Then all the Ink-Bottle Babies said, “We don’t want any oatmeal!” They laid down their twenty-five little spoons. And will you believe it? Not one of the Babies would eat any breakfast! Then the Ink-Bottle Mamma said, “Get down from your chairs, every one of you.” The Ink-Bottle Babies got down from their chairs, pouting and scolding. Then the Ink-Bottle Mamma put on their caps and sent them right off to school. “Hurry! hurry!” she said. “Don’t be late for school!” They had not gone far when the first Ink-Bottle Baby said, “I will not go another step!” Then the second Ink-Bottle Baby said, “I will not go another step!” Then what do you suppose happened next? They all sat down in a row and they cried and they screamed and they howled! Just then an old farmer came along with his wagon. When he saw all the Ink-Bottle Babies in a row, he said, “Bless my heart! What funny little babies! What are you all doing here?” Then Molly and Polly cried, “Give us a ride, please! We don’t care which way we go!” Then the farmer got down and helped all the Babies into his wagon and they rode merrily away! They laughed and talked and said, “Oh!” and “Ah!” and “What a fine ride!” When they rode by the school they kept very still, and they all crept down in the bottom of the wagon. On and on they rode, through the woods and into a town and away off to a little red house on a farm. “Will you spend the day with me?” asked the farmer. The Ink-Bottle Babies cried, “We will! We will!” And they jumped up and down with joy. They had a fine time all day. They saw the sheep and pigs and cows, and they took turns riding on a little pony. When night came Molly and Polly cried, “We want our Ma! We want our Ma!” The farmer’s wife was very deaf, but she saw that all the Ink-Bottle Babies were crying at once, so she gave each one a cookie. The cookies had red sugar on them. They had raisins in them. The Ink-Bottle Babies cried and would not eat their cookies. Then the farmer’s wife took Polly on the right arm of her chair, and she took Molly on the left arm of her chair. Then she let all the rest of the Ink-Bottle Babies crowd around her. Next, the farmer’s wife put on her spectacles and opened a great red book. Then all the Ink-Bottle Babies clapped their hands and set up a shout, for they could see the name of the book. It was called “Tip-Top Fairy Tales.” The farmer’s wife smiled at the Babies and began to read slowly. She skipped the hard words and stumbled over the easy ones! If you do not like to listen to her read, you will have to read for yourself the story of Goldy and Brownie, or The Fortune Teller. Here is the story: Once upon a time there were two sisters. They were as different as they could be. Goldy was good and beautiful. Brownie was ugly and cross. One day Goldy said, “I am going down into the valley to see the Fortune Teller. I am going to have my fortune told.”