The White Lily. 49

 

tender life for the sake of her own selfish pleasure,
something ran across her hand and so startled her
that she jumped up and let go the flower.

She looked down to see what it was, and there,
shrinking away from her in the es she saw
her friend, the field-mouse.

At first Pearl was inclined to be angry. The mouse
had behaved very badly to her; she thought it was
a very rude thing for a mouse to do—to pretend
to be out when a little girl went to see him, and
when he was really at home all the while,

She stooped down towards the lily once more, and
pretended not to have seen her friend.

But again the little creature darted out from its
temporary retreat and ran over Pearl’s hand.

Then it ran back and fetched a large strawberry
that it had left a little way off, and came and showed
it to Pearl, and retreated again, as though offering her
a reward if she would do what he wanted..

The little creature was so funny that at last. Pearl
began to laugh.

rE