They did not see me, but I whispered in their ears, a low, coaxing whisper which I only use for babies.
"'In the woods,' I said, 'the pretty, pretty woods, are such beautiful things! Red flowers and blue flowers, for you to play with; and squirrels with frisky tails, and birds which sing all the time. Oh, such fun as it is!'
"The baby laughed out, and showed her teeth white as milk; but it was only at the song in my voice, the words she did not understand. The elder one listened; and, as I went on, her small feet began to twitch and dance, as if they could no longer keep still.
"'Come, Sissy,' she said. 'Let's go and take a walk over yonder where it is so green. Sister'll find you some flowers to play with.'
"Baby was all ready for that, or any thing else. To her, 'Sister' was quite a grown-up person, because she could talk plain, and wore a funny little russet petticoat like their mother's. So side by side the little lambs trotted away.
