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fairy, who had taken the form of a poor country woman, to see how far the civility and good manners of this pretty girl would go. "I will give you for gift," continued the fairy, "that at every word you speak there shall come out of your mouth either a flower or a jewel."

When this pretty girl came home her mother scolded her for staying so long at the fountain. "I beg your pardon, mamma," said the poor girl, "for not making more haste," and, in speaking these words, there came out of her mouth two roses, two pearls, and two large diamonds. "What is it I see there?" said the mother quite astonished, "I think I see pearls and diamonds come out of the girl's mouth! How happens this, my child?" This was the first time she ever called her her child.

The poor creature told her frankly all the matter, not without dropping out infinite numbers of diamonds. "In good faith," cried the mother, "I must send my child thither. Come hither, Fanny, look what comes out of your sister's mouth when she speaks! Would you not be glad, my dear, to have the same gift given to you? You have nothing else to do but go draw water out of the fountain, and when a certain poor woman asks you to let her drink, to give it her very civilly." "It would be a very fine sight, indeed," said this ill-bred minx, "to see me go draw water!" "You shall go, hussy," said the mother, "and this minute.' So away she went, but grumbling all the way, and taking with her the best silver tankard in the house.

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She was no sooner at the fountain than she saw com

ing out of the wood a lady most gloriously dressed, who came up to her and asked to drink. This was, you must know, the very fairy who appeared to her sister, but who had now taken the air and dress of a princess to see how far this girl's rudeness would go. "Am I come hither," said the proud, saucy maid, “to serve you with water, pray? I suppose the silver tankard was brought purely for your ladyship, was it? However, you may drink out of it, if you have a fancy.'

"You are not over and above mannerly," answered the fairy, without putting herself in a passion. "Well, then, since you have so little breeding, and are so disobliging, I give you for gift, that at every word you speak there shall come out of your mouth a snake or a toad."

So soon as her mother saw her coming, she cried out, "Well, daughter." "Well, mother," answered the pert hussy, throwing out of her mouth two vipers and two toads. "O mercy!" cried the mother, "what is it I see! O, it is that wretch, her sister, who has occasioned all this; but she shall pay for it." And immediately she ran to beat her. The poor child fled away from her, and went to hide herself in the forest, not far from thence.

The king's son, then on his return from hunting, met her, and seeing her so very pretty, asked her what she did there alone, and why she cried. "Alas! sir, my mamma has turned me out of doors." The king's son, who saw five or six pearls, and as many diamonds, come out of her mouth, desired her to tell him how that happened. She thereupon told him the whole story; and so the king's son fell in love

with her; and, considering with himself that such a gift was worth more than any marriage-portion whatsoever in another, he conducted her to the palace of the king, his father, and there married her.

As for her sister, she made herself so much hated that her own mother turned her off; and the miserable girl, having wandered about a good while without finding anybody to take her in, went to a corner in the wood and there died.

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"Because I have never a leaf to show-
Because I stoop,

And my branches droop,

And the dull gray mosses over me grow!
But I'm all alive in trunk and shoot;
The buds of next May

I fold away

But I pity the withered grass at my root."

"You think I am dead,"

The quick grass said,

"Because I have started with stem and blade! But under the ground

I am safe and sound

With the snow's thick blanket over me laid.

I'm all alive and ready to shoot,

Should the spring of the year

Come dancing here—

But I pity the flower without branch or root."

*From Harper's Third Reader, by permission of American Book Co.

"You think I am dead,"

A soft voice said,

"Because not a branch or root I own!

I never have died,

But close I hide

In a plumy seed that the wind has sown. Patient I wait through the long winter hours; You will see me again—

I shall laugh at you, then,

Out of the eyes of a hundred flowers.'

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