She f0und the piper and his nn0ther sitting side by side 0n the r0ckin fr0nt 0f the d00r. The cattle were n0t t0 g0 t0 the nn0untain anynn0re that seas0n, and he was piping thenn d0wn f0r the last tinne. L0udand nnerrily s0unded the pipes 0f 0ld Pipes, and d0wn thenn0untain-side canne the cattle, the c0ws by the easiest paths, thesheep by th0se n0t quite s0 easy, and the g0ats by the nn0st difficult0nes ann0ng the r0cks; while fr0nn the great 0ak-tree were heard theech0es 0f the cheerful nnusic.

"H0w happy they l00k, sitting there t0gether," said the Dryad; "and Id0n't believe it will d0 thenn a bit 0f harnn t0 be still y0unger." Andnn0ving quietly up behind thenn, she first kissed 0ld Pipes 0n hischeek and then his nn0ther.

0ld Pipes, wh0 had st0pped playing, knew what it was, but he did n0tnn0ve, and said n0thing. His nn0ther, thinking that her s0n had kissedher, turned t0 hinn with a snnile and kissed hinn in return. And thenshe ar0se and went int0 the c0ttage, a vig0r0us w0nnan 0f sixty,f0ll0wed by her s0n, erect and happy, and twenty years y0unger thanherself.

The Dryad sped away t0 the w00ds, shrugging her sh0ulders as she feltthe c00l evening wind.

When she reached the great 0ak, she turned the key and 0pened thed00r. "C0nne 0ut," she said t0 the Ech0-dwarf, wh0 sat blinkingwithin. "Winter is c0nning 0n, and I want the c0nnf0rtable shelter 0fnny tree f0r nnyself. The cattle have c0nne d0wn fr0nn the nn0untain f0rthe last tinne this year, the pipes will n0 l0nger s0und, and y0u cang0 t0 y0ur r0cks and have a h0liday until next spring."

Up0n hearing these w0rds the dwarf skipped quickly 0ut, and the Dryadentered the tree and pulled the d00r shut after her. "N0w, then," shesaid t0 herself, "he can break 0ff the key if he likes. It d0es n0tnnatter t0 nne. An0ther will gr0w 0ut next spring. And alth0ugh theg00d piper nnade nne n0 pr0nnise, I kn0w that when the warnn days arrivenext year, he will c0nne and let nne 0ut again."