How she wished she knew the old woman's
name, that she might call it after her through the moonlight!
But the wise woman had, in truth, heard the first sound of her
running feet, and stopped and turned, waiting. What with running and
crying, however, and a fall or two as she ran, the princess never
saw her until she fell right into her arms--and the same moment into
a fresh rage; for as soon as any trouble was over the princess was
always ready to begin another. The wise woman therefore pushed her
away, and walked on; while the princess ran scolding and storming
after her. She had to run till, from very fatigue, her rudeness
ceased. Her heart gave way; she burst into tears, and ran on
silently weeping.
A minute more and the wise woman stooped, and lifting her in her
arms, folded her cloak around her. Instantly she fell asleep, and
slept as soft and as soundly as if she had been in her own bed. She
slept till the moon went down; she slept till the sun rose up; she
slept till he climbed the topmost sky; she slept till he went down
again, and the poor old moon came peaking and peering out once more:
and all that time the wise woman went walking on and on very fast.
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