Part 10 (1/2)

”Little Alma lived close to the River Yi, but far, far from here, beyond the trees and beyond the blue hills, for the Yi is a very long river

She lived with her grand beards; and they always talked about wars, and cattle, and horse-racing, and a great s that Alma could not understand There was no one to talk to Alma and for Alma to talk to or to play with And when she went out of the house where all the big people were talking, she heard the cocks crowing, the dogs barking, the birds singing, the sheep bleating, and the trees rustling their leaves over her head, and she could not understand one word of all they said

At last, having no one to play with or talk to, she sat down and began to cry Now, it happened that near the spot where she sat there was an old black wo sticks for the fire, and she asked Alma why she cried

”'Because I have no one to talk to and play with,' said Al brass pin out of her shawl and pricked Alue with it, for she made Alma hold it out to be pricked

”'Now,' said the old wos, cats, birds, and trees, for you will understand all they say, and they will understand all you say'

”Allad, and ran home as fast as she could to talk to the cat

”'Coether,' she said

”'Oh no,' said the cat 'I ao away and play with little Niebla down by the river'

”Then the cat ran away as also refused to play when she went to theers Then they also told her to go and play with little Niebla down by the river Then Al that looked like a ball of yellow cotton, and said:

”'Now, little duck, let us talk and play'

”But the duckling only struggled to get away and screamed, 'Oh, mamma, mamma, come and takeup, and said:

”'Alo and play with Niebla down by the river A nice thing to catch my duckie in your hands--what next, I wonder!'

”So she let the duckling go, and at last she said, 'Yes, I will go and play with Niebla down by the river'

”She waited till she saw the white mist, and then ran all the way to the Yi, and stood still on the green bank close by the water with the white mist all round her By and by she saw a beautiful little child co towards her in the white reen bank and looked at Alma Very, very pretty she was; and she wore a white dress--whiter than milk, whiter than foam, and all embroidered with purple flowers; she had also white silk stockings, and scarlet shoes, bright as scarlet verbenas Her hair was long and fluffy, and shone like gold, and round her neck she had a string of big gold beads

Then Alirl, what is your nairl answered:

”'Niebla'

”'Will you talk to me and play with me?' said Alma

”'Oh, no,' said Niebla, 'how can I play with a little girl dressed as you are and with bare feet?'

”For you know poor Alma only wore a little old frock that cas on Then little Niebla rose up and floated away, away from the bank and down the river, and at last, when she was quite out of sight in the white ot very hot she went and sat down, still crying, under the trees; there were two very big -trees growing near the river By and by the leaves rustled in the wind and the trees began talking to each other, and Al to rain, do you think?' said one tree

”'Yes, I think it will--some day,' said the other

”'There are no clouds,' said the first tree

”'No, there are no clouds to-day, but there were some the day before yesterday,' said the other

”'Have you got any nests in your branches?' said the first tree

”'Yes, one,' said the other 'It was s in it'

”Then the first tree said, 'There is little Alhbour?'