Princeton University Library
32101 063604308
The Fairx Who Believed
in Human Beings
Written andlitustrated by
Gertrude Alice Kay


514
Library of

Princeton University.
Presented by
Moffat, Yard & bo


















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Gandy and the Very Little Fairies,
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COPYRIGHT, 1918
MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY


To
A Real Fairy in Disguise
MEW





Contents
CHAPTER
PAGE
I. Where Gundy Was Found .... 9
II. Gundy's Home . . . . . . . 26
III. Gundy and His Grandmother. ...
IV. The Fine-feeling Fairies . ...
V. The Human Being House ...
VI. Gundy Uses His Pipe .....
VII. The Trash-men .......
VIII. The End of the Cabbage House . . 110
IX. Flower-garden Tildy .....
X. Gundy Finds His Parents .....
XI. Uncle Comes to the Rescue ...
XII. The Christmas Fairy-baby. ... 157
Meori
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Introduction
TAT HEN I was a child I wondered
e n and wondered about a great
many things, but most particu-
larly about fairies. In the stories
that were told and read to me
fairies did strange and wonderful things but-
the stories were always too short, and stopped
too soon, without telling whether the fairies
had fathers and mothers and grandmothers
and what they ate and where they lived.
But now I am no longer a child, and since
that pleasant time I have learned a few simple
things, among them more about fairies. So,
in this book, I will try to relieve the wonder-
ing minds of the children who would like to
know more about them.


Introduction
But, before I begin, you must promise not
to ask too many questions. Especially you
must not ask, “Is it true?” For, you see, I
am a timid person, easily embarrassed, and
questions frighten me, particularly the one-
“Is it true?” I will forget what I started
out to say if you embarrass me, and the result
will be that very suddenly the printing in this
book will stop altogether, and the pictures
too, and there will be pages and pages with-
out anything on them—not even a comma.
If I tell you what I have learned about one
Gundy, a certain little he-fairy, I think it will
give you an idea of all fairies.
The very first and most important thing
about fairies is Moonlight. They are born
in the Moonlight, work and play in the Moon-
light-and hide in daytime. I cannot exactly
say that fairies are born either, but rather that
they just happen in the Moonlight. That is,
they are found by a certain mother-fairy and
father-fairy when the moon is bright enough
to see. Maybe it will be in a flower, or jump-


Introduction
ing out of the spray of a fountain, or under
a cucumber vine—almost anywhere; you
never can tell. But it must be true that the
Moon causes fairies, draws them out of their
hiding places, just as the sun draws the buds
and little shoots of plants out of their hiding
places. Surely it is the Moon, for almost no
one ever, ever sees a trace of a fairy in day-
light-no one excepting one old lady and a
couple of children who thought they saw one.
Now, a baby fairy when he first happens is
very like a common, every day baby, only, of
course, he's a thousand times smaller—and
has wings. That is what makes him a fairy-
being so small and having wings! He can
talk from the very first, and about his first
remark will be that he does not believe in
Human Beings. And not until he has gone
to school will he admit that there are Human
Beings, no matter what his father and mother
say.
Fairies grow up very fast. But being
born with teeth and knowing how to talk


Introduction
gives them a good start of course. They go
on living their little lives till something hap-
pens to their wings—then it is all over, and
they vanish as if they had never happened at
all.
There are just as many kinds of fairies as
there are kinds of folks, so, if I were to start
and keep on and on telling about this one and
that one, this book would be a very thick book
and look very important on the book shelf;
it to keep its balance. But I do not intend to
go on and on telling about this one and that
one; I am going to tell about Gundy only,
and what happened to him.
..
Doc
****


Chapter 1
Where Gundy War Found

On the night that Gundy was found by his
Mother and Father many things happened be-
cause the Moon was so wonderfully bright.
In the first place the birds did not believe
that it was the Moon at all. They thought it
was the Sun because it was so bright, so they
started their best early bird songs. And on
that bright night ugly people looked almost
beautiful in the moonlight and common-place
things appeared fine and mysterious and the
whole world seemed a different place. Hu-
man Beings walked about and talked in a
friendly way, forgetting the petty things that


10 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
they quarreled about in broad daylight or
under electric lights. Poets and musicians
and artists grew happy and had sudden new
ideas and were sure that the ideas would
bring them fame sooner or later.
Now, Gundy's Father and Mother—I have
never been able to learn their real names, or
just why they called him Gundy the minute
they laid eyes on him—on this particular
night were out with all the other fairies, as
well as the Human Beings, to enjoy the won-
derful white Moonlight.
Very early in the evening, when they first
saw the Moon, over in the East, beyond the
High White Fence, they knew that it was
going to be a very, very big white Moon by
the time that it could cliṁb a quarter of the
way up the Sky.
Indeed, all the fairies had their eye on that
Moon. And more than one Mother-fairy
said to a Father-fairy that it would be wise to
keep a sharp lookout for fairy-babies, be-
cause a Moon like that one over there was


Where Gundy Was Found II
sure to coax the little rascals out of their hid-
ing places.
So, Gundy's Father and Mother, after talk-
ing it all over, decided to set forth and see
what they could see, and find what they could
Testing her wings
find. They put on their second-bests and
looked very neat and tidy. Fairies are al-
ways rather nervous about their wings, for,
as I have told you, when they lose them it's the
end and they vanish. On this night—but it
happened really every time they went
anywhere—Gundy's Father gave Gundy's
Mother's wings a gentle little pull to see if


12 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
they were all secure and in good trim. She
tested his in the same way and they agreed
that they were a pretty husky pair of fairies
and had no need to worry about old age for
many a long day
If they had known, for sure and certain,
that they were really to find Gundy that night
they would have put on their very bests in-
stead of their second-bests but, as I have said,
they looked very neat and tidy as they set
forth.
Neither of them was beautiful, as you nat-
urally expect fairies to be, but in the Moon-
light they looked their best and said many
pleasant things to each other as they went
along.
Now, I must tell you something about
Gundy's parents before we come to him, for
after that the story will be mostly about him
and what happened to him. On the whole
they were of a very good sort. Their disposi-
tions were good, but of the two possibly
Gundy's Father had the better, though he


Where Gundy Was Found 15
Far over on the road they could hear the mur-
mur of Human Being voices. But they kept
a safe distance. They met other fairies, some
very important and fine-feeling ones from the
Flower-Garden, who seemed bent on finding
fairy-babies too. To-night every one seemed
to be out for the same purpose. This wor-
ried Gundy's parents, for it did not seem likely
that a humble couple from a Cabbage House,
dressed in their second-bests, could stand a
chance against these other aristocratic fairies.
However, they hastened forward, hopping,
sometimes flying, not missing a flower, lifting
all the big leaves to look beneath, and scan-
ning every nook and corner where the treas-
ure might be found. But it happened that
they were always just too late. Suddenly,
near by, some voices would be heard and they
would fly toward the sound to find a couple of
fairies chuckling over a tiny, tiny fairy-baby
whom they had discovered swinging on a cob-
web or in a holly-hock or in a knot-hole of the


16 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
Big-Tree. It was strange, but try as they
would, Gundy's parents were always too-
too late.

INCODELLANSERAYA
.
N20
M
TWITTER
PovertyWay
On this particularly fine Moonlight night
they had started out feeling so hopeful, but
after repeated disappointments their courage


18 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
Whatever led Gundy's Father there none
will ever know—least of all Gundy's Mother.
And without once stopping he made straight
toward a certain battered tin-can. Before she
knew what to expect he lifted a fairy-baby out
and held him up in the Moonlight.
Did you ever wish for a certain thing ever
so hard, then suddenly get that very thing
that you had wished for? And did it hap-
pen that you couldn't find words to say how
happy you were inside? Well, that's the way
those two little fairies felt when they found
the fairy-baby in the tin-can. All they could
say was, Gundy! Gundy! Gundy!
I do not know any words small enough to
make you know how small Gundy really was.
Of course, you and I, being Human Beings,
could not have seen him, and would probably
have said that he "wasn't at all”—I suppose
that is why Human Beings never find the
fairy-babies on Moonlight nights. But some
time I intend to go out with my magnifying
glass and look about—and hope for luck.


Where Gundy Was Found 19
Of course they were happy, those fairy-
parents. But Gundy's Mother scarcely knew
what to say, for she was ambitious and had al-
ways hoped to find a fairy-baby in a flower or
in the fountain-spray, and she wondered if
she could feel just the same toward a tin-can
baby. But Gundy's Father was perfectly sat-
isfied, only he did feel like saying “I told you
so” to Gundy's Mother because she had not
wanted to come to the Dump.
They were both so excited over their find
that they were a little quarrelsome. Each par-
ent wanted to carry the fairy-baby and each
was sure that the other did not know how.
Gundy's quick-tempered Mother said she
hoped that the baby would have more wit
than his Father. And after some time, for
Gundy's Father was a bit slow, he said that
“Gundy looked exactly like his Mother, which
was a pity!” This was not a very nice thing
to say, for I must confess that if you could
have seen poor little Gundy you would have
said that he was very, very homely.


