How Elsie Became a Good Girl.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue II, 14 July 1900, Page 95

How Elsie Became a Good Girl.

Elsie Grayson was a very naughty little girl, and did not like to obey her mother. One afternoon she was sitting at the window reading. She should have l»een mending her dress, which her mother had told her to do. but Elsie had no notion of putting • low n her book at the best part of the story. \s she was sitting there, she heard a noise, and. looking up. she

miw a Iwwutiful little fairy standing before her. **El>ie." xaid the fairy. "urr you a good girl. an«l <lo yon ah%ay> do a> y«»or mother tells* you?*' Elsie huug her head and did not reply. “Answer me. Elsie.’* the fairy said at length. ““Ik» you always do a> your mother tells you?” “Xo.” Mammered Elsie looking very notch ashamed. ““Take this ring.” said the fairy, putting a ring on Elsie's finger. ““At eight o'clock to-night lake it off ami lay it on your window sill. Now. remember to do exactly as I tell you." Saying this, she vanished from Elsie's sight. Elsie looked at the ring a minute, then she mended her dress: after this she was very good for the rest of the ewnitig. That night she remembered what the fairy had said, and at eight o'clock she took the ring from her finger ami laid it on the windox* sill. As soon as she had laid it there a numl»er of little black objects came ami settled on the sill. Elsie thought they looked Like little people; she could not quite make out what they ““Who are you?” she said to the first one. ““My name is Disobedience,” said the thing. ““I was not far off when you \x ere reading that book this afternoon.” The second one said its name xvas Deceit. the third 111-nature, the fourth Discontent, and so on all the way doxvn the roxv. until Elsie recognised in them all the faults of which she had been guilt x. After a little while Elsie heard something telling her to pick up the ring, and xxhen she did so all the black things flew away. The next day the fairy came again ami told Elsie to lay the ring on the window that night, just as she had done the night lieforv. but fewer black things came that night, for Elsie had tried to i»e a better irirl during the •lay. ami every night there were less ami less, until there xvere none at allWhen Elsie had become a good little girl the fairy came and took back the ring, telling her she xvas glad she had conquered her faults so well. Shortly after Elsie told her mother xvhat I have told you about the fairy ring. On Elsie's next birthday, her father gave her a pretty silver bangle for being a good girl.