Of the Flower-Garden At the Old Woman’s Who Unders

           ButwhatbecameoflittleGerdawhenKaydidnotreturn? Wherecouldhebe? Nobodyknew;nobodycouldgiveanyintelligence. Alltheboysknewwas, thattheyhadseenhimtiehissledgetoanotherlargeandsplendidone, whichdrovedownthestreetandoutofthetown. Nobodyknewwherehewas;manysadtearswereshed,andlittleGerdaweptlongandbitterly; atlastshesaidhemustbedead; thathehadbeendrownedintheriverwhichflowedclosetothetown. Oh!thosewereverylonganddismalwinterevenings! 

           Atlastspringcame,withitswarmsunshine. 

           "Kayisdeadandgone!"saidlittleGerda. 

           "ThatIdon’tbelieve,"saidtheSunshine. 

           "Kayisdeadandgone!"saidshetotheSwallows. 

           "ThatIdon’tbelieve,"saidthey: andatlastlittleGerdadidnotthinksoanylongereither. 

           "I’llputonmyredshoes,"saidshe,onemorning; "Kayhasneverseenthem,andthenI’llgodowntotheriverandaskthere." 

           Itwasquiteearly; shekissedheroldgrandmother,whowasstillasleep, putonherredshoes, andwentalonetotheriver. 

           "Isittruethatyouhavetakenmylittleplayfellow? Iwillmakeyouapresentofmyredshoes,ifyouwillgivehimbacktome."