. .-
NY PUBLIC LIBRARY Hb
3333 6'808'8 6407
?AIRY
tales
MACE'S FAIRY BOOK.
HOME FAIRY TALES
( CONTES D U PETIT- CHA TEA U).
Y JEAN MACE,
Editor of the Magasin d" Education ; Author of " The Story of a Mouthful of
Bread," etc., etc.
TRANSLATED BY MARY L. BOOTH,
Translator of ' ulartin s History of Fr-m:e '; " LaboulayeV Fairy Book," etc., etc.
i>
i i
n
-
,
-. I '
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
FRANKLIN SQUARE.
1867.
THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR LENOX AND
T:L.DEN FOUNDATIONS
O
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven, by
HARPER & BROTHERS,
In the Clerk's Office of the District'
sented to the chiMrv.ii cf America. May it, in entering
.
their souls, develop there those sentiments of honor,
justice, and goodness which we are all commissioned to
diffuse around us, and compared with which the ocean is
but a brook ! JEAN MACE,
Professor in the School of the Little Castle.
Beblenheim, April 9, 1867.
I
' ' '. (. I .
.
' . .
'
C
.
(
c c
,,'
.. ' '
t \- '
' ' . ,
>\
TRANSLATORS PREFACE.
WE owe our first acquaintance with the unique and interest-
ing collection of fairy tales now presented to American read-
ers to the kindness of M. Edouard Laboulaye, who com-
mended it to our attention some time since as one of the
most successful books of the kind published in France. The
perusal thereof will soon justify the popular verdict. The
fairies here are good fairies home fairies each of whom has
a mission to correct some childish fault, but who does her
work so attractively and unobtrusively that the children for
whom it is designed never think of rebelling against the mor-
al which it is sought to convey. The stories are singularly
pleasing and original, and older readers than the audience for
whom they are written can not fail to be charmed with their
ingenuity.
It may not be inappropriate to say in this connection a few
words concerning the author, who, though one of the most
popular writers for children in France, is as yet comparative-
ly but little known in this country ; and also to explain the
origin of the, at first sight, incomprehensible title of the book,
Tales of the Little Castle, to which, with the author's consent,
we have prefixed that of Home Fairy Tales, as expressive of
the spirit of the work.
Jean Mace was born in Paris, April 22, 1815. He was ed-
ucated at the college Stanislas, where he subsequently filled
the post of Professor of History, also performing divers pro-
fessional duties in the colleges of Louis le Grand and Henri
IV. He then entered the army, where he served for three
vi Translators Preface.
years, after which he became the secretary of the celebrated
Theodore Burette, his former Professor of History, with whom
he remained until the death of this distinguished man in 1847.
In the interval he contributed to various journals, and grew
deeply interested in the political agitation which pervaded
France during the crisis that supervened. In 1848 he as-
sumed the editorship of the journal La Republique, which he
continued to conduct until the coup d'etat of 1851 blasted his
hopes, and forced him to exile himself from the capital. He
took refuge with his friend Mademoiselle Verenet, the princi-
pal of a young ladies' boarding-school at Beblenheim, a little
village romantically situated in Rhenish France, under the
shadow of the Vosges, between Strasbourg and Basle, not far
from Colmar. In this lovely spot, some thirty years ago,
Mademoiselle Verenet, then an invalid seeking health from
the bracing air of the mountains, had built a tasteful chalet
among the vines, which the villagers admiringly christened the
Little Castle. To amuse her loneliness, a little cousin was
sent her to bring up, then another, and then a third ; her
health improved with her multiplied cares ; the number of her
charges meanwhile increased, and the house grew in propor-
tion to its inmates, until finally the authorities bestirred them-
selves, and demanded that the mistress of this improvised
school should obtain the sanction of the government to her
enterprise. It would have been too hard to scatter the lov-
ing circle that had clustered together. Mademoiselle Verenet
complied with the necessary requirements, and her home-
school became a recognized educational institution. We will
leave M. Mace to tell the story of his introduction thereto in
his own words :
"This was in 1850. I was at that time given up to the po-
litical fever which took possession of so many minds after the .
Revolution of 1848. I was traveling in the east of France, for
Translators Preface. vii
the purpose of organizing the correspondence of a journal.
Having been charged by one of Mademoiselle Verenet's pu-
pils with a commission for her daughter, I knocked one day
at the gate of the Little Castle, and, I must confess, my heart
beat somewhat ; to a shy man like me, a young ladies' school
was something very imposing. I met on my way a lady, sim-
ply dressed, standing on a mound ; it was the mistress of the
house, who was superintending the erection of an asylum
which she was building for the children of the village. I lit-
tle suspected at that moment that the asylum was before me
which would one day shelter my life. My coming had been
announced. Introduced without ceremony among the pupils,
I was quite surprised to feel myself at ease. I had expected
something stiff and tiresome. I was in a large country house,
inhabited by a family more numerous than usual ; that was
all. I was invited to make some remarks ; I learned after-
ward that I was successful. Emboldened by the atmosphere
of universal kindness that surrounded me, I even collected the
memories of my old vocation of professor, and ventured to in-
terfere in a lesson of natural philosophy wherein the teach-
er had met with some difficulty, which was not strange, with
the book that she held. It appears that I had the good for-
tune to make myself understood.
" This day, passed free from the angry disputes and collo-
quies with government officials which had occupied my life
for the past five months, and which I would encounter again
on the morrow, was to me like a halt in a cool oasis, and I
carried away a remembrance of the house, which was kept up
by correspondence.
"When the gust of December, 1851, came, I was among'
the leaves that it swept away ; but, happier than many others,
I flew to the little paradise, the image of which had remained
present to my mind. I was invited to fill the post of Profess-
viii Translators Preface.
or of the Natural Sciences ; but, ere long, attracting to myself
all branches of instruction, from book-keeping to geology, to-
gether with history and literature, I abandoned myself with
daily increasing delight to the happiness of intellectual and
moral paternity, the chief of the social functions when the
soul is raised to a level with its vocation. I was at last in my
true calling. After capriciously trying a little of every thing,
it was found that I was born for a professor in a young ladies'
school."
In this quiet retreat M. Mace remained buried with his fam-
ily for ten years. He first gave signs of life by the publica-
tion, in 1861, of the story of a Mouthful of Bread, or Letters
to a Child on the Digestive Organs, a juvenile physiological
work which achieved great success. This was afterward fol-
lowed by Tales of the Little Castle, the Theatre of the Little
Castle, Grandpapa's Arithmetic, A Journey to the Country of
Grammar, the Servants of the Stomach, and various other
works designed for the use of children, all of which have at-
tained marked popularity. M. Mace has also been for sever-
al years the editor, conjointly with M. Stahl, of the Magazine
of Education and Recreation, a semi-monthly journal of great
merit.
The work, however, which M. Mace has most at heart is
that of popularizing education. With this intent he has for
several years been engaged in the work of establishing dis-
trict libraries in the department of the Upper Rhine, and is
now devoting all his energies to the formation of an education-
al league, designed to promote public instruction in France,
and thus to prepare the masses of that noble country for lib-
erty. This league, which is on the highway to success, al-
ready numbers thousands of members, each of whom is
pledged to do his best to educate the people about him. We
trust that we may be pardoned for quoting in this place an
Translator s Preface. ix
extract from a private letter of M. Mace, which will show that
the common-school system and the public liberties of the
United States is the goal toward which his aspirations tend,
and will also set forth the purpose of his efforts. " There is
much to be done in this country to fit it for universal suffrage.
