but
as he set out the soldiers two by two, he was really thinking of the
Counterpane Fairy and her wonderful stories.

The evening before he had fallen asleep while his mother was reading
something to his father (for they both sat in Teddy's room in the
evenings now that he was ill), and when he woke they were talking
together about him. They did not see that his eyes were open, so they
went on with what they were saying. It was his mother who was speaking.
"He's such an odd child," she was saying; "just now he is full of this
idea of the Counterpane Fairy and her stories, and he talks of her just
as though she were real. I don't know where he got the idea. It isn't in
any of his book and I thought you must have been telling him about it."

"No," said papa, "I didn't tell him."

"Perhaps it was Harriett," said mamma, and then she saw that he was
awake and began to speak of something else.

Teddy wished his mother could see the Counterpane Fairy herself, and
then she would know that it was a real fairy and not a make-believe.
When he saw the Counterpane Fairy again he was going to ask her if he
mightn't take his mother into one of the stories with him.

He was thinking of her so hard that it did not surprise him at all to
hear her little thin voice just back of the counterpane hill. "Oh dear,
dear! and the worst of it is that I hardly get to the top before I have
to come down again."

"Is that you, Counterpane Fairy?" called Teddy.

"Yes it is," said the fairy. "I'll be there in a minute;" and soon she
appeared above the top of the hill, and seated herself on it to rest,
and catch her breath. "Dear, dear!" she said, "but it's a steep hill."

"Mrs. Fairy," said Teddy, "I want to ask you something. You know my
mother?"

"Yes," said the Counterpane Fairy, "I know who she is."

"Well," said Teddy, "she's just gone over into the sewing-room, and I
want to know whether you won't let me take her into a square sometime."

"My mercy, no!" said the fairy. "Have you forgotten what I told you the
first time I came?"

"What was that?"

"I told you I went to see little boys and girls. I don't go to see grown
people. They wouldn't believe in me."

"My mother would," said Teddy. "She plays with me and she likes my books
and I tell her all about you."

"No, no!" cried the Counterpane Fairy, "I couldn't think of it. I'm
very glad to take you into my stories, but if you don't care to go by
yourself--" and she picked up h