"And the sooner it grows dark, the sooner the Ash will be awake,"
added she.
I asked her how she knew that there was any unusual excitement in
the woods. She replied--
"Besides the look of the trees, the dog there is unhappy; and the
eyes and ears of the white rabbit are redder than usual, and he
frisks about as if he expected some fun. If the cat were at
home, she would have her back up; for the young fairies pull the
sparks out of her tail with bramble thorns, and she knows when
they are coming. So do I, in another way."
At this instant, a grey cat rushed in like a demon, and
disappeared in a hole in the wall.
"There, I told you!" said the woman.
"But what of the ash-tree?" said I, returning once more to the
subject. Here, however, the young woman, whom I had met in the
morning, entered. A smile passed between the mother and
daughter; and then the latter began to help her mother in little
household duties.
"I should like to stay here till the evening," I said; "and then
go on my journey, if you will allow me."
"You are welcome to do as you please; only it might be better to
stay all night, than risk the dangers of the wood then. Where
are you going?"
"Nay, that I do not know," I replied, "but I wish to see all that
is to be seen, and therefore I should like to start just at
sundown."
"You are a bold youth, if you have any idea of what you are
daring; but a rash one, if you know nothing about it; and, excuse
me, you do not seem very well informed about the country and its
manners.
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