"On the edge of the wood there once lived a poor woman, and her three children. On the opposite bank of the broad clear river rose the king's palace of marble, with a flag floating proudly from the battlements; but the poor woman's children never had crossed the river, or dared to venture into the magnificent gardens which surrounded the royal residence. Ah, no! they were too poor for that.

"This made the widow's heart very heavy at times, when she watched the setting sun gild the arched dome, and silken pennant, or make the lofty windows flash in a thousand glittering sparkles of light, in answer to his golden beams.

"'My children are as handsome and good as any that visit there,' she said to herself. Yes, even as brave as the king's son and daughters themselves, no doubt; yet I can never earn enough to give them fine clothes, so they just have to stay alone in the woods. To-morrow is the great festival, when all are at liberty to bring some curiosity, for which they will receive a prize, if it prove the most worthy, from his majesty. What have my little ones to display?'

"She called them to her and said,—

"'A distant relation of your father's, who is a fairy, was present at your birth, my dears. Perhaps she may visit you again, sometime; so if any person should call in my absence, treat them very politely. Remember that fairies are easily vexed.'

"Soon after the mother departed to the mill, and the children seated themselves under a large tree to enjoy their breakfast of brown bread and milk.

"Across the water the king's children, all glistening in jewels and embroidery, were plucking fruit from the laden boughs, or tossing flowers to one another in fragrant showers.

"'What fun that must be!' exclaimed the poor woman's son Small, his little round face dimpled with laughter. 'I should like to marry the princess in a blue scarf.'

"'She is not so handsome as her sister with the red net over her black curls,' said the older brother, Perke.

"'For my part, the young prince seems perfection,' added Elfie.

"At this they all laughed together, and finished the brown bread. A black hawk paused on outspread wings in the air, and dropped a large gold ring from his beak, which fell to the ground near the children. Before they could stoop to touch it, from within the circle sprang three tulips, rising on slender, enamelled stalks, their gorgeous variegated buds closed.

"'There is one a-piece, any way,' said Perke, plucking one.

"Small and Elfie did the same.

"'Let us save them until mother returns,' said the sister.

"'It must be a gift from our godmother,' whispered Small, wisely.

"'I shall see what mine contains,' said Perke, boldly.

"He pulled at the folded leaves, but they resisted all his endeavors, and clung firmly together.

"Small concluded to hold his bud under the spring that gurgled into a mossy basin, yet it did not open for the crystal drops that fringed it with fragrant dew.

"Then little Elfie pressed her warm lips gently upon the tulip, and like magic it flew open, disclosing a tiny gold trumpet.

"Her brothers then kissed their flowers as well, and found each to contain a similar gift.

"Within the golden circle now sprang up still another tulip, which opened of its own accord, and forth stepped a quaint little figure. She wore a red-peaked cap, high-heeled shoes, and a tight-laced bodice. Her hair was bright yellow, and the tip of her sharp nose had a blue tinge, which would have been unbecoming to any other person than a fairy. Her carriage consisted of a sweet-pea blossom, drawn by two spirited cockchafers. The children could not but admire the skilful manner in which she handled the ribbons and whip, made of a spider's leg, ornamented with tassels.

"'Here I am at last, dears,' said Madam Pug briskly. 'Whoa! Trot is a most vicious bug. Be still, sir!'

"'Are you our godmother?' asked Elfie, timidly.

"'Certainly,' answered the fairy, putting on her spectacles, the better to examine them.

"'You have grown to be nice, plump children; I hope no giant may catch and eat you up. I am here to grant whatever you may wish, which can be obtained by blowing the request through the trumpets to be found in the flowers. Use the power wisely; so that, when I come again, I may find the gift has proved a blessing instead of a curse.'

"She then cracked her whip, hoisted a tiny umbrella, which served the purpose of a sail as she rose in the air, and the cockchafers spread their wings.

"'It is slow travelling along the rough earth,' she remarked, when she reached a level with the children's noses, 'so I will fly for a time, especially as important business calls me to the North Pole just now.'

"The children were left to examine their trumpets, and look at each other in wonder at the good fortune which had befallen them. What do you suppose they at once did?

"'First, let us wish for clothes handsomer than those of the royal family across the water,' proposed Elfie.

