Laura Rountree Smith

“ Dwarf Courage answered,
“Look for the house, look in the tree,
There, a funny old man should be.”
They looked up and saw a cute little house in a tree and an old man stood at the door with umbrellas in each hand.
Dwarf Courage cried,
“See, old, man, we’ve come to borrow,
We’ll return them both to-morrow.”
Without a word in reply down sailed two little fairy umbrellas, and as Dot took one and Dwarf Courage took the other, they sailed right through the air to the little wee house in the woods, and Dwarf Laughter had a merry ha, ha, as they sailed in the open window. ”

“ Aunt Etiquette smiled and said quite as though she had not heard this question,
“Pretty Bunny, are you able
To keep your elbows off the table?”
Pretty Bunny blushed rosy red, unfolded her napkin and sat very straight. When helped to coffee, cakes and honey, she began to eat rather noisily and Aunt Etiquette said,
“Bunnies, as well as girls and boys,
Can eat their meals with little noise.”
Pretty Bunny said, “How I do love to learn lessons by saying jingles over and over, for the funny little rhymes I can’t forget, and they make me remember useful things.” ”

“ Tiddly Winks is a little fairy,
And he sings like a canary.
Another fairy is Tiddly Wee,
He is just as cunning as can be.
Tiddly Thrift is a saving mite,
He wears a jacket snug and bright.
Tiddly Cheer-Up with smiling face,
Is always welcome any place.
Tiddly Scowl looks at you and me,
He is just as cross as he can be.
Tiddly Why will make you sigh,
He asks questions, My! Oh My!
A child can read if he stops and thinks,
So say the little Tiddly Winks ”

“ I’d hope for a visit from Santa Claus.
And every winter I’d have the fun
Of spending Christmas with Grandma Bun.
Who’ll fill our stockings from top to toe?
Jolly Old Santa Claus!
Who’ll laugh at the stockings all in a row?
Jolly Old Santa Claus!
And all the children and bunnies cry,
“Hurrah! hurrah! he is riding by!” ”

“ THE MAGIC SPOON
In February as you know,
Stormy winds will often blow,
And sometimes on a Saturday,
In the house the children stay,
Playing pleasant games, you see,
They are happy as can be.
The Ink-Bottle Babies said, “Heart of mine,
Come now, and make a valentine!”
One Saturday morning it began to storm and it snowed and the wind blew harder and harder.
The Ink-Bottle Babies said, “Oh Ma! what shall we do?”
The Ink-Bottle Mamma said, “What month is this?”
Molly and Polly said, “It is February.”
Then the twenty-three other Ink-Bottle Babies set up a shout. They cried, “Valentines! ”

“ Old Mother Kit-Cat straightened her cap and called.
“Come in, come in, the hearth is wide,
There’s room for one and all inside.”
They all held their breath for no one came in this time.
The Three Little Kittens whispered to each other “What if it should be the Three Little Foxes coming in next? What if it should be the Three Little Foxes who stole our mittens?” ”

“ A voice called merrily,
“To squeeze my stem you’d better refrain,
For everything I touch, I stain;
I make no exception for any one.
My leaf grows long after my flower is gone;
I am white with gold centre; does it pay
To bloom, as I do, for a single day?”
All the Bunnies examined the Blood root with the leaf circling round the stem, and the delicate flowers. ”

“ Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes said, "Will it be a candy-shop?"
Grandpa Grumbles shook his green cotton umbrella fiercely and grumbled, "I told you, you could not guess. I am going to open a Toy Shop!"
"A Toy Shop!" shouted the Seventeen Little Bears at the top of their lungs. "A Toy Shop!"
"Who is telling this story?" asked Grandpa Grumbles. He began to tell the story in real earnest. He said, "I am going to open a Toy Shop in the woods."
"Not a real Toy Shop," said Snubby Nose. "You don't mean a real Toy
Shop," said Tippy Toes. ”

“ As he went off down the road Daddy Do-Little began to weep, but Curly-Tail cried,
“I’m not going away, I promise to stay,
A year, a week, a month and day.”
[90]
Then Pedro said,
“If what Parrots say is ever true,
I’ll NEVER say good bye to you.”
Then Daddy Do-Little felt cheered up you may be sure. He said to the Parrot,
“You’ll have to behave, Sir, for one of your age,
I’d really expect you to stay in your cage.”
Turning to Curly-Tail he said,
“’Tis time for bed, oh goodness me,
Each hour grows later as you see.” ”

