As he looked into the grate he saw a red flame curl up, and up, and soon a Funny Fairy dressed in red and white jumped up on one of the logs and cried:

“You’re never going to pass your grade,

If you keep on like this, I am afraid.”

Tommy was just going to answer when the Funny Fairy jumped out of the fire and called:

“Number Fairy bright and airy,

By fire-light, come out to-night.”

Then, the Number Fairy came whisk! bound, out of the fire. She wore a black dress with white numbers upon it:

The numbers they went from her head to her toes

She was very learned as you may well suppose.

She shook her finger at Tommy and cried: