Transcriber's Notes: Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=. Small uppercase have been replaced with regular uppercase. Blank pages have been eliminated. Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the original. FRONTISPIECE. [Illustration: _See Page 11._] THE WISHING-CAP. BY MRS. SHERWOOD, AUTHOR OF "LITTLE HENRY AND HIS BEARER," &c. &c. _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: HOULSTON AND STONEMAN, 63, PATERNOSTER ROW. THE WISHING-CAP. There lived once a lady in London, who had a great deal of money, but who had never given her heart to God. This lady had the care of five children: four of them were brothers and sisters; and their names were James and Edward, Charlotte and Louisa. The fifth child was an orphan, and had no brothers or sisters. The name of this little boy was Charles. Little Charles's papa and mamma had been dead only a very few months: they were very pious people, and had brought up their little boy in the fear of God. Charles thought of his papa and mamma every day: he knew they were gone to heaven, and he knew, also, who that blessed person was, for whose sake they had been received into that happy place. [Illustration] Every day little Charles read a few chapters in a Bible which his papa had given him, and he tried to remember the good things which had been taught him: so God blessed little Charles, and helped him to be good. It happened, one Sunday afternoon, in the Christmas holidays, that the lady came into the children's play-room, and sat down among them. "I am come," she said, "to drink tea with you this evening; after which we will put on a wishing-cap; and then we shall see what fine things the wishing-cap will produce." The children were all pleased to see the lady sit down among them; and while they were drinking their tea, they talked a great deal about the wishing-cap. "What can a wishing-cap be?" said Louisa, who was the youngest: "and how can it bring fine things?" "I never heard of a wishing-cap in all my life," said James. "I want tea to be over, that we may see it." "O!" said Charlotte, "I know what is meant by a wishing-cap. I remember reading of a man, in a fairy tale, who had a wishing-cap; and when he put this cap on, and wished for any thing, he had it immediately: but I thought there were no such things really as wishing-caps, except in fairy tales." "Well, well," said the lady, "we shall see what kind of wishing-cap I can make: but I must tell you, my wishing-cap is not so good a one as the man's in the fairy tale; it will only produce such things as may be easily had, it will not bring wonders to pass."