er herbs."

"Are you? Oh, then you must know my good friend Grim?"

"To be sure I do! He came to see me a few days ago."

Laura thought Grim must be mistaken in his belief that the elves were
fond of teasing children, for surely this one had been kind to her, when
suddenly she remembered that she had not her staff with her. She jumped
up hastily, crying out:

"Oh, my staff! my staff! I must go back and find it."

"Ha! ha!" laughed the elf, evidently amused at her alarm.

"Which way must I go?" asked Laura, anxiously.

"Any way you please, my dear. Is not the honey so good as it was?"

"Oh yes, yes, it is just as nice, and I thank you ever so much for it.
Now, please, dear Mr. Elf, let me go for my staff."

"I am not keeping you, am I?" laughed the elf, beginning a strange sort
of dance, rubbing his hands together, and giving a series of jerks to
the rabbit-skin.

Laura was ready to cry with vexation and alarm, but something seemed to
tell her that she must control herself and not let this mischievous
creature know how she felt; so, springing to her feet, she said, "I,
too, can dance--see," and she waltzed away as if she were in a
ball-room.

"Hurrah!" shouted the elf; "that is capital."

"Shall I teach you how to do it?" asked Laura, stopping to get breath.

"Yes; let me see the steps; go slowly. Oh, your feet are so big and
clumsy I cannot copy you."

"But, Mr. Elf, you do it beautifully--really you do. Now show me,
please, where the oak-trees are, that I may find my staff."

At this anxious request the elf started on a run, whooping and
hallooing. Laura could do nothing else than follow him, but she found it
difficult, he was so small and sprightly. Nimbly he leaped over the
rocks, turning occasionally to make a queer grimace at poor Laura's
efforts to keep pace with him. When it pleased him, he stopped and
waited for her to come up.

A happy thought came to Laura. "Mr. Elf," said she, "I have a fine knife
here. You could use it for almost anything. See, it is nearly as long as
your arm, and it has a very curiously ornamented case, all of silver."

"Let me see it closer," said the elf, reaching up for it.

Laura held it high out of his reach, but his eyes evidently danced with
eagerness to get it.

"A little closer--a little closer," said the elf.

"Not till I have my staff: give me that, and you shall have this," said
Laura, shutting the knife and holding it still over his head.

"You have n