d dazzling altogether.

She looked at Felix, and then said--

"Two little maidens winding wool all day,
If you want to see them please to walk this way."

"I don't care about seeing them," said Felix, who thought this a very
odd way of beginning a conversation; nevertheless he followed the Pine
Queen along the path through the trees.

It was very pleasant, the great straight pines with their tufted
branches, and the sun sending slanting rays of gold through them; whilst
the wild strawberries shone like heaps of rubies at his feet. Wonderful
birds and butterflies were darting hither and thither amongst the
loveliest flowers. And on a grassy nook not far from a waterfall he
perceived some white marble steps on which two little girls sat. The one
was holding a great skein of wool, and the other was winding it. There
was a great heap of wool of all colours on the ground.

"We wind, we wind till we've wound enough
Of wool a hundred balls to stuff."

sang the little maidens.

"What for?" asked Felix.

"For cricket-balls we work away,
With which pine-cricket players play."

sang the maidens.

"But cricket-balls should be hard," said Felix.

"Not in Elfland," answered the Pine Queen, smiling; "it's a different
game altogether; we hit 'soft' instead of 'hard,' and our bats are
brushes, and we make no scores."

"It must be a queer game," said Felix.

"_We_ think it a much better game than yours," answered the Queen, "pads
are never wanted; and there are no wickets, and no one is ever caught
out."

[Illustration: "HE PERCEIVED ... TWO LITTLE GIRLS."]

"How funny!" exclaimed Felix; "I should not care to play at such a
game."

The Queen made no answer, and they walked on until they met a girl with
a pail of water, who curtseyed respectfully.

"She's going to wash the cricket-ground," explained the Pine Queen.

"Oh!" said Felix, which was all that he could say, for the fact was
everything seemed so very strange to him.

"Scour the ground, mop it, and dry it with care,
Sprinkle it over with Eau-de-Cologne.
Roses in flower-pots put round here and there,
And the roses must all be full-blown."

[Illustration: "THEY MET A GIRL WITH A PAIL."]

The eyes of Felix grew rounder and rounder, as the Pine Queen gave these
directions, and he rubbed them to be quite certain that he was awake.

"_We_ roll and mow the grass," he half whispered.

"_We_ scour, and mop, and dry,