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Show fairy Talfe Bonner v jftL PETER GNOME'S FRIENDS "There was a time," said Peter Cnome, "when a great many people thought a gnoma was a dreadful creature, and oh, dear, It did hurt my feelings. "I like children so much and I wouldn't do any one ony harm for anything." "I know you wouldn't," said Witty Witch. "Well, y o a know," she added, "I used to have a lot of enemies, but how I have , . many in en us. Paying Great At. a. a" "" 018 Alarm Clock. . .. . , and they know that I'm not a horrible old person at all. . , "I don't mean to throw compliments at myself, but neither did I like to have untrue things sulil utmut nie. 1 didn't like It when it was mild 1 would clinse children and all theve dreadi'ul things which I wouldn't do for anything. any-thing. "Whj, I like Jokes, and parties and stories and good times." "A lot was said about both of us." Peter Gnome went on, "which was uu true. But now I think children all know It was untrue nnd know that there aren't any dreadful gnomes and gohllns and witches, but that we're all friendly little creatures Just as the Fairies are. "Well, I must tell you about some of my friends. "There Is Caroline. She has dark brown eyes and dark brown hair and such a dear little face. "We wrote her a birthday poem not long ago. The Fairies and Brownies Were really the ones who made up the 'vprse, and this Is what they said In the poem which they gave to her, or rather, rath-er, sent to her. on her birthday: "The fairies nd th brownies All semi this vt-me and any That thny wlBh th charming Carolina Many happy return of tha day!" "Then I've I splendid little bey friend named Charles Norman. He Is still very young, and I go and see him when he Is asleep, and I hear of his funny little amusements. He really Is mill such a very, very young boy hut he'll grow fast enough and I'm waiting to see him play baseball In five or six or seven years from now 1 "The other dny I saw him and he was paying great attention to an alarm clock. " 'Tou're one of the few I know who likes nn alarm clock,' I said, 'and maybe may-be you'll get over It I "His mother said he liked silk cushions cush-ions which had a nice, pleasant, scratchy, rough feeling. "But she said she thought he admired ad-mired his own plump legs that was what she said more than anything else. "Then I went to call on a little girl named Gwen, and she hud been riding on a merry-go-round. ."'I rode on a horse, too, she said, 'and I loved It.' "I thought to myself, then, that It was as I had always thought riding on a horse on the merry-go-round was so much, much more fuu than riding In a seat. "Next I saw a boy named Nicky, and he was reading a book, and when I saw him so Interested Interest-ed In the book I said to myself: " 'Now I know what they mean when they speak . of a person who has his nose always al-ways In a hook, for It Just seemed as though he could not get deeply enough Into In-to the book, he liked It so much. "Luter I saw a little girl who said she didn't like the country, nor flow- era. nor the bird. B(Jok nor the bugs, iml she hated the r.ili. and the sun In the country was too hot nnd that made nie feel very sad. For It seemed as though she missed so much pleasure feeling that way, but I cheered up when I saw a picnic being given In the woods. "I knew that those who didn't enjoy the rountry and ail Its wonders were very, very few." |