like the little toes of the neighbour's baby, Father Green would say:

"I never did eat such vegetables!"

Then he would smile over at Mother.

And Marmaduke, after his turn one night, whispered to his mother--

"It _was_ a pretty fairy story, Mother. And we made it come true
ourselves."

"Yes, with the help of God and His fairies--the jolly Sun, the gentle Rain,
and brown Mother Earth. But the best part of it all is that _your own_
hands helped."

But the Little-Clock-with-the-Wise-Face-on-the-Mantle thought that the
children understood now. So he stopped this advice with his silver tongue.

And Mother, too, agreed that it was late. So she kissed them good-night and
tucked them under the coverlids as they had covered the tiny seeds in their
brown beds.




NINTH NIGHT

ANOTHER TRUE FAIRY STORY