d of laughter and scuffling in the kitchen. "It's the
brownie," thought he; and getting out of bed he crept softly down the
stairs.

But when he reached the kitchen, instead of the brownie, he saw Johnnie
and Tommy sweeping and making the fire and dusting and setting the
table. Tommy had put on the coat that the tailor had made for the
brownie, and was skipping about in it laughing and calling to Johnnie
to see how fine he looked, but saying: "I wish he had made it to fit
you, John."

"Boys, what does all this mean?" cried the tailor. "Tommy, why have
you put on that coat?"

When the boys saw their father they ran to him and tried to tell him
all about it. "There is no brownie, father," they cried, "but we have
done the work. And O father! we are sorry that we were lazy and idle
so long; but we mean to be brownies now, real brownies, and help you
till we grow to be big men." The poor tailor was so happy that he knew
not what to say, and there were tears in his eyes as he kissed each
little son.

Tommy and Johnnie kept their promise and continued being brownies until
they went away to homes of their own. But their little sister grew to
be the best brownie of all; and she kept her father's house so bright
and clean with mop and brush and broom and dustpan that not a speck of
dirt was anywhere to be seen.

THE FAIRY SHOES.

ADAPTED FROM MRS. EWING.

Once upon a time a baby boy was born in a little brown house, far away
in a country village, and everybody was invited to his christening and
everybody was glad to come.

Now the baby's mother had a fairy godmother of whom she was very fond.
This fairy was rich and all the people said, "Surely she will bring a
present to the baby on his christening-day, that is worth a great deal
of money." But, at last when the time came, what do you suppose she
really brought?--a pair of stout little leather shoes with copper toes.

In spite of the disappointment at the fairy's present the festivities
went merrily on and, when the party was over and the fairy bade her
god-daughter good-bye, she said: "My little present is not quite as
shabby as it looks. Those shoes will never wear out and, besides, the
little feet that have them on can never go wrong. When your baby has
grown large enough to wear those shoes, if you send him on an errand,
and tell him to come back quickly, and he forgets and stops to play,
those little shoes will help him to remember by pinching h