276 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND. [v.

 

placed it upon the table. Harry, however, was still
more amazed when he saw that May, instead of show-
ing the smallest signs of sorrow for what she had done,
or pity for the sufferer, instantly darted forward in
pursuit of the head, kicking at it repeatedly with great
violence, just for all the world as if it had been a
foot-ball ; the head, however, eluded her kicks continu-
ally, winking at Harry all the time in a knowing
manner as he did so, until at last May got so vexed
at her want of success that she suddenly stopped and
cried out in a loud voice, ‘It isn’t fair—no one
can catch a dodging idiot of a head like that, and I
won't try any more. I say, Harry /’

The words rang through his ears like the blast of
a trumpet, and—-Harry awoke! Yes. He awoke,
and there he was seated on the mossy bank where he
had sat down to rest, the woodland sounds still about
him, the woodland beauties all around, and not least
among them, his own dear sister May standing close
to him and laughing merrily.

‘Harry, dear!’ she said, ‘how sound asleep you
were! I have been gathering flowers all round
you for this ten minutes without your ever hearing
me, and I shouldnit have woke you now, only the
dressing bell has rung ever so long, and we shall be
late for dinner if we don’t go home directly,’

Harry sat up and rubbed his eyes as if he meant
to bring them out of his head, then he looked at May
in a confused, dreamy kind of way.

‘But where’s the little brown gentleman’s head ??
he asked.

‘On his shoulders, I suppose,’ replied his sister,