Mrs. Norton lay still for a few moments after the kisses, with closed
eyes.
"Ah!" she said at last. "Now I think I've caught one. But it's a very
little one, poor little thing. And yet, strange to say, though it's very
little, it's very old. Now, children, you must be kind to my story. I
caught him first a great many years ago in an old book, but I am afraid
you will hardly care for him as much as I did. Well, once upon a time
there was a great king."
"Was it King Arthur, mother?" interrupted Olly, eagerly.
"Oh no! this king lived in a different country altogether. He lived in a
beautiful hot country over the sea, called Spain."
"Oh, mother! a _hot_ country!" protested Milly, "that's where the rain
goes to."
"Well, Milly, I don't think you know any more about it, except that you
_tell_ the rain to go there. Don't you know by this time that the rain
never does what it's told? Really, very little rain goes to Spain, and
in some parts of the country the people would be very glad indeed if we
could send them some of the rain we don't want at Ravensnest. But now,
you mustn't interrupt me, or I shall forget my story--Well there was
once a king who lived in a _very_ hot part of Spain, where they don't
have much rain, and where it hardly ever snows or freezes.
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