placed his
great paw softly on her arm and once more said, "Why do you wonder,
Alice?"

"Ah!" cried the girl crossly, "I wonder what is in this pail. Mamma
has promised me a pretty red sash if I do but carry it safely to
Grandfather Goodfield, who lives under the hill by the great dark
forest yonder, but oh! it has grown so heavy and my feet have grown so
tired. I must go quickly and I must not even peep inside. Just
listen! such a funny noise." Alice held the pail close to the great
wolf's ear,--"Buzz z z z z z z z" came a muffled sound. "Oh, I wonder
what can be inside!" she said.

"Do not wonder, little maid," said the great wolf, "but hurry thy
little feet as thy mother hath bidden thee, else the sun will be in his
bed ere thy journey be ended, and thy little bed will be empty and thy
mother's heart will be heavy with watching."

So Alice hastened on. Soon again her feet were lagging and once more
her eyes turned curiously upon the pail she carried and again she said,
"Oh, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder." "Why do you wonder, little maid?"
said a sweet soft voice. On looking up, Alice saw close beside her,
not her friend the gaunt gray wolf, but a little child like herself.
The boy placed his hand softly upon her arm; and with his great dark
eyes looking straight into her own he said, "Why do you wonder, Alice?"

"Ah!" cried the girl crossly, "I wonder what is in this pail. Mamma
has promised me a pretty red sash if I do but carry it safely to
Grandfather Goodfield, who lives under the hill by the great dark
forest yonder, but oh! it has grown so heavy and my feet have grown so
tired. I must go quickly and I must not even peep inside. Just
listen! such a funny noise." Alice held the pail close to the boy's
ear,--"Buzz-z z z z z z z" came a muffled sound. "Oh, I wonder what
can be inside!" she said.

"Do not wonder but let us look and see," said the boy. "No! no!" cried
Alice. "My mother has forbidden it." "She will never know," said the
boy. "Only one little peep. Surely it can do no harm. See, I will
raise the cover for you." "No! no!" said Alice and, tightly clasping
the pail, she started again upon her journey.

"You are so tired," called the boy running after, "do but stop and rest
awhile. See, your feet are really bleeding from the sharp stones you
have traveled over. Look, what a soft green bank yonder under the
shade of that great tree. Do but sit down upon it for a moment. You
w