beyed the fairy bell, and often tried to win some
fragrance from the flower by kind and pleasant words and actions; then,
as the Fairy said, she found a sweet reward in the strange, soft perfume
of the magic blossom as it shone upon her breast; but selfish thoughts
would come to tempt her, she would yield, and unkind words fell from her
lips; and then the flower drooped pale and scentless, the fairy bell
rang mournfully, Annie would forget her better resolutions, and be again
a selfish, willful little child.

At last she tried no longer, but grew angry with the faithful flower,
and would have torn it from her breast; but the fairy spell still held
it fast, and all her angry words but made it ring a louder, sadder peal.
Then she paid no heed to the silvery music sounding in her ear, and each
day grew still more unhappy, discontented, and unkind; so, when the
Autumn days came round, she was no better for the gentle Fairy's gift,
and longed for Spring, that it might be returned; for now the constant
echo of the mournful music made her very sad.

One sunny morning, when the fresh, cool winds were blowing, and not a
cloud was in the sky, little Annie walked among her flowers, looking
carefully into each, hoping thus to find the Fairy, who alone could take
the magic blossom from her breast. But she lifted up their drooping
leaves, peeped into their dewy cups in vain; no little Elf lay hidden
there, and she turned sadly from them all, saying: "I will go out into
the fields and woods, and seek her there. I will not listen to this
tiresome music more, nor wear this withered flower longer." So out into
the fields she went, where the long grass rustled as she passed, and
timid birds looked at her from their nests; where lovely wild flowers
nodded in the wind, and opened wide their fragrant leaves to welcome in
the murmuring bees, while butterflies, like winged flowers, danced and
glittered in the sun.

Little Annie looked, searched, and asked them all if any one could tell
her of the Fairy whom she sought; but the birds looked wonderingly at
her with their soft, bright eyes, and still sang on; the flowers nodded
wisely on their stems, but did not speak, while butterfly and bee buzzed
and fluttered away, one far too busy, the other too idle, to stay and
tell her what she asked.

Then she went through broad fields of yellow grain that waved around her
like a golden forest; here crickets chirped, grasshoppers leaped, and
busy ant