The Counterpane Fairy by Katharine Pyle
page 85 of 114 (74%)
page 85 of 114 (74%)
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going, and this time the little boy (he seemed to be the captain of the
band) told him that they were going down to the earth. He said that every week they had a holiday, and then they crossed the rainbow bridge, and carried the flowers from their flower-beds down to the little earth children. "But what little children?" asked Teddy, curiously. "Oh, you'll see!" answered the little boy, laughing, and then he began to talk with the others, and Teddy could no longer understand him. It was not long after this that Teddy saw before him the end of the rainbow, and where should it go but right through the window of a great square yellow house, set back of a high wall and in the middle of a lawn. "Oh dear! we can't get to the end of it after all," cried Teddy, and the next thing he knew the little children were walking through the window just as if nothing were there, and he and Ellen were following them. "Where are we?" asked Ellen, looking about her, half frightened and yet curious. "I can't think," said Teddy. "Seems as if I knew, but I can't think." They were in a long, bare, clean room, and on each side of it were rows of little white beds, and in each bed lay or sat a little child. A few of the children were asleep, most of them were awake, but all looked pale and thin. Here and there at the sides of the beds grown-up people were sitting, sometimes showing the children pictures or books, and |
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