She　took　off　her　spectacles；　because　she　did　not　like　to　see　too　much；　and　in　her　pity　she　arched　up　her　eyebrows　into　her　very　hair；　and　her　eyes　grew　so　wide　that　they　would　have　taken　in　all　the　sorrows　of　the　world；　and　filled　with　great　big　tears；　as　they　too　often　do。
  But　all　she　said　was：
  〃Ah；　you　poor　little　dear！　you　are　just　like　all　the　rest。〃
  But　she　said　it　to　herself；　and　Tom　neither　heard　nor　saw　her。　Now；　you　must　not　fancy　that　she　was　sentimental　at　all。　　If　you　do；　and　think　that　she　is　going　to　let　off　you；　or　me；　or　any　human　being　when　we　do　wrong；　because　she　is　too　tender…hearted　to　punish　us；　then　you　will　find　yourself　very　much　mistaken；　as　many　a　man　does　every　year　and　every　day。
  But　what　did　the　strange　fairy　do　when　she　saw　all　her　lollipops　eaten？
  Did　she　fly　at　Tom；　catch　him　by　the　scruff　of　the　neck；　hold　him；　howk　him；　hump　him；　hurry　him；　hit　him；　poke　him；　pull　him；　pinch　him；　pound　him；　put　him　in　the　corner；　shake　him；　slap　him；　set　him　on　a　cold　stone　to　reconsider　himself；　and　so　forth？
  Not　a　bit。　　You　may　watch　her　at　work　if　you　know　where　to　find　her。　　But　you　will　never　see　her　do　that。　　For；　if　she　had；　she　knew　quite　well　Tom　would　have　fought；　and　kicked；　and　bit；　and　said　bad　words；　and　turned　again　that　moment　into　a　naughty　little　heathen　chimney…sweep；　with　his　hand；　like　Ishmael's　of　old；　against　every　man；　and　every　man's　hand　against　him。
  Did　she　question　him；　hurry　him；　frighten　him；　threaten　him；　to　make　him　confess？　　Not　a　bit。　　You　may　see　her；　as　I　said；　at　her　work　often　enough　if　you　know　where　to　look　for　her：　　but　you　will　never　see　her　do　that。　　For；　if　she　had；　she　would　have　tempted　him　to　tell　lies　in　his　fright；　and　that　would　have　been　worse　for　him；　if　possible；　than　even　becoming　a　heathen　chimney…sweep　again。
  No。　　She　leaves　that　for　anxious　parents　and　teachers　（lazy　ones；　some　call　them）；　who；　instead　of　giving　children　a　fair　trial；　such　as　they　would　expect　and　demand　for　themselves；　force　them　by　fright　to　confess　their　own　faults　…　which　is　so　cruel　and　unfair　that　no　judge　on　the　bench　dare　do　it　to　the　wickedest　thief　or　murderer；　for　the　good　British　law　forbids　it　…　ay；　and　even　punish　them　to　make　them　confess；　which　is　so　detestable　a　crime　that　it　is　never　committed　now；　save　by　Inquisitors；　and　Kings　of　Naples；　and　a　few　other　wretched　people　of　whom　the　world　is　weary。　　And　then　they　say；　〃We　have　trained　up　the　child　in　the　way　he　should　go；　and　when　he　grew　up　he　has　departed　from　it。　　Why　then　did　Solomon　say　that　he　would　not　depart　from　it？〃　　But　perhaps　the　way　of　beating；　and　hurrying　and　frightening；　and　questioning；　was　not　the　way　that　the　child　should　go；　for　it　is　not　even　the　way　in　which　a　colt　should　go　if　you　want　to　break　it　in　and　make　it　a　quiet　serviceable　horse。
  Some　folks　may　say；　〃Ah！　but　the　Fairy　does　not　need　to　do　that　if　she　knows　everything　already。〃　　True。　　But；　if　she　did　not　know；　she　would　not　surely　behave　worse　than　a　British　judge　and　jury；　and　no　more　should　parents　and　teachers　either。
