ut them on.
"To-morrow morning we must think of shoes and stockings less clumsy than
those you have on."

For Duncan she brought out a black overcoat, which reached nearly to his
ankles, and a black cloth cap. Elsie waited impatiently, hoping to see
some nice food come out of the bag, but the fairy mother seemed not to
have thought of that, for she shut it up when she had taken the cap out,
and gave it to Duncan to carry. Then she rolled up the tattered gown and
jacket, and threw them into the stream.

"You are to call me mamma," she said sweetly, "or mother, if you are
more used to that."

"Then please, ma'am--ma--we are very hungry," Elsie said.

The lady did not seem pleased. "What dreadful things children are! They
want to eat!" she exclaimed. "Well, there is no time now; we must get
home quickly. Give me a hand each of you."

They did as they were told, and very soon were again upon the road,
walking as quickly as they could to keep up with her. Every now and then
she gave Duncan a sharp tug to make him walk quicker.

The poor child was so tired and hungry that he hardly knew how to get
along, but the lady took no notice. Elsie really was beginning to think
that there was something about her quite different from ordinary people,
but she was not sure that she liked her any better for that. She
wondered whether she knew what it was to feel very hungry.

They walked what seemed to the weary children a very, very long way, but
at last they saw houses, and they perceived that they had arrived at a
little village. Here the lady bought them some buns and rolls, which
they eagerly devoured, but to their infinite disappointment they found
they were not to stay here. On they walked another long way, till they
reached a place with many houses and streets and shops, such as Elsie
had never seen in her life before.

It was now quite dark, but the lady hurried them through the streets,
not allowing them to stop for a moment. By-and-by they arrived at a
strange building of wood. They were presently lifted into a carriage.
The lady followed; the door was shut. There was a shrill scream, and
then the lights outside began to glide past them. They were, for the
first time in their lives, in a train.

Duncan had not been in the carriage two minutes before his head fell
back against the woodwork, and he was asleep. Elsie's brain was too busy
for her to do the same thing. The sensation of gliding along in the dark
was so new