So when the party was over the two went to live in the mother-of-pearl box in the drawing-room. And that was high life indeed. But the Queen of the Wax Matches was very angry. “She has married beneath her,” she cried; “off with her head!” And sure enough at that moment the housemaid came to light the fire, and she struck the little white Princess Match against the bar of the grate, and her brown head fell off! The wooden Match did not want to live now his lady was beheaded, so he pressed forward into the housemaid’s hand—and she struck him and lit the fire with him; and what was left of him fell beside his white lady. So the two faithful lovers were buried together in the ashes. _E. Nesbit._ [Illustration] THE LITTLE GREEN MAN _JUST_ as the Mother was going to make the tea, she heard a funny, faint voice from the tea-pot, crying: “Oh, please don’t scald me with the boiling water! Take me out! Take me out!” The Mother, greatly astonished, peeped into the tea-pot—it was one which she had not used for some time—and saw there a queer little man, dressed all in green, with a green cap upon his head. “How did you get into my tea-pot?” asked she. “A cruel Fairy put me here,” replied the little man; “please, oh, _please_ take me out!” The Mother took him out, and placed him upon the table. How delighted the children were to see him trotting round and round, taking tiny sips from their cups, and crumbs from their plates! “Is it a doll, Muvver?” asked Baby. “A doll, indeed!” exclaimed the little green man; “I am no _doll_! Did you ever see a doll walk, or hear a doll talk? I am a _man_!” And he stood on tip-toe and straightened himself up in such an amusing fashion that all the children laughed. When bed-time came, the little green man was put to bed in the doll’s house. But early in the morning, Dora was awakened by something tickling her nose. Opening her eyes, she saw the green man standing upon her pillow. “You darling!” said Dora; “you shall go into the garden with me, and see my pretty white rabbits.” Jumping out of bed, she dressed herself as quickly as possible; then, with the little man standing on one hand, and some green food for her pets in the other hand, she ran down the garden. When she got to the hutch, she fed the rabbits with the nice, fresh, juicy cabbage-leaves, while the little man looked on with much interest. The rabbits were very hungry, and when they had eaten all the leaves, one of them made a sudden snatch at the little green man, and ate _him_ up also. Being rather short-sighted, it mistook the green man for a leaf. Such was the sad fate of the little green man! _E. Dyke._ [Illustration] THE RUBBER FAIRY. “THERE are no fairies, did you say? Why, whatever are we coming to?” said Uncle James. “But I’ve never seen one,” said Harry.