"They blew through the trumpets, and instantly their coarse garments were changed to magnificent satin and velvet, with fringes of lace, pearls, and silver tassels. They could do nothing but caper about in the sunshine, now admiring each other's plumed caps, now comparing shoes on which sparkled radiant jewels, until the court paused to watch their bright forms, in amazement; for, in the distance, the poor widow's children resembled brilliant meteors flashing about among the trees.

"'Now let us wish for a boat, to visit the palace before mother returns,' cried Small.

"The next moment saw them speeding across the water in the most beautiful little boat imaginable. It was made of ivory, lined with a delicate pink shading, like the cavities of sea-shells, and a sail of pink silk, held by gold cords, expanded like a rose-leaf to the soft breeze. The court clapped their hands at the wonderful sight.

"All at once the children looked down at themselves: they wore their rough clothes again, which only seemed the uglier from contrast with the elegant ship.

"'We can never visit his majesty in these rags,' said Elfie. 'Let us wish for even more splendid dresses than those we just had on the bank.'

"White robes spangled with diamond drops enveloped them; but the boat glided from beneath their feet at the same time, leaving them to sink through the water to the very river bed. This brought them unexpectedly into the presence of the river fairy, a sworn enemy of their godmother, who caressed them, and coiled her floating hair about them in slender rings, which served to bind them captives.

"'Stay with me always,' coaxed the river spirit, in her sweet voice; 'life is so pleasant under the cool, clear waters here.'

"'I like the sunshine better,' said Small, rubbing his eyes with two chubby little fists.

"'You can bask on the surface,' laughed the fairy. 'Come with me to the neighboring ocean and see all the wonderful forms one can assume.'

"She gathered them in her arms, and swept down the stream swiftly until the ocean opened broad gates of welcome, and she paused on the threshold of the great deep. She waved her fair arms, and a forest of sea-weeds, some thick-stemmed as trees, others mere tangles of silky threads, rose before them. In shaded nooks scuttled crabs, looking like awkward spiders; marine worms twined about in ribbons of green or brown; and upon the drooping fronds clung gorgeous mollusks, their variegated shells displaying the fringed edge of no less gorgeous mantles.

"'If you would rather swim about than live at the bottom, look at the fishes,' said the water spirit.

"'Forthwith approached a finny host. The whale cleaved the waters with his powerful tail; the sword-fish flashed swiftly past followed by the stealthy white shark, who showed his terrible teeth. Then came the graceful dolphin, quivering in long tracts of silvery light, the indolent porpoise, the handsome salmon, the greedy cod, the pretty mackerel, and a countless multitude of beautiful fish, their scales tinged with a golden lustre, or dyed in crimson and purple tints.

"Little Elfie clapped her hands when she beheld some lovely medusÆ dancing lightly along on the surface, their feathery tentacles drifting idly on the current; so the fairy changed her to a crystal globe of a jelly-fish, propelled by several tiny oars, like spun glass, that reflected all colors of the rainbow in flashing motion.

"'O you silly bubble!' exclaimed Small; 'I had rather be a herring than that,' and he immediately began to swim about a pretty herring.

"'As to that, I believe I should like to try a state of lobsterhood,' said Perke; and his desire was at once gratified. The thoughtless children had forgotten the importance of retaining their magic trumpets, in case they should ever need them again; so, when they changed forms, the godmother's gifts were carelessly allowed to sink to the bottom, and the water spirit laughed triumphantly.

"'Now I have you, Madam Pug,' she said to herself. 'Your pets are in the sea; let me see you reclaim them.'

"The trumpets lay on the bottom beside a rock, where there lived a colony of oysters. The oysters are good-natured, save when a hungry star-fish pokes a ray into their shells to scoop out the delicious-flavored inmate; then they are very apt to close the doors smartly with a sudden clap that snips off the intruder's paw, leaving the star-fish to hobble away, and grow a new one. The grandfather of the colony had listened to all that transpired between the fairy and her visitors with much interest; and now that the trumpets fell to the bottom, he began to wonder how they were to be rescued from harm.

"Presently a cockle came skipping gayly along by means of a beautiful scarlet foot, protruded from between the valves of the shell for the purpose of locomotion; and the grandfather oyster hailed him for a chat.

"'If you would only push the trumpets nearer we might swallow them,' urged the former, when he had explained matters.

"'Wait a bit,' said the cockle, 'until I fetch a few of my brothers, who are prowling about here somewhere.'

"He darted off, and soon returned with the requisite assistance. So the cockles nimbly pushed and rolled the trumpets close to the oysters.

