374 A MYSTERIOUS OBJECT. 



her conjecture no ogre was to be seen at bottom of the pit; 

 but, where the monster usually made his lair, she perceived, as 

 she thought, a round object, like a ball of sand. 



Piccoletta was curious as well as courageous. She proposed 

 to a comrade that, by the assistance of each other, they should 

 descend to the bottom of the pitfall ; and when the latter (as 

 was not very surprising) looked somewhat shy of the attempt, 

 our little heroine, half-stepping, half-sliding down the descent, 

 effected her bold purpose by herself. Bold as she was, she 

 nevertheless shook, for a minute, from top to toe, when she 

 found herself standing alone in the very print-mark left by the 

 monstrous body of the late tenant of the den. 



But cause for alarm seemed none, as she evidently had the 

 pit-fall entirely to herself, with nothing whatever near her 

 except what looked below, as it had appeared from above, a 

 great ball of sand great, in comparison with Piccoletta, or 

 with any of her companions, but very small, as compared with 

 a creature like the Ogre. On the matter of her re-ascent 

 Piccoletta felt no concern, being assured that it would prove 

 the easiest operation in the world, when performed free of the 

 monster's presence and his arresting volleys. 



She began, therefore, with great composure, to examine the 

 brown ball which had raised her curiosity, and, on feeling its 

 surface, discovered, to her surprise, that, instead of being hard, 

 it was soft and yielding to the touch. Meanwhile, the people 

 above grew curious on their parts to see what was going on 

 within the pitfall, and some of them, spite of their fears, drew 

 closer to its edge, from which a few fragments, detached by 

 their weight, fell crumbling downwards. Piccoletta looked up 

 with a smile, partly of encouragement to her companions, 

 partly, perhaps, of self-complacency at her own superior 

 courage. At that moment, she heard a slight noise beside 

 her. Turning round, she beheld the ball in heaving motion, 

 and, presently, through a rent in its circumference, appeared 

 a living head. It was not the head of the Ogre ; but to Picco- 



