Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-01-20
The Sugarbush Fairy,


Tommy's father had been talking to
TOmmys mother said:
I'm afraid the only thing we can do
is to go to the fairy in the sugarbush.
Really, the ''sugarbush'' was a grove
of soft maple trees that were tapped for
their sap every spring, and this sap was
Dolled down INTO maple syrup, some OF
which was made into maple sugar. Why
the grove was called ''sugarbush'' I'm
sure | don't know, but so farmers always
cali groups of maple trees that &C
tapped for their sap.
Now, for about two years there had
dwelt in the sugalbuSh a fairy. He w3s
nearly three feet tall, and he always
wore a green suit the color Of green
maple leaf and it was trimmed with tas-
sells of red. yellow and brown-just the
shades of Jack Frost turns the maple
leaves in the autumn. This fairy had
most surprising way Of appearing and
disappearing before you could say
"Christopher Columbus That was be-
cause he could make himself invisible
whenever he chose. All he had to. do
was to whistle two notes, very softly
and presto he was instantly out OF
sight. | never saw him myself; but the
people in Tommy's village told me ali
about him.
Tommy couldn't bear to use the door
mat or to wash his hands and face and
never did when he could possibly get
out of it. His big brother said that
Tommy must have chronic hydrophobia,
and so was afraid of water; but his
mother said that that couldn't be, be-
cause he was just as afraid of soap as
of water-and who ever heard of a dog
having fits at the sigh, of piece of
soap! Of course, Tommy didn't have
them, either, but he nearly drove the
family into fits because they SO seldom
saw any signs of soap and water about
him. He would come to the table with
grimy hands and with black streaks
across his pink cheeks. Then either his
father or mother would say:
Tommy, leave the table and wash
your hands and face.'
Tommy always went cheerfully, put a
little dab of soap and water on his face
and hands. and wiped them on the towel
that would then be quite soiled, while
Tommy's face and hands would be a
little less SO. He would go back to the
bile and his father or mother would ex-
claim:
go back and wash your hands and
again, repeat the performance. and
usually looked fairly clean after having
rubbed another layer of dirt on the
towel. He was always so ,good-natured
him. However, after having told him
twice at each Of the daily three meals,
and for three years-that is, ever since
he was big enough to wash his own face
and hands-his parents did this sum ::
36x6 equals 219O; 213x3 equals 657O.
Then Tommy's father said that it
made him feel very tired to think of tell
ing his boy 6570 times more-plus six on
leap year-to wash his face and hands:
and when Tommy's mother suggested
the fairy in the sugarbush, his father
said that seemed about the only thing
left to do-to ask the fairy to help SO
he wrote a letter to the fairy, telling
how much trouble Tommy gave his
parents-hOw he never noticed the door
mat, and never used soap and water ex-
cept when told to, and then sparingly;
that it was a good thing for boy not 20
be wasteful but that he was not only
willing, but anxious to have Tommy
waste considerable soap and water. This
letter he nailed to tree in the sugar
bush.
Well, a day or two afterward. Tommy
came rushing up to the front door and
grasped the doorknob. without a thought
of his very muddy feet. Then a queer
thing happened. The front doormat rose
from the veranda and slapped Tommys
legs.
"Ow! said Tommy, for it hurt little.
Then the door mat lay down before
him. Tommy looked at it and was really
afraid of it. He took hold of the door
knob again, when up flew the mat and
whacked his legs again. Then again it
lay Hat before Tommy, who looked down
ut it in surprise. you may be sure. Sud
denly the thought came to him that the
door mat wanted to be used He wiped
his muddy feet carefully. and the door
mat lay as still and as fiat as postage