“Oh, how do you do?” said Margaret to him. “Sh-h-h, don’t say a word. I am doing this for Mother as a surprise. She’s giving a tea-party soon and I want to work these flowers on this tea-cloth. Do you know how to make them pretty?” [Illustration: “For Mother as a surprise”] “Yes, My Lady,” answered Sir Bodkin, “they can be done easily and effectively with lazy-daisies for petals and French knots for centers.” “Those are funny names,” laughed Margaret, “but you know all about the stitches, so I’ll take your word for it. What colors do you think would be nice to work them in?” [Illustration: Lazy-Daisy Stitch] “Everything is color nowadays. You could use pinks and blues with yellow centers,” replied the tiny King. “That would look gay, and quite right for afternoon tea, I think,” said Margaret, getting out her embroidery-bag and selecting the colors from the French embroidery cotton in it. Embroiderer was harnessed with pink for the first flower. “Don’t forget to work the petals from the center all the time,” Sir Bodkin said to him. “I know, Sire,” he replied and stepped on the wrong side of the tea-cloth to fasten the thread underneath the flower center, then he sang: “From the center step out, and a loop I make, At the center step in, and a quick step take Out over the loop end, and step in once more, Then out at the center, make loop as before.” “It goes easier than it sounds,” said Margaret as she and the Fairy made lazy-daisy petals of pink, then blue, all along the tea-cloth. “With the yellow centers, it will look very handsome,” replied Sir Bodkin. “Now for the Frenchies,” laughed Margaret when all the flower petals were done. “I wonder what time it’s getting to be.” Just then the big grandfather clock downstairs in the hall struck five. “I’ll have time to start the centers before it’s time to wash my hands and face and brush my hair for dinner. I wish I had the time with me then I wouldn’t always be running round looking at clocks,” sighed Margaret. She harnessed Embroiderer with yellow, and made a knot in one end of the thread as the King told her to do. “All ready,” said Sir Bodkin. [Illustration: French Knots] “Yes, Your Majesty,” answered the Fairy and stepped up through the cloth from the wrong side to the right side in the flower center. Margaret pulled the cotton through, the knot holding it fast and the Fairy sang: “While you hold me in your right hand, And to left I point my toe; Left hand wraps the cotton round me, Three times where the thread came through. Left hand holds the wrapped thread firmly, In again I stick my toe, Through the place where I came out first To the wrong side quickly then I go.”