Just then the silvery bell of the fairy clock struck the half-hour and Jack turned toward all the fairy flower folks who were present. “Time’s up! Thank you, kind friends,” said he, “and now, after a dance, you may go.” With that, the sweetest music the girls had ever heard began to play, and the fairies began to dance, keeping time perfectly with their tiny feet. “I’m afraid it’s a dream, and that I’ll wake up,” whispered Eleanor to Mary Frances. “So am I!” Mary Frances whispered back, and took hold of her little friend’s hand. Suddenly the music stopped and every fairy except Jack and Bet disappeared. “It was so beautiful,” said Mary Frances, still speaking in a whisper, “that we can never thank you.” “We’re so glad you enjoyed our little surprise,” Jack replied, “for it shows how you love us flowers. Now I want to tell you something about the way in which we grow, and how to feed us. You have a garden, and I feel certain you would like to hear about that.” “I’ve studied quite a little about seed-babies,” replied Mary Frances. “I love the little things dearly.” “Good,” cried Bet; “you’ll love them even more after you’ve heard what Jack is going to tell you.” “Do water babies grow in the same way as other plant babies?” asked Mary Frances. “In quite the same way,” replied Jack. “I’m going to show you how the roots of plants take up the food needed, and how the leaves help make that food right for their digestion.” “Why, I thought—” began Eleanor. “Yes?” asked Jack, expectantly. “I thought that plants breathed with their leaves.” “Well, they do breathe with their leaves too, but they also breathe with their stem surface; or, in trees, with the surface of the trunk. In fact, they breathe all over.” “I know,” said Eleanor, “that I’ve been taught to wash the leaves of house plants in order that the leaves might get air.” “Very wise, indeed,” said Jack. “Air is very, very important to the leaves, as you will see when I have told you about their way of growing.” Just then he took a tiny silver bugle from his shoulder and blew a long note. Four little elves appeared. They were dressed in light brown and dark brown leaves. On their heads, each wore a cap of a different color. One was red; one was yellow; one, tan; and one, pink. They all stood “attention,” looking at Jack. “Bring in the magic tree,” said Jack, and off ran the elves. In a moment they returned, half carrying and half dragging a plant which looked like a tiny tree. It was growing in a glass tub, which, although small, seemed a heavy burden for the little fellows. “Oh!” Mary Frances sprang up. “Oh, please, let me help,” she begged as she stooped down to take it. “Better not, better not,” warned Jack. “That is a fairy tub and will go to pieces if you touch it.” By that time the little elves had it in place, and they smiled their thanks to Mary Frances as they wiped the perspiration from their foreheads with tiny handkerchiefs made of colored Autumn leaves.