and darned her stockings, night came on. Soon all
was dark and silent. She could hear no other sound than that of the
raindrops falling from the branches.

Although she had made up her mind to spend the night there, she
experienced a feeling of fright at being all alone in this black forest.
True, she had spent a part of the day in the same place, running no
other danger than that of being struck, but the woods in the daytime are
not like the woods at night, with the solemn silence and the mysterious
shadows, which make one conjure up the vision of so many weird things.

What was in the woods? she wondered. Wolves, perhaps!

At this thought she became wide awake, and jumping up, she found a big
stick, which she cut to a point with her knife; then she strewed
branches and fagots all around her, piling them high. She could at least
defend herself behind her rampart.

Reassured, she laid down again, and it was not long before she was
asleep.

The song of a bird awoke her. She recognized at once the sweet, shrill
notes of a blackbird. Day was breaking. She began to shake, for she was
chilled to the bone. The dampness of the night had made her clothes as
wet as though she had been through a shower.

She jumped to her feet and shook herself violently like a dog. She felt
that she ought to move about, but she did not want to go on her way yet,
for it was not yet light enough for her to study the sky to see if it
were going to rain again. To pass the time, and still more with the wish
to be on the move, she arranged the fagots which she had disturbed the
night before. Then she combed her hair and washed herself in the ditch,
which was full of water.

When she had finished the sun had risen, and the sky gleamed blue
through the branches of the trees. There was not the slightest cloud to
be seen. She must go.

Although she had darned her stockings well which had worn away through
the holes in her shoes, the continual tramp, tramp, tramp, made her
little feet ache. After a time, however, she stepped out with a regular
step on the road, which had been softened by the rain, and the rays from
the beautiful sun fell upon her back and warmed her.

Never had she seen such a lovely morning. The storm, which had washed
the roads and the fields, had given new life to the plants. Surely this
was a good omen. She was full of hope.

Her imagination began to soar on wings. She hoped that somebody had had
a hole in their pockets and