The House the Children Built
Once upon a time there lived a good and beautiful Fairy named Health, and she was very happy, for all around were flowers and trees and birds and in the midst of these, her house.
Now Health’s house was built of bricks and shingles and lovely colored glass. One day when the sky was blue and the sun shining, down the road came an ugly old Witch. Her face was hard and her eyes were very cruel. She stopped in front of Health’s lovely garden and from her pocket drew forth a yellow ball and threw it with all her strength toward the house.
It settled on the roof, and where it fell there sprang forth fire, which spread and spread over the house, until it was a mass of flames. Fairy Health ran to the well for water, but before her tiny hands could draw the water up from the well, her house was burnt beyond all help.
When the Witch, whose name was Ignorance, saw the harm she had done, she laughed a cruel laugh and hobbled down the road.
Poor little Fairy Health sank upon the grass in her garden and cried. At last she was conscious of a voice and looking up, saw in a green bush quite near a lovely Bird, who said: “Keep up your courage, Fairy, for I will tell you how to build your house anew.”
Health dried her eyes upon a sweet geranium leaf, and asked him how that could possibly be done.
The Bird replied: “It can be done by the hands of Children alone. Every time a Child learns to eat the right food, a brick shall be added to your house, every time a Child learns to sleep in the sweet fresh air, a shingle shall be put upon the roof. And every time a Child learns to play and be happy, a colored glass shall be added to the windows.”
“But alas!” said Fairy Health, “How shall we teach the Children these things?”
“I will go to the Teachers who are wise and good,” said the Bird, “and tell them what to do.”
So the Bird, whose name was Education, started on his journey. He took his brother Rumor with him to help tell the Teachers, because there were a great many Teachers to be told about the Children’s health.
Far and near these wise birds traveled, to little towns and to big cities, and everywhere the Teachers listened to their story, until in all that great country, the Children were taught to eat wholesome food, to sleep in the sweet fresh air, and to play and be happy.
And as the Children grew healthy and happy, the bricks were added to the Fairy’s house, and shingles were put upon the roof. Lovely colored glass filled up the broken windows, and once again there stood among the trees and flowers a house so beautiful that strangers, passing by, paused to admire it. Health often invited them to rest in her garden, and as she refreshed them with sparkling water from the well, she told the story of her house, and how Children had rebuilt it for her.
