o her parents. She was good-natured and kind-hearted, full of life and spirit, and gave much joy to those who watched over her. But

osing her, had given her this name in order to deceive the evil spirits who might

ere for her, as it was time she had her feet bound. "Your feet are getting so big and clumsy," she said, "and you are running about far too much for a girl. It is high ti

oes were so small that the feet could not be squeezed into them. But at last they were made to fit the shoes, and Everlasting Pearl walked about with sore and aching feet, wondering if they could ever become as small as those of some young girls she knew. Night after night she cried herself to sleep, wondering whether the pain would ever come to an end, and how she could possibly endure it much longer. But there were co