44 Lily and Water-Lily.

 

any of their friends, much less within chance of a
caress.

The squirrels scampered away just as if they were
frightened, and the birds took wing and flew through
the trees.

“Let us go and see if the mouse is at home,” said
Pearl, pettishly, when they had tried to get some fun
out of the forest for some time without any result.

She was not going to pretend that she minded the
behaviour of her acquaintance, but she did mind it
very much, i

They went away out of the forest back into the
fields, till they came to the little hole where the mouse
lived.

Pearl told Ruby to stand out of the way, for the
mouse had often been a little bit afraid of Ruby, and
she was not going to have the mouse turn away from
her too because Ruby was there.

So Ruby stood right away out of sight, and Pearl
went up to the door of mousie’s dwelling, and called
out to him.