"'Can you accommodate the others, my sons?' inquired the grandfather of two no less plump children.

"'It will be inconvenient; still'—here the little waves gathered in a sparkling heap, and swept the trumpets into the oysters' mouths; who, with a gulp or two, succeeded in swallowing them. None too soon was all this labor accomplished.

"The fairy amused herself watching the children for a while, and then she despatched some of her attendants to search for Madam Pug's gifts. A rare search they made of it, too. The tiny courtiers, clothed in rainbow frills and scales, poked about everywhere, peering into the anemones' mouths, which made the sea-flowers very angry, as they were not used to such liberties; tumbling the crabs about, and pushing the lazy flat-fish into motion. They even knocked on the oysters' houses with their little knuckles; but the oysters said never a word, so they were obliged to relinquish the search, and return to their queen.

"Elfie and her brother splashed about, thinking it great fun to live in the sea. One day they altered their minds; and this is how it all happened:—

"Perke, the lobster, became very hungry (lobsters are generally hungry); and he sniffed about in search of food, until he smelt a most savory odor, which proceeded from a wicker sort of cage, that bobbed up and down in the most tempting manner. Had Perke been born a lobster, his mother would probably have taught him wisdom. Not knowing any better, he now swam about until he discovered a neat tunnel just large enough to admit him, and leading straight to the meat he coveted. In he slipped for a nibble; but, having entered, he found to his sorrow he could not get out again; so there he sat, looking out through the slats, as miserable an object as one would wish to behold, when Small came darting by.

"'Oh! why did we ever leave home?' groaned Perke.

"'Hulloa!' exclaimed his brother, pausing. 'How did you get there?'

"'I am caught in a trap,' cried Perke. 'When the fisherman hauls me up, I shall be boiled alive and eaten.'

"Small flashed up to the surface, where Elfie was sporting with her companions, and said, dryly,—

"'It is all very pleasant for you; but, in the mean while, Perke is a captive down yonder.'

"'I am so sorry,' said Elfie. 'How can we free him?'

"The tender-hearted sister began to cry; and the other jelly-fish, who were tender-hearted also, began to cry from sheer sympathy.

"'I will go to the fairy, and beg her to change them,' sobbed Elfie.

"'It will do no good,' sobbed the jelly-fish chorus, in reply; 'she is so cruel.'

"Tears made Small, the mackerel, nervous, as they would have done Small, the boy. He determined to find the trumpets, which could alone relieve them from the present trouble; and, accordingly, dived to the bottom, where, of course, he did not find them.

"At last the oysters took compassion upon his sorrow,—for he feared Perke might be taken at any moment by the fishermen,—and opened their shells, when out rolled the trumpets.

"Small did not recognize them: they were covered by a coating of mother-o'-pearl. When it was explained, he was overjoyed at his good fortune in recovering them at all. He also thanked the oysters warmly for their kindness.

"'We have not eaten any thing; we were afraid to open our mouths,' said the grandfather. 'Still a fast, now and then, does one no harm.'

"In less time than it takes to write the fact, Small had taken one trumpet in his mouth, and rejoined Perke, who eagerly seized it, in one claw, through the bars of his cage.

"'Wait five minutes for Elfie and I, then wish yourself out of the water,' advised the zealous little brother, hastening back for his sister's trumpet, which he presented in the same way.

"Simultaneously the children wished themselves out of the water. The desire was gratified certainly, for they were suspended between heaven and earth, held by some invisible chain, the links of which bound them firmly; yet they felt a terrible fear of being dashed headlong on the sharp-pointed rocks below. There they swayed about, the sun laughing at them, the winds tossing them on every breath, and the birds swooping in giddy circles over their heads.

"'Let us wish for land,' said Elfie.

"They closed their eyes, blew through the trumpets, and then their feet rested on a firm surface once more.

"'Oh, I am so glad!' laughed Elfie.

"Yes, they had land; but such a land! Not a tree; not a spring of fresh, cool water; not a blade of green grass; only a barren wilderness, a dreary waste. The children toiled along wearily, yet they seemed to make no progress towards a fairer landscape; for as far as the eye could see stretched the blank of earth.

"'What shall we do next?' asked Perke, in perplexity.

