his right ankle, which had nothing whatever the
matter with it, and he leaned over the window-sill, murmuring--

"Dancing, prancing.
Flitting, glancing,
Now retreating, now advancing,
Wait, and I will come to you,
Through the window, through, through, through."

"Oh, Peter! how can you?" said Paulina.

But Peter was gone, and when Paulina looked out of the window, she could
see neither him, nor the mannikins, nor the scarlet runner.

Of course she could not, for they were not there. Where had they gone?
oh where? oh where?

[Illustration: "PAULINA HAD A STICK ... IN HER HAND."]

III.

"Never mind, Paulina; it is a warm summer day."

Was it the great butterfly who spoke? No one else was near, and he was
sunning himself among the elder blossoms.

"Ho, ho, ho! away they go,
High and low, swift and slow,
Over and over, heels over head,
Peter and all the mannikins red."

Paulina now listened breathlessly.

"That is to say, the mannikins have red jackets and caps, and they are
rolling along so fast, with Peter in the midst of them, that you will
find it quite impossible to overtake them."

"Are you speaking to me?" said Paulina.

"Of course I am. Can't you hear what I am saying? I am the Red Emperor."

"Then please, good Mr. Red Emperor, fly away, and tell Peter to come
home again."

"I am an Emperor," replied the butterfly, "and I cannot be ordered by a
little girl. You must get back Peter yourself."

"But I can't see Peter. Where is he?"

"He's out of sight, oh quite! oh quite!
And up in cloudland such a height!
He's in a state of much delight,
But you must get him home ere night."

"But I can't get to cloudland."

"Of course not, you're much too heavy."

Paulina began to cry.

"If you make such a dreadful noise I shall fly away. Otherwise I shall
stay, and tell you what to do in order to get Peter back."

"I will do anything in the world," said Paulina; "whatever you tell me
to do I will at once do."

[Illustration]

"There is but one thing to do--you must become an artist."

"That is impossible," sobbed Paulina. "What shall I do? What shall I
do?"

"Take off that prim little cap. Tie up your hair with black ribbon, and
put on a blouse. Then you will be an artist."

"But I've never learned to draw."

"Pooh!" said the Red Emperor.

IV.

Paulina did not know where she was or how she came there, but she found
herself before a wall on which hung a scroll