THE MAGIC CLOTHES BASKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 4063, 26 January 1932, Page 69

THE MAGIC CLOTHES BASKET.

Yon have all heard the story of how Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to get her poor dog a bone. She was poor just then, because she had been buying new curtains for her little house, a new frock for herself, and a nice red winter cover for her sofa. Her purse was as empty as her cupboard, and so she started to think of a way of earning bread for herself and nice juicy bones for her dog.

She discovered plenty of soap in her wash-house, and so she printed a big card with “ Bring your washing here,” and put it in her window. Soon there came a thump on her door, and she hurried to open it. A huge basket of clothes stood there, but she saw nobody.

“ Well. I will wash them. Perhaps the owner will come back,” said Mother Hub bard, as she struggled in with the basket. She rubbed and scrubbed all day long until her back and arms ached; then she stood upright, passed a soapy hand over her forehead, and said, “ The pile never grows less!” Sure enough, the basket was as full of washing as when she started!

“I won’t wash any more!” cried Mother Hubbard rebelliously; “ I’ll iron all these and pile them neatly, and when the owner comes I will give her a piece of my mind.”

The owner did not come, however, and in the morning Mother Hubbard looked at the basket full of sheets and shirts and said: “I suppose I may as well start on them.” She had another hard day’s washing, but at the end of the day the basket was as full as ever. And still the owner did not return.

By the end of the third day Mother Hubbard wag growing very hungry in-

deed, and too weak to wash any more. She looked at her piles of snowy linen, and then she had a big idea. “ They don’t seem to belong to so I will start a shop.” She arranged all the snowy linen tastefully in the window and priced it, and soon she bad plenty of customers. Her prices, you see, were very low, and as the linen was good her fame spread far and wide. Mother Hubbard and her dog dined sumptuously. Every time her stock became rather low she had another washing day, and the basket filled up again. No one ever called for it, so she supposed that the fairies must have taken pity on her plight and chosen this method of helping her to help herself.—An exchange.