stinately; it would crouch down in the long grass, out of sight; and then, when some other child would pass along, it would spring out and catch her hand, almost before she knew it; and then it was very hard indeed to shake it off.
Marjorie was about to ask the Dream concerning these queer little fellows, when she noticed a little girl who was just stepping up on to the island. She was the very prettiest child that Marjorie had ever seen, and her hair was much longer than Marjorie's, and of a brighter brown. Just as Marjorie observed this, one of the little dwarfs sprang up from the ground at her own feet, and caught hold of her arm.
For a moment she scarcely noticed him, so intent was she upon getting nearer to the lovely girl; but, presently, as a slight breeze tossed the bright hair so that it looked as if it were full of sunbeams, the dwarf set his teeth in one of her fingers and bit it quite hard.
"Oh!" exclaimed Marjorie, trying to shake him off. "You ugly little thing! What did you do that for?"
The dwarf made no answer, but the Dream
