s be in the first fashion, for the Princess and I will bring with
us a stranger, who never feasted in our halls before."

"Your Highness's commands shall be obeyed," said the little lady, making
a low curtsey; and she and her company passed out through the window,
which closed quietly behind them. The dog stretched himself out upon the
straw, the little girl turned in her sleep, and the moon shone in on the
back garret. The parlor-maid was much amazed, and told the story to her
mistress; but her mistress called her a silly girl to have such foolish
dreams, and scolded her.

Nevertheless, Child Charity's aunt thought there might be something in
it worth knowing; so next night, when all the house was asleep she
crept out of bed, and watched at the back garret door. There she saw
exactly what the maid had told her.

The mistress could not close her eyes any more than the maid, from
eagerness to tell the story. She woke up Child Charity's rich uncle
before daybreak; but when he heard it he laughed at her for a foolish
woman. But that night the master thought he would like to see what went
on in the back garret; so when all the house was asleep he set himself
to watch at the crevice in the door. The same thing happened that the
maid and the mistress saw.

The master could not close his eyes any more than the maid or the
mistress for thinking of this strange sight. He remembered having heard
his grandfather say that somewhere near his meadows there lay a path,
which led to the fairies' country, and he concluded that the doings in
his back garret must be fairy business, and the ugly dog a person of
very great account.

Accordingly, he made it his first business that morning to get ready a
fine breakfast of roast mutton for the ugly dog, and carry it to him
in the old cow-house; but not a morsel would the dog taste. On the
contrary, he snarled at the master, and would have bitten him if he had
not run away with his mutton.

Just as the family were sitting down to supper that night, the ugly dog
began to bark, and the old woman's knock was heard at the back door.
Child Charity opened it, when the old woman said:

"This is the shortest day in all the year, and I am going home to hold a
feast after my travels. I see you have taken good care of my dog, and
now, if you will come with me to my house, he and I will do our best to
entertain you. Here is our company."

As the old woman spoke, there was a sound of far-off flutes