the impossible story to be founded on my own childish impressions and adventures, with a few dreams and fancies thrown in and two or three native legends and myths, such as the one of the Lady of the Hills, the incarnate spirit of the rocky Sierras on the great plains, about which I heard from my gaucho comrades when on the spot—­the strange woman seldom viewed by human eyes who is jealous of man’s presence and is able to create sudden violent tempests to frighten them from her sacred haunts.

That’s the story of my story, and to the question in your publisher’s practical mind, I’m sorry to have to say I don’t know.  I have no way of finding out, since children are not accustomed to write to authors to tell them what they think of their books.  And after all these excuses it just occurs to me that children do not read forewords and introductions; they have to be addressed to adults who do not read children’s books, so that in any case it would be thrown away.  Still if a foreword you must have, and from me, I think you will have to get it out of this letter.

    I remain,

    Yours cordially,
      W. H. HUDSON.

    November 14,1917.