But to little Ida， all these stories which thestudent told her about the flowers， seemed verydroll， and she thought over them a GREat deal.The flowers did hang their heads， because they hadbeen dancing all night， and were very tired， andmost likely they were ill. Then she took them into theroom where a number of toys lay on a pretty littletable， and the whole of the table drawer besideswas full of beautiful things. Her doll Sophy lay in thedoll's bed asleep， and little Ida said to her， “Youmust really get up Sophy， and be content to lie inthe drawer to-night; the poor flowers are ill， and they must lie in your bed， then perhapsthey will get well again.” So she took the doll out， who looked quite cross， and said not asingle word， for she was angry at being turned out of her bed. Ida placed the flowers in thedoll's bed， and drew the quilt over them. Then she told them to lie quite still and be good，while she made some tea for them， so that they might be quite well and able to get up thenext morning. And she drew the curtains close round the little bed， so that the sun might notshine in their eyes. During the whole evening she could not help thinking of what the studenthad told her. And before she went to bed herself， she was obliged to peep behind the curtainsinto the garden where all her mother's beautiful flowers grew， hyacinths and tulips， and manyothers. Then she whispered to them quite softly， “I know you are going to a ball to-night.” Butthe flowers appeared as if they did not understand， and not a leaf moved; still Ida felt quitesure she knew all about it. She lay awake a long time after she was in bed， thinking how prettyit must be to see all the beautiful flowers dancing in the king's garden. “I wonder if my flowershave really been there，” she said to herself， and then she fell asleep. In the night sheawoke; she had been dreaming of the flowers and of the student， as well as of the tiresomelawyer who found fault with him. It was quite still in Ida's bedroom; the night-lamp burnt onthe table， and her father and mother were asleep. “I wonder if my flowers are still lying inSophy's bed，” she thought to herself; “how much I should like to know.” She raised herself alittle， and glanced at the door of the room where all her flowers and playthings lay; it waspartly open， and as she listened， it seemed as if some one in the room was playing thepiano， but softly and more prettily than she had ever before heard it. “Now all the flowers arecertainly dancing in there，” she thought， “oh how much I should like to see them，” but shedid not dare move for fear of disturbing her father and mother. “If they would only come inhere，” she thought; but they did not come， and the music continued to play so beautifully，and was so pretty， that she could resist no longer. She crept out of her little bed， wentsoftly to the door and looked into the room. Oh what a splendid sight there was to be sure!There was no night-lamp burning， but the room appeared quite light， for the moon shonethrough the window upon the floor， and made it almost like day. All the hyacinths and tulipsstood in two long rows down the room， not a single flower remained in the window， and theflower-pots were all empty. The flowers were dancing gracefully on the floor， making turnsand holding each other by their long green leaves as they swung round. At the piano sat a largeyellow lily which little Ida was sure she had seen in the summer， for she remembered thestudent saying she was very much like Miss Lina， one of Ida's friends. They all laughed at himthen， but now it seemed to little Ida as if the tall， yellow flower was really like the young lady.She had just the same manners while playing， bending her long yellow face from side to side，and nodding in time to the beautiful music. Then she saw a large purple crocus jump into themiddle of the table where the playthings stood， go up to the doll's bedstead and draw backthe curtains; there lay the sick flowers， but they got up directly， and nodded to the othersas a sign that they wished to dance with them. The old rough doll， with the broken mouth，stood up and bowed to the pretty flowers. They did not look ill at all now， but jumped aboutand were very merry， yet none of them noticed little Ida. Presently it seemed as if somethingfell from the table. Ida looked that way， and saw a slight carnival rod jumping down amongthe flowers as if it belonged to them; it was， however， very smooth and neat， and a littlewax doll with a broad brimmed hat on her head， like the one worn by the lawyer， sat upon it.The carnival rod hopped about among the flowers on its three red stilted feet， and stampedquite loud when it danced the Mazurka; the flowers could not perform this dance， they weretoo light to stamp in that manner. All at once the wax doll which rode on the carnival rodseemed to grow larger and taller， and it turned round and said to the paper flowers， “Howcan you put such things in a child's head? they are all foolish fancies;” and then the doll wasexactly like the lawyer with the broad brimmed hat， and looked as yellow and as cross as hedid; but the paper dolls struck him on his thin legs， and he shrunk up again and became quitea little wax doll. This was very amusing， and Ida could not help laughing. The carnival rodwent on dancing， and the lawyer was obliged to dance also. It was no use， he might makehimself great and tall， or remain a little wax doll with a large black hat; still he must dance.Then at last the other flowers interceded for him， especially those who had lain in the doll'sbed， and the carnival rod gave up his dancing. At the same moment a loud knocking washeard in the drawer， where Ida's doll Sophy lay with many other toys. Then the rough dollran to the end of the table， laid himself flat down upon it， and began to pull the drawer outa little way.
then Sophy raised himself， and looked round quite astonished， “There must be a ballhere to-night，” said Sophy. “Why did not somebody tell me?”
“Will you dance with me?” said the rough doll.
“You are the right sort to dance with， certainly，” said she， turning her back upon him.