If you think with me that the friends of human progress
should lend each other a helping hand from one land to an-
other, you will perhaps receive with favor a request which I
take the liberty of addressing you. We have already on the
roll of our league names from England, Germany, Switzer-
land, Belgium, Italy, and Spain, but none from America.
Will you permit me to inscribe yours thereon? You can be
of use to our league by making its existence known to the
Frenchmen settled in America who still remember their coun-
try, and who assuredly desire to see it in the enjoyment of the
institutions, and manners and customs of the people amid
whom they live. It is to endow them therewith that we are
laboring, and many among them doubtless only need to be
informed of this to give us their aid."
Meanwhile we are sure that the children of America will
feel grateful to M. Mace for the entertainment and instruc-
tion contained in the delightful tales which we herewith sub-
mit to their perusal.
THIS TRANSLATION
IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
olo ittl
WITH THE HOPE THAT, LIKE HIS NAMESAKE IN THESE STORIES,
HE MAY INCREASE THE HAPPINESS OF THE WORLD
BY HIS EVERY WORD AND DEED.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Authors Preface i
Translators Preface 5
Dedication 1 1
Little Ravageot 15
Goldielocks 49
Bibi, Baba, and Bobo 65
Miss Careless 81
The Necklace of Truth 95
Friquet and Friquctte 107
Medio Pollito 127
The Magic Axe and the White Cat . . .135
Peter and Patcl 1 6 1
The Enchanted Watch 165
Poveretta 189
The Mad Cow .217
The Home Fairy 253
The Two Friends 283
The Great Scholar 287
HOME FAIRY TALES.
LITTLE RAVAGEOT.
I.
NOT very long ago there lived a little boy, who
was so naughty that every body was afraid of
him. He struck his nurse, broke the plates and
glasses, made faces at his papa, and was imperti-
nent to his poor mamma, who loved him with all
her heart, in spite of his faults. He had been
nicknamed Ravageot because he ravaged every
thing about him, and he ought to have been very
much ashamed of it, for it was the name of a dog,
his rival in mischief in the house ; but he was
ashamed of nothing.
In spite of all this, he was a pretty boy, with
light curly hair, and a face that every one liked to
look at when he took a fancy to be amiable. But
this was never any thing more than a fancy, and
the next instant he became unbearable. All the
neighbors pitied his parents, who were the best
people imaginable, and nothing was talked about
I o /;'. : /I?.'.
in the whole town but this naughty boy. One
> '
told how Ravauvot h:ul thrown a stono at him one
V
dav, when ho was taking tho fresh air before his
V
door: another, how ho had jumped into the brook
during a heavy rain on purpose to splash the pass-
ers-bv. The milkman would not let him eome
i
near his tin eans sinee he had thrown a handful
of tine sand into them through misehief, and the
^
policeman threatened to put him in prison it' he
did not stop pinching the little girls on their way
to sehool. In short, so much was said of his bad
behavior, that it eame to the ears of an old fairy,
who, after lon^ roaming over the world, had taken
^ V-
up her abode in the neighborhood.
The fairy Good Heart was as ^ood as it was
~
possible to be: but just on aeeonm of her good-
ness she could not endure evil to be done around
her. The sight of injustice made her ill, and the
mere hearing of a wicked action took away her
V_
appetite for a week. In the course of her long ca-
reer she had punished many bad people, great and
small, and when she learned of all that Kava^eot
\_
had done, she resolved to o-ive him a lesson that
^
would last him a long time. In consequence, she
informed his parents that she would pay them a
visit on a certain day.
i
The fairy Good Heart was well known in the
*
country, and every one esteemed it a ivat honor
Little Ravageot. 1 7
to see her enter hi- house. f"i- -h<- vas not lavMi
of her visits, and it was almost an event when -he
wa- seen in the town. On the morning of the d
appointed the rook ha-tened to tin; market, and
returned two hour's after, bent double under the
weight of a Jjii'j<- ba-ket. holdingtlie be.-t that money
'oiill buy. The rattling of ,-i-k-t- full of bottles werr- <-ai--
ri'-'l up from the Cellar, and 'jr-at ljanjp.-i-s of fruit
Wrds, crying, " Bad son !" At last, toward morn-
ing, worn out with fatigue and excitement, he fell
into a heavy, painful sleep, and saw in a dream a
squad of policemen driving before them a gray-
haired woman, in a coarse patched gown, who
turned her head as if looking for some one.
o
Meanwhile his father had returned late at
night, worn out, with a heart full of anxiety. He
received the news that his son was found with a
cry of joy; but on learning that his wife was not
with him, he groaned, and, throwing himself on
the sofa, passed the night there, with his face
buried in his hands. Scarcely had day dawned
when he entered the room where his son was
sleeping, and, seeing the little curly head which
he had thought never more to behold, he burst
into tears like a child, and rushing to the bed,
covered the little sleeper with kisses.
44 Home Fairy Tales.
Ravageot awakened with a start, and was at
first terrified to see Ms father drowned in tears,
but soon recovering himself, he threw his arms
o
round his neck, and cried, " Oh ! papa, mamma is
down stairs at the door. Come quickly; I am
sure that she is very cold." And as his father
looked at him wonderstruck, " They did not know
her yesterday," cried he, " but you will know her,
I am certain."
Hastily dressing himself, he dragged his father
to the door, where they found the poor woman,
her cheeks blue with cold, and her clothes drip-
ping with rain. At the sight of her little boy
her face brightened, and she clasped him in her
arms with as complete a happiness as if she had
been receiving the compliments of the fine gen-
tlemen of the town in her great velvet chair by
the drawing-room fire.
"What does this mean?" said the father; "who
is this good woman ?"
"It is my mother," cried the child "my good
mother, who has become ugly and ragged for me."
"Can this be possible?" said he to his wife;
" and are you really my dear wife, for whom I
have been mourning ever since yesterday ?"
She looked at him without recognizing him.
She embraced her child again, and said, " This is
my son. What do you want of me ?"
Little Ravageot. 45
" But then I am your husband !" returned the
father, stupefied.
" You !" said she. " I do not know."
" Oh ! what am I to believe T cried the unhap-
py man. " This is really my wife's voice, but I
do not know her or she me."
At this moment Mary Ann, who had been
awakened by hearing her master walking about
the house, arrived. She seized her mistress by
the arm, and, shaking her rudely, exclaimed,
"Are you here yet? Begone, child-steal er, and
never let us see your face again."
She was attempting to drag her to the street,
when Ravageot madly threw himself on her.
His little heart swelled with anger, and he would
have marched boldly at that moment against a
battalion of soldiers.
" No !" he exclaimed, beside himself, " you shall
not drive mamma away. I do not want what
she has done for me. It is for me to be dirty,
and to sleep on the ground; I am the one that
has deserved it. Take me back to the fairy ! I
will give her back every thing, and she must give
back every thing to mamma."
He had not done speaking when an enormous
hand seized Mary Ann by the waist and sent her
spinning in the middle of the street, and Barbi-
chon exclaimed, " Make way for my mistress !"
