Chapter IV: Next I went through a printing-machine

This machine sent me under a roller which left little red cherries all over me.

Then I went under another roller which put green stems on the cherries. It left green leaves close to the stems.

Prettier cherries you never saw!

After I left the roller I was dried, folded, and sent to a store in a city.

One day a little girl from the country came into the store. She had a basket of eggs. When she saw me she gave all of her eggs for me.

Then I was made into a pretty dress. I gave much joy to the little girl who liked to wear me to school.

THE YOUTHS’ COMPANION (_Adapted_).

AUGUST.

Oh, fireflies, fireflies, light all your candles!
Far down, deep down in the sea’s wet bed
The wise little fishes have lighted their lanterns,
And luminous jellyfish tents are spread.

ELLA HIGGINSON.
]

THE SIX LITTLE SEA-MAIDS.

Deep down in the sea, there was a beautiful red and yellow castle. Its roof was made of shells which opened and shut to let the water in and out.

There the sea king lived with his six daughters. They were pretty little girls, with long, golden hair, and blue eyes. They had no feet, but they had tails like fishes.

The sea-maids were very happy playing all day deep down in the water.

Sometimes the fish would swim through the windows of the castle. They often ate out of the hands of the little sea-maids.

Outside the castle, the sisters had a garden, where flowers grew in the blue sand.

On her fifteenth birthday, each of the little sea-maids went up through the water for the first time. The sisters promised to tell what they liked best in the world above.

The oldest sister came down to the castle and said, “I liked best to watch the lights on the land, and to hear the bells ring.”

When the second sister was fifteen years old, she went up through the water at sunset.

“I think the golden clouds are the most beautiful things in the world,” said the second sister.

The third sister went up a wide river, with green woods and hills along the shore. “I watched some children in the water,” said the sea-maid. “How can they swim? Children have no fish tails.”

The fourth sister said, “The sea is more beautiful than the land. There are white ships, and large fishes, and many strange things to be seen here.”

The birthday of the fifth sister came in the winter. The sea was green. There were large pieces of ice in it, which seemed to frighten the sailors.

The sea-maid sat down on a piece of ice, and let the wind play with her long hair.