"Well, what do you wish?" said a Tiny Voice close by her--so close that
Little Girl fairly jumped when she heard it.

"Why, I wish I could SEE Santa myself. I'd just like to go and see his
house and his workshop, and ride in his sleigh, and know Mrs.
Santa--'twould be such fun, and then I'd KNOW for sure."

"Why don't you go, then?" said Tiny Voice. "It's easy enough. Just try
on these Shoes, and take this Light in your hand, and you'll find your
way all right."

So Little Girl looked down on the hearth, and there were two cunning
little Shoes side by side, and a little Spark of a Light close to
them--just as if they were all made out of one of the glowing coals of
the wood-fire. Such cunning Shoes as they were--Little Girl could
hardly wait to pull off her slippers and try them on. They looked as if
they were too small, but they weren't--they fitted exactly right, and
just as Little Girl had put them both on and had taken the Light in her
hand, along came a little Breath of Wind, and away she went up the
chimney, along with ever so many other little Sparks, past the Soot
Fairies, and out into the Open Air, where Jack Frost and the Star Beams
were all busy at work making the world look pretty for Christmas.

Away went Little Girl--Two Shoes, Bright Light, and all--higher and
higher, until she looked like a wee bit of a star up in the sky. It was
the funniest thing, but she seemed to know the way perfectly, and
didn't have to stop to make inquiries anywhere. You see it was a
straight road all the way, and when one doesn't have to think about
turning to the right or the left, it makes things very much easier.