Page:Little Ellie and Other Tales (1850).djvu/132

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Little Ida’s Flowers.

man, and always scolded when he saw him cutting out pasteboard figures—as, for example, a man on the gallows with a heart in his hand, which was meant for a stealer of hearts; or an old witch riding on a broomstick, carrying her husband on the tip of her nose. The cross Professor could not bear any of these, and then he used to say as he did now, “What’s the meaning of that—to teach the child such nonsense! That’s your stupid Imagination, I suppose!”

But little Ida thought it was very amusing, and could not leave off thinking of what the youth had told her about the flowers. No doubt her flowers did hang their heads because they really had been to the ball yesterday. She therefore carried them to the table where all sorts of toys were nicely arranged, and in the drawer were many pretty things besides. Her doll lay in a little bed, to go to sleep; but Ida said to her, “Really, Sophie, you must get up, and be satisfied with the drawer for to- night; for the poor flowers are ill, and

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