By Edith Howes
Poppypink sat up in bed and yawned. “Why is everybodygetting up so early？” she asked. “Is it a holiday？”
The older fairies were dressing themselves and brushingtheir long fine hair. “Wonderwings is coming to see us，” theysaid. “Jump up， little Poppypink.”
“Who is Wonderwings？” she asked.
“You will see when you are dressed. Hurry， or you will missher.”
“The older fairies were dressing themselves and combingtheir long fine hair.”
“Oh dear！ I am so sleepy，” said Poppypink， and she yawnedagain. “I don’t care about Wonderwings.” She snuggled downinto the bedclothes again， and went to sleep.
Presently she was awakened by the sound of the sweetestsinging she had ever heard， and a flash of brilliant colour wentpast her window pane of crystal set in pearl.
“That must be Wonderwings，” she said. “Oh， I must see her.
I hope I am not too late.”
She sprang from bed and dressed so hurriedly that I amafraid her hair did not receive its due amount of brushing.
Then she ran out into the garden.
The older fairies stood all in a group， saying loudly “I willgo，” and “I will go.” And before them， scarcely touching theground with the tip of her foot， stood poised a glorious fairy，taller than any other there. She was altogether beautiful； andher wings—as soon as Poppypink saw them she knew why thevisitor had been called Wonderwings. For they reached highabove her head and almost to the ground， and they glowedwith so many colours that it seemed as if a million jewels hadbeen Hung upon them and had stuck， growing into a millionflashing stars that made a million little rainbows with everysway and movement of her body.
“How lovely！ Oh， how lovely！” cried Poppypink. She creptnearer to the beautiful fairy and sat among the daisies at herfeet. “See，” she cried. “My wings are small and colourless. Tellme how I may grow wings like yours.” Just as little girls adorebeautiful hair， so do little fairies adore beautiful wings.
Wonderwings smiled down at her. “Such wings as mine areonly to be won in sadder lands than these，” she said. “If youwould have them you must leave your fairyland and comewhere humans live， and where hunger and sorrow and deathtrample the city streets.”
“I will come！” cried Poppypink. “I will come！”
“Come then，” said Wonderwings. She took the little fairy’shand， and up they all rose into the clear air， flying far and faraway till they left their fairyland behind and came at last to thesadder lands where humans lived. There Wonderwings showedthem where hunger and sorrow and death trampled the citystreets， and the band of fairies flew lower and lower to look.
“The children tumble and fight in the dirty lanes， and cry forbread，” cried Poppypink. “The little ones， I cannot bear to hearthem sob.”
“Perhaps you can help them，” said Wonderwings.
“I am only a little fairy. What can I do？” asked Poppypink. “Ihave no bread to give them.”
She flew a little lower， to gaze at them more nearly. “Whatcan I do？” she asked again.
No answer came. She looked around， and found herselfalone. Wonderwings and the older fairies had in a momentgone from sight.
Below， a crippled child sat among rags in a dark corner ofa dreary room， and tears ran down her cheeks. “The sunshine，the pretty yellow sunshine！” she wailed. “If only I could runand play in the pretty sunshine！”
“Here is something I can do，” thought Poppypink. Shegathered armfuls of the golden sunbeams， and flying with themthrough the glass as only a fairy can fly， herself unseen， sheheaped them over the twisted hands and pale thin face of thechild， and left her playing with them and smiling happily.
Poppypink laughed with joy. “I am so glad， so very glad！”
she said. “I had forgotten all about my wings.”
Lower she flew to help the little ones who cried about thegutters. She led the starving and shelterless to comfort， thetoddlers to safety； she brought a flower to the hopeless， easeto sick ones racked with pain； at night she flew with glitteringdreams from room to room， so that even sad-eyed feeblebabies laughed for pleasure in their sleep. Day after day， nightafter night she toiled， for weeks and months and years. Therewas so much to do！ The time passed like a moment. So busywas she that she had forgotten all about her wings.
One day there came a flash of colour in the air beside her，and Wonderwings and all the older fairies stood around her.
“Dear Poppypink，” cried one， “how your wings have grown！
And how beautiful they are！ They are so tall that they reachabove your head and almost to the ground， and they glow withso many colours that it seems as if a million jewels had beenflung upon them and had stuck， growing into a million flashingstars that make a million little rainbows with every sway andmovement of your body.”
Poppypink laughed with joy. “I am so glad， so very glad！”
she said. “I had forgotten all about my wings.”
“Yet they have grown with use，” said Wonderwings； “andfor every deed of kindness done a star has sprung， to shine inbeauty there for evermore.”