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202 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND. + [Iw-.

 

Molly had listened with the utmost attention to this
speech, and was exceedingly glad that ‘she had asked
the question. Still, she did not feel very certain what
she should do when once upon the Witches’ Island,
and determined to ask for still further and more par-
ticular orders. But not another word, good, bad, or
indifferent, could she extract from the Wise Rabbit.
So, after a while, she left off trying, took up the three
‘packets with great care, and returned to the cottage
without further delay. When she had arrived there,
she sat down and thought carefully over all that had
passed, calling to mind as well as she could the exact
words which had fallen from her thorn-tree adviser.
Then she deliberately opened the envelope which was
addressed to herself, and read the directions therein
contained. The first was easily to be comprehended
and required no explanation :

‘Do nothing until after dinner,’

As Molly was somewhat tired with her walk in the
sun, and it was then getting towards eleven o'clock,
_she was by no means indisposed to take this first

piece of advice, especially as, according to the habits
of the labouring classes in that part of the world, she
usually dined soon after noon. Then there followed
some directions of a more dubious and elaborate
character.

‘Row gently, but stop for no one.

Packet ‘‘ number one” is for Babeface the Skate.

Packet ‘‘number two” is for Grimjaw the Dog-fish.
Packet ‘‘ number three” is for Scareman the Devil-fish.’

These were words which Molly entirely failed to

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