46 Home Fairy Tales.
At the same instant the fairy Good Heart rose
from the ground, and, placing her hand on the
shoulder of the tender mother, " Your trial is end-
ed," she said. "She who did the evil has come
to repair it."
Then she kissed Ravageot on both cheeks, and
disappeared with Barbichon, leaving after her a
sweet odor that lasted for a week.
When the father, recovered from his surprise at
this sudden apparition, raised his eyes to his wife,
he saw her, with her beautiful black hair and her
fresh complexion, in the silk dress which he had
bought himself for her birthday. She looked at
him, and they fell into each other's arms with un-
speakable happiness.
She lived afterward happy and honored, re-
spected like a saint by all the town; but when
any one attempted to speak in her presence of her
sublime devotion, she blushed, and changed the
subject.
As for Ravageot, he became from that day the
best-behaved little boy that ever was seen. He
obeyed without speaking, and gave up his wish-
es as soon as they displeased his father or moth-
er. He was never more heard to complain when
the water was cold, or to cry when his hair was
combed, or to Tefuse soup when there was some-
thing else on the table that he liked better.
Little Ravageot. 47
However early his mother saw fit to put him to
bed, he took care never to refuse to go, for fear of
the consequences. He attended to his studies,
remembering at what a price his mother had
thought it worth while to redeem them for him,
and would have thought it a crime to run from
her when she wished to take him in her arms.
In this manner he soon lost the name of Ravageot,
and was called good little Ernest, the name that
his parents had given him in baptism.
999999 rr\7^7CL(C>
TyYviiaiflWv
4,. 4, 4,, 4, 4,. 4, * vft^;
op op op op op && fT^'-' rV t5>O
.8=Mr-
I ft 2S^ir*~
Jr rS5H-<^
-;-
ft^a
?/'') iRss^-^^t^r / / ,'H-r-/
GOLDIELOCKS.
THERE was once a good little boy, who liked to
see every body happy. He had large blue eyes,
fair, rosy skin, and such beautiful golden hair that
he was known throughout the whole country by
the name of Little Goldielocks. He often mourn-
ed because he was too weak and too small to be
of any use in the world, and if he felt in haste to
be a man, it was only that he might have the
power of doing good. There are not many little
children of this sort, it is true. Goldielocks is a
proof, however, that there are some such.
At that time there lived a great magician, an
intimate friend of the good fairies, who corre-
sponded with him from the four quarters of
the globe. This correspondence was very easy.
Each of them had an enchanted box, with a little
hole in the top. They wrote what they had to
say on a bit of paper, and slipped it into the
hole, when lo ! the paper went straight to its ad-
dress, alone by itself, without any farther trouble.
You can understand how convenient this was,
and how easy it was for the magician to know all
that was going on in the world.
52 Home Fairy Tales.
In this way he found out what was troubling
Goldielocks, and he was so deeply affected by it
that he instantly felt himself growing better, that
is to say, more powerful ; for you must know that
he belonged to a class of magicians whose power
was in exact proportion to their goodness.
" Ah !" cried he, " this child thinks himself too
weak, yet he has made me stronger than I was
before. I must give him some aid." And, put-
ting on his spectacles, with which he could see a
thousand miles, he looked toward the house where
the little boy lived. It was quite a nice house,
lost anions; the multitude of houses in a Ions;
o o
street. The street itself was confounded in the
magnitude of a large city, which, however, was
not the most important one in the country, and
the country, in its turn, although of considerable
size, was only a speck on the globe. I leave you
to imagine what a small place the little boy held
in it.
Goldielocks at that moment was seated alone
in the nursery, with a book in his hand that did
not seem to amuse him much, watching his sisters,
who were merrily picking strawberries in the gar-
den for their mamma. It was the day for mak-
ing sweetmeats, and the whole house was in com-
motion about such an important event. It must
be confessed that Goldielocks was a little indo-
Goldielocks. 5 3
lent, as the magician saw at once from the way
in which he held his "book, which was oftenest
bottom upward. He was evidently thinking less
about his lesson than the sweetmeats. The little
boy could not keep his feet still a single minute;
and had been delighted to hear somebody say
one day in his presence that birds and little chil-
dren should be suffered to hop and skip about as
much as they pleased, because God made them
for it. He had no scruples, therefore, in leav-
ing the tiresome book every few moments to go
to play with two beautiful Canary birds, his ri-
vals in skipping about, whose cage, suspended
from the wall, was one of the chief ornaments
of the room ; or else to pay a visit t* his gar-
den, a great pot of earth, in which he and his sis-
ters had planted some orange-seeds the winter be-
fore, and which now held orange-trees three inch-
o
es high, a thousand times more tenderly cared for
than those of kings in their orangeries. This did
not seem calculated to make much effect on the
world.
" I will make this dear little fellow the most
important personage on earth," said the great ma-
gician. " Every time that he wins a victory over
himself, all mankind shall do the same."
Then, turning his telescope in a different direc-
tion, he went to see what was taking place in a
54
Home Fairy Tales.
gigantic palace, where a great meeting of states-
men was solemnly discussing what color the
queen's dress should be on her coronation day.
Goldielpcks held in his little hands, therefore,
without knowing it, the destinies of the whole
human race. He learned his lesson no better on
if
that account. Seeing that his orange-trees were
a little dry, he had just finished gently sprinkling
a glass of water over them, when a darling little
fairy, who had undertaken to make a man of him,
entered the room without knocking.
" Well !" said she, somewhat vexed, " is this the
way that you learn your lesson ?"
" Oh ! I could not leave our trees in this condi-
tion ; they were dying of thirst. And besides, I
have been studying my lesson a long time."
" Well, recite it, then."
Goldielocks. '
55
He did not know a word of it.
"My little Goldielocks, you make rne very
sad," said the fairy, as she quitted the room, wip-
ing away a tear.
The child began to reflect, and, ashamed of his
conduct, he sat down to his book, and studied it
courageously, without paying the least attention
to any thing else. His feet were still for a little
while, in spite of the example set by the Canary
birds, who were not made to study- -poor little
creatures ! In a quarter of an hour the lesson
was well learned, and Goldielocks, enchanted with
himself, ran in search of the good fairy to recite
it to her.
Meanwhile a great change had taken place on
the globe. All the little truants who were wan-
dering about the streets left their marbles and
56 Home Fairy Tales.
mud pies, and ran to school as fast as their legs
could carry them. The ignorant became ashamed
of their lack of knowledge, and the booksellers,
suddenly besieged by the impatient crowd that
filled their shops, knew not where to find books
enough to satisfy so many demands at once.
Those who knew nothing were seized with an
impulse to learn something; those who knew
something felt the need of learning more ; there
was a general revolution in minds the happiest
that had been seen since the beginning of the cen-
tury and Goldielocks had done this all alone by
learning his lesson well.