20 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
They were arguing in this way when they
met some other fairies, some of the fine-feel-
ing ones who had just found a little jewel of
a baby in a flower. They were feeling very
proud and patronizing, and stopped to see
what Gundy's parents were talking about.
They spied Gundy in his Father's arms. And,
as Gundy's Mother had feared, they asked
where he had been found. She quietly
pinched Gundy's Father, but he failed to un-
derstand and blurted out the whole truth
about the tin-can on the Dump—everything!
This, of course, caused a great laugh and
much shrugging of aristocratic shoulders.
“On the Dump!” they exclaimed. “Well,
let's have a look at him!” And poor little
Gundy was held up, turned over and over and
round and round and his little wings tweaked
and twisted.
The fine-feeling fairies said what they
thought about a fairy-baby, as ugly as this
one, found in a tin-can, on the Dump over
Poverty Way. It was oh, terribly rude, and


Where Gundy Was Found 21
you would have thought that Gundy's poor
parents were deaf, for all of these unkind
things were said before them.
Suddenly a tiny little voice said, “Please
take me back to the tin-can; I'm only a
Dump-baby. Take me back to the Trash-
men!"
“What does he mean?” asked all the
amazed fairies. “Who are the Trash-men?
Can it be those dreadful Human Beings who
drive a cart and haul trash to the Dump?”
Just here I must tell you about the Trash-
men. They were rather dreadful—but they
were so terribly poor and forlorn. There
were three of them, brothers, and they had a
little sick sister in their shanty-home over on
Poverty Way. They made a-few-pennies-a-
day hauling garbage and trash in their broken
down cart. But, oh! you should have seen
their horse.
Now, when the baby Gundy spoke of the
Trash-men, who were really Human Beings,
every one was of course surprised, and one of -


22 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
the fine-feeling fairies who had just found
the little jewel of a baby in a flower, spoke up
•
hun
V.
ME
Ini
| The three forlorn Trachmen
and said that Gundy should not be allowed to
live. Now this Altogether Mean fairy went
on to say that since Gundy had been found in


Where Gundy Was Found 23
a tin-can on the Dump, over Poverty Way,
and was so ugly, and believed in Human Be-
ings, as no natural fairy-baby should, some
one ought to pull out his wings and put an
end to him.
“Out with his wings!” cried the Altogether
Mean fairy, a horrible look in his eyes.
There was silence and it seemed as if the
others might agree to do as the Altogether
Mean fairy had said. Gundy's Mother trem-
bled like a leaf and she hugged poor little
Gundy tight to her, for now she did not care
if he had come from over Poverty Way and
if he were ugly–he was her own fairy-baby
and no one should harm him!
But the others gathered around more
closely and the Altogether Mean fairy
pushed forward as if he would snatch Gundy
from his Mother's arms.
Then a surprising thing happened; and it
happened very quickly too. An arm shot out,
again, then again, and the Altogether Mean
fairy fell sprawling in a heap and Gundy's


CHAPTER II
GUNDY'S HOME
GUNDY's happy parents hopped and flew
and raced along, sometimes one carrying him,
sometimes the other, and sometimes carrying
him together on a chair made with their
hands.
They discovered that he held a tiny pipe in
his tiny hands. But where he got it I do not
know. They concluded that he must be a
musical fairy and quite marveled at his ability,
although they had never heard him play on his
pipe.
When they reached the Cabbage House
Gundy's Father handed him to Gundy's
Mother while he went ahead to make a light.
Now he didn't have to hunt a match-oh, no
indeed; all that he did was to clap his hands,
and a dozen fire-flies opened their sparks and
25


26 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
took their places, one over the door of the
Cabbage House, the others inside, so that
when Gundy's Mother laid him down in his
little crib, which had always been ready for
him, he looked around and found himself in
The Cabbage House
a very cheerful, snug, little place. Now,
the Cabbage House wasn't a real Cabbage-
tight and hard—but it was a house made of
big cabbage leaves nicely fitted together.
Some very large ones formed the roof, the


Gundy's Home
27
crinkling edges overhanging like eaves,
which gave quite a pretty effect. There was
a door of course and little windows and a
chimney made of a pea-pod.
When Gundy's parents built the Cab-
bage House they hid it away back in the
corn-patch where it was not likely to be seen
or 'stepped on.
You see Gundy's parents were plain fairies
and lived in the Vegetable Garden. On the
other side of the High White Fence was the
Flower Garden, growing in orderly rows
round and round the fountain. It was very
beautiful. And fairies lived there too—the
fine-feeling ones.
Up some stone steps, from the Flower
Garden, stood the great Human Being house
-but I'll tell you more about that, later, and
also of the people who lived there.
Many of the Vegetable Garden fairies
moved about, living one day in the corn
husks, the next under a spreading cucumber
vine, and so on. But Gundy's Father and


Gundy's Home
29
Gundy's cradle was a small bean-pod, swung
from the ceiling with corn-silk. Fairies use
corn-silk for many, many different purposes.
There was a tiny stove in one corner, made
out of a little yellow gourd. Tables and
chairs, made from odds and ends found in
the Vegetable Garden, were shaped and
twisted and tied with corn-silk in the most
clever way. And when the place was well
lighted with fire-flies, almost any one would
have said that it was a very nice little home
to live in.
On that first night of all, Gundy, sitting up
very straight in his crib, looked around at
everything and was greatly pleased in his
small way. It was so very different from the
Dump.
Now, Gundy, who had heard only Trash-
men talk, very often used some of their
dreadful words--but of course he did not
know that they were at all dreadful.
So, as he looked around at the cozy Cab-
bage House, he clapped his little hands to-


30 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
gether and made a Trash-man remark. Oh,
it was quite rough-it never would do to
tell, and Gundy's parents were quite horri-
fied. But they understood that poor little
Gundy was not to blame, for he had never
heard anything else.
“We must send for Grandmother at
once,” said Gundy's Father.
“But no,” said Gundy's Mother, “not till
I make him some clothes.” They had a few
words about this, but Gundy's Mother had
her way.
Now, probably you do not know it but
little fairies always go to school to their
Grandmothers. I think it rather nice—and
quite sensible too, for the older a fairy grows
the more it knows, and so, of course, a
Grandmother-fairy is wiser than any of the
others.
Some of the very old fairies know a great
many things—common, everyday things about
Human Beings, also about animals and bugs
and birds and bats. They know about the


Gundy's Home
31
wind, where it starts and where it goes. But
the most wonderful thing that they do know
is Magic. That is, the very, very old ones
know Magic and they try to teach it to the
young ones; but so often the little rascals
are mischievous and won't pay attention, and
so grow up to be rather stupid. When the
time comes, when they should be able to per-
form a deed of Magic, they don't know how
and stand open-mouthed and dumb. You
see fairies are like Human Beings, in some
ways.
Gundy's Grandmother was very old in-
deed. Her wings were almost as thin as air
and you could see through them. She lived
alone in a nearby Mole-hill, because she
thought it was warmer than the Cabbage
House. Everybody was very careful of
Grandmother, for she was very frail-a sud-
den gust of wind and she might vanish.
On this first day of Gundy's life with his
parents his Mother set to work with her nim-
ble fingers and a happy heart. She made him


32 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
his first suit of clothes. As I have told you
fairies use corn-silk for many purposes, es-
pecially for their clothing; that is the every-
day Vegetable Garden fairies do. The Fine-
Curace
0
int
The went to her chest
feeling Flower-Garden fairies of course use
rose petals and cobwebs and such things for
their clothing.
This thrifty woman always had a large
supply of corn-silk on hand. She went to
her chest, drew out an armful and began in
the most surprising way to form a little gar-


34 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
very, very cunning. He was sº fat and his
stiff little wings stuck out so prettily. He
did look a little uncomfortable, but you know
he had never worn clothes before.
“How do like yourself, Gundy?” they
cried.
And poor Gundy made another dreadful
Trash-man remark, in reply.
“Go quickly for Grandmother," cried
Gundy's Mother in alarm, for this must not
go on. Gundy would disgrace them if he
continued to talk like the Trash-men. So
Gundy's Father took to his wings, out the
door and over to the Mole-hill to fetch Gun-
dy's Grandmother-school-teacher.


