36 WITH CARL OF THE HILL 



beautiful forest and made everything, and why he, 

 Carl, thought it had been made. And that though 

 she could not see Him she must never forget Him, 

 for He saw her always and guided all His children 

 with His eye. He never spoke, He only looked, 

 but then we knew exactly what He wanted, and 

 whether we were doing right or wrong. 



Sunlight had a remarkable influence over all 

 dumb creatures. Gralle, the grey horse, who 

 was queer tempered with every one else, would 

 nestle his old muzzle down against her cheek, and 

 Rappe's predecessor, a cross-grained dog, was always 

 gentleness itself with her. Carl had built for 

 the child a sort of bower of spruce fir branches up 

 among the arms of an old pollard near the hut. 

 She called it her castle, and went up and down 

 W by a little ladder. Here a red squirrel used to 



watch her, and watch her with bright black eyes. 

 Each day he would come and look, venturing a 

 little nearer — a little nearer — and Sunlight would 

 keep as still as a mouse, moving not so much as 

 an eyeHd. At last his confidence grew so assured 

 ^ that he would come and take bits of mushroom 

 from her fingers, and sit there close with his tail 

 over his back, nibbling the dainty with absolute 



