"Where is my little maid?" called her father, cheerily, as he came in to dinner from the field where he had been working; but no little maid replied.
"She has gone for bird weeds and flowers," said her mother. "She will be here in a few moments."
But the dinner was eaten, and the father went back to his work, and still no Birdie came.
The clock struck one—struck two—struck three, and then, her heart growing heavier and heavier at every step, the frightened mother started out to look for her darling. North, south, east, west, half a mile each way from the cottage, she ran, stopping every few minutes to call, "Birdie! Birdie!" but only the echoes answered her call. At last to the field where her husband was working she flew. "Leave the plough," she cried, wringing her hands, "and look for the child."
North, east, south, west, a mile each way from his home, went the father, shouting, "Birdie! Birdie, little maid!" and the echoes repeated, "Birdie! Birdie, little maid!" but no other sound he heard except the rustling of the leaves and the whir of insect wings. The sun was beginning to sink in the west when, tired and heart-sick, he came back again. "Perhaps she is there now," he thought, a ray of hope lighting up his face as he neared the garden gate; but a glance at his wife's tearful eyes as she came to meet him told him he had hoped in vain. "I'll saddle the horse and ride to the village," he said, "and every father there will join me in the search for my child. And we'll find her, never fear."
"God grant that you may—and alive!" sobbed the poor mother. "My darling! oh, my darling!"
At that moment a flock of birds came in sight—so large a flock that, wheeling around the head of the sorrowing mother, it almost shut out from her the light of day.
Round and round her the birds circled, uttering strange, eager sounds; then flew away a short distance, to return with louder calls than ever.
"They miss her," said the father, who was just about to mount his horse. "They have come to be fed."
"They have come to lead us to her," cried his wife, her whole face growing glad and bright. "Look at them! They are asking us to follow."