CHAPTER III
GUNDY AND HIS GRANDMOTHER
GUNDY's Mother bustled about to prepare
the School Room. She dragged a very large
toad-stool out into the middle of the floor and
A
ONEN
polki, :
.
Fairies go to school to their Grandmothers
placed a little toad-stool directly in front of it.
Then she picked Gundy up and set him on the
little toad-stool and told him to fold his hands
and look straight in front of him.


36 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
Very soon Gundy's Father returned with
Grandmother on his back. My, how frail
and wizened she was! They carefully put
her on the big toad-stool, and she looked very
solemn indeed. Then and there began Gun-
dy's first day at school.
"Say good-morning, Grandmother,” said
Gundy's parents anxiously.
“Say good-morning, Grandmother,” re-
peated Gundy, eager to please everybody.
Then they all shook their heads and said,
“No, no, that is not right.” And poor Gundy
thought he had done something very wrong
and his lip trembled.
Few children are afraid of their Grand-
mothers, but, at first, Gundy was afraid of
his, for she was so very queer looking, and
she didn't seem to love him very much. But
that probably was because she didn't know
him and suspected him of being stupid.
The first lesson that a fairy-baby has is on
Human Beings, for as I told you in the be-
ginning no baby believes in them, so he must


Gundy and His Grandmother 39
these lessons, oh, very much indeed, and he
used to beg his Mother to allow him to go,
after school, and play with the little animals.
But she always answered that he was too lit-
He used to beg to play after school
tle, something might happen to him. Then
she would hug him tightly, for now Gundy's
Mother loved her homely fairy-baby very
much indeed.
But one day when school time came and
Grandmother sat waiting on her big toad-


42 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
But-but-but-all of a sudden Gundy
started to play the most ticklish little dance
tune, and my! what a squeaking and chirping
there was outside. They rushed to the door
to see that squirrels, chipmunks, moles, crick-
Gandy made him skip
ets and the big rabbit, every last one of them,
were dancing wildly. Gundy stopped his
playing, which of course stopped the dancing,
and he shook his finger at the big rabbit, who
had bitten the roof, and he told him that he
must not spoil their house by taking greedy
big bites out of it. All the other animals


Gundy and His Grandmother 43
joined in and said sharp things to the big rab-
bit, who hung his head and seemed to hate
himself. Then to punish him Gundy played
another ticklish dance, just to him, and made
him skip so fast, so fast, that he was ready to
drop, and panted that he never, never would
bite another roof.
After that Gundy played a really nice little
dance and there in the Moonlight, in the corn-
patch, Gundy's parents and all the little ani-
mals danced together.
Gundy was a very obedient boy and did ex-
actly what he was told to do. But more than
that, he really found things to do, and helped
his Mother in many, many ways. Now that
the corn was getting ripe he gathered great
bunches of corn-silk for her. He would
come in with his small arms full and drag-
ging it along behind him. He grew every
day and was now able to drag a bean, from
away over where they grew, to the Cabbage
House. All the little animals were very fond
of him and they loved to help him with his


44 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
little tasks. He had many friends, but among
them not a single little fairy-play-mate!
One day when he was toiling along with an
extra large bean-pod he heard a merry laugh
and looked up to see three pretty little fairies
watching him. He stopped, smiled and drop-
POR DO
)
o
C
BDN
LE
VOOR
ON
They pushed him rudely away
ping his bean skipped over toward them,
meaning to take their hands and be good
friends as he was with all the little animals.
Ah, but they pushed him rudely away, and
hooted and yelled and called him “Dump-
baby.” Alas, poor Gundy, who had only
kind feelings toward every one!


Gundy and His Grandmother 47
started to climb. It took a long time, for the
corn-stalk was very, very tall. He rested on
every other leaf as he came to it, but finally
reached the top which waved so proudly in
the breeze.
Oh, how beautiful the world was! Could
that be the Flower Garden over there where
all those gay blooms tossed their heads?
Gundy thought of the aristocratic, fine-feeling
fairies whom he had heard of who lived in
the Flower Garden. How he would love to
be friends with them, but he knew that they
would call him “Dump-baby” and laugh at
him. Then it came into Gundy's mind to
wonder if they some time would grow to like
him if he were always kind and knew Magic
and helped them in every way that he could.
Poor Gundy who had a good will toward
everybody and wanted to be friends!
He stayed a long time on the tall corn-
stalk, for there was so much to be seen.
A huge creature, somewhat like the Trash-
men, was moving about over in the Flower


48 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
Garden. It must be the Gardener, for he wore
a big hat, as big as the Cabbage House, just
as Grandmother had said.
And high above everything towered the
great Human Being House, but Gundy could
see no one moving there. Some time, he
thought, I may go there—but how, that was
the question.
At last Gundy started to climb down.
Then he thought of his corn-silk rope which
he carried with him everywhere. He tied it
securely to a leaf and dropped easily and
lightly to the ground. .
His Father and Mother had missed him
and were scurrying here and there, looking
frantically for him. They were a bit cross but
forgot to scold when he told them of the thou-
sands of interesting things to be seen from the
top of the corn-stalk. They hung on every
word that he said and thought him a brave
boy to climb so high and see so much.
It now came to be a regular habit with
Gundy to climb the corn-stalk every day after


Gundy and His Grandmother 49
school. He sat up there alone and thought
and thought. He kept saying to himself, over
and over, how fine it would be if in some way
he could get over into the Flower Garden and
up to the Human Being House. His wings,
of course, were not yet strong enough to
carry him so far—but surely there was some
other way.
And one fine day Gundy had an idea; it
came all of a sudden, like a flash, and he low-
ered himself on the corn-silk rope with a quick
jerk. Gundy was right. When you have an
idea hurry, hurry before it can get away, for
it's a very precious thing and must not be lost.
They do not come every day.
I cannot quite explain Gundy's idea, for
there was some of Grandmother's Magic in
it—and you must remember that I'm only a
Human Being. All that I know is that when
he reached the ground he darted quickly into
the Cabbage House, dipped his pipe into the
blue dye, the rose and green, and came flying
out again to raise his pipe to the sky and blow


50 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
with all his might and main. A strange thing
to do, you'll say; but a very wonderful thing
.
@ODOS
oss
Gundy had invented the bubble -
happened, for a sparkling, gleaming little ball
which grew rapidly larger rose from Gundy's
pipe and floated in the air.


Gundy and His Grandmother 51
Gundy had invented the bubble! Gundy,
the ugly Dump-baby from Poverty Way, had
invented the bubble. With a quick movement
he flew after it, jumped in and floated up, up
and away.
His Father and Mother and Grandmother
standing together in front of the Cabbage
House held their breaths with feelings of de-
light and alarm. Could it be their own little
Dump-baby, whom they had found in a tin-
can over on Poverty Way, who was now sail-
ing far over their heads in the beautiful spark-
ling bubble? Ah, if they could have known
how long it would be till they should see him
again they would have been greatly dis-
tressed.
But Gundy in his bubble rose higher and
higher, over the waving corn and away to-
ward the Flower Garden. He strained his
eyes for some trace of the Cabbage House and
his parents, but they were lost to sight. He
felt a touch of homesickness and wondered
if he had done right when he invented this


52 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
bubble-thing that was to carry him so far
from his happy home.
But there was no stopping and turning back
now, for the bubble floated steadily on and on.
Gundy noticed, however, that it was growing
very, very thin, like Grandmother's wings,
and he held his breath, wondering what he
would do if it were to break suddenly.
By this time the Vegetable Garden had fal-
len far behind with its familiar corn-patch,
cabbages, cucumbers, beans and the rest. He
had sailed over the High White Fence and
now hung directly above the Flower Garden.
The bubble had grown so very thin that
Gundy knew it could only last a very short
minute more.
What he expected soon happened; the bub-
ble burst on a tall yellow lily and simply went
to nothing at all, just like fairies when some-
thing happens to their wings.
And there Gundy found himself on the tall
lily, with no bubble in sight and everything
different and strange about him.


