Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-11-24
BESsY'S FAIRY GODMOTHER.

Little Bessie believed i'm fairies. al
though her mother smiled and shook
her head when she asked: did non
ever see fairyP"
AT the time my story begins Bessy
sat on the window-sill with great book
open on her knee, straiEing her eyes
TO catch the last words of the most de
lightful story she had ever read 1t
was all about fairy godmOthers, shoes
filled with gold. and other wonderful
things to be found i'm such books.
As the light died out of the sky, and
n soft purple mist settled down upon
the hill-tops, she sighed and CT osed her
book, for the story was done.
BeSsy's father and mother were away
from home, and she was alone that
evening. The sound of voices and the
rafting of dishes came from the kitch-
en-. he crickets had begun their
evening song; the lanes were growing
dark and mysterious. Be,sy could inn
agine fairy head pceping from every
tall Hover by the garden gate, and the
Queen of them all seemed TO bow to
her from the tall white lily in the pansv
bed.
Bessy thought If ever fairy appeared
to mortal child. il would be on such n
night "a this. And now, 10 crown all.
Just ut the end of the lane appeared n
light, moving backward and forward.
First II would bob down. and then up
quite high, among the bushes.
AT last Bessy could bear it no lonper.
and made up her mind To solve the
mystery. So she stepped out of the
window on the porch, and then softly
fc- ell.
would hear her and call her back.
She said to herself; elf it ShOuld be a
FAIRY Slow-worm Lighting the fairies to
their dancing ground, Ann would
iirighten them away. she is so big and
heavy"
So down the path she went on tiptoe.
Hardly. daring to breathe, she pushed
open the gate, and looked down the
lane.
Bessy thought the light had disap-
peared. But by-and-by il came aoain.
moving in the same strange manner.
Although she trembled n great deal, she
went bravely on. IL was only n short
lane leading to the ma n road, and shut
IN on one side by large clump of trees.
III was ut the foot of one of these trees
that the light seemed to be standing
now .
AZ first BeSsy crept softly on, keeping
u I'm sight How dark il had prown1
The light shone from the bushes like a
fallen star. When Bessy was within a
few feet of the light, she was aston
lshed 10 see face peering out of the
darkness, its eyes fixed on her with
anything but n pleasant expression.
The light went out, and Bessy, wish
ing she was safe at home, turned to
scamper back, when n heavy hand was
laid on her shoulder, and the light
flashed in her face.
She now saw il was n lantern car
ried by very small and disagreea-
BILE old woman dressed in black, and
her head covered with n red handker-
chief In one hand she held the lam
tern. and under her arm was a crooked
stock.
Now. when Bessy saw the stick, she
was sure it was n fairy godmother, for
the old woman was exactly like the de-
scription of the fairy in her new book.
The ugly black stick was her wand. So
she whispered, timidly:
Are you fairy godmotherP'
A what?" growled the old woman.
"Afairy godmother," repeated Bessy.
Oh, yes, yes; to be sure Pm a
fairy. If you tell any one you saw me,
III bring bad luck on your house."
PLEASE, please don't" sobbed Bes-
sy. "Pn never. never tell any one"
Well, shut up. then, said the fairy,
land don't make such noise"
Bessy was not frightened now, for she
remembered that fairy godmothers were
always cross. and said hateful things
Just before they granted three wishes.
So she said, softly:
VIII you please give me three wish
es, madamP''
I'm give you three slaps if you don't