p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:140%">THE LITTLE WOMAN.</p> + +<hr style="width: 15%;" /> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<p class="center">RODOCANACHI.</p> + + +<p>Somewhere in Massachusetts is a little town +as beautiful as a garden. Nay, in summer-time I +think this place is prettier than a garden; for it +is not laid out in long, stiff beds and paths; but +the roads wind about like rivers under its shady +trees, and, wherever you see a bed of flowers, a +cosey little house is sure to rise up in its midst; +and then the hills,----Did you ever read about +the giant, who wouldn't give the fairies any +peace, but chopped them up for mince-meat, and +did all kinds of wicked things, till they resolved<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +to kill him, if they could?</p> + +<p>The fairy queen, who was very wise, knew +that the giant's strength lay in a great brass helmet +which he wore; so she told her people to +watch, and, if ever he laid it aside, to steal this, +and hide it away.</p> + +<p>Now, one summer's day, the giant went hunting, +and had such good success that he came +home with his arms full of game, tired and +warm enough.</p> + +<p>I don't remember the giant's name: perhaps +it was Ugolino, or Loeschigk, or Rodocanachi. +We'll call it Rodocanachi. Down he threw his +game,--the deer and squirrels he had killed to +eat; and the poor little robins, and blue-birds, +and humming-birds, he had only killed for the +pleasure of seeing them flutter down from the +boughs where they were singing sweetly--down +to the ground, with their broken, bloody wings.</p> + +<p>Rodocanachi threw his game aside, and then +lay down himself to drink from a pretty stream +that ran bubbling and sparkling under the shady +trees. He was so thirsty, and had such a monstrous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +swallow, that, before long, the stream +stopped flowing, and, wherever the sun fell into +its bed, the pebbles began to grow white and +dry. He had drank it almost up, when the giant +said to himself, "Bah! what a shallow river, and +how the pebbles get into my teeth! I must have +a drop of wine to take away the earthy taste."</p> + +<p>There, under the shady trees, Rodocanachi +drank and smoked, till his head grew hotter than +ever, and so confused, that he stretched himself +upon the grass; and, while trying to collect his +thoughts, fell fast asleep.</p> + +<p>Then, how the fairies flew into sight! Down +they swung, from all the high oaks and elms, on +rope-ladders made of spider-web; and, from under +the broad mulleins, up they poured in a swarm; +from the other side of the stream they fitted up +rafts of pond-lily leaves, and came floating across; +for, after the giant turned away, the river had +run full again. What had seemed beds of fern-leaves +came marching down from the hill-side, +or out from the deep shade,--they were fairy +armies, with banners all astir; and such a rustling +as they made, and such a patter of little feet, and +flutter of tiny wings, and singing and shouting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +of soft, glad voices, you never heard!</p> + +<p>Last came the car of the fairy queen, a pearly +pond-lily, lined and fringed inside with gold, +with a golden seat, and drawn by six bright-blue +dragon-flies, that sprinkled a light from their +transparent wings, as the car shed fragrance all +along its way.</p> + +<p>The queen arose and lifted her sceptre; which +was tipped with a diamond so bright it shone +like a star, and could light a path at midnight +through the densest wood. She stretched this +wand forth, and the noisy multitude grew so +still--so still that you could not hear a sound, +except the giant's breathing;--then she spoke:</p> + +<p>"The time we have watched and waited for so +long, so impatiently, has come; the wicked Rodocanachi +is in our power at last. Say, what shall +we do with him, my subjects?"</p> + +<p>Then swelled forth a breeze of little voices, so +confused that you could not tell one from another; +and the queen's wand rose again.</p> + +<p>"We have not a moment to waste, be still, and +hear the advice of my general."</p> + +<p>"If I have led your armies bravely, O, great<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +queen--"</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes," interrupted the queen, "but what +shall I do with Rodocanachi? I'll praise you, +and receive your compliments afterwards."</p> + +<p>"Suffer me, then, to go alone, and, with my +spear, this tough acacia-thorn, put out the giant's +eyes."</p> + +<p>The fairy shook her head, and turned to a +statesman, the greatest in all her kingdom:</p> + +<p>"What say you?"</p> + +<p>"Cut off his hands and feet, and make mince-meat +of them, as he made of my cousin's family!"</p> + +<p>Again the queen shook her head, and turned +to a grave judge, the wisest man in Fairy-land:</p> + +<p>"Let us go together, and, while he sleeps, roll +this old sinner off from the mountain-top, that +his bones may be well broken when he reaches +the valley below!"</p> + +<p>At this the little people all shouted for joy, +and some ran towards Rodocanachi, impatiently, +to begin; but the fairy, with her sparkling +sceptre, called them back.</p> + +<p>Puzzled and sorrowful, great queen as she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +was, she wrung her little hands and wept. "I +cannot bear to do such cruel deeds," she sighed; +"and yet how shall I banish this tyrant, and +make my people happy? O, I wish any one, who +thinks it a pleasant thing to be a queen, could +stand in my place to-day!"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<p class="center">DANDELION.</p> + + +<p>In the court of the fairy queen was a child, +as pretty and gentle as a flower; a little boy, +whose work it was to gather dew and honey, and +bring it to his mistress in an acorn-cup, or strewn +in separate drops over some broad leaf.</p> + +<p>Now, this child loved his mistress dearly, and +his heart was large and true as if it had beat in +a larger bosom; he could not bear to think of +torturing even the cruel Rodocanachi,--much +less could he bear to see his dear queen grieve.</p> + +<p>Little fellow as he was, he tried to make his +way toward the fairy's chariot; but the people +crowded so, and moved their banners about so +restlessly, that more than once he was thrown to +the ground, and trodden under their feet.</p> + +<p>But Dandelion--that was his name--caught +at the tip of one of the fern-leaf banners, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +happened to lean toward him; and, when it was +lifted into the air, he swung himself, like a spider, +from banner to banner, over the heads of +the crowd.</p> + +<p>Then he climbed up among the pearly, perfumed +lily-leaves of the fairy's car, and, all +powdered over himself with gold-dust from its +splendid lining, knelt at his mistress' feet.</p> + +<p>The queen smiled through her tears,--for she +was fond of Dandelion,--and asked why he had +come at such a time; then said: "Perhaps my +pretty one can give me some advice." And all +the fairy-people laughed at the thought of a +poor little boy being wiser than statesmen and +generals.</p> + +<p>Dandelion did not care how small they thought +him, if he could but help his queen; so he said, +bravely:</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/image02_chap02.jpg" alt="Dandelion Tickles the Giant's Nose." title="Chapter 2" /><br /><span class="smcap">Dandelion Tickles the Giant's Nose.</span><br /></div> + +<p>"O, my great mistress, I was shaking dew out +of the cups of white violets that grow by the +stream, when this giant lay down near me and +fell asleep. Then all the people hurried, and I +with them, to your court. I heard you ask what +should be done with the wicked Rodocanachi;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +and, when no one had an answer to give, and +my mistress sorrowed, I crept back all alone to +the hill-top, where the giant lay, and climbed on +his shoulder--"</p> + +<p>"My brave little Dandelion!" said the queen.</p> + +<p>"I had picked up a feather, that a wood-dove +had just let fall on the grass; and with this I +tickled Rodocanachi's nose--"</p> + +<p>"Fine work!" growled the general. "Suppose +you had wakened him, and we were all +slaves again!"</p> + +<p>But the queen, waving the general back to his +seat with her sceptre, said, "Let the boy go on: +I am curious to hear the rest."</p> + +<p>"The giant stirred; his head was on uneven +ground, and the great brass helmet tipped, tipped, +tipped, and at last it rolled away, and left his +forehead bare."</p> + +<p>"O, Dandelion, you have saved my kingdom!" +said the queen; and the people all shouted +"Bravo!" and "Hurrah for Dandelion!" as, without +waiting longer for leave, they rushed to the +hill-top where Rodocanachi lay.</p> + +<p>Then came a clanging sound, as if all the mountains<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +were great brass drums, and twenty giants +were beating them--it echoed so far and wide.</p> + +<p>"Ah, it's the giant's helmet! and now we +fairies are safe!" exclaimed the queen. She +clapped her hands, and the six blue dragon-flies +flew to the hill-top with their chariot in time for +Dandelion to see the helmet, still jarring where it +had been thrown by the fairy-people, far down +among the rocks.</p> + +<p>"Now, fly, fly quickly," said the queen, "and +tear up sods and bushes, and gather leaves, till +you've hidden the helmet so safely that Rodocanachi +can never find it again."</p> + +<p>Fairies, though little people, are not slow; +and when at last the giant, with a snore that +sounded like thunder, awoke from his sleep, the +helmet, for which he began to look at once, was +nowhere to be seen.</p> + +<p>And the giant's strength was gone. He could +not break the stem of a wild-flower, much less +lift the game he had killed that very day. He +could hardly totter home; and, when there, could +not open his own door.</p> + +<p>So Rodocanachi began a search for his helmet:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +all in vain, in vain. He stepped his great feet +into it, and never guessed it was hid underneath +the grass, and bushes, and flowers, that looked as +if they had always grown where they were.</p> + +<p>For a year he wandered up and down the +earth, growing thinner and sadder every day. +He had nothing to satisfy his monstrous appetite +except berries and mushrooms. Sometimes the +fairies, in pity of his wretched state, would crack +a handful of nuts, or kill a frog or two, for his +breakfast; but Rodocanachi fairly starved and +worried himself to death.</p> + +<p>And the queen was so grateful to dear little +Dandelion, that she made him always dress in +cloth-of-gold, and gave him a beautiful golden +shield.</p> + +<p>But this was only to remind the people how +he looked when the boy crept up into her chariot +that day, all dusted over with gold. When +Dandelion died, a plant sprang out of his grave,--and +every one said the fairy put it there,--that +had blossoms exactly like his golden shield; +and, when these withered, there came globes of +seed, with starry wings, that could fly about in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +the air, and swing on the wind, from leaf to leaf, +as Dandelion swung on the fern-leaf banners once. +We call the flowers Dandelions, to this day.</p> + +<p>When, in summer-time, you see these golden +shields sprinkled over the meadows, and along +the roadsides, you must think of the brave little +fairy, who did great things because so willing to +do the best that he could.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<p class="center">MINNIE'S HOME.</p> + + +<p>We have found, from the history of Dandelion, +that no one is too small to be of use. We have +found that kind hearts may succeed where wise +heads and strong arms fail; but perhaps you will +wonder what Rodocanachi has to do with my +story.</p> + +<p>I'll tell you. Have you forgotten that I began +to describe a beautiful little town, with roads +that wound about like rivers, and houses set in +the midst of garden-beds?</p> + +<p>Great hills rose on every side, folding against +each other as if they meant to shut out the rest +of the world, with its noise, and trouble, and +weariness. So the valley looked, from a distance, +like a bird's nest lined with moss, and +leaves, and long fine grass; and the houses and +churches seemed like white eggs scattered among<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +the greenery.</p> + +<p>Or, if you stood in the centre, the slopes of +the hills were so smooth and round, that the valley +was like the inside of a painted bowl:--here +were woods and waterfalls like pictures; here +meadows of grass and grain; white patches of +buckwheat, and the tender green of oat-fields, +were striped along with brown potato-beds, and +patches of dark-green tasselled maize.</p> + +<p>In this gay-painted bowl, in this soft grassy +nest, lived a little girl, whose name was Minnie, +and whose history I mean to tell.</p> + +<p>But what has it all to do with Rodocanachi?</p> + +<p>Why, this: people say that the beautiful valley +between the hills was nothing less than the +inside of the giant's great brass helmet! Rivers +had found their way through it now, and forests +had rooted themselves on the sods that were +spread by fairy hands; yet, deep down underneath, +the helmet still was wedged among the +rocks. Think what a giant Rodocanachi must +have been, when you could thus put a whole +town into his hat!</p> + +<p>Whether the wonderful place in which she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +lived had anything to do with Minnie's strange +history, I cannot tell. See what you think about +it.</p> + +<p>The house of Minnie's father was near the +centre of the town, and in a street where there +were many other houses. These were not joined +together in a block, like city dwellings, but each +had a garden and summer-house, and a patch of +grass in front for the children's play-ground.</p> + +<p>Around Minnie's house was a curious fence, +made of thin strips of iron, bound at the top +with a square board, painted white.</p> + +<p>In the next house lived a boy named Frank. +He was a bright, good-natured little fellow, just +of Minnie's age, with rosy cheeks and curly hair, +and as full of fun as he could be.</p> + +<p>Minnie herself was very fond of play. Perhaps +she played too hard, for she did not look +hearty and rosy like Frank, but was slight and +quick as a humming-bird, and fluttered about so +from one thing to another, that it was more than +her mother could do to keep her always in sight.</p> + +<p>One minute she'd be seated quietly on the +door-step, looking at the pictures in a book; the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +next she was away, and you only caught sight +of her curls going round the corner of the house.</p> + +<p>Or, perhaps, after you had looked for Minnie in +the garden, she would start up with her laughing +eyes from behind your very chair, and the next +instant she was fluttering along the top of the +fence, standing on one foot, and, with her bright +pink dress, looking more like a flower than a little +girl.</p> + +<p>The iron strips of the fence were so far apart +that Minnie could easily peep through, and could +even crowd her little hand between the squares, +to stroke Franky's curls, or pat his rosy cheeks.</p> + +<p>As soon as breakfast was over, every morning, +both Minnie and Frank would run to the fence, +and talk and play there for hours.</p> + +<p>But Minnie was not satisfied with this; she +wanted to swing on the boughs of her father's +young fruit-trees, and, as I told you, would climb +the fence, and skip along the rail upon one foot.</p> + +<p>Again and again her mother warned her that +she might fall and kill herself, or at least soil and +tear her dress, and that it was rude for little girls<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +to be climbing trees and fences.</p> + +<p>It was of no use. Even while she was talking, +Minnie would clamber into some place so dangerous +that her mother would have to run and take +her down.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<p class="center">MINNIE AND THE SQUIRREL.</p> + + +<p>One day, when Minnie's mother had been telling +her how wicked it was to be so disobedient, +and how much trouble she gave every one that +loved her, the little girl thought she never would +climb another fence, but would begin now, and +be good.</p> + +<p>So she seated herself on the door-step, and +was quiet as many as two minutes.</p> + +<p>Then a little brown sparrow came hopping, +hopping along the top of the fence, and stopped +a short way off, and chirped, as if he were saying, +"You can't catch me!"</p> + +<p>"Can't I?" said Minnie, and another minute +she was dancing along the rail.</p> + +<p>The sparrow flew away, and then Minnie, remembering +the promise which she had made to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +her mother, went back to her seat.</p> + +<p>She was quiet longer this time, for she began +to think how hard it was to be good. Then she +remembered how the sparrow had flown away--away +off alone up into the bright blue air, and +could sing as loud as he chose, and tilt on the +highest boughs of the trees, and nobody call him +rude.</p> + +<p>And the sparrow didn't have to be washed +and dressed in the morning, and to eat his breakfast +at just such a time, and be careful to take +his fork in his right hand, and not to spill his +milk.</p> + +<p>O, how much better breakfasts the sparrow +had! First, a drink of dew from the leaves +about his nest; then, a sweet-brier blossom to +give him an appetite; and then, wild raspberries +and strawberries, as many as he wanted; and, +afterwards, wild honey to sweeten his tongue, or +smooth gum from the cherry-tree to clear his +throat before the morning song!</p> + +<p>Then for a merry chase through the woods, +instead of going to school. "O, dear! O, dear!" +said Minnie, "why wasn't I made a sparrow?"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>Just then she heard a chattering in the pine-tree +over her head, and a squirrel tripped in +sight. Minnie happened to have some nuts in +her pocket, so she quietly rolled one along the +top of the fence, and squirrel came down for it.</p> + +<p>I think wild creatures know which children +are their friends, and which their enemies. At +all events, this squirrel did not feel afraid of +Minnie, but sat there nibbling at the nut she gave +him, until he had eaten out all the meat.</p> + +<p>Just then her mother came to the door with +some ladies, who had been making her a call, and +off darted squirrel, quicker than you can think.</p> + +<p>"Now, where has he gone?" thought Minnie; +"down under the cool grass, I suppose, or far +off into the pleasant woods, where he can have +all the nuts he wants, and play hide-and-go-seek +among the boughs. O, dear! I wish I had been +a squirrel! I wonder if I couldn't run along +the fence as quickly as he did just now!"