ortal
children, learned the Fairy alphabet. Thus the Elves made loving
friends by care and love, and no evil thing could harm them, for
those they helped to cherish and protect ever watched to shield and
save them.

Eva nodded to the gay little ones, as they peeped from among the
leaves at the stranger, and then she listened to the Fairy lessons.
Several tiny Elves stood on a broad leaf while the teacher sat
among the petals of a flower that bent beside them, and asked
questions that none but Fairies would care to know.

"Twinkle, if there lay nine seeds within a flower-cup and the wind
bore five away, how many would the blossom have?" "Four," replied the
little one.

"Rosebud, if a Cowslip opens three leaves in one day and four the
next, how many rosy leaves will there be when the whole flower
has bloomed?"

"Seven," sang the gay little Elf.

"Harebell, if a silkworm spin one yard of Fairy cloth in an hour,
how many will it spin in a day?"

"Twelve," said the Fairy child.

"Primrose, where lies Violet Island?"

"In the Lake of Ripples."

"Lilla, you may bound Rose Land."

"On the north by Ferndale, south by Sunny Wave River, east by the hill
of Morning Clouds, and west by the Evening Star."

"Now, little ones," said the teacher, "you may go to your painting,
that our visitor may see how we repair the flowers that earthly hands
have injured."

Then Eva saw how, on large, white leaves, the Fairies learned to
imitate the lovely colors, and with tiny brushes to brighten the blush
on the anemone's cheek, to deepen the blue of the violet's eye, and
add new light to the golden cowslip.

"You have stayed long enough," said the Elves at length, "we have
many things to show you. Come now and see what is our dearest work."

So Eva said farewell to the child Elves, and hastened with little
Rose-Leaf to the gates. Here she saw many bands of Fairies, folded in
dark mantles that mortals might not know them, who, with the child
among them, flew away over hill and valley. Some went to the cottages
amid the hills, some to the sea-side to watch above the humble fisher
folks; but little Rose-Leaf and many others went into the noisy city.

Eva wondered within herself what good the tiny Elves could do in this
great place; but she soon learned, for the Fairy band went among the
poor and friendless, bringing pleasant dreams to the sick and old,
sweet, tender thoughts of love and gentleness to the young, strength
to