The Project Gutenberg EBook of American Fairy Tales, by L. Frank Baum

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: American Fairy Tales

Author: L. Frank Baum

Posting Date: July 26, 2009 [EBook #4357]
Release Date: August, 2003
First Posted: January 14, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AMERICAN FAIRY TALES ***

Produced by Charles Aldarondo. HTML version by Al Haines.

American Fairy Tales

By L. FRANK BAUM

Author of

FATHER GOOSE; HIS BOOK,
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, ETC.

CONTENTS

THE BOX OF ROBBERS
THE GLASS DOG
THE QUEEN OF QUOK
THE GIRL WHO OWNED A BEAR
THE ENCHANTED TYPES
THE LAUGHING HIPPOPOTAMUS
THE MAGIC BON BONS
THE CAPTURE OF FATHER TIME
THE WONDERFUL PUMP
THE DUMMY THAT LIVED
THE KING OF THE POLAR BEARS
THE MANDARIN AND THE BUTTERFLY

THE BOX OF ROBBERS

No one intended to leave Martha alone that afternoon, but it
happened that everyone was called away, for one reason or another.
Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card party held by the
Women's Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nell's young man had called
quite unexpectedly to take her for a long drive. Papa was at the
office, as usual. It was Mary Ann's day out. As for Emeline, she
certainly should have stayed in the house and looked after the
little girl; but Emeline had a restless nature.

"Would you mind, miss, if I just crossed the alley to speak a word
to Mrs. Carleton's girl?" she asked Martha.

"'Course not," replied the child. "You'd better lock the back door,
though, and take the key, for I shall be upstairs."

"Oh, I'll do that, of course, miss," said the delighted maid, and
ran away to spend the afternoon with her friend, leaving Martha
quite alone in the big house, and locked in, into the bargain.

The little girl read a few pages in her new book, sewed a few
stitches in her embroidery and started to "play visiting" with her
four favorite dolls. Then she remembered that in the attic was a
doll's playhouse that hadn't been used for months, so she decided
she would dust it and put it in order.

Filled with this idea, the girl climbed the winding stairs to the
big ro