



Produced by Charles Aldarondo.  HTML version by Al Haines.










American Fairy Tales


By L. FRANK BAUM



Author of

FATHER GOOSE; HIS BOOK,
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, ETC.



CONTENTS

  THE BOX OF ROBBERS
  THE GLASS DOG
  THE QUEEN OF QUOK
  THE GIRL WHO OWNED A BEAR
  THE ENCHANTED TYPES
  THE LAUGHING HIPPOPOTAMUS
  THE MAGIC BON BONS
  THE CAPTURE OF FATHER TIME
  THE WONDERFUL PUMP
  THE DUMMY THAT LIVED
  THE KING OF THE POLAR BEARS
  THE MANDARIN AND THE BUTTERFLY




THE BOX OF ROBBERS


No one intended to leave Martha alone that afternoon, but it
happened that everyone was called away, for one reason or another.
Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card party held by the
Women's Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nell's young man had called
quite unexpectedly to take her for a long drive. Papa was at the
office, as usual. It was Mary Ann's day out. As for Emeline, she
certainly should have stayed in the house and looked after the
little girl; but Emeline had a restless nature.

"Would you mind, miss, if I just crossed the alley to speak a word
to Mrs. Carleton's girl?" she asked Martha.

"'Course not," replied the child. "You'd better lock the back door,
though, and take the key, for I shall be upstairs."

"Oh, I'll do that, of course, miss," said the delighted maid, and
ran away to spend the afternoon with her friend, leaving Martha
quite alone in the big house, and locked in, into