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STORIES ABOUT ELVES. 173 (II) HERE was once a poor servant maid, who was very cleanly and industrious ; she swept down the house every day, and put the sweepings on a great heap by the door. One morning, before she began her work, she found a letter, and as she could not read, she laid her broom in the corner, and took the letter 3 to her master and mistress, to see what .- was about; and it was an invitation from the elves, who . ished the maid to come and stand godmother to one of their hildren. The maid did not know what to do; and as she . Jas told that no one ought to refuse the elves anything, she . aade up her mind to go. So there came three little elves, . "ho conducted her into the middle of a high mountain, where . he little people lived. Here everything was of a very small . ize, but more fine and elegant than can be told. The mother of the child lay in a bed made of ebony, studded with pearls, . he ceunterpane was embroidered with gold, the cradle was of ivory, and the bathing-ttub of gold. So the maid stood yodmother, and was then for going home, but the elves _»egged her to stay at least three more days with them; and . 0 she consented, and spent the time in mirth and jollity, and jhe elves seemed very fond of her. At last, when she was yeady to go away, they filled her pockets full of gold, and led _aer back again out of the mountain. When she got back to . he house, she was going to begin working again, and took her -proom in her hand; it was still standing in the corner where she had left it, and began to sweep. Then came up some strangers and asked her who she was, and what she was doing. And she found that instead of three days, she had been seven years with the elves in the mountain, and that during that time her master and mistress had died. " \ ih MT —— OTT 3 S S Q | \ _
