ondered how she came to have such a spirit, and whom she took
after, for her mother was as quiet and meek a little woman as ever was
born, and always had been; while her father was a stern, silent man, who
looked upon his flighty daughter as a thorn in his side, a cross laid upon
him for his good. But the fact remains that Anne was the most daring of
all the young people in the parish, doing things that even the boys were
afraid to do, for she had no fear, nothing awed her, and there was nothing
she would not attempt.

In those days the fairies and piskies, witches and goblins of all sorts
were all over the land, and everyone knew it, and was more or less in awe
of them. The young people appealed to the fairies for everything, to be
helped in their work, to get love-draughts, to be made beautiful, and to
know their fortunes. At the same time they all, except Anne, would have
been scared to death if they had caught sight of one. Anne, indeed, often
boldly declared that she longed to see them, and would love to have a talk
with them; and she made up her mind that she would, too, and when once
Anne had got an idea into her head, she generally managed to carry it out.

So, without saying anything to anyone, she went out every evening as soon
as the sun was gone down, and wandered about looking into the fox-glove
bells, and under the ferns, examining the Fairy Rings and every other
likely spot, singing:--

Fairy fair and fairy bright,
Come and be my chosen sprite!

For though she had got a very good and true sweetheart, named Tom, she had
a great fancy for a fairy one. Perhaps she was thinking of the lovely
presents that people said the fairies gave, or perhaps she thought that
she would like to live in a palace, and be dressed in silks and velvet,
none of which things could poor Tom give her, of course.

On moonlight nights Anne crept away by herself to the banks of the stream
which ran through the valley, and here, walking against the current, she
would sing:--

Moon shines bright, water runs clear,
I am here, but where's my fairy dear?

She sang it wistfully enough to touch the heart of any fairy, but though
she went on for a long time repeating all the charms she knew, and trying,
by every means she could think of, to please the Little People, and though
she often nearly put her hand on one during her searches, the Little
People never showed themselves to her.

They noticed her, though,