But now let us return to the grieving parents of Eepersip, who were consulting the Wraspanes about a plan to search for her. At last Mrs. Eigleen said: “Something very queer has happened to our child. She must have seen something or other that has made her want to go off. But I will tell you what we can do. We’ll take the Wraspanes’ big tent, and, fetching the Ikkisfields, we can camp near where one of us sees Eepersip; for I’m sure that she wouldn’t leave Mount Varcrobis unless absolutely compelled to. We can learn what habits Eepersip has got into, and perhaps we can catch her by some plan. My husband and you, Mr. Wraspane, are the spry ones, and perhaps you can hide behind trees and catch her when she goes past.”
“What a grand idea!” cried everybody else in one voice; and without further ado they decided to carry it out.
So the very next day Mr. Eigleen and Mr. Wraspane set off to explore, on the chance of finding Eepersip or discovering where she was living. They reasoned out that Eepersip must have gone through the Wraspanes’ land when running off; because on the western side of the Eigleens’ little cottage there was a dense wood, of which Eepersip had always been rather afraid, it was so dark and mysterious. They went through the field of rhododendrons, on the selfsame path, and at last came out in the same small glade in which Eepersip had seen the deer, with the same brooklet running across it. They hunted all over it, but no trace of Eepersip could they find. They began to feel foolish. They decided to go back and tell the waiting folks that they had not seen a glimpse of her, when a glorious burst of singing reached their ears. Immediately they turned and ran in the direction of the voice. But still they didn’t see her, for they never dreamed that she had gone up the steep slope of Eiki-ennern Peak. And they began to feel still more foolish.
At last, after a lot of aimless wandering through forests, glades, and fields, they decided to give it up for just then and tell the folks that they had heard her, but couldn’t find her. So back they went, feeling very foolish indeed.
“We were looking for her everywhere,” said Mr. Eigleen, “and after we had searched for a long time we heard this excellent singing, better than I thought she could utter, and we went in its direction, but couldn’t find her. So I am beginning to think that ’twasn’t she at all—either she or a fairy.”
“Fairy!” exclaimed Mrs. Eigleen, indignantly—“fairy! There is no such thing as ‘fairy’—stupid!”
Mr. Eigleen cast a wink at his partner hunter, Mr. Wraspane. “Anyhow,” said he, “fairy or none, we heard the singing.”
Again Mrs. Eigleen burst out with: “But why didn’t you go right to the sound?”
“Dear wife,” said Mr. Eigleen, “we couldn’t, because directly in front of that sound there was a very steep rocky slope—you know very well the slope of Eiki-ennern Peak.”
“Well,” said Mrs. Eigleen, “if the voice came from behind that slope, Eepersip must have got to the top of Eiki-ennern Peak somehow, and if she did, you can. Wait with us a while and have lunch, and then go and try to find her again, and I will come with you.”
“All right,” said Mr. Eigleen.
Accordingly, after lunch all three started off on a fresh quest. They searched the little glade high and low once more, but with the same ill luck. Really Eepersip saw them all the time, but while they were here she was there, and while they were there she was here, all the time keeping out of sight behind bushes and trees: And when she rustled the leaves and they heard her, they thought that it was just the breezes making commotion in the leaves and grass.
Before they had hunted very long Mrs. Eigleen had to admit that the new game was harder than it looked; yet she didn’t give it up, for her greatest hope was to have Eepersip back again. At length Eepersip lost sight of them and, thinking that they had gone, she began to sing. They all started, and began to run in the direction of the voice. This time they didn’t hesitate to go right up the steep slope of Eiki-ennern Peak. Mrs. Eigleen leading, they all three dashed up, with not a thought of the brambles that they were getting into.
When they got to the top, what a sight met their puzzled eyes! There was Eepersip dancing to her own singing, and ever and again she looked up at a little butterfly which fluttered over her head, and curtseyed before it. Great waves of happiness were flowing through her all the time. They made no effort to call her, but only stood enchanted until she danced off to the field. Then they quickly walked away. First they went back to their own little cottage and collected some of the important belongings
