“Sewing on buttons And mending your clothes Are very good habits, As every one knows. So mind the old adage, You’ll find it quite fine— That one timely stitch Is sure to save nine!” Every one laughed and clapped their hands at the Fairy who ran back in confusion to the pincushion. [Illustration] CHAPTER XV A CREWEL FROLIC School had begun, and Margaret was so busy for the first few weeks with her lessons, her play, and her friends, that she had not seen much of her little One-Eyed Fairy friends. “It’s much better for her to be outdoors a lot this nice weather than sitting indoors sewing. Plenty of time for that later on,” said the King one day. “Of course it’s very fine to know how to sew, but ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,’” he quoted to his shining subjects in the work-basket. They all agreed with him. “She’ll be needing one of us some day soon, you’ll see,” said the Crewel One knowingly to the others. Just then they heard Margaret coming up the stairs singing to herself. She came into her room carrying over her arm a new dress of dark blue. She called Sir Bodkin out of his home and he came quickly in response. [Illustration: Coming up the stairs singing to herself] “My new dress is finished and ready to wear to school when the weather gets cooler. Mother says it should have a bright trimming on it. She thought that perhaps you could think of something pretty, Sir Bodkin,” said Margaret to her One-Eyed Fairy friend and counselor. “A-hem! Let me think!” replied Sir Bodkin wisely as he stood on her hand. He was always so proud when she asked his advice. He shone all over with pleasure. “Let me see now; your dress is blue serge, isn’t it? How would you fancy a scarlet trimming of some kind of stitchery? Crewel can step off a pretty chain of silk stitches for you,” the King said. [Illustration] “Oh! that would be lovely, I think!” cried Margaret delightedly. [Illustration: Chain-stitch] “Very well, if you have some scarlet floss, we can begin at once,” Sir Bodkin answered, hopping down into the work-basket to call the Crewel One. That fancy fellow was listening to the conversation and was ready to come out. Margaret laid the new dress on a chair and ran off to tell her mother what was needed to trim it. Presently she returned with some glistening red silk floss ready to work. When the Crewel One was harnessed with a proper length of it in his eye he took three running steps and a back step on the wrong side to hold it fast. Then he stepped through the cloth to the right side of the dress, one inch from the edge of the neck. He was ready to work and began to sing: