Twinkle

“ There are millions of birds on earth, but only a few of us that have but one feather. In my opinion, if you had but one hair upon your head you'd be much prettier."
"I'd be more 'strord'nary, I'm sure," said Twinkle, using the biggest word she could think of.
"There's no accounting for tastes," remarked the Rolling Stone, which had just arrived at Twinkle's side after a hard roll up the path. "For my part, I haven't either hair or feathers, and I'm glad of it."
The birds laughed again, at this, and as they had eaten all the berries they cared for, they now flew into the air and disappeared. ”

“ It wasn't much of a brook, to tell the facts, for there were many places where an active child could leap across it. But it was the only brook for miles around, and to Twinkle it was a never-ending source of delight. Nothing amused or refreshed the little girl more than to go wading on the pebbly bottom and let the little waves wash around her slim ankles. ”

“ So Twinkle and Chubbins sat upon the pretty clay chairs, and Teenty and Weenty sat opposite them and stared with their mischievous round eyes as hard as they could.
"What nice furniture," exclaimed the girl.
"Yes," replied Mrs. Puff-Pudgy, looking up at the picture of a sad-faced prairie-dog; "Mr. Puff- Pudgy made it all himself. He was very handy at such things. It's a shame he turned out so obstinate." ”

“ Whenever he thinks he's alone, and there's no one to hear, 'pop' goes the weasel."
Sure enough, a little animal soon crossed their path, making the funny noise at every step. But as soon as he saw that Twinkle was staring at him he stopped popping and rushed into a bunch of tall grass and hid himself.
And now they were almost at the berry-bushes, and Twinkle trotted so fast that the Rolling Stone had hard work to keep up with her. But when she got to the bushes she found a flock of strange birds sitting upon them and eating up the berries as fast as they could. ”

“ She was sitting under a huge yellow toadstool, (very different from the pink-lined mushroom which sheltered the three little fairies,) feasting on acorns to her heart's content. Twinkle said it was really astonishing to see how fast she cracked and ate them, throwing the shells to right and left, and glancing about with her sharp black eyes, in constant fear of some intruder. ”

“ TWINKLE MEETS THE DANCING BEAR
Chapter IV The Dancing Bear
"REALLY," said Twinkle, as she began picking the berries and putting them into her pail, "I didn't know so many things could talk."
"It's because you are in the part of the gulch that's enchanted," answered the Rolling Stone. "When you get home again, you'll think this is all a dream."
"I wonder if it isn't!" she suddenly cried, stopping to look around, and then feeling of herself carefully. "It's usually the way in all the fairy stories that papa reads to me. I don't remember going to sleep any time ”

“ Twinkle and Chubbins tried to save their dying friend from falling, but the gray owl was so much bigger than they that they could not support the weight of her body. Slowly she sank to the ground and fell upon the earth with a dull sound that was dreadful to hear.
Instantly Twinkle darted from the nest and swooped downward, alighting on the ground beside the owl's quivering body. A big dog came bounding toward her. The man was reloading his gun, a few paces away.
"Call off your dog!" shouted Twinkle, wildly excited. "How dare you shoot the poor, harmless birds? Call off your dog, I say!" ”

“ With the knowledge of his freedom a fierce, cruel joy crept into his heart, and he resumed the wild nature that crows are born with and never lay aside as long as they live.
Having forgotten in an instant that he had ever been tame, and the pet of a gentle little girl, Jim Crow had no thought of saying good-bye to Twinkle. Instead, he decided he would do something that would make these foolish humans remember him for a long time. ”

“ I never eat little girls myself. I prefer mutton."
Twinkle's heart almost stopped beating when she heard these awful words. All she could do was to stand still and look imploringly at the giant. But she held the fairy mud-turtle clasped tight in her hand, so that the monster couldn't see it. ”

“ At first they were a bit frightened, for the newcomer seemed of giant size beside their little lark bodies, and he was, moreover, quite fierce in appearance, having a crest of feathers that came to a point above his head, and a strong beak and sharp talons. But Twinkle looked full into the shrewd, bright eye, and found it good humored and twinkling; so she plucked up courage and asked:
"Were you speaking to us?"
"Very likely," replied the blue bird, in a cheerful tone. "There's no one else around to speak to."
"And was it you who warned us against that dreadful creature below in the forest?" ”

“ And just then the girl gave a start and opened her eyes.
She was lying in the clover, and before her was the opening of the woodchuck's hole, with the trap still set before it.
Chapter VIII Twinkle Remembers
"PAPA," said Twinkle, when supper was over and she was nestled snugly in his lap, "I wish you wouldn't set any more traps for the woodchucks."
"Why not, my darling?" he asked in surprise.
"They're cruel," she answered. "It must hurt the poor animals dreadfully to be caught in them." ”

“ So the magician again waved his paw and chuckled and gurgled and blinked, until Twinkle suddenly found she had to look up at him as he squatted on his mound.
"Stop!" she screamed; "if you keep on, we won't be anything at all!"
"You're just about the right size," said the Mayor, looking them over with much pleasure, and when the girl turned around she found Mr. Bowko and Mrs. Puff-Pudgy standing beside her, and she could easily see that Chubbins was no bigger than they, and she was no bigger than Chubbins. ”

“ Nattie responded. "And then you know there would be a twinkle in your eye that would betray you at once."
"Indeed! We will see about that, young lady. But now, as a customer has been drumming on my shelf for the past five minutes, in a frantic endeavor to attract my attention, and has by this time worked himself into a fine irascible temper, because I will not even glance at him, I must bid you good-night, with the advice, watch for that twinkle, and be sure you discover it!" ”

“ Even as he spoke the big round stone was flying down the side of the gulch, bumping against the hillocks and bits of rock—sometimes leaping into the air and then clinging close to the ground, but going faster and faster every minute.
"Dear me," said Twinkle, looking after it; "I'm afraid the Rolling Stone will get hurt."
"No danger of that," replied the Bear. "It's as hard as a rock, and not a thing in the gulch could hurt it a bit. ”

“ So he was very sorrowful when he returned to us, and from that time we have feared the heartless men more than ever."
"It's a sad story," sighed Twinkle, "and I've no doubt it is a true one. But all men are not so bad, I'm sure."
"All men who enter the forest are," answered the oriole, positively. "For they only come here to murder and destroy those who are helpless before their power, but have never harmed them in the least. If God loves the birds, as I am sure He does, why do you suppose He made their ferocious enemies, the men?" ”

“ Brave little Trot said,
“Don’t be alarmed Sir, we’re only kittens,
Who once on a time lost all our mittens.”
Twinkle Toes said never a word, but his little bell went, “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” every step he took.
The Little Old Man of the Fire said, “I came upon you so suddenly, you almost scared me out of a year’s growth.
“I see Twinkle Toes, and Three Little Kittens, big as life and half as natural. Ho, ho, so you do not think it is time for spring? Look above you, see the roots growing.”
[59]
Dot said, “Please show us the way out.”
Tot said, “We are afraid of the dark, lead the way out.” ”

“ The antics of the grasshoppers made Twinkle laugh more than once, for the way they danced was to hop around in a circle, and jump over each other, and then a lady grasshopper and a gentleman grasshopper would take hold of hands and stand on their long rear legs and swing partners until it made the girl dizzy just to watch them. ”

“ Then she took something else off a clothes-horse—
"That isn't my pinny?" said Lucie.
"Oh no, if you please'm; that's a damask table-cloth belonging to Jenny Wren; look how it's stained with currant wine! It's very bad to wash!" said Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.
Mrs. Tiggy-winkle's nose went sniffle, sniffle, snuffle, and her eyes went twinkle, twinkle; and she fetched another hot iron from the fire.
"There's one of my pocket-handkins!" cried Lucie—"and there's my pinny!"
Mrs. Tiggy-winkle ironed it, and goffered it, and shook out the frills.
"Oh that is lovely!" said Lucie. ”

“ There are so many disturbing elements among the forest birds that I always worry when they are left alone for many hours at a time."
"I'm sure they have behaved themselves," returned Twinkle. "They fear your power so much that the evil-minded birds do not dare to offend you by being naughty." ”

“ It's even more respectable to be made of brown sugar, than to be hollow; don't you think so?"
"I'm a stranger here," said Twinkle; "so I can't judge. But if I were you, I wouldn't worry unless I got broke; and you may be wrong, after all, and as sound as a brick!"
Chapter VI The Royal Chariot
JUST then the king came back to the room and said:
"The chariot is at the door; and, as there are three seats, I'll take Lord Cloy and Princess Sakareen with us." ”

“ So Lammy flew about, sifting flour, skimming milk, or rattling cups and saucers, and it was not quite dark, supper over, and every dish washed, when he went back to the porch steps and whispered the precious hope to Twinkle, who raised one ear and his lip together as much as if he understood and cautioned silence. Then the boy began day-dreaming anew, but this time his mind, instead of following flying wheels, was busy weeding strawberry plants and carefully picking raspberries, so as not to crush them, while Bird stood by and watched. ”

“ But you are a human, and I am a woodchuck; so I think I will take you to old Stoneyheart and let him decide your fate."
"Hooray!" yelled the young woodchucks, and away they ran through the paths of the garden, followed slowly by their fat mother, who held the lace parasol over her head as if she feared she would be sunstruck.
Twinkle was glad to see them go. She didn't care much for the woodchuck children, they were so wild and ill-mannered, and their mother was even more disagreeable than they were. As for Mister Woodchuck, she did not object to him so much ”

“ When I succeeded in getting lower down, and could see the white foam of the waves, I suddenly saw a light below me, and a little in front, twinkling like a great hawk’s eye, and—”
“The lighthouse!” cried Flip, with a pang, for he felt sure that the worst part of the story was coming.
“No, not the lighthouse,” said Twinkle. “Don’t interrupt. You’re a most unpleasant bird to tell a story to, stopping one just in the most exciting part: it quite spoils the pleasure of story-telling.” ”

“ Mother Gray screamed and ran to kiss her son. Father Gray, Winkle, Twinkle and Uncle Whiskers stood by and waited for their turn.
“Now, children, let Pinkie Whiskers eat his supper before you ask him any questions. The poor little fellow must be very, very hungry after his long journey.”
Pinkie Whiskers ate and ate, then he told them all about the good Water-Fairy, who was a friend of the Tree-Fairy and [127] how she had asked the Water-Fairy to help him.
Winkle, Twinkle and Billy Jay were so amazed by Pinkie Whiskers’ story that they stood and stared at him with big eyes. ”

“ When you find how dreadfully it hurts you'll bear the traps in mind forever afterward. People don't remember dreams unless the dreams are unusually horrible. But I guess you'll remember this one."
He got up and opened a mud cupboard, from which he took a big steel trap. Twinkle could see that it was just like the trap papa had set to catch the woodchucks, only it seemed much bigger and stronger. ”

“ Peggie had said, and the girls believed it.
Peggie came after her on her pony, Twinkle, but Polly beat her, and they both reined up short and waited for the rest. Sue had dismounted, picked up Polly’s cap, and was bringing it.
“Twinkle isn’t quite as fast a runner as Jinks,” Peggie said loyally, “but he has a very understanding way with him. I like a horse that understands, don’t you? I don’t like the white patch over Jinks’ eye, because it always looks as if he had an eyeglass on, like Mr. Cameron, the owner of the Red Star outfit.” ”

“ Puff-Pudgy jumped up first, and then they helped Twinkle and Chubbins to scramble out. The strong sunlight made them blink their eyes for a time, but when they were able to look around they found one or more heads of prairie-dogs sticking from every mound. ”

“ But you should know that we are not named 'bumblebees' by rights, but 'Humble Bees.' The latter is our proper name."
"But why 'humble?'" asked Twinkle.
"Because we are common, work-a-day people, I suppose, and not very aristocratic," was the reply. "I've never heard why they changed our name to 'bumble,' but since you recited that verse I imagine it is on account of the noise our wings make."
They had now passed over the flower beds and approached a remarkable village, where the houses were all formed of golden-yellow honey-combs. ”