bursts of laughter testified to their impatience, and to the difficulty
of understanding the process of story-making as displayed by the
Doctor, who sat pulling his beard, and staring at his boots, as he made
up "a little more end."

"Well," he said, sitting up suddenly, "the Brownies went on with their
work in spite of the bottle-green suit, and Trout's luck returned to
the old house once more. Before long Tommy began to work for the
farmers, and Baby grew up into a Brownie, and made (as girls are apt to
make) the best house-sprite of all. For, in the Brownie's habits of
self-denial, thoughtfulness, consideration, and the art of little
kindnesses, boys are, I am afraid, as a general rule, somewhat
behindhand with their sisters. Whether this altogether proceeds from
constitutional deficiency on these points in the masculine character,
or is one result among many of the code of bye-laws which obtains in
men's moral education from the cradle, is a question on which everybody
has their own opinion. For the present the young gentlemen may
appropriate whichever theory they prefer, and we will go back to the
story. The Tailor lived to see his boy-Brownies become men, with all
the cares of a prosperous farm on their hands, and his girl-Brownie
carry her fairy talents into another home. For these Brownies--young
ladies!--are much desired as wives, whereas a man might as well marry
an old witch as a young Boggartess."

"And about the Owl?" clamoured the children, rather resentful of the
Doctor's pausing to take breath.

"Of course," he continued, "the Tailor heard the whole story, and being
both anxious to thank the Old Owl for her friendly offices, and also
rather curious to see and hear her, he went with the boys one night at