"Oh Polawee, Polawee," she exclaimed, and more tears splashed into the stream.
"Yes. Doesn't it seem too bad?" said a pleasant little voice. It seemed to come from the weeping willow growing beside the bridge. Rowena started and looked at the tree dipping its drooping leaves into the water.
"If Polawee saw her river today I think it would make her kind heart ache," went on the voice.
Rowena stopped crying and looked all about. Finally she perceived what she thought were the gauzy wings of a dragon-fly, but as they came nearer she saw that it was a lovely little fairy who stood near her on the railing of the bridge.
The fairy smiled when she saw that the astonished child perceived her. "What is your name?" she asked.
"Rowena," replied the little girl, staring with her sad, tearful eyes.
"A pretty name," said the fairy, and she looked so kind that Rowena shook her head.
"But the children call me Hyena," she said, "and I am bent and homely, with red hair—"
"Hair lighted by the sun," said the fairy.
"And freckles," added Rowena.