“ Then the enchanted staircase on which he was sitting cried,
“Just go to the bottom, look up and see,
The Fairies surprise both you and me.”
Little Boy ran down stairs and looked up.
He saw on the tip top step a wonderful Birthday Cake. It was large and round and had pink and white frosting upon it.
Just then a cheerful voice called,
“Fairy Good-Cheer makes no mistake,
She has sent to you a Birthday Cake.”
Then, as Little Boy winked and blinked his eyes to be sure he was not dreaming, a laughing voice called,
“Fairy Light-Heart brings the candles,
More than one Boy ever handles.” ”

“ What a wealth of flowers, fruits and nuts meet our gaze, and the cheerful bonfires are lighted everywhere. Soon Hallowe’en will be here. I almost imagined I saw a Witch as I entered. [The Witch peeps over the screen, waving hand to audience.] I dream I hear October’s laughter as she shakes the trees, from which the leaves leap and dance to the last ball of the season. [October peeps over screen and laughs.] Will you come with me, Pomona?
[Pomona does some real acting while this last recitation is given, she appears almost to yield, but replies.] ”

“ He called out, “Get dressed, you little rascals! Get dressed, every one of you!”
Then Freddie cried, “I can’t find my collar,” and Teddie cried, “I can’t find my neck-tie,” and Humpty Dumpty cried, “Do, please, help me, somebody!”
All the time Grandpa Grimes sat chuckling softly to himself.
At last, the Roly-Poly family were all dressed and down-stairs.
Then the children shouted, “What have you in your bundles, Grandpa? what have you in your bundles? Please let us see!”
“Not a peep into the bundles,” said Grandpa, “until every one has finished his oatmeal.” ”

“ When Bunny heard the news, he cried into a little red handkerchief that he had wrapped around his sore paw, and he said he wished to die if Susan Cotton-Tail could not be found!
Now Bunny knew that old Farmer Jones hated the sight of even his little stubby tail, so he thought [24] the quickest way for him to die would be to run over into the farmer’s garden.
He told Susan’s mother good-by, waved his sore paw feebly, and set out for the garden. He thought that if he must die he would eat some cabbage first, and he was nibbling away when he heard some one whisper his name very softly. ”

“ GRANDPA GROWLER AND THE THREE BEARS Next morning early, Dot and Tot and Trot woke up crying,
“We’re good Little Kittens,
May we find our mittens?
Old Mother Kit-Cat, we’re coming down stairs,
We’re good Little Kittens,
We’ll go find our mittens,
If we may repair to the home of Three Bears.”
Old Mother Kit-Cat answered, “What do you know about Bears? You cannot understand Bear Language.” ”

“ The Runaway Bunny ran quickly for cranberries.
He was back in less than no time, and began to pack his Basket to take with him to spend the day with Old Mother Bun.
At this very minute “Rap-a-tap!” was heard on the door; and in walked his old friends, Pit-A-Pat, Rough Coat, Old Brother Bear, and Foxy-Lox.
Said Foxy-Lox, “Shall we be in the way,
If we travel with you on Thanksgiving Day?” Pit-A-Pat began to lick her chops as she smelled the gravy. For the Runaway Bunny had the dinner all cooked to take with him, of course. ”

“ Curly-Tail tried to get breakfast and make Daddy Do-Little forget his troubles, but the old fellow would only sit in his high backed chair and scold.
By and by Curly-Tail said, “I have no doubt but Sly Foot, the old Wolf, knows where your cookies and crackers, and doughnuts, and ginger snaps are, and I will go and visit him to-day.”
Daddy Do-Little said,
“You’re a cunning fellow and ought to thrive,
But you’ll never come back from there alive.”
Curly-Tail laughed as he put on his new coat and cap and mittens, but Daddy Do-Little said, “He will make mince meat of you in a minute.” ”

“ Sure enough, the Humming Bird greatly loved flowers of a certain color, and the Fringed Gentian was nearer the color of the sky than any Flower that grew. Best of all, the Gentian was really growing in one corner of Old Mother Bun’s garden, and the Humming Bird hummed with delight. ”

