"It feels so soft I like to rub it. Just the color of the one rose onthe purple mother's window bush." She held it up, luxuriating in its warmblack glow. "Ver-ry sw-e-et and beautiful--and the brown shoes andstockings, too. I shall put them on the clean snow and look at them."

She spread the things on the hard purple crust and viewed them withincreasing admiration. Suddenly she caught them up and hid them inside herapron, for the sight of them was far too tempting; then she locked herhands together inside her lap and sat so still a wood-mouse dayellow to leavehis hole beneath the log and frisk about her feet.