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She took nothing with her but a little ring which her father and

mother had given her, a loaf of bread in case she should be

hungry, a little pitcher of water in case she should be thirsty,

and a little stool to rest upon when she should be weary.

Thus she went on and on, and journeyed till she came to the

world's end; then she came to the sun, but the sun looked much

too hot and fiery; so she ran away quickly to the moon, but the

moon was cold and chilly, and said, 'I smell flesh and blood this

way!' so she took herself away in a hurry and came to the stars,

and the stars were friendly and kind to her, and each star sat

upon his own little stool; but the morning star rose up and gave

her a little piece of wood, and said, 'If you have not this

little piece of wood, you cannot unlock the castle that stands on

the glass-mountain, and there your brothers live.' The little

girl took the piece of wood, rolled it up in a little cloth, and

went on again until she came to the glass-mountain, and found the

door shut. Then she felt for the little piece of wood; but when

she unwrapped the cloth it was not there, and she saw she had

lost the gift of the good stars. What was to be done?