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and she
has sent me with a piece of cake and a bottle of wine to her because she
is sick, and it will make her stronger and do her good."

"Where does your grandmother live, Red Riding-Hood?"

"About half a mile from here through the wood; her house stands under
three large oak trees, near to the nut hedges; you would easily know
it," said Red Riding-Hood.

The wolf, when he heard this, thought to himself, "This little, delicate
thing would be a sweet morsel for me at last, and taste nicer than her
old grandmother, but she would not satisfy my hunger; I must make a meal
of them both."

Then he walked quietly on by the side of Red Riding-Hood till they came
to a part of the wood where a number of flowers grew.

"See, Red Riding-Hood," he said, "what pretty flowers are growing here;
would you not like to rest and gather some? And don't you hear how
sweetly the birds are singing? You are walking on as steadily as if you
were going to school, and it is much more pleasant here in the wood."

Then Red Riding-Hood looked up and saw the dancing sunbeams shining
between the trees and lighting up the beautiful flowers that grew all
around her, and she thought, "If I were to take my grandmother a fresh
nosegay, it would make her so pleased; it is early yet, and I have
plenty of time."

So she went out of her way into the wood to gather flowers. And when she
had picked a few, she saw some more beautiful still at a little distance
so she walked on further and further, till she was quite deep in the
wood.

Meanwhile the wolf went straight on to the grandmother's house, and
knocked at the door. There was no answer.

So the wolf lifted the latch and the door flew open; then he rushed in,
hoping to seize upon the poor old grandmother, and eat her up. But she
had gone out for a little walk, so he shut the door, dressed himself in
the old woman's nightgown and nightcap, and lay down in the bed to wait
for Red Riding-Hood.

After Red Riding-Hood had gathered as many flowers as she could carry,
she found her way back quickly to the right path, and walked on very
fast till she came to her grandmother's house, and knocked at the door.

"Who is there?" said the wolf, trying to imitate the grandmother. His
voice was so gruff, however, that Little Red Riding-Hood would have been
frightened, only she thought her grandmother had a cold.

So she replied: "It's Little Red Riding-Hood. Mother sent you a piece of
cake and a bottle of wine."

"Lift up the latch and come in," said the wolf.

So Red Riding-Hood lifted the latch and went in.

When she saw her grandmother, as she thought, lying in bed, she went up
to her and drew back the curtains; but she could only see the head, for
the wolf had pulled the nightcap as far over his face as he could.

 [Illustration: LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD.
 (ENGRAVED FROM THE PAINTING BY G. FERRIER.)]

"Good-morning," she said; but there was no answer. Then she got on the
bed, and cried out: "Grandmother, what great ears you have!"

"The better to hear with, my dear," he said.

"Grandmother, what great eyes you have!"

"The better to see you, my dear, the better to see you."

"Grandmother, what great teeth you have!"

"The better to eat you up!"

The old wolf jumped out of bed, and Little Red Riding Hood, in the
greatest terror, screamed as loud as she could.

Just then the door opened, and in came the grandmother and some woodmen
who were passing. They were just in time to save Little Red-Riding-Hood
from the old wolf.

DOLLY'S DOCTOR

 MARY

 Come and see my baby dear;
 Doctor, she is ill, I fear.
 Yesterday, do what I would,
 She would touch no kind of food;
 And she tosses, moans, and cries.
 Doctor, what do you advise?

 DOCTOR JOHN

 Hum! ha! good madam, tell me, pray,
 What have you offered her to-day?
 Ah, yes! I see! a piece of cake--
 The worst thing you could make her take.
 Just let me taste. Yes, yes; I fear
 Too many plums and currants here.
 But, stop; I must just taste again,
 For that will make the matter plain.

 MARY

 But, Doctor, pray excuse me, now--
 You've eaten all the cake, I vow!
 I thank you kindly for your care;
 But surely that was hardly fair.

 DOCTOR JOHN

 Ah, dear me! did I eat the cake?
 Well, it was for dear baby's sake.
 But keep him in his bed, well warm,
 And, you will see, he'll take no harm.
 At night and morning use once more
 His draught and powder, as before;
 And he must not be over-fed,
 But he may have a piece of bread.
 To-morrow, then, I dare to say,
 He'll be quite right. Good day! good day!

THUMBELINA

BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

She had a little house of her own, a little garden, too, this woman of
whom I am going to tell you, but for all that she was not quite happy.

"If only I had a little child of my own," she said, "how the walls would
ring with her laughter, and how the flowers would brighten at her
coming. Then, indeed, I should be quite happy."

And an old witch heard what the woman wished, and said, "Oh, but that is
easily managed. Here is a barley-corn. Plant it in a flower-pot and tend
it carefully, and then you will see what will happen."

The woman was in a great hurry to go home and plant the barley-corn, but
she did not forget to say "Thank you" to the old witch. She not only
thanked her, she even stayed to give her six silver pennies.

Then she hurried away to her home, took a flower-pot and planted her
precious barley-corn.

And what do you think happened? Almost before the corn was planted, up
shot a large and beautiful flower. It was still unopened. The petals
were folded closely together, but it looked like a tulip. It really was
a tulip, a red and yellow one, too.

The woman loved flowers. She stooped and kissed the beautiful bud. As
her lips touched the petals, they burst open, and oh! wonder of wonders;
there, in the very middle of the flower, sat a little child. Such a
tiny, pretty little maiden she was.

They called her Thumbelina. That was because she was no bigger than the
woman's thumb.

And where do you think she slept? A little walnut shell, lined with
blue, that was her cradle.

When she slept little Thumbelina lay in her cradle on a tiny heap of
violets, with the petal of a pale pink rose to cover her.

And where do you think she played? A table was her playground. On the
table the woman placed a plate of water. Little Thumbelina called that
her lake.

Round the plate were scented flowers; the blossoms lying on the edge,
while the pale green stalks reached thirstily down to the water.

In the lake floated a large tulip leaf. This was Thumbelina's little
boat. Seated there she sailed from side to side of her little lake,
rowing cleverly with two white horse hairs. As she rowed backward and
forward she sang softly to herself. The woman listening heard, and
thought she had never known so sweet a song.

And now such a sad thing happened.

In through a broken window-pane hopped a big toad--oh, such an ugly big
toad! She hopped right on to the table, where Thumbelina lay dreaming in
her tiny

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