ct that the modern child has been deprived of fairy
tales to such an extent that it does not know--as I did when a girl--
that in a fairy story it does not matter whether one is awake or not.
You must accept it as you would a fragrant breeze that cools your brow,
a draught of sweet water, or the delicious flavor of a strawberry, and
be grateful for the pleasure it brings you, without stopping to
question too closely its source.

For my part I am glad if my stories serve to while away a pleasant hour
before bedtime or keep one contented on a rainy day. In this way they
are sure to be useful, and if a little tenderness for the helpless
animals and birds is acquired with the amusement, the value of the
tales will be doubled.

LAURA BANCROFT.

LIST OF CHAPTERS

I LITTLE ONES IN TROUBLE
II POLICEMAN BLUEJAY
III THE CHILD-LARKS
IV AN AFTERNOON RECEPTION
V THE ORIOLE'S STORY
VI A MERRY ADVENTURE
VII THE BLUEJAY'S STORY
VIII MRS. HOOTAWAY
IX THE DESTROYERS
X IN THE EAGLE'S NEST
XI THE ORPHANS
XII THE GUARDIAN
XIII THE KING BIRD
XIV A REAL FAIRYLAND
XV THE LAKE OF DRY WATER
XVI THE BEAUTY DANCE
XVII THE QUEEN BEE
XVIII GOOD NEWS
XIX THE REBELS
XX THE BATTLE
XXI THE TINGLE-BERRIES
XXII THE TRANSFORMATION

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"GO, BOTH OF YOU, AND JOIN THE BIRD THAT WARNED YOU"
THE MAN STOLE THE EGGS FROM THE NEST
THE TRIAL OF THE SHRIKE
"PEEP! PEEP! PEEP!" CRIED THE BABY GOLDFINCHES
SAILING ON THE DRY WATER
IN THE HONEY PALACE
THE BATTLE
"IT'S ALMOST DARK. LET'S GO HOME"

[CHAPTER I] _Little Ones in Trouble_

"SEEMS to me, Chub," said Twinkle, "that we're lost."

"Seems to me, Twink," said Chubbins, "that it isn't _we_ that's lost.
It's the path."

"It was here a minute ago," declared Twinkle.

"But it isn't here now," replied the boy.

"That's true," said the girl.

It really _was_ queer. They had followed the straight path into the
great forest, and had only stopped for a moment to sit down and rest,
with the basket between them and their backs to a big tree. Twinkle
winked just twice, because she usually took a nap in the afternoon, and
Chubbins merely closed his eyes a second to find out if he could see
that long streak of sunshine through his pink eyelids. Yet during this
second, which happened while Twinkle was winking, the path had run away
and left them without any guide or any notion which way they ought to
go.

Another st