What a day it was! so sunny and bright! And how merrily ran the brook,
and how she longed to see its drops sparkle between her fingers as they
had done the day before! How velvety and soft was the grass, how yellow
the buttercups! and she was sure she saw a humming-bird dipping down
into the flowers in the Motherkin's garden.

A new idea came to her. Why not dress and get out of the window,
underneath which was a shed, and so drop down into the garden? The
clothes were slipped on hurriedly; her little fingers were so eager that
the buttons went in and out of their holes again. Then softly on tiptoe
she scrambled out. Her skirts caught, her fingers were scratched, the
skin was peeled from a spot on one little knee; but, ah! how delicious
this liberty! Her feet no sooner touched the earth than she ran swiftly
to the brook, and the shoes and stockings were left to themselves while
she waded in the clear, cool water. It was such an unknown delight,
such happiness, that Laura forgot she was Laura and might have been any
little wood-bird. Out of the brook and on to the grass, off the grass
and into the woods. Flowers were here, and she gathered her hands and
apron full; berries, too--sweet, red, wild strawberries, with a perfume
so rare, so aromatic. She stained her fingers and stained her lips.
Hark! what was that? A rabbit, and down went flowers and berries for a
hunt over the stones and briers. Heeding nothing, she went after Bunny,
who suddenly popped into his burrow with a whisk of his little tail and
a kick of his little legs for good-bye. Then a loud chattering made her
aware of Mr. Squirrel's presence, and she watched him jumping from bough
to bough. Wondering if he would come to her if she kept very still, she
sat so motionless that by-and-by her little head began to nod, and,
wearied with her unusual exercise, she fell fast asleep leaning against
a tree.

When she awoke she was still in the same posture; but her knee smarted,
her legs were stiff, and she was very hungry. Besides, she knew not
which way to turn. She was lost--or thought herself so, which was nearly
as bad.

After all, it would be nice to see the Motherkin's kind face and hear
her pleasant voice. But how should she explain her naughtiness, her
make-believe sickness; and how, above all, should she find her way back?
A few tears of repentance and real sorrow rained down awhile, and then
Laura, who was no coward, made up her mind that she would tell th