The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-31
interesting Items to please the children.

from the city she had told her numerous
falsehoods about the lays doings.
Mamma took her up to her own little
room and talked seriously to her, but
Elsie was not repentant. and finally she
was put to bed and told that she must
stay there until she WAS truly sorry.
1t was early in the evening, before din
ner, and elsie did not want to stay IN
bed; she hated this punishment above al
| others. She could hear her little girl
friends playing In the gardens adjoining
her own. She knew they were having T,
fine time. In n few minutes the boil
would ring for dinner. and cook had tod
her they were to nave peach waf1es. How
she loved wafflesi And Johnny would eat
her share. she kneWi
She kicked the post of her little white
bed until the brass ball at the top fairly
jingled, and then a strange thing nap
pened.
of 1t came a tiny old woman She looked
like the witches Elsie had seen in her
fairy books. She was about five Inches
tall; she wore a long green cloak and n
hood, and all that Elsie could see of her
face was a pair OF very bright black eyes
and a long nose. The little old woman
balanced herself on the rod at the foot
Of the bed. and. shaking her finger at
Elsie, said in a high, sharp voice:
"Elsie Drown, l lave lived In this house
since you were a very small child, and l
have seen how you disobey your mother
and tell falsehoods, which Is the very
NfpA9A AAAAAo - 'thA& 49, N&1
mean to teach you a lesson. Get up and
dress yourself and come with me-"
Elsie disliked very much to do this. but
she dared not disobey, so she put on her
clothes as quickly as possible.
Nov | am going to show you what hap
pens to little girls who tell les said tho
witch, as she beckoned Elsie to the bed
post.
"pnt how am I TO 60 down such a very
small hole?" asked Elsie.
Don't ask questionsl' and she gave
Elsle's arm a sharp pinch. Jump up
here"
Elsie shrieked with pain and jumped to
the top Of the post In a hurry, and at
once found herself falling very gently but
swiftly through a long, narrow shaft.
She nearly lost her breath before they
came to a sudden stop in front of a tiny
iron door. The witch took a great punch
of keys from her pocket. and, putting one
in the keyhole. the door flew open, and
they stepped out into a most beautiful
peach orchard.
Some Of the trees were still in bloom,
their dainty pink blossoms filing the air
with great, luscious fruit until their
branches fairly swept the ground. There
were trees full of small. white peaches,
with red cheeks-the kline Elsie liked best
they were so juicy, and as sweet as
honey.
"Oh, my, I must have some of those."
and she made q spring toward a branch
hanging within tantalizing reach over her
Bul lut WHICH Dtiu nef I1IntY DV |
the wrist, and wriggle and turn as HARD
as she might, she could not reach a
single peach.
In the middle OF the orchard, under the
largest tree in fun bloom, was a table
set with dainty blue and white dishes.
and some happy little girls were having
a tea party. Elsie could see the pitchers
full of thick. yellow cream, the bowl of
finely powdered sugar, and right IN the
middle OF the table a platter heaped high
with wafiies-the peach Juice b~ubbllng out
of them in the most e~nticing manner.
''Oh-h!" Elsie drew in her breath. with a
sniff Of delight, and pulled away from
the witch with all her strength, but she
might as well have tried to get her hand
out of n steel trap.
mo more of thls!' said the old witch,
through the orchard, over a low, stone
wall, into q stubby field full of weeds
and potato plants, all covered with potato
bugs.
Some little boys were working as fast
aa they could pulling up the weeds and
picking off the bugs from the plants.
elsie wondered what made them look so
unhappy and work so fast. Why, there
was Bobby Green-the LATEST boy she
knew. and he was working hard in the
hot sur.
az shouldn't think they would stay and
pick potato bugs, with a peach orchard
So near. I'd run away and pick peaches.
she said to the little old woman.
"Oh, you think so, do your" and the
witch smiled grfnly to herself.
At the end OF the potato patch they
upon Il thick. high hedge Of brambles
with fierce thorns sticking out in all
directions. The witch paid no attention
TO these, but dragged Elsie through, the
thorns catching in her clothes and scratch
ing her arms and legs.
on the other side they were in what
seemed to be n cate, full of little girls
all working very hard pairing potatoes. In
the middle of the cave was a great pot
of boiling water and the steam made Elsie
choke and nearly suffocated her.
The witch flew about and brought her n
small, three-legged stool, a great pan of
potatoes and a sharp knife.
Now get TO work, for it is 5 o'clock, and
these potatoes must all b. cooked before
my family come In to supper"
'She must nave a very large family
thought Elsie. and down in the bottom of
her heart she made up her mind that she
would not pare all those dirty potatoes.
She sat idly watching the witch, who
went rushing about to see how we'll the
other little girls We're doing their tasks.
and when she found a little girl whose
potatoes were all pared. she took her by
the hand and led her to a corner of the
cave where there was a crack between
some great rocks and the little girl would
disappear, looking very much frightened.
While the witch was up In the corner
Elsie asked a little girl who sat near her
why some had so many more potatoes to
pare than others.
It's twenty-five for every time you dis
obey and fifty for a f~alsehood," whispered
Via ~.