He was rewarded personally by a warm kiss
on each cheek, and, the time for luncheon having
come, he was invited to take part in a splendid
feast, composed of a beautiful pyramid of slices of
bread spread with the strawberries that had es-
caped the preserving-kettle. A lady who took a
great interest in the children of the family had
sent them a pot full of cream, and there was a
universal cry of admiration when the group found
themselves in the presence of all these good
things. Nothing gives one such an appetite as
hard work. Goldielocks, who was no glutton,
nevertheless stretched his hand with pleasure to-
ward a fine slice of bread from the part of the
loaf that he liked best. Happy and proud of
Goldielocks. 5 7
having learned his lesson well, he chattered as he
ate, and carefully laid aside the finest strawber-
ries to eat last with his cream. His little broth-
er, whose appetite knew no bounds, had devoured
the whole of his before Goldielocks was half
through luncheon. The little fellow looked with
a wishful eye at his brother's bread, large straw-
berries and saucer of cream, and determined to
have them. As he was as willful as he could
be, a scene of cries and tears would have follow-
ed had not Goldielocks, touched with compassion,
divided with the poor hungry child, though he
would have gladly eaten the whole. His mam-
ma, who had arrived on the spot meanwhile,
was greatly delighted, and gave Goldielocks a
smile that amply repaid him for his sacrifice.
But he had a far greater reward ; for lo ! at the
same instant, all over the globe, men suddenly be-
gan to reflect how many of their fellow-beings
might be famishing with want, and each one set
out with provisions in search of the hungry. Noth-
ing was seen in the streets but baskets filled with
bread, great platters of meat, sacks of potatoes,
and baskets of fruit, on the way to the houses of
the poor. Every one who was fortunate enough
to find a family in want, loaded it with plenty,
and his neighbors envied him his happiness. The
suffering poor could not believe their eyes. Chil-
C 2
58 Home Fairy Tales.
dren who liad never seen any cake in their lives
made the acquaintance of that remarkable prod-
uct of human industry, and - - a thing that had
never before been seen no one on that day went
supperless to bed.
What a triumph for Goldielocks ! But he
knew nothing of it. For a full quarter of an
hour he was wholly absorbed in a great question.
The little fellow was very pretty at least he had
often been told so by his nurse, who worshiped
him, and who had no greater happiness than that
of dressing him in his fine clothes. After lunch-
eon, a walk in the large garden, where all the rich
children were in the habit of meeting, was talked
of, and every one ran to get ready. Now Goldie-
locks had a black velvet coat, in which he thought
himself dazzling. His nurse w^as of the same
opinion, and, though the velvet coat had been de-
signed for holidays, she never lost an opportunity
to take it from the drawer. His mamma then
scolded, but the mischief was done, and the child
strutted about like a peacock. This time, again,
the nurse brought out his velvet coat, which was
joyfully received. He already had one arm in
the sleeve when his elder sister entered. " Oh !
Goldielocks," she exclaimed, " you mustn't wear
that coat. Your cloth jacket is good enough to
play in the dirt."
Goldielocks. 59
" My clotli jacket has holes in the elbows. I
look like a beggar in it."
" Corne, be good ; you know that inanirna will
be displeased."
The dear little boy said no more ; the idea of
displeasing his mother made him forget all his
vanity. He took off the coat, and quietly put on
the cloth jacket, in which he amused himself like
a king in the garden.
He had scarcely obeyed his sister when Pride
instantly took flight from the earth. Great ladies
in damask robes began politely to return the sa-
lute of the humblest citizens. The noblemen of
the court found themselves saying good-morning to
the peasants whom they met returning from mark-
et. Men tried to remember the reasons which
they had had for despising each other, but were
unable to find them. You can form no idea of
the universal relief. Even the little boys that had
stood first at school were rid of the foolish pride
which had rendered them so ridiculous.
What was Goldielocks doing all this time ?
On his return from his walk, a great dispute
had arisen between him and one of his sisters,
only a year older than himself, whom, neverthe-
less, he loved with all his heart. Alice, for that
was her name, had a fault common to all little
girls she was something of a tease. Her broth-
60 Home Fairy Tales.
er having said before her several times that he
meant to be a physician, she called him nothing
but doctor, and during the whole walk she had
tormented him with this hateful name.
"I am tired of being a doctor," said poor Gol-
dielocks, at last. " I mean to be a bishop."
This was much worse, and the name of My
Lord the Bishop began to be showered upon him.
" When are we to ask My Lord the Bishop for
his blessing," said she at last, bowing before him
with feigned humility.
" You shall have it directly," cried Goldielocks,
furious; and, seizing a ruler that lay close at hand,
he began to make the most threatening gestures
toward the provoking Alice.
Alice, whose hands were as nimble as her
tongue, quickly found another ruler, and the two
champions began skirmishing with all their skill,
taking care, however, to strike, not each oth-
er, but the piece of wood in their adversary's
hand. An unlucky blow, however, having fallen
on Alice's fingers, she uttered a cry of pain, which
made Goldielocks forget his anger. He dropped
the ruler, and, throwing his arms round his sis-
ter's neck,
" Forgive me," he cried, with tears in his eyes ;
" I will never do so again, and you may call me
bishop as much as you like."
Goldielocks. 6 1
Their papa, who was the best papa in the
world, had hastened toward them at the noise of
the quarrel, and was already preparing to scold,
when what was his joy to see the brother and sis-
ter tenderly embracing each other. He clasped
them to his heart, and thought himself a happy
man in having such good children.
Great wars were raging at that moment upon
the earth, and men were striving which should
invent the most frightful engines of destruction.
~ ~
Some had constructed iron towers, moving faster
than a horse could gallop, and filled with men,
who, sheltered from danger, could kill without
fear all whom they met. Others had invented
engines which could hurl huge rocks two leagues,
and kill soldiers by thousands like flies. Each
new invention called forth bursts of applause
from the combatants, and there would have soon
been no one left alive but the inventors of ma-
chines for killing had not Goldielocks' blessed
ruler encountered Alice's fingers.
The child had no sooner laid down his arms
than all this warlike ardor ceased as if by en-
chantment. Men instantly perceived that it was
very foolish to kill each other to know which was
right. It was agreed to refer the disputes to the
lookers-on ; and there was a universal embracing
all along the lines, from the generals to the chil-
62
Home Fairy Tales.
dren of the common soldiers, who had been in the
habit of fighting whenever they met on their way
from school.
Good little Goldielocks went to bed that night
content with his day, after receiving a thousand
caresses from his family, and fell asleep, asking
himself when he would be as large and strong as
a man. At the 'same moment the earth, deliver-
ed by him from ignorance, want, pride, and war,
abandoned itself to transports of universal joy ;
and from Norway to Patagonia great bonfires
were kindled on all the mountains, which blazed
so brightly that they could have been seen from
the moon.
Goldielocks. 63
The great magician is no longer at hand, my
dear children, to give such importance to the vic-
tories which you win over yourselves. Some-
thing remains of it, however ; even to-day, believe
me, children are stronger than men in doing good.
While your parents are sometimes obliged to
make the greatest sacrifices to prevent you from
being unhappy, you, on your side, can render them
happy by the smallest sacrifices. If the world is
not changed in a single moment thereby, as in the
time of Goldielocks, be sure that these petty sacri-
fices are never lost on it. Every drop of water
that falls finds its way to the sea.
BIBI, BAB A, AND BOBO.
BIBI was a little MISCHIEF.
BABA was a little GLUTTON.
And BOBO was a little SLTJGGAED.
They went one day to walk in a wood that
was near their house, and, in spite of their parents'
orders, did not stop at a certain place, beyond
which they "had been forbidden ever to go. I
must add that they were three disobedient little
girls into the bargain.
It is only just to say that this was Bibi's fault.
