to talk to, but he was awful beautiful to look at"; and, having relieved her mind by this remark, she was just

as the important thing; and as she never could bear to go by strange doorways until she knew where they le

little bits of wood like jackstraws. This made climbing down the bank very exciting, but she got safely to the bottom at last, and was just starting off for another journey of discovery when she came suddenly upon the toy farm-house standing quite by itself in the open country. None of the family was present except the Farmer, who was standing in front of the house, staring at it in a

farm-house, and, as this seemed to be an excellent opportunity, she wa

r, staring first at her and then at the house, as if he were g

r it?" said Dorothy, rath

the house for a moment and then said, rather sulkily, "Yes, I su

to laugh, "that isn't what I mean a

see anything to prevent it; there's another door at the back,"-and walked gravely away. He did this in a very peculiar way, by a sort of sidelong roll on his round wooden block like a barrel being worked along on one end; and, as Dorothy stood watching this p

chance. All hollow, right up to the roof, just as I expected," she exclaimed. "I s'pose that's so the fam'ly can stand up when they come inside." But there was nothing in the house but a lot of old umbrellas tied up in bundle

d along, she felt happier than she had at any time since losing the Blue Admiral Inn. To be sure, it wasn't the easiest matter in the world to get along, for as the trees and the bushes and the blades of grass were all of the natural size and Dorothy was no bigger than a wren, she fell over a good many twigs and other small obstacles, and tumbled down a great many times. Then, too, she found it rather trying to her nerves, at first, to meet with rabbits as big as horses, to come suddenly upon q

HER NERVES, AT FIRST, TO MEET

SQUIRRELS A HEAD TALLE

ide of the path; and, after hesitating a moment, Dorothy stole into the bushes, and, creeping

l voice, and it wa

ow a

t the larks an

of the sunshi

rom the hedge

idden nests wi

ow a

r the rabbits

of the cool a

ls disturb the

o and frolic

ow a

ewdrops on a

them upon a

ir sides translu

hue that eme

ow a

unbeams as th

k with meadow-g

em in store fo

chill and all t

ow a

agrance from t

t in flasks o

ir when all th

woodland world

ow a

flakes in their

e, that, as th

into frosty

ead upon a

ned that when she heard this last verse she clasped her hands in a burst of rapture and exclaimed in quite a loud voice, "Oh, delicious!" This was very unfortunate

," said

said the little voice; "I can see them

laughing softly to h

a cherry-stone, and she said to herself, "I verily believe it's a fairy, and she certainly can't be a bit bigger than

poke up again and said,

at the prospect of seeing a real live fairy for the first time in her life, tha

ng great astonishment in its small way. "Why, t

called out, "But, you know, that depen

, very confidently. "All corners are the sa

igent she is! I must have a look at her"; and, pushi

GENTLY ASIDE, SHE CA

, to Dorothy's astonishment, the fairy proved to be an extremely small field-mouse, sitting up like a little pug-dog and gazing attentively at the thicke

g with laughter. "Why," she exclaimed, "I used to be"-and here she had to stop and count up

" sounded like beads dropping into a pill-

me," said Dorothy. "I

se, shaking its head in a puzzled way. "I

much reduced." (She thought afterward that this sounded rather as if she had lost

t's more, I don't see you, in fact, I don't think you ought

al remark, and she answered, rather indign

superior manner,-"because little chi

ersons gave themselves airs, and she thought she would try the effect of it on the Mouse.) But, to her great disappointment, the Mouse made no reply of any kind, and after picking a lea

USE LA

only an esperiment." But there was no answer, and, stooping down at the place where the Mouse had disappeared, she looked into the thicket. There was nothing there

ving thing in sight except a fat butterfly lazily swinging up and down on a blade of grass. Dorothy touched him with her finger to see if he were awake, but the Butterfly gav