d come, and she
was to go into the garden, among the lovely, sweet-smelling flowers, and
all those merry children. But the next moment she was afraid. She had
watched the children from a distance, and she knew them all by sight; she
already felt partly acquainted with them, and each one had excited an
individual interest in her mind. But they had not even seen her, at all;
she was a perfectly strange child to them. And then she said to herself
with real distress, that she was so ignorant and awkward, and they knew so
much, and were so clever, that they would certainly despise her, and
would want to have nothing to do with her. She kept running it all over
and over in her mind during dinner, and could scarcely eat a mouthful, in
her excitement. Before she knew it, the time had come, and her aunt said,

"Now, Dora, you can go!"

So Dora put on her hat and went over to the next house. She went in at the
front door, and passed through the long entry, at the other end of which
the door into the garden stood open. Going out of this door she found
herself in full view of the whole family. Directly in front of her, under
the apple-tree, sat Mr. and Mrs. Birkenfeld, and round about them were the
six children. Her timidity came back again, at seeing the parents, for she
had expected to see only the children. She stood hesitating, and glanced
shyly at the company. Little Hunne caught sight of her, and slipping down
from his seat, ran toward her with outstretched arms, crying out,

"Come, Dora, there is room here on my seat; Come!" and seizing her hand,
he pulled her along toward the others, who all came eagerly to meet her,
and welcomed her as cordially as if she were an old friend. So, occupied
with questions and greetings, she came to where the parents sat, and they
were so friendly and kind, that all her shyness passed away, and she was
soon sitting on the same seat with Hunne, in the midst of the circle, as
much at home as if she belonged there.

Mr. and Mrs. Birkenfeld soon left their seats and walked up and down the
garden; and then the children pressed round Dora, and each had some
particular thing to say to her. Paula spoke least; but she looked at the
new acquaintance, as if she were making a study of her. Rolf, Wili and
Lili stood as near Dora as they could squeeze, to make her hear what they
were saying, and Hunne kept fast hold of her, as if afraid that she would
vanish away.

"If you squeeze Dora to death the firs