Dorothy looked all around to see who had been talking, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. Then she saw the carved face on the chair smiling at her.
“Were you talking just now?” asked Dorothy.
“Yes,” answered the chair, “I like to talk to little children.”
“Do you really,” said Dorothy; “then perhaps you could tell me a story?”
“Nothing easier,” replied the chair, “which would you prefer to hear; ‘The Enchanted Horse,’ ‘The Three Boxes,’ or ‘The Beautiful Princess Isabelle’?”
“O,” said Dorothy, “tell me about the beautiful Princess Isabelle.”
“Very well,” said the chair, “you shall hear.”
“Excuse me,” said Dorothy, “before you begin. Do you mind Susan Ida sitting on you? She’ll be very quiet.”
“Not at all,” was the answer, “I don’t mind being sat on,” and the chair began the story:—
Once upon a time there lived a beautiful little princess whose name was Isabelle. She had exquisite dolls, wonderful toys and lived in a most beautiful castle. But she was not quite happy because she had no little brother or sister or cousin to play with. She did not have even a little friend to visit. She lived quite alone in the great castle with the servants and sometimes she felt very lonely. Every day she walked in the castle garden and longed for a playmate. One day as she sat in her little summer-house she said aloud, “O, how I would like somebody to play with.” She tapped her foot on the ground and sighed.