Atondido Stories
chimneys, seemed to turn into silver plates. As the disc rose
higher in the sky, he could hardly see the moving light, that had
looked like a lady; but the voice, no longer a whisper, as at first,
was now even plainer:
"There's plenty of cheese. Come with us."
"I'll see what it is, anyhow," said Klaas, as he drew on his
thick woolen stockings and prepared to go down-stairs and out,
without waking a soul. At the door he stepped into his wooden
shoes. Just then the cat purred and rubbed up against his shins.
He jumped, for he was scared; but looking down, for a moment,
he saw the two balls of yellow fire in her head and knew what
they were. Then he sped to the pine woods and towards the fairy
ring.
What an odd sight! At first Klaas thought it was a circle of big
fire-flies. Then he saw clearly that there were dozens of pretty
creatures, hardly as large as dolls, but as lively as crickets. They
were as full of light, as if lamps had wings. Hand in hand, they
flitted and danced around the ring of grass, as if this was fun.
Hardly had Klaas got over his first surprise, than of a sudden he
felt himself surrounded by the fairies. Some of the strongest
among them had left the main party in the circle and come to
him. He felt himself pulled by their dainty fingers. One of them,
the loveliest of all, whispered in his ear:
"Come, you must dance with us."
Then a dozen of the pretty creatures murmured in chorus:
"Plenty of cheese here. Plenty of cheese here. Come, come!"
Upon this, the heels of Klaas seemed as light as a feather. In a
moment, with both hands clasped in those of the fairies, he was
dancing in high glee. It was as much fun as if he were at the ker-
miss, with a row of boys and girls, hand in hand, swinging along
the streets, as Dutch maids and youth do, during kermiss week.
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