Lisa! I have a
glass of milk in my hand! Isn't it queer?'

The girls, however, were very hungry, so they ate and drank with a good
appetite. When they had finished Aina yawned, stretched out her arms and
said: 'Oh, if only we had a nice soft bed to sleep on now!'

Scarcely had she spoken before she felt a nice soft bed by her side, and
there beside Lisa was one too. This seemed to the girls more and more
wonderful, but tired and sleepy as they were, they thought no more about
it, but crept into the little beds, drew the coverlets over their heads
and were soon asleep.

When they awoke the sun was high in the heavens, the wood was beautiful
in the summer morning, and the birds were flying about in the branches
and the tree tops.

At first the girls were filled with wonder when they saw that they had
slept in the wood among the raspberry bushes. They looked at each other,
they looked at their beds, which were of the finest flax covered over
with leaves and moss. At last Lisa said: 'Are you awake, Aina?'

'Yes,' said Aina.

'But I am still dreaming,' said Lisa.

'No,' said Aina, 'but there is certainly some good fairy living among
these raspberry bushes. Ah, if we had only a hot cup of coffee now, and
a nice piece of white bread to dip into it!'

Scarcely had she finished speaking when she saw beside her a little
silver tray with a gilt coffee-pot, two cups of rare porcelain, a sugar
basin of fine crystal, silver sugar tongs, and some good fresh white
bread. The girls poured out the beautiful coffee, put in the cream and
sugar, and tasted it; never in their lives had they drunk such beautiful
coffee.

'Now I should like to know very much who has given us all this,' said
Lisa gratefully.

'I have, my little girls,' said a voice just then from the bushes.

The children looked round wonderingly, and saw a little kind-looking old
man, in a white coat and a red cap, limping out from among the bushes,
for he was lame in his left foot; neither Lisa nor Aina could utter a
word, they were so filled with surprise.

'Don't be afraid, little girls,' he said smiling kindly at them; he
could not laugh properly because his mouth was crooked. 'Welcome to my
kingdom! Have you slept well and eaten well and drunk well?' he asked.

'Yes, indeed we have,' said both the girls, 'but tell us...' and they
wanted to ask who the old man was, but were afraid to.

'I will tell you who I am,' said the old man; 'I am the raspberry king