A Litte Princess

saw in her young adopted mother. She had heard it rumored that strange things had happened to Sara, but she could not understand why she looked di

d in the rooms in which Emily had so long sat in state. Lottie's chief difficulty was that Sara said so li

charge of the small French class. "Are you as poor as a beggar?" She thrust a fat hand int

going to cry. And Sara

e," she said courageously.

le. "The new girl sleeps in your r

nother room,

nquired Lottie. "I w

Minchin is looking at us. She will be

rything which was objected to. If the children were not attentive, i

listened when they were gossiping; and acting upon certain information they had unconsciously let drop, she started late one afternoon on a voyage of discovery, climbing stairs she had never know

attic was so bare and ugly and seemed so far away from all the world

What would happen now? If Lottie began to cry and any one chanced to hea

all be scolded if you do, and I have been scolded

ond enough of her adopted parent to make an effort to control herself for her sake. Then, somehow, it was quite p

omfort in the warmth of the plump, childish body. She had had a

of things you can't see

ie, with that cu{ri}osity Sara could

hopping about and talking to each other just as if they were people-- and other attic windows where heads may po

it!" cried Lotti

ld table together and leaned on the edge of

tter-pipes. The sparrows, being at home there, twittered and hopped about quite without fear. Two of them perched on the chimney top nearest and quarrelle

as a little girl in the attic, we could talk to each other through the wi

himney pots, the things which were happening in the world below seemed almost unreal. One scarcely believed in the existence of M

er guarding arm. "I like this attic--I

pered Sara. "I wish I had s

ie. "I have part of a bun in my pocket; I bough

tartled him. But when Lottie remained quite still and Sara chirped very softly-- almost as if she were a sparrow herself--he saw that the thing which had alarmed him represe

Will he come?"

d back. "He is thinking and thinking whether

hances that Sara and Lottie might turn out to be big cats and jump on him. At last his heart told him they were really nicer than they looked, a

ara. "And he will com

ing every now and then to put their heads on one side and examine Lottie and Sara. Lottie was so delighted that she quite forgot her first shocked impression of the attic. In fact, when she w

through that flat window in the roof. It is like a square patch of light. If the sun is going to shine, little pink clouds float about, and I feel as if I could touch them. And if it rains, the drops patter and patter as if they were saying something nice. Then if there

which described all the beauties she was making herself see. She quite made Lott

e fire, and hangings on the wall to cover up the whitewash, and pictures. They would have to be little ones, but they could be beautiful; and there could be a lamp with a deep rose-colored shade; and a table in the middle, with things to have tea with; and a little fat copper kettle si

Lottie. "I should

covered with its dingy quilt. The whitewashed wall showed its broken patches, the floor was cold and bare, the grate was broken and rusty, and the battered footstool, tilted sideways on its injured leg, the only seat in the room. She sat down on

aid. "Sometimes it's the lo

e had been a nervous child she would have left her seat on the battered footstool in a great hurry. A large rat was sitting up on his hind quarte

ascinated. He looked at her with his bright eyes, as if he were asking a question.

t like people to scream and jump and say, `Oh, a horrid Sara!' the moment they saw me. And set traps for me, and pretend they were dinner. It's so

him that she was not a thing which pounced. He was very hungry. He had a wife and a large family in the wall, and they had had frightfully bad luck

hem, poor thing! Prisoners in the Bastille used to ma

he was a rat. He knew that this young human being sitting on the red footstool would not jump up and terrify him with wild, sharp noises or throw heavy objects at him which, if they did not fall and crush him, would send him limping in his scurry back to his hole. He was really a very nice rat, and did not mean the least harm. When he had stood on his hind legs and sniffed the air, with his bright eyes

the others--in fact, it could scarcely be called a crumb. It was evident that he wanted

y in the wall," Sara thought. "If I do not

and sniffed delicately, giving a side glance at the occupant of the footstool; then he darted at the piece of bun with something very like the sud

ldren," said Sara. "I do believ

e tips of her fingers Sara did not come to her for two or three minutes. There was, indeed, such a silence in the room at first that Ermenga

say. "Take it and go home, Mel

nd when she did so she found Ermengarde st

talking to, Sara

, but she looked as if some

ened--not to scream the least bit,

control herself. She looked all round the attic and saw no one. And

t will frighten me?"

them," said Sara. "I was a

host?" quake

a, laughing.

ttle dingy bed. She tucked her feet under her nightgown and

ed under her breat

dn't be. I am making him tame. He actually knows me and comes

up from the kitchen, her curious friendship had developed, she had gradually f

ght of Sara's composed little countenance and the story of Melchisedec's first appearance began at last to rouse her curio

uickly and jump on the

s polite as we are. He is ju

arde thought she looked as if she were working a spell. And at last, evidently in response to it, a gray-whiskered, bright-eyed head peeped out of the hole. Sara had some crumbs in h

bits. After he goes back I can always hear his family squeaking for joy. There are three kinds of

de began

d. "You ARE queer-

into her face. "Papa always laughed at me," she said; "but I liked it. He thought I was queer, but he liked me to make up things. I--I can't help making

talk about things," she said, "they seem as if they grew

he is married and has children. How do we know he doesn't think things, just a

or in her favorite atti

my friend. I can always get a bit of bread the cook h

Ermengarde, eagerly. "Do you al

pretend it is another kind of place; but the Bastille

the bed, she was so startled by a sound she hea

hat?" she

e floor and answere

risoner in t

ed Ermengard

n; the two knocks meant,

mes on the wall hers

s, I am here, an

e from Becky's

`Then, fellow-sufferer, we will

uite beamed

spered joyfully. "

ING'S a story. You are a story-- I a

risoner herself, and had to be reminded by Sara that she could not remain in the Bastille