The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-06-12
Ihe DrOll Little House.


Once upon time a beautiful little
house was built III the grass by the side
of brook. 1t was put so quietly that
nobody noticed it till it was all done
and the family were in. 1t was droll
little house, neither white nor brown,
but beautiful green outside.
For some time every door and window
was shut, and no one could see what
was going on inside. But at last, when
everything was ready, and all in order,
from top to toe, the little house was
suddenly thrown open, and all the
world invited to call
And they did call, L tell you-the
whole Butterfly family, i'll gorgeous
dresses of red and gold-the palmer
dressed, but highly respectable Bee
family, and | can't tell you how many
of the modest Insect family.
The little house was well worth going
to see, too. 1t was no common build
ing, made of wood or brick, with plain
bare walls, by no means Every room
and there were dozens of them-was
hung with the most elegant gold
colored curtains. They were finer than
silk and softer and daintier than any
thing you ever saw, and all fragrant
with delightful, fresh perfume. 1t
was home nit for any queen, tell you.
Almost every room of this curious
house was a nursery, and in each one
sat patient little mother. Droll little
creatures they were, dressed in pale
gold, and never stirring an inch away
from the cradles of their babies, with
funny little husbands besides, dressed
III the same lovely color, and wearing
brown caps on their heads.
The husbands were so tall they could
stretch up and look over the golden
walls into the wide world outside. and
they got uneasy and longed to go out.
But the little mothers would not go,
and they didn't want to leave them, so
they stayed in the nursery too.
Every night when the sun went down
the curtains were all drawn close to-
gether, and the whole family went to
sleep, and nobody could see anything
but the plain little green house But
the first rays of the sun opened the
whole house again.
This life went on for some time, till
the little mothers grew brown with age,
the gorgeous curtains faded, wore out,
and at last were blown away, the tall
husbands got tired of staying and went
away, and left the little mothers alone
with their babies. They had no cur
tains to keep them warm, the little
house was open night and day, and all
the winds could blow right through it.
A sad change it seems to us, but
little did the mothers care. They did
not mind the cold, and they were not
afraid of the dark, and the babies were
growing every day bigger, and would
soon be able TO care for themselves
And then the little mothers would be
satisfied and happy.
They were the most comical babies
you ever saw, each one cuddled up il
an odd little cradle, shaped like an ege
and carved and ornamented outside
They never cried {; and, if they mac
plenty to eat, and all the time to sleep
that was all they wanted.
So the little mothers kept them fed
and watched while they grew browne
and browner Till they were nearly read,
to go. At last, on each droll littl,
cradle came a small pair of wings
white and tieecy, and light as air, ant
they stood out around the bare littl
house like a ball.
Then the little brown and withered
up mothers knew that they had finished
their work, and the babies could TAX
care of themselves SO they were salts
fed and happy, and died. And the
came along playful breeze, gave tn
little house a shake, and away wen
every baby on its own wings, and LEI
the droll little house deserted an
bare.
And the babies-still in their cradle
flew away off over the fields, playin
with the breeze, and seeing the WORLD
till the sun went down and it grew darh
Then each one sank to the ground an
settled itself, the comical cradles burs
open, and each little baby came GU
ready to build house just like il
mothers.
Maybe you think this is fairy story
but it's every word true. And the gorg,
Gus little house, with its patient littl
mothers, and dozens of babies, is, afte
all, nothing but a-dandelion. And
you look carefully into one you'll sc
the whole family. -Olire ThOrne,
Christian Union.