On reaching the place, Bobo already felt tired,
and would have been glad to stop. Baba, on her
side, recollected that luncheon would be ready in
half an hour, and did not care about going any
farther. But Bibi, who was above such trifles,
laughed so much at the other two that they dared
not resist her. One was ashamed of her indo-
lence, and the other of her gluttony, and both fol-
lowed Bibi, though sorely against their will.
This will teach you how weak you are when you
undertake to obey through any other motive than
obedience; for if our little girls had thought of
68 Home Fairy Tales.
nothing but their parents' wish that they should
not go beyond this spot, they would have felt in
themselves that they were right, and would not
have been afraid of being laughed at.
They went on, however. It was a large and
beautiful wood, crossed by magnificent roads that
stretched as far as the eye could reach. The
walk at first was delightful. The children gath-
ered flowers, rolled on the soft grass, and listened
to the chirping of the birds. Sometimes a little
mouse put the end of his nose out of a hole, and
drew it in as soon as the little girls came too
near; or a great gray lizard sprang suddenly
from a tuft of grass and ran along the road,
chased by the merry group.
Every thing went on well as long as they re-
mained in the road, which was as straight as an
arrow, and in which there was no danger of get-
ting lost. But by-and-by they reached a shady
footpath which wound among the thicket, and
which looked so inviting that Bibi entered it
o
boldly.
" Don't go that way ; we shall lose ourselves,"
cried Bobo.
"Let us go back; it is time that we were
home," cried Baba.
" I am only going to the first turning," answer-
ed Bibi. " Come with me ; I must see what is
beyond it."
) Bab a, and Bobo. 69
And, as they turned a deaf ear to her entreaties,
the mischievous little girl threw herself on the
ground.
" Oh ! what a nice place to lie down in," she
cried, " and how thick the strawberries are !" On
hearing this they ran to her - - Baba, the gour-
mand, to eat strawberries, and Bobo, the sluggard,
to lie on the grass at her ease. But the soft spot
was full of stones and dead branches, and as for
strawberries there was not one. Bibi burst into
a loud fit of laughter on seeing their disappointed
faces. " We shall find them farther on," said she
to Baba ; and, taking her hand, she dragged her
forward as fast as she could, followed at a dis-
tance by Bobo, who had a great mind to cry.
After the first turnincr there came a second,
o
which she insisted on seeing, and then a third.
Then the footpath parted in two, and a gigantic
oak, which rose in the bushes on the edge of one
of the paths, attracted Miss Bibi's attention.
From one caprice to another, she led Baba and
Bobo so far that when they wished to retrace their
footsteps none of them knew which way to go.
The poor children were filled with consterna-
tion. Bibi, however, would not show it. She
stamped her foot, pinched her lips, opened her
black eyes wide, and, turning with a contemptu-
ous gesture toward her companions, " Follow me,
70 Home Fairy Tales.
you little frightened chickens," said she, " and I
will lead you home."
But it is not enough, in a wood, to be determ-
ined to go somewhere ; it is necessary, also, to
know the way. After walking a long time, try-
ing all the footpaths, and passing and repassing
the same places, they were just where they were
at the beginning. Bobo at last threw herself on
the ground, and declared, crying, that she could
not take another step. She was a beautiful little
child, with fair complexion, golden curls, and
large blue eyes, with a pleading expression, which
would have moved a heart of stone, but which did
not touch the teasing Bibi, who shook her, and
tried to raise her from the ground. Poor Bobo
did not defend herself, but fell back with all her
weight on the grass after each attempt.
"You are a fine walker!" cried Bibi. "We
will leave you here if you have not more cour-
age."
But Baba came to the aid of her friend.
" Don't be afraid, dear Bobo," said she ; " I will
not leave you. Rest yourself, and then we will
set out again;" and, bending her good-natured,
chubby face, she kissed her friend to give her
courage.
" If I only had a little piece of bread," murmur-
ed she, " I would wait as long as you like," and
Bibi, Baba, and Bobo. 7 1
she heaved a deep sigh. Bobo looked at her
with compassion. Just at that moment her eyes
fell on a beautiful ripe strawberry, shining lus-
ciously among the leaves a few steps from her. It
was the first that they had met. Forgetting her
fatigue, she rose at once and ran to the strawber-
ry, which she brought back in triumph to poor
hungry Baba.
" Oh ! how good it is," said the latter, swallow-
ing it. " Thank you, Bobo ; you are a good girl."
In the mean time Bibi, to show her superiority,
was walking backward and forward with long
strides. Baba's joy displeased her. " A fine din-
ner for a glutton !" she cried ; " it will not carry
you far."
This was unhappily but too true. Suddenly
recalled to the consciousness of her situation, and
feeling her appetite redoubled rather than ap-
peased by the delicious but unsatisfactory mouth-
ful, the poor child burst into tears, and Bobo, on
seeing her, began to sob to keep her company,
while Bibi laughed like the naughty girl that
she was.
Just at that moment the queen of the fairies
passed by and heard them. She had been chosen
queen by the other fairies because she was the
best of them all, and so good that she had com-
passion on every one in trouble, even the wicked.
72 Home Fairy Tales.
She suddenly appeared to the children in the
form of an old woman laden with a bundle of
dry fagots. "What is the matter, rny dears?"
said she. " Can I help you in any way ?"
" Oh ! madam," said Bobo, " poor Baba is so
hungry."
" That is not all," said Baba ; " poor Bobo is so
tired. We have lost our way in the woods, and
know not how to get home."
The good fairy looked at them attentively, and
saw what they had done.
"Be comforted," she said; "I will send you
some aid."
She broke two little twigs from her fagots,
and threw them into the thicket, when instant-
ly a great white sheep, with a fleece like snow,
came out bleating, and rubbed his nose on Ba-
ba' s rosy cheeks ; then a beautiful little squir-
rel leaped from a tree without ceremony upon
Bobo's shoulder.
" And you, my little one," said the old woman,
addressing Bibi, " are you in want of nothing ?"
" No, mother," answered Bibi, with a haughty
air, " I am neither hungry nor tired. They make
me laugh with their complaints."
" Ah ! you ask for nothing but to laugh," said
the good fairy, irritated at the tone of the little
girl. " Very well; I have something that will sat-
isfy you."
Bibi, Baba, and Bobo^ 73
She instantly vanished, and behold ! a little
monkey appeared, which gamboled before Bibi,
making the drollest grimaces that could be im-
agined. Delighted with her gift, Bibi took him
in her arms, and covered him with kisses, to
which he replied by a short, angry growl. She
paid no attention to that, however, so amusing
and delightful did he seem to her.
o
All this did not bring the children any nearer
home. Baba ran her fingers through the silky
wool of her sheep, dreaming of a slice of bread
and marmalade, which she saw dancing before
her eyes, while Bobo kissed her squirrel's whis-
kers, without really knowing what she was doing.
The mistress of the sheep, being the most im-
patient, was the first to speak. " Now," said she,
" how are we to get home ?"
"Don't trouble yourself," said the sheep; "I
know the way."
He began to trot slowly in the right direction,
followed by his little mistress, who gave her arm
to Bobo, telling her to lean upon it.
Bibi attempted at first to laugh at them, and
took another path, saying that she did not mean
to be led by a sheep ; but the monkey having es-
caped from her arms, she was forced to run after
him, and as he obstinately persisted in following
the band, she at last resigned herself to necessity,
D
74 Home Fairy Tales.
and walked behind her companions, sneering at
them continually, and calling thern all sorts of
names.
