Cho-Cho and the Health Fairy

by Eleanor Glendower Griffith

OF AMERICA

Mrs. Frederick Peterson

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.”