the trees, changing into every hue of autumn. On the ground, springing
up everywhere, were the dark leaves and bright red berries of the
cranberry and bilberry; while down by the brook the greenest of all
mosses covered the stones, and converted any old log that came in their
way into the softest of seats. Then, what a wild and roaring little
brook that Stony Brook was! You could follow it all the way through the
woods by only stepping from stone to stone, and every little while you
might see a great hole scooped out in the rock, where the water lay dark
and silent, or a little precipice over which it dashed and foamed. This
was a favourite wood with the children. In summer they often spent whole
days there, gathering wild flowers or the beautiful fern leaves, which
grew in every nook and corner. And now that the bright autumn leaves
were scattered everywhere, and the tempting berries covered the ground,
they found employment for many a spare hour. To-day the little girls
had gathered leaves and berries till they were tired, when Ellen Bates
said,--

"Let us choose a queen, and crown her."

"What will you crown her with?" said Mary Green.

"Oh, these bright leaves will do," said Nannie; "we can put them
together by the stems."

Now when it was first proposed to choose a queen, Belle thought, "They
always choose the prettiest one for a queen--I know they will choose
me;" so she said with great eagerness, "Oh yes, let us have a queen!"

"Let us have Belle for our queen!" cried one of the girls.

"Oh no, we want Nannie!" said two or three at once.

"A crown of red leaves will look pretty with Nannie's red hair," said
one of the girls, laughing.

"I don't care," said another. "We all love her best, and I don't intend
to crown anybody I don't like, if they _are_ pretty."

Belle stood looking on with pretended indifference, for she did not want
the girls should know how much she cared about it.

"All that vote for Belle hold up a bunch of berries; and all that vote
for Nannie hold up an oak leaf."

The girls laughed, and held up their hands. There were six oak leaves,
and only two bunches of berries.

"I'd rather Belle would be queen," said Nannie, though it cost a little
effort to say it; for she was as much pleased with the honour as any one.

"But we had rather not," the girls said. "You cannot help yourself; so
sit down while we make your crown."

Belle was too proud to show her disappointment, so she sat