iii

THE APPLE DUMPLING 1

THE BROTHERS 8

ANNIE BROWNE 22

THE THREE BEARS 29

ABOUT MINDING QUICKLY 38

THE TWINS 47

THE LITTLE BOY THAT WAS AFRAID OF THE WATER 56

THE MAY QUEEN 62

THE TOOTHACHE 73

THE BOYS' SCHOOL 79

THE CHRISTMAS PARTY 101

THE APPLE DUMPLING.

Many years ago, there was a little old woman who lived a long way off in
the woods. She lived all by herself, in a little cottage with only two
rooms in it, and she made her living by knitting blue woollen stockings,
and selling them.

One morning the old woman brushed up the hearth all clean, and put
everything in order; then she went to the pantry and took out a great
black pot, and filled it full of water, and hung it over the fire, and
then she sat down in her arm-chair by the fire. She took her spectacles
out of her pocket and put them on her nose, and began to knit a great
blue woollen stocking.

Very soon she said to herself, "I wonder what I shall have for dinner?
I think I will make an apple dumpling." So she put her knitting down,
and took her spectacles off her nose, and put them in her pocket, and,
getting out of her arm-chair, she went to the cupboard and got three
nice rosy-cheeked apples. Then she went to the knife-box and got a
knife; and then she took a yellow dish from the dresser, and sat down in
her arm-chair, and began to pare the apples.

After she had pared the apples, she cut each one into four quarters.
Then she got up again, and set the dish of apples on the table, and went
to the cupboard, and got some flour and a lump of butter. Then she took
a pitcher, and went out-of-doors to a little spring of water close by,
and filled the pitcher with clear, cold water. So she mixed up the flour
and butter, and made them into a nice paste with the water; and then she
went behind the door, and took down a rolling-pin that was hung up by a
string, and rolled out the paste, and put the apples inside, and covered
the apples all up with the paste. "That looks nice," said the old woman.
So she tied up the dumpling in a nice clean cloth, and put it into the
great black pot that was