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another; but refined wilderness etiquette was 

 yet to be learned. Usually I felt welcome in the 

 most secluded place, but one day, having wan- 

 dered out into the corner of the meadow, I felt 

 that I was not only an uninvited guest, but a 

 most unwelcome intruder. 



The meadow was a deeply secluded one, such 

 as the fairies would naturally reserve for them- 

 selves. Towering spruces shut it out from the 

 world. A summer play was surely in progress 

 when I blundered upon the scene. With my 

 intrusion everything stopped abruptly. Each 

 flower paused in the midst of its part, the music 

 of the thrush broke off, the tall spruces scowled 

 stiffly, and the slender, observant young trees 

 stood unwillingly still. Plainly all were annoyed 

 at my presence, and all were waiting impatiently 

 for me to be gone. As I retreated into the woods, 

 a breeze whispered and the spruces made stately 

 movements. The flowers in the meadow re- 

 sumed their dance, the aspen leaves their merry 

 accompaniment, the young trees their graceful 

 swaying and bowing, and the fairies and bees 

 became as happy as before. 



244 



