Page:The Children Who Followed the Piper.djvu/120

 thanked the tree for giving her its first blossom. And as she sat there with Baldwin near by she looked over and she saw one come out of the Dark Forest.

She stood up and went to call out, but then fear came upon her as she watched the creature. It was a creature upright like a man, but all covered over with a beast's skin and with lengthy arms. Baldwin watched and watched the strange creature. But Golden Hood cried out in fear, and she trembled, and she held to the branches of the tree.

The strange creature stopped, and it held out arms to them. And then it crouched down on the grass, and it seemed to Golden Hood that it was in great misery. All the time Baldwin, the old mill horse, stood watching. And then the strange creature turned and went back into the Dark Forest.

And what did Baldwin do? Baldwin who dreaded the Dark Forest went following the strange creature. Golden Hood saw Baldwin go