American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-20
THE FAIRY HAITLAZEE.

master BERTHE, Master BERTHE, it is eigh
o'c1ockt' said a voice outside Herber
Marston's door one fine morning.
"All right" replied the boy, very cross
| ly, and Lizzie went down stairs.
"Oh, my! what nuisance it is to ge
| upl / wish l could lie in bed all day!
sha'n't get TIP just yet, anyhow" So hi
turned over on his side, and was ASLEEP
directly.
By and by another knock came. ''Break
fast is ready; and your papa wants t.
know when you are coming down."
Cali right I'll be down in minute
"But please, sir, you must make haste.
didn't tell you I'm coming? 1 an
nearly dressed"
Master BERTHE shook up his pillow an6
was asleep once more.
But only for a time. Presently he was
surprised to feel the bed moving; and
looking up, instead of seeing the roof OF
his bedroom. he saw above him the bright
blue sky. He passed the tops of the trees
and had to hold on tight, for they wen'
faster and faster. 1t became colder and
darker as he went by the moon, but SC
quickly that he had hardly time to fee
how cold it was and to see that it was
made of ice. Then he began to feel very
hot, for he passed the sun, and thought he
would be frizzled up. All the stars were
jumping up and down as though they were
dancing quadrlle. Still on they went,
quicker and quicker, till they came to a
great castle, shaped like gigantic four
post bedstead, and BERTHE found himself
in a room rather bigger than St. Paul's
Cathedral.
All around the room there were ranged
bedsteads of every shape, size and pattern,
from the one big enough for a full-grown
person to the cot of the little child. You
NAV be sure our nero looked with all his
eyes.
In the center stood an enormous table,
covered with everything nice you can
think of-cake, eggs, ham and hot tea and
coffee were sending up pleasant steam,
"Come, eat me- He was very glad to
see the nice breakfast, for he felt fright
fully hungry.
Just then he heard some music, aud
long procession of children entered, fol
lowed by the lady of the house. They
marched three times around the room, and
then sat down to the table, where they be-
gan to eat and drink in first-rate style.
BERTHE thought the mistress of the house
the strangest figure he had ever seen. She
was very tall and straight; her dress was
composed of a skirt of striped bed-tick-
ing; the body and penier were made of
plaid ticking, with "a border Of gray goose
feathers all round; her head looked like
brown wool, and on her hair she wore a
long white pillow-case edged with straw.
He was astOnished that no one took the
slightest notice of him; and as he felt
rather too bashful to speak first in this
strange house, he turned round to inspect
the other beds.
To his surprise he found they were all
occupied by the most misunderstanding
cot of
They took no notice of each other or of
Berthe, but kept their heavy eyes fixed on
the lady of the house, so the boy looked
back again at her. Oh, the way the good
things were being eaten! and everybody
looked merry, well, happy, and wide
awake.
"Well, folks" said the old lady, and
what have you all been doing this morn
ing"
took all the weeds out Of my garden, and
l found enough mustard and cress grown
for everybody's breakfast, SO l brought it
in. And isn't it NIGEL"
al - said tall, thin youth, have fin
ished the study was engaged on, and
have done all the tasks l had to do"
"I,' said a rosy boy, '" have had a jolly
game at football, and feel all right to go
to school directly"
nave UtcIi ~ pun WluoN
TOMS" said thoughtful-looking girl of
about fourteen, land have swept her room
and given her her tea"
Il have lit the fire for mother, because
she had headache" chirruped a very
tiny country child.
But there. 1 can't tell you all they said
it would take too long; but they had all
been doing something that morning ex-
cept one little pale boy, who said he had
not done anything, as he only had just got
up (here the old lady frowned), because he
had such very bad face ache.
The old lady looked quite pleasant
again, and said, "You have all done very
well-there's no harm in being late when
one is ILL., but to be idle, and lie in bed
when you ought to be up, BAH" and her
nose curled; she seemed so angry that
BERTHE felt afraid.
Then she turned to the people in the
beds, and threw each of them piece of
dry bread, after which she and her follow
ers went briskly out.
Immediately the table sunk through the
floor and was gone.
"Now, shaver, you'd better eat that, for |
it's all you'll get" yawned voice from
he opposite corner, and Berthe found it |
proceeded from a fat, sleepy-looking boy |
Of about sixteen.
'All shall get" repeated he, in dis
may; II can't eat dry bread"
"You will have to, and glad to get it,
before the weeks out"
what shall l do, then?-not stay in |
lere, shall ?" inquired Herbert, very |
vide awake indeed now.
"Why, yes, of course you will you used |
o like to lie in bed, didn't your"
YES" said BERTHE.
Every well; that's why you are here,
md you'll lie in bed for ever. What are
you crying for, simpleton? l suppose
7ou wanted to do SO before you came, or
Use the Fairy Haitlazee would not have
etched you.'
ooh, dear, dear! what shall l do?"
.ried BERTHE Il want to get up and
hall"
"Well, try to-" grinned the other boy.
He did try and found he could not
move; so he cried more and more; all the
others snored.
His friend, who told him his name was
sam Sleepyhcad, mumbled, "He would
oon like it-that he himself had been
here more than a year, and that it would
,e all right when he got used to it."
"Oh, what shall dos Isn't there any
way of getting out of this?' groaned Ber-
lie.
Yes, there must be some way" replied
sam, "because I've seen good many go
,ut and be with the others but what an
dot any one would be who'd go out to