She lost her way and went neither to the castle nor to the farm, but into a dense forest where there was neither path nor light. Soon she knew that she was lost.

“You can imagine how she felt. But you would not be so badly off; for you can speak and hear, which she could not. She ran hither and thither and only grew the more bewildered. At last she was very tired, hungry, and thirsty; but that was as nothing compared with the fear that she had of the night and the wild beasts that she knew would prowl about; and, besides, she thought of the anxiety of her father and mother.

“Worn out with fright and weeping, all at once she found herself at a well. She knelt down eagerly and took a drink. When she looked about, she saw several well beaten paths; but she did not know which to take, since from her late experience she had found that not every path leads home. Then she remembered that whenever her mother was in trouble she would go to her room to pray; so she, too, knelt down and asked God to lead her out of the woods.

“Suddenly she hears strange sounds. They ring clearer and clearer in her ears. She does not know what is happening to her, what those sounds mean. She begins to tremble with fear, to cry, she wants to run away, when behold! a white sheep comes toward her from the wood, behind her a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, till the whole flock stand about the spring. These are her father’s sheep, for here comes the shepherd’s large, white dog, and here is Barta, the shepherd, himself. She cried out Barta! and ran to meet him. The good shepherd was delighted to find the lost child, and greatly astonished to hear her speak. He took her in his arms and hastened to the farm - house, which was but a short way off. Lady Turynsky was there distracted with grief, for the sudden disappearance of her daughter had filled her with consternation. But her joy knew no bounds when Barta placed the little one in her arms all safe and sound and healed,— able to speak and hear. The happy parents, out of thankfulness to God, determined to build a chapel upon the spot where the miracle had been performed. The chapel you see yonder is the very same chapel, and the well near it is the well out of which she drank, and those woods are the same woods. But the little girl died long, long ago; Sir Turynsky and Lady Turynsky are dead, too; Barta the shepherd died, and Turyn castle is in ruins.”

“What became of the dog and the sheep?” asked Willie.

“Why, the dog died; the old sheep dropped away one by one, the young grew and in their turn had lambs. Thus it is in the world, one goes another comes.”

The children turned their eyes to the valley. They seemed to see knights riding about, a little girl running hither and thither in the woods, and behold! a beautiful lady on horseback, followed by attendants was coming toward them from the vale below. She had on a dark, tight-fitting jacket, her long, gray riding habit hung below her stirrups, and a long, green veil floated in the breeze from her black hat.

“Grandma, a knightess, a knightess is coming!” exclaimed the children.

“What an idea! there are no knightesses; it must be the Princess from the castle,” replied Grandmother.

The children were greatly disappointed that it was not a “knightess.”

“It is the Princess coming up to us!” again cried the children in a chorus.

“What are you talking about? How could a horse climb up here?” said Grandmother.

“Oh, but look! Orlando is climbing like a cat!” exclaimed John.

“Hush, I do not want to see it. Their Lord-ships have strange amusements,” said Grandmother, as she held the children so they would not lean too far out of the window.

Presently the Princess was up the hill. She dismounted, threw her long skirt across her arm, and entered the arbor. Grandmother arose quickly and welcomed her.

“Is this Proshek’s family?” she asked, studying the children’s faces.

“Yes, your Grace,” replied Grandmother.

“And are you their Grandmother?”

“Yes your Grace, I am their mother’s mother.” “I am sure you must be happy in having such healthy grandchildren. I suppose you are good, obedient children?” continued the lady turning to the children, whose eyes were fixed upon her. At her question they looked down and whispered: “yes ma’am!”

“Hm, it will pass;” said Grandmother, “though sometimes—but we were no better.”

The Princess smiled. Seeing a basket of strawberries on the bench, she asked where they had gathered them.

Grandmother at once spoke to Barunka: “Go, my child, offer the fruit to the princess. They are fresh, the children gathered them on our way here; they may taste good to your Grace.