dy's ear. Just think, this Granny was
deaf--her own was only blind.

Ditte went round peeping inquisitively into the different rooms.
"Where's the Lord?" asked she suddenly.

"What is the child saying?" exclaimed one of the ladies. But the one
who had taken Ditte by the hand, drew the little one towards her and
said: "The Lord does not live here, he lives up in Heaven. She
thinks this is Paradise," she added, turning to her sister.

It worried them to see her running about barefooted, and they
carefully examined her feet, fearing she might have been bitten by
some creeping thing in the wood. "Why does not the child wear
boots?" said the old lady. Her head shook so funnily when she spoke,
all the white curls bobbed--just like bluebells.

Ditte had no boots.

"Good Heavens! do you hear that, Grandmother, the child has no
boots. Have you nothing at all to put on your feet?"

"Bogie-man," burst out Ditte, laughing roguishly.

She was tired now of answering all their questions. However, they
dragged out of her that she had a pair of wooden shoes, which were
being kept for winter.

"Then with the help of God she shall have a pair of my cloth ones,"
said the old lady. "Give her a pair, Asta; and take a fairly good
pair."

"Certainly, Grandmother," answered one of the young women--the one
Ditte liked best.

So Ditte was put into the cloth boots. Then she was given different
kinds of food, such as she had never tasted before, and did not care
for either; she kept to the bread, being most familiar with
that--greatly to the astonishment of the three women.

"She is fastidious," said one of the young ladies.

"It can hardly be called that, when she prefers bread to anything
else," answered Miss Asta eagerly. "But she is evidently accustomed
to very plain food, and yet see how healthy she is." She drew the
little one to her and kissed her.

"Let her take it home with her," said the old lady, "such children
of nature never eat in captivity. My husband once captured a little
wild monkey down on the Gold Coast, but was obliged to let it go
again because it refused to eat."

Then Ditte was given the food packed into a pretty little basket of
red and white straw; a Leghorn hat was put upon her head, and a
large red bow adorned her breast. She enjoyed all this very
much--but suddenly, remembering her Granny, wanted to go home. She
stood pulling the door handle, and they had to let this amusing
little wood goblin out ag