. Stories for the household . of his own, and it amuseshim greatly. Can I depend upon that ? asked the little Ball. May I never be whipped again if it is not true! replied the Top. You can speak well for yourself, observed the Ball, but I cannotgrant your request. I am as good as engaged to a swallow : every timeI leap up into the air she puts her head out of her nest and says, Willyou ? And now I have silently said Yes, and that is as good as halfengaged ; but I promise I will never forget you. Yes, that will be much good ! said the Top. And they spoke no more to each other. Next day the Ball
. Stories for the household . of his own, and it amuseshim greatly. Can I depend upon that ? asked the little Ball. May I never be whipped again if it is not true! replied the Top. You can speak well for yourself, observed the Ball, but I cannotgrant your request. I am as good as engaged to a swallow : every timeI leap up into the air she puts her head out of her nest and says, Willyou ? And now I have silently said Yes, and that is as good as halfengaged ; but I promise I will never forget you. Yes, that will be much good ! said the Top. And they spoke no more to each other. Next day the Ball was taken out by the boy. The Top saw how itflew high into the air, like a bird ; at last one could no longer see time it came back again, but gave a high leap when it touched theearth, and that was done either from its longing to mount up again, orbecause it had a Spanish cork in its body. But the ninth time the littleBall remained absent, and did not come back again ; and the boy soughtand sought, but it was THE 3IAID FINDS THE WHIP-TOP. I know very well where it is! sighed the Top. It is in theswallows nest, and has married the swallow ! The more the Top thought of this, the more it longed for the because it could not get the Ball, its love increased; aud the factthat the Ball had chosen another, formed a peculiar feature in the the Top danced round and hummed, but always thought of the littleBall, which became more and more beautiful in his fancy. Thus severalyears went by, and now it was an old love. And the Top was no longer young ! But one day he was gilt allover; never had he looked so handsome ; he was now a golden Top, andsprang till he hummed again. Tes, that was something worth seeing!But all at once he sprang too high, and—he was gone ! They looked and looked, even in the cellar, but he was not to befound. Where could he be ? He had jumped into the dust-box, where all kinds of things werelying: cabbage stalks, sweepings, and dust
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherlondongroutledgean
