The next morning Rosamond asked her mother and Alfred to go near the
shore with her. There she showed them a bed of fine clay, of which she
proposed to make vases. She and her mother sat down on the grass
together, and moulded them, just within sight of the waves gently
breaking upon the beach. The vases were so beautiful it seemed as if
they were modelled from the curves of the waves, and contained within
them the rippling sound of the sea upon the shore.

Alfred built up an oven in the father's forge, and baked the
vases. When all were finished, they presented them to their new
friends, who were greatly delighted, saying they had never seen such
beautiful ones.

Rosamond and her mother continued to mould, not only vases, but little
images, which were very much sought after by all the villagers.
Rosamond never knew that the violet flame once more burned upon her
forehead; but she knew that Alfred loved her, and long and happy was
their life, there, by the wide, sunny sea.



FLORIBEL.


One long, summer afternoon, old Zachary and his wife Betsy, having
finished their tea at four o'clock, and having nothing very
interesting to do, thought they would visit Hoppletyhop; the dwarf,
who had promised to grant three wishes to any one who would bring him
the three things he most desired in the world. Old Zachary took the
president's message, a pair of spectacles, and a pipe full of tobacco,