the very middle of the earth; but at last her feet touched the ground,
and she found herself in a field more beautiful than even the summer
pastures of her native mountains. Trees waved in the soft breeze, and
flowers of the brightest colours danced in the grass. And though she
was quite alone, the girl's heart danced too, for she felt happier than
she had since her father died. So she walked on through the meadow
till she came to an old tumbledown fence--so old that it was a wonder
it managed to stand up at all, and it looked as if it depended for
support on the old man's beard that climbed all over it.

The girl paused for a moment as she came up, and gazed about for a
place where she might safely cross. But before she could move a voice
cried from the fence:

'Do not hurt me, little maiden; I am so old, so old, I have not much
longer to live.'

And the maiden answered:

'No, I will not hurt you; fear nothing.' And then seeing a spot where
the clematis grew less thickly than in other places, she jumped lightly
over.

'May all go well with thee,' said the fence, as the girl walked on.

She soon left the meadow and turned into a path which ran between two
flowery hedges. Right in front of her stood an oven, and through its
open door she could see a pile of white loaves.

'Eat as many loaves as you like, but do me no harm, little maiden,'