Chapter II

The winter seemed very long to the little maid in the lighthouse.

Often, when the windows were covered with frost, she put her pennies against them. Then she blew on the pennies till they were warm.

The warm pennies made holes in the frost, so that the little maid could look out on the deep blue sea.

How happy she was if a ship passed by! She wondered where it came from and where it was going.

Sometimes a sea-bird flew past, high in the sky.

Then she would call out, “Take me to ride with you, sea-bird, between your wide wings!”

Every evening she watched the lighting of the great lantern in the tower of the lighthouse. She was a proud little girl when she was old enough to light it.

Best of all she liked the evenings by the fireside with her books and playthings.

The wind roared, and the waves dashed against the rocks, but she was safe and warm.