Thus we launch another volume of our series, like a fairy ship with a rather mixed cargo, in the hope that—­to change the metaphor—­like the blackbird-pie, it may prove, when opened, to be “a pretty dish to set before—­” their Babyships.

Walter Crane

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Kensington.  Sept:  1909

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SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE

[Illustrations, with each couplet]

  Sing a song of sixpence,
  A pocket full of rye,

  Four and twenty black-birds,
  Baked in a pie

  When the pie was open’d
  The birds began to sing

  Was’nt that a dainty dish
  To set before the King?

  The King was in his counting-house,
  Counting out his money.

  The Queen was in the parlour,
  Eating bread and honey.

  The maid was in the garden,
  Hanging out the clothes;

  There came a little blackbird,
  And nipp’d off her nose.

[Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration]

PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE.

Once upon a time there were three Princesses, named Roussette, Brunette, and Blondine, who lived in retirement with their mother, a Princess who had lost all her former grandeur.  One day an old woman called and asked for a dinner, as this Princess was an excellent cook.  After the meal was over, the old woman, who was a fairy, promised that their kindness should be rewarded, and immediately disappeared.

Shortly after, the King came that way, with his brother and the Lord Admiral.  They were all so struck with the beauty of the three Princesses, that the King married the youngest, Blondine, his brother married Brunette, and the Lord Admiral married Roussette.

The good Fairy, who had brought all this about, also caused the young Queen Blondine to have three lovely children, two boys and a girl, out of whose hair fell fine jewels.  Each had a brilliant star on the forehead, and a rich chain of gold around the neck.  At the same time Brunette, her sister, gave birth to a handsome boy.  Now the young Queen and Brunette were much attached to each other, but Roussette was jealous of both, and the old Queen, the King’s mother, hated them.  Brunette died soon after the birth of her son, and the King was absent on a warlike expedition, so Roussette joined the wicked old Queen in forming plans to injure Blondine.  They ordered Feintise, the old Queen’s waiting-woman, to strangle the Queen’s three children and the son of Princess Brunette, and bury them secretly.  But as she was about to execute this wicked order, she was so struck by their beauty, and the appearance of the sparkling stars on their foreheads, that she shrank from the deed.

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