wans, was seen
to approach the shore. Then the fairy said, "Now, my little dears, I
must go, for here is my coach and six come to fetch me." So she kissed
them all round, bade them be good children, said she would come to see
them again some day, got into her car, and was soon out of sight, the
children shouting, "Good-bye, dear Fairy, good-bye," till they could see
her no longer.

Then they said, "What shall we play at first?"

"Let us go into that pretty dell, where the fawns are at play, and
gather some of the flowers," said Pepitia. To this they all readily
assented, and ran skipping and singing into the dell. Some pulled long
rushes and sat themselves down to weave little baskets; some gathered
nosegays, some played with the fawns. Presently one of them said, "Oh!
suppose we have a dance."

"Yes, yes, yes, so do," cried a dozen little voices.

"But there's no music," objected the queen, "we can't dance without
music. How I wish we had some!"

"I'll hum a tune," said Sophia; and she immediately began one.

"No, that's so stupid," said Amanda.

"Oh!" screamed a little boy. "Look there!"

"Look where? What's the matter?" cried they all.

"Why, look at that big yellow thing," replied the child, pointing to a
large gourd which lay upon the ground, "it's opening all by itself!"

And sure enough it was slowly opening, as if it were a monster mouth
taking a lazy yawn. The children clustered together and watched it
eagerly, when, to their great amazement, out popped a little figure, not
more than six inches high, dressed in a suit of sky blue velvet with
white lace ruffles at the throat and wrists. The dress was fastened down
the front and at the knees by diamond buttons; diamond buckles were in
its shoes, white silk stockings on its legs, and on its head a crimson
cap with white feather. As soon as this quaint little figure jumped out
of the gourd he was followed by another, and another, and another, till
there were a full score of them, all dressed exactly like the first, and
each carrying a tiny musical instrument in his hand.

As the last jumped out the gourd closed, and the leader of the
Liliputian band stepped a few paces in front of his fellows, and, taking
off his feathered cap, made a low bow to the king and queen, then,
without speaking a word, he sprang on to the foremost branch of a white
Mayflower bush, which was in full blossom, and immediately his little
companions perched themselves on different