On the way, Baba, who never lost sight of her
fixed idea, londly complained and cried of hunger.
" Mr. Sheep," said she, " can't you show me any
thing good to eat here ?"
" I can te.ach you, my pretty child," answered
Colas, for that was his name, " not to be so fond
of eating, and to learn to silence your stomach
when an accident happens like that of to-day.
What would become of me if I did not know
how to be hungry in case of need of me, who
am driven out into the highways to feed on the
blades of grass growing among the stones ?"
" But at least," resumed Baba, " you have some-
thing to eat."
o
" Yes, but never to my taste. I do not com-
plain, however, because it can not be helped.
Follow my example, and acquire the habit of
courage against necessity. You will sup all the
better for not having dined."
Baba was not convinced, but she no longer-
dared complain before so reasonable an animal.
She talked of something else with Colas, who con-
versed so .agreeably that she soon lost sight of
that seductive slice of bread and marmalade
which had constantly appeared before her, and
the sight of which had made her so unhappy.
Bibi, Baba, and Bobo. 75
Meanwhile Bobo had also entered into conver-
sation with her squirrel, whose name was Cas-
caret, as he told her directly. She told him how
her limbs ached, how her feet were blistered, and
how she was sure that it would make her ill.
" My dear little mistress," said Cascaret, cock-
ing his tail above his head like a bunch of feath-
ers, " I believe that by ceasing to think of your
fatigue you would feel it less. You see how
slender I am, 'and how delicate my limbs are.
They are far more tender than yours; yet that
does not hinder me from nimbly leaping among
the branches, which is much more tiresome than
walking quietly on the ground. Come, run with
me; it will rest you."
" Oh no," said Bobo, groaning, " I do not think
so. r
"There are some beautiful nuts up yonder,"
said the squirrel, " and a great wild apple-tree full
of fruit, which will soon be stolen if the little
boys come this way."
" Oh ! how fortunate," cried Bobo, delighted.
" My dear Cascaret, won't you be so good as to
bring me some apples and nuts for poor Baba,
who is so hungry ?"
Master Cascaret did not wait for a second bid-
ding. He sprang forth nimbly, and made so
many journeys to the walnut and apple trees
Home Fairy Tales.
that Baba finally declared herself quite satisfied.
Bobo felt so much pleasure in seeing her eat that
she almost forgot her fatigue, and walked on
without paying any attention to it.
An idea struck Baba in turn. "Mr. Sheep,"
said she, " will you do me a great favor ?"
" What ?" said Colas.
" Will you take my dear Bobo on your broad
back ? I am sure that she will be quite safe on
your thick wool, and she is so light that she will
not tire you much."
The sheep was too good-natured to refuse. He
knelt down, and Bobo, clinging to his fleece, soon
found herself seated like a little queen on the
good Colas, who trotted on as if he had no load.
Thanks to their mutual kindness, the two friends
were both freed from their suffering. They were
no longer afraid of losing themselves, since the
Bibi, Baba, and Bobo. 77
good sheep knew the way, and they continued
their journey, merrily talking and singing.
Bibi followed them, making; faces at the monk-
o
ey, which pinched and bit her without ceremony,
but with such comical and original grimaces that
she shouted with laughter. At length, however,
she began to grow tired of a play that was
amusing only on one side, and gradually ap-
proached the singers. The beautiful nuts and
yellow apples, which she had seen Baba and Bobo
eating;, had reminded her that she had eaten noth-
o/
ing for a long time, and she began to feel that
she would not be sorry to have something her-
self to munch. She at last determined to have
recourse to her w^horn she had treated so harshly.
"Where is your squirrel?" said she to Bobo.
" Can't he bring me some fruit too ?"
Bobo, who was not revengeful, whispered a
word in Cascaret's ear, and the good little animal
climbed like lightning into a great walnut-tree
that had sprung up as if by magic in the midst
of the wood. He returned with a large nut,
from which he carefully stripped the green husk,
then cracked it with his long front teeth, and
gracefully offered it with his right paw to Bibi.
Just as she was stretching out her hand to take
it, the mischievous monkey sprang forward, and,
seizing the nut, ran a few steps before his mis-
78 Home Fairy Tales.
tress ; then, standing on his hind legs, he ate the
nut before her face, rolling his eyes and twisting
his mouth as if wishing to defy her. A second
nut shared the same fate ; and the little girl
having succeeded in seizing the third, the nionk-
ey snatched it from her hands before she had
tasted it.
She was forced to abandon all thoughts of
o
profiting by Bobo's kindness ; but, as she felt her-
self overcome by fatigue in consequence of all
this vexation, she asked permission at least to seat
herself on the sheep's back. Colas willingly con-
sented. He knelt down for Bibi to change
o
places with Bobo; but, just as she had taken her
seat, the mischievous 'monkey sprang on the gentle
sheep, and pulled his ears with such force that he
began to leap and rear madly. Miss Bibi fell her
whole length on the ground among the briers,
and scratched her face and hands so badly that
she did not ask to mount again, but dragged her
weary limbs along in the rear of the party, feel-
ing more like crying than laughing.
Happily, they soon reached the end of the
wood. Colas took a footpath, and, at the mo-
ment when they least expected it, the little girls
suddenly saw their parents' house before them.
Baba and Bobo rushed forward with cries of joy,
while Colas and Cascaret gamboled round them,
Bibi, Baba, and Bobo. 79
to show the share that they took in their happi-
ness.
The little monkey remained seated at the edge
of the wood, gazing at Bibi, who hobbled along,
too sorrowful and tired to follow the example of
the others. Missing him from her side, she turn-
ed round to call him, and saw him scratching his
head with a careless air. She ran to him, furious.
"Are you laughing at me again?" she cried.
"You naughty little animal, you are good for
nothing but mischief. Take care, or I shall pun-
ish you at last."
He would have been whipped soundly could
she have caught him ; but he sprang aside, and
suddenly turned into a beautiful woman magnifi-
cently dressed, with a wand in her hand. It was
the queen of the fairies herself, who had assumed
this disguise in order to show the little mischief
all the deformity of her ugly fault.
" Now," said the fairy, " I hope that you under-
stand how much you put yourself beneath others
by laughing at them. Your friends have their
faults, which they will do well to reform ; but
they have a good heart, and goodness makes
amends for every thing. You see that they have
succeeded in extricating themselves from their
difficulties, while you, who thought yourself far
superior to them, because you had more w r it and
8o Home Fairy Tales.
spirit, return last, famished and exhausted with
fatigue. Whenever you feel like amusing your-
self at the expense of others, remember the little
monkey that you saw just now, and as you hated
him, think that they will hate you."
The child was humbled, but not conquered, for
her heart rebelled against the fairy's words, and
she saw nothing but the shame which would be
cast on her by this adventure.
"They are going home each with a beautiful
gift," said she, " and I shall have nothing."
"No, my child," resumed the good fairy, "I
will make you a present worth a thousand times
as much as theirs."
And, taking Bibi in her arms, she clasped her
to her heart overflowing with goodness. The lit-
tle girl felt her own instantly melt, like an icicle
placed over the fire. She returned home with a
good heart, and from that day henceforth she
employed her courageous spirit in strengthening
and assisting the weak, instead of teasing and
laughing at them. And in after years, when she
herself was a mother, she would say to her chil-
dren, " Every one has his faults, but never forget,
my dears, that that of teasing others is, perhaps,
the worst of all."
