The Counterpane Fairy

m. "Well, my little man," he had said, giving Teddy's cheek a pinch, "can't be pretending you're a sick boy any longer with cheeks

e first time since he had been ill. Everything there had looke

e the cat, Muggins, down the hall, and then his legs ha

r went fast asleep. Teddy took his blocks and built them about the chair,

then the whole front wall went down with a noisy clatter, and Muggins scampered

ll of tissue papers, and spent all the rest of the time between that and supper in making a great kite for Teddy. He told th

was a great deal taller than the little boy himself. The gold star that

soon after supper Teddy felt tired and was quite

began to blink heavily, and he was already drifting off into that blissful feeling that com

e music-box in the room, and then he suddenly started into consciousness with the remembrance th

y sweet and soft. Now that he was awake it sounded more

ul lady that Teddy had ever seen. She was quite tall,--as tall as his own mother, and not even the f

was something very familiar about her fa

t Teddy she moved softly and smoothly, as though swept along by the music

Italian woman who had given him the presents from her basket; a moment after it was the face of the little child wh

fold him with faint music and light and perfume. "Goo

where are you going? Don

"I shall be beside you still just as

any more stories?" c

o-morrow you'll be out and playing with the other boys, and after th

pty air. Waving her hand to him and still smiling, the Counterpane Fairy slowly, slowly faded away. With her too, faded

The half-moon had sailed up above the dark tops of the pine-trees on the lawn outside, and by its light he saw th

child. To-morrow he would be out-of-doors again,

E