LULU'S LIBRARY: Complete Collection (Illustrated Edition). Луиза Мэй Олкотт

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СКАЧАТЬ stopped to say, How d' ye do," said the cricket, in its creaky voice.

      "I 'm not a grasshopper; but I have on fairy shoes to-day, and so do many things that I never did before," answered Kitty, much surprised to be able to understand what the cricket said.

      "It is midsummer day, and fairies can play whatever pranks they like. If you did n't have those shoes on, you could n't understand what I say. Hark, and hear those squirrels talk, and the birds, and the ants down here. Make the most of this chance; for at sunset your shoes will stop skipping, and the fun all be over."

      While the cricket talked Kitty did hear all sorts of little voices, singing, laughing, chatting in the gayest way, and understood every word they said. The squirrels called to one another as they raced about,--

      "Here's a nut, there's a nut;

      Hide it quick away,

      In a hole, under leaves,

      To eat some winter day.

      Acorns sweet are plenty,

      We will have them all:

      Skip and scamper lively

      Till the last ones fall."

      The birds were singing softly,--

      "Rock a bye, babies,

      Your cradle hangs high;

      Soft down your pillow,

      Your curtain the sky.

      Father will feed you,

      While mother will sing,

      And shelter our darlings

      With her warm wing."

      And the ants were saying to one another as they hurried in and out of their little houses,--

      "Work, neighbor, work!

      Do not stop to play;

      Wander far and wide,

      Gather all you may.

      We are never like

      Idle butterflies,

      But like the busy bees,

      Industrious and wise."

      "Ants always were dreadfully good, but butterflies are ever so much prettier," said Kitty, listening to the little voices with wonder and pleasure.

      "Hollo! hollo!

      Come down below,--

      It's lovely and cool

      Out here in the pool;

      On a lily-pad float

      For a nice green boat.

      Here we sit and sing

      In a pleasant ring;

      Or leap-frog play,

      In the jolliest way.

      Our games have begun,

      Come join in the fun."

      "Dear me! what could I do over there in the mud with the queer green frogs?" laughed Kitty, as this song was croaked at her.

      "No, no, come and fly

      Through the sunny sky,

      Or honey sip

      From the rose's lip,

      Or dance in the air,

      Like spirits fair.

      Come away, come away;

      'T is our holiday."

      A cloud of lovely yellow butterflies flew up from a wild-rose bush, and went dancing away higher and higher, till they vanished in the light beyond the wood.

      "That is better than leap-frog. I wish my skipping shoes would let me fly up somewhere, instead of carrying me on errands and where I ought to go all the time," said Kitty, watching the pretty things glitter as they flew.

      Just at that minute a clock struck, and away went the shoes over the pool, the hill, the road, till they pranced in at the gate as the tea-bell rang. Kitty amused the family by telling what she had done and seen; but no one believed the Fairyland part, and her father said, laughing,--

      "Go on, my dear, making up little stories, and by and by you may be as famous as Hans Christian Andersen, whose books you like so well."

      "The sun will soon set, and then my fun will be over; so I must skip while I can," thought Kitty, and went waltzing round the lawn so prettily that all the family came to see her.

      "She dances so well that she shall go to dancing-school," said her mother, pleased with the pretty antics of her little girl.

      Kitty was delighted to hear that; for she had longed to go, and went on skipping as hard as she could, that she might learn some of the graceful steps the shoes took before the day was done.

      "Come, dear, stop now, and run up to your bath and bed. It has been a long hot day, and you are tired; so get to sleep early, for Nursey wants to go out," said her mother, as the sun went down behind the hills with a last bright glimmer, like the wink of a great sleepy eye.

      "Oh, please, a few minutes more," began Kitty, but was off like a flash; for the shoes trotted her upstairs so fast that she ran against old Nursey, and down she went, splashing the water all over the floor, and scolding in such a funny way that it made Kitty laugh so that she could hardly pick her up again.

      By the time she was ready to undress the sun was quite gone, and the shoes she took off were common ones again, for midsummer day was over. But Kitty never forgot the little lessons she had learned: she tried to run willingly when spoken to; she remembered the pretty steps and danced like a fairy; and best of all, she always loved the innocent and interesting little creatures in the woods and fields, and whenever she was told she might go to play with them, she hurried away almost as quickly as if she still wore the skipping shoes.

       So Cocky was brought in, and petted.--PAGE 105.

      Cockyloo

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      In the barnyard a gray hen sat on her nest, feeling very happy because it was time for her eggs to hatch, and she hoped to have a fine brood of chickens. Presently crack, crack, went the shells; "Peep, peep!" cried the chicks; "Cluck, cluck!" СКАЧАТЬ