skipping and singing to bed, her dear little face all smiles
and dimples.

After this, one of these little stories was told every evening;
then, if there was time, after Minnie pattered off to bed, her
mother would tell another to the older children; but all the
little nightcaps I have put in this book, by themselves, on
purpose for you, you sweet little thing! If you cannot read,
and I am almost sure you are too young, you must ask your
mamma, or some one that loves you, _very politely_, (_don't
forget that_,) to read them to you; because these nightcaps
are for the inside of your cunning little head.

And now, just here, on the paper is a kiss from your loving

AUNT FANNY.

[Illustration: Little Johnny cutting capers.]

THE STORY TOLD TO MINNIE.

I know a little boy, named Johnny. He is a fat, rosy little
fellow, as round as a dumpling. He has two large black eyes,
two small pink ears, two sweet red lips, and only one little
white nose.

"Oh, what a pity!" said Minnie.

How the children did laugh, when they heard little Minnie
sigh, and say this; but their mamma kindly continued. Put
your hand up to your face, Minnie, or look in the glass, and
you will find that Johnny had just as many noses as you.

"I'm so glad," said Minnie, with a merry little laugh: "tell
more mamma."

I suppose you use your two bright eyes, to look at every thing
with. So did Johnny.

When he was quite a little baby, his eyes sometimes got him
into trouble; if he saw a pin, or a button, or little bit of
thread on the carpet, he would creep up to it as well as he
could, pick it up with a good deal of trouble, because his
fingers were so fat, and he did not know very well how to use
them; and pop! it would go right into his mouth.

You see, he had been here in this world such a very little
while, that he thought every thing in the world was made to
eat. Sometimes he would try to eat his own toes; and once he
got the end of his nurse's nose in his mouth, and gave it a
good nip with his two little white teeth; and was very angry,
and cried very loud, because she pulled it away. He was only
a baby you know. Such a dear little fellow.

Johnny liked, of all things, to be put in his little bath-tub,
half full of water. The moment he saw the bath-tub, he would
begin to jump and crow and laugh, and when he was undressed,
and lifted up to be put in, his little feet would kick in the
air,