children gathered around him, sturdy Gilbert and rosy Jocelyn,
roguish Giles and slender Rosalind, eager for a story. Mother and
father drew near, and in the background stood the servants, smiling
but silent. Oh, everything was still as the house at midnight as the
Story-Teller began his magic words: "Once upon a time."

Perhaps the story brought with it laughter, or perhaps a tear, but
Life, said the Story-Teller, is made up of smiles and tears; and the
little ones, listening to him, learned to rejoice with those whose joy
was great, and to mourn with the sorrowful; and were the better and
not the worse for it. And so in due time grew into noble men and good
women.

It is many and many a year since they lived and died; but
still--knock, knock, knock--the Story-Teller comes with his harp and
his story to every child's heart to-day.

Open the door and let him come in, give him a seat by the fire and
gather close about him. And then you shall hear!

MAUD LINDSAY.

_Sheffield, Alabama._

* * * * *

THE STORIES

THE TWO BROTHERS

THE JAR OF ROSEMARY

THE PROMISE

THE PLATE OF PANCAKES

LITTLE MAID HILDEGARDE

THE APPLE DUMPLING

THE KING'S SERVANT

THE GREAT WHITE BEAR

THE SONG THAT TRAVELED

THE QUEST FOR THE NIGHTINGALE

THE MAGIC FLOWER

THE LIONS IN THE WAY

* * * * *

ILLUSTRATIONS

Each saw that the other was his brother _Frontispiece_

She took the little prince in her arms and kissed him

The harper was happier than a king as he sat by his own fireside

Something seemed to whisper to him: "Stop, Karl, and eat"

Yes, there they came!

She saw an apple-tree as full of apples as her plum-tree was full of
plums

One of them took it in his mouth, and so brought it safely to Hans

"A bear!" cried the tailor

She leaned on the fence that divided the two

Straight to the Enchanted Wood they went

While she was watching and waiting, the flower burst into bloom

When he had come to the lions he found that they were chained

* * * * *

THE STORY-TELLER

THE TWO BROTHERS

Once upon a time there lived two brothers, who, when they were
children, were so seldom apart that those who saw one always looked
for the other at his heels.

But when they had grown to manhood, and the time had come when they
must make their own fortunes, the elder brother said to the yo