A great cheer rose from the crowd as he gave the baby to its mother. Just then the burning wall trembled and fell. The crowd dispersed, and only the fairy remained to see what had become of the brave fireman. Beneath the ladder she saw his lifeless form. He had given his life bravely for others.

"Ah," said the fairy, "if the children in the valley could be as brave as this fireman, they would live peaceably together."

Now, as the fairy journeyed homeward, she passed through a great bed of red poppies. Filling her arms with the brilliant flowers, she carried them to her hillside and planted them in seven rows.

66 When the children see these red blooms," she said, "they will think of bravery."

II

As the second fairy journeyed forth she came to a cottage covered with vines and climbing roses. It was a very peaceful spot. On the porch of the cottage a young mother was rocking her baby to sleep, and singing as she rocked. As the fairy looked at the sweet picture, she thought, "This young mother and her baby are pure and free from any evil thoughts or deeds. If the children in the valley had as pure hearts as the mother and her baby, they surely would not quarrel and fight as they do."

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33

When the fairy turned back toward her hillside, she passed through a field of fragrant white lilies.

66

These lilies," she said, " are as pure as the mother and baby I saw on the cottage porch. I will gather them and

take them back to the hillside,

where the children can see them."

When the fairy returned to the hillside she saw where her sister had planted the gay red poppies.

go

III

The third fairy traveled till late in the afternoon before she found anything that she thought would help the children. Then she was almost crushed in a crowd of people who were hurrying home from work. As a lady crossed the street she dropped her pocketbook. She did not miss it, but hurried on with the crowd. A ragged little newsboy spied it, and rushed upon it with joy. It meant a good supper and perhaps warm clothes to him if he kept it. The fairy watched him open it and gaze with delight at the bills he found inside. No one but the fairy saw him. She wondered what the child would do.

He did not know whose the money was. He could easily have darted through the crowd to a place of safety,

where he could have spent the money he so sorely needed. But the boy did not leave the spot where he had first found the pocketbook. He seemed to be waiting for something.

Soon the lady who had dropped the purse came rushing back in great excitement. Her face was stained with tears. As she came near the ragged boy he ran up to her and asked, "Lady, did you lose something?" Yes, indeed, I lost all the money I have in the world," she answered.

"Is this your pocketbook?" asked the child, as he handed it to her.

Ah," sighed the fairy with relief, "how glad I am that truth and honesty were stronger than his temptation. If the children in the val

ley were always true, there would be less quarreling among them.”

When she returned home she carried in her arms great clusters

of blue hyacinths. "For blue,"

she said," stands for truth. When the children see these blue flowers they will think of truth, and they

will be better for the thought."

She planted the bright blue flowers in a large bed at the corner of her sisters' red and white rows.

IV

At evening the fourth fairy was walking along a country road, when her eyes were attracted by the lighted windows of a farmhouse. Drawing near, she

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35

looked in and saw the farmer's family seated around the supper table. She heard pleasant voices and laughter. Everybody seemed to be happy. She listened to hear what they were talking about.

66

'Neighbor Brown," she heard the farmer say, wants some one to help him shuck corn to-morrow. any of you boys go?"

Can

"I want some one to help me make apple butter," said the mother.

"Oh, we will all help," replied the girls together.

The fairy saw an expression of love and kindness on every face. Ali seemed to wish to do a service to the others.

66 How sweet love makes a home," thought the fairy, as she turned away. "Love shines like the stars."

Looking down she saw at her feet numbers of white, star-shaped flowers.

"I know what I'll do," she cried. "I'll carry these starry flowers back to the hillside where the children can see them. The flowers will make them think of love."

When she returned to the hillside with her arms full of the star flowers, she saw the beautiful bed of blue hyacinths that her sister had planted.

"How pretty my star flowers will look in that field of blue," she said as she scattered them among the hyacinths.

V

In the morning, when the children awoke, they saw

on the hillside a beautiful flower bed.

Why, that is like the flag!" they shouted. 'There is red for courage, and white for purity, and blue for truth, and the stars for love!"

They looked at each other and hung their heads, for they knew that they had not acted as the flag told them to act.

Then the leader of the children shouted, "Let's give three cheers for Old Glory!" and all the children cheered loud and long.

"I think," said a little girl," that we should remember what the flag stands for and stop quarreling."

That is just what the children did, for they were all real American children who believed in courage, truth, purity, and love.

Read the story until you can tell it. One pupil may tell the beginning, and five other pupils may each tell one part. In retelling the story try to see the people and the places that you tell about, and try to make the other children see them. the different speakers, because the speaker make a story seem more real.

Playing the Story

Use the words of actual words of a

The story is divided into an introduction and five scenes. Where does the introduction take place? the first scene? the second scene? the third scene? the fourth scene? the fifth scene? What characters take