Then all the children turned and looked at Finnikin Fine, and said,—­

“Oh, shame, Finnikin! for shame to talk so to good little Merry Phinn!”

Then Finnikin hung down her head, and blushed very much, and began to cry; but Merry Phinn went close to her, and whispered,—­

“Never mind them, honey.  I’ll forget it sooner than you will, and I’ll come and help you dress the children tomorrow morning.”

“And I’ll give you my new pink muslin, and my white beads, and my bronze slippers with pink rosettes, and, and,” began Finnikin; but Merry put her little brown hand over her mouth, and said, laughing,—­

“And, if I get all these fine things, I’d be as bad as yourself, Finny darling.  No:  I’ll wear my calico gown, and my sun-bonnet, and my strong shoes; and you’ll see I can get to my work or my play without half the bother you’d make in your finery.”

So Finnikin, still blushing, and crying a little, put her arm round Merry’s neck, and kissed her; and then she ran and took off the rinses and pins and ribbons and flowers she had found time since breakfast to put on, and changed her blue silk dress for a neat gingham and a white apron, and put her hair into a net, instead of the wreath and curls it had cost her so much trouble to arrange.  And, when she came down stairs again, all the children cried,—­

“Only see how pretty Finnikin Fine is in her plain dress!  She looks like a little girl now, instead of a wax doll in a toy-shop window.”

“Yes,” said Tom Tearcoat; “and a fellow could play with her now in some comfort.  It used to be,—­

“‘Dear me, you rude boy! you’ve gone and torn my flounce!’ or, ‘You’ve spoilt my bow!’ or, ’Dear me, you troublesome creature! you’ve made me so nervous!’”

Every one laughed to hear Tom mimic Finnikin, he did it so well; but, when they saw that the little girl herself was troubled by it, they left off directly, and began to talk of other things; and Tom came and tucked a big green apple into her pocket, and a lump of maple-sugar into her hand.

Then Peter and Merry, who had always been used to waiting upon themselves, and doing all the work they were able to do, showed the other children many things which they needed to know, and helped them in so many ways, that the troubles of the morning were soon forgotten; and when, after clearing away the dinner, the little people all came out to play upon the green, they agreed to crown Peter and Merry King, and Queen of Merrigoland from three o’clock in the afternoon until sunset, because they were the only boy and girl in all the land who knew how to do the work that must every day be done to make us all comfortable.  But Peter and Merry, who were very sensible as well as very good-natured children, said,—­

“No, no, no!  There shall be no kings or queens in Merrigoland.  We will teach you all that we know, and you shall teach us all that you know, and so we will help each other; and no one shall think himself better than any one else, or forget that none of us can do well without the help of all the rest.”