"
"Well," said the Next Biggest, "she is certainly a dirty little girl,
but what's to be done?"
"Done?" said the Principal One. "There is only one thing to be done,
and that is to wash her. There can be no doubt about that."
All the fairies agreed that nothing could be more sensible than to
wash little Bridget, and so they gathered around her, and, with all
gentleness, some of them lifted her up and carried her down towards
the brook, while the others danced about her, and jumped over her, and
hung on to long fern leaves, and scrambled among the bushes, and were
as merry as a boxful of crickets.
When they approached the brook, one of the fairies jumped in to see if
the water was warm enough, and the Principal One and the Next Biggest
held a consultation, as to how little Bridget should be washed.
"Shall we just souse her in?" said the Next Biggest.
"I hardly think so," said the Principal One. "She may not be used to
that sort of thing, and she might take cold. It will be best just to
lay her down on the bank and wash her there."
So little Bridget, who had never opened her eyes all this time (and no
wonder, for you will find, if you are ever carried by fairies while
you are asleep, that they will bear you along so gently that you will
never know it), was brought to the brook and laid softly down by the
water's edge.
Pages:
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172