sh nubbins. A huge white Mecha-meck was the
chief dish, with bog nuts on the side. There were lovely long crinkle
salads. And last, there were gumdrops from the sweet birch, while at
each place was a pussy willow to dust the food over with golden pollen
that gave it a pleasant peppery tang. All the guests were there, and the
feast was nearly over, when a terrible thing took place!

Of all the dreaded happenings in the world of beauty there is nothing
else so feared as the forest fire. There is not much danger of it in
springtime, but it is possible at any season, after a long dry spell.
Words cannot tell of the horror it spreads, as it comes raging through
the woods destroying all beautiful living things.

And right in the middle of the feast, the dreadful news was carried by a
flying Night-bird.

"Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire!" he screamed, and almost at once the smoke came
drifting through the banquet hall, so they knew it was true.

There was mad haste to escape, and only two ways were open. One was to
get across some big stream, and the other was to hide in a cave
underground. The birds took the first way, and the Brownies the second.
Every Woodchuck den was just packed with Brownies within a few minutes.
But the busy Brownie who was chief steward and had charge of the feast,
had no idea of leaving all the good things to burn up, if he could help
it. First he sent six of his helpers to make a deep pit for the big
Mecha-meck, and while they did that he began hiding all the dishes in
the ground. Last he dug some deep holes and quickly buried all the
crinkle salads; then he ran for his life into a cave.

The raging fire came along. It is too horrible to tell about, for it was
sent by the Evil One. The lovely woods were left black without a living
thing. But the very next day, Mother Carey and Mother Earth and El Sol,
set about saving the wreck, and in a marvellously short time actually
had made it green again. The mayflowers came up a second time that year,
the violets came back, and in each place where the Brownies had hid a
salad there came up a curious plant that never had been seen before. It
had three saw-edged leaves and a long wand, much like the one carried by
the Chief Steward. I never was able to find out his name for sure, but I
think it was Trileaf or Three-leaves. Anyway, if you dig under his sign
and sceptre wand, you will surely find the salad, and very good indeed
it is to eat; it was not hurt in the leas