Year: 1874

| ~ snS oi"S VI +" hiS" .Aou"'"n' OhS
morning, when it was almost winter, the
dear father said to bis little SON:
"Let us 60 to the great forest to-day,
to bring home fuel for the winter fires, be-
fore the cold snow covers the broken
branches"


So the little boy kissed his little sister
and followed his father into the forest.
The father bound bundle of faggots and
put them on his sons back, and fastened
them so that they might not fall off.


go now, my son." said he, follow
the path straight to your homo; turn
neither to the right nor left, and beware
that you break no living wood, for the
rose has told me that the wicked brownies
have come to fight the flower fairies and
although the good father will not, hope,
permit them to prevail, yet, if you give
them any excuse, they may do you a
great injury"


So the little son promised to give good
heed to the fathers words, and started on
his way; but it soon grew dark, and he
could not see the path, so that he turned
aside and stumbled over young tree e,and
broke it.


Now. the darkness was not of night,
you must know but the wicked brownies
held their hands before his eyes so that
he might lose the path. and that they
might get him into their power.


When the poor boy saw what he had
done, (for it became light as soon as the
young tree was broken,) he looked up
and saw the hateful brownies standing
around, watching HIM to see him get an
cry. He was terribly frightened aud
grioved, as you may think II may new
er see my pleasant home and dear sister
again"


Then he remembered that he had once
heard his dear mother say, that if one
who is in the hands of the brownies,
through some accident, is careful to do no
wicked or cruel thing although the brow.
MES treat him very uuklndly, they must
let him go free aftor time, and can do
him no permanent injury.


So he said TO himself: II will do no
wrong thing to please them, let them treat
me ever so badly and he earnestly
hoped that some good fairy would pass
that way and help him.


"Come," said brownie, trying to look
very kind, which was so strange thing
that he did it very badly, 81 will show
you where there are flowers growing.
whose blood will cure the young tree, and
then you can 60 home to your mother with
your faggots. Come, her fire has gone OF
for want of wood, and your fathers dinner
will not be done, and he will faint with
hunger. You have only to bind up the
broken tree and rub the wound ovel
with the blood of the flowers. and it will
soon be well, Come said he, beginning
to get angry, "there is no time to lose F"


"No,' said the boy, II will not take
the lives Of the poor flowers, not even to
make the tree well again." for he saw
the violcts weeping at the words Of the
cruel brownies, and heard them beg Of
him to be patient, saying, owe have sent
the wlnd-fower fairy to Elaand, to oul
queen, to beg Of her to come to your help


When the brownies heard him say thai
he would not go with them, they began tc
pull his hair, and pinch him, and bite hin
and push him about, and try in every way
to make him angry. But the violets anc
harebells kept saying: "Only be patient
she will surely Gomez" and he was pa
tient, and thought of his father and mo
ther, and dear little sister. and would no
get angry in spite of anything that they
could do.


Soon he heard the sound of wings; and
lookup, he saw the queen Of Elfand and
Court come sailing through the air, ant
his heart was glad. But when the queer
came near, she trenbled and turned pale
for she saw that the king Of the brownies
was before her. So she called for he
cloak of moonlight that makes the weare
invisible; and, having put it on, she slip
ped in among the brownies and kissed thu
little boy, and Immediately he was changed
into beautiful rose tree.


When the brownies saw that they hat
lost their prey (lor they have nc powe
over plant that blooms), they were terri
bly, enraged, you may be sure and tn
king called out !: "The queen Of Efau'
is here and has done us this despite !"
And he ordered his subjects to try AM
grasp Ter in their hands; for althoug
| she might not be seen, yet she might b
foIt, which startled the poer queen SO ina