UITTLE MAJA. 547

dwelling under the stubble. There the ficld-mouse lived snugly
and securely enough, and had a whole room full of corn, an
excellent kitchen, and a dining-room. Poor little Maja stood
before the door, like a poor beggar-girl, and begged for a little
bit of barleycorn, for she had eaten nothing whatever for the
last two days. “You poor little animal!” said the field-mouse,
for she was a good old ficldmouse in the main, “come into my
warm room and dine with me.” As Maja pleased her, she
said, “You are welcome to stay all the winter with me, only you
must keep my room clean and tidy, and tell me stories, for I
am very fond of hearing them.” And Maja did what the good
old field mouse required, anda very comfortable time she had of
it. “We shall soon have a visitor coming to sce us,” said the
fieldmouse ; ““] have a neighbour who calls on me once a
week ; he is still better off than Lam, for he has large rooms,
and wears a handsome black pelisse. If you eould have him
for a husband, you would be well provided for indeed, Only
he can’t see at all. You mnst mind and tell him some of your
best stories.” But Maja did not care anything about him ; for
the ficldmouse’s neighbour was a mole.

At length he came in his black fur pelisse, and paid his visit.
Dame Field-mouse said he was very rich and very learned, and
that his mansion was above twenty times larger than hers, He
might possess some learning, but he could not bear either the
sun or the beautiful flowers, and he always spoke slightingly
of both, just because he had never scen them. Maja was obliged
to sing, and so she sang “ Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away
home,” besides other songs, and the mole fell in love with her
‘on account of her sweet voice: but he said nothing, because he
was avery wary man. . Ashort time since, he had burrowed a
long underground passage lealing from his house to the field-
mouse's dwelling, and both the latter and Maja were now free

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