crystal. On his shoulders were
a pair of delicate wings, and he was small, every bit as small as
Thumbelina. He was the spirit of the flower.

For you know in each flower there is a spirit--a tiny little boy or
girl, but this little Prince was King of all the flower spirits.

The little King thought Thumbelina the loveliest maiden he had ever
seen. He took off his golden crown and placed it on the tiny head of the
little maid, and in a silvery voice he asked, "Will you be my bride,
little Thumbelina, and reign with me over the flower spirits?"

How glad Thumbelina was!

The little King wished to marry her. Yes, she would be his little Queen.

Then out of each blossom stepped tiny little children. They came to pay
their homage to little Thumbelina.

Each one brought her a present, and the most beautiful of all the
presents was a pair of wings, delicate as gossamer. And when they were
fastened on the shoulders of the little Queen, she could fly from flower
to flower.

And the swallow sat on his nest above, and sang his sweetest bridal song
for the wedding of little Thumbelina.

THE FOX AND THE LITTLE RED HEN

Once upon a time there was a little red hen. She lived in a little white
house and she had a little green garden. Every day she worked in the
house and garden.

Near her home lived a family of foxes. One day Mamma Fox said to Papa
Fox, "I want a fat hen to eat." There was nothing in the pantry for the
baby foxes, so Papa Fox started out to find something for them all.

He ran down the road until he came to the woods. "Surely I will find
something here," he said, but he found nothing to eat in the woods. As
he came near the little green garden he said, "Oh, I smell fresh cake!
Oh, I smell a little red hen!"

Sure enough, there was the Little Red Hen eating her cake.

Papa Fox stole up softly behind her and grabbed her and put her into the
bag on his back; then he ran quickly off down the hill toward his home.

The Little Red Hen was so frightened that she could only whisper, "Oh,
dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"

Just then she had to sneeze, and when she put her claw into her pocket
for her handkerchief, she felt her little scissors. Quick as a flash she
took them out and cut a little hole in the bag. Peeping out she saw a
great hill just ahead, all covered with stones. As Papa Fox stopped to
rest on his way up the hill, with his back turned toward her, she cut a
big hole in the bag, jumped out and quic