54 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
which to describe them. They looked like
sprays of jewels—such colors and so wonder-
fully made!
Gundy was delighted with the beautiful
sight, but the Flower Garden fairies only
VE
MW
...
2
SLAV
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982.gbo
A.
And oh, such fairien
seemed surprised at seeing him there. This
soon gave way to mirth and they laughed and
laughed. Now every one knows how uncom-
fortable it is to have people laughing when
you do not know what they are laughing
about—you always feel that it must be your-
self; maybe your hat is crooked or your face


The Fine-Feeling Fairies 55
smutty! Poor Gundy felt so and finally
dropped his head and stood there looking
very stupid.
But, suddenly, he heard deep breathing
behind him and managed to turn around to
face the angriest fairy he had ever beheld.
His eyes bulged, his face was crimson and he
showed his long teeth dangerously.
Alas, poor Gundy! It was the Altogether
Mean fairy, that was glaring at him there in
such a rage that Gundy didn't know what to
expect next. The other fairies seemed greatly
interested in what was about to happen. They
liked to see the Altogether Mean fairy angry,
for something, always, was sure to follow.
The Altogether Mean fairy knew Gundy the
instant that he blundered onto his lily, and in-
tended to make him pay well for the time that
Gundy's Father had beaten him and clipped
his miserable wings.
Grabbing poor little Gundy by the collar
of his round-about, he cried in a loud hoarse
voice for all to hear—then he told what a com-


56 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
mon little out-cast Gundy was, found in an old
tin-can on the Dump, over on Poverty Way,
found by Vegetable Garden parents who lived
in a ridiculous Cabbage House. He jeered at
Gundy's simple little garments and homely
face, and the crowd continued to laugh and
laugh. No one protested and no one had a
kind word for poor little Gundy.
Then the Altogether Mean fairy lifted
Gundy by his ears and held him far out over
the edge of the lily—and dropped him. Not
having time to save himself or spread his
wings, Gundy fell head-long, down, down.
He could hear the others still laughing as he
struck the ground and crumpled one of his
poor wings most painfully. Poor, gentle,
generous-hearted Gundy could not under-
stand why he had been treated so unkindly.
His crumpled wing tingled with pain and he
thought of his Mother and longed to cry on
her shoulder. The big tears ran down his
cheeks, but there was no one there to feel
sorry.


The Fine-Feeling Fairies 57
But, suddenly, he heard a most welcome
sound—a cricket. Maybe it was one of his
good friends who liked his piping. The
000
II
ali
They pointed and stared
tears stopped and he picked up his little pipe
and played his best cricket song-one that all
the crickets knew and loved well. He played


58 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
it once, then again, but all was silent and the
cricket answered never a sound.
Then the fairies, who are all very curious,
came walking by to see what had happened
to him. They pointed and stared when they
saw his crumpled wing, but not one of them
offered to help him or said that they were
sorry. The real reason for this was that they
were so dreadfully afraid of not always being
aristocratic and proper, for it would never do
in the world for Flower Garden fairies to
have anything to do with this outcast from
the Dump who lived in the Vegetable Gar-
den in a ridiculous Cabbage House!
And that too was the reason why the cricket
answered never a sound when Gundy played
the cricket-song-he was afraid of not seem-
ing an aristocratic and proper cricket—I am
sorry to say—but you see for yourself—that
there are snobs everywhere.
Everybody has had the toothache, and
knows how it grumbles and jumps, and jumps
and shoots. Well, that is just how Gundy's


The Fine-Feeling Fairies 59
crumpled wing felt and he didn't know where
to go or what to do. He dared not think of
his home or his parents, for it made the pain
worse and his tears blinded him, but he did
think of his Grandmother and wished, oh how
he wished, that he had paid better heed to her
lessons in Magic.
He hopped very slowly and painfully about
among the flowers. How beautiful they were,
but how unfriendly they seemed, just as a row
of tall fine houses seems in a strange city,
where you haven't a single friend. There
were roses and lilies and snap-dragons and
lark-spurs and asters and zinnias and, oh, ever
so many others, all perfect in their own way.
But finally he came to a place among the
beautiful flowers where a little wild climbing-
bean grew. It had found its way into the
Flower Garden by mistake.
"Here is where I may rest,” said Gundy,
with a sigh. And the little climbing-bean
waved its leaves in answer, for no doubt it was
lonely too, in this Flower Garden where it was


60 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
so out of place. And Gundy stayed quietly
there, eating the little pink beans and playing
sadly on his pipe. He tried, oh very hard, to
be brave, but sometimes, when he could not
help it, he thought of his parents and the big
tears would run down his cheeks. Then the
climbing-bean would rustle its leaves as if it
were trying to comfort him.
But one day, when he sat there playing on
his pipe to comfort himself, he heard a tre-
mendous noise. The ground seemed to rock
and sway. He peered out to see what could
be the matter. Coming directly toward him
-oh awful sight-was the Gardener, and in
his hand he held his hoe.
It flashed through Gundy's mind that the
Gardener was coming to dig up the little
climbing-bean, which did not belong in this
aristocratic Flower Garden. And Gundy was
right, for that was exactly what the Gardener
intended to do.
Gundy's heart stood still in terror. Oh, if
he only knew some Magic! Then a thought


The Fine-Feeling Fairies 61
came to him: if he could make the big rabbit
dance with his pipe, he could make the Gar-
dener do so too. And he played the most
ticklish dance tune that ever was played-oh,
it was very lively indeed! He could see the
Gardener's enormous boots get into step, then

It was very lively indeed
faster, faster, faster they flew till one could
scarcely see them.
Gundy stopped a moment to get his breath;
the Gardener slowed down his wild dance
and made a furious movement toward the lit-
tle climbing-bean—Ah, but suddenly Gundy
started the music again, and faster than ever.
This ridiculous performance continued un-


62 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
til the Gardener was nearly dead and was
glad to creep away from that corner of the
Garden where the climbing-bean grew. He
was Irish, was the Gardener, and believed the
bean to be haunted—and he allowed it to stay
where it was!
News of Gundy's act traveled like wild-
fire from one end of the garden to the other.
All the fairies, more curious than ever, came
trooping past to stare at him, but they no
longer laughed. And his name could be
heard in every fairy household and some of
the fairies thought that he should be better
treated because he had done a Clever Thing.
But there were others, especially those who
lived in the lilies, who said, “Never, never
could a fairy, found in a tin-can, live on equal
terms with them!” And so the matter stood.
Gundy's wing pained him less and less, but
it would always be a crumpled wing and he
could never do more than half fly. But he
made the best of it and still had a good will
toward every one. When he felt stronger he


64 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
sat beside him on the fountain-ledge. Now,
these Very Little Fairies belonged to the aris-
tocratic and proper Flower Garden fairies,
but like real children they didn't care whether
he came from the Dump or not. The impor-
tant thing was that he smiled and waved his
hand and was willing to play with them.
He played on his pipe and they loved it.
He told them about the Cabbage House and
the big rabbit who bit the roof—and their
jaws dropped open-wide, for they were so
interested. But the trouble was, when Gundy
talked about the Cabbage House the big tears
always rolled down his cheeks, which of
course worried the Very Little Fairies.
Day after day they used to go there to meet
on the Fountain Ledge and sometimes Gundy
would do tricks for them with cob-web ropes
as his Grandmother had taught him to per-
form with corn-silk. And the Very Little
Fairies never grew tired of Gundy's tricks.
His name was heard very often now in all the
fairy households, for all the Very Little


66 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
they sailed. It was wonderful. The Very Lit-
tle Fairies could not speak, they were so happy.
When they finally came floating gently down,
and the bubble broke in the spray near
Gundy's favorite spot, and it was all over, the
Very Little Fairies cried, “Do it again”—“do
it again!”
So Gundy had to do it again and again.
He was very patient with the Very Little
Fairies and they loved him a great deal.
The last time that he came down he found
that all the Fine-feeling fairies were out in
their most gorgeous garments. They in-
tended to make a party of it. These were the
very same fairies who had laughed loudly at
Gundy, allowed the Altogether Mean fairy
to drop him off the lily and had not had a
kind word to say about his poor crumpled
wing. But these Fine-feelers had changed
their minds and decided that it was entirely
proper and aristocratic to notice Gundy's
cleverness, and so they clapped their hands
for all they were worth.



All of the fairies were out





The Fine-Feeling Fairies 69
The Fine-feeling fairies hunted and called,
but Gundy, like the cricket, answered never
a sound and they concluded that he must have
left them altogether. They were in great dis-
tress, for now they knew how clever and kind
Gundy was, even though he was found on the
Dump and lived in a Cabbage House in the
Vegetable Garden
The Altogether Mean fairy was in black
disgrace. No one would speak to him be-
cause it was he who first started to be unkind
to Gundy. But the Altogether Mean fairy
retorted that they had all laughed when he
dropped Gundy off the lily, which was almost
as bad. They were all ashamed of them-
selves. The Magic. thing that Gundy had
wished for had happened. They all went
home and each one made a vow that never,
never would they be so unkind to another as
they had been to Gundy, the great and good!
Gundy stayed in his hiding place till the
Moon had dropped out of sight and before
the morning star appeared in the East. All


CHAPTER V
THE HUMAN BEING HOUSE
GUNDY fully expected the bubble to carry
him back over the High White Fence, to the
Cabbage House in the Vegetable Garden
where he would find his parents and his
Grandmother waiting for him.
But as the pale morning star appeared in
the East he could dimly see that everything
about him looked strange, stranger even than
the Flower Garden. He grew alarmed and
tried to force the bubble to go the other way,
but the morning breeze, which carried them
along, was fresh and strong and he could do
nothing. Alas, alas, poor Gundy was not to
see his home for many a day!
Looking ahead, he saw that they were com-
ing toward something very huge and dark.
His poor little heart trembled. But as they
71


