o
ask the genie to take the little girl herself away. Fina never saw her
again, and never wanted to either!

At last Fina knew that what she really wanted was not only someone to
play with, but a good place to play in, so she shut her eyes and
thought--as hard as a not very clever person of eight can think--and
then she rubbed the ring and said:

'Please take me somewhere where there is a little girl who will play
with me, a nice little girl, and room to play in.'

And at once the wood vanished--like a magic-lantern picture when the
kind clergyman who is showing it changes the slide--and she was in a
strange room.

[Illustration: 'The little girl had slapped Fina and taken the pagoda
away.'--Page 214.]

It was a nursery--very large and light. There were flowers at the
window, and pictures on the walls, and many toys. And on a couch,
covered with a bright green rug with yellow daisies embroidered on it,
lay a little girl with pretty yellow hair and kind, merry blue eyes.

'_Oh!_' said the little girl, very much astonished.

'_Oh!_' said Fina, at the same minute, and with the same quantity of
astonishment.

'I've come to play with you, if you'll let me,' said Fina.

'How lovely! But how did you get in?'

'The Slave of the Ring brought me.'

'The Slave of the Ring! How wonderful!'

'Yes, isn't it? What's your name?'

'Ella.'

'Mine's Fina. Wouldn't you like to see my Ring Slave, Ella?'

'Yes--oh yes!' Ella was laughing softly.

Fina rubbed the ring and the footman genie appeared, his silk legs more
beautifully silk than ever.

'Please fetch the pagoda.'

The pagoda toppled on to the couch, and the genie vanished, as he
always did when he had executed an order.

When Ella had admired the pagoda, which she did very thoroughly and
satisfyingly, she said:

'And now I'll show you _mine_!'

She pulled a battered iron thing from under her pillow and rubbed it.
Instantly a very grand stout gentleman in evening dress stood before
them. He had most respectable whiskers, and he said:

'What can I do for you, madam?'

'Who is it?' whispered Fina.

'It's the Slave of the Lamp,' said Ella. 'He says he's disguised as a
perfect butler because times have changed so since _his_ time.'

'Send him away,' said Fina.

'Oh, dear Ella,' she went on, when they were alone, 'tell me all about
yours, and I'll tell you all about mine.'

'Well,' said Ella, 'I found the lamp at the seaside, just before I hurt
my bac