Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-21


II wish 1 had never come to this
place l want to go home again"
No sooner she spoke than the UNI
brella flew up into the air. Erica
barely caught hold of the stem of the
mushroom in time. She floated home
gladly to her mother, Heather Bell.
DOROTHY NICHOLS.
Monrovia, Cal, box ATS; age z, third
grade.
After sleeping for some time Erica
awolSe. She sat up, rubbed her eyes
and looked around, wondering where
she was.
There were big frogs. little frogs
and all kinds of frogs looking at her
and talking in low whispers. At last
one very fine fellow said something to
his friends which made them stand
back. Then he went to Erica and said:
where did you come from, my
pretty maid? know you won't hurt
us, you are so tiny. What is your
name?"
Erica, somewhat surprised, answered,
'I came from the moor, where I was
a fairy of the heatherbells. / wanted
to see the world, so l flew away AS I
was flying over this place l saw these
tiny umbrellas. so 1 stopped to rest"
The frogs all laughed, but when
Johnny Bull told Erica of her mistake
mistake; but they will do for umbrel-
las Where do you live?"
Johnny seemed leader of the frogs,
for when he told them to march for
the pond they did so. he leading with
Erica by his side.
Erica thought it q beautiful place to
live and wanted very much to go out
on the water. She got on big frog
who started out so suddenly that she
fell off. Before you could wink every
frog was after her, but Johnny Bull
was the hero.
He carried her crying out into the
sun. Erica asked to be let go home
to the heatherbells, but when she
started to fly she found that her wings
stuck to her gown.
GLOW would you like to ride home
on frog horse?" asked Johnny.
"Oh, that would be splendid"
So he ordered a horse to be saddled
at once.
Erica forgot her trouble after she
got started, for the horse went very
fast. When she saw her mother she
ran crying into her arms and said:
Mother, I'll never leave the moor
again, for 1 never get wet here"
Her mother replied, You came back,
dear, so you may have the use of your
wings LUCY PRINCE.
Lankershim, Cal, grade z.
Now this land into which Erica had
gone was the Land of the Toads. If
she had known this of course she
wouldn't have fallen asleep. But as
she did not know 1t she fell into
beautiful sleep.
BY and by Erica was awakened by
q gruff voice.
well, now isn't this a pretty little
lady? Just the wife for my Frediencia-"
Erica looked up and beheld a fat, ugly
old frog. She had on a blue calico sun
bonnet and faded red satin cloak.
The little fairy jumped up and cried.
"Oh! Mother, mother, come take me
away!"
Now don't you cry my little lady,
Fredieneia will take care of you.
Come here, my son. My Frediencia,"
cried the old frog.
There was grunt and a crushing
of leaves while into view strode q
young frog three times as ugly as his
mother.
Erica shuddered.
There, my son, is beautiful wife,"
said the old woman.
"All right, little lady, come with me
to my house. You shall live in beau
tiful flower down in the swamp"
AT least the young frog was kinder
than his mother and Erica followed
him. He led the way down to the
back while he swan out to one of
the lovely lilies in the center of the
pond.
Here you shall live and will bring
you honey each day. If my mother
comes, do not let her in" With this he
went away.
Now one day as Erica sat on the lily,
she saw large lily leaf come floating
down. She saw that there was some
one on it and cried out to it.
The leaf drew up beside her flower
and out came a beautiful fairy who
said:
Dearest Erica, I have come to res
cue you. When we heard of your
plight in Fairyland I determined to
come for you and marry you. 1 am
the Prince Ryand of Fairyland"
So it was that Erica became prin-
cess of Fairyland and went away from
the wicked Frediencia and his mother.
BETTY CHAPMAN,
1854 e. 9th street. Ninth Street school,