bo

BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

~I

“JT know they have,’ he said calmly. “Clover came to me
this morning, and tried to make me get up to go with him and
Cowslip. I wasn’t going to be so foolish, I can tell you. Why,
what’s the matter, Primrose? You look as if you were going to cry.”

“T feel like crying,” said Primrose; ‘I feel very, very unhappy ;
IT don’t know what dreadful thing may happen to us now, for, of
course, we shall not only have to start on our journey alone, but
we shall have to go without the letter which the King sent, giving
us directions. Oh, Buttercup, no wonder I am frightened! How
naughty we both were to stay in bed this morning!”

“Not a bit of it,’ said Buttercup. “The King wouldn’t be
kind if he punished us for a little trifle of that sort. Stop
crying, Rose, dear, and let us get something to eat. We can
start on our journey after we have had breakfast, and I am sure we
shall soon catch up the others. As to having any bother about
finding the Blue Mountains—how can we possibly go wrong when
they are staring us full in the face all the time? We shall soon
catch Clover and Cowslip up, Rose, for I know, if you don’t, what
a lazy little thing Cowslip can be. She’s sure to be fast asleep now
under the shade of some big tree. You get breakfast ready, Rose, and
let us be off.”

Primrose allowed herself to be slightly comforted by Buttercup’s
words. He was a good deal younger than she, but hke many
obstinate though silly people, his little remarks sometimes impressed
those who listened to him as much as if they were words of wisdom.
He had a way of never being put out or frightened, and this fact
comforted poor nervous Primrose not a little.

She went out of the room, therefore, and set the kettle on to
boil. As she did so she looked at the eight-day clock which ticked so
solemnly in one corner of the old-fashioned kitchen, and a profound
sigh escaped her lips. The clock pointed to twelve. It was already
noon, therefore, and the beautiful fresh morning was over.

Primrose laid the table for breakfast. Then she went into her
bedroom, and, opening a wardrobe, took out a neat little brown
frock which her mother had made for her before she went away.