The Strand Magazine, Vol. 17, February 1899, No. 98.Various
General
The Strand Magazine, Vol. 17, February 1899, No. 98.
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; Short stories, English -- Periodicals
Myra always maintains that she never gave the Witch permission to take
the moth; but, as she spoke, they both vanished, and Myra only saw the
drawer with the big gap in its row of moths where the death's-head had
been, and the Memory-Saver grinning ecstatically at her from the
window-sill. Poor little fellow; he was _so_ glad to get away from the
Witch's pocket.
Myra's first thought was to move the pins of the other moths, so as to
fill up the big gap.
"Then perhaps he won't notice it's gone," she said to herself; "and, as
the Witch said, it didn't do him any good in the drawer."
Then she took up the little Memory-Saver and examined him curiously. He
was a funny little creature--funnier than ever just now, for he was
trying to express his joy at his change of mistresses, which produced a
violent commotion in all his tags, and considerably enlarged his mouth.
Myra couldn't help laughing, but as she was rather afraid of offending
the Memory-Saver, she begged his pardon immediately, and made him a
comfortable seat on some books on the table.
"Now, Memory-Saver," she said, "I'm going to read my lessons aloud to
you, as the Witch told me. Then you'll know them all, won't you?"
The Memory-Saver nodded so emphatically, that he fell off the books.
Myra picked him up, examined him anxiously to see if he were hurt, and,
finding he was not, sat him down again.
"I've got two lots of lessons to do," she said, mournfully, "yesterday's
and to-day's. Could you do both at once, or would it strain you too
much?"
The Memory-Saver shook himself off his seat this time, in his eagerness
to assure her he could do twenty lots if necessary. When he was once
more settled comfortably, Myra began to read. The Memory-Saver sat
contentedly absorbing French, and geography, and tables.
"I wonder if you really know it all," said Myra, gravely, when she had
finished. "No, don't nod any more, or you will fall off again. I'll just
try one string." She took him up, found the one marked "Tables," and
gave it a gentle tug.
"Once nine is nine, twice nine are eighteen, three times nine are
twenty-seven," said the Memory-Saver, glibly.
"Stop! Stop! that will do!" cried Myra, delighted. "Don't use it all up
before to-morrow."
The next thing was to find somewhere to keep her new treasure--some
place where no one could find him; for Myra felt certain that the stupid
grown-up people would not approve of her imp, or see his usefulness as
clearly as she did.
"They always say, 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again,' and
'You must cultivate your memory,' when I tell them I can't remember my
lessons," she said to herself. "They would take the Memory-Saver away
from me if they found him. I must put it somewhere so that they _can't_
find him."
Such a place was not easy to find, but at last Myra fixed on the top of
the wardrobe in her bedroom.
"They only dust there at spring cleaning time," she said to herself,
"and I can move him then."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account