Milly and Olly

y-Tell

Table of

rst place, her coming made something new and interesting to think about; and in the second place, they felt quite sure that Aunt Emma hadn't brought her little black bag into the drawing-room with her for nothing. If only

any deeper than this, you'd better turn him round and go home, for I'm an old woman, not a fish, and I can't swim. Of course, if the horse can swim with the carriage behind him it's all right, but I have my doubts.' Now John, my dears, has been with me a great many years, and he knows very well that I'm rather a nervous old woman. It's very sad, but it is so. Don't you be nervous when you're old people. So all he said was 'All

ay, Aunt Emma," said Olly. "I don't believe

monkey," said Aunt Emma

em everywhere in vain, to find out where it came from. Squeak! again. This time the

, with a perfectly grave face. "You must have caug

ame the

y. "It's Aunt Emma's bag! I'm

it look like a bag that squeaks? It's a perfectly wel

ncing round her in great excitemen

ld woman as to shut up a poor poll-parrot in a bag, there's no help for it, we must o

rld at any rate, a green speckled frog, that hopped on to Aunt Emma's knee, and then on to the floor, where it went hopping and squeaking alo

t with looks half of ho

frog came near her, and drawing her little skirts tight round her legs, while

o laugh a little, as if it was impossible to keep grave any lo

en speckled frog, but what it was made of, and whether it was alive, and i

just come up from his work, and was standing laughi

eet well out of the way. Hop! squeak! there it was off again, right down the room with the children after i

ked Milly, who now felt brave en

lively one. Bring it here, and I

t Emma explained to them that she had once paid a visit to a shop in London where Japanese toys-toys made in t

froggy! What can all this chattering be about? Sh! sh!" and Aunt Emma held up her finger at the children, while she held the bag up to her ear, and listened carefully. Olly was almost beside himself with excitement, but Milly had got his little brown hands tight in hers for fear he should make a jump at the bag. "Yes," said Aunt Emma. "It's just as I thought. The b

nd Aunt Emma opene

take it into its poor head to blow up, and yo

dolls and nurse dolls; dolls in suits and dolls in frocks; dolls in hats and dolls in nightgowns; a papa in trousers and a mamma in a magnificent blue dress with flounces and a train; a nurse in white cap and apron and the most bewitching baby doll you ever saw, with a frilled paper cap that slipped on and of

she spread them all out in her lap. "They're just like mother's at home, moth

rly everything and everybody indoors; and now I have been spending part of these rainy days in making a new set for mother's little girl

sy examining the mysterious bag-how cou

ing it safely under her chair. "You might ask the bag-but it wouldn't ans

of the night nursery, where nurse was sitting sewing; and as for cook, when the creature came flopping over her kitchen floor she very nearly spoilt the hash she was making for dinner by dropping a whole pepper-box into the middle of it! There w

talk about foreign places, and talk about the mountains and the people living near Ravensnest, many of whom mother had known when she was a little girl. Milly, who was old enough to listen, could only understand a little bit here and there; but there was always Aunt Emma's friendly gentle face

he dining-room, still, on the whole, the weather was much the same as it had been. It was wonderful to see how little notice the children had taken of it since Aunt Emma came,

then Olly brought a stool to one side of h

" said Olly, resting his little sunburnt chin on Aun

have a story-

ren, we have a story-telling game. We'll tell stories-you and Olly, father, mother

ead gravely, "we are only little childre

"I think Aunt Emma's is an excellent plan.

ehind his newspaper. "But, perhaps, if you all of y

her's stories, though they only came very seldom, "tell us about

such a grand story-telling as this. I must think of

s ever so much nicer when they get into scrap

r had better begin. Afterwards it will be your t

a story in my head," said Mrs. Norton

d mother, and kiss her three times on the top of the head. That's the way to send the

of her chair, and kissed her softly three times at the back of her head.

