**Exhibit 4.2**

 
| NUMBER     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------------|
|       | INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS  OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | SHARES                          |                         |
| NY 53501   | [LOGO]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |                            |                         |
|       | COMMON STOCK                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | PAR VALUE TEN CENTS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
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|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | THIS CERTIFICATE IS TRANSFERABLE IN NEW YORK, NY AND RIDGEFIELD PARK,  N.J.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | CUSIP  307000 10 9              |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |
|       | SEE  REVERSE SIDE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|       | FAMILY DOLLAR STORES, INC.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| [FDO LOGO] |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | This Certifies that                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |   |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | Is the owner of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |   |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | FULLY  PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF THE COMMON STOCK OF                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | Family Dollar Stores,  Inc., transferable on the books of the Corporation by the holder hereof in  person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate  properly endorsed.  This certificate  and the share represented hereby are issued and shall be subject to all of  the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and the By-Laws of the  Corporation, as amended from time to time (copies of which are on file with  the Transfer Agent), to all of which the holder, by acceptance hereof,  assents.  This certificate is not valid  unless countersigned and registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar.  Witness the facsimile seal of the  Corporation and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers. |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|       | [CORPORATE  SEAL]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | DATED:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |                            |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |
|       | Countersigned and Registered:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                            |                         |
|       | MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                            |                         |
|       | BY:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | TRANSFER  AGENT   AND REGISTRAR |                         |   |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |   |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |   |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            | /s/ Howard R. Levine         |   |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |  CHAIRMAN OF THE  BOARD |   |
|       | AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | /s/  George R. Mahoney, Jr.     |                         |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            | SECRETARY                    |   |
|       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |                            |                         |   |
|            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                 |                              |  |  |  |

 

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FAMILYDOLLAR STORES, INC.

 

 

 

THECORPORATION WILL FURNISH WITHOUT CHARGE TO EACH STOCKHOLDER WHO SO REQUESTS, THEPOWERS, DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES AND RELATIVE, PARTICIPATING, OPTIONAL OROTHER SPECIAL RIGHTS OF EACH CLASS OF STOCK OR SERIES THEREOF WHICH IT ISAUTHORIZED TO ISSUE AND THE QUALIFICATIONS, LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS OF SUCHPREFERENCES AND/OR RIGHTS.  SUCH REQUESTMAY BE MADE TO THE CORPORATION OR THE TRANSFER AGENT.

 

Thefollowing abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of thiscertificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in fullaccording to applicable laws or regulations:

  
| TEN COM | — | as tenants in

common                                                         | UNIF GIFT MIN ACT — |   | Custodian |   |
|--------------|--------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|--------|-----------|--------|
|         |   |                                                                          |                                         |   |      |
| TEN ENT      | — | as tenants by the

entireties                                                 | (Cust)                                       |   | (Minor)   |
| JT TEN       | — | as joint tenants

with right of

survivorship

and not as

tenants in

common | under  Uniform Gifts to Minors Act           |
|         |   |                                                                          |                                         |
|         |   |                                                                          | (State)                                      |

 

 

Forvalue received,                                                             hereby sell, assign and transfer unto
| PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL  SECURITY OR OTHER                                           |   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
| IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE                                                    |   |
|                                                                              |   |
|                                                                              |   |
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| PLEASE  PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE |
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                                                                                                                                                                                           Shares

representedby the within certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                                           Attorney to transfer the said shares on the books of the within-namedCorporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

 
| Dated,                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |   |
|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
|                     |
|                     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|                     | NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE TO  THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE  CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT, OR ANY  CHANGE WHATSOEVER.                                                     |
|                     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|                     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| SIGNATURE(S) GUARANTEED: |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|                     | THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE  GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS  AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED  SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15. |
|                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |        |  |  |

 

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