Minnie; or, The Little Woman A Fairy Story   By: Caroline Snowden Guild

A Fairy Story.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "VIOLET."

BOSTON: PHILLIPS, SAMPSON AND COMPANY, 13 WINTER STREET. 1857.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

STEREOTYPED BY HOBART & ROBBINS, New England Type and Stereotype Foundry, BOSTON.

[Illustration: MINNIE AND THE SQUIRREL.]

HOW THE STORY CAME TO BE WRITTEN.

One evening, last summer, a little girl, with laughing eyes that no one could resist, looked up into my face, and said,

"'Touldn't you wite me a story?"

"Yes. What shall it be about?" was the answer.

"O, wite something I could wead myself, something with pictures, something like Tom Thumb, you know; and I shouldn't care if it had pink covers, too, and wasn't larger than this." And she held up the palm of a rosy hand.

In a moment more she came bounding back to whisper, "I shouldn't care if you left off the fingers, only make a cunning story, and something I can wead."

Instead of leaving off, I should have to add a great many of Minnie's fingers, to cover the book, which would grow so large, and I couldn't help it, any more than you can when a little bud opens out to a great flower. So, I ask her forgiveness; hoping that she will find, inside of the volume, something "cunning" enough to make her forget the covers.

And now, dear children, if you like my story, you must all thank Minnie C , to whom it is dedicated, with the heartiest good wishes of

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER I. RODOCANACHI, 9

" II. DANDELION, 15

" III. MINNIE'S HOME, 21

" IV. MINNIE AND THE SQUIRREL, 26

" V. A SQUIRREL BACK RIDE, 31

" VI. LIVING IN A TREE, 36

" VII. MASTER SQUIRREL, 40

" VIII. NIGHT, 45

" IX. THE NEW HOME, 51

" X. IN THE WOODS, 56

" XI. THE SQUIRREL'S PARTY, 60

" XII. BY THE RIVER, 63

" XIII. YELLOW BIRD, 70

" XIV. IN A BIRD'S NEST, 75

" XV. MINNIE AND THE BIRDS, 81

" XVI. THE SQUIRREL'S TEAM, 87

" XVII. THE MOONLIGHT DANCE, 92

" XVIII. THE LITTLE NURSES, 96

" XIX. MOUSE, 100

" XX. HOUSEKEEPING, 104

" XXI. TROUBLE FOR MINNIE, 108

" XXII. TROUBLE STILL, 113

" XXIII. FREE AT LAST, 118

" XXIV. TURTLE, 123

" XXV. MINNIE'S WINGS, 127

" XXVI. HIDE AND SEEK, 130

" XXVII. MINNIE IN PRISON, 135

" XXVIII. NARROW ESCAPES, 140

" XXIX. THE LITTLE SEAMSTRESS, 146

" XXX. STORK, 151

" XXXI. THE SEA SHORE, 156

" XXXII. STORM AND CALM, 161

MINNIE; OR, THE LITTLE WOMAN.

CHAPTER I.

RODOCANACHI.

Somewhere in Massachusetts is a little town as beautiful as a garden. Nay, in summer time I think this place is prettier than a garden; for it is not laid out in long, stiff beds and paths; but the roads wind about like rivers under its shady trees, and, wherever you see a bed of flowers, a cosey little house is sure to rise up in its midst; and then the hills, Did you ever read about the giant, who wouldn't give the fairies any peace, but chopped them up for mince meat, and did all kinds of wicked things, till they resolved to kill him, if they could?