</p> + +<p>Her mother was talking so busily with her +friends that she forgot to watch Minnie, and off +the little girl flew, along the rail, skipping and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +dancing, and twirling upon one foot.</p> + +<p>And now comes the wonderful part of my +story. Minnie thought she heard somebody +scream, and then she looked round, and her +mother was gone, and she was seated on the +door-step all alone again, and squirrel, on the +fence beside her, was eating his nut.</p> + +<p>"Come, give us another!" he said, at last, +throwing away the shell, and speaking with the +queerest little squeaky, grumbling voice.</p> + +<p>"Why, who taught you how to talk?" asked +Minnie, in surprise.</p> + +<p>"O, nobody. Squirrels don't go to school. +They couldn't keep us quiet on the benches, you +see. It makes us ache to sit still!" and he +ran round and round the rail of the fence, to rest +himself.</p> + +<p>"Pray, don't go away yet," called Minnie; "I +want to know if all squirrels talk, or what you +did to learn."</p> + +<p>Down the squirrel jumped into the grass, +pulled the blades apart with his paws, and smelt +of this weed and that, till at last he found what +seemed to satisfy him, for he broke off a sprig,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +and went back to his seat on the fence.</p> + +<p>"Minnie, how should you like to live with +us?" he said. "We have good times, I tell +you, out in the woods. We do nothing but chatter, +and eat, and fly about, all day long. We +haven't any master, and the whole world's our +play-ground; the deep earth is our cellar; the +sun is our lamp and stove."</p> + +<p>"But I should frighten the squirrels, I'm so +large!" and Minnie stood on tip-toe, to let him +see what a great girl--as indeed she was, beside +a squirrel!</p> + +<p>"The same weed that made me talk like a little +girl, will make you grow small as a squirrel. Do +you dare to taste it?" and he tossed the green +sprig into Minnie's lap.</p> + +<p>"Dare? yes, indeed! who's afraid?" She +ate the leaves at a mouthful.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<p class="center">A SQUIRREL-BACK RIDE.</p> + + +<p>Minnie had only half believed what the squirrel +said, and was surprised and almost frightened +when she felt herself growing smaller in every +limb. Did you ever drop a kid glove into boiling +water? It will keep its former shape, but +shrink together so as to be hardly large enough +for a doll. Thus Minnie's whole form shrank, +until she was no taller than squirrel himself, and +not half so stout, and her hands were as tiny as +his paws.</p> + +<p>"Now we'll have plenty of fun," said squirrel; +and they started together for the woods.</p> + +<p>But Minnie walked so slowly, with her little +feet, that her guide soon lost his patience. He +would dart on out of sight, and come back for +her, again and again; he would wait to eat nuts, +and dig holes in the ground to bury some against<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> +winter-time; and still Minnie, for all her hurrying, +lagged behind.</p> + +<p>At last squirrel said, "This will never do; seat +yourself on my back, and I'll carry you faster +than any steam-car that ever you saw. Here we +go!"</p> + +<p>It was a pretty sight--the little rider and her +frisky steed, bounding so gracefully over the +road. They had not gone far, however, when +Minnie called,</p> + +<p>"O, squirrel, pray, pray stop!"</p> + +<p>"What's the trouble now?"</p> + +<p>"You go so fast it takes away my breath, and +the underbrush all but scratches my eyes out; +and the grass is full of bugs and ugly caterpillars, +that stretch their cold claws to catch at me as I +go past."</p> + +<p>"Is that all?" He darted by a post, along +the fence-rails, and up the trunk of a tree, and +into the leafy boughs. But now it was the +squirrel's turn to complain.</p> + +<p>"Don't pull at my ears so hard! Why, my +eyes are half out of my head! It is bad enough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +to carry such a load!"</p> + +<p>"But, dear squirrel, I shall tumble off! Here +we are, away up in the air, higher than any +house, and you skip and leap, and scramble so, +it frightens me out of my wits."</p> + +<p>"Jump off a minute, then; I know a better +way to carry you."</p> + +<p>No sooner had Minnie obeyed, than he was out +of sight. With one spring, he had leaped to +the bough of a taller tree;--and now would he +ever come back?</p> + +<p>It made her dizzy to look down. It seemed +further than ever to the ground, now, she had +grown so small. And the insects that crept and +flew around her looked so large! A great mosquito +came buzzing about with his poisoned bill, +and then a hard-backed beetle trolled past, and +two or three fat ants. And a bird alighted on +the bough, and began to sing.</p> + +<p>Minnie drew down a broad leaf to hide her +face, for she felt afraid that the bird would think +her some kind of bug, and eat her up. Perhaps +he meant to do so, for he kept hopping nearer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +and nearer as he sang.</p> + +<p>"O, how I wish I were at home!" thought +Minnie. "Perhaps my mother is looking for me +now; and Franky has been standing ever so +long at the fence, with the half of his cake that +he promised to save for me. How could that +old squirrel be so wicked as to leave me here +alone?"</p> + +<p>Still the bird hopped nearer, and eyed her as +he sang, and looked as if his mouth were watering +for a taste.</p> + +<p>"I shall be killed and eaten up by ants and +worms if I fall to the ground," thought Minnie; +"or, even if I reached it alive, I could never, +never find the way home, with these small, slow +feet. Let the robin eat me, then."</p> + +<p>But now came a rustling amongst the leaves, +and a chirping, chattering sound, and, lo! her +friend the squirrel frisked into sight. He seemed +to be quarrelling with the bird, for she half +spread her wings, and stretched her beak as if +she could bite him; and squirrel chattered and +chuckled at her, and his bright brown eyes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +flashed with anger, till the robin flew away.</p> + +<p>"A moment later, Minnie, and you would have +been changed into a song. That saucy fellow +meant to eat you for his luncheon," said squirrel. +"Now, don't complain that I went away; if +you do, I shall go again. We never allow any +grumbling out here in the woods."</p> + +<p>"Yet they allow quarrelling, and murder, and +mischief of many kinds, I see," thought Minnie; +"but as I've come so far, I will not go home +without learning how birds and squirrels live."</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<p class="center">LIVING IN A TREE.</p> + + +<p>The squirrel now tucked his little friend under +his chin, as if she were a nut, and off they went +together, fast as any bird could fly.</p> + +<p>Minnie soon found there was no use in urging +squirrel to go in a straight line, and pick out the +smoothest paths: it was not his way. He made +her dizzy, often, by running along the under side +of the boughs, or twirling round them in his +frisky way; and, in passing from tree to tree, +whichever branches were farthest apart, they +were the ones he chose for a leap.</p> + +<p>If he heard with his quick ears any sound that +frightened him, down squirrel darted into some +hollow trunk, that was full of ants and rotten +wood, and wiry snails; but Minnie found he was +growing very tired, and was all in a perspiration +with carrying such a burden; so she did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +complain.</p> + +<p>Yet, when, in passing, her curly hair caught on +the rough bark, and had many a pull, and her +cheeks became bruised with brushing against +the leaves, and she shook black ants and beetles +out of her dress, Minnie more than once wished +herself home again.</p> + +<p>At last, with a chuckle of delight, squirrel +darted up the trunk of a beautiful elm, and +seated Minnie where the great boughs parted +into something like an arm-chair; while he went +to find his mate.</p> + +<p>This, then, was her new home! Tired and +hungry as she was, the little girl looked about +her with pleasure--it was such a lovely place. +On one side were sunny fields; on the other, +stretched the silent, shady wood, with its beds +of moss, and curtains of vine, and clumps of +wild-flowers.</p> + +<p>Closer about her, fanning her warm cheeks, +were the green leaves of the elm--more thousands +of them than she could think of counting, +and all so fresh, and creased, and pointed so prettily. +"Many a game of hide-and-seek I'll have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +here!" she thought.</p> + +<p>But now squirrel returned with his wife, who +shook hands with her little guest very politely, +and begged her to feel quite at home. Madam +Squirrel was not so handsome as her husband, +but was such a kind, motherly person, that you +would not notice her looks.</p> + +<p>She had brought some dry moss from her nest, +and with this made a soft bed for Minnie to rest +upon while she prepared dinner. The good soul +even wove the twigs together into a leafy bower +above her head, and called one of her young ones +to stand near and keep the flies away, so that +Minnie might have a nap.</p> + +<p>The young squirrel, however, was less thoughtful +than his mamma. He had so many questions +to ask, and so much news to tell, that sleep was +out of the question. And Minnie found that the +wonderful herb had not only made her grow +small as squirrels, but at the same time had +taught her to understand their language.</p> + +<p>And not this alone; by listening carefully, at +first, she could soon make out what all the creatures +around her were saying--the bees, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +birds; and grasshoppers, and wasps, and mice.</p> + +<p>Even the leaves she saw talked to each other +all day long; the wind had only to come, and +make them a call, and start a subject or two--then +there was whispering enough! And the +grass underneath whispered back, and perfumed +wild-flowers talked with the grass, and the river +talked to the flowers, or, when they would not +listen, talked to its own still pebbles. +</p> +<p>The sun, if he did not speak, smiled such a +broad, warm smile, that any one could guess it +meant, "I know you, and love you, friends!" +And at night the silent moonshine stole into the +wood, and kissed the leaves till they smiled with +happiness, and kissed the flowers till the air was +full of perfumes they breathed back to her, and +kissed the brook till all its little wavelets sparkled +and laughed together for joy.</p> + +<p>Meantime the stars were winking at each +other, to think they had caught the cold moon +making love!</p> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2> + +<p class="center">MASTER SQUIRREL.</p> + + +<p>No sooner had young Master Squirrel taken +up his stand by Minnie's couch, than he began +to tell how fortunate she was in having such +friends.</p> + +<p>"Yes," Minnie replied, "I was thinking of +them this very minute, and wishing I could send +word to my dear mother that I was safe. Poor +Franky must be tired of waiting for me by this +time; there's no one else to play with him. +And then, if you could only see our baby; she's +so sweet and cunning!"</p> + +<p>"Nonsense!" said Master Squirrel; "she is not +half so cunning as you are, now. I was speaking +of your new friends, my father and mother."</p> + +<p>"Well, what about them?"</p> + +<p>"O, we belong to such a fine family, and are +so much respected here in the woods, and my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +father is so rich!"</p> + +<p>Minnie laughed. "Who ever heard of a rich +squirrel? Where do you keep your money? +Are there any banks in the woods?"</p> + +<p>"Banks enough, but they bear nothing except +grass and violets. We are not so foolish as to +put our wealth into pieces of white and yellow +stone. My father may not have gold, but he has +more nuts and acorns hidden away than any +other squirrel in creation. As for the silly birds, +they never save anything, and the worms and +beetles live from hand to mouth."</p> + +<p>"What happens to the frogs and flies?"</p> + +<p>"O, they creep into a hole, when winter comes, +and freeze, like stupid flowers, till the spring sun +is ready to thaw them out again. You see, we +squirrels are the only wise and prudent creatures. +And to think that, among all squirrels, you +should have become acquainted with the richest +one--you are very lucky!"</p> + +<p>"If all your father's nuts were brought together +and measured," said Minnie, "how many +bushels would there be?"</p> + +<p>"What do I know about bushels? He has at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +least as many as would make a wagon-load!"</p> + +<p>Master Squirrel said this with a great air, but +Minnie only laughed. "My father does not pretend +to be rich, but he gives away more than a +wagon-load of nuts every year; besides keeping +all we want for ourselves."</p> + +<p>Dear children, as Minnie looked upon the +squirrel's nuts, that made him feel so important, +just so God's angels look upon <i>our</i> treasures. +Money, fine horses and carriages, are to them no +reason for being proud. They smile at our gains +and savings, which seem foolish toys to them. +The angels have better wealth.</p> + +<p>The squirrel was silent, and so ashamed that +Minnie said, to comfort him:</p> + +<p>"I should not mind never seeing a nut, if I +were as bright and spry as your father; and, +whether she were rich or poor, I know any one +as kind and generous as your mother would +always be respected."</p> + +<p>"Poh! it is easy enough to be kind. I've +seen one ant help another home with his dinner; +I've seen a ground-sparrow, when her neighbor +was shot, feed the hungry young ones left in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +nest; but that's nothing—that doesn't give +one a place in the best society!"</p> + +<p>"I don't believe the little orphan-birds waited +to ask if their friend belonged to the aristocracy. +But, Master Squirrel, what do you call society?"</p> + +<p>"I will show you, to-morrow. I heard my +mother say that she should give a grand party in +honor of your coming. Though it will be like +my parents (who are very condescending) to ask +some of the common people, you may expect to +see along with them all the aristocracy of the +woods."</p> + +<p>Now the mother-squirrel came with Minnie's +dinner; and, sending her talkative son away to +give invitations for the party, busied herself with +spreading out the tempting meal.</p> + +<p>Of course there were nut-meats in plenty; +walnuts on one leaf, chestnuts on another, and +ground-nuts and grains of wheat on a third. +Then there was a bit of honey-comb, and a +ripe red strawberry that squirrel had run a mile +to pick on the mountain-top; and there were +some slices of what Minnie thought must be +squirrels' tongues, they were so small and tender;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +she ate them with a great relish.</p> + +<p>Then squirrel brought, in a nut-shell, a drink +of fresh water from the brook; and, filling her +shell again, dropping in a sweet-brier leaf or two +to perfume it, she bathed Minnie's forehead till +the tired little traveller went fast asleep.</p> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> + +<p class="center">NIGHT.</p> + + +<p>Upon awaking, Minnie was surprised to find +all dark about her. The good old squirrel had +tucked the moss of her couch together so nicely +that she was warm and comfortable; but, on +reaching out a hand, she felt the leaves wet with +dew.</p> + +<p>Then a wind stirred the branches, and far up +in the sky she saw the twinkling stars, and knew +that it was night.</p> + +<p>Night, and the little girl was alone there out +of doors! No mother in the next room listening +to see if her children breathed sweetly, and +all was well; no sister Allie to nestle close +beside her, now; but the great lonely sky +above her, and the creaking elm-bough for her +cradle.</p> + +<p>And how high this cradle lifted her into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +air! She hardly knew which was farthest off, +the ground or the sky. It was all so strange +that Minnie thought she must be dreaming. She +stretched her hands out in the starlight; they +were small as squirrels' paws,—ten times smaller +than even baby Allie's dimpled hands,—small as +those of her smallest doll. Who ever heard of +such hands for a little girl?</p> + +<p>Yes, she felt sure it was a dream; but, turning +to sleep, she was aroused by a loud snoring. +Could a man be hidden up here among the +boughs? And suppose he should catch her alive, +and shut her up in a cage, to be advertised, and +talked about, and pointed at with canes and parasols +in Barnum's museum?</p> + +<p>But now the snores seemed changing to +sounds more like the purring of a cat. Were +not tigers a kind of cat? Suppose this were a +tiger, ready to spring down and seize her in his +great paws, as a cat might seize a mouse!</p> + +<p>No; there came next a loud, rough laugh, startling +to hear in the silence; and then a great +flutter, and a scratching sound, and something +alighted on the bough above her—something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> +heavy, for the bough bent till its leaves were +crushed upon her face.</p> + +<p>As soon as Minnie could push the leaves apart +she looked up, and saw to her dismay two great +round eyes staring full at her! She covered her +own eyes, and in her terror would have fallen +from the tree, had not her dress been caught +among the leaves.</p> + +<p>"What's that? What's that?" a gruff voice +called.</p> + +<p>Then Minnie remembered what she had heard +her mother, and even the little squirrels, say, that +it is foolish to fear anything; so, as loudly as she +could with her trembling voice, the little woman +shouted:</p> + +<p>"How do you do, sir? It's a fine evening, all +but the cold!"</p> + +<p>And, venturing to look once more, she saw +what a curious animal she had addressed; with +the eyes of a man, he had the face of a cat, and +the bill and body of a bird.</p> + +<p>"Who's here? who are you?" was his only +answer.</p> + +<p>"I am a traveller, sir. I have come from my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +home in the village, to make my friends, the +squirrels, a visit; perhaps I shall have the pleasure +of meeting you at their house."</p> + +<p>"Not so fast! I'm an owl, I'd have you know, +and do not keep company with chattering squirrels. +If you wish to see me you must come to +my own home."</p> + +<p>"And where is that?"</p> + +<p>"In the hollow around on the other side +of the elm. We owls are satisfied to sit thinking +over our wisdom, and do not go scrambling +about like squirrels, and other simple +creatures."</p> + +<p>"How did you happen out to-night?"