BUSY BROWNIES
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
PALMER
COX
AUTHOR OF
THE BROWNIES
STORIES BY
E. VEALE
THE
FAIRY TALES AUTHORESS.
COPYRIGHTED 1896
THE FAIRY QUEEN’S PALACE.
All the Brownies had promised to help,and when a Brownie undertakes a thing heworks as busily as a beaver until it is accomplished.Now this is what they determinedto do.
The Fairy Queen’s palace hadbeen destroyed—a wind that hadswept through the forest carryingtrees before it, and spreading ruin asit traveled, had lifted up the FairyQueen’s home and dashed it all topieces. Poor little Queen; howsorrowful she felt to lose thepretty house where the royalfamily of Fairyland had so long lived.
But true to their nature the Browniescame to the rescue, promising to build a palacefar more beautiful than the one that waslost. Such helpful little creatures as theBrownies never lived. No chance of doinggood to one in trouble ever escapes these generous littlefellows and certainly this was a work to be hailed withmuch joy.
For a long while before they commenced, you couldsee them gathered in groups, discussing how and wherethey should begin, and how they could make the palacemore beautiful. They were a funny looking set when theystarted out for the place where the house was to be built.Each one carried something. One little fellow had anaxe, another, hammer and nails, one the mortar hod andstill another the plane, while the masterworker could be seen with thesquare in his hand giving directionsto the whole crowd.
They commenced their work onebeautiful moonlight night. Brownies, you know, workwhen the darkness has put all theworld to sleep. What a time they hadgetting all the things together. Arrivingat the spot, some fell to choppingwood, while others mixed the mortarand rigged up the pulleys bywhich they were to raise the stuff tothe roof. How the hammers rang outas they struck the bright little nails.The grindstone went spinning aroundso fast it hummed quite a tune, as thecarpenter sharpened his tools, for theBrownies had so much to do theymust work their very fastest. Theplasterer mixed the mortar, thepainters made their brushes fly overthe house; the masons worked witha will at the chimney, and the paperhanger’s scissors shut with a click as he cut off the paperfor the palace walls, which were to be so prettily decorated.
When morning came all was finished and the Browniesfelt proud and happy as they looked at their night’swork. They worked as if by Magic and almost before you