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32 The Fairy Godmothers.

clean and nice and pretty, you can fit in the chair
and we can look at you!” and here the good old
Nurfe gave a knowing {mile and nodded her head.

Hermione caught fight of the comical coaxing
glance, and, in fpite of her misfortune, burft into
a fitof laughter. ‘ Huth, hufh, hufh!” now you'll
wake the poor thing by laughing, Mifs Hermione.
I do with you’d be quiet :” and here the Nurfe
rocked the child on her knee more vigoroufly than
ever.

“¢ ‘Then why don’t you tell me what I am to do
with my ftocking,” cried Hermione. ‘ Oh well,
I know what I will do—fomething quite as quiet
as a moufe. I will wind up my poor worfted.”
Hereupon the little girl picked up the puckered
remains of her lucklefs grey ftocking which a
facetious young cat had fpent at leaft a quarter of
an hour in ingenioufly unravelling with his claws.
It was a tirefome tedious job we muft admit, and
required a ftrong effort of patient perfeverance,
but Hermione foon became engroffed in its diffi-
culties and a dead filence enfued. At laft Nurfe
who had while rocking the fleeping baby on her
knee, been watching the child’s proceedings, fud-
denly exclaimed, ‘ Well to be fure, Mifs Her-
mione, you have fuch patience as I never before
did fee.”

[The Fairies exchanged glances.

“ Tt is Patience, Ambrofia.”

“¢ What a hurry you are in! ” was the reply. ]

‘© No I hav’n’t, Nurfe, indeed,” anfwered Her--