CHAPTER IITHE FORTUNE TELLEROctober, October, you gay little rover,You are welcome, the wide world over;Merrily, merrily, school-bells ringAnd children all delight to sing.The Ink-Bottle Babies are absent to-day,Or perhaps they lingered upon the way;I heard the Ink-Bottle Babies sigh,“We are busy bidding the birds good-bye!”
October, October, you gay little rover,You are welcome, the wide world over;Merrily, merrily, school-bells ringAnd children all delight to sing.The Ink-Bottle Babies are absent to-day,Or perhaps they lingered upon the way;I heard the Ink-Bottle Babies sigh,“We are busy bidding the birds good-bye!”
October, October, you gay little rover,You are welcome, the wide world over;Merrily, merrily, school-bells ringAnd children all delight to sing.The Ink-Bottle Babies are absent to-day,Or perhaps they lingered upon the way;I heard the Ink-Bottle Babies sigh,“We are busy bidding the birds good-bye!”
October, October, you gay little rover,You are welcome, the wide world over;Merrily, merrily, school-bells ringAnd children all delight to sing.The Ink-Bottle Babies are absent to-day,Or perhaps they lingered upon the way;I heard the Ink-Bottle Babies sigh,“We are busy bidding the birds good-bye!”
October, October, you gay little rover,
You are welcome, the wide world over;
Merrily, merrily, school-bells ring
And children all delight to sing.
The Ink-Bottle Babies are absent to-day,
Or perhaps they lingered upon the way;
I heard the Ink-Bottle Babies sigh,
“We are busy bidding the birds good-bye!”
The Ink-Bottle Babies woke up cross. Every one of them got up out of the wrong side of the bed!
The Ink-Bottle Mamma called, “Hurry, hurry, or you will all be late to school!”
Then Molly called, “I can’t find my shoes,” and Polly called, “I can’t find my dress,” and all the Ink-Bottle Babies set up such a wail that the Ink-Bottle Mamma had to come upstairs and help them dress.
She said, “My dear children, will you never grow up?”
“Give us a ride, please!”
“Give us a ride, please!”
When they sat down at the table, Molly said, “I don’t want this oatmeal,” and Polly said, “I don’t want any either.”
Then all the Ink-Bottle Babies said, “We don’t want any oatmeal!”
They laid down their twenty-five little spoons. And will you believe it? Not one of the Babies would eat any breakfast!
Then the Ink-Bottle Mamma said, “Get down from your chairs, every one of you.”
The Ink-Bottle Babies got down from their chairs, pouting and scolding. Then the Ink-Bottle Mamma put on their caps and sent them right off to school.
“Hurry! hurry!” she said. “Don’t be late for school!”
They had not gone far when the first Ink-Bottle Baby said, “I will not go another step!”
Then the second Ink-Bottle Baby said, “I will not go another step!”
Then what do you suppose happened next? They all sat down in a row and they cried and they screamed and they howled!
Just then an old farmer came along with his wagon.
When he saw all the Ink-Bottle Babies in a row, he said, “Bless my heart! What funny little babies! What are you all doing here?”
Then Molly and Polly cried, “Give us a ride, please! We don’t care which way we go!”
Then the farmer got down and helped all the Babies into his wagon and they rode merrily away!
They laughed and talked and said, “Oh!” and “Ah!” and “What a fine ride!”
When they rode by the school they kept very still, and they all crept down in the bottom of the wagon.
On and on they rode, through the woods and into a town and away off to a little red house on a farm.
“Will you spend the day with me?” asked the farmer.
The Ink-Bottle Babies cried, “We will! We will!” And they jumped up and down with joy. They had a fine time all day. They saw the sheep and pigs and cows, and they took turns riding on a little pony.
When night came Molly and Polly cried, “We want our Ma! We want our Ma!”
The farmer’s wife was very deaf, but she saw that all the Ink-Bottle Babies were crying at once, so she gave each one a cookie. The cookies had red sugar on them. They had raisins in them. The Ink-Bottle Babies cried and would not eat their cookies.
Then the farmer’s wife took Polly on the right arm of her chair, and she took Molly on the left arm of her chair. Then she let all the rest of the Ink-Bottle Babies crowd around her.
Next, the farmer’s wife put on her spectacles and opened a great red book. Then all the Ink-Bottle Babies clapped their hands and set up a shout, for they could see the name of the book.
It was called “Tip-Top Fairy Tales.”
The farmer’s wife smiled at the Babies and began to read slowly. She skipped the hard words and stumbled over the easy ones!
If you do not like to listen to her read, you will have to read for yourself the story of Goldy and Brownie, or The Fortune Teller. Here is the story:
Once upon a time there were two sisters. They were as different as they could be.