</p> + +<p>"O, every evening I come up on this branch +to take the air, and study astronomy."</p> + +<p>"Astronomy?—what's that?"</p> + +<p>"It is counting the stars, and telling how they +move, and watching when they fall. I expect +to catch one, some day."</p> + +<p>"What shall you do then?"</p> + +<p>"Hide it in my nest, to be sure, until I can +plant the seeds, and raise another crop."</p> + +<p>"Hide a star in an owl's nest! Why, the stars<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +are worlds," laughed Minnie.</p> + +<p>"O, that is what ignorant people say. This, +that you see above your head, is a huge tree +with dark leaves, and hung all over with golden +oranges. When the stars seem to move, it is +only the boughs that are waving; when the +stars seem to fall, it is ripe fruit that drops to +the earth. Let me catch one, and you'll see +what a fine orange-bush I'll grow from the +seed!"</p> + +<p>"I'd sooner fly out, in the pleasant morning +sunshine, and pick up strawberries, blueberries, +checkerberries, all the nice things that grow in +the wood," said Minnie; "but, if you can't be +happy without the stars,—"</p> + +<p>"I never can!" exclaimed the owl.</p> + +<p>"Then I would fly up where they grow, and +pick them myself from the boughs;—not sit in +a dark hole, and wait for them to fall."</p> + +<p>But the owl—who thought no one's opinion +worth much, except his own—could not agree +with her, and flew away.</p> + +<p>Then Minnie, tired of talking so long, fell +asleep once more, hoping, with all her heart, that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +she should awake in her little room at home, +with Allie's rosy cheek pressed close to hers, +and her mother stooping to give them both her +morning kiss.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE NEW HOME.</p> + +<p>Cool air and pleasant music were about her, +when Minnie awoke the next day, but no home. +She was wrapped in a bundle of moss, on the +elm-bough, still.</p> + +<p>The bright morning sunshine lay over the +leaves, fragrant odors came stealing out from the +wood, and wreaths of beautiful white mist floated +above the brook, and, slowly rising, reached, at +last, and melted in with those other white clouds +far up in the sky. Yet the lower end of the +mist-wreath rested still upon the brook, so that +it seemed like a long pearly pathway, joining the +earth and heaven.</p> + +<p>Many birds had their nests in the elm, and they +were feeding and singing to their young; or, +floating up in the sky, still kept a close watch<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +over their little homes among the leaves.</p> + +<p>Minnie found she had plenty of neighbors. +The tree was like a town, filled with people of all +colors, and sizes, and occupations. Of course, +these were only birds or insects; but Minnie had +grown so small that they looked monstrous to +her. The birds were as large as herself, you +remember. Little lady-bugs seemed as big as a +rabbit does to us, and fire-flies were great street-lanterns; +butterflies' wings were like window-curtains; +bees were like robins; and squirrels, +as large as Newfoundland dogs!</p> + +<p>As her friends did not come to bid her good-morning, +the little girl thought she would go in +search of them. She felt afraid to move, at first, +but found soon that the bough was as wide for +her small feet as a good road would be for larger +ones; so, steadying herself now and then by +help of a twig or leaf, she wandered on.</p> + +<p>Sliding carefully down the slope of a bough, +she found herself, at length, close by the entrance +of the squirrel nest. Her friend, the young +squirrel, was just sweeping the door-way with +his bushy tail; but, when he took Minnie in to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +see his brothers and sisters, she did not find their +home a very orderly place.</p> + +<p>She could not step without treading on empty +nut-shells, bits of moss, or broken sticks; then +the place was dark, and did not have a clean, +sweet smell, like her mother's parlor. In one +corner lay a heap of young squirrels, some so +small you could put them into a nut-shell—others +larger, and larger still. The nest was so +cold and damp that the poor little things had +crept together to keep warm.</p> + +<p>Master Squirrel said, by way of excuse, that +his mother was so busy, preparing for the party, +she had not been able to set her house in order +this morning; but Minnie never afterwards happened +to go there when it was in better order +than now.</p> + +<p>"Where is your mother?" she asked.</p> + +<p>"In the woods, at some of our other houses; +for we squirrels don't live always in one place. +She is gathering nuts and all kinds of goodies for +our supper, and will scold me well if I have not +the table set when she comes home."</p> + +<p>"O, let me help you!"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + +<p>Squirrel was glad to accept her offer, and they +went to work in earnest. First, Minnie insisted +upon bringing all the young ones out into the +sun, when they stretched out their little heads +and paws to receive the pleasant warmth, while +Minnie returned to see if anything could be done +with their disorderly home.</p> + +<p>She sent squirrel into the woods for some pine +leaves, and of these made a broom as large as +she could handle. Then she swept, and dusted, +and brushed black cobwebs down, and wiped the +mouldy walls, and put fresh leaves in place of +the musty moss on which the children had laid.</p> + +<p>By this time the old squirrel had come back +from the woods again; and told what a beautiful +place his wife had found for their feast, and how +glad she would be of Minnie's help. He limped +a little, and said his back ached still from carrying +such a load the day before; but, as there was +no other way for the little woman to reach the +ground, she might go with him, only be sure not +to pull his ears!</p> + +<p>No sooner said than done. Down the trunk +of the tall tree they went with a leap or two, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +along the stone walls, over bushes, through +hollows, further and further into the wood, till +they came to a lovely spot.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2> + +<p class="center">IN THE WOODS.</p> + + +<p>A number of trees stood so closely together +that they seemed like a solid wood; but, when +the squirrel had made a way for Minnie to pass +under the heavy boughs, she found inside a circle, +covered only with fine soft grass and moss, a +few wild flowers nodding across it, and the leaves, +with their low, pleasant rustle, closing around it +like a wall.</p> + +<p>"Now," said the old squirrels, who were too +wise to be proud and boastful like their son, +"now, Minnie, you know better than we what is +proper, and you must tell us how everything +shall be arranged."</p> + +<p>Nothing could please Miss Minnie better than +this. Her mother had not even allowed her to +go into the supper-room before company came; +and here she was to order all things, and be herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +the little mistress of the feast!</p> + +<p>They decided to have their party in the afternoon, +because at that time the sunshine always +slanted so pleasantly through the wood. If they +waited till evening, the dew would begin to rise, +and there was no depending on the moon for +light; and their children, besides, would be needing +them at home.</p> + +<p>First, Minnie said, they must have a more convenient +entrance to the supper-room. On one +side stood a large azalea, or wild honeysuckle, in +full flower, and near it a sweet-brier; between +these were some whortleberry bushes, around +the roots of which last Minnie made the squirrels +burrow till she could drag them away. +</p> + +<p>Then, smoothing the broken earth, she covered +it with sods of fresh moss, while overhead the +sweet-brier and azalia met in a beautiful archway +of fragrant leaves and flowers.</p> + +<p>And it was so much prettier to have flowers +growing in the ground than if they had been cut +and brought from some green-house! Both Minnie +and the squirrels were delighted with their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +dining-hall.</p> + +<p>Next they spread shining oak-leaves for a table-cloth, +which was better so than if it had all been +in one piece, because now, wherever a tuft of +violets grew, or any of the slight starry flowers +that dotted over the grass, they could remain +there, and save the trouble of arranging vases.</p> + +<p>Then came a great variety of food,--nuts, +honey, grain and berries, apple and quince seeds, +bits of gum, and strips of fragrant bark. Minnie +was shocked when she saw among the game a +dish of dead ants, and one of frogs' feet, and +another of red spiders; but the squirrel said she +must have something to suit all tastes, and the +birds would be disappointed if they had not +animal food.</p> + +<p>Then she begged Minnie to slice some cold +meat for her, and brought a big black beetle to +be shaved up like dried beef, and an angle-worm +to be cut in slices for tongue.</p> + +<p>"O, dear!" exclaimed Minnie, as the little +round slices of this last fell into the plate, "can +this be what I mistook for tongue, and relished<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> +so heartily last night?"</p> + +<p>"Very likely," squirrel answered; "it is one +of the tenderest meats we have."</p> + +<p>Minnie resolved to eat no more dainties in the +wood, until she had first found out their names; +but she had not time to grieve much over her +mistake, for the father-squirrel came to tell that +he had promised his oldest children a race in +the woods, and invited her to make one of the +party.</p> + +<p>She was glad to take lessons in running of +such a quick little body as he; and, while his +young ones frisked and bounded, and chased each +other, he was very patient in teaching her all his +arts. Before many such lessons, Minnie could +balance herself on the most uneven and unsteady +place; could climb slippery boughs, skip without +stopping over the crookedest places, and even +leap from branch to branch, so nimbly that squirrel +was proud of his pupil. +</p> +<p>He would not let her go very far that day, +because she must be fresh for the afternoon, +when his guests would come.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE SQUIRREL'S PARTY.</p> + + +<p>In due time the company arrived, and all were +in such good spirits, and so polite, that Minnie +thought she had never known a more charming +party.</p> + +<p>On each side of herself sat the birds; a blue-bird +and yellow-bird first, then a thrush and an +oriole, then--cunning little creatures!--a wren +and an indigo-bird. The robins and bobolinks +were not invited, because they were such gluttons. +The crows could not come, because they +were so quarrelsome, and the cherry-birds were +too great thieves.</p> + +<p>Then came a whole row of squirrels, that sat +with their bushy tails up in the air, and paws +folded quietly, notwithstanding the nuts before +them, while they made themselves agreeable to +the meek mice and moles, that were all a-tremble,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +not often finding themselves in such grand company.</p> + +<p>One large gray squirrel came in his rough +hunting-coat; but he talked so loud and boastfully, +and seemed to look down upon all the +others with such contempt, they were not sorry +when he said, at last, that he had promised to +take a walk with his distinguished friend the rabbit, +and must therefore go home.</p> + +<p>Several toads were invited, and Minnie had +even taken pains to roll some round stones into +the room for their seats. They came, and were +chatting gayly, when their eyes, that wandered +over the delicious feast, fell upon the dish of +frogs' feet, and home they hopped at once, offended. +It was a great mistake, on the squirrel's +part, to bring such guests and such a dish +together; for who could be expected to relish +seeing his cousin chopped up into souse?</p> + +<p>The butterflies came, but declined taking seats +at the table, as they never ate anything. They +fluttered above, with their beautiful velvet wings, +and clung to the flowers, bending them down +with their weight; and, when Minnie observed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> +how wistfully the birds were eying them, she +thought perhaps the butterflies had a better +reason than they gave for keeping at a distance.</p> + +<p>After eating all they wanted, squirrel proposed +that his guests should go to the brook for a +drink. It was not far, and Minnie had swept the +path nicely with her broom, and spread new moss +wherever the ground was bare; so they seemed +to be walking on a strip of green velvet carpeting, +as, two by two, they started for the water-side.</p> + +<p>Some little green, graceful snakes followed on +from curiosity, while over the heads of the party +fluttered all the butterflies; and a rabbit, chancing +to see them, very politely asked squirrel if +he might join the guests.</p> + +<p>Meantime the toads, that had crept into a corner +to mutter about their insult, hopped back to +the table, and, along with a swarm of flies and +ants, and greedy robins, crows, and bobolinks, +soon finished all that the company had left.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2> + +<p class="center">BY THE RIVER.</p> + + +<p>A yellow-bird was the companion of Minnie's +walk, and a pleasant little man he was, with his +gayly-spotted wings, his graceful manners, and +musical voice.</p> + +<p>The oriole was handsomer, and had a sweeter +song; but he was proud, and spoke in a sharp, +short way, that was not agreeable. Minnie said +to herself, "I can listen to oriole while he sings +at the top of the tall elm; but for my friend I +will choose some one with gentler behavior, if +he hasn't so loud a song." Do you think Minnie +was wise?</p> + +<p>Yellow-bird was equally pleased with his companion, +and very ready to converse. He told +her that he had often wished to become acquainted +with some of his neighbors in the +village, but dare not trust them.</p> + +<p>"Why?" Minnie asked.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span></p> + +<p>"O, one of my brothers, after eating the plant +that makes us wise, heard a little girl begging +him to come and live with her. She promised a +beautiful cage in the summer-house, and plants to +eat and drink."</p> + +<p>"And he went?"</p> + +<p>"Yes; he was so unwise. Before the end of +a week the little girl had forgotten to feed him, +and he lay dead in the bottom of his cage."</p> + +<p>"Yet that was an accident; the little girl was +sorry, I am sure."</p> + +<p>"Her sorrow did not bring him to life again; +and I could tell sadder stories--O, too sad +stories for to-day!" Here yellow-bird stopped +talking, and breathed forth a low, mournful song.</p> + +<p>The squirrel, hearing him, turned quickly: +"This will never do! Why, friend, we're going +to a feast, and not a funeral; pray give us some +gladder music."</p> + +<p>"Excuse me, I never can sing so soon after +eating," said yellow-bird, who was not willing to +leave his new friend.</p> + +<p>As for Minnie, she had never stood so near a +bird before in her life; and could not be satisfied<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +with looking into yellow-bird's round eyes, and +stroking the soft feathers on his neck. She had +a hundred questions to ask; and he answered so +graciously that she began to think she would +rather live with those gentle creatures, the birds, +than with her kind, but wild and frisky friends, +the squirrels.</p> + +<p>You may remember it was Minnie's wish at +first to live like a bird, on that morning--how +long ago it seemed to her now!--when she had +sat on her father's door-step, and watched a sparrow +soar into the sky, and sing.</p> + +<p>They had not time for many words before +reaching the water, which in one place spread to +a little pond beneath the trees, and reflected the +leafy branches on every side, and the sky, with +its pearl-white clouds, and the sunshine that lay +across it like a path of gold.</p> + +<p>An aged birch-tree, uprooted by the wind, had +fallen into this pond. Its large and handsome +boughs were still alive; and here flew oriole +at once, singing as he alighted, and swung on +the tip of a branch. The other birds followed +through the air, except Minnie's friend, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +walked quietly on with her. The squirrels +bounded in a trice across the broad, white trunk +of the tree. The mice and the moles followed +them, and the rabbit was not far behind. The +butterflies chose to hover above the sunny water +in a flock.</p> + +<p>Then squirrel made a speech, thanking his +guests for the honor they had done him in +spending so much time at his poor feast. He +was glad it had been in his power to make some +return, by presenting to them so distinguished a +guest.</p> + +<p>The rabbit took this compliment to himself; +so he replied by assuring squirrel that the obligation +was all on the part of his guests. In ending, +he regretted that he had not chanced to meet +earlier with such pleasant companions; the truth +was, he had only an hour ago been able to rid +himself of a gray squirrel, a rough, unmannerly +fellow from the backwoods, whom he would have +been ashamed to bring into such polite society.</p> + +<p>"Ha!" said squirrel, forgetting his dignity as +host, "the very chap that honored us with his +presence a little while, and boasted about his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +mighty friend, the rabbit."</p> + +<p>Rabbit folded his ears together very wisely at +this, and replied: "A person who feels it necessary +to boast of his friends, is never much in +himself. Now, <i>I</i> always feel that I'm as good as +any of my acquaintance."</p> + +<p>"I wonder which is worse vanity," thought +Minnie, "to boast of one's friends or one's +self!"</p> + +<p>But here yellow-bird hopped upon a spray, +and sang a delightful little song in honor of their +fair guest, whom he compared to a flower, a little +cloud, a soft willow-bud of the spring-time, a +white strawberry, and many other things in +which birds delight.</p> + +<p>The company were so pleased that they begged +to hear the song again,--all except rabbit, who, +finding his mistake at last, hopped further in +among the leaves, and hid himself, feeling very +much ashamed.</p> + +<p>Then yellow-bird, instead of repeating his first +song, sang another, which was sweeter still. It +told how full the world might be of love and +happiness, how many such good times as this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +all creatures might have, if they would but be +gentle and kind, willing to please, and ready to +forgive.</p> + +<p>As the last note died away, oriole, impatient +to show his skill, remarked that yellow-bird's +song was too much like a sermon; and, without +waiting for invitation, he then gave what seemed +to him a better one.