The Counterpane Fairy

was still very early; so early tha

very mist, and now and then a drop of m

restlessly and wish that his mother would come. After a while he called her, but the

emembered the Counterpane Fairy, and wondered if she w

ul golden castle where she had taken him the day before. He wished he knew what all the bird people would have done

ad come up-stairs to see who it was, and had found the beautiful princess sitting with him, and had seen the golden crown on his

airy, and there was the top of her brown hood showing over his knees. He watched, breathless with eagerness, until he saw her face appear above the

hile and caught her breath, and then she said: "Well, well! It's steeper than it was

ees down?" asked T

hing at the quilt. "You might upset me. Keep

lease do; and let me go to

terpane Fairy, "for that was yesterd

e of the prince

he hero, of course

ught I was

old you that was yesterday's story, and if you wa

Teddy. "May I choos

. "Now fix your eyes

carcely winked, but he heard the Counterpane Fairy countin

d, until Teddy seemed drifting off into endless green spaces. Then the Counterpan

f, you know," he h

ky was very blue, with shining heaps of cottony white clouds; a soft wind was blowing, but the sun was warm, and

e air. As he came right side up again he saw a bit of thistle-down drifting on up the hill, and he was so little that when he flew after it an

d Teddy almost has his leg wedged between it and a leaf. He jumped off in

dered, for he had often seen them flitting about the fields; it was at the way they were loaded down with the strangest things: all sorts of fairy household furniture --little chairs and tables, bedsteads, tiny pots a

f being round, as a knot-hole generally is, it was

en she drew from her pocket a handkerchief, thin and delicate as gossamer, and wiped her eyes. After that she began to sob,

called

hen she saw Teddy she stared at him for a moment

he was quite close to the knot-hole, and sat down on th

her little handkerchief, though it was quite

different from her, though he, too, was very small. He was as withered as

the elf. He scowled until his little pin-pricks of eyes almost disappeared. "Ugh! th

mblesome elf!

eedn't tell me! Look at your red cap and the way y

ough they did turn down. "I wonder i

stled in and out of the knot-hole, bringing a broom and an old coat that had been forgotten, and packed

ng and scolding he clambered down again and untied them. Then he climbed back once more, and away they fl

out," said the gamblesome elf to

h," said a little voice so close

on a blackberry leaf. Teddy looked at the beetle for a while

the edge of the hill, because the air was better, and what tree should they choose for their home but this very one where Granddaddy Thistletop has been living as long as

r the old mother said that every time Rosine cooked the dinne

have gone,"

d --well, they could have done almost anything, they're so big. You may go in and look at the house, if y

-hole, and with doors opening off from it here and there. At the end of the hall was a room that must have been the kitchen.

overhead; one of the little owls clicked its beak in its sleep, and he heard a s

Hus-s-s-h! Go to sleep; it's broad dayli

ke the owls go away." Then he began to giggle to himself, and put bo

ew close by. "I'll do it," he said to himself; "I'll break off the thorns and put them in the nest, so

e the owls lived. When he looked down into it, there they were in the nest, fluffy and gray, and fast asleep. Very quietly he

and quietly setting them in the nest, and as he went up and down he kept whisp

, crouching down by the fireplace, he listened. It was getting to be twilight now, and the owls were

ice. "It's Pinny-winny. There, she's d

ice; "it's Screecher hisself. Ow! Ow! I

e Mother Owl's voice, "what do you

ipperty, together. "Ouch! Ouch! Th

oice from the branch outside, "can

of thorns, and you expect them to be quiet. No wonder the poor chil

ther Owl. "How did

istletop's doings. I thought those fairies had gone away, but they must be down the

g yellow eye at the kitchen window, she looked in. "Who

d. Then he remembered that he was a gamblesome elf, so he made a face at

away! I wo

night, and I'l

toes! I'm a g

d better look o

r to the chimney and listened. He heard the old owl brush into the hollow above, and then he heard her saying in a fright

ness; we'll be having trouble and mischief all the time now. It would

like to know, but to get the children away? I wouldn't keep them in the same tree wit

m away?" asked old Fath

all the little owls. "Oh,

her Owl, "and you and I must help them. B

ched it all lying on his stomach in the door of the knot-hole,

afraid to fly. Their mother grew crosser and crosser, and at last she got back of them and gav

Mother Owl flew down beside them and showed them how to spread their wings, and pushed them with her beak, and gradually the fluttered farther and farther into the darkling woods, their c

n set and Teddy began

clearer and the east was red, and at last the

-slope. There were the four black-and-yellow butterflies flying directly toward the tree as fast as their wings

fasten it, tottered straight to Teddy and threw his arms about his neck. "Our preserver!" he cried.

"Here!" he cried; "she is yours, and you shall live with us, an

arting back, "don't you know?

* *

aid the Counterpane Fairy, "and stiff e

his knees shook with laughter. "They

ees again. I think, my dear, that if you were to lower them

de his feet down in the bed. Suddenly, the door-knob turned, and Teddy

ying his breakfast and a litt

face!" she said. "I think my little b

NTERPAN