LJ THE LOST PRINCE. BOF.

 

The sisters were full of wonder at the words of
the song which they had just heard. Their thoughts
were of course directly pointed to the Giant Pattle-
perry, who, as has been already mentioned, had ex-
pressed himself in terms which had led them to
believe that he might appear at Court as a suitor for
the hand of one or other of them. Was he, then, the
captor of their dear brother, and the cause of all the
sorrow which had so long overshadowed their family ?
Then the thought passed quickly through their brains
that their invitation to walk in the forest might be a
trick of this very Giant, who, according to the squirrels,
had there entrapped their brother. Still, if this were
the case, what had the Dwarf to do with it, and why
should all the animals conclude their observations
with a panegyric upon that small individual? The
whole affair was quite incomprehensible to the two
sisters ; and they both felt that it would never do to
leave the squirrels without further information upon a
subject so important to themselves and their family.
Therefore, without further delay they proceeded to
make another appeal to the little animals, who by
this time were merrily pursuing one another round
and round their favourite tree, at a considerable height
from the ground.

‘Dear little squirrels!’ cried Malvina. ‘You dar-
ling little pets!’ exclaimed Pettina, and having thus
attracted the attention of the small creatures, who
were probably unused to such endearing epithets, both
the young ladies continued, in one and ‘the same
instant : -

‘Do tell us what we ought to do! If you would