Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/147



HE meadow belonging to the castle is covered with flowers; in the middle of the meadow is a knoll covered with a dense growth of wild thyme. In the wild thyme Adelka is sitting as in a bed; she is watching a lady-bug, which runs hither and thither over her lap, from her lap upon her leg, and from her leg upon her green boot. "Don't run away, little one; stay here, I won't harm you," says the child, picking up the bug and placing it back upon her lap.

Not far from Adelka, John and Willie are sitting by an ant hill watching the busy little creatures at their work. "Look, Willie! how they hurry about. And see! this one lost an egg, and this second one picked it upand is carrying it away into the hill."

"Wait, I have a piece of bread in my pocket; I will give them a crumb, to see what they'll do?" He took the bread from his pocket and placed it in their way. "Look! look! how they rush to it, and wonder where it came from. And see! they are pushing it further and further. Do you see the others coming from all directions? but how do the others know there is something here?"

Just then they were interrupted by a pleasant voice, which asked: "What are you doing here?"

It was the Countess Hortense riding upon a white pony; she had come close to them without being observed.