Beneath the branches of a white pine grew blushing lady-slippers, which Eepersip had never seen before. “Dawn comes to earth sometimes,” she thought, “bringing her flower-clouds and clasping them with pearl seeds.”
Eepersip was anxious to know what was on the southern slope of this highest peak of Mt. Varcrobis. So one day along she went, happily singing, until she came to it. Then she was surprised to find that this slope, instead of being a rocky precipice as the one had been at the foot of Eiki-ennern Peak, went down steeply for a little way and then broadened out into an enormous field, on the farther side of which was a herd of deer. Away, away, Eepersip could just see to the edge of this plain-like field. With a shout, down she dashed; and, dancing as she had never danced before, she sang like a nightingale for joy of her discovery. And yet, she thought to herself, what if it should be a dream? She was quite sure that it was not, though, for she had felt decidedly awake when she started off. But, because she had started before anyone else was up or even awake, she thought that she might be asleep herself. Anyhow, if it was a dream, it was a lovely one, and she need not worry
But now let us return to the grieving parents of Eepersip, who were consulting the Wraspanes about a plan to search for her.
At last Mrs. Eigleen said: “Something very queer has happened to our child. She must have seen something or other that has made her want to go off. But I will tell you what we can do. We’ll take the Wraspanes’ big tent, and, fetching the Ikkisfields, we can camp near where one of us sees Eepersip; for I’m sure that she wouldn’t leave Mount Varcrobis unless absolutely compelled to. We can learn what habits Eepersip has got into, and perhaps we can catch her by some plan. My husband and you, Mr. Wraspane, are the spry ones, and perhaps you can hide behind trees and catch her when she goes past.”
“What a grand idea!” cried everybody else in one voice; and without further ado they decided to carry it out.
So the very next day Mr. Eigleen and Mr. Wraspane set off to explore, on the chance of finding Eepersip or discovering where she was living. They reasoned out that Eepersip must have gone through the Wraspanes’ land when running off; because on the western side of the Eigleens’ little cottage there was a dense wood, of which Eepersip had always been rather afraid, it was so dark and mysterious. They went through the field of rhododendrons, on the selfsame path, and at last came out in the same small glade in which Eepersip had seen the deer, with the same brooklet running across it. They hunted all over it, but no trace of Eepersip could they find. They began to feel foolish. They decided to go back and tell the waiting folks that they had not seen a glimpse of her, when a glorious burst of singing reached their ears. Immediately they turned and ran in the direction of the voice. But still they didn’t see her, for they never dreamed that she had gone up the steep slope of Eiki-ennern Peak. And they began to feel still more foolish.
At last, after a lot of aimless wandering through forests, glades, and fields, they decided to give it up for just then and tell the folks that they had heard her, but couldn’t find her. So back they went, feeling very foolish indeed.
“We were looking for her everywhere,” said Mr. Eigleen, “and after we had searched for a long time we heard this excellent singing, better than I thought she could utter, and we went in its direction, but couldn’t find her. So I am beginning to think that 'twasn’t she at all—either she or a fairy.”
“Fairy!” exclaimed Mrs. Eigleen, indignantly —“fairy! There is no such thing as 'fairy'— stupid!”