with the coat."

Away flew the Tufters--they fly very swiftly--and long before morning,
though it was hundreds of miles away, they had come to the woodman's
hut. The father and Isal were both asleep--Isal upon the Old Brown Coat.
"What a sweet face!" whispered Rosedrop. Then each took a corner of the
coat by the beak and lifting it up with Isal upon it, they flew out of
the house and back again to the Phoenix. Isal was still asleep, but
the morning light would soon wake her.

"Shall I give her a worm?" said the Tufter who had spoken so rashly
before.

"Nonsense!" said the Phoenix sharply. "Little girls don't eat worms!
Be more discreet. But you may go and find some berries." So he went off
for them and Rosedrop with him. Isal was awake when they came back, and
very much astonished at everything about her.

"How came I here?" said she, "with these strange looking birds about me.
That is certainly a very odd looking bird, and very tame;" and she went
up to the Phoenix to stroke it.

"Make your manners! make your manners! Stand on one foot! Put your head
out! so!" screamed all the Tufters at once, as they stretched out their
necks toward her and the Phoenix. But Isal could not tell that they
said anything. "How these geese do cackle," said she, as she stroked the
Phoenix, who did not dislike it, though he thought her rather forward,
and bade Rosedrop bring her some berries. Rosedrop brought them to Isal,
who thought she was the prettiest of all, and not at all like a goose.

"What shall we do with her now we have her here?" asked the rash Tufter;
but he was sorry he asked, for the Phoenix gave him a terrible peck.

"I know my own affairs," said the old bird angrily, but really he knew
very little about this affair and was sadly perplexed and quite at his
wit's end. He said nothing of that though, but looked more than usually
wise, and finally, when all were on tip-toe, or rather tip-claw, to hear
what the wise bird would say, he spoke, and told the oldest to go to the
palace of the King and bring back word of what was going on there.

"Ah!" said the second in age, "the Phoenix is a wonderful bird! what
deep plans he has!"

* * * * *

Meanwhile Isal stayed by the Phoenix and the three Tufters, who kept
very good watch over her. She looked about in vain for her father's
house or for the great blue river; she could not understand how she came
to be where she was and in such strange c