  So　she　just　said　nothing　at　all　about　the　matter；　not　even　when　Tom　came　next　day　with　the　rest　for　sweet　things。　　He　was　horribly　afraid　of　coming：　　but　he　was　still　more　afraid　of　staying　away；　lest　any　one　should　suspect　him。　　He　was　dreadfully　afraid；　too；　lest　there　should　be　no　sweets　…　as　was　to　be　expected；　he　having　eaten　them　all　…　and　lest　then　the　fairy　should　inquire　who　had　taken　them。　　But；　behold！　she　pulled　out　just　as　many　as　ever；　which　astonished　Tom；　and　frightened　him　still　more。
  And；　when　the　fairy　looked　him　full　in　the　face；　he　shook　from　head　to　foot：　　however　she　gave　him　his　share　like　the　rest；　and　he　thought　within　himself　that　she　could　not　have　found　him　out。
  But；　when　he　put　the　sweets　into　his　mouth；　he　hated　the　taste　of　them；　and　they　made　him　so　sick　that　he　had　to　get　away　as　fast　as　he　could；　and　terribly　sick　he　was；　and　very　cross　and　unhappy；　all　the　week　after。
  Then；　when　next　week　came；　he　had　his　share　again；　and　again　the　fairy　looked　him　full　in　the　face；　but　more　sadly　than　she　had　ever　looked。　　And　he　could　not　bear　the　sweets：　　but　took　them　again　in　spite　of　himself。
  And　when　Mrs。　Doasyouwouldbedoneby　came；　he　wanted　to　be　cuddled　like　the　rest；　but　she　said　very　seriously：
  〃I　should　like　to　cuddle　you；　but　I　cannot；　you　are　so　horny　and　prickly。〃
  And　Tom　looked　at　himself：　　and　he　was　all　over　prickles；　just　like　a　sea…egg。
  Which　was　quite　natural；　for　you　must　know　and　believe　that　people's　souls　make　their　bodies　just　as　a　snail　makes　its　shell　（I　am　not　joking；　my　little　man；　I　am　in　serious；　solemn　earnest）。　And　therefore；　when　Tom's　soul　grew　all　prickly　with　naughty　tempers；　his　body　could　not　help　growing　prickly；　too；　so　that　nobody　would　cuddle　him；　or　play　with　him；　or　even　like　to　look　at　him。
  What　could　Tom　do　now　but　go　away　and　hide　in　a　corner　and　cry？　For　nobody　would　play　with　him；　and　he　knew　full　well　why。
  And　he　was　so　miserable　all　that　week　that　when　the　ugly　fairy　came　and　looked　at　him　once　more　full　in　the　face；　more　seriously　and　sadly　than　ever；　he　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　thrust　the　sweetmeats　away；　saying；　〃No；　I　don't　want　any：　　I　can't　bear　them　now；〃　and　then　burst　out　crying；　poor　little　man；　and　told　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid　every　word　as　it　happened。
  He　was　horribly　frightened　when　he　had　done　so；　for　he　expected　her　to　punish　him　very　severely。　　But；　instead；　she　only　took　him　up　and　kissed　him；　which　was　not　quite　pleasant；　for　her　chin　was　very　bristly　indeed；　but　he　was　so　lonely…hearted；　he　thought　that　rough　kissing　was　better　than　none。
  〃I　will　forgive　you；　little　man；〃　she　said。　　〃I　always　forgive　every　one　the　moment　they　tell　me　the　truth　of　their　own　accord。〃
  〃Then　you　will　take　away　all　these　nasty　prickles？〃
  〃That　is　a　very　different　matter。　　You　put　them　there　yourself；　and　only　you　can　take　them　away。〃
  〃But　how　can　I　do　that？〃　asked　Tom；　crying　afresh。
  〃Well；　I　think　it　is　time　for　you　to　go　to　school；　so　I　shall　fetch　you　a　schoolmistress；　who　will　teach　you　how　to　get　rid　of　your　prickles。〃　　And　so　she　went　away。
