"That I will!" cried Miner, and he gave the mouse coal. The mouse gave
Smith coal and Smith gave him key. The mouse gave Barn key and Barn
gave him hay. The mouse gave Cow hay and Cow gave him milk. The mouse
gave Cat milk and Cat gave back his little long tail again.




THE BROWNIES.

ADAPTED FROM MRS. EWING.

Such wonderful stories as grandmother told Johnnie and Tommy! Stories
of ghosts and hob-goblins, of dwarfs and fairies; and once she told
them about a brownie that was said to have lived in their own family,
long ago,--a brownie who did all manner of wonderful and useful things.
He was a little fellow no larger than Tommy, she said, but very active
and very shy. He slept by the kitchen fire, and no one ever saw him;
but, early in the morning, when all the family were in their beds, this
brownie would get up, sweep the room, build the fire, spread the table,
milk the cow, churn the cream, bring the water, scrub and dust, until
there was not a speck of dirt anywhere to be seen.

The children liked this story very much, and oh! how they did wish such
a brownie would come to live in their house now! Over and over again
they said: "Was there really and truly a brownie, grandmother, and did
he really help all the people as you say? How we wish he would come
back again! Why, he could mind the baby and tidy the room and bring in
the wood and wait on you, grandmother! Can't we do something to get
him back again?"