“Ai, ai, little friends, have pity on the little snow girl.”

An old brown bear heard her, and came shambling up on his heavy paws.

“What are you crying about, little daughter of the Snow?”

“O big bear,” says the little snow girl, “how can I help crying?  I have lost my way, and dusk is falling, and all my little friends are gone.”

“I will take you home,” says the old brown bear.

“O big bear,” says the little snow girl, “I am afraid of you.  I think you would eat me.  I would rather go home with some one else.”

So the bear shambled away and left her.

An old gray wolf heard her, and came galloping up on his swift feet.  He stood under the tree and asked,—­

“What are you crying about, little daughter of the Snow?”

“O gray wolf,” says the little snow girl, “how can I help crying?  I have lost my way, and it is getting dark, and all my little friends are gone.”

“I will take you home,” says the old gray wolf.

“O gray wolf,” says the little snow girl, “I am afraid of you.  I think you would eat me.  I would rather go home with some one else.”

So the wolf galloped away and left her.

An old red fox heard her, and came running up to the tree on his little pads.  He called out cheerfully,—­

“What are you crying about, little daughter of the Snow?”

“O red fox,” says the little snow girl, “how can I help crying?  I have lost my way, and it is quite dark, and all my little friends are gone.”

“I will take you home,” says the old red fox.

“O red fox,” says the little snow girl, “I am not afraid of you.  I do not think you will eat me.  I will go home with you, if you will take me.”

So she scrambled down from the tree, and she held the fox by the hair of his back, and they ran together through the dark forest.  Presently they saw the lights in the windows of the huts, and in a few minutes they were at the door of the hut that belonged to the old man and the old woman.

And there were the old man and the old woman, crying and lamenting.

“Oh, what has become of our little snow girl?”

“Oh, where is our little white pigeon?”

“Here I am,” says the little snow girl.  “The kind red fox has brought me home.  You must shut up the dogs.”

The old man shut up the dogs.

“We are very grateful to you,” says he to the fox.

“Are you really?” says the old red fox; “for I am very hungry.”

“Here is a nice crust for you,” says the old woman.

“Oh,” says the fox, “but what I would like would be a nice plump hen. 
After all, your little snow girl is worth a nice plump hen.”

“Very well,” says the old woman, but she grumbles to her husband.

“Husband,” says she, “we have our little girl again.”

“We have,” says he; “thanks be for that.”