The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-12


 of any beautiful part in the public I
 Little girls not so pretty as she but slenderer-danced like sylphs upon the floor. They took the part of red birds, fluttering fairies, May 1 Day queens, snowbirds, fireflies and lovely characters out of books.
 But poor. fat little Nanette never could wear the fluffy ruffles, the glittering, tinseled gowns, roseate, flaming capes like little Red Riding Hood, nor appear with a shining tin l foil star upon her forehead-nor a 1 wand, or spear.
 Would Cry
 Sometimes Nanette would cry | about these things. She would go off into a little corner by herself and almost wish she could die, she was so unhappy.
 One day she was sitting by an ! upstairs window, her mead on her arm and her poor little heart just bursting with agony at the thought that the years would pass and she would get fatter and fatter and maybe some day be so big she couldn't walk and would have to be carried about on a truck, when a very gorgeous butterfly came flut- tering in and lighted right bedside her curly head.
 1 Nanette did not hear him until he l began to fan her soft cheeks with his spotted silver and gold wings.
 Then she looked up quickly.
 .'Oh, Mir. Butterfly" she pleaded, If I only looked like you l am sure they would let me dance at the next May | Day party. But l am too fat. I never could be even a whopping sun flower, an elephant ear plant or a giant redwood tree out in the mid dle of California. l couldn't be much of anything but a house and lot, reckon"
 Thought of Plan The butterfly looked her over scanned her big double chin, her dis tended neck, her huge arms, pugdy i shoulders and fat cheeks. Then he said slowly:
 T couldn't do anything myself-but I think maybe that l have a friend who could help out a little girl like you"
 But Nanette did not hear him say i this. She just put her head down on l her arm again, making the butterfly 1 feel like weeping, too. I'm sure Tot Tim can do some l thing"
 | So right away the silver and gold | butterfly flew. He did not stop until he had located Tot Tim softly at rest on an abandoned spider web near | his home at Edgewood. .'Oh, Tot Tim, wake up." the butter | fly urged. flaming the soft little summons into Tot Tim's ear. Then as Tot Tim opened his big eyes, Mr. Butterfly told the whole story. Side by side they flew right back | to Nanette's window. The little girl l held lip one finger and the butterfly | 1aa TA+ Ti,,1 I He saw at once that it was not a job that he could do himself. So he dropped softly into the yard and l stamped his feet three times. l Ready to Help. l At that, guess what happened. The | great White Fairy and a thousand | of her little helpers appeared. Some | of them were blowing soft little l horns. some of them were standing in short. straight rows. some of them 1 were resting upon grass blades. But the little fat girl.
 ''The matter is.' said Tot Tim,
 that the little girl is given every in- l dulgence by her father and mother | and nurse. She lives in boarding house and is allowed to eat anything she likes. Not only does she eat sev- eral times day and far beyond what 1 she wants and needs. but her parents I are perpetually giving her money to l spend for candy, Ice cream, cake and 1 sweet things. Sine Is just the kind of little girl that can't eat so much | food and not be fat"
 1 Now what I want you to help me l do Is to keep her from eating any 1 thing except just enough. But some l of us will have to stay around her all the time"
 Now, which one of you will vol unteer@' queried the Great White Fairly.
 T, I and l." cried everyone of the myriad little folk.
 So 1t was fixed that every time l Nanette started to eat something. unless it was just at the right time 1 and just in the right amount, she was to be halted, She was not to have it under any circumstances.
 That night the fun began When Nanette went down to her supper ! she was prepared to eat great piece 1 of meat. lot of sweet potatoes spaghetti. sweet milk, pudding and several other things. She didn't really need anything at all
 Was Snatched Up
 Just as the blessing was said and
 she reached out to help herself tc the meat, Tot Tim nudged the star boarder and he reached out and took ! the platter. Before 1t had reached Nanette--there being a lot of board
 ers-there was only small piece of
 meat left, and it was so little and tough that Nanette did not want il at all. The same thing happened to
 the sweet potatoes. Then she raven
 ousiy reached Tor the spaghetti. but a 1 great candleflT. which was really | only nf fai fri it-had an awrul time. and the wait ress hustled it away
 l Tot Tim was dancing turkey trot on the table.
 You're doing fine," he screeched to
 the fairies, be sure you get that pud- ding out of the way. toor'
 T want some pudding, please" 1 spoke up Nanette and one of the persons at the table reached to pass 1t to her. But Nanette's hand stop l ped, her eyes widened and she could not believe her sight for a moment, | Right out of the middle of that pud- ding she saw great frog arise. .t looked 10 feet tall. Of course there | was no frog there, but Tot Tim made her think she saw it.
 She hushed at once.
 T don't beneve want any pud- ding" she spoke out
 | rinally, all Nanette had receivei l 1 at the close of the meal was a haif glass of lemonade and a little dab l of squash.
 Make Her Slender i The fairies buzzed around and laughed and clapped their hands. That's the time-' .heered Tot Tim We are going to make her the sien-