vening.

[Illustration: THE BABIES IN THE SWEET MARJORAM BEDS.]

There were always patches of sweet marjoram planted on purpose for the
very little babies to play in on the great day. They must be poor,
indeed, these people said, if they could not raise sweet marjoram for
their own needs and for exportation, and yet have enough left for the
babies to play in.

So, all this day the little youngsters rolled, and tumbled, and kicked
and crowed in the soft green and white beds of the fragrant herb, and
pulled it up by the roots, and laughed and chuckled, and went to sleep
in it, and were the happiest babies in the world.

They needed no care, except at dinner-time, so the rest of the people
gave all their time to gathering in the crop and having fun. There was
always lots of fun on this great harvest day, for everybody worked so
hard that the whole crop was generally in the sweet marjoram barns
before breakfast, so that they had nearly the whole day for games and
jollity.

In this country, where little Corette lived, there were fairies. Not
very many of them, it is true, for the people had never seen but two.
These were sisters, and there were never fairies more generally liked
than these two little creatures, neither of them over four inches high.
They were very fond of the company of human beings, and were just as
full of fun as anybody. They often used to come to spend an hour or
two, and sometimes a whole day, with the good folks, and they seemed
always glad to see and to talk to everybody.

These sisters lived near the top of a mountain in a fairy cottage. This
cottage had never been seen by any of the people, but the sisters had
often told them all about it. It must have been a charming place.

The house was not much bigger than a bandbox, and it had two stories
and a garret, with a little portico running all around it. Inside was
the dearest little furniture of all kinds,--beds, tables, chairs, and
everything that could possibly be needed.

Everything about the house and grounds was on the same small scale.
There was a little stable and a little barn, with a little old man to
work the little garden and attend to the two little cows. Around the
house were garden-beds ever so small, and little graveled paths; and a
kitchen-garden, where the peas climbed up little sticks no bigger than
pins, and where the little chickens, about the size of flies, sometimes
got in and scratched up the little vegetables. There wa