, not without plenty of
scratches for his trouble. The princess and the maid of honor passed
on, and went out at the garden door.

Here was a golden opportunity for Friskarina! She ran behind the
bushes, where Tibb was munching her bone with all her might; and
telling her to eat all that was left upon the dish, sat by, watching
her with the utmost satisfaction in her countenance, though she
certainly had not had a very capital dinner herself. Poor little Tibb!
She looked as if she hardly knew how to eat, for sheer joy! However,
she _did_ finish at last; and then, running up to Friskarina, called
her her only friend--her deliverer from starvation--and said many
other very affectionate things besides. But Friskarina cut them short,
by begging her to go home without delay, for fear the gardener should
find her, and hang her up to the apple-tree. That conclusion of her
morning's adventures not appearing desirable to poor Tibb, she lost no
time in following her friend's advice, and, with a scramble or two,
was soon over the wall, and on her road home.

Now Friskarina had a strong idea that it would be advisable to keep
out of Glumdalkin's way that afternoon as long as possible, having a
pretty tolerable notion of the sort of temper her respected relative
would be most likely to be found in, so, cold as it was out-of-doors,
Friskarina could not muster resolution to go into the house till it
was really getting quite late, almost tea-time. So she amused herself
with making foot-marks in the snow, and running after the twigs that
the wind blew about, and such like diversions, till it got almost
dark, and she began to feel very hungry, for she had not had much
dinner. That put her in mind of her new friend; and she reflected,
with great satisfaction, that poor Tibb certainly was not nearly so
hungry that night as she had been before: and then she began to wonder
where the princess could have been going to, and whether she would see
the poor old woman at the cottage: and Friskarina thought what a fine
thing it must be to be a princess, and to be able to help people who
were in distress. What a great deal of good I would do! thought she,
as she threw herself down to rest upon a little heap of snow. I would
be so careful, and never waste anything; and I would have all the
bones saved for the poor cats round my palace; and,--O what a deal of
good I would do, if I were only a great lady, like the princess! Just
then, a very odd thou