the
factory who lodged with Mother Francoise had brought her news of her
friend. Perrine, as well as being busy, had been afraid that she might
see that terrible Aunt Zenobie and so she had let the days pass.

Then one evening after work she thought that she would not return at
once to her little island. She had no supper to prepare. The night
before she had caught some fish and cooked it, and she intended to have
it cold for her supper that evening.

Rosalie was alone in the garden sitting under an apple tree. When she
saw Perrine she came to the gate, half pleased, half annoyed.

"I thought that you were not coming any more," she said.

"I've been very busy."

"What with?"

Perrine showed Rosalie her shoes. Then she told her how she had made
herself a chemise and the trouble she had had in cutting it.

"Couldn't you borrow a pair of scissors from the people in your house?"
asked Rosalie in astonishment.

"There is no one in my house who could lend me scissors," replied
Perrine.

"Everybody has scissors!"

Perrine wondered if she ought to keep her abode a secret any longer. She
was afraid that if she did so she might offend Rosalie, so she decided
to tell her.

"Nobody lives in my house," she said smiling.

"Whatever do you mean?" asked Rosalie with round eyes.

"That's so, and that's why, as I wasn't able to borrow a saucepan to cook
my soup in and a spoon to eat it with, I had to make them and I can tell
you that it was harder for me to make my spoon than to make my shoes."

"You're joking!"

"No, really."

Then she told her everything, how she had taken possession of the cabin,
and made her own cooking utensils, and about her search for eggs, and
how she fished and cooked in the gypsy's camping ground.

Rosalie's eyes opened wider still in wonder and delight. She seemed to
be listening to a wonderful story.

When Perrine told her how she made her first sorrel soup, she clapped
her hands.

"Oh, how delicious! How you must have enjoyed it!" she cried. "What
fun!"

"Yes, everything is great fun when things go right," said Perrine; "but
when things won't go! I worked three days for my spoon. I couldn't scoop it
out properly. I spoiled two large pieces of tin and had only one left. And
my! how I banged my fingers with the stones that I had to use in place of a
hammer!"

"But your soup, that's what I'm thinking of," said Rosalie.

"Yes, it was good."

"You know," said Perrine, "there's sorr