Белая птичка
The Little House
ButthoughtheyfoundherdeepinsnowintheFigs,itseemedimpossibletothankMaimie,fortheycouldnotwakenher.Theywentthroughtheformofthankingher,thatistosay,thenewKingstoodonherbodyandreadheralongaddressofwelcome,butsheheardnotawordofit.Theyalsoclearedthesnowoffher,butsoonshewascoveredagain,andtheysawshewasindangerofperishingofcold.
“Turnherintosomethingthatdoesnotmindthecold,”seemedagoodsuggestionofthedoctor’s,buttheonlythingtheycouldthinkofthatdoesnotmindcoldwasasnowflake.“Anditmightmelt,”theQueenpointedout,sothatideahadtobegivenup.
Amagnificentattemptwasmadetocarryhertoashelteredspot,butthoughthereweresomanyofthemshewastooheavy.Bythistimealltheladieswerecryingintheirhandkerchiefs,butpresentlytheCupidshadalovelyidea.“Buildahouseroundher,”theycried,andatonceeverybodyperceivedthatthiswasthethingtodo;inamomentahundredfairysawyerswereamongthebranches,architectswererunningroundMaimie,measuringher;abricklayer’syardsprangupatherfeet,seventy-fivemasonsrushedupwiththefoundationstoneandtheQueenlaidit,overseerswereappointedtokeeptheboysoff,scaffoldingswererunup,thewholeplacerangwithhammersandchiselsandturninglathes,andbythistimetheroofwasonandtheglazierswereputtinginthewindows.
ThehousewasexactlythesizeofMaimieandperfectlylovely.
