again turned to the basin.
"Does n't it hurt you," she asked one, "to be heated--?" "Not always to
two hundred and twelve," said the sprite, mischievously.

11. "No, no," replied Annie, half-vexed; "I remember, that is boiling
point--but I mean, to be heated as you all are, and then to fly off in the
cold?"

12. "Oh, no," laughed the little sprite; "we like it. We are made to
change by God's wise laws, and so it can't hurt us. We are all the time at
work, in our way, taking different shapes. It is good for us. If you will
go to the window, you will find some of my brothers and sisters on the
glass."

13. Annie went to the window, and at first could see nothing but some
beautiful frostwork on it. Soon, however, the panes seemed to swarm with
little folks. Their wings were as white as snow, and sparkled with ice
jewels.

14. "Oh," cried Annie, "this is the prettiest sight I ever saw. What is
your name, darling?" she asked one that wore a crown of snow roses. The
little voice that replied was so sharp and fine that Annie thought it
seemed like a needle point of sound, and she began to laugh.

15. "Fine Frost is our family name," it said. "I have a first name of my
own, but I shall not tell you what it is, for you are so impolite as to
laugh at me."

16. "I beg your pardon, dear," said Annie; "I could not help it. I will
not laugh at you any more if you will tell me how you came here. I have
been talking with one of your brothers over there in the basin."

17. The little sprite then folded her wings in a dignified manner, and
said, "I will tell you all I know about it, since you promise to be
polite. It is a very short story, however.

18. "Last evening we all escaped from the glass basin, as you have seen
our companions do this morning. Oh, how light and free we felt! But we
were so very delicate and thin that no one saw us as we flew about in the
air of the room.

19. "After a while I flew with these others to this window, and, as we
alighted on the glass, the cold changed us from water sprites into sprites
of the Fine Frost family." "It is very wonderful," said Annie. "Is it nice
to be a sprite?"

20. "Oh, yes, we are very gay. All last night we had a fine time sparkling
in the moonlight. I wore a long wreath full of ice pearls and diamonds.
Here is a piece of it. Before long we shall be water sprites again. I see
the sun is coming this way."

21. "Shall you dread to be melted?" inquired Annie. "No, indeed,