CHAPTER XIV

A LOAN FROM THE THIMBLE KING

“DEAR me,” sighed Mary Frances. “How will I ever get so much done? I didn’t want to interrupt you, dear Fairy Lady, but I’ve gotten, you see, no further than basting the hem of dolly’s apron!”

Big tears trembled in the little girl’s eyes.

“Dear child,” smiled Fairy Lady. “We realize how rapidly we’ll have to work in these lessons in order to get through before your mother comes, so we are ready to help.”

With this, she rapped three times on the sewing table with her bodkin wand, whereat a little fellow of queer appearance walked solemnly up to Mary Frances and made a pompous bow.

“There is but one needle in the world, your Seamstress-ship,” he said, “which is called the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try, and the King of the Thimble People has sent it to you by your humble servant,” glancing proudly about.

“Why,” said Mary Frances, scarcely daring to breathe. “Why,―you, you are certainly my own needle book!”

“Needle Book―that’s my name,―and here, dear Mistress, is the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try.”

Mary Frances saw a bright shiny light come from between the opening leaves of Needle Book; then slowly, very slowly, with his tiny little hand, he pulled out what seemed a needle of fire, and dropping on his knees, held it out on both arms toward Mary Frances.

The little girl hesitated. Would it burn her?

“Do not fear,” smiled Fairy Lady. “It will not harm you. The Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try is loaned to you on only one condition: which is, that you will promise to sew some time every day between lesson days.”

“Oh, I promise,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I do not, dear Sewing Bird Lady, I do not deserve such beautiful kindness!”

She took the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try from Needle Book.

“I do thank you―very―gratefully,” she said, not knowing exactly how to behave toward the ambassador of the Thimble King.

“For shame, Tommy Pin Cushion!” exclaimed Fairy Lady, who overheard him mimicking Needle Book. “Don’t make fun! Never, never will you be Bearer of the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try for the King of Thimble Land.”

“I beg your pudden!” said Tommy Pin Cushion to Needle Book, getting very red in the face.

“Poor Pinny!” exclaimed Needle Book, looking very disdainfully toward Tomato Pin Cushion, “always getting ‘squelched!’”

“Come,” said Fairy Lady. “No more of that needle-and-pin talk!” Then to Mary Frances:

“Now, little lady, you may begin. The next is

TO HEM DOLLY’S APRON STRINGS

1. Turn a very narrow hem the long way of the strings. Hem with fine hemming stitches.

2. Turn and make a half-inch hem at one end of each string.

“Shall I finish the apron first?” asked Mary Frances. “Shall―shall I use the new needle?”

This pattern plate should remain permanently in book so that tracings on tissue paper can be made from it as required.

“Yes,” smiled the delighted Fairy Lady.

Mary Frances found her thimble, and threaded the glowing needle, although she feared it would scorch the thread,―but it seemed like any other needle except that she didn’t have to try twice to put in the thread.

“I wonder how it is different?” she thought as she started to sew.

Then the most wonderful thing happened. She found the needle darting ahead of her hand, making the stitches just as fast as she could touch the eye with her silver thimble.

In a minute the apron was hemmed.

In another minute the apron was gathered.

In another minute the strings were hemmed.

Then the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try stopped dead still and wouldn’t move.

“Oh! ho!” cried Mary Frances. “What have I done? What have I done?”

“Nothing, dear child,” said Fairy Lady. “But the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try cannot do for you anything you have not yet learned; so use your own needle and set the gathers of the apron into the band.”

“Thank you very much,” said Mary Frances, finishing the apron band.

“And now,” said Fairy Lady, “as to

PUTTING THE STRINGS INTO THE BAND

1. Gather, or lay small plaits at the unhemmed end of strings, and insert, or push them into the ends of the band.

2. Hem down.”

“Well done, dear child,” smiled Fairy Lady at length.

Then quicker than Mary Frances could wink, she turned into Sewing Bird, and began to sing,

“Oh, my! Oh, my! Oh, my! Oh, my! It brings a twinkle to my eye! The Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try! Dear little miss, good-bye, Good-bye.”