72 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
drew nearer, the morning star came out quite
clearly, and Gundy saw that it was the Hu-
man Being House which he had seen so long
ago from the corn-stalk in the Vegetable Gar-
den. It looked so big and solemn there in the
faint morning light.
He didn't know just what to expect, but he
soon found out, for the bubble carried him
directly through an open window of the Hu-
man Being House, broke suddenly, and left
him sitting on a broad window-sill. When he
recovered somewhat from the surprise of find-
ing himself there, his thoughts were very sad.
It was a keen disappointment that he could
not go home. What would his parents think
had become of him? The more he thought
the sadder he grew, till finally he burst into
tears and sobbed out loud.
He was sure that there was no one near so
he cried and cried. But a nice, gentle, little
voice from away over in a dark corner inter-
rupted him and said, “Who is crying?” Then
Gundy stopped short and sat up very straight


78 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
Then, there was the Child, who had happy
eyes and could always laugh no matter how
solemn and glum the others might look. His
eyes seemed full of little brightly-burning
lights, and soft curls covered his fine head.
-His Mother would have loved those curls,
but no one ever spoke of his Mother and
Father, and he was too young to begin to ask
questions. Probably they were dead—I do
not know.
The little nurse-maid, who was the Gar-
dener's daughter, was also Irish, and she was
the other one beside the Child who could
laugh. But she was very careful and only
laughed when she was alone with the Child.
There were other persons, servants, who
moved silently about, in and out of the rooms,
néver smiling and always looking the same,
day in and day out.
: But the morning that the Child nearly dis-
covered Gundy's hiding place up over the
window was the beginning of a happier time,
for him as well as for the entire household.


The Human Being House 79
As he stood there looking up to where the
sound of Gundy's pipe had come and hoping
that he would hear the sound again, the little
nurse-maid opened the door and stuck in her
merry little head.
"Quick, quick, quick, Nursie,” said the
Child, jumping up and down in delight.
“There is a fairy in the room. He came be-
fore it was light, and sat on the window-sill
and cried to himself, and finally he played on
a little pipe. I heard him. And now he is
hiding up over the window."
“Why, the little rogue!” said the nurse-
maid. She thought that the Child had started
their old game of “Pretend.” They often
played “Pretend,” one of them beginning it,
the other falling in line at once. Its a fine
game for two persons. “Where can the fairy
be?” said the Nurse, shaking the curtains vio-
lently. Had she known it, she almost scared
Gundy to death and he thought every moment
that he would fall on her head.
Then, while she dressed the child they


84 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
round they circled, but suddenly crash went
a large, costly vase. It fell to the floor in a
thousand pieces. One of the dancers had

sonucu
SOLO
piec
M
oli
Everybody looked frightened
knocked it over. The whole household
rushed in to see what had happened. Every-
body looked scared. Gundy stopped playing


Gundy Uses His Pipe 85
his pipe as suddenly as he had started, but not
soon enough, for the Child cried, clapping
his hands, “Oh, there's our little fairy again,
playing his pipe!”
Grandmother and Uncle were in a rage as
they turned to the Child and asked what he
meant by “our little fairy?” Then he told
them in his happy way about the little fairy,
who had come in the window that morning
before it was light, and sat on the sill and
played his pipe. And he told them about the
Gardener and the climbing-bean.
When he had finished Grandmother and
Uncle seemed crosser than ever and said that
it was all ridiculous nonsense and that he was
an absurd child, and never again to let them
hear him say another word about fairies. He
was sent to his room and scolded at till he was
out of sight. Then everybody was severely
scolded, and the day started in this solemn
Human Being House with everybody in a
bad humor and feeling hateful.
Grandmother slammed her door and Uncle


86 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
got behind his crackly.- newspaper and the
glum servants carried away the broken bits of
the costly vase.
.
Gundy felt rather ashamed of himself, for
he had made those Human Beings dance and
upset the costly vase and it was his fault that
every one was severely scolded and put into a
bad humor. But-yet, he knew that something
had to be done; some Magic was needed to
waken these glum people and cheer this sol-
emn Human Being House. -
His Grandmother could have told him what
to do, but she was far away, so he must do the
best he could, all alone. And, then and there,
he made a vow that he would, somehow,
change matters in this gloomy home.
Alone with Uncle, Gundy decided to begin
on him. He climbed up the back of the big
chair and sat there, thinking about the vow
that he had just made. Finally, he took õuť
his faithful pipe and played a little cricket
song—just to see what Uncle would do. And
Uncle, who was a little bit deaf, said some-


Gundy Uses His Pipe 89
eye, and asked him if he had ever heard a
strange piping which had made him dance
ridiculously, against his will.
The Gardener answered, “Sure, sir, it's a
fairy!” And Uncle half believed him though
he did not say so, and they both talked at
once, each telling the other what had hap-
pened to him. They forgot all about every-
day affairs, for nothing else seemed important
but this strange fairy who seemed able to
make the most solemn person dance—and
keep on dancing. They sat on the fountain
ledge side by side and talked on and on.
Gundy, left by himself, sat in Uncle's big
chair and laughed and laughed himself into
another idea. He decided to hunt Grand-
mother. He did not, of course, know where
she had gone, but thought he could find her,
for he remembered hearing her door slam
after she had scolded everybody.
· He set forth on his search, looking in one
big gloomy room after another, and finally
he crawled through a crack and found her


90 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
with her cards spread out before her. Poor
Grandmother had nothing to do either and
must have been as bored as Uncle was, to be
wasting the precious hours this way. But she
had fallen asleep over her stupid game.
Gundy decided to put in the time until she
awoke by building a card house. My, what
solemn looking Kings and Queens and Jacks
these were, but what could you expect in this
house?
If you've ever tried to build a card house
you know how hard it is to make the cards
stand up, and finally when you do and think
that you can make it still higher—a puff, and
over it all goes. Well, I do wish that you
could have seen Gundy building. You
would have laughed with pleasure, for it was
such a very clever card-house. He grew so
interested that he blinked and panted and for-
got all about Grandmother. Now this was
very dangerous for a fairy to be doing in
broad daylight, for she might at any moment
open her eyes and see him. And that is ex-


Gundy Uses His Pipe 93
dropped like a flash to the floor and scur-
ried under the piano. When they tried to find
him there he was far out in the hall, then up-
stairs, then down again. There was surely
Magic in that chase, for they never could
quite find him, because when they thought
they had him, he was always somewhere else.
The house rang with laughter, which, as
you can imagine, was a great surprise to the
house itself.
Finally, though Gundy had not been found,
the end of the day came. It was the first
really happy day that any one in the Human
Being House could remember, but there were
many, many more to follow, for a Magic
thing had happened—the solemn grown-ups
had learned how to laugh.
After everybody had said good-night and
the house was all quiet, Gundy came out of
his hiding place and sat on the broad window-
sill in the Child's room—and wondered what
would happen next.
The Moon came out and the whole world


94 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
turned silvery and misty, and Gundy looked
down into the beautiful Flower Garden and
away toward his old home, the Vegetable Gar-
den. While he sat there, thinking about his
parents, he noticed three bent forms moving

vo
Three bent figures creeping along -
very slowly and carefully and without a sound
through the garden and up toward the
Human Being House. He watched them
breathlessly, for somehow he had the feeling
that he had seen them before. On they came,
creeping stealthily till Gundy could stand it
no longer. He started to climb down the
vines on the side of the house. The three


CHAPTER VII
THE TRASH-MEN
OVER hedges and fences and brambles and
streams went the Trash-men at top speed.
Gundy did not know that anything could go
so fast. But finally they went a bit slower,
then still slower till they got down to a tip-
toe just as they turned into a narrow, dark,
alley which was Poverty Way. When they
came to the meanest little shanty of them all,
they gently opened the door and crept quietly
in.
A feeble sputtering candle made a little
circle of light in the black darkness. At first
Gundy, who still clung to the first Trash-
man's hat, could see nothing, but he blinked
his eyes hard and discovered that near by a
small child lay in a little bed.
97


98 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
She stirred, and in a weak voice said,
“What did you bring me?”
The poor Trash-men stood there empty
handed and shook their heads sadly from
side to side. And the Little Sick Sister bur-
ied her thin face in the pillow and softly
cried.
Ah, thought Gundy, it's my fault, for I
made the Trash-men dance so that they would
not turn into robbers, and steal from Grand-
mother and Uncle and the others. But some-
thing must be done to help these poor miser-
able creatures. Yet how can I, a stupid fairy,
do it? He left the Trash-man's hat and
crawled far up in the darkness where he sat
on a nail that had been driven into the wall.
And he tried to think of some way in which
he could help these Poverty Way folks. Noth-
ing short of Magic would do; he knew that.
Ah, if his Grandmother were only here; she
would know what to do!
With the first faint streaks of the morning
the three sad Trash-men rose from their dark


