The Primrose Ring

h the children remembered to bring back with them. I have tried to piece them together into a fairly substantial pattern; but, of course, it can be easily rip

another. It was perfectly safe to swim, even if you had never swum before; and the only danger was for those who might stop in the middle of the river and say, o

rts to keep them from shrinking, and how to wring out their faery caps to keep the wishes from growing musty or mildewed. After that they met the faery ferryman, who-according to Sandy-"wore a wee kiltie o' reeds, an' a tammie made frae a loch

itting cross-legged under the blackthorn-bush with a leather apron spread o

and Susan and

shoes got?"

ve his head; there hung nine pairs of little green shoes, curled at t

?" asked Panch

t. Now reach them down

the green shoes and buckled in tight. On looking back, Pancho was quite sure that this wa

fit

s grand

el sk

el da

d the thorn-bush. They danced until there was not a scrap of breath left in their bodies; then they tumbled over and ro

one thing remembered by all. And this is hardly strange; if you or I ever possess

Ye haven't by any chance forgotten somethin' ye'd like

obbler pulled his thinkin

aery penny," and Bridg

laughed again. "To be sure it mi

ld, it might have been growing there, neighbor to all the other sods. Underneath wa

d!" everybody whi

, for there is naught that can make more throuble-sometimes." He ra

, while nine hands were stre

rying it at the one time. I thin

She took the penny and deposited

o, "ye mind a faery penny will buy but the one thing.

skipped merrily away. And here is

thing coming toward them. It was coming as fast as half-legs could carry it; and it was wagging a lo

ing up and down; and then he knelt on the grass, his arms

agged his tail and licked Peter's face; in fact, he did every dog-t

e satisfaction, "what was I a-tellin' ye, anyways? Faith, don't it bea

ass bent under their weight, not a grain of sand was dislodged; and-more marvelous than all-there was no tir

lk!" cried

!" cried so

hop an

"Faith, 'tis as eas

ddle-legs" on night birds or moths, while some flew along on a funny thing that was horse before and weeds behind. I judge thi

ay, "Hello, Peter!" or "Hello, Bridget!" or "The luck rise with

, "maybe it wasn't swell havin' 'em know us-names an'

arved little life-that is, if one excepts the times Margaret MacLean had taken her on the Ward C "special." S

iant thumb had pressed it down and smoothed it round and even. All about the brim of it grew hawthorns and rowans and hazel-trees. In the grass, everywhere, were thousands and millions of primroses, heart's-ease, and morning-gl

eing it all; and there-a little man stepped up to them and doffed his cap. The queen wanted them-s

; instead, it was as soft and green and pillowy as an inflated golf-bunker might be, and just high and comfortable enough for the baby faeries to discover it

n," said the litt

t it was not until they had come quite close that they saw that her dress

ted Susan in amazement. "It'

ched out her hands and patted theirs in tur

're the queen?"

maybe I'm not,

wee gray woman-back

oesn't matter in the least who I am. I look a hundred different ways to a

threw open the lid wide; and there, heaped to the top and spilling over, were dresses and mantles and coats and trousers and caps. They were all lengths, sizes, and fashions-just what you mos

earies," said the queen. And that-ac

le and striked stockings, when the pipers began to play. James said it sounded like soldiers marching; John was certain that it was more like a circus; but

ery feet, for no one can dance half as joyously as when faeries dance with them. And I have heard it said that the pipers there can play sadness into gladn

merriest dance, for they never told about it afterward without bursting into peal after peal of laughter. Trut

of the Apostles'; and he told it with g

ft the leprechaun's bush behind he had been wondering and scheming how he could get rid of his hump. He was the only person in Tir-na-n'Og that night who did not dance. Un

hen there were the songs his mother had sung to him home in Aberdeen. Long ago the words had been forgotten; but often and often he had hummed the music of them over to himself when he was going to sleep-it was good music for that. One of the airs popped into his m

baby faeries woke up and asked what he was going

and everything had come true; and the queen came back t

made for ye. Wull y

e wh

e some guid music; an' a ha' fetched ye mair-here." And h

song rea

y no

ear; they must be the judges if the song is worth the

music, wi' muckle o' their ain. 'Tis for the children-the children i' horspitals-a bonny song for them to sleepit on." He marked the rhythm a momen

a bonny pr

the Rive

Land whaur

icht beams

e pipers play

ye'll gae

and 'at wai

l be nae m

by a blac

hit shoes

a pair for

r feet a-

gladness '

a-n'Og,

and 'at's a

l be nae m

he birdeen's

till flo'

e faeries

n' brae an

r heid-an' s

be away,

nny sauncy

ye-nae m

see, he was not entirely alone-there were the baby faeries. They helped a lot; as fast as ever he

inished Sandy turne

-wull

o the children, they will have it all learned by heart and will

heard. Sandy strained his ears until he caught a

nd-greetin'," he

en ag

r-cadence, and thence into a harmony. "'Tis verra il

en ag

r-a bar of it; and then the faeries began to sing,

a bonny pr

the Rive

Land whaur

icht beams

d to his knees beside the queen and nestled his cheek in the hand that

elf and yawned-after the fashion of any one who has been sleeping a long time in a cramped position; and without being in the le

nae mair coom back?" And

rs may think they see it there, but for y

d getting ready to be afraid that she forgot everything else. As for Michael, he

accountable for the forthcoming happiness due the eight other stockholders in her company. She was also mindful of what had happened in the past to other persons who had speculated heedlessly or unwisely with faery gifts. There was the case of the f

have my mind made to anythin'; then I'll keep it

e frequent suggestions, such as bagpipes and clothes-chests, and contrivances for feast-spreading and transportation; and Sus

as not we'll never have another penny to spend as long as we live

e of the man from Letterkenny, when she chanced upon P

sign in Saint Margaret's yard that dogs were not allowed. "He'd have to be changin' him back into a make-bel

Is there any way of buyin' a dog int

e easier to buy a h

oupled it with something she remembered Sandy had been wishing for back in Ward C. "Wait a minut

ueen

ne dog; an' would it be afther havin' all impro

he quee

ice. "An' could we put

rs All

ldn't w

ve thought all round it twict an' my min

en she had them rounded up, she counted them twice to make sure they were all present. "Now ye listen." Bridget raised a commandin

home?" asked S

as other folks have that don't

verybody, and Bridge

in' money's t

"Do I get a piece o' paper sayin' I paid the money

give you only my promise; but a promise m

Peter asked

River of Make-Believe he would have to turn back into a make-believ

be ferried home. The river, that way, is treble as wide, and the sandman is always wandering up and down the brink, scattering his sand so that one i

to go back?" s

r to bump-here," and Michael po

on," cal

his head and clung cl

man; he may stay,

he children. "Don't

l shouted back; and the

-I say-Go'

was Micha

had dwindled to shadow-specks in the distance; they watched the wake of starshine lengthen out behind them; they listened to the ripples lapping at the keel. To and fro, to and fro, swayed the ferryman to the