</p> + +<p>And it was enchanting music. O, so clear, and +wild, and joyous, that it made the other birds lift +their wings, and long to fly!</p> + +<p>Hearing a plunge in the water near, and a sigh +of pleasure, Minnie looked down between the +branches, and saw a handsome green frog, that +had come to listen to the music; and swarms of +little fish, with rainbow-colors on their silver +scales, all listening too.</p> + +<p>So the afternoon passed in speeches and music. +The squirrels, who could not sing, told stories +that made the company laugh right heartily. +Even Minnie took her part in the entertainment, +by relating how people in the village lived, how +they ate, and drank, and slept, and why they did +many things which had puzzled the birds and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +squirrels amazingly.</p> + +<p>All this was as interesting to her listeners as +it would be for us to read Robinson Crusoe, +or Dr. Kane's travels among the icebergs and +Esquimaux.</p> + +<p>Repeating their thanks to squirrel, and each +one politely urging Minnie to visit him, the company +now went home.</p> + +<p>Yellow-bird insisted upon taking Minnie on his +wings, but soon found the little woman so heavy +that he was satisfied to let her dance along by +squirrel's side, and flew off to find his young. +He had, too, a world to tell his mate about the +merry feast, and the queer little lady in whose +honor it was given. +</p> +<p>I am afraid all the birds and squirrels that were +at the party kept their mates or their brothers +and sisters awake that night, relating what they +had seen and heard. Even the mice talked about +it in their cellars under ground; and oriole did +not sleep a wink, he worked so hard composing a +song to Minnie's eyelashes. +</p> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE YELLOW-BIRD.</p> + + +<p>At daybreak the next morning yellow-bird +came with the indigo-bird and thrush, and awakened +Minnie with their charming songs. Sunrise, +you know, is the time birds always choose +for serenades; and I am not sure they are +wrong--everything is so fresh, and still, and +dewy, then.</p> + +<p>She could hardly wait till the music was over +before shaking away the moss in which she had +slept, and going to bid her friends good-morning. +Skipping fearlessly along the boughs,--for she +had not forgotten squirrel's lessons,--just as the +birds were preparing to fly away, Minnie surprised +them with a sight of her merry face.</p> + +<p>They did not chat long, for Minnie could see +that her friends were impatient for their morning +sail up in the fresh blue air. So she begged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +them to fly away, while she would go to the +squirrel-nest and find if breakfast was ready.</p> + +<p>She met squirrel, who, though much fatigued, +and sometimes obliged to put his tail before his +mouth in order to hide his gapes, was as civil as +ever, and bade her a pleasant good-morning.</p> + +<p>His wife did not happen to be in so amiable a +mood. Not only was she tired from all the work +and anxiety of the day before, but Minnie's +sweeping and dusting, she said, had put everything +out of order in her nest. Besides this, the +children had taken cold from staying out of +doors so long, and the light of the sun had given +them weak eyes.</p> + +<p>Minnie was troubled, and offered her help in +making things go right again.</p> + +<p>"No," Mrs. Squirrel replied, "I have had +enough of such help, and now you can best +assist me by keeping out of the way."</p> + +<p>This was very rude, and brought tears into +Minnie's eyes. It was bad enough, she thought, +to be so far from home, but to be treated unkindly, +and after she had worked so hard in +hopes to please the squirrel, this was more than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +she could bear.</p> + +<p>Running so far from the nest that she could +not hear the angry voice within, Minnie seated +herself on the bough, and, all alone there, thought +of her pleasant home, and the mother who was +so ready to praise her when she did right, and +just as ready to forgive her when she did wrong. +She seemed to see Franky looking through the +fence, waiting, and wondering if she would never +come. Then she saw Allie open her large eyes, +and, peeping between the bars of her crib, look +all about the room, and stretch her little hands +forth for Minnie, and no Minnie there!</p> + +<p>Even if she went back now, would they know +her, shrunk as she was to a mere doll? Before +she could reach her father's door, wouldn't the +boys in the street pick up such a curious little +being, and put her in a cage, or sell her, perhaps, +to be killed and stuffed for some museum?</p> + +<p>"O, I haven't any home, or friends in all the +world!" she said, and, covering her face with +her little hands, Minnie sobbed as if her heart +would break.</p> + +<p>"Hallo, there! what's the matter?" shouted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> +young Master Squirrel from the bough above. +"It can't be you're crying because the old +woman is cross? Why, she'll be good as chestnuts +by the time you see her again. Here, catch +these nuts! she made me crack them for your +breakfast."</p> + +<p>Minnie thanked the squirrel, but she could not +eat. Her heart was too heavy. She hoped that, +when the birds came back, they would not find +her, for she was too much grieved to talk, or +even listen to music.</p> + +<p>She had hardly drawn the leaves about her, +when she saw the indigo-bird, and then the +thrush, making their way towards the elm. Minnie +held her breath, while they alighted and +hopped from bough to bough, and turned their +heads on one side to peer between the leaves, +and sang little snatches of song, that she might +hear and answer them. At last they flew away, +and when oriole came, he had no better success.</p> + +<p>Then came yellow-bird, with a fresh ripe strawberry +in his mouth. He also looked in vain, +until, just as he was lifting his wings to go, his +quick ear caught a sigh, so low that only loving<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> +ears would have heard it, and he flew at once to +Minnie's feet.</p> + +<p>She still held the leaves fast, and yellow-bird +was obliged to tear them with his beak before he +could be certain that she was within.</p> + +<p>"Poor little soul! what is the matter?" he +said, when he saw her sad face, wet with tears.</p> + +<p>Then Minnie put her arms around yellow-bird's +neck, and told all her troubles. He did not speak +a word until she had finished, when he exclaimed, +"You shall not live with the squirrels any longer. +Come to my own warm little nest on the other +side of the elm. My mate will be glad to see +you, and you shall have sunshine and music +all day long. Tell me, Minnie, will you come?" +He ended with a little strain of song, so sweet +and pleading that Minnie could have kissed him +for it, only, you know, a bird's mouth is rather +sharp to kiss. She pleased him better by promising +to go that very hour to his nest.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> + +<p class="center">IN A BIRD'S NEST.</p> + + +<p>Yellow-bird's nest was all that he had promised. +It was built on one of the outer boughs +of the elm, deep enough among the leaves to be +shady at noon, yet not so deep but in the cool +of morning the sunshine could rest upon it.</p> + +<p>Then the view was much finer than that from +squirrel's side of the tree. Minnie looked down +upon fields of wild flowers all wet with dew, +across at hills that rose grandly against the sky; +and, better still, between the trees she caught a +glimpse of the town, with its white spires and +cottages.</p> + +<p>It was an important day with yellow-bird, for +a whole brood of young ones were leaving his +nest for the last time. He had taught them to +sing and fly, had shown them where to find food, +and given so much good advice, that now he did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +not feel afraid to trust them by themselves.</p> + +<p>He brought his children to see Minnie before +they left, made them sing a little song of welcome +and farewell, and then watched with pleasure +as they flew into the wood, and soon were +lost amid its shady boughs.</p> + +<p>Minnie asked if it did not make him sad to +lose his treasures all at once.</p> + +<p>"O, no," he said; "if one of my chicks had +been blind, or had grown up with a broken wing, +and could not leave the nest, I well might +grieve. Now that all has gone well, I'm only +too glad to see them fly away."</p> + +<p>"But suppose that, when out of your sight, +they fall into trouble or mischief?"</p> + +<p>"They are never out of God's sight. Cannot +he take better care of them than a little bird like +me? Ah, Minnie, it isn't best to fret! The +smaller and weaker we are, the more care our +heavenly Father takes of us."</p> + +<p>Yellow-bird's mate came now to see what her +husband could be talking about, and invited +Minnie to take a nearer look at her nest, which +she had been industriously cleaning and mending<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +since her children went.</p> + +<p>It was a smooth, cool bed of horse-hair and +moss, set prettily amidst the thick green leaves. +Slender roots and threads were woven across +the outside, and what was Minnie's delight to +find among them a scrap of one of her mother's +dresses, which yellow-bird said he had picked up +beneath a window in the village, for it was so +soft, and covered with such bright flowers, he +knew it must please his mate!</p> + +<p>Minnie felt that the nest would be dearer to +her, and more like home than ever now. Yet +she knew it was not civil to leave her good +friends, the squirrels, without a word of good-by; +so, lighter-hearted than when she left it, she +skipped back to their den on the other side of +the tree.</p> + +<p>She found the old lady's temper very much +improved, perhaps because she had her nest in +what she called order again. Minnie tumbled +over nut-shells, tore her dress against thorny +sticks, and, when she stretched her hand toward +the wall, trying to rise, she felt cold mushrooms<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +growing out of the crumbling wood.</p> + +<p>It was dark, too,--no prospect there,--and +there was the old musty odor, which she remembered +so well, instead of the sweet air and fresh +green leaves above yellow-bird's nest; and there +was the heap of sleepy young squirrels squeaking +in a corner.</p> + +<p>"O, dear!" thought Minnie, "how could I +ever have wished to live in a place like this?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Squirrel was polite once more, and kindly +offered her some luncheon, but did not ask her +to stay. And, though surprised, she did not +seem grieved when the little lady told her that +she had come to say farewell.</p> + +<p>Not so squirrel himself, who was proud of +Minnie, and fond of her, and felt so badly at +parting, that his lips trembled too much to bid +her good-by, and he ran off into a hole in the +ground to hide his tears.</p> + +<p>"Dear squirrel! he has done the best he could +for me," she thought; "and now, because he +doesn't happen to have a pleasant home, I am +about to leave him! I have a great mind to go<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +back!"</p> + +<p>Just then a nut-shell dropped on her head, +and, looking up, she saw Master Squirrel, who +laughed at her surprise. Leaping a little nearer, +he began:</p> + +<p>"So you've returned, Miss Runaway! My +mother said it would be too good luck to lose +you in a hurry. She was sure we should see +you before the sun went down."</p> + +<p>"Then your mother doesn't like me?"</p> + +<p>"O, yes! she says you're a cunning little body, +and mean no harm; but, like all company, you +make a great deal of trouble, and do no one any +good, that she can see."</p> + +<p>"What does your father say to that?"</p> + +<p>"He takes your part; tells her he's ashamed +that she is not more hospitable; and then they +quarrel well, I tell you!"</p> + +<p>"There shall be no more trouble on my account," +said Minnie, with dignity. "I am going +to live with my friends, the yellow-birds. I have +bidden your father and mother good-by, and now +good-by, squirrel; you have all been very kind to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +me."</p> + +<p>"No we haven't, Minnie; and I have been +rudest of all; and you, so good, to be satisfied +with our poor home!"</p> + +<p>"Dinner-time! plenty of checkerberry buds +and juicy berries in the wood!" sang yellow-bird +on a bough above. "Come, Minnie, come!"</p> + +<p>"Good-by, squirrel! Yellow-bird, here I am."</p> + +<p>"O, Minnie!" was all the answer squirrel +could make. She left him wiping his eyes on his +hairy paws--left him, and skipped away with +her new friend.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2> + +<p class="center">MINNIE AND THE BIRDS.</p> + + +<p>For a little while Minnie was very happy with +the yellow-birds; they were gentle and loving as +the days were long, and only disputed to know +which should have the pleasure of doing most +for their company.</p> + +<p>At home it was all sunshine and music, exactly +as they had promised; and, when there was too +much sun, they flew to the wood, where hundreds +of other birds met also, and merrily passed the +long, bright afternoons.</p> + +<p>It was like a party every day. Instead of +needing to set a table each time, there was the +whole wood, with its flowers, berries, gums, and +spicy buds, spread out for them to take their +choice. The wine bubbled up freshly from their +cellar, and spread into bright wells wreathed +with flowers. No need of corkscrews and coolers;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +yet, the best wine in the world never tasted +so good, nor left such clear heads, and such +merry, thankful hearts, as this simple water--the +only drink the birds asked at this woodland +feast.</p> + +<p>Minnie made friends among great and small, +she was so sprightly, and ready to please, and so +willing to be pleased herself. This last is a great +secret in winning friends. If people find it hard +to amuse us, they very soon grow tired of trying, +and leave us to entertain ourselves.</p> + +<p>But Minnie had a pleasant word and a merry +answer for every one. She did not laugh at the +oriole for his foolish pride, nor at the ant for her +stinginess and silence, nor at the bee for making +such a bustle, nor at the indigo-bird for her diffidence. +She knew it was their way, and only +took care not to imitate their faults herself.</p> + +<p>Meantime she never was tired of admiring +their better traits of character. Let the oriole +be proud as he would; she knew that hardly any +one else could sing such lovely songs as he was +always twittering. Let the ant be ever so mean +and dumb; who else had such an orderly house,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +and such a store of food? Let the bee buzz; +couldn't he turn the poorest weeds into delicious +honey, and set it in waxen jars of his own +making, yet so neat, and delicate, and well contrived, +that any man or woman might be proud +of them? Let the indigo-bird be shy; once hidden +among the leaves, wasn't she willing enough +to trill forth the clearest, loudest, sweetest little +songs?</p> + +<p>Ah! in this great wide world there is no creature +but has some precious gift for us, if we can +only find it. The little bird is weak, but his +voice can fill the whole sky with music. You +may know some rough boy who seems wicked; +but be sure there's a good spot in his heart, and, +by treating him kindly, we may make that good +spot larger. Isn't it worth while to try?</p> + +<p>Though yellow-bird, after giving many lessons, +found he could not teach Minnie to fly, he taught +her so much that, by resting one hand on his +neck, she could easily glide along with him +through the air.</p> + +<p>In this way they fluttered from bough to +bough in the wood, then took longer flights<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +through sunny meadows, and at last ventured +up among the clouds, where Minnie had longed +to go.</p> + +<p>Up, up, they soared,--yellow-bird singing for +joy,--till there was nothing around them except +the bright blue air, and, close over their heads, +rose the pearly morning clouds.</p> + +<p>Many a time had the little girl sat on her father's +door-step, and longed to be where she now +found herself. Many a summer morning she had +watched these same clouds gather and wrap +themselves together, till they looked like splendid +palaces of pearl--pearly domes and spires +dazzlingly bright in the sunshine, and porticos +with pillars of twisted pearl; and, at little +openings, she could look through vast halls, all +paved with pearl, and curtained with silvery +hangings.</p> + +<p>At sunset the roof of her beautiful palace had +changed from pearl to silver, and all its spires +were gilded; the silvery hangings changed to +rose-color; the floor, instead of pearl, was paved +with solid gold, and the pillars were made of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +shining amethyst.</p> + +<p>"O," Minnie had thought, "if, instead of this +little house, with its dull, iron fence, I could live +in such a noble home as that, how proud and +happy I should be!"</p> + +<p>Then, as a man passed, with his ladder, to light +the street-lamps, she wondered if hundreds of +ladders tied together couldn't reach as far as +the clouds.</p> + +<p>"How I would skip up the rounds," she +thought, "and, when I had reached the highest, +send my ladder tumbling back to earth! The +ladder would break, so no one could follow me; +and all day long I'd fly from hall to hall, or, +through great winding staircases, find my way +to the golden cupolas, where I could look down +into the poor old dusty earth I had left."</p> + +<p>And now, without tying a hundred ladders +together, here she was among the clouds. Alas! +the pearly halls, that from below had looked so +beautiful, were damp and dismal vapors. It was +chilly and lonesome up there, while, wonderful +to tell! the earth seemed a warmer, sunnier, +more cheerful place than she had ever known it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +There was the pretty town, with its surrounding +hills and woods, with its winding rivers, and +green fields, and tranquil lakes. In all the sky +there was nothing half so beautiful!</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE SQUIRREL'S TEAM.</p> + + +<p>After the long sky-journey, Minnie was glad +to reach her home in the elm once more. She +was weary, wet, cold, and disappointed. She +longed for the blazing fire in her mother's room, +and the warm, pleasant drink her mother could +mix for her. She longed to hear Frank's merry +voice, and to see baby Allie with her golden +curls.