MISS CARELESS.
Miss CAEELESS was a good little girl, wlio
loved her papa and niamnia dearly, but, as her
name shows, she had one bad fault she took no
care of any thing. When her parents scolded
her she hung her head, her large blue eyes filled
with tears, and she looked so lovely and so un-
happy that they almost reproached themselves
for having given her pain, and involuntarily set
to work to comfort her ; but, their backs turned,
all traces of repentance disappeared, and the dis-
order became worse than ever.
Careless had a brother a year older than her-
self, whose example and advice had a bad influ-
ence over her. It was the custom in that coun-
try, when boys had hardly begun to cut their sec-
ond teeth at the age when it is so pleasant to
hear them prattling about the house in their
pretty frocks, with their long curls falling over
their shoulders it was the custom, I say, to send
them to great houses, built like barracks, where,
after cropping their heads, they were dressed in
military coats buttoned to the chin, patent-leather
84 Home Fairy Tales.
belts, and soldiers' caps perched over the ear, lack
ing nothing but swords to be equipped for battle.
The poor children learned there to play men, and
to look down on their sisters. It was a thing
agreed upon in this little world that a man who
respects himself puts nothing in its place, and the
example of the most celebrated personages, re-
nowned for their absent-mindedness, who always
put on their trowsers wrong side before, was
quoted as a proof of genius. The grown persons
of the house had told this to the tall lads, who
had told it to the smaller boys, who had told it
to the little ones, and Careless' s brother, who was
one of the latter, had repeated it to her.
Armed with this imposing testimony, Careless
thought it very absurd to require of her such
minute attention to details so insignificant, and
nothing seemed to her so tiresome as to put
things in order one day which must be disturbed
the next. She did not suspect what need she
would have of order in after years, when she
should become a mother herself, and how disgrace-
ful it is to a woman to have nothing in its place
in her house. Her mamma, who was well ac-
quainted wdth her faults, and who loved her too
well to suffer this fatal habit to become rooted in
her, knew not what to do to break her of it ; she
had exhausted every thing- -warnings, prayers,
Miss Careless, 85
threats, and even tears, and she finally resolved to
punish her.
It was not a difficult task to punish the dear
little girl ; her heart was so. tender that a harsh
look made her unhappy, and the sight of her
mother in tears threw her in despair. Unhappi-
ly, all this sorrow was wasted, since she would
not feel the importance of what was required of
her. It always seemed to her that her parents
were very wrong in making such a fuss about
things that were so little worth the trouble, and
O '
that they made her unhappy without rhyme or
reason. They were obliged, therefore, to have re-
course to more direct punishments, in order to
make a stronger impression on her mind. If her
bed was in disorder, she was forced to wear her
nightcap all day. Every time she overturned
her inkstand, and this often happened, the end of
her nose was inked. Whenever she left a hand-
kerchief, or any thing else, lying about the house,
it was fastened on her back ; I even believe that a
shoe was hung there one day, which had been
found far from its fellow, astray on the stairs.
All this mortified her greatly, but did not re-
form her. She finally persuaded herself, indeed,
that her parents no longer loved her, since they
persisted in tormenting her in this way, and this
unhappy thought hardened her in her disorderly
86 Home Fairy Tales.
habits. One day, at length, when her brother
had a holiday, and, between them, they had put
every thing out of place in the parlor and din-
ing-room, Miss Careless w^as told that she must
not leave her room all the next morning. This
was a punishment which she felt keenly, for the
young gentleman's presence was a rare event
since he had joined the regiment, and he now in-
troduced into their plays those cavalier and domi-
neering airs which rendered him still larger in the
eyes of his little sister. The dear child was too
good.
The next morning the rising sun found her
o o
seated on her bed in tears, looking despairingly
about her room, her prison till dinner. Her pret-
ty new dress, put on for the first time the night
before in compliment to her brother's arrival, was
thrown in a corner, half on the floor and half on a
chair. One of her boots was under the door, and
the other against the door. Two pretty gray silk
mitts were on each end of the mantle-piece, and
the little black velvet hat, of which she had been
so proud, was lying on its side on the top of the
water pitcher, with its great white plume falling
into the basin.
Careless saw all this confusion with profound
indifference, and only thought how tiresome it
would be to stay alone for long hours in a room
Miss Careless. 87
with, nothing to do, since it did not occur to her
to put things in order.
" How unhappy I am !" she cried. " Every one
here hates me, and treats me badly. Nobody
loves me but my dear Paul, and they won't let
me play with him."
The fairy Order was at that moment making
her rounds through the house. She had always
avoided this neglected room, for she had a pro-
found contempt for giddy and negligent little
girls, and the young lady was not one of her fa-
vorites; but when she heard her gentle voice
moaning so pitifully, she had compassion on her,
and, believing that she had repented at last, open-
ed the door.
You may imagine how she frowned at the
sight of the disorder. " Are you not ashamed ?"
she exclaimed, harshly, advancing to the foot of
the bed.
" Of what, madam ?" answered the little girl,
tremblingly.
" Just take the trouble to look around this
room.'
" Well, what is the matter with it ?"
" What ! don't you see the frightful disorder
that every thing is in ? There is not a single ar-
ticle of your dress in its place."
"Oh! if that is all, there is no great harm
88 Home Fairy Tales.
done. Paul says that it makes no difference
where we put our tilings at night, provided that
we find them in the morning."
" So you believe Master Paul, and think that it
makes no difference where you put your things !"
cried the fairy, angrily. " Well, you shall see."
With these words she touched the child with
her wand, and behold ! little Careless flew into
pieces in every direction. The head went in
search of the hat on the water-pitcher, the body
plunged into the dress across the chair, each foot
regained its boot, the one under the bed and the
other against the door, and the hands made their
o /
way into the mitts on each end of the mantle-
piece : it was the work of an instant.
" Now," said the fairy, " I am going to send
Master Paul to put all this in order. You shall
see whether it makes no difference where you put
things."
o
She went down into the court-yard, where Mas-
ter Paul was taking advantage of his mamma's
absence to try to smoke the end of a cigar that
his papa had forgotten the night before. " Go
up stairs to your sister's room," said she : " she
needs you."
Paul was not very sorry to be disturbed in an
attempt which he was beginning to find unpleas-
ant; nevertheless, he carefully laid the precious
Miss Careless. 89
cigar-stump on the window-sill, and went to Iris
sister's room, Iris head somewhat heavy.
" Well, what is the 'matter ?" said he on enter-
ing. He saw no one in the room. "Where are
you ?" he cried, furious at what he thought a trick
insulting to his dignity.
"Here," groaned the head. "Come and help
me quickly, my dear Paul ; I am very uncomfort-
able on this water-pitcher."
" No, come here," howled the body. " I can't
bear this any longer; the corner of the chair is
piercing me through and through."
" Don't leave me under the bed " said the ricjlit
o
foot.
" Look against the door " said the left foot.
o
" Don't forget us on the mantle-piece," shouted
the hands, with all their might.
