shaking himself, he trotted across the nursery to Raggedy
Ann's bed.

Fido put his cold nose in Raggedy Ann's neck. She raised her head from
the little pillow.

"Oh! It's you, Fido!" said Raggedy Ann. "I dreamed the tin soldier put
an icicle down my neck!"

"I can't sleep," Fido told Raggedy Ann. "I feel that something is about
to happen!"

"You have been eating too many bones lately, Fido, and they keep you
awake," Raggedy replied.

"No, it isn't that. I haven't had any bones since the folks had beef
last Sunday. It isn't that. Listen, Raggedy!"

Raggedy Ann listened.

There was a murmur as if someone were singing, far away.

"What is it?" asked Fido.

"Sh!" cautioned Raggedy Ann, "It's music."

It was indeed music, the most beautiful music Raggedy Ann had ever
heard.

It grew louder, but still seemed to be _far_ away.

Raggedy Ann and Fido could hear it distinctly and it sounded as if
hundreds of voices were singing in unison.

"Please don't howl, Fido," Raggedy Ann said as she put her two rag arms
around the dog's nose. Fido usually "sang" when he heard music.

But Fido did not sing this time; he was filled with wonder. It seemed as
if something very nice was going to happen.

Raggedy Ann sat upright in bed. The room was flooded with a strange,
beautiful light and the music came floating in through the nursery
window.

Raggedy Ann hopped from her bed and ran across the floor, trailing the
bed clothes behind her. Fido followed close behind and together they
looked out the window across the flower garden.

There among the flowers were hundreds of tiny beings, some playing on
tiny reed instruments and flower horns, while others sang. This was the
strange, wonderful music Raggedy and Fido had heard.

"It's the Fairies!" said Raggedy Ann. "To your basket quick, Fido! They
are coming this way!" And Raggedy Ann ran back to her bed, with the bed
clothes trailing behind her.

Fido gave three jumps and he was in his basket, pretending he was sound
asleep, but one little black eye was peeping through a chink in the
side.

Raggedy jumped into her bed and pulled the covers to her chin, but lay
so that her shoe-button eyes could see towards the window.

[Illustration]

Little Fairy forms radiant as silver came flitting into the nursery,
singing in far away voices. They carried a little bundle. A beautiful
light came from this bundle, and to Raggedy Ann and Fido it seemed like
sunshine and moonshine