Goldy was good and beautiful. Brownie was ugly and cross.
One day Goldy said, “I am going down into the valley to see the Fortune Teller. I am going to have my fortune told.”
Brownie said, “You shall not go. I am afraid you will have a better fortune than mine if you go first.”
Then Brownie tied Goldy into a chair and she went out of the house and locked the door.
Brownie said, “I will have my fortune told first.”
She went into the valley where an old Gypsy lived. She knocked at the door and the Gypsy called out,
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in.”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in.”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in.”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,
Sit by the fire and spin;
Cross-Patch, pull the latch,
Open the door, come in.”
“She stamped her foot”
“She stamped her foot”
Brownie was a little afraid to pull the latch at first, but as the Gypsy did not speak again she knew she must do something, so she pulled the latch. The door opened, and she went into the house.
She said, “You cross old woman, I want my fortune told.”
The Gypsy looked at her and said,
“You may bake and brew,But whatever you do,You’ll uglier grow each day;But make a wish, just make one wish,Make a wish and go away!”
“You may bake and brew,But whatever you do,You’ll uglier grow each day;But make a wish, just make one wish,Make a wish and go away!”
“You may bake and brew,But whatever you do,You’ll uglier grow each day;But make a wish, just make one wish,Make a wish and go away!”
“You may bake and brew,
But whatever you do,
You’ll uglier grow each day;
But make a wish, just make one wish,
Make a wish and go away!”
Brownie was so angry she stamped her foot and said the first thing that came into her mind.
She said, “I wish I had a fine fur coat to wear all the time.”
Then the Gypsy touched her with her cane, and her dress turned into a fur coat, and Brownie herself turned into a caterpillar!
“There!” said the Gypsy, “I guess you have a fur coat to wear all the time.”
The Gypsy forgot one thing. She forgot to take away Brownie’s voice, so she could talk as well as ever.
Brownie went crawling slowly home. She called out to Goldy,
“Go to the Gypsy, whatever you do,A very fine fortune waits there for you!”
“Go to the Gypsy, whatever you do,A very fine fortune waits there for you!”
“Go to the Gypsy, whatever you do,A very fine fortune waits there for you!”
“Go to the Gypsy, whatever you do,
A very fine fortune waits there for you!”
She really hoped that the Gypsy would turn her sister into a caterpillar, too!
Then Brownie sighed, for she remembered that she had tied Goldy into her chair, and that she could not get away if she wanted to.
Pretty soon a prince came by and Brownie cried,
“The beautiful princess sits in a chair;Just take a peep in the window there!”
“The beautiful princess sits in a chair;Just take a peep in the window there!”
“The beautiful princess sits in a chair;Just take a peep in the window there!”
“The beautiful princess sits in a chair;
Just take a peep in the window there!”
The prince was so surprised to hear a voice and see no one, that he cried out,
“What shall I do? What shall I do?I’ll peep through the window to see if it’s true.”
“What shall I do? What shall I do?I’ll peep through the window to see if it’s true.”
“What shall I do? What shall I do?I’ll peep through the window to see if it’s true.”
“What shall I do? What shall I do?
I’ll peep through the window to see if it’s true.”
Then he tiptoed to the window so softly his feet never made a sound, and sure enough, there he saw Goldy sitting in the chair—tied in, fast asleep.
The prince tried to get into the house. He tried the front door, and the back door, and the side door, and all the windows. At last he found a window that would open. He sat on the window sill and cried,
“Golden Hair, will you come to me?May I come in and set you free?”
“Golden Hair, will you come to me?May I come in and set you free?”
“Golden Hair, will you come to me?May I come in and set you free?”
“Golden Hair, will you come to me?
May I come in and set you free?”
Then Goldy woke up. She had read about princes, but she had never seen one before. She was so surprised she only nodded her head.
Then the prince came in and cut the cords that bound her.
Goldy said, “Thank you!” Then she went and made the prince a cup of tea.
They were about to sit down and enjoy the tea when a dove flew in at the window. It had a messagetied round its neck. The message was for the prince. It said, “Come home at once. Your father is ill.”
So the prince took off his cap with the big feather in it, and made a bow. Then he went out of the window as suddenly as he had come.
Goldy said to herself, “I will go to the Gypsy and have my fortune told. Perhaps I shall meet the prince again.”
So she put on her blue dress and sunbonnet, and went to the house where the Gypsy lived, and knocked at the door.
The Gypsy said,
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in!”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in!”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in!”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,
Sit by the fire and spin;
Cross-Patch, pull the latch,
Open the door, come in!”
Then Goldy opened the door and walked in.
