Page:Stories and story-telling (1915).djvu/102

 year and a day, and a great many more, as happy as bees in clover.

And the young rooster was cock of the walk.

—

THUMBELINA

(Arranged as a continued story)

Once a woman wished she had a very little child, but she did not know where to get one. So she went to an old witch and said, "I wish I had a very little child. Can you tell me where I might get one?"

"Oh, that I can easily," said the old witch. "Here is a barleycorn for you. It is not the kind that grows in everyone's field and the chickens eat. Put it into a flower pot, and you shall see what you shall see."

"Thank you," said the woman, and she gave the witch twelve shillings, for that was the price of the barleycorn.

Well, the woman planted the barleycorn. And immediately there grew up a great handsome flower. It was like a tulip, but the petals were tightly closed as if it were still a bud.

"What a beautiful flower," cried the woman, and she kissed its yellow and red leaves. "Pop," the flower opened. It was a real tulip, but in the middle, there upon the green velvet stamens