whipped, and she soon became so unhappy atthe sorrowful circumstances in which she and her brother found themselves that she sobbedfrom morning till night and knew no comfort.
Aunt Rivette, who was a laundress in the city of Nole, decided she would take Meg and Bud back home with her.
“The boy can carry water for my tubs, and the girl can help me with the ironing,” she said.
So she sold all the heavier articles of furniture that the cottage contained, as well as the cottage itself; and all the remainder of her dead brother’s belongings she loaded upon the back of the little donkey she had ridden on her journey from Nole. It made such a pile of packages that the load seemed bigger than the donkey himself; but he was a strong little animal, and made no complaint of his burden.
All this being accomplished, they set out one morning for Nole, Aunt Rivette leading the donkey by the bridle with one hand and litle Bud with the other, while Margaret followed behind, weeping anew at this sad parting with her old home and all she had so long loved.
It was a hard journey. The old woman soon became cross and fretful, and scolded the little ones at almost every step. When Bud stumbled, as he often did, for he was unused to walking very far, Aunt Rivette would box his ears or shake him violently by the arm or tell him he was “a good-for-nothing little beggar.” And Bud would turn upon her with a revengeful look in his big eyes, but say not a word. The woman paid no attention to Meg, who continued to follow the donkey with tearful eyes and drooping head.
The first night they obtained shelter at a farmhouse. But in the morning it was found that the boy’s feet were so swollen and sore from the long walk of the day before that he could not stand upon them. So Aunt Rivette, scolding fretfully at his weakness, perched Bud among the bundles atop the donkey’s back, and in this way they journeyed the second day, the woman walking ahead and leading the donkey, and Margaret following behind.
The laundress had hoped to reach the city of Nole at the close of this day; but the over-burdened donkey would not walk very fast, so nightfall found them still a two-hours’ journey from the city gates, and they were forced to stop at a small inn.
But this inn was already overflowing with travelers, and the landlord could give them no beds, nor even a room,
“You can sleep in the stable if you like,” said he. “There is plenty of hay to lie down upon.”
So they were obliged to content themselves with this poor accommodation.
The old woman aroused them at the first streaks of daybreak the next morning, and while she fastened the packages to the donkey’s back Margaret stood in the stable yard and shivered in the cold morning air.
The little girl felt that she had never been more unhappy than at that moment, and when she thought of her kind father and the happy home she had once known, her sobs broke out afresh, and she leaned against the stable door and wept as if her little heart would break.
Snddenly some one touched her arm, and she looked up to see a tall and handsome youth standing before her. It was none other than Ereol the fairy, who had assumed this form for her appearance among mortals; and over the youth’s arm lay folded the magic cloak that had been woven the evening before in the fairy circle of Burzee.
“Are you very unhappy, my dear?” asked Ereol, in kindly tones.
“I am the most unhappy person in all the world!” replied the girl, beginning to sob afresh.
“Then,” said Ereol, “I will present you with this magic cloak, which has been woven by the fairies, And while you wear it you may have your first wish granted; and if you give it freely to any other mortal, that person may also have one wish granted. So use the cloak wisely, and guard it as a great treasure.”
Saying this the fairy messenger spread the folds of the cloak and threw the brilliant-hued garment over the shoulders of the girl.
Just then Aunt Rivette led the donkey from the stable, and seeing the beautiful cloak which the child wore, she stopped short and demanded:
“Where did you get that?”
“This stranger gave it to me,” answered Meg, pointing to the youth.
“Take it off! Take it off this minute and