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    //-->American Fairy Tales1American Fairy TalesThe BOX OF ROBBERS ............................................................................ 3THE GLASS DOG. ................................................................................... 18THE QUEEN OF QUOK .......................................................................... 32THE GIRL WHO OWNED A BEAR ....................................................... 46THE ENCHANTED TYPES ..................................................................... 58THE LAUGHING HIPPOPOTAMUS...................................................... 68THE MAGIC BON BONS ........................................................................ 82The CAPTURE of FATHER TIME .......................................................... 92The WONDERFUL PUMP ..................................................................... 104THE DUMMY THAT LIVED ................................................................ 119THE KING of the POLAR BEARS ........................................................ 131The MANDARIN and the BUTTERFLY ............................................... 139Table of Contents Copyright © 2002 Outrigger Publishing, LLC.http://www.outriggerpress.com2American Fairy TalesThe BOX OF ROBBERSNo one intended to leave Martha alone that afternoon, but ithappened that everyone was called away, for one reason oranother. Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card partyheld by the Women's Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nell's youngman had called quite unexpectedly to take her for a long drive.Papa was at the office, as usual. It was Mary Ann's day out. As forEmeline, she certainly should have stayed in the house and lookedafter the little girl; but Emeline had a restless nature."Would you mind, miss, if I just crossed the alley to speak a wordto Mrs. Carleton's girl?" she asked Martha."'Course not," replied the child. "You'd better lock the back door,though, and take the key, for I shall be upstairs.""Oh, I'll do that, of course, miss," said the delighted maid, and ranaway to spend the afternoon with her friend, leaving Martha quitealone in the big house, and locked in, into the bargain.The little girl read a few pages in her new book, sewed a fewstitches in her embroidery and started to "play visiting" with herfour favorite dolls. Then she remembered that in the attic wasdoll's playhouse that hadn't been used for months, so she decidedshe would dust it and put it in order.3American Fairy TalesFilled with this idea, the girl climbed the winding stairs to the bigroom under the roof. It was well lighted by three dormer windowsand was warm and pleasant. Around the walls were rows of boxesand trunks, piles of old carpeting, pieces of damaged furniture,bundles of discarded clothing and other odds and ends of more orless value. Every well-regulated house has an attic of this sort, soI need not describe it.The doll's house had been moved, but after a search Martha foundit away over in a corner near the big chimney.She drew it out and noticed that behind it was a black woodenchest which Uncle Walter had sent over from Italy years and yearsago--before Martha was born, in fact. Mamma had told her aboutit one day; how there was no key to it, because Uncle Walterwished it to remain unopened until he returned home; and howthis wandering uncle, who was a mighty hunter, had gone intoAfrica to hunt elephants and had never been heard fromafterwards.The little girl looked at the chest curiously, now that it had byaccident attracted her attention.It was quite big--bigger even than mamma's traveling trunk--andwas studded all over with tarnished brassheaded nails. It washeavy, too, for when Martha tried to lift one end of it she foundshe could not stir it a bit. But there was a place in the side of thecover for a key. She stooped to examine the lock, and saw that itwould take a rather big key to open it.4American Fairy TalesThen, as you may suspect, the little girl longed to open UncleWalter's big box and see what was in it. For we are all curious,and little girls are just as curious as the rest of us."I don't b'lieve Uncle Walter'll ever come back," she thought."Papa said once that some elephant must have killed him. If I onlyhad key--" She stopped and clapped her little hands together gaylyas she remembered a big basket of keys on the shelf in the linencloset. They were of all sorts and sizes; perhaps one of themwould unlock the mysterious chest!She flew down the stairs, found the basket and returned with it tothe attic. Then she sat down before the brass-studded box andbegan trying one key after another in the curious old lock. Somewere too large, but most were too small. One would go into thelock but would not turn; another stuck so fast that she feared for atime that she would never get it out again. But at last, when thebasket was almost empty, an oddly-shaped, ancient brass keyslipped easily into the lock. With a cry of joy Martha turned thekey with both hands; then she heard a sharp "click," and the nextmoment the heavy lid flew up of its own accord!The little girl leaned over the edge of the chest an instant, and thesight that met her eyes caused her to start back in amazement.Slowly and carefully a man unpacked himself from the chest,stepped out upon the floor, stretched his limbs and then took offhis hat and bowed politely to the astonished child.He was tall and thin and his face seemed badly tanned orsunburnt.5 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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