The Elves are the dearest and most mischievous little people in all the wide world.

They live in Elfland, and Elfland can be found in every corner of the globe. They take up their abode on wooded hillsides, beside murmuring streams, or in deep, leafy forests. In the dead of night, when all the world is still, they steal forth from their dwellings and start on their merry midnight rounds. They dance in the moonlight on soft dewy lawns under wide-spreading trees. They visit their neighbors and friends among elves, and their neighbors and friends among men.

The Elves can see and not be seen; they can hear and not be heard; and are so light and nimble in their movements that they can float through the air like a leaf in the wind.

Once upon a time there was a company of Elves that lived in a stone wall. They had left their home in the forest glade for a season in the Giant World, as they called our world—because it seemed so big to them.

While they were wandering about in search of a place to settle, they came upon a hole in a stone wall that exactly suited them, it was so snug and comfortable. The Elves were very much delighted and at once decided to make their home there.

The wall belonged to Dr. Templeton. He liked privacy, and so he had this high stone wall built all around his garden and grounds.

But Dr. Templeton’s gardener was very lazy and careless, and when some stones fell out of the wall, he simply rolled them over the bank. That was easier, he thought, than mending the wall; and, besides, the wall was so very thick that a few stones more or less did not matter in the least.

The Elves thought it was very fortunate for them that the gardener was so lazy and careless, and promised themselves a gay good time with a season in the Giant World.

The members of this company of Elves were:

Captain Featherweight, the head of the company.

Rainbow, master of ceremonies.

Rhymo, the poet-elf.

Tono, the music-elf.

Lightning, the messenger-elf.

Iris-Wing, the flower-elf.

Touchstone, the jester.

Owly, the wise one.

Slumber, the dream-elf.

After the Elves had made a tour of all the grounds around Templeton Hall, their Captain called them together to decide upon a name for their new home.

“Let us call our new home ‘Scale-Cliff’,” said Tono, the music-elf.“A very pretty idea,” said Rainbow, “but don’t you think ‘Rocklight’ would be prettier still?”

“‘Rocklight’ won’t do at all,” said Slumber, the dream-elf, “because it suggests wakefulness—so I propose that we call it ‘Slumber-Nest’ instead.”

“Can’t you think of anything but dreams and slumber?” asked Iris-Wing, the flower-elf. “I wouldn’t live in a place with a name like ‘Slumber-Nest’, and so I move that we call our new home ‘Rose-Bower.’”

“Pooh! pooh!” said Owly, the wise one, “‘Rose-Bower’ suggests a garden, and a garden isn’t a house, so I think you’ll all agree with me that ‘Stone-Wall-Gap’ is much more appropriate.”

“We don’t agree, Owly,” said several of the Elves at once.

But here Captain Featherweight called the meeting to order, and ended all dispute by declaring that the name of the new home should be “Mount Fern”, because there was a fern growing just below, at the foot of the wall.

As a rule, the Elves lived in peace and harmony, and they adored their Captain. His word was law, and when any disputes arose he always acted as judge.

After the name of the new home had been decided upon, Captain Featherweight gave each elf his work to do in its arrangement and furnishing, and in a very short time it was all in perfect order and ready to live in.

The Captain was very much pleased, and complimented his Elves on their ability to do their work well and quickly.

“And since our house is now all in perfect order,” said the Captain, “let us have some music to celebrate the event. Tono, will you please sing something for us?”

“With pleasure,” answered Tono. “What would you like?”

“I leave the selection entirely to you,” said the Captain.

Then Tono, who was leader of the elfin choir, played and sang:

“I don’t see why you should sing that now,” said Owly. “It isn’t the least bit appropriate; the fireflies are not twinkling and won’t be for some time to come if we can judge by the look of the sky.”

“Isn’t that just like Owly?” said Slumber.

“You are always so literal, Owly,” said Rhymo. “Don’t you know that fact hasn’t half as much to do with music and poetry as fancy?”

“Just the same,” said Owly, “I think ‘Our New Home’ would have been much more appropriate.”

“Why can’t you be more agreeable, Owly?” asked the flower-elf. “Anything is appropriate when you’re happy, and besides, Captain Featherweight left the choosing to Tono, and why shouldn’t you?”

“The music was beautiful,” said Captain Featherweight. “I always love to hear about the gay little fireflies. But look at the pink in the east! That means that the King of Day is coming over the hills in his chariot. To rest! To rest.”

Then the Elves of Mount Fern lay down on their soft little beds of leaves and moss, and slumbered till starlight again.

The Elves always begin their day in the evening instead of the morning, so that what is early for them is late for us, and what is early for us is late for them.

Every evening as soon as the stars peeped out of the sky, Captain Featherweight always gave the command: “Right! Left! Shoulder arms!” This simply meant, “Get to work,” and was the signal for every elf to be about his business.

All night long the gay little Elves were as busy as bees, but no matter where they were or what they were doing, they always came back to Mount Fern before sunrise, and rested till starlight again.

The next evening Captain Featherweight gave his usual command and every elf began to work.

