er the spout, they saw a quaint
little figure.

"It was golden, and greenish, and earthy brown,
With a perking nose and a pointed chin;
It had very bright eyes and a funny frown,
With a russet-apple's network skin."

They all started to run in terror, but brave Tiny sprang up and began to
chase the Elf round a milkpan.

Oh, what a race was there! They ran so fast that the two small bodies
were as one. They looked like the dark band on the humming-top when you
spin it. And just as Tiny was about to catch him, the Elf leaped into a
pan, swam across three pails of milk, climbed the wall and hid on a
shelf.

"We've lost him; we've lost him!" cried all the children. But, just in
time, Grandmother Grey seized her jelly-bag, swung it across the shelf,
and into it was swept our little elfin friend.

"Now, children," said she, "Go up and dress."

The children did not know what the old dame was going to do next. She
led the way into the parlor. "Tiny," said she, "I depend on you to keep
watch for us." So Tiny stood like a soldier, with both ears cocked and
his nose down bent, and watched every motion that was going on in the
bag, which stood up now like a tent on the floor.

'Twas but a minute before the children were down again, all dressed.
The tea-kettle was singing, and the hot rolls were on the table, and
everybody was ringing the bell all at once for more eggs. But Tiny stood
guard over the jelly-bag tent.

"I think the Elf is hungry and thirsty," said Toody. So she slipped a
saucer of milk under the edge of the tent, and then, laughing, she
rolled in an egg. They all listened for ten minutes, and then they
plainly heard the crackling of the shell.

"Away with the tea things!" said Dame Grey to Martha, the maid. "And
bring me my white wicker bird-cage."

So the bird-cage was brought, and Grandmother Grey took up the jelly-bag
carefully, clapped its mouth to the open cage-door, shook it, and--pop!
in went the Elf, and the cage door was made fast! Did he moan? Did he
complain? Not he. With one spring and ten kicks he climbed to the pole
and seated himself there, with his hands on the pole.

Toody ran close to the cage, and so did Crocus and Twig; and Kitty, a
little farther off, stood staring and smiling. But the Elf was not a bit
frightened. He sat swinging his little legs, with his tongue in his left
cheek and his left eye looking down with a half-winking, impertinent
air.

"Now," cried