was very thirsty.
She thought she would try tinkling her bell, and no sooner had she done
so than she heard the tinkling of another bell in the distance, coming
nearer and nearer to her. She stood on tiptoe, and she saw a stream of
water flowing towards her, on which floated a pretty canoe. When it got
up to her it stopped, and inside the canoe was a silver mug; but on the
bows of the canoe was hanging a silver bell just like her own.

"Silver bell, silver bell, do not fear;
When thy mother comes, step in here."

So sang the canoe; but she could not understand why she should get into
the canoe if her mother came, because she loved her mother, and thought
her mother loved her. Anyhow she took hold of the mug, and, filling it
with water, drank it up. Water, which is always the most refreshing of
all drinks, was what the tired little girl most needed, and as her
father had brought her up very carefully and properly, she had never
tasted anything stronger; but her thirst made her enjoy the water more
than she ever had.

Suddenly she heard some one screaming for help, and the screams came
nearer and nearer to her. She turned round and saw the wolf bearing her
mother on his back, and however much she tried to get off she could not,
because the wolf threatened to bite her. Springing up to Mirabella's
side, the wolf said--

"Silver bell, silver bell, do not fear;
To obey you, Mirabella, I am here."

The wicked mother now jumped off his back, and commenced scolding
Mirabella for having sent for her. She said that as soon as she got back
to the palace she would make a law that all the wolves should be
killed, and that if Mirabella ever dared return she should be smothered.
The poor little girl felt very miserable, and was afraid that her mother
might kill her, so she stepped into the canoe, and said--

"Bear me where my father dwells,
Tinkle, tinkle, silver bells."

The stream continued to flow, and as the canoe moved on she saw her
mother turned into a cork-tree, and she bid good-bye to the wolf and the
fox. On sped the boat, and it soon neared the big sea; but Mirabella
felt no fear, for the stream struck out across the ocean, and the waves
did not come near her. For three days and nights the silver bells
tinkled and the canoe sped on; and when the morning of the fourth day
came, she saw that they were approaching a beautiful island, on which
were growing many palm-trees, which are called sacre