Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-11-09

get shut up" and the little elf shook
his golden locks quite srayely.
WHO shuts you up?" asked Bes=
sic.
"Why, you see, there are giants up
our way-ugly black jailors. who owe
us grudge, for some reason OF other;
and whenever they can they arrest US.
They don't wish US to COME into these
parts so much. I think they are jeal-
Gus Of US. They keep US shnt up
sometimes for days together. Very
dull It is then. Sometimes when we
have been having good time here shey
send for us very suddenly, and we
have to 60 hurrying away like fright
ened sheep. And then those old fell
lows guard us so closely there is no
chance for escape. But We aon't get
angry. We just laugh at them as if
we would split our sides and We pretty
nearly split theirs in making them
laugh too; but, for fear you would
think them foolish, they look cross and
black and dignifed on this SIDE their
faces. They are curious fellows.
They have dreadful spells of weeping
sometimes One would think they
had done something wrong, for which
they were very sorry. Sometimes
when they have these spells we play a
handsome little trick on them. Whom
they are pretty nearly tired out from
weeping, we steal through in a mystic
rious way, and suddenly, before they
suspect We have escaped. We build up
great handsome rainbow right in
their black, frowning faces--iust fer
a pleasant little joke, you know"
"Oh! oh! OIL" exclaimed Bessie.
do you make the rainbows? Well.
you are clever, and good, too. 1 love
you ever SO much"
"Well, now, little girl, take a nice
morning nap, and after you waken [
want you to laugh six times as hard as
ever you can, and by and by you'll
ses-well, I'll call again."
Before Bessie could answer Golden
Head had walked right across the
white counterpart and disappeared.
Bessie soon dropped asleep. When
she wakened, and her mother came to
see her, she told the story of the elf
and they both laughed heartily.
She told how droll he looked, curled
up on the top of the chair, how he
slipped down into the crimson seat, and
rolled over and sprang up again. how
he shook his golden locks till they
sparkled; and she laughed till the re-
SEES came into her pale cheeks; and her
mother kissed them again and again,
so glad was she.
"Mamma do believe have laughed
more than six times already said
Bessie. s'Wasn't he a roguish elf, to
tell me to do that %
She was sitting in the easy chair.
and had just finished the delicate
breakfast which her mother had
brought her, when suddenly before her
appeared the prettiest sight she had
ever seen. On the bright carpet, in
the center of the room, a dozen golden
headed elves were dancing, with grace
full, tall Ailanthus Leaves. The Col
den Heads were bright little plump
creatures, that laughed and leaped and
set the room all in glow. The ALL
anthus Leaves were tall, dark, and
graceful, with swaying bodies, like
lilies in breeze. They all bowed and
balanced and chased, and waltzed and
bowed and balanced again, till it
seemed they must be dizzy. Some
times they seemed a little tired, and
grew somewhat pale and almost stop
ped; and then they went at it again
with even greater zest, and almost roll
ed each other in their mad froiic.
Bessie laughed till the tears came in
her eyes, and clapped her hands and
cried: "Lovely! lovely"
Suddenly 'she3 exclaimedi "Oh! Nam.
ma. See there too The trees are fill
ed with elves"
Surely, there, looking in upon this
dance. was an army of golden headed
COLLINS, peeping from under the leaves
sitting astride the boughs, looking down
from the topmost branches,
ooh isn't it fun % said Bessie.
Just then little pet Golden Head
of the morning leaped right in her
lap, and said. very softly:
"We are going now; but if you will
come out on the lawn every day we'll
dance suah dances for you you'll want
to dance too. Under the ailanthus.
on the lawn, remember he said; and
in one SECOND they had all fed--not
even one elf fingered on the tree.
Il "a cross cloud has called them all
away, I know. [ don't like those
black fellows" said Bessie, as her
mother smilingly patted the cheek in
to which so much color had come.
After that Bessie went every day
out on the lawn. What she saw there
she has never told; but she was very
soon a well little girl. rompipg and
dancing like fairy herself: IF any
one says "The fairies are dead" Res-
sic says: "Oh nos they are not.
There are some kinds of fairies which
come to see me every day; aud We