TEMPTATION 49

enough, however, to direct him on his way,
and, being a sensible boy, did not stop to
ask any further questions, but proceeded at
once to do as he had been told. It was im-
possible to doubt that it was the Fairy of
the Falls who had spoken to him, Her
advice was probably good, and her power
was certainly great, and, what was even
more important still, he had no other course
before him than to obey, for he was evi-
dently surrounded by enemies, into whose
clutches he would fall unless aided by some
superior power. These thoughts passed
through little Hurly-Burly’s head, as he
turned on his heel and walked off to the left
among the trees of the forest. He had not
gone above a couple of hundred yards before
he saw directly before him a splendid oak
tree, of such gigantic size and beauty that
he could not for a moment doubt that it was
the tree of which the Fairy of the Falls had
spoken. There was no other tree like it,
and the boy stood still for one moment to
admire before he approached it. Nothing
about it betokened anything evil or danger-
ous, and accordingly he stepped on and had
come within a dozen yards of the tree when
E