FRIENDLY FAIRIES

Illustrated Children's Book by Johnny Gruelle 1919 - online version

	THE FAIRY RING
	A little old man with a violin tucked under his arm shuffled down the attic steps and the many flights of stairs until finally he reached the streets.
	As he shuffled down the street, he clutched his coat tightly about his throat, for the air was chill and he felt the cold.
	At the first street corner he stopped and placed his violin to his shoulder to play, but catching a glance from the policeman across the street he hastily tucked his violin under his arm and shuffled on.
	He walked a great distance before he again stopped. It was a busy corner where hundreds of people passed every few minutes, but when he played no one stopped to listen to his music, much less to drop anything in the tiny tin cup he had placed on the sidewalk before him. Tears came to the poor little old man's eyes; everyone was too busy to stop to hear his music. So in the evening when he slowly retraced his steps towards his attic home, his feet were very tired and he shuffled more than he had in the morning. His back humped and his head drooped more, and the tears nearly blinded him. He had to stop