Thro’ all the world she followed him!”
CHAPTER XV.
LITTLE MISS HELPFUL.
OU tell such good stories,” said Dorothy, “I would like very much to hear one to-day.”
The chair laughed merrily and said: “I think I will tell you about Little Miss Helpful.”
Little Miss Helpful was a dear little girl, who lived in a dear little cottage with a dear little grandmother. In front of the cottage was a pretty garden, with balsams and four-o’clocks and lazy hollyhocks basking in the sunshine. There was also a little bed of crisp lettuce, another of tender string beans, and best of all, a strawberry patch.
In the back of the cottage was a large yard where a busy mother hen and a brood of twelve downy chicks scratched and chuckled all day long. The little girl that I am going to tell you about was no larger than yourself, but she was such an industrious little body that every one called her Little Miss Helpful. While the chicks were just toddling about in the yard, she would sit and watch them because a certain black cat in the neighborhood had his eye on them and longed to get one for his dinner. Sometimes she hemmed a kerchief, or made a little duster while she was “minding” the chickens, and sometimes she read fairy stories all by herself. Every day she managed to get a few minutes to weed the garden, especially the strawberry patch.
I cannot tell you about all the steps she saved her dear old grandmother. It would take too long. I will merely mention the fact that she could dust as nicely as a tidy housemaid, wipe the dishes so carefully that none got broken and she could gather a basket of chips for her grandma’s fire in the shortest possible time.
One day she was sitting in the back yard “minding” the chickens. It was dreamy summer weather, and soft white clouds floated in the blue sky. Suddenly a bluebird lighted on a branch over her head and began to sing. The little girl listened to the bird and when he had finished he flew right down on her head. She was very much surprised and put up her hand to catch the bird. But he had flown away and on her head was a blue silk bonnet with long strings. She was so excited that she arose from her little chair and lo! her gingham dress disappeared and she had on the most beautiful blue silk frock and dear little blue satin slippers.