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are the prettiest of all," said Susie. "I do really. I wish I could have a blue balloon on a nice long piece of string. I'd take it out to show all the other children."
    Now one day a balloon-woman came to Susie's village. She was rather like a balloon herself, for she was round and fat, and her red shawl shone brightly. She carried behind her a great bunch of balloons to sell to the children. They were the biggest and most beautiful that the boys and girls had ever seen.
    Susie ran to look at them. The balloon-woman had a little stool with her, and she sat down on this at a corner. "Buy a balloon!" she kept shouting. "Buy a balloon!"
    "How much are they?" asked Susie. "I've a ha'penny at home."
    "What, a ha'penny for beautiful big balloons like these!" cried the balloon-woman. "No, no—these are tuppence each, and well worth it, too."
    "Oh—tuppence!" said' Susie, disappointed. "That's very dear. But oh, look at that lovely blue one there! How I would like to have it!"
    She stared at the blue balloon. It really was the biggest of the bunch, and it bobbed up and down as the breeze took it. Susie felt that she simply must have it.
    "I must earn some money!" she thought. "If only I could get a penny and a ha'penny. Then with my own ha'penny I should have tuppence, and that would be enough."
    She walked down the road, thinking hard. She passed Mrs., Jones in her garden, and Mrs., Jones called out to her.
    "Susie! Whatever are you thinking about? You do look so solemn!"
    "I'm thinking how I can earn a penny and a ha'penny," said Susie. "It's very difficult. I do so want to buy a blue balloon."
    "Well, now I want a little job done," said Mrs. Jones, "and I'm willing to give a penny for it. I want a parcel taken down to the post-office."
    "Oh, I can do that for you," said Susie.
    "It's a heavy parcel, and the post-office is a long way off," said Mrs. Jones. "You'd better see the parcel before you decide. I wanted my Jack to take it for me, but he's had to go to bed with a bad cold, and I can't leave him and take it myself."
    Mrs. Jones showed Susie the parcel. It certainly was rather large. "But I can carry it all right," said Susie, "and I do so badly want the balloon that I'd be glad to take an even heavier parcel for you!"
    The little girl set off to the post-office. The parcel certainly was heavy! It made her arms ache before she had gone very far. In fact, by the time she had almost reached the post-office, she had to stop and rest. She put the parcel down on a little wall, and hung her tired arms down.
    And it was there that our old friend, kind Mr. Pink-Whistle, met her. He was coming up the street, looking about him as usual, when he saw Susie.
    "Hallo, little girl!" he said. "That seems a very heavy parcel to carry!"
    "Well, it is, rather," said Susie. "My arms ache a lot. But I'm having a rest now."
    "Let me carry it the rest of the way for you," said Mr. Pink-Whistle.
    "No, thank you," said Susie. "You see, I am earning a penny for taking it to the post-office, and if you carried it for me, it wouldn't be quite fair to get the penny."
    "I see," said Mr. Pink-Whistle. "I am very pleased to meet a child who knows what is fair and what is not. Do you want the penny for anything special?"
    "I do, rather," said Susie. "Have you seen the balloon-woman at the corner? Well, she has a most beautiful big blue balloon, and I am longing to buy it. I have never in my life had a blue balloon, you know. It costs tuppence, and I am earning a penny towards it. I have a ha'penny already, and perhaps I shall earn another ha'penny. Then I can buy the blue balloon."

    "LET ME CARRY YOUR PARCEL FOR YOU," SAID MR. PINK-WHISTLE.
    The little girl picked up the parcel and went on again, smiling at Mr. Pink-Whistle. He went on his way, too, hoping that Susie would be able to buy what she wanted.
    Susie was tired when she got back to Mrs. Jones. She was pleased to have a nice bright penny. She put it into her pocket and ran home.
    She told her