hildren soon got out of the path, which led into the
thickest part of the wood, and then they wandered farther and farther
into the thicket till they were both sadly tired, but they found some
wild berries, nuts and fruits, and began to eat them to satisfy their
hunger. The dark night came on and the robber did not return. They
were cold, and still very hungry, and the boy went about looking for
fresh fruit for his sister, and tried to comfort her as they lay down
to sleep on the soft moss under the trees.

The next day, and the next, they roamed about, but there was nothing
to eat but wild fruits; and they lived on them till they grew so weak
that they could not go far from the tree where they had made a little
bed of grass and weeds. There they laid down as the shades of night
fell upon them, and in the morning they were both in heaven, for they
died there in the forest, and as the sun shone upon their little pale
faces, the robins and other birds came and covered their bodies with
leaves, and so died and were buried the poor Babes in the Wood.

[Page 17--Girl's Stories]

Cinderella

Cinderella's mother died while she was a very little child, leaving
her to the care of her father and her step-sisters, who were very
much older than herself; for Cinderella's father had been twice
married, and her mother was his second wife. Now, Cinderella's
sisters did not love her, and were very unkind to her. As she grew
older they made her work as a servant, and even sift the cinders: on
which account they used to call her in mockery "Cinderella." It was
not her real name, but she became afterwards so well known by it that
her proper one has been forgotten.

She was a sweet tempered, good girl, however, and everybody except
her cruel sisters loved her. It happened, when Cinderella was about
seventeen years old, that the King of that country gave a ball, to
which all the ladies of the land, and among the rest the young girl's
sisters were invited. So they made her dress them for this ball, but
never thought of allowing her to go.

"I wish you would take me to the ball with you, sisters," said
Cinderella, meekly.

"Take you, indeed!" answered the elder sister with a sneer, "it
is no place for a cinder-sifter: stay at home and do your work."

When they were gone, Cinderella, whose heart was sad, sat down and
cried; but as she sorrowful, thinking of the unkindness of her
sisters, a voice called to her from the garden