Now there were so many of the toys that they filled the whole house, and it took days and days just to look at them. At last, however, Marleen had seen and touched every one, and she cried:

"These things are dull and stupid. I must have something to amuse me.

Go, brother, and tell the fox that these toys are all ugly and useless; but that there is one thing that I would like above all else, one thing that would make me quite happy. Tell him I must have the great silvery ball that hangs at night above us in the sky,"

"Be satisfied, dear sister," said Ludwig. "We are quite happy as we are."

"No, no, I will not be satisfied!" said Marleen. "You must do as I tell you;" and she gave her brother no peace until he went again into the forest.

"How now, little brother!" said the fox, when he saw Ludwig coming toward him through the trees; "is it not well with you?"

"Alas, my sister is not satisfied with the toys."

"What would she, little brother?"

"That the great silvery moon that hangs high in the heavens at night should be her plaything."

Very slowly the fox answered:--

"Go, little brother, it shall NOT be as she wishes."

Now when Ludwig reached home once more, in place of the stately house, there stood their little old hut again. Marleen sat weeping in the doorway, her fine silk dress was gone, her beautiful doll was nowhere to be seen, all the lovely toys had vanished.

"Do not cry, dear sister," said Ludwig. "We are quite happy as we are.

Come, let us have supper, for I am very hungry." But alas, when they went to the cupboard it was quite empty; and ever afterwards, when they were hungry, Ludwig and Marleen were forced to seek for nuts and berries in the forest. The great silvery moon still looked down upon their little hut at night; but though Ludwig sought through the whole forest, far and wide, he never saw his friend the fox again.

FROGGY'S ADVENTURE.

"Knee-deep! Knee-deep! Knee-deep!" came a shrill cry from the middle of the pond.

"Better-go-round! Better-go-round! Better-go-round!" croaked a hoa.r.s.e voice from the bank.

Now all the little frogs, when they heard their mother call, turned back, and, swimming far around the deep place, got safely to the sh.o.r.e.

Did I say all? No, one little frog failed to hear his mother's voice and, piping in his little shrill tone: "Who's afraid! Who's afraid!

Who's afraid!" he swam straight on. Suddenly one of his hind legs got tangled among the weeds at the bottom of the pond; and, though he pulled and jerked with all his little might, he could not free himself.

At last, after a long struggle, he gave it up and called loudly: "Help-me-out! Help-me-out! Help-me-out!"

The other frogs heard and came swimming all about,--little and big, young and old; but when they saw poor Froggy caught fast, instead of trying to free him, they began peeping and croaking and "kerchugging,"

until such a noise went up from the pond as was never heard before.

The little frogs all sat around in a little circle, crying in their little shrill voices: "Oh-he'll-die! Oh-he'll-die! Oh-he'll-die!"

And the great frogs all sat around in a great circle, croaking in their great hoa.r.s.e voices: "Oh-he'll-drown! Oh-he'll-drown! Oh-he'll-drown!"

"Help! Help! Help!" shrieked the little frogs in their little shrill voices.

"Help! Help! Help!" croaked the great frogs in their great hoa.r.s.e voices.

The little frogs sobbed and moaned, and wiped the tears from their little bulgy eyes with their little, flat, green hands; the great frogs sobbed and moaned, and wiped the tears from their great bulgy eyes with their great, flat, green hands. Altogether they raised such a noise and commotion that every creature in the pond poked his nose from his house and came out to see what could be the matter.

At last a great, friendly fish, who, with his wife and children, was summering in a quiet corner of the pond, swam up to find what all the noise was about. When he saw poor Froggy struggling to free himself (feebly now, for his strength was nearly gone) with all his friends and relations sitting by, sobbing and moaning and croaking, but not trying to help him out at all, the fish flew into a terrible rage, and, lashing the water all around into a white foam with his great tail, he cried:

"Pull him out! Pull him out!"

But the little frogs only wiped the tears from their little bulgy eyes with their little, flat, green hands and went on with their piping: "Oh-he'll-die! Oh-he'll-die! Oh-he'll-die!"

The great frogs only wiped the tears from their great bulgy eyes with their great, flat, green hands and went on with their croaking: "Oh-he'll-drown! Oh-he'll-drown! Oh-he'll-drown!"

"You stupids!" cried the great fish; and, pushing the little frogs and the big frogs all to the right and left with his huge body, he swam to little drowning Froggy, seized the poor little fellow in his big mouth and carried him safely to his home by the sh.o.r.e. There the great fish left Froggy, to be cuddled by his silly brothers and to be crooned over by his good but stupid mother.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD TO GRANDFATHER GOODFIELD'S.

"Oh, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder," said Alice, as she trudged along the dusty road, a bright tin pail held tightly in her hand. "Why do you wonder, little maid?" said a deep, deep voice. On looking up, Alice saw close beside her a great tawny lion. At first she was afraid, but the great beast looking kindly upon her, placed his great paw softly on her arm and once more said, "why do you wonder, Alice?"

