"Purity felt bad because his face was the sorriest that you ever saw, and his voice sounded full of crying. So she put her arms around him. 'Now don't you feel that way;' she said, 'everything is just as happy as it was before. There isn't any dragon there. Tell me where you see him.'
"So the man pointed to the foot of a great tree close by.
"'All right,' said Purity, 'I'll go and stand right in front of that tree until you get 'way out of the woods, and then I'll run and catch up with you.'
"The man stooped down and put his arms around the girl just as lovingly as if she was his own little grandchild.
"'I can't do that,' he said; 'I'd rather the dragon would eat me up than you. You run, Purity, and I'll stay; and when he tries to catch you, I'll throw myself in front of him. But kiss me once, dear, because we've been very happy together.'
"Purity kissed him over and over again because she was so happy about his goodness, and she saw the tears in his eyes, that are the kind that make people see better. She knew what the man was going to see when he stood up again."
The story-teller paused a moment, but no one spoke, although she looked at each one questioningly; so she continued:—
"Well, he was the most surprised man when he got up and looked around.
"'The dragon has gone!' he said.
"'No, he hasn't,' said Purity, and she just hopped up and down, she was so glad. 'He hasn't gone, because he wasn't there!'