“You slide—and slide—and slide, quite gently, down into the cool, dark, soft hollow, and when you are there the wind blows the sand over you, until only your face is left outside, and at last you begin to sink, down—down—down into the sand. And the sand closes over you, and lies quite coolly and lightly on you everywhere. And you can’t open your eyes, but you wouldn’t if you could. And you can’t move, but you don’t want to move. And you can’t breathe, but you don’t have to breathe. And so you just lie in the heart of World of Sand, and that is—Sleep”... ... Dimly Bab could see the World of Sand, like a great, gray-brown sea. The wind, stealing over it, stirred little rivers of sand, that slipped from the tops to the hollows. There was shade and shine there, and the hollows looked like cool, dark couches sheltered from the light.... Then she found herself lying in the sand, while the wind blew it over her. She had forgotten her errand, forgotten Santa Claus, forgotten Mother Goose, forgotten her brother and sister, forgotten everything. All she thought of was the sand and the wind, and that slow, delicious sinking—down—down—down—which was—Sleep.... A sound came to her sharply,—a sound that was very familiar. She could not rouse herself at once, but it came again and again, and finally Bab started up blinking. Something was pulling excitedly at her dress, stopping at intervals to bark wildly. Bab put out her arms with a cry of joy. “_Wiggles!_” she gasped. And the little fox-terrier jumped onto her lap. For a full minute they kissed each other, and Bab talked, and Wiggles squealed and barked and wriggled, and they had a splendid time. Then once again Bab remembered. “It’s dark!” she cried, springing up. “Where is the Sand Man? Why—Oh, Wiggles, Wiggles! you saved me! I should have gone to sleep in the World of Sand, and never waked up any more, if you hadn’t happened along!” Then she started again. “Happen along!” she said. “No—I really am beginning to understand things at last. Wiggles has been with me all the time, just as Bizzybuzz said, only I was too stupid to see him before! Oh, Wiggles, dear, forgive me! And now we must really, truly hurry! What shall I say to Mother Goose if she asks me if I have been faithful and obedient! Oh, dear! I’ve stopped by the way so many times, I shall never find the way to Santa Claus’s house!” And poor Bab wiped away a tear, and started off upon her journey once more, followed by Wiggles. But before she had gone a dozen steps, she stopped short in surprise. The forest had vanished, and she was at the foot of a steep hill. It looked bare and stony, but the top was covered with snow. The sky was full of stars, and the wind was cold and fresh. Here and there firs and pine-trees swayed slightly. Evidently she was in some far Northern land. “Oh! oh!” she exclaimed delightedly; “this must be the country of Santa Claus, after all!”