therewasnonight-lampburning,buttheroomappearedquitelight,forthemoonshonethroughthewindowuponthefloor,andmadeitalmostlikeday.allthehyacinthsandtulipsstoodintwolongrowsdowntheroom,notasingleflowerremainedinthewindow,andtheflower-potswereallempty.theflowersweredancinggracefullyonthefloor,makingturnsandholdingeachotherbytheirlonggreenleavesastheyswunground.atthepianosatalargeyellowlilywhichlittleidawassureshehadseeninthesummer,forsherememberedthestudentsayingshewasverymuchlikemisslina,oneofida'sfriends.theyalllaughedathimthen,butnowitseemedtolittleidaasifthetall,yellowflowerwasreallyliketheyounglady.shehadjustthesamemannerswhileplaying,bendingherlongyellowfacefromsidetoside,andnoddingintimetothebeautifulmusic.thenshesawalargepurplecrocusjumpintothemiddleofthetablewheretheplaythingsstood,gouptothedoll'sbedsteadanddrawbackthecurtains;therelaythesickflowers,buttheygotupdirectly,andnoddedtotheothersasasignthattheywishedtodancewiththem.theoldroughdoll,withthebrokenmouth,stoodupandbowedtotheprettyflowers.theydidnotlookillatallnow,butjumpedaboutandwereverymerry,yetnoneofthemnoticedlittleida.presentlyitseemedasifsomethingfellfromthetable.idalookedthatway,andsawaslightcarnivalrodjumpingdownamongtheflowersasifitbelongedtothem;itwas,however,verysmoothandneat,andalittlewaxdollwithabroadbrimmedhatonherhead,liketheonewornbythelawyer,satuponcarnivalrodhoppedaboutamongtheflowersonitsthreeredstiltedfeet,andstampedquiteloudwhenitdancedthemazurka;theflowerscouldnotperformthisdance,theyweretoolighttostampinthatmanner.allatoncethewaxdollwhichrodeonthecarnivalrodseemedtogrowlargerandtaller,anditturnedroundandsaidtothepaperflowers,"howcanyouputsuchthingsinachild'shead?theyareallfoolishfancies;"andthenthedollwasexactlylikethelawyerwiththebroadbrimmedhat,andlookedasyellowandascrossashedid;butthepaperdollsstruckhimonhisthinlegs,andheshrunkupagainandbecamequitealittlewaxdoll.thiswasveryamusing,andidacouldnothelplaughing.thecarnivalrodwentondancing,andthelawyerwasobligedtodancealso.itwasnouse,hemightmakehimselfgreatandtall,orremainalittlewaxdollwithalargeblackhat;stillhemustdance.thenatlasttheotherflowersintercededforhim,especiallythosewhohadlaininthedoll'sbed,andthecarnivalrodgaveuphisdancing.atthesamemomentaloudknockingwasheardinthedrawer,whereida'sdollsophylaywithmanyothertoys.thentheroughdollrantotheendofthetable,laidhimselfflatdownuponit,andbegantopullthedraweroutalittleway.

thensophyraisedhimself,andlookedroundquiteastonished,"theremustbeaballhereto-night,"saidsophy."whydidnotsomebodytellme?"

"willyoudancewithme?"saidtheroughdoll.

"youaretherightsorttodancewith,certainly,"saidshe,turningherbackuponhim.

thensheseatedherselfontheedgeofthedrawer,andthoughtthatperhapsoneoftheflowerswouldaskhertodance;butnoneofthemcame.thenshecoughed,"hem,hem,a-hem;"butforallthatnotonecame.theshabbydollnowdancedquitealone,andnotverybadly,afterall.asnoneoftheflowersseemedtonoticesophy,sheletherselfdownfromthedrawertothefloor,soastomakeaverygreatnoise.alltheflowerscameroundherdirectly,andaskedifshehadhurtherself,especiallythosewhohadlaininherbed.butshewasnothurtatall,andida'sflowersthankedherfortheuseofthenicebed,andwereverykindtoher.theyledherintothemiddleoftheroom,wherethemoonshone,anddancedwithher,whilealltheotherflowersformedacircleroundthem.thensophywasveryhappy,andsaidtheymightkeepherbed;shedidnotmindlyinginthedraweratall.buttheflowersthankedherverymuch,andsaid,-

"wecannotlivelong.to-morrowmorningweshallbequitedead;andyoumusttelllittleidatoburyusinthegarden,neartothegraveofthecanary;then,inthesummerweshallwakeupandbemorebeautifulthanever."

"no,youmustnotdie,"saidsophy,asshekissedtheflowers.

thenthedooroftheroomopened,andanumberofbeautifulflowersdancedin.idacouldnotimaginewheretheycouldcomefrom,unlesstheyweretheflowersfromtheking'sgarden.firstcametwolovelyroses,withlittlegoldencrownsontheirheads;thesewerethekingandqueen.beautifulstocksandcarnationsfollowed,bowingtoeveryonepresent.theyhadalsomusicwiththem.largepoppiesandpeonieshadpea-shellsforinstruments,andblewintothemtilltheywerequiteredintheface.thebunchesofbluehyacinthsandthelittlewhitesnowdropsjingledtheirbell-likeflowers,asiftheywererealbells.thencamemanymoreflowers:blueviolets,purpleheart's-ease,daisies,andliliesofthevalley,andtheyalldancedtogether,andkissedeachother.itwasverybeautifultobehold.

atlasttheflowerswishedeachothergood-night.thenlittleidacreptbackintoherbedagain,anddreamtofallshehadshearosethenextmorning,shewentquicklytothelittletable,toseeiftheflowerswerestillthere.shedrewasidethecurtainsofthelittlebed.theretheyalllay,butquitefaded;muchmoresothanthedaybefore.sophywaslyinginthedrawerwhereidahadplacedher;butshelookedverysleepy.

"doyourememberwhattheflowerstoldyoutosaytome?"