100 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
Human Being House were stirring about in
great excitement. They were all sure that
they had heard strange noises and seen rob-
bers below in the Garden. They were sure
of it.
Down they came to see about it—all look-
ing very dangerous, indeed. Uncle came
first, a candle in one hand, his big umbrella
in the other. He wore his usual purple dress-
ing gown and slippers, and had forgotten his
wig. Then came Grandmother, all bundled
up in a pink comforter and wearing a night-
cap, with a big feather duster in one hand and
a candle in the other. Then came Nursie
and the Child and all the others. Every one
carried a candle and some terrible weapon,
such as a yard-stick or an egg-beater or a fan.
They looked here and they looked there-
but no robbers. It was like their hunt for the
fairy had been the day before. Finally,
though, they found foot-prints—robber-foot-
prints, three complete sets of them.
Well, well, they would certainly follow and


The Trash-Men 107
Way, the Little Sick Sister was growing
stronger every day, where she lay in a big
soft bed in the Human Being House. She
and the Child had become fast friends and
played together all day long, with their toys
spread out on the bed. After they had played
a long time they often called Nursie to beg for
a fairy-tale and they would listen without
making a sound. They would not even blink
their eyes, or they might miss something-
they were so anxious to know more about
fairies. At other times, they would coax Uncle
to tell them what he knew about fairies. His
stories were wonderful, for of course he knew
a great deal about fairies—having one right
under his coat-collar most of the time—but he
didn't know that.
They all spoke often of “our little fairy,”
meaning Gundy, but no one knew his real
name or anything about his parents or the
Cabbage House. They had all heard his pipe,
and Grandmother was sure that she had had a


108 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
glimpse of him—but that was all. Every one
hoped that some fine day something would
happen that they might know more about the
little fairy who had done so much for them all.


110 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
and thin that one could barely see them-
they were liable to drop off at any moment !
But one bright morning when Gundy's
parents carried Grandmother's breakfast, in
a little basket, over to the mole-hill, they
found the place all empty-empty. And
they bent down and picked up her frail deli-
cate wings, for she was through with them,
and this was the end. But, as I have told you,
fairies are wiser than human beings in many
ways, and instead of being sad about it they
agreed that it was well, for now Grandmother
would worry no more about Gundy; so they
carried the delicate wings back to the Cab-
bage House.
These days the Cabbage House seemed
very quiet and lonely-worse than before
Gundy had come there to live. In the even-
ings there was no one to play on a pipe to
cheer them, but Gundy's good friends, the
little animals and bugs, were faithful and
came to comfort and amuse the lonely parents.
And they brought their noisy babies along


The End of the Cabbage House III
and even offered them as gifts to take Gundy's
place. The big rabbit who had bitten the roof
was particularly generous, and offered them
a little rabbit or two, indeed as many as they
could use, but Gundy's parents shook their
heads. Not wishing to hurt his feelings they
said it would never do for little rabbits to
live in a Cabbage House, for they might eat
the roof and make themselves sick. The fact
was no baby could take Gundy's place and
there was no use trying. Instead of going
out to hunt a new one, on moonlight nights,
Gundy's parents sat sadly at home and talked
of him.
Gundy's busy little Mother made one gar-
ment after another, for she used to say, “How
shabby his round-about must be by this time
and surely his shoes are nothing but holes.
Some day when he comes home he will be
happy to find these new things ready and
hanging in rows.” And most every day she
made little sweet cakes for him, hoping that
on that day he would come. But when he did


112 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
not come she would feed the sweet cakes
sadly to the little crickets who were always
hanging around. I think the little crickets
were pretty wise, for crickets!
Ah, but one day a very alarming thing
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it's who
They were talking about Gundy.
happened! The Gardener came down into
the Vegetable Garden and walked along the
row, next to the Cabbage House row. The
ground rocked and trembled and every mo-
ment they expected to have him step over into
their row and crush the Cabbage House with


114 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
knew that Gundy never, never would forget
them. They were very happy, happier than
for many a long day.
But the next day a dreadful thing hap-
pened. The Gardener came down the row
where the Cabbage House was, and stepped
on it! Gundy's parents only had time to fly
for their lives or they too would have been
stepped on.
What a sad wreck it was! All of the furni-
ture was crushed—all of Gundy's new clothes,
the gourd stove, the chimney, everything
spoiled! It seemed the end of everything for
them, and they wept bitterly.
But their good friends the crickets were
soon on hand to comfort them, and showed
them a cozy place under a pumpkin vine,
where they could live till they should build a
new house.
It was a bad time for all Vegetable Garden
fairies, however, for no sooner was the corn
gathered than the stalks were cut down and
piled in stacks. Then the pumpkins were


116 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
dance and speak well of him! Life was good
after all, even though the Cabbage House
had been stepped on.
But they grew sad again as darkness came
on, for the Trash-men had cleared everything
-familiar away and it was all burnt black in
the bon-fire. Gundy's parents were no longer
young, their wings were getting thin and
summer was gone and the wind was cold.
The Trash-men had scared all their old
friends, the little animals and bugs, away, so
Gundy's parents were all forlorn and alone
where they shivered under a dandelion which
the Trash-men had overlooked.
To comfort each other they kept saying,
“Gundy will come back to us; Gundy will not
forget.” And the night wind blew bitterly
cold.
As they sat there shivering they noticed in
the cold moonlight something coming slowly
across the space where the Vegetable Gar-
den had been. It proved to be a strange
cricket. He looked so tired and cold that


Flower-Garden Tildy 123
things as Human Beings do. Now, instead
of wasting time and money as the Human
Beings do, having all sorts of ups and downs
and keeping everybody anxious and the gos-
sips working over time, while they vainly
try to find their proper mate—the fairies have
a better way. If two fairies find that their
wings are exactly alike, the same in pattern
and color—that's all there is to it. They are
mates. And they know it at once, for there
never were more than two sets of wings that
were exactly alike.
A fairy may be scampering along, think-
ing about his supper or the stars in the sky,
almost anything but of his future mate; and he
may suddenly turn a corner and bump right
into her. They will probably stop to say “beg
pardon,” catch sight of each other's wings-
then possibly give a surprised squeal or two
and scamper away together. That's all there
is to it—no bother and fuss!
Now Gundy had always been much too
busy to give the matter of his mate any


126 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
landing among the larkspurs, and disap-
peared from sight.
“Why, what was that?” said Uncle, turn-
ing quickly.
“It was a fairy,” cried the Children. “We
saw him jump—yes we did.” And the three
..
.
Mnh
Her name was Tildy.
of them hunted and searched through the
larkspurs but found nothing at all. So they
went slowly up to the Human Being House,
each wondering if it really was “our little
fairy” who had jumped into the larkspurs.
And now I will tell you about the fairy


128 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
that Gundy was found on the Dump. Of
course the Altogether Mean fairy loved his
little daughter and was wonderfully proud
of her and gave her everything that he could
steal from the other fairies. He made a very
good Father, indeed!
When Tildy spied Gundy and saw that his
wings were exactly like hers she was neither
sad nor glad. She knew that he was her mate
and she had no opinion of her own about the
matter. Tildy never had opinions. She went
in and told her Father of what had happened
and he of course was greatly excited, think-
ing that it must be a very Fine-feeling fairy
indeed who was coming to claim Tildy. The
news spread like wild-fire and almost every
fairy in the Flower Garden came rushing out
to see beautiful Tildy’s mate.
Ah, but when Gundy appeared—what a
shock! He was still homely, of course; he
had always been so. And shabby_indeed he
wore the same round-about and trousers that
his Mother had made him long ago, so of


Flower-Garden Tildy : 129
course they were full of holes and much too
small for him. The poor fellow hung his
head and felt, oh terribly, embarrassed. He
expected them to laugh and jeer at him as
they had once done. But no, they did not
laugh and jeer. These Flower Garden fairies
had learned a lesson about treating strangers
unkindly; for who can tell—they may be very
good, and clever, and gifted in Magic, as one
certain visitor was long ago. There they
stood in silence, all eyes on Gundy. The Al-
together Mean fairy was pale with rage and
disappointment but he dared not say a word,
for it was against the new Flower Garden
rules. And gentle Tildy did not say a word-
but that was because she could not think of
anything to say.
Ah, but suddenly the Very Little Fairies,
who now were not quite so little as they once
were, recognized their dear old friend who
did tricks for them, and rode them in a bub-
ble round and round the fountain.
My, oh my, what a time! Everybody was


