Page 549 - Child's own book

not of the same sort as those which grow in country fields, or
which chickens feed upon; place it in a floweT-pot* and you
will see something wonderful.” “ 1 am much obliged to you,”
said the woman, giving the witch twelve shillings, for that was
the pricc agreed upon. She then went home and planted the
barley-corn, and then there immediately grew up a beautiful large
flower, that looked like a tulip, only the leaves were closed,
just as if it were still in the bud* “ This flower is indeed won-
drously beautiful/' cried the woman, kissingits red and yellow
leaves; and just as she kissed it, the flower opened with a loud
noise. It was areal tulip, as might be seen, but in the midst
of the flower, a tiny girl of the most delicate and exquisite
shape sat on the green pistil. She was scarcely as tall as half
a man’s thumb, and she was therefore called Maja, a name in
use amongst elves as small as herself. An elegant gilt
walnut-shell served as her cradle; her mattress consisted of
blue videt'leaves, and a rose-leaf served as her counterpane ■
there she slept all night, but in the day-time she played about
on the table, where the woman had placed a plate, edged all
round by a wreath of flowers whose steins stood in water. A
large tulip leaf lay in the water, and this served Maja as a boat
which moved from one side of the plate to the other; the oara
she used were a couple of white horsehairs. It was a pretty
sight to see; and she could sing, too, so sweetly, that the like
had never been heard before.
One night as she lay in her pretty bed, a nasty toad jumped
in through a broken pane in the window. The toad was very
large, ugly, and w et; she leaped right on to the table where
Maja lay asleep under her rose-leaf counterpane, She would
be a nice wife for my son," said the toad, and she picked up the
walnut-shell, with Maja asleep in it, and jumped through the
window, cradle and all, down into the garden. A large rivulet