Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-06-13

were no birds or butterflies or hoppy
toads about, only few brown liz
ards, which whisked out of sight as
soon as they saw James coming.
Everything was SO lonely and SO still
that he almost wished he hadn't come,
but he kept bravely on and by and
by he got to the top of the mountain.
There, Just under the rim, perched
like swallows nest, was little gray
house.
THAT must be where the gray
witch lives" thought James, so he
went up and knocked at the door.
And right away quick the door flew
open, and there stood the gray witch
on the threshold.
She looked at the little boy over
her spectacles. Good morning,
James Montmorency Stebbins," she
said. you've come to see Inc about
school, haven't your"
Now that surprised James Mont
morency Stebbins very much, for he
had never told any one of his plan
of going to see the gray witch and
he wondered how she could possibly
know. The gray witch chuckled when
she saw how surprised he looked.
Make your request, make your re-
quest, she said, land speak quickly,
for haven't any time to waste"
" II you please" said James, as fast
as he could, "I'd like 1t never to be 3
O'Clock in the morning any more"
"You won't like 1t Bit" said the
witch, "but you shall have it IL you
want it," and she went into the house
and came back with bow and arrow,
which she gave to him.
"Now, James Montmorency Steb-
bins, she said, "this is a magic ar
row and If you shoot It at the sun to-
morrow morning early it will pin it
tight on to the sky so that it won't
be able to move forward. So then
1t can't ever get to be 9 o'clock"
And then l won't ever have to go
to school" cried James in glee.
But the gray witch only chuckled
In reply and shut the door before
James had time to say thank you.
But he was very happy and he went
down the mountain past the gray
ashes and past the green trees till at
last he came safe and sound to his
own back yard, and all the time he
thought to himself. How delightfully."-
delicious not to have to go to school
again." and all that night he was so
happy he could hardly sleep.
The very first thing next morning
he was up and dressed and he ran
out into the back yard with his magic
bow and arrow.
The sun was just rising over the
hills. James took his arrow, fitted
1t to the bow, aimed at the sun and
pulled the string.
Whizz went the arrow up through
the clear air; up, up and up till it
reached the sun and pinned 1t fast
onto the blue sky.
Then James was delighted. He
Jumped up and down and clapped his
hands.
"No more school for me" he cried,
with Joy.
And he ran into the house. ooh,
mother and father" he cried, al don't
have to go to school to-day. Let's
have breakfast and then go off and
spend the day in the woodsi"
Breakfast" said his mother.
why, James, It is much too early
for breakfast. Go out into the garden
and play. I will call you when 1t is
ready"
So James went back to the garden
and played for long while. But his
mother didn't call him, so after a
while he went to the door and said:
Mother, isn't 1t most time for
breakfast"
Goodness gracious, no" his moth
or said. Don't you see the sun is
just over the mountains. 1t won't
be time for breakfast till It gets high
UP over the pear tree"
James went slowly back to the
garden. He was thinking thought
--"If 1t never gets any later than now
1t will always be just before break
fast" 1t was narrowing thought.
BY and by he went back to the
house.
Mother" he said, 81 don't believe
IT'S much use waiting breakfast till
the sun gets over the pear tree, for it
never will get any higher, because
I've pinned II fast to the sky with my
magic arrow, and 1t can't get away"
James Montmorency Stebbins,"
said his mother, whatever did you do
that for?"
And when James told her, she
said: That was very naughty of
you. Go and take 1t down at once"
But can't" cried James. II
don't know how. It will have to stay
that way for always"
"In that case" said HIS mother,