“Oh dear!” she sighed, “I might almost as well go home now. It’s so
late. I’m sure the ice cream and cake and all the goodies will be eaten
before I get there. I do wish people would not be so careless and make
so much work for other people to do. I’m all tired out now and I do
hope that I’ve had my last delay.” With this thought she hurried along
just as fast as her little feet would go. So excited was poor Fluffy
now that she made a turn to the left instead to the right, and she had
gone quite a distance before she discovered that there was something
wrong. She did not know just what to do and became so dreadfully
frightened that she sat down and cried as though her little heart
would break. How long she had been sitting there she could not tell;
she went over the happenings since her dear mother kissed her goodbye,
and wondered if she would be able to find her way back home without
being caught by that awful Old Tabby Cat.
“If ever I get out of this trouble,” thought she, “I’ll never again
stop any place to help anybody. If I had only gone straight to the
party and let other folks take care of themselves I would be safe now.”
With the thought that she was now the most unhappy creature in the
world, she burst into tears again.
[Illustration: “‘Won’t you please give me those tears?’”]
“Won’t you please give me those tears?” Fluffy heard a tiny voice ask.
“I am withering away and must die soon if somebody does not give a
me tiny drink.” Looking down, Fluffy saw a tiny little Bluebell all
wilted, and looking so sad. “The trees are so thick here,” it said,
“I cannot get the rain or dew, and the fairies are having a big party
today and have forgotten poor little me.” By this time Fluffy’s tears
were all dried up, seeing some one in distress made her forget her
own troubles. “I can’t give you my tears,” she said, “for they have
all dried now, but I can get you some water from the brook,” so again
putting down her dear little fan and hanky she skipped off to the brook
to get the water. She had nothing in which to carry it so she made a
cup of her tiny hands and was stepping from one stone to another when
her little foot slipped and splash into the water it went. “Oh, my dear
little shoe!” wailed Fluffy as she looked down and saw the pretty bow
all wet and muddy, “I can never go to the party now.”
She tried her best to wipe off the mud and fluff up the bow and then
got more water which she took back to the little Bluebell who was
eagerly waiting for her to return. “There now, raise up your head and
be happy,” said Fluffy as she poured the water around its tiny roots.
“If you want more I shall get it for you, then I must try to find my
way home, as I have lost my way to Furrikins’ party.” By this time the
little Bluebell was refreshed after its hearty drink and told Fluffy
the way to reach Furrikins’ home.