</p> + +<p>There was no use in longing. Even if yellow-bird +should fly with her to the very window, +they wouldn't know her. They would only +laugh at the curious little creature she had +grown, and hang her up in the cage with their +canary-birds. So she would make the best of +her home that was left, and not distress her kind +friends by wearing a gloomy face.</p> + +<p>She was trying to smile, when a pleasant chirp<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +told her that the yellow-bird's mate was near. +She soon hopped into sight, and, welcoming Minnie +in her kind way, told that she had an invitation +from no less a person than his majesty, the +owl.</p> + +<p>The party was made especially for Minnie; +so she could not refuse, although it was to be +held at midnight. Yellow-bird would go with +her.</p> + +<p>"And you, too?" Minnie asked.</p> + +<p>"Excuse me, dear, this time. I feel obliged to +stay at home."</p> + +<p>"So do I, then."</p> + +<p>"Ah, I will tell you a secret. I have in my +nest some of the prettiest little eggs you ever +saw. If I should leave them they might be +chilled with the night-air; so never mind me, +Minnie, but go and have the pleasantest time +you can."</p> + +<p>"To tell another secret, then," Minnie answered, +"my dress is not only worn to rags, +but so soiled that I am ashamed of it, and cannot +think of going into company. See what a +plight!" And she held up the skirt that was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +torn into strips like ribbon.</p> + +<p>"Is that all? I watched to-day while a cruel +boy was shooting in the wood. He fired at a +poor little humming-bird, and broke its wing. It +fluttered down among the bushes, and lies there +now, I suppose, for I took care to call the boy +away."</p> + +<p>"How?"</p> + +<p>"O, we understand. I cried out as if he had +also wounded me; and, when he began to search, +went slyly round into another place, and cried +again. So I led the boy on, till I felt pretty sure +he could not find his game if he went back."</p> + +<p>"But why did you take so much pains?"</p> + +<p>"Partly so that he should not carry the pretty +little creature home, and send half the boys in +town out here, next day, hunting humming-birds, +and partly because I thought the feathers would +make you such a warm, handsome cloak. Fly +with me, now, and we'll find it; for here comes +my mate, to take his turn in staying with the +nest."</p> + +<p>They quickly reached the bush, under which +humming-bird lay dead; but how heavy he was!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +It was as much as ever Minnie could do to lift +him from the ground.</p> + +<p>While they stood over him, wondering what +was next to be done, Master Squirrel frisked in +sight, rolling before him a large, round turtle-shell.</p> + +<p>"Stand out of the way!" he shouted. But +Minnie stood across his path, and, for fear of +throwing her down, he stopped; and, leaning on +his shell, not very good-naturedly asked what +she wanted.</p> + +<p>"O, squirrel, do leave your play a little while, +and help us!" she said. "We have this heavy +bird to carry home, and skin, and make the skin +into a cloak, while the daylight lasts; do be kind, +now, and help us!"</p> + +<p>"It isn't my way to be kind; but I'll make a +bargain with you."</p> + +<p>"Well."</p> + +<p>"Yellow-bird shall fix a harness out of straw, +fasten you into my shell for a horse, and I will +drive home with your load."</p> + +<p>"That's a good plan," said Minnie, not waiting +to think how squirrel had kept the best of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> +the bargain for his own share. "What say you, +yellow-bird?"</p> + +<p>"Poor little woman! after such a long journey +you are too tired to drag this great fellow home. +I will do it myself."</p> + +<p>"Then I will help you twist the ropes."</p> + +<p>To work they went, and soon had the harness +finished. Squirrel, meantime, selected a good +long twig for a whip, laid the humming-bird +across the shell, and leaped into his place.</p> + +<p>He could hardly wait for the harnessing to be +ended; but Minnie made him stay until he had +promised only to snap his whip in the air, not +use it on yellow-bird, and they darted on.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE MOONLIGHT DANCE.</p> + + +<p>Minnie tripped behind, watching the little +team. She had grown so nimble that she could +keep nearer than squirrel thought.</p> + +<p>When he supposed he was out of sight from +her, he lifted his whip, and gave yellow-bird a +smart stroke across his shoulders.</p> + +<p>But she knew how to punish him;--spreading +her wings at once, she rose into the air, and +made the deceitful squirrel roll out of his +chariot.</p> + +<p>He was ashamed to see Minnie after this, so +limped away, whining that he had broken his +paw, and would tell his mother.</p> + +<p>Then yellow-bird sung one of her droll little +songs, that were like twenty laughs shaken +together, and, when Minnie came, begged her to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +take the squirrel's place, and drive home.</p> + +<p>The little woman was too thoughtful of her +kind friend for that. She went behind and +pushed, while yellow-bird dragged the shell, and +they soon had it safe beneath the elm.</p> + +<p>Then they slipped off the humming-bird's skin +in a trice, hung it a while on the sunny side of +the elm to dry, and Minnie's good friend pulled +out from among the twigs of the nest that dear +piece of her mother's dress, and gave it to her +for a lining.</p> + +<p>You never saw a prettier and more fairy-like +little garment than this when it was finished; the +tiny feathers all lay together so evenly, and +whenever the wearer moved they took such brilliant +hues! Now the cloak was red, now brown, +now green and gold, and again it glittered with +all these colors at once.</p> + +<p>Minnie had always seemed like a bird, with her +quick, light, flying ways, and more than ever she +seemed one now, with her gay feather cloak, and +the fluttering, sailing motions she had caught +from yellow-bird.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Yellow-bird, having put the last stitch in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +Minnie's cloak, fastened it about her neck, and +looked at her guest with great satisfaction. +Then, at a chirp, her mate came, and readily consented +to be Minnie's escort; so away they flew +together.</p> + +<p>The evening was mild, and clear moonlight +filled the wood. Owl had chosen a lovely green +dell in which to meet his friends, and had fitted +it up with taste, and no little pains. All among +the bushes and lower boughs of the trees he had +tied live fire-flies and bright green beetles. He +had built for the dance a tent of bark, and had +sanded the floor with a curious dust that is found +in the wood countries, and is like pale coals of +fire.</p> + +<p>The birds dared not step on this fiery carpet at +first, for fear of singeing their feet; but owl +assured them that it had no warmth. As for the +fire-fly lanterns, it must be confessed that the +birds' mouths watered in passing them, but they +were too civil to eat up their host's decorations.</p> + +<p>There was an orchestra of crickets, and they +played such merry tunes that the guests all +danced and waltzed till they were tired, and then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +it was supper-time.</p> + +<p>Alas! owl had not been so thoughtful as the +squirrels, and had only furnished such food as he +liked himself. You may judge the surprise and +disgust of the company, when, to the music of +the band, they were marched in front of a heap +of dead mice!</p> + +<p>The owl began to eat at once, and begged his +guests not to be diffident. Not one of them +tasted a morsel, however. Some politely refused, +some went home angry, and a few had the courage +to own that they were not fond of mouse-flesh.</p> + +<p>Thus owl's party ended, and, indeed, all his +parties, for, the next time he sent out invitations, +every bird in the wood respectfully declined.</p> + +<p>If we think of no one but ourselves, we shall +soon be left to ourselves.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE LITTLE NURSES.</p> + + +<p>Minnie almost fell asleep on her way back to +the elm, and found it hard to keep up with yellow-bird, +who flew on briskly as ever.</p> + +<p>Her long morning journey, the labor and hurry +of making her cloak, as well as the effort to +bring the humming-bird home, and the party +afterwards, the dancing and late hours, tired her +so much--so much that she feared all the rest +in the world would not make her strong again.</p> + +<p>And when the tree was reached, Minnie's +friends did not, as usual, offer her their nest. +They must keep it now for the eggs. Cold and +weary as she was, the little girl must lie down +among damp leaves, with no other bed than a +mossy place which she found on the rough bark +of the elm.</p> + +<p>In the morning she still felt tired, lame, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +stiff, yet her spirits came back with the sunshine, +and when she told yellow-bird she had not +strength enough to fly away with him, he stayed +and sung to her a while, and afterwards brought +her delicious berries from the wood, all sweet +and ripe, and cool with dew.</p> + +<p>With such an attentive friend to supply her +wants, it was not very hard to sit quietly upon +her couch of moss, so green and velvety, with +sunshine all about her on the leaves, and the +pleasant prospect below.</p> + +<p>You will remember that the tree was full of +inhabitants, and our Minnie had made friends +with almost all of them. When well and active, +she had never passed them without a pleasant +word, or at least a nod of welcome; and, now +that she was sick, they were most happy to sit +and talk with her, or offer their assistance.</p> + +<p>They brought her presents, each in his kind. +The bee came up from among the clover-blossoms, +to place clear drops of honey on the leaf +beside his little friend. The silent ant stopped +a moment to tell the news, and presented a morsel +of sugar which she had hoarded in her nest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +till it was brown with age. Indigo-bird brought +a berry, blue as his wings. Some of the birds +brought good fat angle-worms or snails, which +would be dainty morsels to them. These Minnie +laid aside for her friend Mr. Yellow-bird, although +she thanked the givers politely, as if what they +brought were her own favorite food.</p> + +<p>This was not deceitful, because what Minnie +enjoyed was the thoughtful kindness of her +friends, and not their gifts. The berries were +sweet, to be sure, but their friendship was +sweeter.</p> + +<p>Master Squirrel came among the rest. He +and a spider of his acquaintance had made Minnie +a beautiful parasol, with the humming-bird's +bill for a handle, and a wild rose for the top.</p> + +<p>The pink cup of this flower, turned downward +as it was, cast such a glow upon Minnie's pale +face, that Master Squirrel thought he had never +before seen her look so handsome.</p> + +<p>Soon, tired of listening to his coarse compliments, +the little girl asked what else it was that +he kept so nicely covered in his hands.</p> + +<p>"O, that's my mother's offering!" he replied.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +"How the old woman would have scolded if I +had forgotten to give it to you!"</p> + +<p>"Pray, let me have it. How kind your mother +always is!"</p> + +<p>"Except when her nest is too clean, eh? Well, +she saw me working over the humming-bird's +carcass, and thought, as the meat was fresh, perhaps +you'd like a scrap cooked for your dinner."</p> + +<p>"Cooked meat! O, I haven't tasted a morsel +since I left my father's house!" said Minnie, in +delight. "Where could your mother have found +the fire, though?"</p> + +<p>"Not far off the woods are burning,--took +fire in the dry season, as they often do,--and +there were plenty of coals; so madam cut off the +humming-bird's wing, and broiled it--O, my!--till +it smells so nice that it made my mouth water +to bring it to you!"</p> + +<p>He lifted the cover, and there, on a green leaf, +lay the dainty wing, all crisp and smoking now. +Minnie relished her dinner more than words can +tell.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> + +<p class="center">MOUSE.</p> + + +<p>Before Minnie was strong again, yellow-bird's +eggs hatched, and both he and his mate were +busy and anxious, all the time, with taking care +of their nest full of little ones. She did not see +her friends so often as formerly, and, when they +came, their visits were hurried and short.</p> + +<p>And, one by one, her other acquaintances +grew forgetful, for birds and insects don't have +such good memories as we, you know. Each +was occupied with his own cares and amusements. +Perhaps the truth was that they had +grown tired of Minnie, as you grow tired, in +time, of your prettiest playthings.</p> + +<p>She felt all these changes. She remembered +sadly what Master Squirrel had said, that his +mother thought company a great deal of trouble, +and herself, though a cunning body, of no use to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> +any one.</p> + +<p>What if yellow-bird and his mate should begin +to feel the same? She determined not to stay +and trouble them any longer, after they both had +been so kind; but where in the great world +could she go for a home? Who would feed, and +comfort, and love her? Ah! how sadly she +remembered the dear mother who had made it all +her care to watch over and supply her children's +wants!</p> + +<p>Every creature in the wood had a home and +friends, except herself! And yet none of these +homes were so pleasant, none of these friends +so sweet and loving, as the ones she had foolishly +thrown away.</p> + +<p>"Ah!" thought Minnie, as in the dusky twilight +she lay swinging on a lonely bough of the +elm, "Ah! if I could whisper loud enough for +every little boy and girl on earth to hear, I'd +say, 'Be happy in your own home, with your +own friends; for there are no others like them--none, +none, none!'"</p> + +<p>Though these sad feelings were weighing on +the heart, the rocking of the bough and sighing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +of the evening wind among the leaves lulled +Minnie soon asleep.</p> + +<p>She awoke in a terrible storm. She was +drenched with rain, which pelted like pebbles, in +sharp, quick drops, beating the leaves, while the +wind dashed the boughs together, and made +Minnie fear that, though clinging with all her +strength to the branch, she must fall.</p> + +<p>And she did fall into the wet grass far below, +and was stunned, perhaps, for she did not awake +until morning.</p> + +<p>Then the sun shone brightly once more, the +elm above her glittered with sparkling drops, +and the first sound which Minnie heard was yellow-bird's +song of joy that his little ones were +safe after all the wind and rain.</p> + +<p>"He has forgotten me, or he would not be so +glad!" she whispered to herself. Then came the +thought, "Perhaps he is happier because I am +swept away out of his sight!" and with this she +began to cry.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" asked a little mouse, +that was running about in the grass, picking up +worms and flies which had perished in the rain.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +"What's the matter? Have my proud cousins, +the squirrels, been treating you badly again?"</p> + +<p>"No, they all do more for me than I can do +for them; but, dear little mouse, I've stayed in +the woods too long. Every one is tired of me. +Couldn't you show me the way back to my +mother's house?"</p> + +<p>"Why, Minnie, <i>I</i> am not tired of you. Pray, +don't go home yet. Come and make me a visit +in my snug little hole, so quiet underground. +No storms reach there. I shall not whisk you +about as squirrel has done; nor take you long, +weary journeys through the air, like yellow-bird. +I'll bring you cheese, and meal, and melon-seeds, +till you grow rosy as your little sister Alice."</p> + +<p>"My sister! What can you know about her, +pray?"</p> + +<p>"Wasn't I at your house this morning? I +have, not far from this very wood, a passage-way +underground that leads into your mother's pantry. +Come to my nest, and you'll hear news +from home."</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2> + +<p class="center">HOUSEKEEPING.</p> + + +<p>Minnie gladly followed the mouse into his +hole. To see some one who had been in her +dear lost home, was almost as good as to feel her +mother's gentle hand laid on her head once more.</p> + +<p>In the promised news she was disappointed! +Alas! the mouse disappointed her in many +things. Minnie had not lived with him long before +she found that she had fallen into bad company.</p> + +<p>He was good-natured and hospitable in his +way, but a sad thief, and his word could never +be depended upon. The little girl even felt +afraid of her own safety, when she saw what +pleasure mouse took in betraying all who trusted +in him.</p> + +<p>The first time she fell asleep, the mischievous +fellow nibbled off what rags were left of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +gown, to make a bed for his young. Minnie +feared that next he might pick out her eyes for +their luncheon, and determined to leave him before +it should be too late.</p> + +<p>But it seemed as if the sly mouse saw into her +mind, for, as she was composing her farewell +speech, he came running out in the grass where +she had seated herself, and said, in his squeaking +voice, "Minnie, will you do me a great favor?"</p> + +<p>"I shall be glad to do anything in my power," +was the reply.</p> + +<p>"Well, you didn't seem satisfied with the news +I brought from home, and so I have resolved to +go and try if I cannot pick up some more."</p> + +<p>"I suppose you won't pick up any of my +mother's cheese and pie-crust?" said Minnie, +laughing.</p> + +<p>"Of course not; at least, not more than +enough to pay for my trouble in going. And +now, Minnie dear, I want you to take care of my +little ones while I'm gone,--to feed them, and +see that they don't roll out of their nest."</p> + +<p>"That I will do very willingly."</p> + +<p>Mouse scampered away, and Minnie little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +thought how long it would be before she should +see him again.</p> + +<p>The nest was narrower, deeper, and darker, +than squirrel's, and quite as close and disorderly. +It was hard for Minnie to crowd herself through +the entrance; but, once within, she found paths +winding in every direction, some of them ending +in little chambers. Part of these rooms were +store-houses of grain, cheese, and all manner of +rubbish, which mouse must have stolen for the +pleasure of stealing, Minnie thought, it was so +wholly useless. The other rooms had each its +brood of little mice, of all sizes and ages, some +almost as large as the mother, some not much +larger than a fly.