Especially did Emilie fly to this refuge in papa's room after a quarrel with Franz, and I'm sorry to say she had a great many. The apple woman found out that the little brother and sister were not always amiable. Anna had confided in her; and then one day the children approached her stand contradicting each other, their voices growing louder and louder as they came, until at last Franz made a face at Emilie, giving her a push, and she, quick as a kitten, jumped forward and slapped him.
What Franz would have done after this I don't know, if the apple woman hadn't said, "Chillen, chillen!" so loud that he stopped to look at her.
"Ah, listen at that fairy Slap-back a-laughin'!" cried the apple woman.
"The fairy Flapjack?" asked Franz, as he and his sister forgot their wrath and ran toward the stand.
"Flapjack!" repeated the apple woman with scorn, as the children nestled down, one each side of her. "Yo' nice chillen pertendin' not to know yo' friends!"
"What friends? What?" asked Emilie eagerly.
"The fairy Slap-back. P'raps I didn't see her jest now, a-grinnin' over yo' shoulder."
"Is she anybody to be afraid of?" asked Emilie, big-eyed.
"To be sho' she is if you-all go makin' friends with her," returned the apple woman, with a knowing sidewise nod of her head. Then drawing back from the children with an air of greatest surprise, "You two don't mean to come here tellin' me you ain't never heerd o' the error-fairies?" she asked.
"Never," they both replied together.