though it's very little, it's very old. Now, children, you must be kind to my story. I caught him first a great many years ago

r, mother?" interr

untry altogether. He lived in a beautiful

!" protested Milly, "that'

ife had one great fault. She was always wishing for the most unreasonable and impossible things, and though the king was always trying to get her what she wanted she was never satisfied, and every day she seemed to grow more and more discontented and exacting. At last, one day in the winter, a most extraordinary thing happened. A shower of snow fell in Cordova, which was the name of the town where the king and queen lived, and it whitened the hills all around the town, so that they looked as if somebody had been dusting white sugar over them. Now snow was hardly ever seen in Cordova, and the people in the town wondered at it, and talke

in great trouble, because she would go on weep

queen, crossly, 'but you can't love

nce as if they were covered with white snow. And for once the queen was delighted, and could not help saying a nice 'Thank you' to the king for all the trouble he had taken to please her. But it was not very long before she grew discontented again, and began once more to wish for all kinds of ridiculous things. One day she was sitting at her window, and she saw some ragged little children playing by

r see anybody so happy? Why can't I have mud to dabble in too, and why can't I take off my shoes and

oor king in great perplexity, for he didn't at all like the idea of hi

er than ever,' you never do anything to please me. What's the

ce-garden. Then he poured into it all kinds of precious stones, and chips of sweet-smelling wood, besides a thousand cartloads of rose-leaves and a thousand cartloads of orange

thing could keep this tiresome queen amused for long together, and in about a fortnight she had grown quite tired of her wonderful bath. It seemed as if the king's pains had been all thrown away. She grew cross and discontented again, and her ladies began to say to each other, 'What will she wish for next, I wonder? The king migh

tty maiden, with your wool

ere the grass is still fresh and green. Good-day, good-day, the sheep are going so fast I cannot wait.' So on she tripped, singing and calling to her s

a queen! I never sang as merrily as that little maiden in all my life. I must a

ing came she had made herself look quite old and ugly. When the king came to see

ains,' sobbed the queen. 'Why should the little shepherdess gir

when he had taken so much trouble to get her all she wanted; but he knew it

es stay out all night with their sheep on the hills, and l

ld be nicer than staying out of doors these lovely nights. And as for food, you know very w

mise to take your ladies with you, and if you will let me send a

followed about and waited upon is just what I detest. I will go

rk to cry, and she cried for two days and two nights without stopping, and at the end of that ti

round their necks, and blue rosettes on their little white tails; and the queen dressed herself up

t be just like the little shepherdess. But while she was singing the sheep strayed away, and she had to run after them as fast as she could, to catch them up. This made her hot and tired, so she tried to make them lie down under a chestnut tree, that she might rest beside them. But the sheep were not a bit tired, and had

ateful sheep kicked up their little hind legs and trotted away out of sight as fast as they could trot. There she was left on th

is a storm coming. If I could only find my wa

t. In vain she ran hither and thither, trying to find a way through the trees, while the rain blinded her, and the thunder deafened her, till at last she was forced to sink down on the ground, feeling more wretched and frightened and cold than any queen ever felt before. Oh, if she were only safe back in her beautiful palace! If only she had the tent the king wanted to send with

nging her cold little hands. 'You will never find me,

as scarcely light? On ran the queen toward where the sound came from. Over rocks and grass she ran, till, all of a sudden, stepping out from behind a tree, came the king hims

't deserve to be a queen. Send me away, and let me knit

s heart, which had been all washed away by the rain; and he took her hands, and led

r arms and drawing down Mrs. Norton's face to kiss her. "Do

there would always be that dreadful night to think about, if she ever felt

ess," said Olly, shaking his head gr

nt Emma, pulling his brown cur

ooking rather scared, as if something he didn

good to stare at Aunt Emma or mother, went wandering all round the room in search of something else to help him. Suddenly they

me there was a

hey had waited a little wh

ow any more

isn't a story at all. Shut your eyes tight,

ssed his two hands tightly ove

me there was a

her

ng-legs?" asked Milly,

Milly. Once upon a time ther

he do?" asked Mi

eeping his hands tight over his eyes, while his

egs said, 'I shan't go away. It's hot on the window, the sun gets in my eyes. I like sitting up here best.' So father took a big sofa-cushion and gave his nose ever such a bang! And the

ied Milly, "that isn't

good deal at Olly's story, and Aunt Emma sai

urn was

chair, had been covering himself up with sofa cushions and newspapers, till there was only the tip of one of his boots to be seen, coming out from under the heap. The children were a lo

breathless heap on the floor. "Of course little people can't make bi

e temptation of throwing one more sofa cushion at her laughing face. "You can't mak

t his little mouth suddenly down on his father's head, and gave him

him. "This is very serious. Aunt Emma, that spell of yours is really too strong. My poor head!

one on each knee, and