THE STITCHERS, BASTER AND RUNNER
[Illustration]
Margaret held up the little doll’s dress her mother had cut out for her
to make.
“I wish that the One-Eyed Fairies would come and help me sew it
together,” she said to her doll. She then took her work-basket and sat
down by the table.
“Sir Bodkin,” she softly called.
“Here I am, My Lady,” she heard Sir Bodkin’s tiny voice answer from the
needle-book in the work-basket. In a second the King of the One-Eyed
Fairies hopped out of the basket and right up on the table beside her.
“What can we do for you to-day, My Lady?” he asked bowing low.
“I would like to sew my doll’s dress. Will you show me how?” replied
Margaret.
“That I will. Come all you Stitchers!” he cried as loud as he could.
Out of the work-basket came a line of One-Eyed Fairies; some tall and
thin, some short and fat. They danced on Margaret’s table, holding hands
and singing this song in their comical way:
“Oh, we can baste and we can run,
And we can overcast.
We hem and gather, fell and tuck,
We all work very fast.
Please have the thread the proper length,
And just the proper number,
Then if you keep us shining bright,
We’ll work and never slumber.”
“Well done, my hearties!” cried Sir Bodkin proudly. “Now, Baster, you
jolly rogue, show her how to baste the seams.”
From the line a large One-Eyed Fairy stepped out.
“Some thread in my eye and we’ll start,” he said.
[Illustration: From the tip of her nose to the end of her arm]
“Remember the proper length,” said Baster, as Margaret took up the spool
of basting-thread.
From the tip of her nose to the end of her arm, Sir Bodkin said was the
proper length. When Margaret had measured the basting-thread she cut it
from the spool with her scissors.
[Illustration: Threading needle]
“Thread with the end that leaves the spool last,” the King told her,
“then it will not snarl and knot so.”
Margaret held the cut end between her left forefinger and thumb and
twisted it into a point with her right forefinger and thumb. Then she
took Baster in her right fingers and put the thread through his big eye.
Pulling it through about one-third she made a knot in the other end by
twisting it around her left thumb and forefinger.
“Now he’s harnessed and ready to begin,” said Sir Bodkin. He told
Margaret to put her silver thimble on the middle-finger of her right
hand and push Baster, while her thumb and forefinger held him round the
waist. Baster then hopped on the seam one-half inch from the edge. He
took quick long steps singing:
“Ha, ha, ho, ho, I’m gay and free,
Basting is the sport for me.
With skip and slide I hurry on,
My work is short, just like my song.”
[Illustration: Basting]
Both seams of the simple dress were soon basted.
“Now, Runner,” said Sir Bodkin, as Baster slid back to his place on the
table.
Margaret harnessed Runner, a medium-sized One-Eyed Fairy with a small
eye, using number 60 thread, the proper length and the same color as the
dress, but no knot this time. Runner took tiny running steps right in
Baster’s tracks. But before she began to run she took three back steps,
where the seam began, to fasten the thread. She sang:
“I run along, neat and fast,
And sew the seam so it will last.
In and out the thread goes, too,
The fastening holds it firm and true!
Now take three back steps at the end
So it will not rip out, my friend.”
[Illustration: Running]
First one seam then the other was stitched, after which Margaret snipped
the thread and Runner danced back to her place on the table.
All the One-Eyed Fairies stood in a stiff line.
“You must be tired standing so long,” said Margaret.
“We are,” said their King. “It would be pleasant if we had a pincushion
to rest ourselves in.”
[Illustration]
“The very thing!” cried Margaret. “I’ll get the pretty tomato pincushion
Mother gave me the other day for my work-basket.” She ran eagerly out of
the room and soon returned with a pincushion in her hand that looked
just like a red ripe tomato.
“Now you can rest,” she said placing it on the table. In a jiffy all the
tired little One-Eyed Fairy Stitchers had stuck their sharp little toes
down deep into the tomato pincushion. Then they stood up very straight,
harnessed, ready and waiting until their turns came to help.
“This is better,” said Sir Bodkin with a sigh of relief. “We can stay
here until the work is done, for we don’t have to go back to the
needle-book every time. We can wait outside until the piece of work is
finished.”
“I can put the pincushion in the work-basket when we’re through at
night, so you’ll be in your own house,” said Margaret.
“That will be delightful,” said Sir Bodkin; “thank you, My Lady. Shall
we do the hem to-day?”
[Illustration]
“I think not to-day for I must go and study my lessons now. To-morrow
we’ll finish the dress,” said his little mistress.
“Very good,” replied Sir Bodkin. “Just fold your work up neatly and lay
it in the work-basket on top of us.”
“Thank you all so much,” said Margaret to the One-Eyed Fairies as she
placed the pincushion in the work-basket and laid the doll’s dress,
neatly folded, on top.
The One-Eyed Fairies nestled down in the red tomato pincushion very
comfortably and waited for to-morrow to come so they could show their
little mistress how to hem the pretty dress she was making for her doll.