ger at each in turn while he said this verse, which he made up on the
spot:

"Sticks are racing in the flood--
Trees are racing in the wood--
In the tree-tops winds are racing--
In the sky-tops clouds are chasing.
In the tree-heart snug and warm,
We hear nothing of the storm.

When we play at hide-and-seek,
It is _you_ must count the sheep."

At "you" the finger pointed at Eric, and it meant that he was to be
"It."

"Put your head here on my knee. Shut your eyes and count one hundred
sheep jumping over a stone wall, not too fast," explained the Tree Man.
"While you're counting the others hide. Anywhere in this room, and
anywhere on the stairs. Out-doors is no fair."

"But _where_ are the sheep?" asked Eric, "and how can I count them with
my eyes shut?"

Every one suddenly looked puzzled. The Forest Children's eyes grew wide
with wondering. The Bird Fairies fluttered uneasily. The Tree Girl
seemed dazed. Wild Star said, "Why, we never thought of that,--where
_are_ they?"

But Ivra laughed and ran to Eric. She took his hand and said, "The sheep
are inside your own head. Just shut your eyes and try to see them. It is
very easy. The wall is low, and there's a place where the stones are
beginning to roll down. The sheep go over there, one by one."

Eric shut his eyes and put his head down on the Tree Man's knee. And it
began to happen just as Ivra had said. There was a green hill-pasture, a
little gray stone wall slanting across it, and sheep, one by one,
jumping where the wall was broken down, following their leader. He
counted one hundred of them and then stopped although a dear little lamb
was trotting down the hill, trailing the procession. He wanted to see if
the lamb would be able to jump the wall too. But the Tree Man had said
one hundred, so he stopped and opened his eyes.

Things were strange. The Tree Man was nothing but an old stump. The room
felt very cold and it was bare. The fire in the boulder had gone out.
But he heard a soft fluttering somewhere and took heart. The Bird
Fairies! They might be hiding high, having wings. He went all around the
room, looking up into the dusk. At last, there they were in row on a
beam, their wings spread over their eyes.

"Bird Fairies, I spy!" cried Eric, and ran towards the stump. But wings
are swifter than feet, and the Bird Fairies reached the goal first.

He found Ivra at the top of the second flight of stairs, curled up in a
shadow.