“ THE DANDELION CHILDREN
"What little darlings we are!" said the children one day.
They were all sitting fluffed up into one little downy ball on the top of a long stem.
"It is very nearly time for us to go into the world," said they. "O, how wide and how sunny it is, and what fun it will be! Our wings are all ready to fly, and we are so light and happy! Then the whole world will be ours, and we can choose our own place in which to take root and grow. ”

“ Then when he went home there would be no stream and no new sorts of play.
Just then he heard Madge calling him.
"Come here and play, Walter," she said. "I'll be a bear among the trees and I'll run out and catch you."
"I don't like that game, Madge," said he; "you roar so loud and then I think it really is a bear."
"You baby!" said she. "Well, Johnny and nurse will play and you can run away."
No, he could not do that. He would play too, and try to remember all the time that it was only Madge roaring among the trees and not really a bear. ”

“ The next day it happened that there was a large picnic party, to which all the elders were invited, including Sydney, Loo, and Lena. So the three younger children, with nurse and Baby and the other servants, had it all to themselves. It was rather a dull day, Walter thought. He was thinking about the wheel and wondering if it was turning merrily in the stream, or if Sydney had put it away. He would have given worlds to go and see, but he never got the chance. When the children went to the kitchen garden it was to walk round with nurse. ”

“ Laugh and Play.
Laugh and play all the day: Don't you think with me When I say that's the way If you'd happy be?
Maid and lad, if we had Never time for song, Always sad, never glad, Days would seem so long!
Tear and sigh make the sky Dark and sad and grey; Never cry—only try Just to laugh and play.
Faces bright make sunlight All the merry day; Frowns they fright out of sight—
So we'll laugh and play. C.B.
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A HAPPY DAY.
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Laugh and Play
"Come and have a game at soldiers, Dulcie." ”

“ After all, it's a fine thing to make people happy."
So she cuddled down in the flower-pot and went to sleep.
And all the other dandelion-children who had sat on the stem that day went dancing about, not knowing what they wanted. They played in the fields and never thought of anything else till one day the rain came and wet their wings and beat them down among the meadows just where they happened to be. But it was very comfortable in the deep grass, and so they just went to sleep too.
When they woke again, they all had roots and little leaves, and deep in their hearts the buds of flowers. ”

“ Charlie was angry. "I'm ever so much bigger than Toddy Graham," he said indignantly, "and his mother lets him have a toboggan. It's a shame! But never mind, Molly; we'll go all the same. I've got an idea. You go to the hill and I'll come presently."
Molly trotted away, and in a minute or two Charlie came running towards her, carrying his auntie's best tea-tray. "I had an awful bother to get it," he said. "Jane saw me with the old one and took it away; but I remembered this one was upstairs in auntie's room, so I fetched it without anyone seeing me."
"But what's the good of a tea-tray?" ”

“ Reggie's mother must have understood, for she gave Dan a good supper, and he slept right soundly till morning.
Mary Boyle.
Bringing home the holly.
With hearts as light as snow-flakes fall, With cheeks like sunset glow, And ringing shouts of joy and fun, Away the children go.
Away! to where the holly-tree, With berries gleaming bright, Stands like a shivering giant in Its glistening cloak of white.
There's Roy, to take the sledge in hand And pilot through the snow. "The girls don't understand," he says. (Just like a boy, you know!) ”

“ Meanwhile Walter went slowly back again through the garden, his heart full of bitter disappointment. He did so want to see that wheel! He had been dreaming about it all night, for he had known that it was to be fixed and tried the next day. He had been watching for an opportunity ever since Sydney and his sisters had gone to the stream. It came when nurse went indoors with Johnny, and Madge got sulky and buried herself in a picture-book. That was the moment when he stole away unobserved. If only he could have had one peep! He wouldn't have touched it, not for the world ”

“ Dolly and May opened their eyes very wide. "That would be stealing," they cried, both together.
"Nonsense," said Charlie. "That's just like girls—always afraid to do anything. I mean to get a pocketful, so you can wait till I come back."
They waited and waited such a long time, but he never came, so they went slowly home. It was nearly tea-time when nurse came and said: "Farmer Giles has brought Cousin Charlie back." And a very miserable-looking boy he was.
When he had filled his pockets and meant to come down, he saw Rover, the savage farm dog, waiting for him below ”

“ He had had a party on the 1st of every month since the time that he was born, which happened to be New Year's Day. And if you asked Reggie and Flo they would tell you that Dan quite looked forward to his monthly parties, and, what is more, enjoyed them. You see, a whole year is a very long time. Boys and girls may grow to be old men and women and have lots of birthdays; but a doggie's life is comparatively short, so the more festivals they can squeeze into it the better. ”

“ Was It a Dream?
ita grew quite tired of gathering wildflowers while her brother Frank sat by the water busy with his fishing-rod.
"He must be tired of it by this time! He has been fishing for two hours!" she said, and, swinging her bunch of flowers, she walked to where her brother was sitting.
"Do leave off fishing for a while, Frank!" she pleaded, leaning against the tree beside him. "There is such a funny-looking animal running about over there in the grass. Come and look!"
Frank laughed.
"I know your funny-looking animals, Rita!" he said.
"Aren't you really tired of sitting quite still?" ”

“ Harold gave her a brotherly hug, for he really was glad Dulcie had come to this decision, for he had found her new accomplishment a little trying at times.
"But I haven't told you my news yet," he said. "I've been playing with the Grahams all the afternoon, and Mrs. Graham came out just now and has invited us to go there to tea and have a good game afterwards, and Tom told me there was to be a Christmas-tree. So come along and let's tell nurse, for it's time to get ready." ”

“ Tell me from outside all about it."
"Well, then, mother, I don't want to take the children to the meads. I want to amuse myself. And it's not fair. Saturday's a holiday, and it's my right to have it!" ”

“ Then the man at the top will pull you up and up, and you will be killed and eaten by him!"
Still the little fish looked longingly at the bait. Rita wanted to call out and tell him what his mother said was quite true ”