</p> + +<p>It took the whole afternoon to wander from +one room to another, explaining where the mother +had gone, comforting those that began to fret, +feeding the hungry, quieting the quarrelsome. +Glad enough was Minnie when she had tucked up +the last brood in their bed of wool, and could +creep out into the grass for a breath of air and a +look at the pleasant sky.</p> + +<p>Shaking the earth from her cloak of humming-bird<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +feathers, and picking a handful of checkerberries, +Minnie looked about for a stone to sit +upon while she ate her supper.</p> + +<p>She soon found one, smooth as any pebble in +the brook. Here she could eat at her leisure, +while a band of crickets and katydids played to +her, and all the beautiful stars twinkled over her +head, and all the grass about her was strung with +glistening drops of dew.</p> + +<p>"After all," she thought, "this is more to my +taste than being shut up in my curtained bed at +home. What's the use in stars and dew, if we +never look at them? What use is there in the +evening breeze, if we shut it out with our windows? +It's a good thing to have our own way, +and I may yet be glad that I left my father's +house."</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2> + +<p class="center">TROUBLE FOR MINNIE.</p> + + +<p>As Minnie sat meditating, suddenly the grass +about her seemed to move. The long blades +bent this way and that, and shook their dew-drops +over her.</p> + +<p>What could this mean? Had the grass feet? +Could it draw its roots up out of the ground +and walk?</p> + +<p>Why, <i>she</i> was moving! The grass behind lay +bowed together in her pathway, and here she +was, seated close under an evening primrose, +which opened its yellow blossoms so far from the +mouse-nest that she had only felt their fragrance +when the wind blew.</p> + +<p>Presently something like the head of a great +snake was stretched out from under her seat. +Minnie sprang up at once, and, climbing into the +primrose branches, wondered if she were awake<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +or asleep, that such strange things should +happen.</p> + +<p>Then the snake's head disappeared, and a low +voice spoke from under the stone, "Why do you +leave me? I live in a pleasanter place than the +mouse, and am myself more honest and agreeable. +Will not the little woman make me a visit?"</p> + +<p>"Why, what's your name, and where did you +come from? and are you a stone, or something +alive? and is that snake's head a part of you?" +said Minnie, half frightened, and half amused.</p> + +<p>"What you are so polite as to call a snake's +head is my own, and what you call a stone is my +shell, and I am a turtle, Miss Minnie," the voice +answered, with dignity.</p> + +<p>"Pray, don't be angry with me, turtle; I +meant no harm. Now the moonlight has come, I +can see the beautiful golden stars on your back; +and, now my fright is over, I remember what a +pleasant ride you took me through the grass."</p> + +<p>"You shall have as many such rides as you +want, if only you'll come and stay with me by +the side of the brook."</p> + +<p>Here was the very opportunity Minnie had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +wished, to find a safer home; but she could not +forget her promise to the mouse, and leave the +little ones to suffer.</p> + +<p>When she told turtle this, he said that she was +perfectly right, and, creeping back with his load +to the entrance of the nest, and finding the mouse +was still away, he left Minnie, promising that by +sunrise in the morning he would return for her.</p> + +<p>Accustomed as she had long been to the shelter +of the elm-leaves, the dampness rising from +the ground made Minnie sneeze so violently that +the crickets stopped playing to listen. She was +glad to go, at last, inside of the nest, and sleep +in one of the close little rubbish-rooms.</p> + +<p>At daylight she was awakened by a small +brown beetle running up and down her arm. +Rubbing her eyes, she asked, rather sharply, why +he could not let her sleep in peace.</p> + +<p>"The turtle wants to know why you don't +keep your promises. He has been waiting this +half hour, and sends word that it is a shame for +you to sleep away the beautiful morning hours."</p> + +<p>Minnie sprang to her feet at once, and was following +the beetle, when squeak, squeak! ho, hallo!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> +wait a minute, Minnie! came from every room +she attempted to pass.</p> + +<p>She found that mouse had not kept her promise +of coming home, and, sending a message to the +turtle, she was obliged to wait and hear a hundred +questions and complaints, and settle a hundred +disputes between the quarrelsome young +ones.</p> + +<p>One had pushed the other out of bed; one had +trodden on the other's tail; one tickled the other +so that he could not sleep; one snored so loud it +made another nervous; one had eaten up the +other's grain.</p> + +<p>As Minnie crept about in this dark, disagreeable +place, so full of angry voices, she remembered +that lost home of hers, where all was +peace and love. She remembered dear Franky, +with his rosy cheeks and curly hair,--the good, +generous little fellow that he was; and baby +Alice, with her large brown eyes; and the kind +parents who never went away and forgot <i>their</i> +little ones.</p> + +<p>Then she rummaged the store-rooms for food; +and, not finding enough to satisfy the greedy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> +mice, crept out into the air to see if she could +not pick up something for their breakfast.</p> + +<p>She saw no turtle. The grass was bent still +with his foot-tracks, but he was gone. So Minnie +went busily to work picking off seeds and berries, +and the honeyed end of clover-blossoms, till +she had such a heap that it seemed to her she +could never carry it all into the nest.</p> + +<p>Then thinking, "Perhaps, if I set the mice at +work, it will stop their quarrelling," she called +out several of the elder broods.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII.</h2> + +<p class="center">TROUBLE STILL.</p> + + +<p>The young mice seemed obedient to Minnie +until they had reached the entrance of the nest; +but, at the first taste of fresh air, they began to +frisk about, and do whatever they chose.</p> + +<p>First they attacked her heap of food, and ate +all the choicest bits which she had saved for the +little ones. Then off they ran, this, that, and +every way, Minnie calling after them in vain.</p> + +<p>She went in search of the runaways, but they +hid safely under the leaves and grass, or burrowed +into the ground. Tired and discouraged, +the poor girl turned back to collect what food +was left, and give it to the little ones.</p> + +<p>And still the old mouse did not come home. +Minnie wondered if she had gone on purpose to +be rid of her family, and if she must herself have +the care of bringing up this great brood of noisy,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +troublesome mice.</p> + +<p>Why not let them starve? If they grew up, +it would only be to cheat and steal, like their +mother, and run away with people's meal and +cheese.</p> + +<p>Ah! but Minnie had promised. And, besides, +the old mouse had been kind in her way, and had +offered Minnie a home when other friends forsook +her. No, she would not desert the little ones.</p> + +<p>All at once she remembered a trap that used +to stand in her mother's pantry; suppose the +mouse was caught in it! She would go this +instant, and see.</p> + +<p>Now the underground pathway was very, very +narrow, and so close and warm that three times +Minnie gave up her attempt, and as many times +went back; for, when she thought that the +friend who had fed her might be starving, it was +enough to drive away all other thoughts.</p> + +<p>Still, not being a mouse, she could not breathe +in that close cellar-way. Her strength all left +her. The little heart, that had beat so fast when +she thought of going home, home, only fluttered +faintly now. She began to feel that she could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> +not even creep back to the mouse-nest; that this +dark passage was to be her grave.</p> + +<p>But one step forward brought Minnie into a +good-sized room, and what was her surprise to +find this the nest of the father-mouse!</p> + +<p>He didn't like the noise and trouble of children, +he said, and so kept away from the sound +of their voices. He hoped his mate was well, +and was just on the point of going to see what +had become of her.</p> + +<p>When Minnie told her fears, he uttered a +frightened squeak, and said he was sure she must +be right, and that he was a poor, lonesome widower, +and should never see his dear, dear wife +again.</p> + +<p>Minnie cheered him by telling that her mother's +trap was not one of the cruel ones with teeth, +but only a box with wires, in which his wife +might live safely for several days. Then she +explained how with his teeth and paws he could +open the door and set her free.</p> + +<p>Away flew the mouse, first showing his friend +a nearer and easier pathway out into the air.</p> + +<p>Minnie now began to consider how displeased<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> +the mother-mouse would be, on returning, to find +her children scattered in all directions. If she +could but call them together, and see them safe +in the nest once more, bid the old mice good-by, +and ride off quietly herself on the turtle's back, +how happy she would be!</p> + +<p>She climbed the tall evening primrose, and +looked on every side, but not a sign of a mouse. +She leaped into the grass again, and, with the +stick of her parasol, stirred every tuft of clover +and bunch of violet or plantain leaves. In vain.</p> + +<p>Minnie had made up her mind that they were +lost, drowned in the brook, or eaten by some +bird of prey, when she caught sight of one, with +his bright eyes and sharp little nose peeping up +from under a toadstool.</p> + +<p>Then she knew that all the rest must be near, +and, jumping on top of the toadstool, she said,</p> + +<p>"You mischievous fellows, I dare say you are +all laughing at me in your hiding-places; but +hear this! your mother is dead, perhaps, and as +sure as you stay out of your nest at night, some +mischief will come to you. I shall waste no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +more time in this search."</p> + +<p>Wasn't it ungrateful in the mice to disobey +Minnie, when she had taken so much trouble for +their sakes? And yet I have known children +whose parents took as much pains for their sake, +and who were as thoughtless and disobedient as +Minnie's mice.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2> + +<p class="center">FREE AT LAST.</p> + + +<p>When Minnie returned to the nest, whom +should she meet but mouse in the midst of her +little ones?</p> + +<p>The mate was there also. He had come partly +to help home his wife,--who had lamed her +foot in the trap,--and partly to boast of his +wonderful courage and ingenuity in setting her +free.</p> + +<p>Both were very profuse in their thanks to +Minnie; for the young mice had already told of +her kindness and care. Minnie interrupted their +thanks to ask the news from home.</p> + +<p>This, mouse had half forgotten in her flight. +She only remembered how, after the trap shut +down upon her, the pantry-door had opened, and +a lady came in.</p> + +<p>"Tell me exactly how she looked," said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +Minnie.</p> + +<p>"She wore a gown of pink muslin, and pink +ribbons in her hair."</p> + +<p>"O, that was my own mother! How I wish I +had been in your place!"</p> + +<p>"I wished so too. When she lifted her hand +and took down a jar of sweetmeats, that stood +close by the trap, I felt sure she'd see me, and +have me killed. O, how I trembled! It was as +much as ever I could do to keep from squeaking +when I thought of my mate, and all the little +ones."</p> + +<p>"Was my mother alone?"</p> + +<p>"No; a little boy came with her, and watched +while she took the sweetmeats out into a dish. +Before closing the jar, I saw her give him a taste +of the delicious pine-apple."</p> + +<p>"How did you know it was pine-apple?"</p> + +<p>"O, after my mate had set me free, we waited +to lap up a few drops that trickled down the side +of the jar. We know the taste of good things! +Was that boy your brother?"</p> + +<p>"No; it was dear Franky, my playfellow, who +lives at the other side of the fence. Didn't he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +say anything?"</p> + +<p>"He asked the lady if she supposed Minnie +was where she could have nice pine-apple for tea. +I couldn't hear the answer, for they both left the +pantry then."</p> + +<p>"My generous Franky! He always thought +more of others than himself."</p> + +<p>"Don't cry, dear, and I'll call you my generous +Minnie. Think! if you had not been so +kind, all our little ones might have starved."</p> + +<p>"Yes; and my own wife might have dried +up into a skeleton in that dreadful trap!" said +the father-mouse. "How glad we are that +we have such a kind friend to live with us +always!"</p> + +<p>Alas, it was hard for Minnie now to tell that +she meant to leave their nest! But, hearing the +slow steps of turtle brush through the grass +above, she thanked the mice for their good-will, +and hurried out into the sunshine, to meet her +new and faithful friend.</p> + +<p>As for the mice, they were so taken by surprise, +that at first they could only look after her, +without saying a word. But, before she had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> +reached the brook, Minnie heard a squeaking +and scrambling underground; and, from a little +opening, which she had not seen before, up darted +mouse and her mate, trembling with anger, and +talking so noisily, both at once, that she could +not make out what either said.</p> + +<p>Meantime turtle, who had little respect for +mice, kept on at his steady, slow pace, through +the grass. As Minnie was mounted on his back, +the mice were obliged to travel also, in order +that she might hear their complaints and reproaches.</p> + +<p>For they had forgotten all about gratitude, +now, and could only grieve over the missing +broods of young.</p> + +<p>As soon as Minnie discovered this, she begged +turtle to wait a moment, that she might tell her +side of the tale; but on he jogged, and, when +the mice would not be still, snapped at them +so fiercely with his snaky head, that they both +scampered home in fright.</p> + +<p>They had not grieved for naught. Four of +the truants had drowned themselves in attempting +to cross the brook; two had been eaten by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +a crow; and the rest were snapped up at a mouthful, +by a spaniel, that happened to run through +the field.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2> + +<p class="center">TURTLE.</p> + + +<p>You remember Minnie was a restless little +soul; and will not be surprised to learn that she +had not lived with the turtle long before his slow +ways tired her.</p> + +<p>He was stubborn and disobliging, too. If +he started for a place, she couldn't make him +turn one inch aside; but on, on, on he crept +at the same slow pace,--no matter whether +Minnie were wet, and half-frozen with rain, or +parched with sunshine,--on, on, till he reached +his goal.</p> + +<p>Still he was always quiet and dignified, had no +quarrels with his neighbors, and seemed to treat +his little guest as well as he knew how.</p> + +<p>It is true he surprised her in disagreeable +ways sometimes. If he saw a pool of deep mud +by the road-side he would wallow through it,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> +sadly soiling Minnie's fine cloak of humming-bird +feathers. She knew he was partial to mud, and +would not have blamed him so much had this +excursion been all; but, instead of going back +to the grass, where she might wipe herself clean, +he would mount some slanting log that rose out +of the water, and stand there sunning himself +for hours.</p> + +<p>One day, a gentleman, who was driving past in +a chaise, saw Minnie and the turtle perched thus +on a log, and stopped to examine the curious +object.</p> + +<p>Turtle drew his head inside of his shell at +once, and left poor Minnie to her fate.</p> + +<p>Now it happened that the traveller was a great +naturalist, and especially fond of collecting turtles. +He had hundreds of them, snapping at each +other, and scrambling over each others' backs, in +his yard at home.</p> + +<p>Still he was always on the watch for a new +specimen; and here was a famous one, he +thought. Springing from his chaise, the gentleman +ran to the other side of the brook, and was +walking cautiously toward them, when turtle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +thought it time to look out for his own safety. +So, dropping from the log, he disappeared in the +thick, muddy bottom of the brook.</p> + +<p>The naturalist went back, disappointed, to his +chaise. Minnie, in passing, caught at some iris-leaves, +and clung to them. As soon as she could +wipe the water from her mouth, she called out, +"Allow me to bid you good-by, Mr. Turtle. I +think I can take as good care of myself as +you've taken of me thus far, and henceforth I +will save you the trouble."</p> + +<p>"What's that? I'm rather thick of hearing," +said turtle, from under the mud.</p> + +<p>"Good-by, that's all!" And, by the time he +had reached the end of his log once more, Minnie +was floating down the brook on a pond-lily leaf, +diving every now and then to cleanse herself +from the mud which turtle had dragged her +through.</p> + +<p>"Why shouldn't I live by myself? Where's +the use in giving others so much trouble?" she +said now. "Why cannot I play with the flowers +and butterflies, run races with the ripples, and +bright little fishes, in the brook; or sleep on any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +bank of moss, or in any empty bird's nest that I +can find? At least, let me try; and, if I grow +hungry or lonesome, there are enough good +people to take me in."</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV.</h2> + +<p class="center">MINNIE'S WINGS.</p> + + +<p>Now came the most beautiful and happiest part +of Minnie's wandering life. So nimble was she, +and ready for sport, and so droll, and withal so +gentle and ready to oblige, that she made friends +on every side. Wherever she went you'd be +sure to find a flock of butterflies, or bees, or +birds, about her.</p> + +<p>They taught her all the pretty sports which +they had practised among themselves; once +more she flew across the meadows with the +birds, fed on the fresh, clear honey of the bee, +and played hide-and-seek with butterflies.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the butterflies lifted her far up into +the air. How do you suppose they contrived to +do it, with their slender wings, which even the +wind could break?