FAIRIES I HAVE MET
her flowers very carefully, and she liked everything she made to be pretty. She laughed to herself as she put down the first finished snowflake.
"That is what comes of making nothing but flowers," she said. "That snowflake is exactly like a flower!"
She was quite right. The snowflake was like a delicate, starry flower, light as air, and clear as crystal, and glistening in the sunshine.
"I like that kind of snowflake," said Starblossom. "I shall make some more."
So she made a great number of snowflakes, and they were all like feathery flowers, all different in shape, but all beautiful.
"I should like to go on making snow-flowers always," she said to herself.
At that moment Drop-of-Crystal flew up to her in a great hurry.
"Oh, do come and see my nice new flowers," he cried. "They are quite a new kind, and they are so pretty—just like drops of snow!"
"And my drops of snow are just like flowers!" cried Starblossom. "And I want to go on making them always, because they are so beautiful."
"Well then," said Drop-of-Crystal, clapping his hands, "suppose you and I change places! You shall go on making snowflakes, and I'll go on making flowers!"
So that was the way they settled it.
And because Drop-of-Crystal was a snow-fairy, the flowers he made were always like drops of snow; and
56
