long before. He heard distinctly now the noises Ann had heard. It was
as if the hidden places of the wood were full of small live things
which were gathering together and coming toward the children from
every direction, closing them in on every side. Then somebody laughed
in a high cracked voice just behind them, one of Ann's curls was
sharply pulled, and Rudolf's precious sword was plucked from his hand
and tossed upon the ground. Still they could see no bodies to which
the little faces could belong, and they began to feel very queer
indeed.

Then came the laugh again, repeated a number of times and coming now
from directly over their heads where the branches of a great beech
tree swept almost to the ground. Rudolf and Ann looked up just in time
to catch sight of the queer little creatures who were looking down at
them from between the beech leaves. It was no wonder they had been so
hard to see, for they were dressed in tight-fitting suits of fur
exactly the color of the bark, and had small pointed fur hoods upon
their heads which made them look very much like squirrels. Even now
that the children had spied them out, it was impossible to examine
them closely for they were never quiet, never in the same place more
than an instant, but swung themselves restlessly from bough to bough,
then to the ground and back again in two jumps, peeping, peering,
racing each other along the branches, all the time without the
slightest noise other than was made by their light feet among the
leaves and the two laughs the children had heard.

Rudolf picked up his sword, and said in as bold a voice as he could
manage--"Please, could any of you tell us the right path to--"

A burst of sharp squeals, shrill laughs, and jeering remarks
interrupted his question. The whole company of queer creatures dropped
to the ground at the same time, and instantly formed a circle about
the children, snapping their little white teeth, and grinning and
chattering like monkeys.

"Are you the Bad Dreams?" asked Rudolf. Then, as a burst of laughter
contradicted this idea--"Who are you, then?"

"Who are we? Who are we?" mocked the creatures. "O-ho, hear the human!
Doesn't know us--never got scolded on _our_ account, did he, did he?
_Oh_, no; _oh_, no! Bite him, snatch him, scratch him! _Catch_ him!"

Closer and closer the horrid little things pressed about the two
children. "What do you mean, anyway?" cried Rudolf, keeping them back
with his foot as best