</p> + +<p>Minnie told them that, in her father's house<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> +stood a statue, with wings on the wrists and feet. +This was Mercury, whom the Greeks in old times +worshipped as one of their many gods.</p> + +<p>Now, she thought the butterflies might make a +little Mercury of her. No sooner had she said +as much than a beautiful pair, spreading wings +large enough for sails to her lily-leaf boat, floated +through the sunshine to settle upon the little +woman's shoulders. Then followed smaller ones, +with blue, white, and yellow wings; and, fastening +themselves to her ankles and wrists, up, up, +they all flew together!</p> + +<p>But the next day Minnie found her little +friends creeping about with their wings sadly +sprained. So she would not often let them +repeat this experiment.</p> + +<p>O, I should have to write a larger book than +this to tell you what good times Minnie had with +the butterflies; into what pleasant places they +were always leading her; how gentle and playful +they were, and how their wings were perfumed +with the flowers they had lived among.</p> + +<p>She loved to have them follow her when she +walked, especially that little golden kind you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> +have often seen in the meadows. Some followed, +some fluttered on before, as if she were +a little queen, and they her body-guard.</p> + +<p>There were no angry voices now, no envious +neighbors; no Master Squirrel came to repeat +disagreeable stories. Instead of that stifled +squirrel-hole in the elm, she had the sweet air of +heaven about her now. Instead of that crowded +yellow-bird's nest, where Minnie had felt in the +way, she had now the wide meadow, with room +enough in its soft, green lining, for herself and +all her friends.</p> + +<p>But, alas! Minnie was the one, this time, to +cause trouble and discontent. Only to gratify +her wilful temper, she did what she would have +given half the world to undo afterwards. It was +a little thing,--you would hardly call it wicked; +and yet it grieved and drove away her gentle +friends, and would have cost her own life, but for +an accident. These <i>little things</i> make half the +mischief in the world.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2> + +<p class="center">HIDE-AND-SEEK.</p> + + +<p>One afternoon, tired of playing in the hot sun, +Minnie thought she would creep under some +shady cluster of leaves, and sleep.</p> + +<p>But the butterflies could never have play +enough, and the hotter the sunshine, the better +for them. So they did not understand that the +little girl needed rest, and, thinking her weariness +only make-believe, would not give her any peace.</p> + +<p>They ran across her hands, they tickled her +cheeks with their feathery feelers, they pelted +her with buttercups, and at last began to cover +her over with leaves of the wild rose. So full of +mischief were they, that one could no more sleep, +while they were about, than if they'd been so +many bees.</p> + +<p>At first Minnie tried to be good-natured, and +laugh at their pranks; but, warm and tired as she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> +was, you cannot wonder that her patience didn't +last.</p> + +<p>Some children would have roughly driven the +butterflies away--have pelted them with stones, +perhaps, and broken their beautiful wings. But +Minnie could not forget how kind they had been; +and besides, you know, they were not such little +things to her as they seem to us; they were +almost as large as herself.</p> + +<p>She only arose, and, turning her back, would +not speak to them, or spoke in such a snappish +manner that the butterflies were frightened, and +flew away.</p> + +<p>Left alone, she espied, near the wood, something +that looked like a side-saddle, just large +enough for a little body like herself. She sprang +to see if there were a tiny horse to fit, and +thought how quickly he should gallop off with +her, so far that the butterflies could not follow--no, +not if they wore their wings off!</p> + +<p>But the saddle proved only to be a flower, so +much like a wadded leather cushion, that Minnie +took her seat upon it, and was swaying back and +forth with its tall, stiff stem, when she noticed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> +that it was surrounded by a row of leaves more +curious, even, than the flower.</p> + +<p>Each leaf was like a little pitcher, with such +great ears that Minnie wondered if it were not +the very kind she had heard her mother talk +about, when she was whispering secrets. There +they stood, like the forty jars in which Ali-Baba +caught the forty thieves, in the Arabian Nights.</p> + +<p>"Here's a place to hide!" She had hardly +said it, when the butterflies came in sight, and +Minnie slipped into the tallest pitcher, unseen by +them, she thought.</p> + +<p>But no--they found her; and now was Minnie's +time to laugh. Fold their wide wings together, +crumple them as they might, not one of +the butterflies could crowd himself through the +narrow neck of the pitcher. They could only +stand and look down wistfully at the roguish face +within.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad to see you! shake hands!" said +Minnie, shaking their slender wrists till they +begged her to be still.</p> + +<p>"Ah! Minnie, not so rough! Come, now, +don't be cross any longer. Come out and play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> +with us!"</p> + +<p>"Don't you wish I would? Don't you wish +you could catch me?" was all the answer she +made.</p> + +<p>"But we've found a bee that a bird killed, and +we saved the honey-bag for you."</p> + +<p>In vain they urged. Minnie was very stubborn. +She laughed at the butterflies, and teased +them, until they were offended, and, one by one, +flew back to the brook.</p> + +<p>And, now that she had leisure to look about, +the little girl found herself in an uncomfortable +place. Not only was the pitcher half full of +water, but so narrow that she could hardly move, +and lined with stiff hairs, that seemed like thorns +to tiny hands like hers. She would not stay +here.</p> + +<p>But how to escape was the question! She +only climbed the sides to slip back again; her +arms were scratched till they bled; her garments +were heavy with the water in which they drabbled. +Night was coming down; she could hear +the crickets sing; she caught glimpses of birds +flying home to their nests; yet all were so noisy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +or so busy that they could not hear her voice.</p> + +<p>How she wished, now, that her rudeness had +not driven the butterflies away! But it was too +late for such wishes; they had gone.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII.</h2> + +<p class="center">MINNIE IN PRISON.</p> + + +<p>Minnie thought the night would never end. +She watched the stars that moved so slowly overhead; +she watched the moonlight slant into the +wood, and the pale flowers fill with dew. She +heard the night wind creep among the leaves; +and her old friend the owl, and other wild +creatures that hide by day, she heard prowling +about in the dark.</p> + +<p>Sometimes there would be a quick cry, or a +patter of light little feet, or the dull hoot of the +owl; and then all was still again, and Minnie +gazed once more to see how far the stars had +moved. O, it was such a little way, and they +had so far to go before the sun would shine +again!</p> + +<p>At last she fell asleep from very weariness, +and awoke to find a faint red light above the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +eastern hills. It was morning--morning! Another +hour would see the sun rise, and bring +some friend, perhaps, to help her away from her +prison.</p> + +<p>When some kind friend awakens you at sunrise +on a summer morning, and, feeling drowsy, +you long to turn and sleep again, and wish daylight +would never come, you must suppose that +you were in Minnie's place, and see then if you +do not find it easier to spring from your beds. +Because the sunshine comes to us so freely, we +must not forget how precious and beautiful it is.</p> + +<p>Suppose the darkness, instead of lasting for +one night, should last whole months, as it does +at the far north. What a damp, dismal world it +would be! How we should grope from place to +place, and, sitting in our houses by the flicker of +poor lamps, how we should long for the sunshine--for +the beaming, generous light and +pleasant warmth that spread now over all the +land!</p> + +<p>The birds began to rustle among the boughs, +or, half asleep still, sing short dreamy songs +upon their nests; but Minnie could not make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> +them hear her little voice, and had resolved to +call no more, but drown or starve, if she must, +when a humming-bird came wheeling and buzzing +by.</p> + +<p>He was such a noisy fellow himself, that, like +the rest, he might have passed on without noticing +Minnie's cry, but he paused to drink at the +pitcher, where he knew that water was hid; and +what was his surprise to find an old acquaintance +there!</p> + +<p>Minnie was always ready for a joke; so she +popped up her head like the little men you have +seen shut into boxes, that, when the cover is +lifted, start up and frighten you.</p> + +<p>She knew very well that if humming-bird flew +away at first, his curiosity would lead him back +again. She laughed to see how quickly he flitted +into the wood, and then how cautiously he came +forth, and, from bough to bough and plant to +plant, made his way to her side once more.</p> + +<p>Then Minnie's face grew serious, as she told +her little friend how much she had suffered and +feared through the long, long night, and begged +that he would help her to escape. He was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> +half strong enough to lift her, though he tried +till his bill ached with dragging at her tangled +hair.</p> + +<p>And this work, if hard to him, was not, as you +may judge, the most agreeable to Minnie. She +persuaded the humming-bird to leave her for +a while, and see if he could not find help, or, at +least, find something for her to eat.</p> + +<p>It happened that, in seeking food for Minnie, +the bird found something of which he was especially +fond himself; so, after eating his fill, he +went humming across the meadow, never thinking +again of the friend he had promised to help.</p> + +<p>Very impatiently the little girl expected him +every moment, until an hour had passed, and still +she waited, hungry and alone.</p> + +<p>Then came a great flapping of wings overhead, +and a rustling such as she had once heard when +a hawk flew into her father's poultry-yard. He +had eaten the white chicken that she called her +own, and it was as large as she was now. Suppose +he should eat her!</p> + +<p>The rush of wings came nearer, and the bird, +whatever his name might be, alighted close beside<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +Minnie, who ventured to peep over the edge +of her pitcher, and beheld a curious, tall, awkward +creature, such as she had never seen before +in her life.</p> + +<p>She coughed to attract his attention, and he +turned toward her a bill as long as her own arm +was once, and began to stalk about on legs +longer, even, than his bill, and that looked like a +pair of stilts.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2> + +<p class="center">NARROW ESCAPES.</p> + + +<p>"It's a pleasant morning for a walk," Minnie +ventured to say.</p> + +<p>Her visitor answered with a croak so rough +that she couldn't tell whether he agreed with +her or not. But, taking a long step, the stork +came nearer, and looked directly down into Minnie's +prison, and upon the little, tired, mournful, +frightened face.</p> + +<p>"Pray, don't hurt me! I have lost my way, +and fallen into this dreadful place."</p> + +<p>"Why do you stay here, if it is not pleasant?"</p> + +<p>"O, I cannot climb out, I'm so small; and the +sides are so slippery, and all these thorns so +rough!"</p> + +<p>Then, without waiting to be asked, the stork +broke the leaf-stem, and, turning it upside down,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> +shook Minnie out into the grass.</p> + +<p>It was so good to stretch herself in the pleasant +sunshine, that Minnie folded her hands, and +lay there quietly as if she was asleep, or dead.</p> + +<p>The stork travelled around her on his stilts, +and Minnie heard him say, "In all my flying, I +never came across such an odd little creature +before; it looks like a woman, yet isn't larger +than a bird. Its feathers are like a humming-bird's, +and yet they are pretty well worn out. I +wonder how it happens!"</p> + +<p>With this he began to poke and pull at her +cloak; finally, off it came, and stork held it up +in the sun for examination. Then he eyed the +little silk apron her mother had made, and +twitched it by one corner, till Minnie began to +think he would eat her piece by piece.</p> + +<p>So, the first time he turned his head away, she +sprang to her feet, and, without once looking behind, +ran, leaped the fences and the fallen boughs, +and, reaching her home by the brook-side, hid under +the shadow of a stone.</p> + +<p>And high above her, she watched the stork +beating the air with his heavy wings, and sailing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +on out of sight.</p> + +<p>After eating some savory roots, which the +mouse had taught her how to find, and taking a +berry or two for dessert, Minnie jumped into the +brook, which looked warm and tempting as it +rippled through the sunshine.</p> + +<p>She could swim as swiftly as any fish, and was +so very fond of the sport that she soon forgot +her weariness. Laughing and shouting, she +started in chase of a swarm of little minnows, +whose silvery sides shone like moonbeams when +they darted across the brook.</p> + +<p>Minnie kept gaining ground, and thought, at +last, that she could lay her hand upon the minnows, +crowded all together as they swam; but, +lo! at the first touch, like so many bubbles of +quicksilver, they scattered far and wide. Some +shot before her, some dodged behind her back, +some hid their silly noses under stones and +weeds, thinking, if only their eyes were out of +sight, that nobody else could see them.</p> + +<p>Of these last, Minnie caught several; but they +slipped through her fingers again before she +could be certain that she had them there. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> +might as well have tried to hold one of the ripples +of the brook.</p> + +<p>Now that the butterflies had forsaken her, Minnie +found it lonely in the meadow, and spent +most of her time by the stream. When it was +low she would trip over the wet, rough stones +in its bed so fast that the dragon-flies, with all +their wings, could hardly keep pace with her.</p> + +<p>And, when the little stream was full to its brim, +she would nestle inside of a water-lily, and float +for hours, half asleep, watching the sunny ripples +pass. In more restless moods, she would climb +tall bulrushes, or swing among the long, ribbon-like +iris leaves. There was no end to the ways +she had of amusing herself.</p> + +<p>But one day, when she was swinging, a boy +mistook her for a butterfly, and, springing among +the iris-leaves, had almost caught her in his hat. +Another day, as she was floating in the brook, an +angler came, and threw a pretty, gay-winged fly +into the water. When Minnie seized this, a sharp +hook pierced her hand, and, the next thing she +knew, she was lifted high in the air on the fisherman's +line! In an instant she freed herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> +from the hook, and fell back into the water; but +it was many days before the wound stopped +smarting, and many more before it healed.</p> + +<p>Still another time, Minnie found the brook covered +with mosquitoes; the fields were parched +with the August sun; and the road, where all +the birds had gone to chat with the butterflies, +was hot and dusty. So the little girl nestled +under some cool violet leaves. In the woods +violets blossom all the year round, you know, +not plentifully as in spring, but here and there +you find a cluster in bloom.</p> + +<p>Such an one Minnie found, and, when she +stretched herself in the grateful shade of its +leaves, the sweet flowers looked down at her like +the blue eyes of her mother, and the wind, that +was whispering through the long, fine grass, +seemed her dear lullaby.</p> + +<p>But, as she leaned her head on the moss at the +violet roots, and thought of home, there came a +sudden jar, and the next moment she was rolling +in a heap of dusty earth, and vainly striving to +free herself, as you have seen ants when their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +nest was broken open.</p> + +<p>A man was digging up the sod of violets to +plant on the grave of his little child that was +dead. Minnie feared that, if he detected her, he +would stick her on a pin, as some new kind of +butterfly, for his cabinet. She hardly dared +breathe until his work was finished, and the man +had gone away.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE LITTLE SEAMSTRESS.</p> + + +<p>All dusty and ragged, Minnie stood wondering +whither she should turn next, and what +would become of her.</p> + +<p>No place seemed safe, no friends stood by her +long; her garments were torn to fringes, and the +hot sun pelted down its rays upon her so that +she was faint.</p> + +<p>She had barely strength to climb a tall pine-tree +near in whose boughs she had often swung, +through the long afternoons. But that was in +happier days. The sighing of the wind among +the branches, which used to be such pleasant +music, was so mournful now that it filled Minnie's +eyes with tears. It seemed as if a hundred +soft, sad voices were calling, just as Minnie's +heart called, for her mother to come and fold her +in her own dear arms once more, and comfort<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +her, and forgive her, and take her home, never, +never to wander or be disobedient again.</p> + +<p>"Halloa!" said a voice. "What's the matter +this time? Have you lost your fine cloak, or +has some one else grown tired of my little +woman, and sent her off to starve?"</p> + +<p>"Pray, squirrel, don't tease me, now. I'm so +homesick, and so poor, and tired, and discouraged, +that it seems to me I shall die."</p> + +<p>"That's what I said you'd come to, when you +left us; but I'm your friend, Minnie, though I +am such a rude fellow, and I don't mean you any +harm. Good-by!"</p> + +<p>Master Squirrel was frisking off, when Minnie +called, "Wait, wait! Couldn't you--"</p> + +<p>"O, you mustn't ask any favors. I'm full of +business and care. Since we parted I have found +a mate; and have a nest of my own, and lots of +little ones. Call and see us!"</p> + +<p>He had hardly gone, when Mrs. Yellow-bird +came in sight. "My dear friend," Minnie began.</p> + +<p>"A pretty friend!" she interrupted; "think of +the trouble you've caused me!"</p> + +<p>"How?"