Auntie’s was an exceedingly nice place to go to. She had an excellent house, and beautiful grounds attached to it. There was a lawn and shrubbery, and flower-beds, and fountain, a dog and a peacock, and, oh! such a beautiful little pet lamb! Cousins Julia and George wove a garland of flowers and gave it to Johnny, who put it round the lamb’s neck. Mary got a basin of milk from the kitchen, and the gentle little creature lapped it from her hand. [Illustration] Thus, sometimes out of doors, sometimes in, sometimes in the greenhouse and shrubbery, sometimes in the paddock,—sometimes playing with the dog, sometimes with the lamb, and always with each other, the happy children flew on the wings of golden hours to the evening of the day. While the chaise was being got ready to take them home, Mary wandered alone for a moment or two into a retired part of the garden, and while there, she carelessly, and without thinking of what she did, rubbed the magic ring upon her finger. The fairy instantly appeared. “What, Fairy! have you come back again? I was not thinking of you. I did not know that I had rubbed the ring. I did not intend to trouble you.” “I know you did not; but I have come for all that. Mary, my child, I am very happy indeed, to find that you have attended so well to my little bird, and that you have grown so patient and spiritual. I have come now to say that the time has arrived when we fairies must have our gifts returned to us. Give me that little ring from your finger.” The little maiden obeyed, and put the ring into the fairy’s hand. “Good, my child! what I am now going to say to you will, I fear, be rather painful. It is this:—by the time you get home you will find I have taken away the beautiful magic bird. You remember that it was but a loan until my return?” “Oh, dear Fairy! don’t! don’t! Pray don’t take it away,” cried the child, bursting into tears. “Hush, my pretty one! Remember you are not, and never will be, without the teaching of beautiful things. Has not every bird in the skies a voice for you? Do not the rainbows speak of love and beauty? Do not your own roses breathe sweet affection on you? And the wind, and the rain, and the stars, and the trees, have they not already been teachers of wisdom to you? My darling, you are not forgotten! ‘Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth forth knowledge’ for you and for all that are willing to learn.” The fairy vanished. Mary bowed her head and dried up her tears. She went into the house, kissed her aunt and cousins affectionately, and went home with Johnny in the pony chaise.