"Come and drive away this great pig, Freddy," she cried.
That was soon done. Away galloped the pig, crushing the thick branches under his hoofs.
They had all crept out after Florence, and the path on that side looked so pretty that Annie called to her papa to ask him to lead them down it. It went winding among beech trees, which, when they were lopped, had thrown out long feathery branches from their roots and stems, making a beautiful green wall on each side, and meeting in an arch above. As they walked along it, they saw many and many another, quite as beautiful, branching off in all directions, like endless shrubberies, and were often tempted to run down them, but for the fear of losing themselves.
"What is that tinkling bell I hear every now and then?" asked Emily.
"That is a bell round a cow's neck," answered Mrs. Grove. "The cow that startled Florence so much had probably twenty companions feeding near us, and one or two always have bells to guide their owners where to find them at milking time."
"And were there a number of pigs too?" asked Florence.
"There are great numbers in the Forest. Nearly all the cottagers keep them, and let them roam about in search of roots and nuts; but they are unsocial creatures, and seldom feed together. In the evenings you may see them, one by one, issuing from the several paths out of the trees, and each making his way to his own home. There they stand grunting and squeaking at the door of their styes till some one lets them in."
"How funny they must look!" said Florence laughing.
"But how sensible of them!" said Emily. "I had no idea pigs were so clever. I am sure I should not know the way out of the Forest."
The path had now led them to the borders of a clear little stream, flowing in the bottom of the valley, among stones and stumps covered with bright green moss. They crossed it and came to an open grassy space, where twenty or thirty rough, shaggy-looking horses were feeding; these only lifted their heads for a minute, to look at the visitors, and then went on eating.