boy a fairy story once, and he went right off and whispered
to his mother that I was a very wicked lady, for that story wasn't
true, not a bit; and if a baby six months old should hear it, he
wouldn't believe a word of it!"

"Poh! he was a smart boy," cried Horace.

"So I am afraid to tell fairy stories since that, for I don't like to
be called a wicked lady, you know."

"There, now, auntie," said Susy, "don't you s'pose we know they're
only play-stories? Just as if we hadn't a speck of sense!"

"Well, let me see," said aunt Madge, covering her eyes with her
fingers. "Once upon a time when the moon was full----"

"Full of what?" said Prudy, who was leaning on the arm of her auntie's
chair, and peeping up into her face, "full of fairies?"

"When the moon was round, my child," said auntie, stroking the little one's
hair. "But wait. I'll tell a story Prudy can understand--wouldn't you, my
dears? When I was a little girl----"

[Illustration: AUNT MADGE TELLING A STORY.]

"That's right," cried the children. "O, tell about that."

"Was you about as big as me?" said Prudy, "and was your name _little
Madge_?"

"Yes, they called me little Madge sometimes, and sometimes Maggie.
When I was about as old as our Susy, I happened to go into the
back-room one day, and saw uncle Edward's hatchet lying on the
meat-block. I knew I had no right to touch it, but it came into my
head that I would try to break open the clams. The hatchet, instead of
cracking the shells, came down with full force on my foot! I had on
thick boots, but it cut through my right boot deep into the bone. O,
how I screamed!"

"I should have thought you would, auntie," cried Grace, fairly turning
pale. "Did it bring the blood?"

"Yes, indeed! Why, when I went into the kitchen, my footsteps were
tracked with little pools of blood, oozing out of my boot. Sister
Maria screamed out,--'O, look at Maggie! She's cut her foot with that
hatchet!'"

"'No, no, I haven't,' said I, for I was frightened almost to death,
and afraid of being punished for disobedience. You see father had
forbidden us little ones ever to touch the hatchet."

"Why, you told a right up and down----fib," said Susy, looking
shocked.

"A real whopper," said Horace, shaking his head.

"So I did, children, and before my story is done you shall see what
misery my sin caused me."

"Did Mr. 'Gustus Allen know about it?" asked little Prudy.

"I guess not," replied aunt Madge, blushing. "He