Flower-Garden Tildy 131
the ground. Then they formed a procession,
which was a grand spectacle, and marched
around and around the fountain.
After that a precious drop of honey, stolen
from a careless bee, was brought forth and
Gundy and Tildy were supposed to drink it.
But Gundy objected, saying that he didn't
care much for sweets and would prefer in-
stead a pink bean that could be found on a
certain climbing-bean which grew in the
Flower Garden by mistake. The quickest
fairies went for the beans, and when they re-
turned everybody ate beans, for politeness'
sake, but they found them very good indeed.
Then they began to talk about vegetables and
the Vegetable Garden and Vegetable Garden
fairies, and everybody decided that a big mis-
take had been made and that all the fairies
should be friends and that the High White
Fence meant nothing at all.
Gundy told them about the Human Beings
up in the big house, who had once made the
same mistake, but now things were different


132 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
with them and on Poverty Way too. And he
surprised himself by making a very nice little
speech about having a good will toward every-
body.
While he was talking a cricket came hurry-
ing along in great excitement and pushed his
way through the crowd till he stood beside
Gundy. And without even saying, “Beg par-
don,” he asked him if he were Gundy. And
Gundy answered, “Gee.” Then the cricket
told the story of how the Vegetable Garden
had been destroyed, how all the little animals
had been scared away by the Trash-men-and
the fairies scattered, homeless and forlorn.
And without pausing for breath, he went on
to tell about two old fairies he had found shiv-
ering under a dandelion, how they had lost
their home and had no place to go—and he
added, coming closer to Gundy, “They are
your parents.”
Gundy's heart nearly stopped beating. To
think that his parents were in such great dis-
tress while he was wasting time at a foolish


CHAPTER X
GUNDY FINDS HIS PARENTS
GUNDY and the cricket had many trials on
their journey. The moon went under a cold
cloud and they could not see where they were
going. The way was rough and they stum-
bled and slipped miserably.
The wind grew colder and colder and sud-
•denly a sharp gust of it brought the first snow
flurry and the poor travelers shivered and
shook. Gundy wrapped his wedding cloak
tightly about him; and they went bravely on.
Ah, if he only had two good wings so that
he could fly! This half-flying, half-hopping
was tiresome and slow. He missed his faith-
ful pipe that had gone with him everywhere
and had been so useful when he was in trou-
ble. If he had it now he could cheer him-
self and the cricket and perhaps his parents
134


Gundy Finds His Parents 135
would hear it and know that he was coming.
The wind clouds in the sky were sailing
fast and soon uncovered the pale moon, but
only long enough for the cricket to see that
they were traveling in the right direction.
On and on they toiled. But now the moon
had disappeared altogether and in the dis-
tance they heard a rooster crow and knew
that daylight would come soon. Another
sudden snow flurry almost took their breath
and they had to stop and cover their heads
until it was past.
When they started forward again daylight
was coming fast and the cricket thought that
he could see the dandelion, which the Trash-
men had missed, far, far ahead.
They were nearly exhausted and could
barely crawl. And finally, when it seemed
that they had taken their last step, they
reached the dandelion, but its fuzz had blown
away and its leaves were covered with snow.
The cricket could not be sure whether or
not it was the right dandelion. But anyway


Gundy Finds His Parents 139
Human Being, what a time they had when the
brisk red squirrel almost dumped Gundy into
his parents' arms. All that they could say
was, “Gundy, Gundy, Gundy,” just as they
had said it on that moonlight night, so long
ago, when Gundy's Father, lifting him out
of the tin-can on the Dump, held him up for
his Mother to see. And the red squirrel look-
ing on thought that they never would stop
hugging each other.
Of course everybody asked questions and
talked at once-everybody but the cricket, and
he, poor fellow, had gone to sleep.
One of Gundy's first questions was about
Grandmother. Where was she? Ah, they
told him, Grandmother had lost her wings
and vanished, but it was better so for she had
missed all their worries and the cold winds.
But never, never would they forget Grand-
mother who knew so much Magic.
Then Gundy's quick-witted Mother spied
his pansy-petal cloak and asked him if he had
become a Fine-Feeling fairy. To prove that he


140 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
had not, and never would be a Fine-Feeling
fairy, Gundy threw the pansy-petal cloak
aside and his Mother saw that he still wore
the out-grown, corn-silk round-about and
trousers which she had made for him, long
4
2.
.293
1.
SOSY
4B0A
IS
Uloos
The awked him where he got it
ago, before he left home in the bubble.
Then Gundy's fond parents asked him to
tell them what a great man he was now.
Gundy was greatly surprised and answered
that some mistake had been made, that he
wasn't a great man at all, but that he had
many good friends out in the world beyond


Gundy Finds His Parents 141
the Vegetable Garden. And he told them
about Uncle and Grandmother and the
Trash-men and all the others. But his parents
insisted still that he was a great man, for the
cricket, now asleep, had said so; and then,
too, they had heard the Human Beings talk-
ing about him as if he were a very great man.
“But, great man or not,” said Gundy's busy
little Mother,"you must have some new
clothes.” Then she examined his gorgeous
wedding cloak, turning it over and over and
admiring its elegant texture. And Gundy
stood there trembling like a leaf in the wind,
for he had not told them a single word about
Flower-Garden Tildy.
Finally his Mother, who had asked him
every other question at least twice, asked him
where he got his cloak. Gundy truthfully
answered that it was his wedding gift from
his mate.
Ah, what a shock it was to Gundy's parents
to learn that he had found a mate. They had
felt that now, with Gundy safely home, they


142 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
would build another Cabbage House and
start life all over again and live happily till
the end of time.
"Oh, why did you do so, Gundy?" wailed
his Mother. “Why didn't you look the other
way when you saw her wings?” But Gundy
with bowed head did not tell her that he had
thought of looking the other way, but was too
honest.
After a while Gundy's Mother's curiosity
got the better of her grief and she began to
ask a great many questions about Flower-
Garden Tildy. And Gundy answered the best
that he could, saying that she was very beauti-
ful, wore rose petal and cob-web garments
and didn't know enough to keep from being
stepped on. He told them, too, of giving his
faithful pipe to Tildy for a wedding present,
and they shook their heads, thinking it the
first mistake Gundy had ever made. But
what else could the poor boy do?
Then after thinking the matter over
Gundy's Mother, who had really very good


Gundy Finds His Parents 143
sense, said that Gundy must go back to where
Flower-Garden Tildy lived, for she was his
mate, or else their wings would not have been
exactly alike. But Gundy shook his head and
refused to go alone—his parents must go too.
But this they did not wish to do, to leave the
dear old Vegetable Garden and go over into
the Flower-Garden where only Fine-Feeling
fairies lived, for, as they said, they were only
plain fairies and would be out of place there.
But Gundy told them how kind the Fine-feel-
ing fairies were nowadays and how they
wished to be friends with the Vegetable Gar-
den fairies. Then the red squirrel spoke up
and said that Gundy was right about the mat-
ter and that his parents ought to go with him
and help him to build a new home over there.
So, one fine bright evening they packed up
and the red squirrel agreed to take them as
far as the fountain, on his back. They all
had new winter clothes of soft fur made of
odds and ends that their good host, the red


144 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
squirrel, had given them. And they looked
very neat and comfortable indeed.
My, what a fine, swift ride they had
through the frosty night air. They were
sorry when Gundy spied the fountain, not far
ahead, and said that they would soon be there.
But where were the Flowers? They had
expected to find them standing there in chilly
rows, as Gundy had last seen them, but not a
flower was in sight and the fountain was
empty, dry, without a single sparkling drop
of water.
The Flower Garden was ready for winter.
And where were the fairies? Where was
Tildy? Suddenly, at that moment, Gundy
decided that he very much liked little Flower-
Garden Tildy who never could think of a
word to say. Alas, she was gone.


