d palms. The grass
was far greener than any she had ever seen, for the sun was more
brilliant, but not so fierce, and when the canoe touched the shore--oh,
joy!--she saw her dear father.

"Silver bell, silver bell, do not fear;
To protect thee, Mirabella, I am here."

She was _so_ pleased to see her father again and to hear him speak. It
was so nice to be loved, to be cared for, to be spoken kindly to.
Everything seemed to welcome her; the boughs of the sacred palms waved
in the summer breeze, and the humming-birds, flitting about, seemed like
precious stones set in a glorious blaze of light. Her father was not
changed very much; he looked somewhat younger and stronger, and as he
lifted her in his arms his face seemed handsomer and his voice more
welcome. She felt no pang of sorrow, she had no fears, for she was in
her father's arms, to which the fairy silver bells had led her.

Farther up in the island she saw groups of other children running to
meet her, all with silver bells around their necks; and some there were
among them whom she had known in the Silver Islands. These had been
playmates of hers, but had left before her.

So periods of light sped on, in which joy was her companion, when,
looking into a deep but very clear pond, she saw a gnarled cork-tree,
which seemed to have been struck by lightning. Long did she stand there
gazing into it wondering where she had seen that tree. All at once she
spied a canoe passing close by the tree, in which stood a young man,
whom she recognized as her step-brother Gliglu. He seemed to cast a
sorrowful look at the tree, and then she recollected the fate of her
mother. At this moment her silver bell fell off, and, sinking into the
pond, it went down--down, until it reached the tree, and, tinkling,
said--

"Take thy shape again, O queen!"

Then Mirabella saw her mother step into the canoe; and tinkling bells in
a short space of time told her that others dear and near to her had
arrived, and, running down to the shore, she cried out--

"Silver bells, O mother, wait you here,
Nought but joy with father, nought to fear."

KING ROBIN.

There was once a little boy called Sigli, who, I am sorry to say, took
great pleasure in catching and killing little birds. His father was a
notorious robber, so it was not surprising that Sigli gave way to acts
of cruelty. His mother died when he was little more than a year old, and
he did not know any other r