Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/92

76 "First taste us, sweet maiden, and we will tell you what we know."

"No, not now, for at home we do not waste our time in eating and drinking when we have other things of greater importance to do."

The little girl at last got very tired from all the running she had done, and was just about to sit down and rest, when she suddenly beheld a hedgehog close to her. At first she was inclined to push it out of her way, but then she thought she might prick herself, and besides the hedgehog would most likely be able to tell her something about the flamingoes; so she turned, and, with a very sweet little smile, asked it coaxingly,—

"Dear little hedgehog, tell me, if you can, whither the flamingoes have gone?"

The hedgehog at first looked scornfully at her, but on second thoughts it condescended to show her the way. She thanked it, and ran on until she came to a funny-looking old hut, standing on chickens' legs! which kept on going round and round like a windmill, and in it sat an old gipsy; but who was it that sat at the window playing with a golden apple? It was a nice pretty little boy, with a curly head of hair! When the little girl saw him she flew to the window, and caught the chubby little fellow in her arms; for he was no other than her lost brother, and she ran away as fast as her legs could carry her.

When the old gipsy saw what had happened she called the red flamingoes, and ordered them to overtake the little girl, who, when she saw the creatures