"l^r WOOD MYTH & FABLE 



another nest. And here and there each 

 different kind of lamp stood for another 

 kind of nest. A beautiful purple blaze in 

 a low tangle caught his eye. He ran 

 there, and found a nest he had never 

 seen before. It was full of purple eggs, 

 and there was the rare bird he had seen 

 but once. It was chanting the weird song 

 he had often heard, but never traced. 

 But the eggs were the marvelous things. 

 His old egg-collecting instinct broke out. 

 He reached forth to clutch the wonderful 

 prize, and — in an instant all the lights went 

 out. There was nothing but the black 

 woods about him. Then on the pathway 

 shone again the soft light . It grew brighter, 

 till in the middle of it he saw the Little 

 Brown Lady — the Fairy of the Woods. 

 But she was not smiling now. Her face 

 was stern and sad as she said: *T fear I 



