bits that
great hollow dome which is the centre of the earth, and he can only come
up in Europe; but my poor little brown wings were often so weary in my
flight across the sea that I wished, like the birds, I could drop into
the waves and die; for what was to me the use of immortality when I
could no longer soothe the sorrow of mortals? But I cannot die; and
after I had fluttered across into Egypt, where the glaring light of the
sun almost blinded me, I was thankful to find a ruined tomb or temple
underground, where great marble sarcophagi were ranged around the walls,
and where in the dusky light I could rest from my travels, in a place
where I only knew the difference between night and day by the redness of
the one sunbeam which stole in through a crevice, and the silvery blue
of the moonbeam that succeeded it.

"In that temple there was no sound but the rustling of the bats' wings
as they flew in before dawn, or sometimes the chirping of a swallow
which had lost its way, and was frightened to see all the grim marble
faces gazing at it. But the quietness did me good, and I waited, hoping
that the young King of Sweden would marry, and that an heir would be
born to him (for I am a Swedish fairy), and then I should recover my
liberty according to an ancient statute of the fairy realm, and my wand
would also come again into my possession; but alas! he is dead, and the
reason you see me to-day is, that, like the rest of my race, I am come
to strew leaves on his grave and recount his virtues. I must now return,
for the birds are stirring; I hear the cows lowing to be milked, and the
maids singing as they go out with their pails. Farewell, little Hulda;
guard well the bracelet; I must to my ruined temple again. Happy for me
will be the day when you see my enemy (if that day ever comes); the bird
will warn you of his neighborhood by pecking your hand.

"One moment stay, dear fairy," said Hulda. "Where am I most likely to
see the gnome?"

"In the south," replied the fairy, "for they love hot sunshine. I can
stay no longer. Farewell."

So saying, the fairy again became a moth and fluttered to the window.
Little Hulda opened it, the brown moth settled for a moment upon her
lips as if it wished to kiss her, and then it flew out into the
sunshine, away and away.

Little Hulda watched her till her pretty wings were lost in the blue
distance; then she turned and took her bracelet, and put it on her
wrist, where, from that day