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Ah, you can pretend not to know; but I am +sure Master Squirrel has told you what he did, in +spite, because I helped carry the humming-bird +home for you, one day, and tipped him out of +the car. You never even came to say you were +sorry."</p> + +<p>"How could I? I do not even know what the +mischief was."</p> + +<p>"He upset my nest, and killed all my pretty +little birds!" And she poured forth a song that +seemed to say, "All my little ones, all my pretty +birds gone! I can never be happy again!"</p> + +<p>Even after yellow-bird was out of sight, the +sad notes of her song came back, and she never +knew of the tears that Minnie shed for her.</p> + +<p>A spider now let herself down by her silken +thread from the bough above, where she had +been listening to Minnie's words, and pitying +her sorrow.</p> + +<p>"Come! this is no way to be happy," she +said, "and no way to make friends. Who'd care +to know such a ragged little witch as you? And +you're dusty as a toad. Why don't you wash +your face, and mend your gown, and let folks see<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> +you are good for something?"</p> + +<p>"O, I have tried!" said Minnie, mournfully. "I +tried to sew a new gown out of elm leaves; but +they were so tender they wilted and tore before +I could put them together. Then I picked some +beautiful oak leaves, and they were so tough +they blunted my needle, and frayed the spider-webs +I was sewing with."</p> + +<p>"O, well, come down in the grass, and see +what we can do together."</p> + +<p>Down leaped Minnie, like a squirrel, and down +dropped spider on her silken thread. They ran +through the grass together till they came to a +dwarf-oak, from which Minnie picked the large +leaves, while spider wove them together with +her curious web.</p> + +<p>Minnie seated herself on a mushroom, and +watched her good-natured friend at work. Spider +wove her threads back and forth, till the +seams appeared to be laced together with silvery, +silken cords. She finished each with silver +tassels; and, when Minnie had dressed in her +handsome gown, wove a scarf of silver-gauze to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> +throw across her shoulders.</p> + +<p>Then Minnie twisted grass-blades together, as +yellow-bird had taught her, and made a strong +girdle for her waist, and tucked a rose leaf under +it for apron, and picked for bonnet a purple snap +dragon, with a golden frill inside.</p> + +<p>But, alas, the happy, laughing look was gone +from Minnie's eyes; and the rags and the little +sun-burnt face looked out beneath all her finery!</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX.</h2> + +<p class="center">STORK.</p> + + +<p>A few days after Minnie's escape from the +pitcher-plant she heard the minnows telling each +other about a dreadful creature, that had been +wading in the brook, catching the fish in his +wide bill, and gobbling them down two or three +at a time.</p> + +<p>She thought it must be the stork, and that she +would keep out of his way; but, when he really +came at last, she couldn't help feeling how nice +it would be to sit high and dry on his back while +he waded up and down the stream. So Minnie +came out of her hiding-place, and asked stork if +he remembered her.</p> + +<p>"Don't I? It's all I have lingered here for--the +hope of seeing my queer little woman again. +My own home is far off, beside the blue ocean, +where I can hear the pleasant music of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> +waves."</p> + +<p>"How I should like to hear them!" Minnie +exclaimed. "Do they make as loud a sound as +the water of the brook?"</p> + +<p>"Not much louder when the weather is fair; +but, in a storm, they roar like thunder, and don't +they throw dainty breakfasts upon the rocks for +me, then!"</p> + +<p>"What! honey, and rose leaves, and berries?"</p> + +<p>"No; where should they come from? The +waves bring good fat fish, and clams, and black +lobster-claws, that get broken in the storm."</p> + +<p>"O, dear, is that all?"</p> + +<p>"If you like it better, they bring shells, and +pebbles white as eggs, and beautiful seaweeds +gay as any garden-flower, and little red crabs, +and curious star-fish. Come home with me, and +I'll show what the waves can do!"</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/image03_chap30.jpg" alt="Minnie's Ride." title="Chapter 30" /><br /><span class="smcap">Minnie's Ride.</span><br /></div> + +<p>Minnie was not sorry to leave the brook, which +had become so unsafe for her; and, besides, you +know she was always ready for a change. So, +begging the stork to bend his neck as near the +ground as he could, she clambered upon his back. +Then stork outspread his broad, strong wings,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> +and up they flew, and on, on, on, I cannot tell +how many miles, till they reached the ocean-side.</p> + +<p>Minnie had seen wide rivers and lakes before; +but never anything equal to this mighty ocean, +which lay beneath them like an enormous mirror, +as they flew,--like a great glittering floor +of glass.</p> + +<p>On one side it stretched far out--nothing but +water--till it reached the sky; on the other, it +was bordered by a beach of smooth, white sand, +over which lay strewn the gay seaweeds, and +pebbles, and shells, about which stork had told +her.</p> + +<p>Glad to stand on her feet again, Minnie skipped +along the shore, stooping often to admire some +smooth, pearly shell, or glistening pebble, or heap +of shining bubbles thrown up by the waves, and +changing like opals in the sun.</p> + +<p>It seemed as if the little waves were chasing +her; as if they ran up the smooth sand on purpose +to kiss her feet; as if they were asking her +to accept the pretty weeds and stones which +they kept tossing on the beach.</p> + +<p>"O, stork, what a beautiful place it is! We<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> +will stay here as long as we live!" she said.</p> + +<p>"I don't know about that. The beach is a +good place after a storm; but we can't dine on +bubbles and pebbles, Minnie, so climb my back +again, and I'll take you across to the rocks."</p> + +<p>A long, black ledge, against which the waves +kept dashing, to turn white with foam, and leap +glittering into the air,--this was the place toward +which stork now steered.</p> + +<p>The little woman could not but tremble as she +looked down upon all the restless waves which +stretched on every side as far as she could see. +It was a beautiful sight; but Minnie knew that, +if she should fall, the ocean would swallow her +more easily than ever stork swallowed a minnow +in the brook.</p> + +<p>The rocks were wet, they found, and slippery; +half covered with coarse seaweed, that +was brown as leaves in winter, and did not look +like any growing thing. But, selecting a higher +ledge, which the sun had dried, stork asked Minnie +to sit here and rest, while he went in search +of food.</p> + +<p>At first she watched the beautiful glittering<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> +foam, which leaped so lightly into the air, and +then rolled back from the stones, in scattered +drops, like showers of red pearls.</p> + +<p>Then a croak called Minnie's attention; and, +looking across the rocks, she saw stork almost +choking himself with trying to swallow a fish +too large for his throat. Down it went, at last; +and now she watched how cautiously and silently +stork crept from stone to stone, lifting his wings +that he might easier walk on tip-toe with his +clumsy feet. Suddenly down went his snaky +neck, and, when it rose, another fish was writhing +in his bill.</p> + +<p>The little girl was so absorbed in watching +her friend at his work, that she did not notice +how night was falling, until a gust of cold sea-air +made a chill creep over her.</p> + +<p>Then, looking about, she found that the water +had risen on every side, so as almost to cover +the rocks on which she sat. Stars one by one +were coming out in the sky, and she called loudly +for stork to take her back to the shore.</p> + + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXI" id="CHAPTER_XXXI"></a>CHAPTER XXXI.</h2> + +<p class="center">THE SEA-SHORE.</p> + + +<p>Minnie did not call the stork a minute too +soon. He had just caught sight of his mate, and, +rather stupid with eating so hearty a supper, was +about to fly away, forgetting his new friend.</p> + +<p>He did not tell her this, but treated her more +kindly, perhaps, when he thought how near she +came to being drowned by his neglect. For the +tide, which rose every minute, would soon have +swept her away.</p> + +<p>What should he find for Minnie's supper? She +was not partial to raw fish. It was too dark now +to look for checkerberries and violet buds. Ah! +he would find some snails, and she should pick +them out from their pretty white shells. They +were sweet as smelts, he told her.</p> + +<p>But, when Minnie came to look at them, it +seemed to her like eating worms, or bugs; and,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 101]</a></span> +though stork assured her that in England he had +seen some of the finest people eat these snails, +she could not make up her mind to put one in +her mouth.</p> + +<p>So, a bright thought struck stork. Leaving +Minnie on the beach, he seized a clam, rose high +in the air, and let it fall with such force that the +shell broke; out dropped its contents, and the +little girl was hungry enough to eat them with a +relish.</p> + +<p>And, on their way home, stork stopped where +there were birds' eggs in plenty. Minnie remembered +yellow-bird's grief over the loss of his +young, and could not bear to rob the nests at +first. But hunger drove her to it afterwards.</p> + +<p>Stork settled into his own quiet nest at last, +and Minnie, creeping under his wing to keep +warm, slept soundly, lulled by the music of the +waves.</p> + +<p>The next morning Minnie found the beach all +over star-shaped tracks, too small for the stork's +great feet. She found, soon, that these belonged +to a curious little bird, that came in flocks. +These skipped about the beach, as if they were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> +trying to dance, or learning to take their steps. +They were not larger than a robin, but had long +legs and bills, so as to wade and catch fish among +the waves.</p> + +<p>Minnie made friends with them, and offered to +give them lessons in dancing, of which they +seemed so fond; but they told her they had +only learned their droll steps from a habit of +skipping away from waves when the tide was +coming in.</p> + +<p>Still, they allowed her to arrange them for a +contra dance, and, though she had some trouble +in persuading part to wait while the others +went through their figure, Minnie laughed till +she was tired, with the funny sight they made.</p> + +<p>As the tide left the beach, Minnie found plenty +of rocks, and all along the crevices of the rock +were snails, such as stork had brought her the +night before; and, on the sides, barnacles, a kind +of fish that, except it is white and hard, looks +like some plant growing. In hollows, where +there were pools of water, she saw purple mussels, +their shells half open that they might enjoy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +the sun.</p> + +<p>Then the seaweeds were different from anything +she had ever seen. They were shaped +like trees,--apple-trees, or willows, or elms; +but were of the gayest colors you can think,--bright +red, pink, purple, yellow, green, and some +were jet black, and pretty shades of brown. +Some had fruit on them,--dark yellow berries, +or apples, with a rosy side like any on our trees, +only small as the head of a pin. The tallest of +the trees were not higher than the length of +your hand. It was like a little fairy forest.</p> + +<p>Then Minnie found, to her surprise, that the +snails, which seemed so fastened into the rocks +by their shell, moved, shell and all. She found +them travelling in every direction,--but O, so +slowly! It made her ache to see them. She +could run across the beach a dozen times before +a snail had moved an inch.</p> + +<p>Sometimes she took them in her hands and carried +them to the pool they were trying to reach; +but they always said it made them dizzy and +confused to fly along so fast, and they preferred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> +their own slow way.</p> + +<p>Sometimes the snails ran races with each +other. That was a droll thing to watch, for +they all travelled as slowly, it seemed to Minnie, +as the minute-hand on the clock in her father's +office. They would start together, large snails +and little ones, white snails and yellow, brown +and black, striped, spotted, shaded, dragging +their houses after them. There was a pretty +little fellow, with a shell so bright it looked like +gold; he almost always won the race.</p> + +<p>One day Minnie picked up a beautiful purple +mussel-shell, lined with pearl, and with a ledge +of pearl inside, that served her for a seat. She +launched this on the waves, and they bore her +out to sea, where she drifted on without a fear, +she knew how to swim so well, in case her boat +upset; and then the beach birds were always +ready to sail alongside of her little bark, and +they could carry tidings home, should any harm +befall her.</p> + +<hr style="width: 35%;" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXII" id="CHAPTER_XXXII"></a>CHAPTER XXXII.</h2> + +<p class="center">STORM AND CALM.</p> + + +<p>Minnie was very happy at the shore. A +stranger stork did come one day, and, mistaking +her for a fish, suddenly snatch her from her boat; +but she held his bill so fast that he was glad to +drop her on the beach. And at dark she was +sorely afraid of the lobsters that crawled about +the rocks, blindly stretching their black claws +for food; but they had never harmed her yet, +and, on the whole, the tiny woman thought she +was having a beautiful time.</p> + +<p>She loved to chase the little dimpling waves; +she was never tired of watching the flash of sunlight +on the water by day, and at evening the +sweet path of moonlight, that stretched so far, +seemed like a path to her home,--if only she +dared to trust herself on the waves!</p> + +<p>Then all the changing colors of the water, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> +the pretty wreaths of foam, delighted her. She +built a house, for herself, of such white pebbles +and shells that it looked like a little marble +palace. And the tables and seats inside, and the +bed, were all beautiful mother-of-pearl.</p> + +<p>But a storm came one day, and washed away +her house, and dashed the waves so high upon +the beach, that Minnie fled for her life.</p> + +<p>It happened a spruce-tree stood not far from +the shore; so she scrambled up into its branches, +both to be sheltered from, and to watch, the +storm.</p> + +<p>It was awful to see the great waves rise and +beat against the beach, as if they meant to wash +the whole world away, and to hear the grating +of the stones they clashed together, and see the +great mats of seaweed they tore from the rocks, +and the shells they swept out of their crevices, +and tossed on the shore in heaps.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/image04_chap32.jpg" alt="Minnie at home." title="Chapter 32" /><br /><span class="smcap">Minnie at home.</span><br /></div> + +<p>And the water kept rising, and rising, till it +covered the beach, and came nearer and nearer, +until it reached the roots of the very tree into +which Minnie had climbed. It had been hard +enough to bear the beating of the branches in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> +the wind, but now must she be drowned, so far +from her home, and no one ever dream what had +become of her?</p> + +<p>Minnie screamed with fright, and then, through +the storm, she seemed to hear a low song, such +as her mother used to sing, and, instead of the +rough spruce branches, it seemed as if her +mother's arms were about her now.</p> + +<p>She opened her eyes in wonder. Could it be +that the soft hand she had missed so long was +stroking her curls once more? that the dear +voice she had never thought to hear again was +singing soft lullabies over her? that Allie was +looking in her face, and Frank was holding her +pale hand in his?</p> + +<p>Yes, and, stranger still, her mother and Franky +declared that they had been with her all the +while. On that first day of my story, when the +squirrel came,--it seemed years ago to Minnie, +now,--she had fallen from the fence, and bruised +her head, and had been sick with a fever ever +since, and they thought she must have dreamed +these marvellous things.</p> + +<p>Certain it was that, when the little girl looked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> +in the glass, she found herself large as ever, +though pale and very thin. Her gown, too, was +made of muslin, instead of forest leaves; and, +instead of being perched on a pine-bough, here +she stood in her own father's home!</p> + +<p>And here she resolved to stay and be content. +For, whether awake or in a fever-dream, Minnie +had learned this, that, let it be large or small, +there is, in all this great wide world, no place so +safe and pleasant as our home. And this, besides, +that the handsomest, kindest, gayest among +strangers, will never make up for the loss of our +own friends, the parents that have watched over +us ever since we were born, the brothers and +sisters that have played by the same fireside, +and under the same green trees.</p> + +<p>Dear children, when you are older, you will +find that all the people in this world have strayed, +like Minnie; that they wander about, making +acquaintance with many creatures, but still unsatisfied; +that they encounter storms, and suffer +weariness and loneliness, and long for those who +dwell in the far-off home.</p> + +<p>Yes, and some morning we all shall wake in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> +our Father's house, and find about us the blessed +voices and dear forms of those we have loved; +and then it will be like a dream that we seemed +to lose them once.</p> + +<p>That home is on the other side of the stars. +But Frank and Minnie are young yet, and expect +to find it here. They are young, and cannot believe +that their senses may be mistaken, and that +all Minnie's curious changes happened in a dream. +Many an afternoon they still spend in looking for +the wondrous weed that will make them understand +the language of birds, and squirrels, and +butterflies.</p> + +<p>And, to tell you the truth, I more than half +believe they will find it yet.</p> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Minnie; or, The Little Woman, by +Caroline Snowden Guild + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINNIE; OR, THE LITTLE WOMAN *** + +***** This file should be named 36760-h.htm or 36760-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/7/6/36760/ + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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