Another little boy might have been frightened,
but Paul was already strong-minded. Picking
up the feet, hands, and head in the twinkling of
an eye, " Don't be alarmed, my dear sister," said
he, in an important tone; "I will set you to
rights ; it will not take me long. The deuce !"
This was one of his words, borrowed from a
friend that had taken him under his protection, a
young man of eleven, who had long since re-
nounced the refinement of good language. Yet
it was not six months, since, seated on his mam-
Home Fairy Tales.
ma's knee every evening before going to bed,
with his hands clasped, he had promised God to ,
be a good boy. But we will return to the w^ork
of putting together the scattered limbs of poor
Careless.
The feet, head, and hands were soon laid by
the side of the body, and, as Master Paul had
said, the operation was quickly performed. Rais-
ing his sister on her feet, " There you are !" he ex-
claimed.
But scarcely had he looked at his work than
he uttered a loud cry. The head was turned
Miss Careless. 91
awry ; one of the feet, in its boot, hung on the
right arm, while one leg staggered, supported by
a poor little hand that looked as if it were crush-
ed beneath the weight.
" Oh ! Paul, what have you done ?" cried the
unhappy Careless. And as she attempted to
wipe her eyes, the toe of her boot caught in the
braids of her hair.
The giddy boy stood thunderstruck before the
disaster which he had caused. He attempted at
first to repair the evil by pulling his sister's head
with all his might to put it in the right place;
92 Home Fairy Tales.
but it was too firmly fixed. He twisted the lit-
tle girl's neck in every direction, and only suc-
ceeded in making her cry. Then fright and
grief triumphed over all his courage, and he burst
into a good hearty fit of crying, like a genuine lit-
tle boy. The servants of the house ran thither at
his screams, but they could think of no other
remedy than to send for a physician. Some pro-
posed Doctor Pancratius, who had cured so many
little children ; others the celebrated Doctor Cut-
all, who knew so well how to perform an opera-
tion. Every body talked at once, and they were
trembling for fear of the arrival of the parents,
whom such a sight might have brought to the
tomb, when the fairy Order appeared in the mid-
dle of the room in all the lustre of her holiday
attire.
" Well," said she to the poor little girl, " do you
think now that it makes no difference where you
put things, and that children are to be trusted
who despise order ? Let this be a lesson to you !
I forgive you because you are a good girl, whom
every body loves ; but always remember what it
may cost you to pay no attention to what you
are doins;.'
o
Saying this, the fairy touched her once more
with her wand, and head, body, feet, and hands
found their right places.
Miss Careless. 93
After this terrible adventure the little girl be-
came so careful and attentive that the fairy Or-
der made her her favorite, and married her in aft-
er years to a prince as beautiful as the day, who
was anxious above every thing to see his house
in perfect order, and who chose her as much for
her neatness in all things as for her goodness and
beautiful face.
As to Paul, he ceased to believe that it made
no difference where he put things, and refused to
listen to the boys, on his return to school, when
they made speeches that would have displeased
his mamma.
THE NECKLACE OF TRUTH.
THERE was once a little girl by the name of
Coralie, who took pleasure in telling falsehoods.
Some children think very little of not speaking
the truth, and a small falsehood, or a great one in
case of necessity, that saves them from a duty or
a punishment, procures them a pleasure or grati-
fies their self-love, seems to them the most allow-
able thing in the world. Now Coralie was one
of this sort. The truth was a thing of which she
had no idea, and any excuse was good to her pro-
vided that it was believed. Her parents were
for a long time deceived by her stories ; but they
saw at last that she was telling them what was
not true, and from that moment they had not the
least confidence in any thing that she said. It is
a terrible thing for parents not to be able to be-
lieve their children's words. It would be better
almost to have no children, for the habit of lying,
early acquired, may lead them in after years to
the most shameful crimes, and what parent can
help trembling at the thought that he may be
bringing up his children to dishonor ?
E
9 8 Home Fairy Tales.
After vainly trying every means to reform her,
Coralie's parents resolved to take her to the en-
chanter Merlin, who was celebrated at that time
over all the globe, and who was the greatest friend
of truth that ever lived. For this reason, little
children that were in the habit of telling false-
hoods were brought to him from all directions, in
order that he might cure them.
The enchanter Merlin lived in a glass palace,
the walls of which were transparent, and never in
his whole life had the idea crossed his mind of
disguising one of his actions, of causing others to
believe what was not true, or even of suffering
them to believe it by being silent when he might
have spoken. He knew liars by their odor a
league off; and when Coralie approached the
palace, he was obliged to burn vinegar to prevent
himself from being ill.
Coralie's mother, with a beating heart, under-
took to explain the vile disease which had at-
tacked her daughter, and blushingly commenced
a confused speech, rendered misty by shame, when
Merlin stopped her short.
"I know what is the matter, my good lady,"
said he. "I felt your daughter's approach long
ago. She is one of the greatest liars in the world,
and she has made me very uncomfortable."
The parents perceived that fame had not de-
The Necklace of Truth. 99
ceived them in praising the skill of the enchanter,
and Coralie, covered with confusion, knew not
where to hide her head. She took refuge under
the apron of her mother, who sheltered her as
well as she could, terrified at the turn affairs were
taking, while her father stood before her to pro-
tect her at all risks. They were very anxious
that their child should be cured, but they wished
her cured gently and without hurting her.
" Don't be afraid," said Merlin, seeing their ter-
ror; "I do not employ violence in curing these
diseases. I am only going to make Coralie a
beautiful present, which I think will not dis-
please her."
He opened a drawer, and took from it a mag-
nificent amethyst necklace, beautifully set, with a
diamond clasp of dazzling lustre. He put it on
Coralie' s neck, and, dismissing the parents with a
friendly gesture, " Go, good people," said he, " and
have no more anxiety. Your daughter carries
with her a sure guardian of the truth."
Coralie, flushed with pleasure, was hastily re-
treating, delighted at having escaped so easily,
when Merlin called her back.
" In a year," said he, looking at her sternly, " I
shall come for my necklace. Till that time I for-
bid you to take it off for a single instant ; if you
dare to do so, woe be unto you !"
ioo Home Fairy Tales.
" Oh, I ask nothing better than always to wear
it, it is so beautiful."
In order that you may know, I will tell you
that this necklace was none other than the famous
Necklace of Truth, so much talked of in ancient
books, which unveiled every species of falsehood.
The day after Coralie returned home she was
sent to school. As she had long been absent, all
the little girls crowded round her, as always hap-
pens in such cases. There was a general cry of
admiration at the sight of the necklace.
"Where did it come from? And where did
you get it ?" was asked on all sides.
In those days, for any one to say that he had
been to the enchanter Merlin's was to tell the
whole story. Coralie took good care not to be-
tray herself in this way.
" I was sick for a long time," said she, boldly,
" and, on my recovery, my parents gave me this
beautiful necklace."
A loud cry rose from all at once. The dia-
monds of the clasp, which had shot forth so bril-
liant a light, had suddenly become dim, and were
turned to coarse glass.
" Well, yes, I have been sick ! What are you
making such a fuss about ?"
At this second falsehood the amethysts, in turn,
changed to ugly yellow stones. A new cry arose.
The Necklace of Truth. 101
Coralie, seeing all eyes fixed on her necklace, look-
ed that way herself, and was struck with terror.
"I have been to the enchanter Merlin's," said
she, huinblv, understanding from what direction
