The Gypsy liked the dish and she said a few magic words and changed the caterpillar into the girl Brownie. Brownie was now so happy that she was good-looking. Many a young prince came and fell in love with her but Brownie was so happy to live with her sister and the prince, that she sang a very merry song: “I have lovers four and twenty; One or two would be a plenty; And I am as happy as happy can be, Since the old Gypsy set me free.” One day there came to the palace a little lame prince. He was as ugly as a barb-wire fence, but Brownie let him in. She gave him a cup of tea and said: “I have lovers four and twenty; One or two would be a plenty; And I am happy as happy can be, Since the old Gypsy set me free.” The little lame prince said, “I am ugly and no one loves me. Will you marry me?” Brownie said, “I will marry you.” And they were married in the rose garden, and they grew better looking and happier every day. Whenever they saw sick caterpillars or butterflies with broken wings, they took care of them. Brownie and Goldy each had a home near the king’s palace, and they were happy all their lives. The Ink-Bottle Babies cried, “Is that all? Tell it again! Tell it again! Please do! Read it or tell it! It is a lovely story!” The farmer’s wife said, “It must be bedtime.” They looked at the great clock that stood in the hall, and the clock said it was ten o’clock! “I am going home to-morrow, and I am going to school,” said Molly. “I, too,” said Polly. “We, too,” cried all the Ink-Bottle Babies. “We are all going to learn to read that story.” Then they scampered upstairs and went to bed. Just as they were about to go to sleep, Molly said, “It is awful to have to spell out the words like the farmer’s wife does.” Polly said, “I am going to learn to read!” CHAPTER III THANKSGIVING DINNER Old November’s come once more; Children, see the snow! Riding out in grandpa’s sleigh, We all will gladly go, For Thanksgiving brings such joys To the waiting girls and boys; I heard the Ink-Bottle Babies sigh, “Please give us a piece of pumpkin pie!” Next day the farmer hitched up his horses and took all the Ink-Bottle Babies home. They said, “Oh Ma, we want to learn to read. Oh Ma, we will go to school every day!” The Ink-Bottle Mamma kissed all her babies and sent them to school. They wanted so much to learn to read fairy tales that they never missed a day of school, from the 16th of October to Thanksgiving. [Illustration: “_They never missed a day of school_”] The day before Thanksgiving Molly began to cry on the way home from school. Then Polly began to cry! Pretty soon all the Ink-Bottle Babies took out their twenty-five little pocket handkerchiefs and began to cry! When they got home Mamma said, “Why do you cry?” The first Ink-Bottle Baby said, “I don’t know, boo-hoo!” The second Ink-Bottle Baby said, “I don’t know, boo-hoo!”