LULU'S LIBRARY.

BY

LOUISA M. ALCOTT,

AUTHOR OF "LITTLE WOMEN," "AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL," "LITTLE MEN," "EIGHT
COUSINS," "ROSE IN BLOOM," "UNDER THE LILACS," "JACK AND JILL," "JO'S
BOYS," "HOSPITAL SKETCHES," "WORK, A STORY OF EXPERIENCE," "MOODS, A
NOVEL," "PROVERB STORIES," "SILVER PITCHERS," "SPINNING-WHEEL STORIES,"
"AUNT JO'S SCRAP-BAG."

Vol. II.

BOSTON:
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY,
1901.

Copyright, 1887,
By Louisa M. Alcott.


University Press:
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge.

TO

ELLEN T. EMERSON,

ONE OF THE GOOD FAIRIES WHO STILL REMAIN TO US,
BELOVED BY POETS, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND
MANY GRATEFUL HEARTS,

This Book

IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED

BY HER OLD FRIEND,

L. M. ALCOTT.

June, 1887.

PREFACE.

Most of these stories were written at sixteen for my younger sisters and their playmates, the little Emersons and Channings, and appeared some years later under the name of "Flower Fables." With some additions they are now republished for the amusement of those children's children by their old friend,

L. M. ALCOTT.
June, 1887.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

I. The Frost King and how the Fairies conquered him 7

II. Lilybell and Thistledown, or the Fairy Sleeping Beauty 25

III. Ripple, the Water Sprite 50

IV. Eva's Visit to Fairyland 68

V. Sunshine, and her Brothers and Sisters 91

VI. The Fairy Spring 101

VII. Queen Aster 122

VIII. The Brownie and the Princess 135

IX. Mermaids 173

X. Little Bud 203

XI. The Flower's Story 243

Instead of dying in her cell, the fairy had made it beautiful.—Page 13.

I.

THE FROST KING AND HOW THE FAIRIES CONQUERED HIM.

The Queen sat upon her throne, and all the fairies from the four kingdoms were gathered for a grand council. A very important question was to be decided, and the bravest, wisest elves were met to see what could be done. The Frost King made war upon the flowers; and it was a great grief to Queen Blossom and her subjects to see their darlings die year after year, instead of enjoying one long summer, as they might have done but for him. She had sent messengers with splendid gifts, and had begged him to stop this dreadful war, which made autumn so sad and left the fields strewn with dead flowers. But he sent back the gifts, sternly refused her prayers, and went on with his cruel work; because he was a tyrant, and loved to destroy innocent things.

"My subjects, we will try once more," said the Queen, "if any one can propose a plan that will touch his hard heart and make him kind to the dear flowers."

Then there was a great rustling of wings and murmuring of voices; for all the elves were much excited, and each wanted to propose something. The Queen listened, but none of the plans seemed wise, and she was sadly perplexed, when her favorite maid of honor, the lovely Star, came and knelt before her, saying, while her face shone and her voice trembled with the earnestness of her words, "Dear Queen, let me go alone to the Frost King and try what love will do. We have sent presents and prayers by messengers who feared and hated him, and he would not receive them; but we have not tried to make him love us, nor shown him how beautiful his land might be, by patiently changing that dreary place, and teaching his people to plant flowers, not to kill them. I am not afraid; let me go and try my plan, for love is very powerful, and I know he has a heart if we can only find it."

"You may go, dear Star," answered the Queen, "and see if you can conquer him. But if any harm happens to you, we will come with our whole army and fight this cruel King till he is conquered."

At these brave words all the elves cheered, and General Sun, the great warrior, waved his sword as if longing to go to battle at once. They gathered about Star,—some to praise and caress her, some to warn