“Fold each square over diagonally” 186 Hemstitching 187 Hem rolling 190 First overcasting 194 Second overcasting 196 Blanket-stitch 196 Wrapping up her Christmas gifts 198 “For Mother as a surprise” 202 Lazy-daisy stitch 203 French knots 205 “A silver wrist-watch for my birthday!” 213 The One-Eyed Fairies CHAPTER I THE KING OF THE ONE-EYED FAIRIES [Illustration] Margaret Allen had just had a birthday. Her auntie had given her a pretty new work-basket for a present. It was lined with pink silk and in it was the dearest little needle-book of pink satin, an emery-bag shaped like a strawberry, a cunning pair of steel scissors, a silver thimble, several spools of black thread and white thread of different numbers, a tape measure, and beeswax shaped like a tiny lemon. [Illustration] “Isn’t it just too sweet for anything!” cried Margaret clapping her hands with delight. “Now if there really were fairies to help us, just as in the story-books, what lots of things I could make. If I knew how I could make clothes for my doll, pretty things for Mother and Auntie, and marble-bags for Jim. Oh!” she cried out of breath, “I just wish I knew how!” Suddenly she felt funny sharp pricks on her hands and arms. Looking down she saw a line of little shining figures, some short and some tall, come dancing and prancing out of her new work-basket. Some had big eyes and some tiny-teensy eyes but each had only one, however. They looked so comical dancing on their skinny legs and waving their skinny arms that Margaret wanted to laugh. Their thin bodies shone and glistened in the sunshine as they skipped across her lap and up on the table beside her. Then they sang this song: “You can do it! You can do it! We can always help you sew it! With a piece of thread for harness And your thimble bright to push us!” “Oh! Oh!” cried Margaret her eyes very wide open indeed, “can you really? Who are you?” [Illustration] Then out of the line stepped the largest one of all. He placed his hand on his heart and made a very low bow before her and sang: