Friendly Fairies Page 5

  That night as he lay in his little thistle-down bed, Thumbkins heard itthundering. "I'm very glad that I haven't a home built right out uponthe bare ground like the meadow-larks!" he said. And as the thunder grewlouder, Thumbkins turned over and tried to go to sleep.

  Presently the raindrops began to patter on the round top of the mushroomand "drip-dropped" to the ground without getting Thumbkins' little housethe least bit wet. Usually when it rained, the patter of the raindropsupon his mushroom roof lulled Thumbkins right to sleep, but tonightThumbkins lay wide awake and thought and thought.

  "I can't go to sleep!" Thumbkins said, so he hopped out of his warmlittle bed and lit his tiny lantern. Then, though it was raining ever sohard, he pulled his little hat well down on his head and ran out intothe storm.

  Yes! There was Mamma Meadow-Lark sitting upon her nest with her headtucked under her wing, sound asleep. But when he held his tiny lanternclose, Thumbkins could see that she shivered as the cold raindropssplashed upon her back.

  So Thumbkins ran to the woods where he knew the mushrooms grew, andbreaking off the largest one he could find he carried it to where MammaMeadow-Lark sat sleeping upon her nest, and planted it so the raindropsrolled off the round roof and did not touch her at all.

  Then, shivering himself, for he was soaking wet, he ran home as fast ashe could, took off his dripping clothes, put on his little pajamas, andclimbed into his warm little cozy cobweb bed.

  Now of course Thumbkins was happy because he had helped another, andwhen a person is happy there is nothing to worry about, and when thereis nothing to worry about, of course there is nothing to keep one awake.

  So Thumbkins fell fast asleep and dreamed the most pleasant dreams.

  And they were such happy dreams Thumbkins slept until almost half-pasteight the next morning.

  THE WISHBONE

  The stove lifter lay upon his iron side and looked across the top of theshelf which stood above the stove. "Who is he?" he asked of the box ofmatches lying near him.

  The box of matches looked at the strange new object standing upon twothin white legs and leaning against the wall near the coffee pot.

  "I do not know!" the match box answered.

  Then they asked a number of other objects lying about if they knew whothe newcomer was, but none of them had ever seen anything like himbefore.

  When the new two-legged object with the bald head heard everyonewhispering he felt they were talking about him, and he stepped out whereall might see him, and walked up and down the shelf at the back of thestove.

  The stove lifter, the match box and all the other objects watched himwith interest as he strutted back and forth.

  At last the new object stood still and with his head thrown back hesaid: "I am a wish-bone, but as none of you know what a wishbone is,I shall tell you! A wishbone is an object of great importance in thisworld. Some of us come from the breasts of chickens and some from thebreasts of turkeys. When we are placed above a doorsill in a house, webring good luck!"

  "Don't the people in the house here wish good luck?" asked the matchbox.

  "What a silly question!" replied the wishbone, "Anyone could easily seeyou do not know much!"

  "Then why didn't they place you above the door?" asked the stove lifter.

  "Because I have greater qualities than bringing good luck!" the wishboneanswered. "The children placed me here to dry, for they have heard thatI make wishes come true! And if you keep your eyes and ears open youwill see just what a great object a wishbone really is!"

  All the other objects upon the shelf on the back of the stove held theirbreaths to think such an important object deigned to talk to them.

  Then the children came romping into the kitchen. "Here they come!" criedthe wishbone. "Now watch me make their wishes come true!"

  And all the other objects scarcely breathed while they watched thechildren as they took the wishbone from the shelf. They could see howproud he looked as the children each took one of the wishbone's legsbetween their fingers.

  "I wish that this kitchen were just filled with candy and cake, then wecould eat all we wish to!" one of the children said. "And I wish for amillion golden pennies piled high upon the kitchen table!" the otherchild cried.

  "Now watch!" the wishbone winked to the objects upon the shelf behindthe stove.

  The two children pulled upon the wishbone's legs. "Ouch!" he cried.There was a loud snap, and the wishbone broke in two.

  "I get my Wish!" cried the child with the longest part of the brokenwishbone, "The room will be filled with candy!"

  "Watch the room fill with candy!" cried all the objects upon the shelf."How wonderful it must be to be a wishbone!"

  But the room did not fill with candy.

  "That's another time the wish did not come true!" cried one child.

  "They never come true!" cried the other child as the broken wishbone wastossed in the coal scuttle. "Wishbones are just ordinary bones and donot make wishes come true!" And the children ran outside to romp andplay.

  "How much better it is to be a useful object!" said the stove lifter.

  "Yes indeed!" replied the match box. "And the more useful one is,usually, the less he brags about himself!"

  TIM TIM TAMYTAM

  "This looks like an excellent place, Tim Tim!" Mrs. Tamytam said, as shethrew her little poke bonnet back from her head. "An excellent place!"Tim Tim Tamytam scrambled up the root of the tree and peered into thedark hole in the tree trunk. "HMMM!" he said by way of reply, "Did youbring the candle with you, Tum Tum?"

  "Oh, I forgot it, Tim Tim!" his little wife replied, "I will run rightback and get it!"

  "No, Tum Tum! I will run home and get it! You sit down upon this softlittle toad-stool and wait until I return. It will take me but amoment!"

  So Mrs. Tamytam sat down to wait upon the little soft toad-stool, withher bonnet hanging over her shoulders, and she sang and knitted.

  Now, Mrs. Tamytam was a delightful little elfish lady, and she and TimTim were very, very happy together, even though they were only sixinches tall.

  So, while she sang and knitted, Tim Tim ran down the tiny path made bythe woodfolk, past the bubbling spring and around the bend in the bankof the tumbling brooklet until he came to his home, which was anotherhole in the trunk of an old tree.

  As Tim Tim climbed into his doorway, he stood and looked with dismay atwhat had been his cozy living room, for now it was filled with sawdustand small pieces of sticks and twigs, for the whole top of the old treehad broken off and now the rain would splash right down on everythingthe first time there was a shower.

  Tim Tim Tamytam searched about in the sawdust and twigs until he found atiny bit of bayberry candle, and, putting this in his pocket, he turnedto go out of the hole. But just then Tom Tom Teenyweeny walked in thedoor.

  "Hello, Tom Tom Teenyweeny!" Tim Tim cried cheerily.

  "Hello, Tim Tim Tamytam!" Tom Tom cried at the same time, "What ever hashappened to your lovely home, Tim Tim?"

  "Well, I will tell you, Tom Tom," Tim Tim answered, "You know Mrs.Fuzzytail lived with her grandchildren squirrels up in the top of thetree, and they had a very cozy den up there, too, but Mrs. Fuzzytailwished to make some small improvements, such as a new peep-hole windowand a little cupboard for Chinkapins and hickory nuts. So last summershe sent for the carpenter ants and arranged with them to do thecarpenter work. And do you know, Tom Tom," and here Tim Tim Tamytamput his hand upon Tom Tom's shoulder and got very confidential, "thosemischievous carpenter ants, when they once got started, they sawed andchipped, until they had cut almost all of the shell of the tree away,and when it blew so very hard last night the top of the tree broke rightin two, where the ants had made their tunnels, and down it fell with agreat crash and made this great pile of sawdust and sticks!" "Dear me!"said Tom Tom. "Was anyone hurt when the top of the tree fell?"

  "Fortunately no one was injured!" Tim Tim replied, "But our home wasruined and so was Mrs. Fuzzytail's and Wally Woodpecker's, the bachelorand
we have been out looking for another home. If you will come with me,Tom Tom, I will show it to you, for now I have a candle and can lookabout inside!"

  So Tim Tim and Tom Tom ran back along the tiny wood-folk path until theycame to the place where Tim Tim had left Mrs. Tamytam.

  There hung her knitting bag upon the stem of a flower, but Tum TumTamytam was no where about.

  "OOOHooooo!" Tim Tim called, putting his hands to his mouth and forminga sort of horn. Charley Chipmunk stopped whittling upon a hickory nutand peeped over the limb to see who called.

  Mrs. Tamytam did not answer, so Tom Tom took a leaf and rolled it intoa horn. Across the small end he strung a fibre from a piece of moss andwith this elfin horn he blew the Tim Tim Tamytam wood-call: "Tahoo TahooTahoo-hoo-hoo!"

  "That's the Tim Tim Tamytam call!" all the wood creatures, said, as theylistened.

  "Tahoo Tahoo Tahoo-hoo-hoo!"

  And as Tim Tim and Tom Tom listened, they heard away off the answeringTamytam wood-call: "Toowoo-toowoo-tooawoooooo!" sounding like theplaintive notes of the turtle dove but was easily distinguished by anyof the woodfolk.

  Tim Tim and Tom Tom followed the sound of the answering call until theycame to a beautiful woodland glade. There, where the sweet ferns andfragrant flowers grew in profusion and a carpet of velvety moss spreadupon the ground, they saw Mrs. Tom Tom Teenyweeny and Mrs. Tim TimTamytam with tiny brooms sweeping out a little hole in a greatblue-gray beech tree.

  "I came upon Mrs. Tamytam sitting upon the toad stool," said Mrs.Teenyweeny, "and as I had just heard of this lovely home for rent, shecame with me to see it and we decided to take it!"

  "And will Tom Tom and Mrs. Teenyweeny live with us, Tum Tum?" Tim Timasked.

  "They have the little nook right across the hall!" Mrs. Tamytam replied.Upon hearing this Tom Tom and Tim Tim caught hold of hands and dancedabout, kicking up their heels with pleasure.

  "Just wait until you see inside, Tom Tom and Tim Tim!" Mrs. Teenyweenyand Mrs. Tamytam cried, and then they led the way inside the trunk ofthe great blue-gray beech tree.

  And after they had inspected Mrs. Tamytam's home, Mrs. Teenyweeny's TomTom and Tim Tim were as delighted with the new homes as their tiny wiveshad been, so Tim Tim and Tom Tom ran to their old homes and brought alltheir furniture and placed it about the large living rooms.

  When all was finished and the tiny rugs had been placed just right, theyheard a stamping of tiny feet in the hallway.

  And as they ran to the door a merry, laughing crowd of tiny creatureslike themselves, each carrying an acorn basket, trooped into the livingroom.

  "It's a surprise party!" they all shouted and then one, Tee TeeTubbytee, a great speaker, said: "We watched you moving in, and decidedto have a nice, fine, lovely party for you, so I called all theneighbors together and here we are!"

  Some of the tiny creatures had brought their tiny violins and some theirelfin flutes, and as all were in a merry mood they played rollickingairs such as "The Wind Tinkles the Fairy Bells" and "Mother Hulda PicksHer Geese."

  Tim Tim and Tom Tom danced and sang elfin songs. And then the merry tinycreatures ate the goodies brought in the acorn baskets.

  After the dinner all the tiny creatures went outside, and upon the soft,mossy carpet they held a wood-folk dance while the silvery moon peepeddown through the leaves of the woodland glade and bathed the scene infairy light.

  When the first rooster crowed, far away in a distant farm yard chickencoop, the tiny creatures, after planning another surprise party the nextmoonlit night, bade each other good night and went to their tree trunkhomes.

  So upon soft summer evenings, should you pass near the woodland glade,you may hear the "Tahoo Tahoo Tahoo-hoo-hoo!" and the answering notes ofplaintive melody, "Toowoo-toowoo Tooawoooooo!" For the tiny creatureshave adopted the Tamytam call as the call to the evening parties. Andyou must step quietly and approach softly so as not to disturb the tinycreatures, when you wish to see one of their moonlight surprise parties.

  A CHANGE OF COATS

  Two mischievous little gnomes were walking along the beach one day andas they came to a pile of rocks they heard voices. One of the littlegnomes put his finger to his lips for silence and peeped cautiouslyaround the largest stone. There he saw a crab and a lobster sitting upona bunch of sea-weed in the sunshine.

  The other little gnome tip-toed up and joined his brother and when theyhad listened a while they winked at each other and quietly walked backto the beach. After whispering together a moment one of the littlegnomes ran up the beach and over a sand dune.

  The other gnome again crept up behind the large stone and listened tothe lobster and the crab.

  "Yes," said the crab, "I agree with you, Mr. Lobster! While our coatsare just a plain green they are still quite beautiful!"

  "Ah! You speak the truth, Friend Crab," the lobster replied, "Green is alovely color and I am very glad that we are not purple!"

  "I am very glad that we are green, too." the crab said, "Just suppose wewere colored blue! I know I should not be able to stand it! Would you,Friend Lobster?'

  "No indeed!" the lobster cried, "Nor would I care to change to any othercolor, would you, Friend Crab!" "It is nice to be satisfied! Isn't it,Friend Lobster?"

  "Yes! Especially when we are as satisfied as we are!" The lobsteranswered.

  The little gnome listening behind the large stone winked at himself andsmiled. He knew the lobster and the crab would give anything if theywere of a different color, for he could tell by their conversation theywere dissatisfied with their green coats.

  Soon the other little gnome appeared over the sand dunes carrying alarge kettle, and when he got to a spot on the beach where the crab andthe lobster could see and hear him he began shouting in a sing-songmanner: "Old clothes changed to new! Old clothes changed to new! Oldclothes changed to new!"

  "Pooh!" said the lobster. "Who is foolish enough to wish to change theirnatural coats?"

  "Hmm!" said the crab as he sidled towards the beach. "Let's go over andtalk with him, anyway, and ask him if anyone ever changes the colorof their clothes. Not that I wish to change my lovely green coat, youunderstand, but--"

  "It would be interesting to hear about it, anyway!" the lobster replied,as he crawled after the crab.

  The little gnome with the large kettle sat upon the beach and pretendedhe did not see the crab and lobster, but continued crying: "Old coatschanged to new! Green ones changed to red! Old coat changed to new! Oldcoats changed to new!"

  When the crab and the lobster came up quite near the little gnome pulleda number of pieces of colored cloth from his pocket and placed them uponthe sand.

  "How pretty!" said the crab.

  "Very lovely!" said the lobster.

  "Do you wish your coats changed in color?" asked the little gnome.

  "Ah, no, thank you!" the two hypocrites said. "We were just lookingaround a bit!"

  "Well, I am glad to have your company," said the little gnome as he tooka piece of scarlet cloth and laid it over the lobster's back.

  "How do you like that?" he asked of the crab.

  "It looks fine!" said the crab. "Try it on me!"

  The little gnome placed the scarlet piece of cloth over the crab's back.

  "How do you like it?" he asked the lobster.

  "Did I look that well in that color?" asked the lobster by way of reply.

  "I think both of you will look far better if you let me change youto scarlet. It's in far better taste, too!" the little gnome added,pinching himself to keep from laughing.

  "Shall we change?" the crab asked the lobster and the lobster asked thecrab.

  "You will find the color a great deal warmer," said the little gnome."Green is decidedly cold, you know!"

  So the little gnome gathered an armful of drift-wood and built a fire.Then he dipped the kettle into the sea and placed the crab and thelobster in the kettle of water and put the lid on.

  "Be sure and make us a brilliant scarlet!" cried the lobster and thecrab,
as the little gnome placed the kettle over the fire. An hour laterthe two little gnomes lay upon their backs upon the sand and yawnedcontentedly, their little round stomachs almost bursting their belts.Near them was the upturned kettle, and scattered all about them on thesand were lovely pieces of scarlet lobster and crab shells.

  "It's funny," one little gnome said drowsily, "how one sometimes willbecome dissatisfied with the way he was made by Mother Nature and try toimprove upon her work! It usually leads to misfortune."

  "Yes, that is true," the other little gnome replied, "We should besatisfied and contented just as we are!"

  "Well, I for one am satisfied!" the little gnome said, stroking his fatstomach.

  "So am I!" his brother laughed.

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