Ahhh, we have come around to that day again, the twentieth of July, when Wiggs had her perfect day. I have decided to post this week’s “Children’s Hour” a day early because of it:

“First she dusted and dusted and dusted; then she swept and swept and swept; then she sewed and sewed and sewed. When anybody of superior station or age came into the room she rose and curtsied and stood with her hands behind her back, while she was being spoken to. When anybody said, “I wonder where I put my so-and-so,” she jumped up and said, “Let me fetch it,” even if it was upstairs.

After dinner she made up a basket of provisions and took them to the old women who lived near the castle; to some of them she sang or read aloud, and when at one cottage she was asked, “Now won’t you give me a little dance,” she smiled bravely and said, “I’m afraid I don’t dance very well.” I think that was rather sweet of her; if I had been the fairy I should have let her off the rest of the day.

When she got back to the Palace she drank two glasses of warm milk, with the skin on, and then went and weeded the Countess’s lawn; and once when she trod by accident on a bed of flowers, she left the footprint there instead of scraping it over hastily, and pretending that she hadn’t been near the place, as you would have done.

And at half past six she kissed everybody good-night (including Udo) and went to bed.

So ended July the Twentieth, perhaps the most memorable day in Euralian history.”

~Excerpt from Once on a Time, by A. A. Milne. This fairy-story book was another work written by that same author who penned the forever-known-to-children classics of Winnie the Pooh.