46 THE FAIRY-FOLK OF THE BLUE HILL.

learned to know her from the conversation of
the elves, and this he communicated in a whis-
per to the blue dragon-fly.

The little maid stood by the pond, holding
back the branches with both hands, and bend-
ing forward to gaze into the water. A very
pretty picture she made, with her cap embroid-
ered by her mother’s loving fingers with porcu-
pine quills stained in brilliant colors, her short
garment of rabbit skins, and her pretty moc-
casins and leggins. So thought the honest
brown beetle, and the blue dragon-fly thought
So, too.

Soon Mona’s bright eyes caught sight of
the nets of which she was in search, and,
quickly loosing her hold of the branches, with
a light bound she reached the spot where the
nets lay, and drew them ashore. The two
fishes that were within plunged and leapt on
the grass, and, quickly securing them, the little
maid departed.

No sooner was Mona gone than the dragon-
fly’s attendants came swarming back from
the rover’s pond. Something had evidently
thrown them into a state of great excitement,
but so strict were their rules of etiquette that