Then the spoon boxed Cross-Patch on the right ear and on the left ear. “Oh! oh! oh! please stop!” called Cross-Patch. The little dwarf was so tickled he stood by and clapped his hands. Then the spoon turned to old Cross-Patch and said, “You shall build the house again; You’ll work in sunshine and in rain.” [Illustration: “_Boxed Cross-Patch on the right ear_”] Then old Cross-Patch saw there was no way out of it, so he had to go and pile one brick on another, and if he did not work fast enough the spoon would slap him on the back. The five and twenty dwarfs who had sent soot down the chimney came, and they were sorry for Cross-Patch, and went to work to help him rebuild the house. The spoon danced about and rapped them all sharply every once in a while. When the house was all done the spoon cried, “Now, old Cross-Patch, step inside; Clean the rug and fireside.” The spoon made Cross-Patch clean everything in the house. Then the spoon cried, “Cross-Patch, take your little men, Plant the corn in rows again!” Then Cross-Patch and the little dwarfs worked all night. They planted corn in the little garden. The spoon got so angry it beat them all until they were black and blue; then finally it chased old Cross-Patch away, and away, and away, out into the Land of Nowhere. The five and twenty little men saw that the corn they had planted was already beginning to grow, so they laid down and went to sleep. Pretty soon the spoon came back. There high in the tree sat the little dwarf; beside him sat the Fairy Queen. The Queen said, “I try the necklaces, one, two, three, But none is good enough for me.” Then the little dwarf helped the Fairy Queen down from the tree and they went into the house. [Illustration: “_I try the necklaces, one, two, three_”] The spoon went in, too, and it began to stir at a terrible rate, all by itself in a great big bowl, and pretty soon there came out of the bowl the finest gold necklace in the land. The Fairy Queen clapped her hands and cried to the dwarf and the spoon, “You will always be welcome in my palace.” Then the dwarf clasped the necklace around her neck, and she was gone. The spoon stood up very straight and sang, “Whatever song you wish to sing, Remember, ’tis the safest thing, To put the spoon upon the shelf, And keep the secret to yourself!” Then the spoon jumped up into the box on the shelf. The five and twenty little dwarfs woke up and tapped politely at the door, and asked for breakfast, but the spoon called out from its hiding place, “If you do not go away, I’ll box your ears again to-day!” Then the five and twenty little dwarfs ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. The little dwarf forgot what the spoon had said and he went about his work singing,