"Ah!" cried the girl crossly, "I wonder what is in this pail. Mamma has promised me a pretty red sash if I do but carry it safely to Grandfather Goodfield, who lives under the hill by the great dark forest yonder, but oh! it has grown so heavy, and my feet have grown so tired. I must go quickly and I must not even peep inside. Just listen! such a funny noise." Alice held the pail close to the great lion's ear,--"Buzz z z z z z z" came a m.u.f.fled sound. "Oh, I wonder what can be inside!" she said.

"Do not wonder, little maid," said the great lion, "but hurry thy little feet as thy mother hath bidden thee, else the sun will be in his bed ere thy journey be ended, and thy little bed will be empty and thy mother's heart will be heavy with watching."

So Alice hastened on. Soon again her little feet were lagging; and once more her eyes turned curiously upon the pail she carried and again she said, "Oh, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder." "Why do you wonder, little maid?" said a deep, gruff voice. On looking up once more Alice saw close beside her, not her friend the tawny lion, but a s.h.a.ggy black bear. At first she was afraid; but the great beast, looking kindly upon her, placed his great paw softly on her arm and once more said, "Why do you wonder, Alice?"

"Ah!" cried the girl crossly, "I wonder what is in this pail. Mamma has promised me a pretty red sash if I do but carry it safely to Grandfather Goodfield, who lives under the hill by the great dark forest yonder, but oh! it has grown so heavy, and my feet have grown so tired. I must go quickly, and I must not even peep inside. Just listen! such a funny noise." Alice held the pail close to the great bear's ear,--"Buzz z z z z z z z" came a m.u.f.fled sound. "Oh, I wonder what can be inside!" she said.

"Do not wonder, little maid," said the great bear, "but hurry thy little feet as thy mother hath bidden thee, else the sun will be in his bed ere thy journey be ended, and thy little bed will be empty and thy mother's heart will be heavy with watching."

So Alice hastened on. Soon again her feet were lagging and once more her eyes turned curiously upon the pail she carried and again she said, "Oh, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder." "Why do you wonder, little maid?"

said a harsh strong voice. On looking up, Alice saw close beside her, not her friend the s.h.a.ggy bear, but a gaunt gray wolf. At first she was afraid, but the great beast, looking kindly upon her, placed his great paw softly on her arm and once more said, "Why do you wonder, Alice?"

"Ah!" cried the girl crossly, "I wonder what is in this pail. Mamma has promised me a pretty red sash if I do but carry it safely to Grandfather Goodfield, who lives under the hill by the great dark forest yonder, but oh! it has grown so heavy and my feet have grown so tired. I must go quickly and I must not even peep inside. Just listen! such a funny noise." Alice held the pail close to the great wolf's ear,--"Buzz z z z z z z z" came a m.u.f.fled sound. "Oh, I wonder what can be inside!" she said.

"Do not wonder, little maid," said the great wolf, "but hurry thy little feet as thy mother hath bidden thee, else the sun will be in his bed ere thy journey be ended, and thy little bed will be empty and thy mother's heart will be heavy with watching."

So Alice hastened on. Soon again her feet were lagging and once more her eyes turned curiously upon the pail she carried and again she said, "Oh, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder." "Why do you wonder, little maid?"

said a sweet soft voice. On looking up, Alice saw close beside her, not her friend the gaunt gray wolf, but a little child like herself.

The boy placed his hand softly upon her arm; and with his great dark eyes looking straight into her own he said, "Why do you wonder, Alice?"

"Ah!" cried the girl crossly, "I wonder what is in this pail. Mamma has promised me a pretty red sash if I do but carry it safely to Grandfather Goodfield, who lives under the hill by the great dark forest yonder, but oh! it has grown so heavy and my feet have grown so tired. I must go quickly and I must not even peep inside. Just listen! such a funny noise." Alice held the pail close to the boy's ear,--"Buzz-z z z z z z z" came a m.u.f.fled sound. "Oh, I wonder what can be inside!" she said.

"Do not wonder but let us look and see," said the boy. "No! no!" cried Alice. "My mother has forbidden it." "She will never know," said the boy. "Only one little peep. Surely it can do no harm. See, I will raise the cover for you." "No! no!" said Alice and, tightly clasping the pail, she started again upon her journey.

"You are so tired," called the boy running after, "do but stop and rest awhile. See, your feet are really bleeding from the sharp stones you have traveled over. Look, what a soft green bank yonder under the shade of that great tree. Do but sit down upon it for a moment. You will be able to go on all the faster after a quiet rest, then I will go with you."

Now Alice was really very tired indeed; and the bank with its cool shade looked so tempting that at last she seated herself upon it, letting her feet sink deep into its mossy side. She clasped the precious pail tightly in her hands, but the noise inside grew louder, and now it had an angry sound. "Oh, I wonder what it can be!" said Alice.