“Isn’t that fine to know!” said Mary Frances. “Shall I go steam this?” She held up the pink yarn.
“No,” replied the fairy. “That has been ripped so soon after making that you will not have any trouble with it. Try, and see.”
So Mary Frances started bravely to work again. When she had done the seven rows which she had ripped out Fairly Flew said, “How well you have done, little girl! Now, you may finish the shawl with my magic needles.”
You can imagine, can’t you, just how pleased Mary Frances was when the fairy’s golden diamond-headed needles finished the shawl in a minute?
All this time Crow Shay had watched with sparkling eyes everything that happened.
Fairly Flew now turned to him and said, “You have been so very good, Crow Shay, that you may make the fringe on this shawl.”
Mary Frances couldn’t help laughing to see the little fellow tumble head foremost into the little shawl and kick the fringe on the ends in less time than it would take to tell you how to do it.
“LOVELY s’awl,” laughed the pleased dolly, when Mary Frances tried the little shawl on Mary Marie. “Nice warm st’etchy shawl,” as she wrapped it close over her shoulders. She meant stretchy, you know.
[Illustration: “Nice warm st’ctchy shawl.”]
Mary Frances carried her into the sewing room, “to thank her kind friends who taught her mamma to make it,” which pleased them all very much.
When Mary Frances started to take the shawl off, Mary Marie cried, “’Oo tan’t hab my s’awl; I’ll be told,” so Mary Frances sat her on the table with the shawl around her, and gave her her doll to play with.
“Mary M’rie needs a nice ’ittle bonnet, to wear wif ’iss s’awl,” said Mary Marie, looking up after a minute. “Mary M’rie’s ears are told.”
“I will go get your little cap,” said Mary Frances, starting to go find it.
“No, no, Mamma,” cried the doll-baby. “Don’t want tap. I want bonnet. Teep ears warm,” and she began to rub her little ears.
Mary Frances laughed. “You can pull your cap down on your ears, dearie,” she said.
“No,” said Fairly Flew, “what Mary Marie wants is a real little bonnet, just as she says—one that will tie under her chin and cover her ears. Yarn Baby has just been waiting to give you the rules for making—
(See picture opposite page 230—color plate)