“ Away in our little sleigh we go;
Heigho! hear the merry winds blow;
Away, away, away we go!”
Pretty soon Molly and Polly went to sleep.
When they woke up they found themselves in the cutest little house in the world. They were in the house of the two little dwarfs!
The little dwarfs capered and danced about them and said, “You are the cutest Babies in the world. Come and see grandpa!” ”

“ As they hopped about her, she never dreamed that they might be measuring her feet for a pair of slippers.
One of the Fairies hopped right up in her lap, saying,
“A rat, a tat, tat, a rat, a tat, too,
We heard you were crying, oh was it true?”
Little June said, “How would you feel [23] if you were in a performance to be given the last day of school, and what if you had to dance in the front row, with an old pair of slippers on?”
At that, the Fairy Shoemakers all sang in a chorus,
“A rat, a tat, tat, a rat, a tat, too,
And in the front row, that will never do.” ”

“ Happy-hearted sailor lads,
We really know no fear;
Our home is out upon the sea,
We’ve sailed for years and years.
When we see the bonnie flag,
We always give three cheers
While we are sailing the ocean.
[While sailors are singing, Witch goes off stage and comes back with Jack Horner, who sits down at corner of stage.]
Sailors [point to Jack Horner in a corner eating pie] :
Ha, ha, if we linger longer. ”

“ Farmer Jones came up, and when he saw how scared poor little Bunny looked, he laughed. He said if they put the two rabbits together, they could soon tell whether they knew each other or not. So Marie carried Bunny into the house.
Susan Cotton-Tail had fallen asleep in the doll’s bed, so Marie slipped Bunny in beside her, and he pretended to go to sleep, too. Farmer Jones said this proved that they knew each other; for if they had been strange rabbits, they would have fought. ”

“ If you ever plant a garden,
This thing you should know,
Plant some little magic seeds,
To make your garden grow.
Daddy Do-Little was not very fond of work.
He woke up one morning scolding,
“I must grumble, oh yes, indeed,
I haven’t a single garden seed.”
This happened at breakfast, and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs laid down their fourteen little spoons, and [85] Curly-Tail and Tangle-Tail called in one breath, “We will plant your garden, we will wish for Magic seed.”
Then the funniest thing happened.
Daddy Do-Little turned up his cup, and there inside, lay a package of garden seed. ”

“ Shall we find the realm on sea or land?
In that wonderful hour when dreams come true
There’s a fairy palace for me and you,
I am the Queen you understand,
And you are the King of Fairyland.”
In less time than it takes to tell it, the Fairies led Little Boy into Fairyland.
[66]
They had a Birthday Party and danced round and round in a ring and for all I know they are dancing yet.
If you ever hear an old staircase go “creak, creak” when you are on it, put your ear close to one of the steps and listen. ”

“ But I do not hang up my stocking, no! no!”
“All right,” said Santa Claus, “I must be going. If you change your mind about the stocking, it will be all right.”
Then Santa Claus put on his great fur cap and his great fur coat, and the little dwarf stood before him and he stamped his foot and cried,
[46]
“I never hung up my stocking at all,
I never believed old Santa would call.”
The little dwarf ran out into his barn and got a great armful of hay. It was all he could do to carry such an armful. He fed Santa’s reindeer. ”

“ Then Foxy-Lox, that crafty old fellow, crept up and whispered in the Runaway Bunny’s left ear:
“Hungry for cabbage and vegetables green,
You’re the hungriest Bunny I’ve ever seen.” No wonder the Runaway Bunny was hungry. No breakfast, no dinner, no supper!
Foxy-Lox said:
“Come with me into my den,
My children are little gentlemen.” The Runaway Bunny followed him, muttering:
“At the home of good Old Mother Bun,
There are plenty of meals for everyone.” They went along until they came to the den. ”

“ The Runaway Bunny was a smart little fellow. He liked to learn his ABC’s.
He learned to read very well and he went to school sixteen days in September.
Then one bright afternoon he heard the birds singing:
“Good-bye, good-bye! To the South we go;
Autumn is coming, and winter with snow.” He wished he could fly like his feathered friends.
Suddenly he remembered how fast he could run.
He did not wait for the close of school but went hippety-hop out of the window, singing:
“Long ago I formed the habit
Of running away. I’m the Runaway Rabbit.” He stayed in the woods all the rest of September. ”