wisteria flung purple flowers in May.

On the topmost chimney was a stork's nest, and there dear grandfather
stork stood on one leg, unless he was wanted to carry a little baby to
some house in the village; when he flapped his wings and flew away over
the tree-tops to the Land of Little Souls.

Now the old woman loved her home, because she had lived there many years
with her husband. She loved the two worn chairs on each side of the great
hearth, and her pewter dishes, and her big china water-pitcher with
flowers shining on it--not for themselves, but for the reason that once
someone had used them and admired them with her.

Into the little latticed windows the roses peeped, and these Mother
Huldah loved too, and tended carefully all through the sweet-smelling
summer-time. But perhaps she liked best the long winter evenings when she
spun by the fire and sang little songs like these:

"My heart as a bird has flown away,
(Princess, where? Princess, where?)
Into the land that is always gay,
Out of the land of care.

"But no bird flies alone to bliss,
(Princess, why? Princess, why?)
I have no answer but a kiss,
And then the open sky."

Nobody listened but Tommie, who was an immense black cat, held in great
reverence by the villagers, for he had the greenest eyes and the longest