t immediately, followed by a whole flock
of butterflies. They were of a smaller kind than Griselda had hitherto
seen, and they were of two colours only; half were blue, half yellow.
They flew up to Griselda, who felt for a moment as if she were really
going to be suffocated by them, but only for a moment. There seemed a
great buzz and flutter about her, and then the butterflies set to work
to _dress_ her. And how do you think they dressed her? With
_themselves_! They arranged themselves all over her in the cleverest
way. One set of blue ones clustered round the hem of her little white
night-gown, making a thick "_ruche_," as it were; and then there came
two or three thinner rows of yellow, and then blue again. Round her
waist they made the loveliest belt of mingled blue and yellow, and all
over the upper part of her night-gown, in and out among the pretty white
frills which Dorcas herself "goffered," so nicely, they made themselves
into fantastic trimmings of every shape and kind; bows, rosettes--I
cannot tell you what they did not imitate.

Perhaps the prettiest ornament of all was the coronet or wreath they
made of themselves for her head, dotting over her curly brown hair too
with butterfly spangles, which quivered like dew-drops as she moved
about. No one would have known Griselda; she looked like a fairy queen,
or princess, at least, for even her little white feet had what _looked_
like butterfly shoes upon them, though these, you will understand, were
only a sort of make-believe, as, of course, the shoes were soleless.

"Now," said the cuckoo, when at last all was quiet again, and every blue
and every yellow butterfly seemed settled in his place, "now, Griselda,
come and look at yourself."

He led the way to a marble basin, into which fell the waters of one of
the tinkling brooks that were to be found everywhere about the garden,
and bade Griselda look into the water mirror. It danced about rather;
but still she was quite able to see herself. She peered in with great
satisfaction, turning herself round so as to see first over one
shoulder, then over the other.

"It _is_ lovely," she said at last. "But, cuckoo, I'm just thinking--how
shall I possibly be able to sit down without crushing ever so many?"

"Bless you, you needn't trouble about that," said the cuckoo; "the
butterflies are quite able to take care of themselves. You don't suppose
you are the first little girl they have ever made a dress for?"

Grise