



Produced by David Widger from page images generously
provided by the Internet Archive









ONCE UPON A TIME AND OTHER CHILD-VERSES

By Mary E. Wilkins

Author Of "The Pot Of Gold," "Jane Field," "A New England Nun,"

"An Humble Romance," "Pembroke," Etc.

Illustrated By Etheldred B. Barry

Boston:

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co.

1897


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PREFACE

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|TRUSTING to the sweet charity of little folk

          To find some grace, in spite of halting rhyme

          And frequent telling, in these little tales,

          I say again:--Now, once upon a time!

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ONCE UPON A TIME


|NOW, once upon a time, a nest of fairies

          Was in a meadow 'neath a wild rose-

               tree;

And, once upon a time, the violets clustered

So thick around it one could scarcely see;

And, once upon a time, a troop of children

Came dancing by upon the flowery ground;

And, once upon a time, the nest of fairies,

With shouts of joy and wonderment they

               found;

And, once upon a time, the fairies fluttered

On purple winglets, shimmering in the sun;

And, once upon a time, the nest forsaking,

They flew off thro' the violets, every one;

And, once upon a time, the children followed

With loud halloos along the meadow green;

And, once upon a time, the fairies vanished,

And never more could one of