ngs, but you may only wish one thing at a time. One thing to-day, and
another when your next birth-day comes, and the last when the birth-day
after that comes. Now tell me what you wish most of all."

Effie looked at him in wonder. "What! really? have any thing she wanted
for the asking?"

"Yes," said the old man; "but you must ask it before the sun goes down."

Effie looked at the sun; it had nearly touched the water and looked like
a great red ball, and she thought it would go down, clear, into the
water, as she had so often seen it, without any clouds around it.

"I wish,--" said she, "let me see what I wish! oh, I wish that I might go
down to the bottom of the ocean and see all the beautiful shells and the
fishes, and every thing that's going on down there!" When she said it,
the little waves laughed as they came scampering up to her, as if they
said--"What a droll idea!"

"You shall go," said the old man, "before many more suns have set. And
next year when your birth-day comes round, I will come again for your
second wish. Farewell, my little child."

Effie looked at him, and lo! he was quite bent over again, and his head
was shaking harder than ever, as if he said "No, no, no," all the while;
then she looked at the sun to see it go down, clear, into the water, but
about it were clouds of gold and crimson, and the sun just peeped out
behind them, as behind bars, for a moment, and then went down covered by
the clouds into the black waters; and in a moment or two, as she stood
watching, the beautiful clouds were grey and sombre and spread in a
long, low line along the horizon.

"Effie! Effie! come into the house!" she heard her mother calling; and
there was Mrs. Gilder, standing in the door-way with her gown tucked up
around her, and an apron on, which was the most wonderful apron for
pockets you ever saw! I should not dare to say how many pockets it had,
for fear you would not believe me, but if you had seen how many things
she kept in them, you would think with me, that there never was such a
wonderful apron.

"Come here, Effie," said she, and diving into one of her apron pockets
she pulled out a little parcel. "See what I've brought you from the
village for a birth-day present;" and she unrolled the paper and showed
her a little candy dog; his body was white, striped blue and red, and
his short tail stood straight up, which was more than the little dog
could do, for when he was put on the table, instead of