Year: 1878

Once upon a atime-a time so very long
ago that the Oldest person in the world
doesn't remember 1T, and never knew
anybody who did-there lived and
reigned king and queen. Their king
dom was in the far north pole. A great
many people have Travelled to that king
dom in the polar regions, and many
brave and good men have lost their
lives for it, but, though some have come
near it, the mighty pillars of ice have
always driven them back at last This
king and queen, however, having al
ways lived there, found the climate no
disadvantage, and but for one thing
would have been perfectly happy. L
don't believe any of you can guess what
that thing was, so will tell you. Can
you believe it, it was because in all their
beautiful palace there was no sound of
noisy little feet, no boys or girls to pull
all the pretty things to pieces?


For many years King Otho and Queen
Otelia were very sorrOwful, and the
queen used to pray every day that she
might find little boy of her own. At
last one day, as she was praying, hap
by thought struck her. Away up on
top of one of the icebergs, that glittered
like great diamond in the sunlight,
there lived whole family of fairies.
You never saw fairy in all your life,
did you? What pity! They are the
dearest little people ia the world, only
about as long as your finger, and they
get into all sorts of odd-out-o of the way
places. Sometimes they curl themselves
up in the heart of a rosebud orfu asleep
in lily cup. These fairies lived in such
cold country that there were no flow
ers for them to hide il, so they shut
themselves up In tiny blocks of ice and
helped to make them beautiful with the
light of their bright eyes. Did you ever
see block of ice lying in the sun full
of beautiful colOrs-red and green and
blue and yellow? Those weFo the fai-
ries' eyes peeping out at you, and that
was just the way the iceberg where they
lived looked the day Queen Otelia went
to call on the head of the family. She
had long confab with this fairy lady,
she would send hera little boy, and that
she and all the fairies would come to
his christening and bring him some
presents.


So Queen Otelia went home with a
light heart. and before very long the
fairy proved as good as her word, and
sent the Queen little baby boy and a
funny looking, wee bitof baby it was,
with its bald head and winkling. twink
ling blue eyes, that seemed to be laugh
ing at somebody all the time. When
he was month old queen 0teiia said it
was high time the baby had name, so
she told the cook to make big cake
and all sorts Of sweet things, and sent
King Otho to invite the fairies to the
christening. AS the baby's mother and
father were such very grand neapie the
fairies made great nranaEati0ns in hon
or of the oaeasion.


In chariot made of a single drop of
frozen water and drawn by six winged
mice white as milk rode the fairy queen,
the loviiest and tha smallest lady in elf
lend. In front of her, mounted on q
tiny black and gold butterfly, rods hel
herald, the tiniest, merriest sprite i'm.
aginable, singing, as he floated through
the air:


over hill, over dale,


Through bush, through brier;


Over park over pole,


Through flood, through fire;


1 do wander every where,


Swifter than the moons Sphere,
And serve the fairy queen"


Circling in the blue, crisp air around
| the queens g chariot were myriads of tiny
elves, clothed in all kinds of bright col
ors, and bestriding butterflies OF every
imaginable hue, all sparkling and gilt


tering in the sunlight. Behind thes'


in regular procession, lying back in thei


living ehariots drawn hY butterflies OF


winged mice, rode the rest of the fairy ia


mily. There were Fairy Goodheart, Fairy


Amiahle, Fairy Generous, and behind


them all in chariot made of snail


shell and drawn by two rearing, twist


ing, many colored snakes, came Fair,


Hateful. The cavalcade drew up il


grand style in front of the palace, wher


the king and queen stood waiting to re
ceive the Queen of Elfland and her train
Here there was some small disturbanc
las to who should alight first, and VIII
Eshould walk next to the queen, and a
this was considered a great honor, Fair


Hateful was very angry when she foun


herself placed last in the procession


The fairies are great stickiers for cere


mony, and like to be treated With grea


respect,


saueen Qtelia, knowing this, had pre-
pared grand entertainment for then
land dressed the baby in his heat bib an
tucker to receive them, There be wa.
the gueeA's little baby, with his funn


bright eyes twinkling and his little we
mouth puckered up In q knot. Th
fairies all crowded round him, and sal
he was perfectly lovely and the sweetes
baby out CT Elfiand. They all kisse
him, and pinched his chin, and pulle
his odd bit of nose, and made him
handsome present. All except Fair
} Hateful. Just as she leaned her eros
ugly face over to kiss him, this naughty


naughty baby, who couldn't help laugf
ing at everybody, screwed his red fat
; up into thousand wrinkles and winl
ed his knowing eye at her in the uao


impertinent way imaginable.


You ugly, illsmannered brat,' erie
Q Fairy Hateful. giving him n aharn bo