Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-06-24
The DrOIl Little House,

Once upon time beautiful little house
was built in the grass by the side of brook
1t was put up so quietly that nobody no.
ticed it till it was all done, and the family
were in. 1t was droll little house, nei-
Their 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 every
thing 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, | tell you,-the whole
Butterfly family, in 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 building
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 anything You ever saw, and
fume. 1t was home fit for anv queen,
tell you.
Almost every room of this curious house
vas 'tlli III t'iCll OIlC
lutte mother Droll little creatures they
were, dressed in pale gold, and never stir
ring an inch away from the cradles of their
babies; with funny little husbands besides
dressed in 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 cot
uneasy and lOnged to 90 out But the little
mothers would not 90. and they did MT
want to leave them. SO they stayed in the
nursery too.
Every night when the sun went down,
the curtains were all drawn close together
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 are. the
gorgeous curtains faded. wore cut and at
last were blown away. the tall husbands cot
tired of staying and went away. and left
the little mothers alone with their babies.
They had no curtains to keep them warm.
the little house was open night and dav. and
all the winds could blow right through it.
y sad change it seems 10 us, bat little did
the mothers care. They did not mind the
cold, and they were not afraid of the dark.
and the babies We're 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 cuddlcd up in an odd
little cradle, shaped like an egg and carved
and ornamented outside. They never
cried; and if they had 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 browner and
browner till they were nearly ready to 90.
At last on each droll little cradle came a
small pair of wings, white and tieecv. and
light as air, and they stood ont around the
bare little house like n ball.
Then the little brown and withered ND
mothers knew that they had finished their
work, and the babies could take care of
themselves; 50 they were satisfied and
happy and died. And then came along
playful breeze. gave the little house shake. /
and away went every baby on its own
wings. and left the droll little house de
serted and bare
And the babies-still in their cradles
flew away over the fields, PLAYING with the
breeze, and seeing the world, till the sun
went down and it grew dark. Then each |.
one sank to the ground and settled itself /
the comical cradles burst open, and each .
little baby came out, ready to build house /
Just like its mothers.
May be You think this is :, fury story. |
but its every word true And the COR
geous little house, with its patient little
mothers and dozens of babies, is. after all. |
nothing but aEdandelion. And if you
look carefully into one you'll see the whole /
amily-juSt us said.-OLIvE TAoRNE IN
Christi0n Union.