"Just then the lamb began to bleat louder, and in a very beseeching tone, as if he felt lonesome and wanted company. It seemed to touch the girls' hearts; and they sprang up, and started for the door—all but me.
"'Well, run along if you want to,' said I, 'I'll come in a minute.'
"'But you mustn't stay here and keep on knitting,' said they; 'that wouldn't be fair.'
"'I don't mean to keep on knitting. I won't knit another stitch; but I want to sweep up the hearth,' said I.
"As I spoke, I dared not look anybody in the face, for a dreadfully wicked thought had come into my head.
"If I could only pick out the mark mother had put in my work, and sew in another lower down! A black satin bag was hanging on a nail by the window; and in the bottom of the bag was a needlebook with the very needle and red worsted mother had used to sew in the marks!
"The girls ran out, and I seized that needle—O, how thick and fast my heart beat! It was as much as I could do to make the stitch, my fingers trembled so. But I did it. I put in the mark almost an inch below the right place, and picked out the first mark with a pair of scissors. Then I swept up the hearth a little bit, and went out to the girls.
"They were so delighted with the lamb that they scarcely looked at me; if they had, they must have seen something strange in my face.
"'Come, girls,' said I, speaking very fast, 'let's go right back and knit; and, when it's four o'clock, we'll come back here and play Ring Round Rosy, and every thing else.'