"'Let us go home. Mother will advise us,' said Small; and, with the aid of Madam Pug's gifts, they again stood at the door of their humble cottage, which had never looked so pleasant to them before. Their mother was not in the house; but they saw her coming along the road, bending under the weight of the meal-bag, from the mill.

"They had not been absent a day, and so much had happened! The two little sons ran to her assistance, bearing between them the bag of meal; and, as they did so, Small inserted his trumpet into a fold of it, whispering,—

"'I wish this meal might be changed into a feast for my poor mother.'

"When they entered the door, Perke wished, 'Let us have a fine large table, if you please.'

"The mother looked at him in surprise; and then she saw that something unusual had occurred during her absence, for a spacious table of polished rosewood occupied the centre of the room.

"'I should like an arm-chair,' said Elfie; and when it appeared, they seated the astonished mother in it, suffering her tired frame to enjoy luxury and ease.

"Next, they emptied the meal-bag of its contents, and Small's bright eyes danced with delight at the fulfilment of his wish. Such savory viands! such puffs and tarts of delicate pastry! such delicious fruits and sweet-perfumed flower garlands! such tempting nuts, and many-colored candies in all manner of fantastic shapes,—pink horses, lemon castles, green birds, and blue ships,—had never before been seen in the widow's cottage. She did not forget those who were poor; so, reserving some of the choice articles of the feast, the mother sent her children to many neighbors, who would have otherwise gone to bed supperless.

"When all this was done, the children gave a long history of their adventures beneath the waters. The mother uttered a prayer of gratitude for their safe return; then she said,—

"'Your godmother wished to test your character. One desire brings another always. Vanity caused all your troubles; you wished to be as handsome as the king's children, and the boat vanished, as you have described. Give me the trumpets, and learn to be happy without them.'

"They did as she desired, only, first, Elfie begged to have one more wish gratified. What do you suppose it was? Why, that night the mother slept in a soft bed of eider down, with satin curtains, and an embroidered coverlet fit for a duchess, while the children sought their pallets of straw, light-hearted and happy, thinking how comfortable she was.

"All this pleased Madam Pug, who had heard of it from her trusty allies the gnats; and she now came flying along in the moonlight, mounted on a moth. She crept through the keyhole leaving her moth outside; and the water spirit changed herself into an ugly gray bat for the purpose of devouring Madam Pug's horse: so that she had to sit on the chimney all night, after paying the visit, until one of the gnats had flown away for another moth. This made the water spirit, down under the waves, laugh.

"Having entered the cottage, Madam Pug squeezed a drop of some precious balsam out of a diminutive flask upon the eyelids of her slumbering godchildren, which served to make their dreams pleasant, and would prepare them for any disappointment the next day. She next looked about to see what was to be done afterward, and espied the trumpets on the shelf, where the careful mother had placed them. These the fairy changed to three little boxes, one of a rusty steel, another of lead, and the third of iron; then, placing them on the children's pillows, crept out by the keyhole to perch on the chimney, as I have said, to await the arrival of another moth-charger.

"Next morning Elfie and her brothers peeped into the boxes, and found each to contain a small cake. On the cakes were baked these words:—

FOR THE KING'S FESTIVAL.

"The godmother gave them no donation of handsome clothes this time; so the mother, after dressing them fresh and clean, sent them away on the journey. Elfie plucked a few wild roses on the way, which Perke twined among her curls for a head-dress.

"They were ferried across the river in a royal barge, with other guests, and then found themselves before the gates of the king's palace. A vast crowd of people thronged the way, bringing rare gifts; and all were finely robed, except the poor widow's children. The soldiers presented the glittering points of their lances, asking rudely,—

"'What do you bring?'

"'Curiosities to show the king,' replied Small, bravely.

"'What if there should be nothing in the cakes, after all,' remarked Perke.

"'Let us open them and see,' proposed Elfie.

"'No,' said Perke. 'Wait until we are in the presence of the court.'

"The palace now rose before them, and was even more splendid than they had supposed. Entering an archway, the children paused in a spacious apartment, the dome of which was supported on marble pillars, wrought with flowers. The king occupied a throne of mosaic-work, under a canopy of crimson velvet. He wore a stiff mantle of some rich material, had a long, yellow beard, and such fierce eyes, that little Elfie trembled when he looked at her. Perke and Small said they did not mind it much.

"First, there approached an old woman, black as ebony, with a gorgeous yellow turban on her head, a broad purple sash about her waist, and red slippers on her feet. She was a very gay old African lady indeed. In her hand she carried a shrine of beautiful, fragrant wood; and from it she took an idol of pure amber, carved with marvellous skill.

