bad storm. Some of them will be thin, and of about the same thickness for several inches. It must have been pleasant weather then, when the sea was smooth, and each tide brought up about as much sand one day as another.

The masons in getting out the stone from the quarry cut across the layers in every direction, so that these marks are not everywhere equally plain. Yet with a little search you can soon find a perfect picture of that old, old beach. Each piece bears the finger-marks of the sea, the tracings of the moon and tides, the very handwriting of the waves. Afterward the white sand was stained with iron rust. The water bearing the iron left it mixed with the sand, and when it became dry, and was lifted above the water, the iron bound all the sand firmly together into this beautiful red sandstone, this story-book of the sea.

THE CAPTURED MOUSE.

THE PRINCESS SUNNYLOCKS AND THE RUNAWAY SUNBEAM.

BY LILLIE E. BARR.

One day a Sunbeam determined to run away from all his merry brothers and sisters, and go upon an excursion by himself.

And as his mamma, the Moon, was off on a visit to the other side of the earth, and his papa, the Sun, was busy flirting with all the brooks and flowers he could find, instead of minding the little Sunbeams, as he had been told to do by the Lady Moon, he thought it a capital time.

So making use of the limbs of an old elm-tree to hide him from his papa's view, he slipped through the dancing leaves, and stopped just one minute on the outside of a gray old palace to consider what he should do with himself.

"Oh, you darling Sunbeam!" called a sweet voice from a little latticed window, "how ever did you get there? You are the first sunbeam that ever managed to slip through that old elm's leaves. Do come in and play with me."

"With all my heart," answered the Sunbeam, gliding through the open casement right down beside the loveliest little girl; and before she could say a word he had played at hide-and-seek among her golden curls, peeped into her bright blue eyes, and kissed her rosy lips a dozen times.

The little girl did not get angry; she just laughed, and said, "Oh, you dear Sunbeam!" And then she added, sadly, "No one kisses me, now that my mamma has gone away."

"Where did she go to?" asked the merry Sunbeam.

"Ah! that is what I do not know. But come, and I will show you her picture;" and as she spoke the Princess let the Sunbeam into a room where hung the portrait of a lovely lady, whose rosy lips looked as though they would say, "My darling child," and whose white hands seemed as though they would lift the Princess up and fold her to her breast.

"See, this is my mamma," she cried. "She used to call me Princess Sunnylocks, but no one calls me that now; for since the other Queen came in her place I have been so lonely and so sad. Ah! if I only knew where my mamma was gone, I would go and find her out; for I am sure she wants her little Sunnylocks. Oh, I must go to her! Dear Sunbeam, tell me where you think she has gone."

The Sunbeam glided first upon the rich gilt frame, and then he kissed the small white hands, and then he kissed the lovely face all over, and as he came back to the Princess, said, "She is just like you; and she is so beautiful that she must have gone to Fairy-Land."

"Gone to Fairy-Land," cried the little Princess. "Why, if she has gone there, so will I; I too will go to Fairy-Land." And catching up her cloak and hood, she fled as fast as her feet could carry her, away from the gray old palace, and out into the forest that bounded her father's kingdom.

All day she travelled gayly on, as happy as the birds who brought her berries, or the squirrels who brought her nuts; and just as evening fell, she found a lovely spot where seven oaks grew, and underneath their shadow was a fairy ring, as soft as velvet and as fresh and green as could be. Here she determined to pass the night; so, commending herself to the care of the good God, she lay down in the centre of the ring and fell fast asleep.

The next morning when she opened her bright blue eyes she had to shut them quickly; for there was the runaway Sunbeam laughing right down into her pretty face from among the branches of the largest oak.

"Oh, I am so glad you have come, you dear, dear Sunbeam," she cried, "for I am sure you know the way to Fairy-Land."

"To be sure I do; but you must go to the great white Stork who lives in the ruins over there, and he will tell you where it is, and how to get there too. Come now with me, and I will find you some sweet ripe dew-berries."

The Princess tripped by the Sunbeam's side, and at last they came to the ruins. Then she knocked at the door, but the Sunbeam jumped through the window right down upon the Papa Stork's shoulder.

"Ah! you are welcome, my dear Sunbeam—take a chair, I pray," said the Papa Stork, gravely.

"So I will; but first send some one to open the door, for a sweet little princess knocks there to gain admission."

Mr. Stork opened the door himself, and led little Sunnylocks in, who said,

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stork, I bring you a gift of sweet ripe dew-berries which the Sunbeam found, and I gathered fresh from the grass this morning."

"We are much obliged, my dear, and will accept them gratefully," said Mrs. Stork; "and now thou and the Sunbeam will stay and take breakfast with us, and then thou mayst go upon thy journey."

Sunnylocks thanked Mrs. Stork, and after she had eaten her breakfast she inquired the way to Fairy-Land.

"Why, I thought every bird and beast and flower knew the way. But then thou art neither bird nor beast nor flower, consequently thou canst not know the way. Fairy-Land lies on the other side of the moon."

"Alas! alas! how can I get there, then?" said the little Princess, sadly.

"Cheer up thy heart, my pretty maiden, for I will direct thee to one who will take thee to Fairy-Land if thou art as brave as thou art fair," said Mr. Stork.

"I fear nothing," cried the Princess, "and will brave all dangers to reach dear Fairy-Land."

"Then thou must go three days' journey through this wood, when thou wilt come to a range of mountains; climb that one whose head is crowned with clouds, and there, upon a projecting cliff, stands King Eagle's castle. He alone can take thee to Fairy-Land."

The Princess then kissed the Storks all round, and the Sunbeam kissed her, after which they ran upon their journey, seeking berries, and playing hide-and-seek the whole day long.

At last night came, and Sunnylocks lay down beneath an old oak-tree. Here she slept sweetly until the Sunbeam coaxed a frolicking Breeze Fairy to shake some dew-drops down upon her lovely face. That made her laugh and shake her golden curls, and then she ran a race with them, until she was quite tired out, when they caught and kissed her.

Presently they met a merry little Robin-Redbreast, who was busy getting his breakfast, and he invited them to sit down and have some too, which they accordingly did; and Robin had a long story to tell of how a wicked white owl had eaten a dear little wren who was his sweet companion.

When he had finished, the Sunbeam vowed he would tease that owl all day, and so did the Breeze Fairy.

The Princess now thanked the Robin, who sang her a sweet song, and even accompanied her a little way; then they parted, and Sunnylocks ran gayly on her journey.

Just at sunset she found a lovely bank of white violets, which, of course you know, are the Fairy Queen's own flowers, shielded by her magic power