asked Lorelei innocently . `` Dear me ! what ignorance ! '' cried Uncle Fact . `` Can you sew , or tend babies ? '' asked Aunt Fiction gently . `` I can do nothing but play and sing , and comb my hair . '' `` I see ! I see ! -- some hand-organ man 's girl . Well , I 'm glad you keep your hair smooth , -- that 's more than Fancy does , '' said Uncle Fact . `` Let us hear you sing , '' whispered his little niece ; and , in a voice as musical as the sound of ripples breaking on the shore , Lorelei sung a little song that made Fancy dance with delight , charmed Aunt Fiction , and softened Uncle Fact 's hard face in spite of himself . `` Very well , very well , indeed : you have a good voice . I 'll see that you have proper teaching ; and , by and by , you can get your living by giving singing-lessons , '' he said , turning over the leaves of his book , to look for the name of a skilful teacher ; for he had lists of every useful person , place , and thing under the sun . Lorelei laughed at the idea ; and Fancy thought singing for gold , not love , a hard way to get one 's living . Inquiries were made ; but nothing more was discovered , and neither of the children would speak : so the strange child lived with Fancy , and made her very happy . The other children did n't care much about her ; for with them she was shy and cold , because she knew , if the truth was told , they would not believe in her . Fancy had always played a good deal by herself , because she never found a mate to suit her ; now she had one , and they enjoyed each other very much . Lorelei taught her many things besides new games ; and Aunt Fiction was charmed with the pretty stories Fancy repeated to her , while Uncle Fact was astonished at the knowledge of marine plants and animals which she gained without any books . Lorelei taught her to swim , like a fish ; and the two played such wonderful pranks in the water that people used to come down to the beach when they bathed .
In return , Fancy tried to teach her friend to read and write and sew ; but XXXXX could n't learn much , though she loved her little teacher dearly , and every evening sung her to sleep with beautiful lullabies .
Fiction Lorelei children deal fish hair idea living person singing-lessons