"Next, came an old man, with bent form and silver hair, who drew a case from his girdle, and displayed, to the delight of the whole court, a ruby the size of a hen's egg of so brilliant a color that it filled the palace with a soft, rosy glow.

"Upon this, a young man hastened forward to hold up before the throne a diamond chain of rare purity, that absorbed the lustre of the ruby's splendor, and twinkled like pendent dew-drops.

"Others brought precious stones also, sapphires, amethysts, and emeralds, until it would seem as though the world had been sifted for the costliest gems. Then there were urns of pungent spices, censers of incense, keen-tempered weapons, cloth-of-gold, heavy damask, and specimens of lace.

"What seemed to Small the most wonderful thing, was a scroll of tapestry upon which appeared moving figures, weaving into fantastic forms. Whatever the king desired to see rehearsed, was there depicted.

"Afterward approached a fair lady, wearing a green gauze mantle, from which dripped little rills of water with a musical splash, and wherever they fell upon the pavement there formed pearls. She displayed a snake that twined his enamelled body about in graceful coils, at her bidding, and even licked the king's foot,—an act of homage which made his majesty rather nervous. The children recognized their enemy, the water spirit.

"It now came their turn, and they advanced, the water spirit smiling maliciously all the time. When they opened the boxes, each cake said, in a smothered little voice,—

"'Break me!'

"This they did, when lo! out of Elfie's stepped a goat, wearing a broad gold collar, and holding a tambourine. He walked up to the throne on his hind legs, and made a very profound bow. At this everybody laughed; but what was their astonishment to behold a quaint monkey emerge from Small's box, with a smart cravat on, and carrying a cocked hat under one paw. The monkey, instead of following the goat's ceremonious example, leaped upon Small's shoulder, put on his hat, and winked at the king in so droll a manner as to entirely disarm any wrath at his impertinence.

"As for Perke, a bird was already perched upon his finger, whose plumage resembled spun gold, relieved by an emerald green crest, and patch upon the breast.

"'What can your animals do to amuse me?' inquired the king.

"'If it please your highness,' said the goat, 'the bird will sing while we dance.'

"The king assenting, the bird began to sing a lively air; and the other two executed a quadrille in excellent style, the goat gracefully tapping his tambourine with one hoof to the music. Nor was this the full extent of their accomplishments; for the three then performed a tragedy, in which the bird was a stern father, the goat his daughter, and the monkey, who was naturally the best actor, took several parts, with admirable skill.

"All this would have been very amusing, only that the proud king could not forget that the children belonged only to a poor widow after all. Perhaps they might have received some prize, as a token of royal favor, had not the water spirit's snake darted forward, hissing spitefully, and twined about them.

"The monkey seized the monster by the throat with his little black paws, the bird pecked at its eyes, and the goat rapped the tambourine over its head with a right good-will.

"Thus defended, the children escaped from the palace safely, still accompanied by their favorites.

"'Dear children,' said the bird, as they approached home once more, 'do not be disappointed that the king has treated you with no more kindness. Madam Pug allows us to remain with you so long as you are good, and find happiness in the home God has given you.'

"'We can have a great deal more fun here than with those stupid people in the palace yonder,' added the monkey, cutting a caper. 'The goat and I can dance all day for your amusement.'

"'As to that,' said the goat, stroking his beard gravely, 'we might do something more profitable.'

"These were the godmother's gifts after all, which, in course of time, became famous throughout the country. If any thing was stolen, the monkey could detect the thief at once. If any debate arose among the wise men, the goat could settle the argument to their satisfaction, for he was classically educated. If any person was ill, the bird could prescribe for them, as he was skilled in the knowledge of medicine.

"The king could never obtain these three with all the wealth in the world."

The Wasp went his way again, the Caterpillar and Spider did the same, leaving the others alone as before.

The Saucepan's day was over, and the Teapot was so badly cracked as to be unfit for use.

One day, as the Kettle was swinging lazily on the hook in the chimney, a lovely butterfly, with wings like shaded brown velvet, poised on a rose-spray outside the window. It was the Caterpillar transformed!

The Kettle called to the Cricket, but he did not find his crutch in time to hobble out (for he was growing infirm) before the butterfly had flitted out into the sunshine again.

THE END.