The Children of the Castle

is always

ys is ei

like something prettier than either. It made Griselda think of woods in summer, and of tinkling brooks flowing through them, with the pretty brown pebbles sparkling up through the water; and then it made her think of something sad-she didn't know what; perhaps it was of the babes in the wood

ar and shrill. The cuckoo flapped his wings, made a

praise as she could, nodded as hard as any of them. The cuckoo really looked quite shy at receiving so much applause. But in a minute or two the music struck up and the

oes had had sharper toes; they looked so stumpy when she tried to point them. All the same, it was very good fun, and s

, it's ti

ed. "I'm not a bit tire

riselda dared not say another word. It was very near

ired; but before the cuckoo had time to answer, she gave a lit

pardon," sai

y shoe; it does so

, then," sai

an to say; but she never finished the sentence, for just as she had got her sho

t morning, and saw the first early rays of sunshine peeping in

nd sat up in bed. Coul

the least sleepy at the mandarins' ball. What fun it was! I believe that cuckoo

n the bed. She felt with her hand to see if she could smooth it away, and drew out-one of the shoes belonging t

"you meant to play me a trick, bu

ught it at the ball. She held it up and looked at it. It was about the size of the first joint of her little finger. "To think that I should have been dancing wi

shoe and admiring it when D

orcas,"

in the saloon," exclaimed the old servant. "How ever di

't believe me, you can go and look for yourself," said Griseld

ly as she was going out of the room Griselda heard h

ght Griselda. "I have a good mind to ask the

cuckoo anything. She saw and heard nothing of him-nothing, that

l was fun enough to last me a good while. It really was very

must confess, but her aunts made rather a fuss about it. They wanted her to sta

ase let me stay in the ante-room, for all my th

ss Grizzel and Miss Tabitha were obliged to go out, to drive all the way to Merrybrow Hall, as Lady Lav

n to cry-she was

ngly," said Miss Grizze

ngly," said Miss Tabitha, shaki

ed books of her aunts', which she had already read more than a dozen times, beside her by way of amusemen

could go to sleep, though feeling quite sure she couldn't, for she had stayed in bed much later than u

d up at t

st inclined to play at anything, and I shouldn't care to go to the mandarins aga

da that she heard the soft sound of "coming" that always preceded the cuckoo's appear

l, and it has nothing to do with lessons this time. It's that I've got such a

d the cuckoo. "You don't want to

I couldn

aids down un

I would just like to stay where I am, if some one would tell me stories. I'm not

said the cuckoo. "I could show you pi

you show me? Oh, I know. I would like to see the place where you were

uckoo. "Very well. Now, Griselda, shut you

he had sung at the mandarins' palace, only even more beautiful. It was so soft a

then there came a sort of hum as of insects buzzing in the warm sunshine near. This humming gradually increased, till at

ll curled up, had disappeared-melted away into a misty cloud all round her, which in turn gradually fad

iddler slowly fiddling, a gentleman and lady gravely dancing a minuet, a little man drawing up water in a bucket out of a glass vase in which gold fish were swimming about-all sorts of queer figures; and the clocks were even queerer. There was one intended to represent the sun, moon, and pl

igures around him. He was examining, with a magnifying glass, some small object he held in his hand, so closely and intently that Griselda, forgetting she was only looking at a "picture," almost held her breath for fear she should disturb him. He

her back. She had a short red skirt with silver braid round the bottom, and a white chemisette with beautiful lace at the throat and wrists, and over that again a black velvet bodice, also trimmed with silver. And she had a great many trinkets, necklaces, and br

e into the room, and the old man l

said; and though the language in which he spoke was quite st

ild. "I should be so happy if only you were coming too, and wou

an shook

am too old. I must work-work hard to make money for my pet when I am gon

in this little house, and I am sure the neighbours would give me something to eat, and then I could hear all your clocks ticking, and thin

oeuvre of my life, shall not be sold. It shall be yours, and you will have i

ened, and for a moment

koo clock?" said Syb

I, and perhaps thou, my pretty child, are crumbling into dust; a clock that shall last to tell my gr

prang int

I shall teach my children and my grandchildren to be so proud of

icate piece of mechanism he held in his hand, and tenderly embraced the child. "Kis

red, again before Griselda's eyes-the first

gazed at it for some moments before she recognized it. It was the great saloon, but it looked very diff

ely flowers arranged about the tables; wax lights were sending out their brightness

ery young, but still handsome and stately, and something whispered

tly to herself; "how old t

emed, but oh, so sweet and pretty! She was dancing with a gentleman whose eyes looked as if they saw no

e knew was the cuckoo's; "so you don't like t

r, but he was not to be seen. And when she turned ag

ore p

s-everything appeared happy and joyful. But at last in the distance she saw, slowly approaching, a group of a few people, all walking together, carrying in their centre s

with pale, set face, walked the same young man whom Griselda h

t music, lovelier far than she had heard before-lovelier than the magic cuckoo's most lovely songs-and som

ght Griselda dreamily, and wi

around her looking just as usual, the cuckoo clock ticking away calmly an

hank you very much indeed, cuckoo," she went on, looking up at the clock. "The last picture was rather sad, but still it was very ni

he said, but Griselda did not mind.

he thought; "and even if he doesn't,

ontentedly enou

MUST HAVE

n the fire. Then there came faintly to her ears the sound of carria

so it was. In a few minutes Miss Grizzel, closely fo

iously, "and how are you? Has the time

"not at all. I've been quite happy, and my cold's

xactly surprised," she continued, turning to Miss Tabitha, "f

Tabitha; "there reall

a few moments' silence, "was my gra

," replied Miss Grizzel w

and very sorry?"

ou know, my dear, your father was sent to us to take care of. And now he h

summer, when all the flowers were out; and she w

Grizzel, looking

ce old man; and how clever of him to have made the cuckoo clock, and such lots of other pretty, wonderful things. I don't wonder little Sybilla loved him; he was so good to her. But, oh

bitha had known she was doing so, she would have held hers too. But Grisel

old stories, I suppose, my dea

cas told me a very little, I think; at least, she made me want to know, and

l glanced a

she said in a low

t very deaf when she set herself to

are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy'" (for Miss Grizzel was a well-read old l

Sybilla," echo

r," added Miss Grizzel, bending over Griselda, while two or three tears slowly trickled down her aged cheeks. "See, Tabitha, the dear