Bella was off the next day so did some shopping for her dinner with her brother. She even stopped by and invited Sally and her husband.
Sally agreed and said she would bring a dessert.
Bella cleaned the place and put dinner on to cook. She wanted everything to be perfect to meet Josh and his brother tonight.
As dinner was cooking she read some more.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED cont.
Not long afterwards the two sisters went to angle in the brook, meaning to catch fish for dinner. As they were drawing near the water they perceived something, looking like a large grasshopper, springing towards the stream, as if it were going in.
They hurried up to see what it might be, and found that it was the dwarf.
"Where are you going?" said Rose-Red.
"Surely you will not jump into the water?"
"I'm not such a simpleton as that!" yelled the little man. "Don't you see that a wretch of a fish is pulling me in?" The dwarf had been sitting angling from the side of the stream when, by ill-luck, the wind had entangled his beard in his line, and just afterwards a big fish taking the bait, the unamiable little fellow had not sufficient strength to pull it out; so the fish had the advantage, and was dragging the dwarf after it. Certainly, he caught at every stalk and spray near him, but that did not assist him greatly; he was forced to follow all the twistings of the fish, and was perpetually in danger of being drawn into the brook.
The girls arrived just in time. They caught hold of him firmly and endeavored to untwist his beard from the line, but in vain; they were too tightly entangled. There was nothing left but again to make use of the scissors; so they were taken out, and the tangled portion was cut off.
When the dwarf noticed what they were about, he exclaimed in a great rage, "Is this how you damage my beard? Not content with making it shorter before, you are now making it still smaller, and completely spoiling it. I shall not ever dare show my face to my friends. I wish you had missed your way before you took this road."
Then he fetched a sack of pearls that lay among the rushes, and, not saying another word, hobbled off and disappeared behind a large stone.
Soon after this it chanced that the poor widow sent her children to the town to purchase cotton, needles, ribbon, and tape. The way to the town ran over a common, on which in every direction large masses of rocks were scattered about.
The children's attention was soon attracted to a big bird that hovered in the air. They remarked that, after circling slowly for a time, and gradually getting nearer to the ground, it all of a sudden pounced down amongst a mass of rock.
Instantly a heartrending cry reached their ears, and, running quickly to the place, they saw, with horror, that the eagle had seized their former acquaintance, the dwarf, and was just about to carry him off.
The kind children did not hesitate for an instant. They took a firm hold of the little man, and strove so stoutly with the eagle for possession of his contemplated prey, that, after much rough treatment on both sides, the dwarf was left in the hands of his brave little friends, and the eagle took to flight.
As soon as the little man had in some measure recovered from his alarm, his small squeaky, cracked voice was heard saying, "Couldn't you have held me more gently? See my little coat; you have rent and damaged it in a fine manner, you clumsy, officious things!" Then he picked up a sack of jewels, and slipped out of sight behind a piece of rock.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇
Zane came home at 7 and jumped into shower. No way was he making his beauty mad by being late.
The first to arrive at 8 was Sally and Mike. Bella noticed that Mike look a lot like Josh but a little chubbier.
Zane poured him a drink and Bella and Sally went to the kitchen with the cake Sally had brought.
Soon Ben and Josh came. The men sat in the living room while Bella and Sally got the dinner on the table.
Josh was surprised to see his brother there but glad to have the friendly face.
They had a good visit and even Zane who wanted to only be with Bella had to admit he had a good time.
Zane decided to let Bella's new friend in on the proposal planned and have Betty book them a room too.
Having Bella surrounded by family and friends was the plan and seeing that the Gilman's were now friends he wanted to include them.
As everyone was leaving for the night Zane walked everyone out.
"I was wondering if you three would like a weekend at a fairytale?" Zane asked.
Sally eyes went wide, "When?"
"Not this weekend but next. I have a romantic proposal planned for then and want everyone she cares for there. It's a secret she know nothing of anyone else going."
"You sure you want us there?" Mike asked.
"Bella likes Sally. Ben is dating Josh and Josh is your brother and you are Sally's husband so the answer is yes." Zane laughed at his round about logic.
They agreed as they went home and Zane went back to his beauty.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED cont.
The maidens by this time were quite used to his ungrateful, ungracious ways; so they took no notice of it, but went on their way, made their purchases, and then were ready to return to their happy home.
On their way back, suddenly, once more they ran across their dwarf friend. Upon a clear space he had turned out his sack of jewels, so that he could count and admire them, for he had not imagined that anybody would at so late an hour be coming across the common.
The setting sun was shining upon the brilliant stones, and their changing hues and sparkling rays caused the children to pause to admire them also.