"Sh-h! I believe the fairy is coming!"
"Sh-h! I believe the fairy is coming," whispered May. "I hear footsteps!"
At that moment the bushes were pushed gently aside and a little, barefooted old woman peeped smilingly through at them. A small, brown-eyed girl was with her. She was barefooted, too, and they each wore a wreath of grape leaves around their flying hair. The little girl had a bunch of fresh grape leaves in her hand, and the little old woman carried a small basket of luscious wild strawberries.
The child laughed and darted into the little group
The child laughed and darted into the little group, laying a large grape leaf on the lap of each of the strangers. The little old woman followed close behind her, shaking strawberries from her basket onto each green leaf. Then the little girl quickly laid another leaf on top of the strawberries.
They were about to slip away into the bushes again when May called, "Wait, wait, good fairies! Thank you for your strawberries, and please let us give you our sweet chocolate."
The small basket was passed quickly around again and the tiny tinsel-covered cakes were all dropped into it. Then the two little people, with smiling lips and shining eyes, slipped away into the tall bushes.
"Oh! oh!" whispered Molly. "Were they really, truly fairies?"