Page:A Picture-book without Pictures and Other Stories (1848).djvu/104

 dismal night would come! And was she to sit up there in the tree, and by herself all night? No, the little girl would not endure the thought of that.

“I will stay with you!” said she, although she was not at all courageous. She began already to see quite plainly the little elves, in their tall pomted hats, peeping from between the bushes, and down the dusky alleys danced tall spectres, which came nearer and nearer. She stretched her hands up towards the tree in which the doll sate, and they laughed and pointed their fingers at her. Ah, how terrified was the little girl! “But if one has not done anything wrong,” thought she, “nothing can do one any harm! Have I done anything wrong?”

She thought. “Ah, yes!” said she, “I laughed at the poor duck with the red rag tied round its leg; it hobbled so comically, and that made me laugh; but it is wrong to laugh at poor animals.”

“Have you laughed at poor animals?” inquired she, looking up to the doll, and it seemed to her as if the doll shook her head.