50 Lily and Water-Lity.

 

“Very well, mousie, I won’t pick the flower this
time,” she said; “only you must behave properly,
then. You must come here and talk to me sensibly.”

The mouse made no answer.

It only ran forward into the grass, and remained
looking at Pearl to see if she would follow.

“Tt’s you he is afraid of, Ruby,” said she. “Go
out yonder into the meadows and wait for me.”

Ruby went out, and Pearl followed the mouse.

She called to it when she got a little way forwarder,
and sat down upon the grass and beckoned it to
her. :

But the mouse did not come as it always used to.

It stopped and looked at Pearl and ran up and
down and round her, undecided.

Pearl was angry.

If the mouse no longer cared for her as he used
to do, she certainly was not going to care for the
mouse—a little wretched, ugly thing, that was ooN,
fit to laugh at and make fun of!

Out in the fields the flowers were blooming aoa