146 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
ready to drop out, and some of the fairies had
vanished altogether—the Altogether Mean
fairy among them. They were really a miser-
able lot of fairies and I am very sure that if
Gundy had not come along when he did all
of their wings would have dropped out and
they would have vanished entirely. They had
nothing warm and their fine clothes were in
tatters.
They were rejoiced to see him, of course.
He had a way of always appearing at the
right moment to help some one. Every one
wanted to shake his hand and stroke his nice,
soft fur clothes that the red squirrel had given
him. But Gundy was eager to find little
Flower-Garden Tildy, and his heart ticked
like a watch as he looked this way and that in
the crowd, in search of her.
Ah, but when he did find her his heart
ached, for she looked so very frail. And she
held out her empty hands, and Gundy saw
that she had lost his faithful, magic pipe that





Uncle Comes to the Rescue 147
he had given her for a wedding gift. But he
did not scold, for Tildy looked so very beau-
tiful. And she said never a word, but al-
lowed Gundy to wrap her in his warm fur
round-about.
Lead
UUD RONDO
Awang
TOMAD)
!
The pipe war gone
Gundy's parents were almost afraid of
Tildy, because she was so beautiful. They
had never seen anything quite like her before.
But she smiled gently at them, which is al-
most the same as speaking, and they stood
closer, and Gundy's Mother put more warm


150 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
couldn't take them all in—there would not be
room. And it was too cold to live under the
leaves—anyway the leaves were liable to blow
away at any moment.
But something fortunate happened, just as
it had before over on New Poverty Way.
Uncle solved Gundy's problem for him.
And this is how it happened. When the
children up in the Human Being House
looked out of the window, the morning after
the terrible night of the first snow, they saw
the frozen fountain and the poor dead flow-
ers. They said to each other, “Oh, where is
our little fairy?” For you remember that
Uncle and the children were quite sure that
their little fairy had left them the night before
and jumped into the lark-spurs. Uncle
missed him somehow, and the children were
certain that they saw him jump.
They went to find Uncle, and there he was
by his window, looking down into the garden
at the frozen fountain and the poor dead


154 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
and the Moon was up, who should appear but
the red squirrel with a bag of nuts —all nicely
cracked with his own cracker. He zipped in
and out of every fairy-house leaving behind
a nice little pile.
“Ah,” said Gundy to the others, "the whole
world has a good will toward us,” and they
moved into their new homes and were very
happy fairies indeed. Every one decided that
Gundy and Tildy and Gundy's parents
should live in the fairy-house right under
Uncle's window, for Gundy it was who had
invented Uncle or at least had made him over.
And Gundy was very willing, for then he and
Uncle could look after fairy affairs together.
But the only objection to the new houses
was that some forward sparrows took it for
granted that Uncle had made the houses for
them. Of course that was a mistake, just as it
was for the sparrows to think that the crumbs
which Uncle and the Children sprinkled
about were for them.


CHAPTER XII
THE CHRISTMAS FAIRY-BABY
“CHRISTMAS is coming, Christmas is com-
ing,” sang the Children one day, in the gar-
den, as they worked on a fat snowman, who
looked somewhat like Uncle, but did not have
his Magic laugh.
“What is Christmas?” said the curious
fairies who heard the Children's words.
“Can Christmas be a strange Human Being
or what can it be?” They couldn't explain it
and were greatly puzzled, and decided that
they simply must know what Christmas was.
They scampered about from house to house
asking each other what they knew about
Christmas—but every one shook his head.
So, of course, Gundy, who always had to
work out all the problems, that is unless Un-
cle did it, was asked to find out about Christ-
156


The Christmas Fairy-Baby 159
Claus, but their words soon trailed off too and
Gundy could not tell what they said.
Then he slipped into Grandmother's room.
She too was talking in her sleep, and about
Christmas, like the others. But she said a
strange thing that kept ringing in Gundy's
ears long afterwards. She said, "Peace on
earth, good will toward men.”
Ah, thought Gundy, those are very fine
words—it's always been in my heart, but
being only a stupid fairy I couldn't say the
words.
Then he left the Human Being House, for
there was nothing more said by the sleepers,
and when he reached home he told all that he
had heard to the curious fairies who were
waiting there for news. They listened to
every word but did not know much more
about Christmas than they had before. They
were not satisfied and urged Gundy to go
back, this time in daylight, when people were
not talking in their sleep. You never can
believe what you hear sleepers say!


The Christmas Fairy-Baby 161
Well, things were in a flutter! The House
was all hung in green garlands and wreaths
and a huge evergreen tree stood in the hall-
way. Gundy couldn't understand about the
tree or why the Children were hanging the
beautiful glistening balls on it. He had never
seen anything quite so pretty as those balls.
They were gold and silver and blue and green,
and they made him think of the bubbles which
he used to blow with his faithful pipe. He
couldn't understand, either, why Uncle stood,
in great danger, on top of a tall ladder, fas-
tening a silver star to the top of the big tree.
But whatever it was all about, surely it was
nice, for every one seemed so very happy and
kept saying over and over, “Christmas is com-
ing to-morrow!” They told secrets behind
their hands and winked and laughed and hid
big, square packages under the sofa.
After Uncle had fastened the star in place
on top of the tree, he climbed down the lad-
der, put on his coat and things, and went
away. When he came back he was carrying


162 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
so many bundles that you could scarcely see
him. You only knew that he was there be-
cause of his Magic laugh behind the bundles.
And when Gundy saw him he wondered if
Uncle really was talking in his sleep last
night when he spoke of the million dolls and
the rest of it. He really looked now as if he
had them all right there.
But all day long the children talked about
Santa Claus and peeped up the big chimney
in the hall, and counted again and again the
long stockings—everybody's, that hung in the
chimney. The whole House had a fine smell
-it made Gundy hungry-for every time any
one opened the doors leading to the kitchen,
a wonderful breeze blew out and every one
smacked his lips and said, “Christmas is com-
ing to-morrow!”
At last bed time had come. Grandmother
said so as she led the Children into the nur-
sery. She had promised to read them a story
before they went to bed, sọ Gundy, listening
by the door, heard the beautiful Christmas


The Christmas Fairy-Baby 163
Story which closed with the words he loved
so much—“Peace on Earth, good will to-
ward men.” He had come to the conclusion
that Christmas was something very, very
good, for everybody was so happy about it.
He would rush back and tell all the other
fairies about it as soon as Uncle opened his
window and went to bed. And finally when
everybody was in bed and fast asleep, and
Gundy had very lovingly tucked in the cov-
ers around his good Human friends, he
jumped out of the window and went home.
All the fairies were waiting—anxious to
hear the news about Christmas. Gundy sat
down and told them about everything he had
seen and heard. He told of the green gar-
lands and wreaths, and the big evergreen
tree hung with the beautiful glistening balls
so like his fountain-spray bubbles. Then he
spoke of the silver star on top of the tree; in
fact he told it all, and the fairies concluded
that after all Christmas must be something


The Christmas Fairy-Baby 165
Uncle? They would jump through his win-
dow and see. But no—Uncle was fast asleep
in his bed.
Gundy was alarmed-robbers again! He
grasped Tildy's hand and together they flew
into the hall to see if the big tree and the beau-
tiful balls had been stolen.
There they had a surprise. The fat man
with the huge pack was filling the long stock-
ings with gifts. He had come down the
chimney. Ah, this was Santa Claus—why,
of course! Now he remembered what the
Children had said about Santa Claus as they
peeped up the chimney and counted, again
and again, the stockings which hung in a
row by the chimney.
Gundy and Tildy liked Santa Claus' looks
so much that they almost ran out to speak to
him. Maybe it was because he looked so
much like Uncle and had a laugh like his!
And my, what a lot of presents he left! He
filled all the stockings with presents, he hung
them on the tree and piled them under the





The Christmas Fairy-Baby 167
There, in the beautiful silver and blue ball
which had dropped off the Christmas tree, was
a tiny, tiny fairy-baby. Yes, there was! It
was a Christmas fairy-baby, and I think that
Santa Claus must have known that there were
two fairies in the room and so left this little
present for them.
Now you know, as well as I do, that Flow-
er-Garden Tildy rarely ever had a word to
say, because she couldn't think of anything
to say. But my, oh my, how her tongue did
fly when this happened. You never heard the
like! Gundy was afraid she would waken the
entire household. Any one would think, to
see her, that it was the first fairy-baby ever
found! Finally Gundy coaxed her to come
along home quietly, and they gathered up
their Christmas present and started. Then
Tildy thought she couldn't wait till she
got home to show the fairy-baby to Gundy's
parents. Gundy really thought she'd talk her
head off–her tongue went so fast. When they
finally reached home she made him call all the


168 Fairy Who Believed in Human Beings
other fairies to come and see what they had and
she was sure that the reason all the Human Be-
ings were so excited, and the house in such a
flurry, was that they all knew that Little
Christmas—for that was the fairy-baby's name
—was coming. Had not the Children said
over and over again, “Christmas is coming?"
Indeed, all the Human Beings had said so.
And to Tildy this meant only one thing-
“Little Christmas is coming.” Of course
Gundy knew better but he allowed Tildy to
believe it for it made her so very happy.
And now I have come to the end and it is
time to leave Gundy and Tildy and Little
Christmas and the others. I have kept my
promise and told you all that I know about
Gundy. Maybe, some time, I will be able to
tell the rest of the story, tell all about Little
Christmas' school days, what became of the
Children in the Human Being House and
how Uncle and Santa Claus went into busi-








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The Fairy who
human beings
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