16 THE BROWNIES

TOMMY'S DREAM

Wonderful stories grandmother told Johnnie and Tommy—stories of hobgoblins and dwarfs and fairies! Once she told them about a brownie who lived in her own family long ago.

He was a little fellow, no larger than Tommy, she said, but very active. He slept by the fire, and he was so shy that no one ever saw him.

But early in the morning, when all the family were in their beds, this brownie would get up, sweep the room, build the fire, set the table, milk the cow, churn the cream, bring the water, and scrub the floors until there was not a speck of dirt anywhere.

The children liked this story very much, and oh, how they did wish such a brownie would come to live in their house!

Over and over again they asked, “Was there really and truly a brownie, Grandmother? How we wish he would come back again! Why, he could mind the baby, and tidy the room, and bring in the wood, and wait on you, Grandmother! Can't we do something to get him back again? ”

“I don't know, my dears, ”said grandmother, “But when I was a young girl, they used to say that if one set a bowl of bread and milk, or even a pan of clear water for him over night, he would be sure to come. And just for that, he would do all the work.”

“Oh! let us try it! ”said both the boys; and Johnnie ran to get a pan, while Tommy brought fresh water from the well. They knew, poor hungry lads, that there was no bread or milk in the house. Their father, who was a poor tailor, could hardly earn money enough to buy food for them all. His wife was dead, and the work of the house took so much of his time that he could not make many coats.

Johnnie and Tommy were idle and lazy. They were too thoughtless to help their father, although they were strong young boys.

One night, soon after this, Tommy had a wonderful dream. He thought he went down to the meadow by the old mill pond. There he saw an owl, that rolled its great eyes, and called out,“Tu-whit, tu-whoo! Tommy, what are you doing way down here at this time of night? ”

“Please, I came to find the brownies, ”said Tommy, “can you tell me where they live? ”

“Tu-whoo, tu-whoo! ”screamed the old owl, “so it's the brownies you are after, is it? Tu-whoo, tu-whoo! Go look in the mill pond. Tu-whoo, tu-whoo! Go look in the water at midnight, and you'll see one. By the light of the moon, a brownie you'll see, to be sure, but such a lazy one! Tu-whoo, tu-whoo! ”screamed the old owl, as it flew away.

“The mill pond, at midnight, by moonlight! ”thought Tommy. What could the old owl mean? It was midnight then, and moonlight, too; and there he was, right down by the water. “Silly old thing, ”said Tommy; “brownies don't live in the water.”

But for all that, Tommy went to the bank of the pond and peeped in. The moon was shining as bright as day; and what do you suppose Tommy saw? Why, just a picture of himself in the water! That was all.

“I am not a brownie! ”he said to himself. But the longer he looked, the harder he thought.

At last he said to himself, “I wonder if I am a brownie! Perhaps I am one, after all. Grandmother said they are about as large as I am. And the owl said I would see a very lazy one if I looked in the water. Am I lazy? That must be what the old owl meant. I am the brownie myself! ”

The longer he thought about it, the surer he was that he must be a brownie. “Why, ”he thought, “if I am one, Johnnie must be another; then there are two of us. I'll go home and tell Johnnie about it.”

Off he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and just as he was calling, “Johnnie, Johnnie! We are brownies! The old owl told me! ”he found himself wide awake, sitting up in bed, and rubbing his eyes, while Johnnie lay fast asleep by his side.

The first faint rays of morning light were just creeping in through the bed-room window. “Johnnie, Johnnie, Johnnie, wake up! ”cried Tommy, “I have something to tell you! ”

After he had told his brother all about his strange dream, Tommy said, “Let us play that we really are brownies, Johnnie, even if we are not. Let us do the housework and be like the brownies that grandmother told us about. It will be great fun to surprise father and grandmother. We will keep out of sight and tell about it afterwards. Oh, do come! It will be such fun! ”

So these two brownies put on their clothes in a great hurry and crept softly to the kitchen. There they found enough work for a dozen brownies to do.

THE BROWNIES AT WORK

Tommy built a fire, and while the kettle was boiling, swept the untidy floor. Johnnie dusted his grandmother's chair, made the cradle ready for his baby sister, and set the table for breakfast.

Just as they had finished their work, they heard their father's footstep on the stairs. “Run! ”whispered Tommy, “or father will see us.”So away the boys scampered to their room.

How surprised the poor tailor was when he saw the work that had been done in the kitchen! He thought that the brownies he had heard about in his childhood had come back again.

The old grandmother was much pleased. “What did I tell you? ”she said, “I have always known that there are real brownies.”

Although it was fun for the boys to play that they were brownies, it was hard work, too. They sometimes thought they would stop playing brownie; but then they would think of their hard-working father and would grow quite ashamed.

Now, things were much better at home than they had been before. The tailor never scolded; grandmother was more cheerful; the baby was less fretful; and the house was always tidy.

The tailor had more time for his work, now that the brownies helped to keep the house in order. He could make more coats and could get more money. There was always bread and milk enough for everyone, and each night the boys set out on the doorstep a great bowlful for the brownie's supper.

At last the tailor said, “I am going to do something for that brownie. He has done so much for all of us.”So he cut and stitched the neatest little coat you ever saw. “I have always heard, ”he said, “that a brownie's clothes are ragged, and so I know that our brownie will need this.”

When the coat was finished, it was very beautiful, all stitched with gold thread and covered with brass buttons. The strangest thing about it was that it just fitted Tommy.

That night the little coat was placed by the bowl of milk set for the brownie. At daybreak, the tailor was awakened by the sound of laughter and scuffling in the kitchen. “That must be the brownie.”he thought; and getting out of bed he crept softly down the stairs.

But when he reached the kitchen, instead of the brownie, he saw Johnny and Tommy sweeping and making the fire and dusting and setting the table.

Tommy had put on the coat that his father had made for the brownie, and was skipping about in it. He was laughing and calling to Johnnie to see how fine he looked in it. “Johnnie, ”he said, “I wish father had made it to fit you.”

“Boys, what does all this mean? ”cried the surprised tailor,“Tommy, why have you put on that coat? ”

When the boys saw their father, they ran to him and said,“There is no brownie, Father! We have done the work. And, oh, Father! we are sorry that we were lazy and idle so long; but we mean to be brownies now, real brownies; and help you till we grow to be big men.”

The poor tailor was so happy that there were tears in his eyes as he kissed his boys.

Tommy and Johnnie kept their promise. But after a while, their little sister grew to be the best brownie of all. She kept her father's house bright and clean with brush and broom and dustpan.

(Jane L. Hoxie)

Word list

hobgoblin: a mischievous goblin

churn: to stir

speck: a very small piece

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) What kind of boys were Johnnie and Tommy?

2) What was Tommy's dream?

3) Did the boys really help their father with their work?

4) Who became the best brownie of all?

5) What is your favourite part of this story? Why?

B) Rhyming—Find words in the story that rhyme with these words.

1) missed—k _ _ _ _ _

2) crush—b _ _ _ _

3) hazy—l _ _ _

4) fry—s _ _

5) silk—m _ _ _

C) True, False, or Not Given—Read these sentences carefully. Write T (true), F (false), or NG (not given) for each.

1) _____ Real brownies came to Johnnie and Tommy's house.

2) _____ Johnnie and Tommy used to be lazy.

3) _____ Johnnie and Tommy's sister was very lazy.

4) _____ Johnnie and Tommy's told their father the truth about who did the housework.

5) _____ Johnnie and Tommy's father was disappointed that there was no brownie.