SIR BODKIN STEPS IN AND OUT
[Illustration]
“Sir Bodkin! Sir Bodkin!” called Margaret next day to the King of the
One-Eyed Fairies, who lived in her work-basket.
“I’m coming, My Lady!” she heard a tiny voice answering from the
needle-book.
Margaret looked very much excited, for this was the first time she had
called her wonderful new friends, the One-Eyed Fairies, to help her.
Sir Bodkin came sliding quickly out of the work-basket and climbed upon
the table beside his little mistress. With a smile on her face she was
watching him, for he was a very dignified little fellow indeed. Holding
himself up straight and bending his body forward stiffly he made her a
low bow.
“Good day, My Lady Dear,” he said; “what may I do to-day to help your
Ladyship?”
“What can you do?” asked Margaret.
“I can run the ribbons in your doll’s dresses, put the drawing-strings
in a marble-bag or a sewing-bag. I can draw the ribbons and tapes
through your pretty underwear and lots of other things too numerous to
mention. Just put a piece of ribbon in my one eye and watch me work!” he
answered eagerly to his new friend.
“Indeed I will this minute!” cried Margaret. She jumped up and ran to
her doll’s bureau to get a pretty dress trimmed with lace beading around
the waist and sleeves. Then she took a roll of narrow pink satin ribbon
from her own bureau and hurried back to the table.
[Illustration: She ran to her doll’s bureau to get a pretty dress]
“Here we are,” she said to the tiny King, holding up the dress and
ribbon for him to see.
[Illustration]
“Very pretty, very pretty. Now measure how much ribbon you’ll need to
run around the waist and to tie in a bow at the back when finished,”
said Sir Bodkin.
After Margaret had measured the ribbon the right length she cut it from
the roll with her new scissors.
“Put it neatly in my eye and then we’ll start,” the Fairy King told her.
No sooner said than done.
“Put your right fingers on my head,” ordered he. Margaret did as she was
bidden. Holding the dress in her left hand, she put her pink fingers on
Sir Bodkin’s head and off he stepped; slipping his foot through the
slits in the lace beading at the back of the little dress where it
fastened he sang:
“In and out, in and out,
I hold the ribbon nice and flat,
I gently pull it after me,
And soon we’re finished, one, two, three!”
[Illustration: Running ribbon in beading]
Sir Bodkin hopped out at the end.
“How’s that for fast?” he said jumping back to the table-top.
“That’s splendid!” cried Margaret. Then she cut the ribbon for the
sleeves after carefully measuring how much was needed to go around the
beading and tie in a bow when finished. Each piece was put in the King’s
eye one at a time and run through the lace beading nice and flat. Sir
Bodkin’s blunt toe made it easy to go in and out the openings without
catching in the lace. At last the ribbon was all in and the dress
slipped on the doll. The tiny King stood off to see how sweet she looked
in her dainty dress after her little mother had tied the bows.
“I never did that so quickly before,” said Margaret.
“It’s all in knowing how,” replied Sir Bodkin looking very wise indeed
out of his long one eye.
[Illustration]
“To be sure,” said his little mistress, “and I’m so happy because soon
I’m going to know how to sew and make lots of pretty things.”
“Indeed you are, My Lady,” said Sir Bodkin; “just call on us and you’ll
always find us ready. But don’t forget that:
“Every little housewife should be a seamstress, too,
Call the One-Eyed Fairies, when there’s needle-work to do.
Clean white fingers guide us, helped by thimble trusty,
Slip us through an emery-bag, if you find us rusty.”
[Illustration]
“I’ll remember that,” Margaret promised. “Oh! Sir Bodkin, look at all
your subjects!” she said laughing. The King turned around and saw all
the shining, glinting little One-Eyed Fairies peeping out curiously from
the work-basket.
“Stick to us, stick to us,
Then you’ll never, never fuss,”
they were singing in a happy chorus.
“To your places!” ordered their King and they all disappeared. Then he
made a low bow to Margaret and slipped away into the work-basket.
Margaret laughed happily and ran off to show her mother what Sir Bodkin
had helped her to do.
[Illustration]