Molly stood with her bucket on her head, like one spell-bound, watching the Little People; and she would have continued to stand there, but Dame Pendar, the farmer’s wife, called her loudly to know why she had not brought the milk, if there was any.
At the first sound of Dame Pendar’s voice, all the Fairies pointed their fingers at Molly, and made such wry faces that she was frightened almost to death. Then--_whisk!_ and they were gone!
Molly hurried to the house, and told her mistress, and her master, too, all that she had seen.
“Surely,” said Dame Pendar, “you must have a Four-leaved Clover somewhere about you. Give me the wad of grass in your hat.”
Molly took it out, and gave it to her; and sure enough there was the Four-leaved Clover which had opened Molly’s eyes on that May Day.
As for Rosy, she kicked up her heels, and, bellowing like mad, galloped away. Over meadows and moors she went racing and roaring, and was never seen again.
Once upon a time a little girl, named Jessie, was wandering in the wood, and lost her way. It was Summer time, and the air was warm. She wandered on and on, trying to find her way home, but she could not find the path out of the wood. Twilight came, and weary and footsore she sat down under a fir tree, and began to cry.
“Why are you crying, little girl?” said a voice behind her.
Jessie looked around, and saw a pretty little man dressed in moss and green leaves. His eyes were dark as dark, and his hair was black as black, and his mouth was large and showed a hundred white teeth as small as seed pearls. He was smiling merrily, and his cream-yellow cheeks were dimpled, and his eyes soft and kindly. Indeed, he seemed so friendly that Jessie quite forgot to be afraid.
“Why are you crying, little girl?” he asked again. “Your tear-drops are falling like dew on the blue flowers at your feet!”
“I’ve lost my way,” sobbed Jessie, “and the night is coming on.”
“Do not cry, little girl,” said he gently. “I will lead you through the wood. I know every path--the rabbit’s path, the hare’s path, the fox’s path, the goat’s path, the path of the deer, and the path of men.”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” exclaimed Jessie, as she looked the tiny man up and down, and wondered to see his strange clothes.