BUT when her brother saw her he cried, ‘Be off! Your sister has already carried away half the house; you will get no more from us!’ Much vexed, Beansie turned for home.

She consoled herself by remembering how Peasie found fine cloth in the little stream, and — there it was again! Her fingers were almost on it when the current twitched it away, and all she got was a ducking. She spied a rope of pearls just like Peasie’s snagged on the fig tree, but as she climbed up excitedly she grabbed the broken branch, and fell to earth with a bump. A hot cake on the little fire’s girdle was a welcome sight, but it was so hot she dropped it, and a cow ate it. Her thoughts turned to the plums, but the branches were stubbornly high and she got nothing but scratches.

So Beansie came home wet, sore, hungry and worst of all, empty handed. No doubt her kind sister Peasie gave her a nice hot supper, and put her to bed.