The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-03

letter that Cyril had posted was STICKING
to his lip, but the rest was evidently
eaten.
Cyril came to business at once. He
said: Don't you know, little gnome,
that you're making trouble for great
many people? Most all who live around
here write stories and they get their liv-
ing by selling them. If you eat eli their
stories after while they won't have any
money to buy food and clothes and then
they will all starve.
The little gnome grinned and began to
whistle; the faintest, highest whistle you
ever heard. II don't care for people," he
said, finally. People are never kind to
ME. I'm after a story; that's why 1 eat
the letters. You see the King of the
gnornes mas offered the hand of his daugh-
ter in marriage to the gnome that can tell
the best story, so I've been eating these
letters steadily for a month now, in hopes
of learning one, but l don't seem to get
one in my head-only in my mouth-and
I'm afraid that before learn one some
other gnome viii step in ahead of me and
marry the Princess. She's a beautiful
creature as green as a katydid and her
eyes are as red as fire."
Cyril felt like laughing at the idea of
learning story by eating the paper on
which it was written, but he was to cour-
teous to do so. He said: Now, Mr.
Gnome, you've gone about this business
the wrong way. You've eaten up a lot OF
valuable manuscripts and they hayn't
done you any good at all, but can teach
you stories just as fast as you want to
learn them If you'll come up to my house
any night"
The gnome showed his delight in his
little green face. "Oh, I'll come all right,
only / don't want you to have a crowd
there to look at me. I'm not fond of hui
man beings. You're the only one that was
ever civil to me and I won't forget it,"
4 Come on now" said Cyril so the gnome
jumped TO the pavement and skipped along
beside Cyril, whistling in his tiny shriH
way, and they soon came to the rope
hanging from the window
Here, don't try to climb that" said the
gnome as Cyril twisted the end around his
wrists and swung himself off the ground
Il know a way worth two of that Put
your foot on my head"
I'm afraid of hurting you"
put your foot on my head 1 say" said
the gnome in a tone that invited obedi-
ence. Cyril placed his foot upon the little
mans head and felt himself rise to his
window as If he were floating on a bit of
dandelion down. By the way, why do they
call it dandelion down when It's up most
of the time?
When Cyril and the gnome were in the
room the former threw himself upon the
bed and the latter sat upon the foot
board.
Now tell me story that will please the
King"
So Cyril told him "Puss in Boots" and
he was delighted.
Say, did you make that up?'' said he,
when Cyril had finished.
mo, it's older than we are" said the
boy You see he knew a good deal
Not older than I am said the gnome.
decidedly I'm going on a Thousand and
two"
"Phewl" said Cyril. you don't any
where's near look it,"
IT don't feel a day over 800, but then
all my family are very young feeling. My
grandfather is 1900 and you'd never take
him to be over 800. les because were
very particular not to let the sun shine
on us. I've never seen the sun in my lie,
but l had a cousin who followed the hu-
mans proverb. Early to bed and early 10
rise and the sunshine shriveled him up so
that he looks hundreds of years older than
he Is. He used TO go to bed at O'Clock
in the evening and get up at O'Clock IN
the morning and we all SO 10 bed at
O'Clock in the morning and get up at
o'clock in the evening"
Cyrile looked at his clock. 1t was five
minutes to 3.
I'm sorry 10 hurry you" he said. ''but
If that's the case you'd better be going"
We'll" said the gnome. Il thank you
for the story and you may depend upon it
L won eat any more u muse luhy Old
letters. They didn't taste good a BIT and
If hadn't loved the Kings daughter very
much l wouldn't have eaten one"
Come again. tomorrow nj" began
Cyril but the gnome had vanished.
He waited a week, but the little imp did
not come back. on the other hand, no
more letters were lost and the writers were
so encouraged that they wrote an unusual
number Of beautiful stories and dare say
you may road some OF them in the maya
zines before long.
Cyril knew that Il would be foolish for
him 60 tell his neighbors that he had
caught a gnome eating their letters be-
cause they were not enlightened enough
to believe him, but he did tell his mother,
and she said: "WelL suspected as much,