n who was cast
into the den of lions.

"It was now night," he said, "black night, you know, and the lions
were asleep. But every now and then they would yawn in their sleep and
shoot out their red tongues. And then the man would shudder and think
it was morning. All at once a bright light fell all about him, and
when he looked up an angel was standing before him. The angel beckoned
to him with his hand and then went straight into the rocks."

Elisabeth had been listening attentively. "An angel?" she said. "Had
he wings then?"

"It is only a story," answered Reinhard; "there are no angels, you
know."

"Oh, fie! Reinhard!" she said, staring him straight in the face.

He looked at her with a frown, and she asked him hesitatingly: "Well,
why do they always say there are? mother, and aunt, and at school as
well?"

"I don't know," he answered.

"But tell me," said Elisabeth, "are there no lions either?"

"Lions? Are there lions? In India, yes. The heathen priests harness
them to their carriages, and drive about the desert with them. When
I'm big, I mean to go out there myself. It is thousands of times more
beautiful in that country than it is here at home; there's no winter
at all there. And you must come with me. Will you?"

"Yes," said Elisabeth; "but mother must come with us, and your mother
as well."

"No," said Reinhard, "they will be too old then, and cannot come with
us."

"But I mayn't go by myself."

"Oh, but you may right enough; you will then really be my wife, and
the others will have no say in the matter."

"But mother will cry!"

"We shall come back again of course," said Reinhard impetuously. "Now
just tell me straight out, will you go with me? If not, I will go all
alone, and then I shall never come back again."

The little girl came very near to crying. "Please don't look so
angry," said she; "I will go to India with you."

Reinhard seized both her hands with frantic glee, and rushed out with
her into the meadow.

"To India, to India!" he sang, and swung her round and round, so that
her little red kerchief was whirled from off her neck. Then he
suddenly let her go and said solemnly:

"Nothing will come of it, I'm sure; you haven't the pluck."

"Elisabeth! Reinhard!" some one was now calling from the garden gate.
"Here we are!" the children answered, and raced home hand in hand.

* * * * *

IN THE WOODS

So the children lived together. She