seen. Then his poor
little heart began to beat fast with trouble and anxiety. He ran here and
there; he looked through the bushes and under the trees; he ran, and ran,
and ran, and called and whistled, and searched; but nowhere--nowhere was
one of those swine to be found! He searched for them for hours, going
deeper and deeper into the forest than he had ever been before. He saw
strange trees and strange flowers, and heard strange sounds: and at last
the sun began to go down, and he knew he would soon be left in the dark.
His little feet and legs were scratched with brambles, and were so tired
that they would scarcely carry him; but he dared not go back to the
swineherd's hut without finding the swine. The only comfort he had on all
the long way was that the little brook had run by his side, and sung its
song to him; and sometimes he had stopped and bathed his hot face in it,
and had said, "Oh, little brook! you are so kind to me! You are my
friend, I know. I would be so lonely without you!"

When at last the sun did go down, Prince Fairyfoot had wandered so far
that he did not know where he was, and he was so tired that he threw
himself down by the brook, and hid his face in the flowery moss, and
said, "Oh, little brook! I am so tired I can go no further; and I can
never find them!"

While he was lying there in despair, he heard a sound in the air above
him, and looked up to see what it was. It sounded like a little bird in
some trouble. And, surely enough, there was a huge hawk darting after a
plump little brown bird with a red breast. The little bird was uttering
sharp frightened cries, and Prince Fairyfoot felt so sorry for it that he
sprang up and tried to drive the hawk away. The little bird saw him at
once, and straightway flew to him, and Fairyfoot covered it with his cap.
And then the hawk flew away in a great rage.

When the hawk was gone, Fairyfoot sat down again and lifted his cap,
expecting, of course, to see the brown bird with the red breast. But, in.
stead of a bird, out stepped a little man, not much higher than your
little finger--a plump little man in a brown suit with a bright red vest,
and with a cocked hat on.

"Why," exclaimed Fairyfoot, "I'm surprised!"

"So am I," said the little man, cheerfully. "I never was more surprised
in my life, except when my great-aunt's grandmother got into such a rage,
and changed me into a robin-redbreast. I tell you, that surprised me!"

"I should think it mig