Year: 1879

Far Off over the blue waters there is u
queer little German town. In this house
there is very strange tall stove; stove
nearly as high as q man, made Of white
porcelain. girdled with bands of brass
which shine like FURNISHED gold when the
stream of eastern sunshine CLEANS through
the small -paned window.


In this house there lives n large family
of children. with a dear father and mother
to wat n over them-t;reteleil Marie.
Fritz, and baby Lizette, Gretelein was an
odd young girl with great, wide blue eyes,
and two little yellow plaits of hair hang
ing straight down her back and tied with
blue ribbons.


One day. Gretelein was left alone in the
family room, where the porcelain stove
was. She looked cautiously around to see
that nobody was peeping through the win
dows, she crept softly on tiptoe to the stove
and suddenly opened little door in the up
per part and peered into sort little oven.
II was all of white porcelain and looked like
"A cunning little white room. Many times
before had Gretelein crept up to this stove
and peered into her fairy house, as she
called it: bnt it was always empty and
silent us now. So Greteein turned away
with a sigh, her blue eyes wider and more
wistful than ever


The next evening. when it was almost
dark. Gretchen sat on little wooden chair
close to the window, trying to finish pair
of woolen socks for the dear fathers birth
day. No one else was in the room, and
Gretelein often turned toward the tall
stove, standing like ghost in the pale
light. Ii was growing too dark to see, the
busy click of her needles stopped, and
Gretelein leaned back in her chair to rest
Suddenly soft noise attracted her atten-
ton; it sounded like the whirring of many
wings. Quickly she stole across the room,
crept up to the stove, and with a quick mo-
ton opened the little porcelain door. What
strange sight met Gretelein's gaze IA
sight which made her eyes open wider than
ever before, and her breath came thick and
fast through her startled lips. There in the
silent white chamber. thronged a restless
mass of little people, each 10 bigger than
her finger. Before Gretelein could recov-
cr, the tallest and handsomest of these lit
tie elves iluttered through the open door,
alighting upon Grctclen's shoulder.
"Well Gretelein, +" shrillcd the little man.
''you have found US at last


She started so violently AS the little elf
spoke that he nearly lost his balance, and
clutched at her dress to keep from falling.


She was dreadfully frightened, and was
on the point of running away she did wish
some one would come in; she thought she
would never go near this stove again.
How could she have been so foolish as to
watch for fairies, and to wish that she
could see them!


"You are afraid OF u.s." squeaked the
little man. You foolish child, don't You
know that we lived in this house and this
stove long before you were born.-before
your father and mother were born ?''


"How could you live so long and not
grow bit?" ventured Gretelein under
her breath.


I'VE had something else to dove
have to make everybody else grow; we
are your household elves; we work, oh
how hard we do work over you. even at
night: we have to rack our poor brains to
supply you with dreams; you are such an
unreasonable set, yon mortals, that you
have to lie amused even when you are
asleep. Here. Dreams, wake up, 1t is
almost night. time TO begin work.


Two drowsy little elves rolled from an
obscure corner and sat up rubbing their
eyes; one was a dreamy-taced, tair-haired
little fellow, the other looked in a surly
way from under a pair of black brows.
lie had strange. white. terrified look,
and crept timidly behind his brother.


These" said the elt-king. ''are Dream
and Nightmare, starting out on their
nights work


Gretelein was next attracted to lively
group in corner. Foremost among them
stood the queerest little man, with such
a 30. L.. md n.l-
merry eyes, that Gretchen laughed in
spite of herself.


THAT said the elf-king, sis Jokes,
and that little chap next to him is Laugh
ter, and after Dream and Nightmare are
through with you, before your eyes are
fairly opened, Jokes jumps into your ear,
and Laughter perches himself in the cor
ners of your mouth. and such whisk as
he gives it. The little fellow hiding be-
hind there. looking rather ashamed, is
Mischief. But sometimes that scowling
group in the other get ahead of this one.
That little imp no bigger than your thumb
nail is Crosspatch. He is dreadfully
troublesome and hard to get rid oil when he
once fastens on you.


"IIe fastened on Marie, Yesterday
said Gretchen, "and l ought not to have
blamed her so much, for after all it was
not her fault, but that little imp's.''


.'IIoity, toity not so fast, little maiden;
if Marie had resolved that Cross-patch
should leave. Cross-pateh would have to
60 None of my elves ever stay where
they are not wanted. Some are more
easily frightened off than others. The
uglier the imps the tighter they hold, but
the worst of them can he shaken off.
There he continued, lis set that are
hard to get rid of when once they take
hold. That is Jealousy. and that Envy;
that miserable starveling is Selfishness.
and that horrd toad is Gluttony.
Gretelein shrank in dismay from these
wretched little elves, and wondered how
anybody could allow them to fasten on
them. Suddenly Gretelein's attention was
arrested by Il radiant little elf floating
above all the others.


"Oh, how beautiful, how beautiful he Isl
..Why.r said Greteein, my dear mother
Looks like him, when she bends to kiss me