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Entered according to Act of Congress, in June, 1867, by J. W. Burke & Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the So. District of Georgia.
Vol. I.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
THE FAIRY RIDE.
CHAPTER I.
tITTLE HALLIE
lived at the foot of
a high mountain.
Near by was a wa
terfall, and there,
iny day, might be
icautifiil rainbow.
8 there that Hallie
) go with his little
sister Rosette, and play all day
long. Sometimes they would seat
themselves on some soft leaves
that grew on the mountain side,
and look at the rainbow and listen
to the water falling, falling, until
they fell asleep, and their sister
Lillian would have to come and
fetch them home.
Lillian was older than Hallie
and Rosette, and she took care of
them, for their mother was busy
all day long. She dressed them
and heard them their prayers, and
told them fairy tales, and they
loved her dearly.
One day these little children
went off, as usual, to their favorite
spot to play. When they were
tired of playing they sat down to
eat some bread that Lillian had
given them for their lunch, and amused
themselves watching some liitle white
clouds that were floating slowly by.
‘‘Oh,” said Hallie, “how I should like
to take a ride on one of those pretty
clouds!”
Just as he said so, the children heard a
rustling among the leaves at their feet,
and looking down they saw a little speck
led snake looking at them wistfully. Ro
sette was afraid of the snake, and wanted
to run away, but Hallie said :
“Oh, pretty little snake I do you want
a piece of my bread? Well, you shall
MACON, GrA., ATJGrXJST 17, 1867.
have half of it,” and breaking his bread
in half, ho gave one piece to the snake,
who eat it eagerly.
I suppose every one knows that fairies,
after they have lived an hundred years,
become snakes for eight days, and if du
ring that time they arc not killed, at the
expiration of it they resume their origi
nal shape, and are as beautiful and pow
erful as ever. Now this snake was a
fairy, and she only lacked a few minutes
of completing the eight days of her snake
ship. By the time she had finished eat
ing the bread those minutes had passed,
and she resumed her own proper
so rm. How surprised the children
were to see a beautiful fairy stand
ing before them!
She said to Hallie, with her soft,
musical voice :
“ My little boy, because you were
so kind to a poor snake I will grant
whatever wish you are pleased to
make; so tell me what you would
like best in the world?”
“ Why,” said Hallie, “ I should
like, better than anything in the
world, to take a ride on one of
those white clouds up yonder.”
“Nothing is more easy,” said
the fairy; “ come with me to the
top of the mountain, and m3" little
son, Bino, shall harness the largest
butterfly to be found, to a cloud,
and drive 3 t ou wherever ) r ou wish
to go.”
“ But I will not go without Ro
sette,” said Hallie.
“Well, Rosette shall go too.”
“ And I will not go without Lil
lian too.”
“Who is Lillian?” asked the
fairy.
“She is my good sister, who
hears me my prayers and tells me
fairy tales.”
“ Well, run and fetch Lillian,
but make haste back, so that vou can
have a nice ride before the sun sets."
The children made haste, and having
brought Lilian, they hurried to the top of
the mountain. It did not take them a
minute to get there, because, you know,
the fairy helped them. B hen they leach
ed the top, the fairy’s son, Bino, soon
caught the largest and most beautiful
butterfly that ever was seen, harnessed it
to a little cloud that was passing by, and
the children, seating themselves comfort
ably in it, commenced their ride.
[CONCLUSION NEXT WEEK.]
No. 7'