m stay any longer. On they
raced toward the grocery store, carrying Gustave almost as fast as
Max's velocipede could go. He called back to Max:

"I can't stop, now. I must fetch my mother a pat of butter by the time
that the fire is ready for the cake."

That was all Gustave said. He did not tell him about the wonder shoes
for that was a secret.

When he came back that way with the butter, Max was still out at play.

"I will race with you as far as my gate," Gustave said to Max.

"But I shall beat you because I am riding my velocipede and can race
on wheels while you will have to race on foot," said Max.

But Gustave was off like an arrow and although Max worked the pedals
of his new velocipede as fast as he could, he was not able to win the
race. Gustave reached his gate before Max on his velocipede did.

"How did you go so fast?" asked Max.

"I have new shoes," said Gustave, but still he did not tell the secret
of their wonder.

"I should like to have a pair just like them," said Max, who was often
late for school and seldom able to do an errand for his mother
promptly.

"I will ask the old shoemaker if he has any more shoes like mine,
Max," Gustave said. So, after he had given his mother the pat of
butter, which was exactly in time, he went back to the shop of the old
shoemaker.

"My friend, Max, wants a pair of wonder shoes like mine," Gustave
said. "Have you any more?" he asked.

The old shoemaker smiled, and chuckled, and laughed, until his
spectacles nearly dropped off.

"More wonder shoes?" he said. "Why any little boy may have a pair if
he wants them. It all depends upon the boy himself whether or not he
has wonder shoes."

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so exceedingly fond of
fine new clothes that he spent all his money on rich garments. He did
not care for his soldiers, nor for the theatre, nor for driving about,
except for the purpose of showing his new clothes.

He had a dress for every hour of the day, and just as they say of a
king, "He is in Council," they always said of him, "The Emperor is in
his Wardrobe."

Well, the great town in which he lived was very busy. Every day a
number of strangers arrived.

One day two rogues came along, saying they were weavers, and that they
knew how to weave the finest stuff one could imagine. Not only, said
they, were the colors and designs exceedingly beautiful, but the
clothes that were made of