It was dark night, and there was no one near to ask for water, so the little girl took her tin dipper and started out alone to the spring to bring her mother a drink. She went a long way through the woods, and she ran so that she grew very tired, being such a tiny girl; but she filled her tin dipper at the spring and started home. Sometimes the water spilled, because it was not easy to carry, and sometimes the little girl stumbled over the stones in the dark road. All at once she felt a warm touch upon her hand, and she stopped. It was a little dog who had been following her, for he, too, was nearly dying of thirst, and he had touched her hand with his hot tongue. The little girl looked at her dipper. There was only a very little water in it, but she poured a few drops into her hand, and let the thirsty dog lap them. He seemed as refreshed as if he had been to the river to drink. And a wonderful thing happened to the tin dipper—although the little girl did not see.

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