I] THE LOST PRINCE. 29

 

“best friend in the wood,’ whom they naturally sup-
posed to be the Dwarf who had invited them thither.

For some time they saw nothing at all like the
place which had been described to them: the stream
wound its way through the forest like a sensible stream
would naturally do, running along through the prettiest
places, never going up hill, and winding to and fro as
if it was in no hurry to get out of the wood, but
wished to see as much of it as it could before it came
out again into the hot sun and open country. At
last, when they were nearly tired of walking along by
its side, listening to the casual remarks of various
birds and beasts, which all ended in the same lauda-
tory observation upon the mighty Rindelgrover, a
sudden turn of the stream brought before them a new
and unusual scene.

The ground sloped upward upon one side of the
rivulet, forming that which might fairly be called a
mound, which was perfectly covered with a bed of
wild strawberries. There was no mistake about it,
for the fruit was there in profusion, and so tempting
did it look that the sisters, being somewhat thirsty
after their walk, would have been inclined to make
closer acquaintance with the red berries at once, had
not there been other things to observe at the same
time. A number of pigs were feeding all round the
mound, grubbing away here and there, but none of
them venturing to touch the strawberries. They were
pigs of various sorts and sizes, dark and light, big and
little, but all seemed to be as happy and contented as
if hams, bacon, pickled pork, and pigs’ feet and ears
had never been thought of by hungry mortals. Still,