The Counterpane Fairy

at the window and looking out. "And just hear that blackbird! I always

e lying there in the India-room, under the silk counterpane, and that it was some

ut-of-doors the way

can be out again, and this afternoon we'll play some nice game or other that you can play in bed. Now w

ght to spend an afternoon with Teddy's mother. She always brought her knitting in a bag, an

her needles flew so fast, an

cher, and sh

her, and had

ting with her and mamma, he c

k from his illness, and after she had told him all the verses that she knew, he gre

cheeks were flushed, so she asked Aunt Mariah to come ove

began to seem too still and the clock ticked with a strange loud sound. He wished Aunt Mariah

n over the tops of them he could only see the upper half of the windo

than ever to-day. Will I ever get to the top?" A minute after he saw her little figure st

" cried Teddy, "have you com

t to see one?" asked

. "Your stories don't make me fee

"I thought her stories wer

when I'm all well, and I like your stories best when I'm

en, which square will you c

ddy, pointing to a square of watered rib

ng story," said the

show it!"

ry, "fix your eyes o

d her voice going on and o

* *

was very still and cold, but Teddy liked it all the better for that, for now he was an ice-fairy. He was dressed from head to foot in a suit that shone and sparkled like woven frost

ike dwarfs, with goggle eyes and straggling black hair, caught hold of the block of ice, and lifting themselves out of the water made faces at Teddy, b

hose things?

. "Naughty, mischievous things they are. I'd like

y. "Just look at those littl

ice three white bear cubs were playing together like fat little boys. Th

an to call: "Oh, Father Bear! Father Bear! Just come look at

. He came over toward Teddy growling, "Gur-r-r! gur-r-r-r! Who are you, coming and frightening my little bears this way?" But a

I have brought him here to stay awh

e with us and have part of our meat if he will, and I will

ind you do." Then turning to Te

ou coming too

e of you." So Teddy stepped onto the shore, and the fairy pushed the block of ice o

"Now, you Fairy," he said, "you may climb up onto my back, and I'll carry you to my wife;

he saw what had become of them. They were sitting with the Mother Bear at the door of a cave. One of them was s

y are telling me?" she said. "And

d the Counterpane Fairy wants us to take care of

"I suppose not, but what shall we giv

uppose," said the Father Bear. Then turning

answered Ted

er Bear. "Here, you children, take thi

a new playmate, and they told him he might come over and slide down their hill, but the third one, Sprawley, scow

hem to the icehill and th

eal nicer hill than this one. It's just a litt

ut suppose we should

n't afraid. It's a great dea

er hill, and it really was much longer and steeper than

Dumpy cried out: "Oh! look! look! There are s

ce, -- ugly little gray things with mouths like fishes, and

ar cubs! Look

rs and their hai

g walrus wil

bear cubs and

hough he was frightened,

. She was so fat that she rolled over and over before she could get up. Dumpy ran to her, and as soon as she

cause he was afraid, until he caught up to him; then he saw that he was laughing. "What

near the edge of the water, and said it was time for them to go to bed. Father Bear was going on a hunt

h their share of seal meat, a

"just look behind you and se

d back again she burst into a loud whine. "Ou-u-u! ou-u-u-u!" she

d, aiming a blow at Sprawley's ear. But quick as a wink Sprawley

in with his sister.

Bear, "don't you cry any more and I'll

y, and after that they all went to bed, and the little

the cave and thinking how strange it was to be there. Presently he hea

the Father Bear. "

ut I never had a cub like Sprawley before. He is so naughty and mischie

ox him," said t

x him he slips behind the others and pushes them forward, and he is

than ever. "Do you know, husband, sometimes I wonder whether Sprawley can really be my cub. If I could only cou

et's see. There's Dumpy, and he's one, and Fatty, and she's one

Bear, "Don't ask me. My hea

er husband. "The next thing you know you'll be h

do think too much, but then I can't help it. I always was thin

Father Bear, and then t

lose to Teddy's ear. Teddy pushed him once or twice, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Once he po

who was lying on the other side of Fatty, had began to stir and sit up; he looked about at t

l in her sleep and Sprawley stopped

o, as soon as the cub had disappeared through the m

the distance, and already quite far away, so, led by his curiosity, T

he edge of a strip of open water, and turn to look behind him to make sure that he was no

rumbling and cracking of the ice in the distance. Again he called, and this time there was an answering cry, and another, and another. Sprawley stood

ing him, hopping and sliding about, and pulling at his hair and claws. Now that Teddy saw th

climb up and sit on the ice again in a row with the others. They all talked together, and their voices were so queer and husky that Teddy could

stopped to listen. Sprawley, too, was silent for a moment, and then h

em dived off into the water and did not reappear again for some mi

for a while in silence; then one of them said in a trembling voice, "Well,

down with a piece of ice?"

l the mermen but one. "We did

d. He looked at the others with his goggle eyes and then he tumbled off int

appeared; then one of them said in an awe-struck voice, "It's bad

g he was not frightened, "what d

all the mer

th them. I suppose this strange fairy cub will go with us, and when we stop to rest I'll get him away from the others and near the edge of th

t and shouting. Then they turned to Sprawley. "Come," they

ear-skin just as though it were a coat, and there he was, nothing more nor less t

water and began splashing and shrieking and pulling

hink you'll float me off

ng slit up the back of it. Then not waiting for the mermen to come back he hurried home again ove

es and the Mother Bear was yawning and stretchin

he Mother Bear, "w

ley. "I just thought I heard a sea-

d the Father Bear, "for we have to go a long ways to-

he Mother Bear, and stood looking about him. Present

Dumpy, "just look

atter with it?" as

ith it," growled Sprawley, twistin

ty. "Oh my! Sprawley's splitti

nd then without a word he began to tear and pull at the bear-skin. In another minute he had it off,

l," and she sat down and began to whine and cry. But Father Bear gave a growl, and rising on h

the distance. Father Bear chased him the whole way; sometimes he caught him and gave him a cuff that sent him flying

id he, "I guess that's the last time any of the mermen will try to play their

it and rock herself backward and forward and whine. "I couldn't go, my dear; I couldn't indeed," she said. "I'm all of

n go, Fairy," he said to Teddy. "I'll carry you on my back if you like, and maybe you'll see me catch

e bears, the fields of ice, the far-off green water, were all wavering and growing misty before his sight. Faintly

his knees, and a bunch of snowdrops in the vase beside the bed. The door opened and his mother stood holdi

NTERPAN