at the sea-shore they
were playing in the sand and they covered up Freddy, Doris' boy-doll in
the sand. They were playing that Freddy was in bathing and that he
wanted to be covered with the clean white sand, just as the other
bathers did. And when they had covered Freddy they took their little
pails and shovels and went farther down the beach to play and forgot all
about Freddy.

"Now when it came time for us to go home, Virginia and Doris remembered
Freddy and ran down to get him, but the tide had come in and Freddy was
'way out under the water and they could not find him. Virginia and
Doris were very sad and they talked of Freddy all the way home."

"It was too bad they forgot Freddy," said Marcella.

"Yes, indeed it was!" the new friend replied as he took Raggedy Ann up
and made her dance on Marcella's knee. "But it turned out all right
after all, for do you know what happened to Freddy?"

"No, what did happen to him?" Marcella asked.

"Well, first of all, when Freddy was covered with the sand, he enjoyed
it immensely. And he did not mind it so much when the tide came up over
him, for he felt Virginia and Doris would return and get him.

"But presently Freddy felt the sand above him move as if someone was
digging him out. Soon his head was uncovered and he could look right up
through the pretty green water, and what do you think was happening? The
Tide Fairies were uncovering Freddy!

"When he was completely uncovered, the Tide Fairies swam with Freddy
'way out to the Undertow Fairies. The Undertow Fairies took Freddy and
swam with him 'way out to the Roller Fairies. The Roller Fairies carried
Freddy up to the surface and tossed him up to the Spray Fairies who
carried him to the Wind Fairies."

"And the Wind Fairies?" Marcella asked breathlessly.

"The Wind Fairies carried Freddy right to our garden and there Virginia
and Doris found him, none the worse for his wonderful adventure!"

"Freddy must have enjoyed it and your little girls must have been very
glad to get Freddy back again!" said Marcella. "Raggedy Ann went up in
the air on the tail of a kite one day and fell and was lost, so now I am
very careful with her!"

"Would you let me take Raggedy Ann for a few days?" asked the new
friend.

Marcella was silent. She liked the stranger friend, but she did not wish
to lose Raggedy Ann.

[Illustration]

"I will promise to take very good care of her and return her to you in a
week. Will you let her g