  Tom　was　frightened　at　the　notion　of　a　school…mistress；　for　he　thought　she　would　certainly　come　with　a　birch…rod　or　a　cane；　but　he　comforted　himself；　at　last；　that　she　might　be　something　like　the　old　woman　in　Vendale　…　which　she　was　not　in　the　least；　for；　when　the　fairy　brought　her；　she　was　the　most　beautiful　little　girl　that　ever　was　seen；　with　long　curls　floating　behind　her　like　a　golden　cloud；　and　long　robes　floating　all　round　her　like　a　silver　one。
  〃There　he　is；〃　said　the　fairy；　〃and　you　must　teach　him　to　be　good；　whether　you　like　or　not。〃
  〃I　know；〃　said　the　little　girl；　but　she　did　not　seem　quite　to　like；　for　she　put　her　finger　in　her　mouth；　and　looked　at　Tom　under　her　brows；　and　Tom　put　his　finger　in　his　mouth；　and　looked　at　her　under　his　brows；　for　he　was　horribly　ashamed　of　himself。
  The　little　girl　seemed　hardly　to　know　how　to　begin；　and　perhaps　she　would　never　have　begun　at　all　if　poor　Tom　had　not　burst　out　crying；　and　begged　her　to　teach　him　to　be　good　and　help　him　to　cure　his　prickles；　and　at　that　she　grew　so　tender…hearted　that　she　began　teaching　him　as　prettily　as　ever　child　was　taught　in　the　world。
  And　what　did　the　little　girl　teach　Tom？　　She　taught　him；　first；　what　you　have　been　taught　ever　since　you　said　your　first　prayers　at　your　mother's　knees；　but　she　taught　him　much　more　simply。　　For　the　lessons　in　that　world；　my　child；　have　no　such　hard　words　in　them　as　the　lessons　in　this；　and　therefore　the　water…babies　like　them　better　than　you　like　your　lessons；　and　long　to　learn　them　more　and　more；　and　grown　men　cannot　puzzle　nor　quarrel　over　their　meaning；　as　they　do　here　on　land；　for　those　lessons　all　rise　clear　and　pure；　like　the　Test　out　of　Overton　Pool；　out　of　the　everlasting　ground　of　all　life　and　truth。
  So　she　taught　Tom　every　day　in　the　week；　only　on　Sundays　she　always　went　away　home；　and　the　kind　fairy　took　her　place。　　And　before　she　had　taught　Tom　many　Sundays；　his　prickles　had　vanished　quite　away；　and　his　skin　was　smooth　and　clean　again。
  〃Dear　me！〃　said　the　little　girl；　〃why；　I　know　you　now。　　You　are　the　very　same　little　chimney…sweep　who　came　into　my　bedroom。〃
  〃Dear　me！〃　cried　Tom。　　〃And　I　know　you；　too；　now。　　You　are　the　very　little　white　lady　whom　I　saw　in　bed。〃　　And　he　jumped　at　her；　and　longed　to　hug　and　kiss　her；　but　did　not；　remembering　that　she　was　a　lady　born；　so　he　only　jumped　round　and　round　her　till　he　was　quite　tired。
  And　then　they　began　telling　each　other　all　their　story　…　how　he　had　got　into　the　water；　and　she　had　fallen　over　the　rock；　and　how　he　had　swum　down　to　the　sea；　and　how　she　had　flown　out　of　the　window；　and　how　this；　that；　and　the　other；　till　it　was　all　talked　out：　　and　then　they　both　began　over　again；　and　I　can't　say　which　of　the　two　talked　fastest。
  And　then　they　set　to　work　at　their　lessons　again；　and　both　liked　them　so　well　that　they　went　on　well　till　seven　full　years　were　past　and　gone。
  You　may　fancy　that　Tom　was　quite　content　and　happy　all　those　seven　years；　but　the　truth　is；　he　was　not。　　He　had　always　one　thing　on　his　mind；　and　that　was　…　where　little　Ellie　went；　w