ce
everybody perceived that this was the thing to do; in a moment a hundred
fairy sawyers were among the branches, architects were running round
Maimie, measuring her; a bricklayer's yard sprang up at her feet,
seventy-five masons rushed up with the foundation stone and the Queen
laid it, overseers were appointed to keep the boys off, scaffoldings
were run up, the whole place rang with hammers and chisels and turning
lathes, and by this time the roof was on and the glaziers were putting
in the windows.

The house was exactly the size of Maimie and perfectly lovely. One of
her arms was extended and this had bothered them for a second, but they
built a verandah round it, leading to the front door. The windows were
the size of a coloured picture-book and the door rather smaller, but it
would be easy for her to get out by taking off the roof. The fairies, as
is their custom, clapped their hands with delight over their cleverness,
and they were all so madly in love with the little house that they could
not bear to think they had finished it. So they gave it ever so many
little extra touches, and even then they added more extra touches.

For instance, two of them ran up a ladder and put on a chimney.

"Now we fear it is quite finished," they sighed. But no, for another two
ran up the ladder, and tied some smoke to the chimney.

"That certainly finishes it," they cried reluctantly.

"Not at all," cried a glow-worm, "if she were to wake without seeing a
night-light she might be frightened, so I shall be her night-light."

"Wait one moment," said a china merchant, "and I shall make you a
saucer."

Now alas, it was absolutely finished.

Oh, dear no!

"Gracious me," cried a brass manufacturer, "there's no handle on the
door," and he put one on.

An ironmonger added a scraper and an old lady ran up with a door-mat.
Carpenters arrived with a water-butt, and the painters insisted on
painting it.

Finished at last!

"Finished! how can it be finished," the plumber demanded scornfully,
"before hot and cold are put in?" and he put in hot and cold. Then an
army of gardeners arrived with fairy carts and spades and seeds and
bulbs and forcing-houses, and soon they had a flower garden to the
right of the verandah and a vegetable garden to the left, and roses and
clematis on the walls of the house, and in less time than five minutes
all these dear things were in full bloom.

Oh, how beautiful the little house was now! But it