“Yes,” said the Fairy. “You were crying in your sleep, sobbing so hard that I heard you away off in Fairyland. So I knew something very sad must be troubling you, and I came just as quickly as I could to my little friend. What is it, Rose? What is the matter?”
The Fairy spoke so kindly that Rose began to cry again.
“Oh, I do so want a little sister!” she sobbed.
“Well, why don’t you go about to get one?” asked the Fairy.
“I don’t know how,” said Rose, blinking the tears in wonder. “Where can I find one, dear Fairy?”
“You can’t find a whole baby,” said the Fairy, “but you must gather her in little pieces. Then perhaps my fairies will put her together for you, like a patchwork quilt.”
“I never heard of such a thing!” exclaimed Rose indignantly. “I don’t want a pieced little sister, I want a nice whole one.”
“Oh, very well,” returned the Fairy Queen carelessly, “but I’ll tell you a secret. They are all pieced that way, though nobody knows it. The seams never show, we take such fine, fine stitches. But the pieces must be carefully chosen. Haven’t you noticed how some babies have a nose which doesn’t belong with the chin, or unmatched eyes, or ears which are not a truly pair? You must do better than that, Rose. You must choose carefully, so that your little sister will be symmetrical and even,—the same on both sides.”
“Oh, can I really do it?” cried Rose eagerly, sitting up in bed. “When may I begin?”
“Begin now,” said the Fairy. “I suppose you would like to have the little sister as soon as possible?”