“Will you tell my fortune?” she said.
The Gypsy liked Goldy, but to save her life she did not know how to tell a very good fortune, so she said,
“Whatever you do your wish will come true,So make it, I pray, and go quickly away!”
“Whatever you do your wish will come true,So make it, I pray, and go quickly away!”
“Whatever you do your wish will come true,So make it, I pray, and go quickly away!”
“Whatever you do your wish will come true,
So make it, I pray, and go quickly away!”
Goldy was wishing in her heart that she could see the prince, so she said at once, “I wish I could fly.”
“She knocked at the door”
“She knocked at the door”
Then the Gypsy touched her with her cane and her blue dress turned into a shining pair of wings. She became a beautiful blue butterfly, and sailed away and away in the sunshine. By and by she sailed into the king’s garden.
The prince came out and cried, “Oh what a beautiful butterfly.”
Then Goldy told him what had happened and she said, “Go to the Gypsy and see how I can be changed back again.”
Then the prince went in a hurry to the Gypsy, you may believe. When the Gypsy heard him knock she cried as before,
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in!”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in!”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Sit by the fire and spin;Cross-Patch, pull the latch,Open the door, come in!”
“Cross-Patch, pull the latch,
Sit by the fire and spin;
Cross-Patch, pull the latch,
Open the door, come in!”
The prince opened the door and made his verybest bow and said, “I wish Goldy were changed back into a beautiful girl and standing here beside me.”
The Gypsy nodded her head and soon a blue butterfly came floating in through the window. The Gypsy said a magic verse, and changed the butterfly back into the girl Goldy.
Then Goldy and the prince thanked the Gypsy. They were married at once, and they went to live in the king’s palace. They were not so happy as they had expected to be for Goldy cried all day, “I miss my sister Brownie. Go and find my ugly little sister.”
The prince went out to look for Brownie. He traveled high and low but he could not find her.
Then Goldy went out to look for her sister. She went to her old home and she heard a voice say,
“I am as lonely as can be,Sister Goldy, come to me!”
“I am as lonely as can be,Sister Goldy, come to me!”
“I am as lonely as can be,Sister Goldy, come to me!”
“I am as lonely as can be,
Sister Goldy, come to me!”
Then Goldy cried, “Here I am. Where are you hiding, little sister?”
Then Brownie told about her being changed into an ugly caterpillar, and they went together to the Gypsy.
The Gypsy was sitting on her doorstep and Goldycried out, “See, I will give you this golden dish if you will change the caterpillar into my little sister.”
The Gypsy liked the dish and she said a few magic words and changed the caterpillar into the girl Brownie.
Brownie was now so happy that she was good-looking. Many a young prince came and fell in love with her but Brownie was so happy to live with her sister and the prince, that she sang a very merry song:
“I have lovers four and twenty;One or two would be a plenty;And I am as happy as happy can be,Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
“I have lovers four and twenty;One or two would be a plenty;And I am as happy as happy can be,Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
“I have lovers four and twenty;One or two would be a plenty;And I am as happy as happy can be,Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
“I have lovers four and twenty;
One or two would be a plenty;
And I am as happy as happy can be,
Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
One day there came to the palace a little lame prince. He was as ugly as a barb-wire fence, but Brownie let him in. She gave him a cup of tea and said:
“I have lovers four and twenty;One or two would be a plenty;And I am happy as happy can be,Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
“I have lovers four and twenty;One or two would be a plenty;And I am happy as happy can be,Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
“I have lovers four and twenty;One or two would be a plenty;And I am happy as happy can be,Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
“I have lovers four and twenty;
One or two would be a plenty;
And I am happy as happy can be,
Since the old Gypsy set me free.”
The little lame prince said, “I am ugly and no one loves me. Will you marry me?”
Brownie said, “I will marry you.” And they were married in the rose garden, and they grew better looking and happier every day.
Whenever they saw sick caterpillars or butterflies with broken wings, they took care of them.
Brownie and Goldy each had a home near the king’s palace, and they were happy all their lives.
The Ink-Bottle Babies cried, “Is that all? Tell it again! Tell it again! Please do! Read it or tell it! It is a lovely story!”
The farmer’s wife said, “It must be bedtime.” They looked at the great clock that stood in the hall, and the clock said it was ten o’clock!
“I am going home to-morrow, and I am going to school,” said Molly.
“I, too,” said Polly.
“We, too,” cried all the Ink-Bottle Babies. “We are all going to learn to read that story.”
Then they scampered upstairs and went to bed.
Just as they were about to go to sleep, Molly said, “It is awful to have to spell out the words like the farmer’s wife does.”
Polly said, “I am going to learn to read!”