On the table beside her stood her work-basket. Margaret just naturally looked that way for help. She knew where she could find it when in trouble. Sure enough, in a second, she saw her little friend, Sir Bodkin, come hopping quickly out of the basket. “Well, well, in trouble I see,” he said to Margaret, who looked very unhappy indeed. “Oh! you cunning man! I know I never could do without you and your Fairies!” she cried, now smiling and looking so relieved. “Maybe you can help me?” [Illustration] “Indeed we can. You need a doctor here to make some repairs, I’m thinking,” he said wisely. Then he went over to the work-basket and called in a loud voice: “Doctor Darner! How about a little help here!” From the work-basket came the sound of scrambling. “Just so, just so,” replied a gruff voice as a large One-Eyed Fairy came hustling and bustling out of the work-basket and up to Sir Bodkin and Margaret. “Take a good look and give us your advice,” said the King. Doctor Darner looked very carefully at the torn stocking Margaret held in her hand. “Two strands of black darning cotton, please,” he said. [Illustration: Running around the hole] Margaret got some out of the work-basket and cut off a length. She squeezed the thread the same way as she had the wool for Crewel so the loop would slip easily in Doctor Darner’s eye. Then she put her fingers on him and he began to sing: “Hold the stocking stretched on your hand, While at the edge of the hole I stand. ’Round it now we’ll take a run To keep it from stretching before the work’s done. Up and down, across the hole we go; Run, jump, run, row after row. From side to side run, weave, run, Over this thread, under that, till the darning’s done.” [Illustration: Darning up and down] Old Doctor Darner and Margaret worked very busily to fill in the great hole in her stocking. When it was mended, he took a little rest in the pincushion for a minute. Then he turned to her and said, looking very wise, indeed: “Some day, you will learn how to mend other rips, tears, and holes.” “Oh,” cried Margaret, laughing; “that will be fine ’cause Mother says I seem always to be needing a dose of thread and needle.” She then tested the darn in her stocking by pulling it this way and that to see if the stitches were close enough together, just as Doctor Darner told her to do. It seemed all right. [Illustration: Darning across] “Now your, stocking’s as good as new,” said he, bowing very low. “Thank you so very much,” said Margaret truly grateful. Then he hurried away to his place in the needle-book. “Isn’t he a nice old fellow?” said Margaret to Sir Bodkin when Doctor Darner had gone. “Indeed he is, even if he is a little gruff in his manner at times,” replied the King.