The Magic Nuts: The Classic Tale of Mermaids and Kindness - Tapa blanda

CONTENTS:

NIGHT AND MORNING APPLES AND NUTS IT IS HILDEGARDE ON THE WAY 'WHAT'S O'CLOCK?' GNOMELAND A COLLATION UNDER DIFFICULTIES TREE-TOP LAND A CONCERT THE BLUE-SILK ROOM ‘THE UNSELFISH MERMAID’

With these words the spinning-wheel fairy's voice ceased, but Hildegarde and Leonore did not move or speak for some moments. Then they raised their heads and gazed at their kind friend. 'Oh, thank you, thank you,' they said, 'for the story and the pictures; we couldn't look up at first, for we saw something more than you had told us. Almost the loveliest pictures of all came at the end.' 'There was one,' said Hildegarde, 'of the baby running to her mother in the garden, and the little brother came too, and they knew her again in a moment, though she had been so long away--oh, it was beautiful!' 'And,' added Leonore, 'the last of all nearly made me cry. The baby had grown quite big and was standing near the water's edge. Emerald had been singing to her, and just for one moment we saw her face--so sad, but so sweet. Oh, how I should love to have a mermaid friend.' But even as she spoke, her voice grew drowsy. She knew the spinning-wheel fairy was smiling at her and Hildegarde, and they both felt her gently releasing the rainbow thread from their fingers, but after that they knew no more, till a sound of tapping woke them up.