United States or Grenada ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The mother came to the door to welcome them, and thought she should see Floribel's smiling face under the white bonnet; but O, there was only a dog's sharp nose. "What prank are you playing, children?" she said. "Where have you hidden Floribel?" "Allow me to introduce grandfather and Floribel," said Sarah, as she and Robert took the baby and the dog from the wagon. "What foolish children you are!
I wonder why Floribel does not come out. Has she forgotten it is her birthday, and that we were to come and carry her home to the party? And where is grandfather? Why is he not sitting in his arm chair, in the doorway?" Running up the path, they saw their grandmother at the window, dancing a baby up and down. "Where did grandmother pick up that baby?" they exclaimed, and rushed into the house.
Floribel thought that would be delightful, for then they could all go blackberrying together; so she said in a commanding voice, "I wish my grandmother and grandfather to be young again;" but she did not think to say how young, and the next moment was surprised to see two little babies, lying among the violets, kicking and crying with all their might. "O, dear me!" she exclaimed.
And yet I feel sorry to lose little Frolic, too. I wish you could be both Frolic and Floribel." Edgar was gladly surprised when a little girl came out with Lucy, to ride home with them, instead of Frolic. "I owe it all to you," she said, "that I have become a little girl. It was your beautiful music." They had a lovely drive home in the moonlight, and Floribel staid with Lucy all night.
O, how troubled the little dog was, to see her cutting up the pretty new dress, which was to have been worn by Floribel, on her birthday, at a party her cousins were to give for her, at Elderbrook, their pleasant farm, two miles from the village!
There they heard the strange story, and truly astonished they were. "Can this be grandfather?" cried Sarah. "This little cooing baby, my own grandfather, who always said such wise things?" "And can this little foolish dog be my cousin Floribel, who had such long curls, and such a sweet smile!" exclaimed Robert. "What will mother say?"
"Do I look too good to be your little dog?" "Nobody could be better than Frolic, who forgave my brother, and saved my life, and is so gentle to every one." "Have you forgotten me, Lucy, in the two years I have been Frolic? Do you not know your friend Floribel?" Lucy threw her arms around her. "O Floribel, is it you? You have come back again! How glad I am!
The children saw a little brown face with sparkling eyes peeping in, and one whispered to another, "How much that looks like Floribel's Frolic; do you think he has come back again?" "Why, no," said another; "do you not know it is Floribel herself, changed by the dwarf into a dog?"
Floribel laughed, and looked at Zach, but thought she would not remind her grandmother that he was her grandfather.
Then the grandfather began to cry most clamorously, and Floribel knew he also wished to be seventeen, instead of a little, helpless baby. She did not know what to do, for with only one wish left, she could not both wish her grandfather to be older, and her grandmother to be younger.
Word Of The Day