d Rollo; "what have you come to tell
us?"

"There are strangers in the land," answered the Wolf, "and I come to
warn you."

The Multiphobus sprang up with a growl, and Lilla almost shrieked, while
the box rattled and rattled till it nearly jumped out of her hand.

"It will go, it will go!" said she.

"Hold it fast!" whispered the Magpie; "hold it fast!

"'On it will depend
What may be the end.
Come with me to the tree,
And then we shall see.'"

"To the tree where Rollo and the Multiphobus are standing?" asked Lilla.

"Where else?" asked the Magpie.

Lilla became nervous, and spoke in disjointed sentences.

"Oh no, no, no! I cannot go. I quake, I shake; I will not take a single
step. The box will break. Oh, how I quake!"

But the Magpie perched on her shoulder again, saying, "Do not be
foolish. Rollo will not let them hurt us;" and he gave Lilla a gentle
peck, which made her start forward, and when once she had made a move
she found that she could not stop herself: her feet carried her along
until she paused in front of Rollo.

And as she paused the lid of the box flew open, and the words jumped
out, and arranged themselves on the ground in the following order.

"Earth, air, and sea
All know of me,
And so will you
If you go through."

"Why, it's quite easy to read!" exclaimed Lilla in surprise. "I wonder I
never thought of it all this time."

"And it's just as I told you: four four's sixteen, four in each line and
four lines. However you count it, you will find it all fours," said the
Magpie.

"And it's about me," said Rollo, "for earth, air, and sea all know of
me; and brought me here and gave me the Multiphobus. And it's about you
also, for you have come through the board to come and see me. The
Multiphobus was talking about it when we were flying through the air."

"Was he?" said Lilla; "and he wasn't angry?"

"Angry! No, he is very glad for me to have a playfellow, for I am rather
lonely sometimes. And now we can play in the woods all day, and gather
strawberries and cherries and plums; and there's a little stove in one
of the caves, and I dare say you can make cakes?"

"Of course I can," answered Lilla, "and tea and coffee."

"Ah! that will be nice. And I will be king and you shall be queen, and
we will have a merry time, and the Multiphobus will carry us wherever we
want to go."

"I am afraid of him," returned Lilla.

"Oh, you need not be. I am quite sure you'll give a