Page:The House Without Windows.djvu/23

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The Meadow
15

seen the deer, with the same brooklet running across it. They hunted all over it, but no trace of Eepersip could they find. They began to feel foolish. They decided to go back and tell the waiting folks that they had not seen a glimpse of her, when a glorious burst of singing reached their ears. Immediately they turned and ran in the direction of the voice. But still they didn’t see her, for they never dreamed that she had gone up the steep slope of Eiki-ennern Peak. And they began to feel still more foolish.

At last, after a lot of aimless wandering through forests, glades, and fields, they decided to give it up for just then and tell the folks that they had heard her, but couldn’t find her. So back they went, feeling very foolish indeed.

"We were looking for her everywhere," said Mr. Eigleen, "and after we had searched for a long time we heard this excellent singing, better than I thought she could utter, and we went in its direction, but couldn't find her. So I am beginning to think that 'twasn't she at all--either she or a fairy."

"Fairy!" exclaimed Mrs. Eigleen, indignantly —"fairy! There is no such thing as 'fairy'— stupid!"

Mr. Eigleen cast a wink at his partner hunter,