Little Annie looked , searched , and asked them all if any one could tell her of the Fairy whom she sought ; but the birds looked wonderingly at her with their soft , bright eyes , and still sang on ; the flowers nodded wisely on their stems , but did not speak , while butterfly and bee buzzed and fluttered away , one far too busy , the other too idle , to stay and tell her what she asked . Then she went through broad fields of yellow grain , that waved around her like a golden forest ; here crickets chirped , grasshoppers leaped , and busy ants worked , but they could not tell her what she longed to know . `` Now will I go among the hills , '' said Annie , `` she may be there . '' So up and down the green hill-sides went her little feet ; long she searched and vainly she called ; but still no Fairy came . Then by the river-side she went , and asked the gay dragon-flies , and the cool white lilies , if the Fairy had been there ; but the blue waves rippled on the white sand at her feet , and no voice answered her . Then into the forest little Annie went ; and as she passed along the dim , cool paths , the wood-flowers smiled up in her face , gay squirrels peeped at her , as they swung amid the vines , and doves cooed softly as she wandered by ; but none could answer her . So , weary with her long and useless search , she sat amid the ferns , and feasted on the rosy strawberries that grew beside her , watching meanwhile the crimson evening clouds that glowed around the setting sun . The night-wind rustled through the boughs , rocking the flowers to sleep ; the wild birds sang their evening hymns , and all within the wood grew calm and still ; paler and paler grew the purple light , lower and lower drooped little Annie 's head , the tall ferns bent to shield her from the dew , the whispering pines sang a soft lullaby ; and when the Autumn moon rose up , her silver light shone on the child , where , pillowed on green moss , she lay asleep amid the wood-flowers in the dim old forest . And all night long beside her stood the Fairy she had sought , and by elfin spell and charm sent to the sleeping child this dream . Little Annie dreamed she sat in her own garden , as she had often sat before , with angry feelings in her heart , and unkind words upon her lips . The magic flower was ringing its soft warning , but she paid no heed to anything , save her own troubled thoughts ; thus she sat , when suddenly a low voice whispered in her ear , -- `` Little Annie , look and see the evil things that you are cherishing ; I will clothe in fitting shapes the thoughts and feelings that now dwell within your heart , and you shall see how great their power becomes , unless you banish them for ever . '' Then Annie saw , with fear and wonder , that the angry words she uttered changed to dark , unlovely forms , each showing plainly from what fault or passion it had sprung . Some of the shapes had scowling faces and bright , fiery eyes ; these were the spirits of Anger . Others , with sullen , anxious looks , seemed gathering up all they could reach , and Annie saw that the more they gained , the less they seemed to have ; and these she knew were shapes of Selfishness . Spirits of Pride were there , who folded their shadowy garments round them , and turned scornfully away from all the rest . These and many others little Annie saw , which had come from her own heart , and taken form before her eyes . When first she saw them , they were small and weak ; but as she looked they seemed to grow and gather strength , and each gained a strange power over her . She could not drive them from her sight , and they grew ever stronger , darker , and more unlovely to her eyes . They seemed to cast black shadows over all around , to dim the sunshine , blight the flowers , and drive away all bright and lovely things ; while rising slowly round her Annie saw a high , dark wall , that seemed to shut out everything she loved ; she dared not move , or speak , but , with a strange fear at her heart , sat watching the dim shapes that hovered round her . Higher and higher rose the shadowy wall , slowly the flowers near her died , lingeringly the sunlight faded ; but at last they both were gone , and left her all alone behind the gloomy wall .
Then the spirits gathered round her , whispering strange things in her XXXXX , bidding her obey , for by her own will she had yielded up her heart to be their home , and she was now their slave .
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