TOMMY would not learn his lessons. He wouldn’t do his sums, he upset the ink over his geography book, and smashed his . He tore a leaf out of his grammar and made a paper boat of it. He ought to have been punished, but he wasn’t, because his Mamma thought that dear Tommy must be ill or he wouldn’t behave so badly; so, thinking the fresh air would be good for him, she asked him to pick her a bunch of buttercups out of the meadow, but Tommy said he would rather not—he didn’t want to do anything ever again.  
Tommy was not a bad little boy generally, but sometimes the idle fairy, who is no bigger than a grain of mustard-seed, though very strong, sat in his ear and whispered naughty things to him. He threw all his lesson-books in a heap on the school-room floor, and went out to the , where he ate seven big apples one after the other, and lay on his back looking up at the apple-trees, and trying to feel glad that he had had his own way. Presently he sighed.

“What do you want?” said a voice, and Tommy saw a little red-cheeked man in a green cap, swinging on one of the apple and looking at him.
 
“I only want to do nothing,” Tommy; “it’s very hard they won’t let me.”
 
“Oh, if that’s all,” said the little man, “come with me,” and, taking Tommy’s hand, he led him through a convenient little door which opened in the trunk of the apple-tree. It led straight into the most beautiful garden in the world.
 
“Now then,” said the little man, “do nothing as hard as you like.” And he plumped Tommy down on a bank.
 
Presently a troop of merry children came by with balls and . Tommy jumped up to catch a golden ball that rolled his way.
 
“Lie down, sir,” said the little man, for all the world as though he had been a dog, Tommy thought; “you wanted to do nothing, remember!”
 
“I meant no lessons,” said Tommy.
 
“You didn’t say so,” said the little man. “Besides, all those children have done their lessons, or they would not be allowed to stay here.”
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