Wouldn't it be lovely if a blue fairy, or a green one or a purple one, or
even a skilligimink colored one would appear now? I would ask her to make
grandfather better. But I don't s'pose one will come, for I never have any
luck seeing fairies," and she sighed three times as she opened the
cornmeal box.

Then, all of a sudden, as she lifted the cover, as true as I'm telling
you, if she didn't see something all glittering and shining down in one
corner of the box. At first she thought it was the yellow meal, but then
she saw that it was a little creature, all gold, with shimmering wings,
like those of a humming bird.

"Oh!" cried Lulu, "are you a fairy?"

"Yes," replied the little creature, "I am the golden cornmeal fairy. I
have been shut up here for ever and ever so long, and I thought I would
never get out. But, since you have let me out, I will do anything in the
world for you," and she waved her golden wings, and sang a jolly, golden
song about diamonds.

"Will you?" cried Lulu. "Then please make my grandfather better, for he is
very sick and has to take thirteen kinds of medicine."

"I will make him well," said the fairy, as she flew out of the box, "and
it is very kind of you to ask that, instead of something for yourself.
Now, you make a nice hot poultice of this meal, which is magical, and put
it on the back of his neck.

"Then you say this fairy word: Bibbilybab-bilyboobily-bag,' and see what
happens. But don't tell your grandfather I am a fairy; in fact, say
nothing to any one about it, for we fairies are going away for a time, but
we may come back later." Then the golden fairy waved her wings and
disappeared.

But Lulu did just as she had been told, even to saying that magical word,
and, my gracious! if Grandfather Goosey-Gander didn't get all well in a
second, and he thanked Lulu very much. She felt sorry about the fairy
disappearing so suddenly, but you can't always have fairies, you know.
Now, if you girls don't lose your pink hair ribbon I'll tell you to-morrow
night about Jimmie and the black cow.

STORY XXVI

JIMMIE AND THE BLACK COW

Lulu Wibblewobble felt quite proud of having seen the golden fairy in the
corn meal box. In fact she was the only one of her family who saw a fairy
for ever and ever so long after that, because the fairies happened to go
away from that part of the country.

Of course, Lulu wondered how the tiny creature got into the meal box, and
she wondered if she mi