now not," sighed the boy, "but so must I do."

"How now, little ones? you startled me so!" cried a woman, opening the
door by the width of a crack.

"Let us come in," said Despard, sorrowfully; "we are two little
wanderers; and our hairs are wet with night-dews."

"Come in, then, little ones, and welcome; but never, at any one's
door, knock so loud again," added the woman, pressing her hand against
her heart.

"I only tapped with the ends of my fingers," said the boy.

"Ah," said the woman, "it was louder to me than thunder." Then, after
she had set before them a supper of bread and milk, she rocked her
baby, and sang to it a sweet cradle-song about mother Juno and high
Olympus.

The children lay down on beds of rushes; and Goldilocks, soothed by
the lullaby, fell asleep; but soon awoke, and saw her brother leaning,
on tiptoe, over the osier basket. The baby's face looked, in the
moonlight, white and pinched; and its sick hands were pressed together
like two withered rose-leaves.

"Let me kiss him," whispered Goldilocks smiling. But bitter tears
rolled down Despard's cheeks. Drawing his little sword from its
sheath, he pricked the baby's heart till one red drop, the life-drop,
stained the steel. The sick baby ceased to breathe.

"O Despard, what have you done?" cried Goldilocks, seizing his arm.

"I know not," said the boy; "but as my heart moves me, so must I do."

Hearing voices, the mother awoke, and, as her habit was, turned at
once to the cradle. The baby lay there beautiful and still; the
pinched look gone, and its furrowed brow smoothed into a baby's smile.
The mother wept bitterly.

"Ah, little stranger," said she, turning to Despard, "I knew you when
I let you in. Why did I open the door for you?"

"Poor mother," said the boy sorrowfully, "if you had not opened the
door, I must have come in by the window."

But Goldilocks threw her soft arms about the woman's neck, and
comforted her till it was morning, and the "gilded car of day" had
risen from the ocean. The tears on her cheeks she dried with her fan,
made of magical feathers.

When the children set out again on their journey, the woman gave
Goldilocks a loving kiss, and then embraced Despard, saying,--

"For the sake of your sweet sister, I love even you."

"Poor little brother," said Goldilocks when they had gone farther on
their journey, "you are as good as I; but how is it? you make people
weep, while I must go with you to dry the tear