Iris-Wing, the flower-elf, scampered lightly down the fern ladder and went about his business in the garden. Although all the Elves loved the flowers, he was the one who took most care of them, and so the other Elves called him “Iris-Wing, the flower-elf.”

As he wandered about from flower to flower he whispered to each a word of good cheer. The tulips and daisies were all fast asleep and heard not a word that he said, but the roses were as wide-awake as in broad daylight, and they bowed to the flower-elf and said: “We’re watching the Queen of Night climbing over the tall stone chimneys of Templeton Hall.”

While the roses were watching the moon, the flower-elf went on, and was just going to speak to the foxgloves when he heard two monster voices from the Giant World.

And he listened, for he couldn’t help listening, the voices were so loud and harsh; or so it seemed to him, although we would call them very sweet voices.

It was Mary and Anna Templeton, the Doctor’s daughters, who were talking.

“Mary,” said Anna, “I’ve got an idea. I want to make a mattress and pillows for Emily’s doll, and some of the bird-houses are just bursting with feathers. Let us fill the mattress and pillows with feathers from the bluebirds’ house.”

“Oh, that will be perfectly lovely!” said Mary.

“And let us have them ready for her birthday,” continued Anna, “and we’ll send a verse from the bluebirds something like this:

“Won’t that be fun?” laughed Mary, “but who’ll get the feathers for us?”

“I’ll get them myself,” replied Anna. “With a long stepladder I can easily reach the bluebirds’ house. This evening we’ll make the cases, and then tomorrow afternoon right after school we’ll get the feathers.”

The flower-elf, who was getting more and more provoked every moment, could stand the conversation no longer, and flew swiftly back to Mount Fern in search of the dream-elf, to whom he repeated every word he had heard in the garden.

The dream-elf was very indignant at the thought of the bluebirds’ house being robbed of its feathers by these monsters of the Giant World, and he said to the flower-elf: “She shall not rob the bluebirds’ house, for I’ll beat on the drum of her ear and make her dream a horrible dream!”

“You surely will?” urged the flower-elf.

“Without fail,” replied Slumber.

The flower-elf rubbed his hands and laughed gleefully, and then ran back to his work in the garden.

He spoke to the tall, pink foxgloves and told them that foxgloves were favorites of fairies all over the world.

“We are very proud to hear you say so,” replied the Foxgloves, “for everyone knows that fairies or elves are the favorites of children all over the world.”

Then the flower-elf bowed low, and passed on to the snapdragons, and asked them how they did.

“We’re impatient,” said they, “and can hardly wait for the morning. We don’t see why there should be any night when the day is so much finer.”

“I really cannot agree with you,” said Iris-Wing, “for we Elves love starlight and moonlight much better than sunlight, and so do some flowers, some birds, and some insects.”

“Yes, but more flowers, more birds, and more insects love day than love night. We’ve really no patience with people who don’t love the sun. Of all living creatures we think the bee is the best, and she loves the sun.”

“And now, if you’re done,” said the flower-elf, “I think I shall run, for there’s work to be done.”

When he had finished his work in the garden, Iris-Wing called at the bluebirds’ house to tell him that hawks were abroad in the land. “And they’re human,” said he, “but fear not, we’ll protect you.”

At twelve o’clock that very night, the dream-elf flew through Anna’s open window, and beat on the drum of her ear. And she dreamed, and dreamed, and dreamed. She dreamed she was in a strange and far-off land where the air was filled with birds, and there was such a commotion that it deafened her. She couldn’t believe there were so many birds in all the world, and some of them were so large and fierce that they terrified her.

At last she saw some bluebirds coming toward her; and they grew, and grew, and grew, until at last they were as big as cormorants. Then they threatened her with their beaks and screamed at her:

“You would take our feathers, would you? Flint-hearted girl! Cruel! Cruel! Cruel!”

But here General Grosbeak appeared on the scene, and commanded the chattering to cease.

“This case,” said he, “must be tried by King Crest and his Council.”

King Crest, as you must know, was King of Birdland, and he and his Council settled the affairs of his Kingdom.

So King Crest and his Council called a meeting to decide what should be done if the bluebirds’ feathers were stolen, and after a long and angry debate it was decided that, in such an event, birds of all kinds should in future avoid the grounds around Templeton Hall, and that those who were already there should vacate their dwellings.

“I move an amendment,” said Colonel Claw. “I move that Screech-owls and English sparrows annoy the Doctor’s family as much as possible, especially Anna.”

“Colonel Claw, you’ll be promoted,” said the King. “A very good idea! All in favor of this amendment lift the right claw.”

At this, every bird lifted the right claw, and the motion was carried.

When the Council adjourned, all the birds passed Anna in single file, and each, as he passed her, pecked her on the arm or the face until she was black and blue.

At this point, the dream-elf, thinking his work well done, hastened back to Mount Fern. On the way he met Tono floating about on the wings of song. Each elf related what he had done since they parted, and both laughed heartily at the fun they had had with the Giant World.

“And now,” said Slumber, the dream-elf, “won’t you sing the Swan song before you retire?”

“I can’t,” said Tono, “to so small an audience, but I’ll drink your health in a glass of honeydew before we say good-night.”