ery middle of her shame and desire to be good, she had returned no
answer to the words of the wise woman; she had sat like a tree-stump,
and done nothing. She tried to say there was nothing to be done; but
she knew at once that she could have told the wise woman she had been
very wicked, and asked her to take her with her. Now there was nothing
to be done.

"Nothing to be done!" said her conscience. "Cannot you rise, and walk
down the hill, and through the wood?"

"But the wild beasts!"

"There it is! You don't believe the wise woman yet! Did she not tell
you the beasts would not touch you?"

"But they are so horrid!"

"Yes, they are; but it would be far better to be eaten up alive by them
than live on--such a worthless creature as you are. Why, you're not fit
to be thought about by any but bad ugly creatures."

This was how herself talked to her.

XII.

All at once she jumped to her feet, and ran at full speed down the hill
and into the wood. She heard howlings and yellings on all sides of her,
but she ran straight on, as near as she could judge. Her spirits rose
as she ran. Suddenly she saw before her, in the dusk of the thick wood,
a group of some dozen wolves and hyenas, standing all together right in
her way, with their green eyes fixed upon her staring. She faltered one
step, then bethought her of what the wise woman had promised, and
keeping straight on, dashed right into the middle of them. They fled
howling, as if she had struck them with fire. She was no more afraid
after that, and ere the sun was up she was out of the wood and upon the
heath, which no bad thing could step upon and live. With the first peep
of the sun above the horizon, she saw the little cottage before her,
and ran as fast as she could run towards it, When she came near it, she
saw that the door was open, and ran straight into the outstretched arms
of the wise woman.

The wise woman kissed her and stroked her hair, set her down by the
fire, and gave her a bowl of bread and milk.

When she had eaten it she drew her before her where she sat, and spoke
to her thus:--

"Rosamond, if you would be a blessed creature instead of a mere wretch,
you must submit to be tried."

"Is that something terrible?" asked the princess, turning white.

"No, my child; but it is something very difficult to come well out of.
Nobody who has not been tried knows how difficult it is; but whoever
has come well out of it, and those who do not over