enough, Mother Field-mouse went. She said she couldn't stand the court
fairies. They were always playing tricks on her, stopping up the door of
her house with sticks and acorns, and making faces at her babies until
they almost drove them into fits. So after that I left too."

"Where did you go?"

"Oh, hither and yon. Mostly where there were little sick boys and
girls."

"Do you like little boys?"

"Yes, when they don't cry," said the Counterpane Fairy, staring at him
very hard.

"Well, I was lonely," said Teddy. "I wanted my mamma."

"Yes, I know, but you oughtn't to have cried. I came to you, though,
because you were lonely and sick, and I thought maybe you would like me
to show you a story."

"Do you mean tell me a story?" asked Teddy.

"No," said the fairy, "I mean show you a story. It's a game I invented
after I joined the Counterpane Fairies. Choose any one of the squares of
the counterpane and I will show you how to play it. That's all you have
to do,--to choose a square."

Teddy looked the counterpane over carefully. "I think I'll choose that
yellow square," he said, "because it looks so nice and bright."