Quote YOU 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 basking¹ in the sunshine. There was also a little bed of crisp lettuce², 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 chuckled³ all day long. The little girl that I am going to tell you about was no larger than yourself, but she was such an industrious⁴ little body that every one called her Little Miss Helpful. While the chicks were just toddling⁵ 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 hemmed⁶ 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 yard196 “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 bonnet⁷ with long strings⁸. 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 slippers⁹.
 
“Are you ready?” said a voice, and Little Miss Helpful saw a beautiful fairy sitting in a golden chariot.
 
“Please, good fairy, I cannot leave the chicks,” said the little girl; “a cat might take one.”
 
“She will watch the chickens until you return,” said the fairy, and she pointed¹⁰ to a little197 girl in her little chair that looked just like Miss Helpful.
 
Then Little Miss Helpful stepped into the golden chariot and was soon driving through the woodlands beside the beautiful fairy.
 
“I am going to take you to a party this afternoon; would you like to go?”
 
“Very much indeed, thank you,” replied the little girl, and she looked down at her blue silk dress and her little satin slippers and smiled with pleasure.
 
Suddenly they stopped before a great golden castle, and in a few minutes Little Miss Helpful was walking up the steps with the beautiful fairy. When they were inside the castle the fairy said: “Now I must leave you, but you can find the way yourself. Go down the long hall and open the golden door.”
 
The fairy disappeared and Miss Helpful started to walk down the long hall. As she went along she saw a pin on the floor, and being198 a careful little soul she stopped and picked it up. The instant she took the pin from the floor it turned into a beautiful fairy who said, “I will bestow¹¹ upon thee this gift, thou shalt always be clean and bright as a new pin.”
 
The fairy disappeared when she had said the words and Little Miss Helpful continued to walk toward the golden door.
 
Suddenly she saw a half-wilted rose lying in a corner. She picked it up and it turned into a beautiful fairy who said, “Thou shalt be as lovely as a rose, and thy helpful ways like its fragrance¹² bring delight to all who know thee.” This fairy also disappeared and just then the little girl found herself before the golden door.
 
She opened it and entered a magnificent room where beautiful kings and queens were dancing. They were all dressed in spangled white robes, but Little Miss Helpful had the most beautiful dress in the room.
 
A handsome prince came forward to meet199 Little Miss Helpful and the next minute she was dancing around the room with him.
 
She was feeling very happy when all at once she heard a chicken squeal¹⁴. “A cat!” cried Little Miss Helpful, and she darted¹⁵ for the door, ran through the hall and out into the woodlands a............