I wonder if our joke will do any good ? ' said Kitty thoughtfully . ` Wait and see , ' answered Aunt Betsey , popping her night-capped head out of her room with a nod and a smile that sent them to bed full of hope for the future . DANDELION . Down by the sea lived Ben the fisherman , with his wife , and little son , who was called Dandelion , because he wore yellow pinafores , and had curly , yellow hair , that covered his head with a golden fuzz . A very happy family , for Ben was kind and industrious , Hetty , his wife , a cheerful , busy creature , and Dandelion the jolliest three-year-old baby who ever made sand-pies and paddled on the beach . But one day a great trouble came to them . Ben and his fellow-fishermen sailed blithely away as usual , and Hetty watched the fleet of white-winged boats out of the bay , thinking how pretty they looked with the sunshine on them ; while Dandelion stood clapping his chubby hands , and saying , as he always did , ` Daddy tummin ' soon . ' But Daddy did not come soon that time ; for a great storm arose , and when some of the boats came scudding home at nightfall , Ben 's was not among them . All night the gale raged , and in the morning , Ben 's boat lay empty and broken on the shore . His mates shook their heads when they saw the wreck , and drew their rough hands over their eyes ; for Ben was a good seaman , and they knew he never would desert his boat alive . They looked for him far and wide , but could hear nothing of him , and felt sure that he had perished in the storm . They tried to comfort poor Hetty , but she would not be comforted . Her heart seemed broken ; and if it had not been for her baby , her neighbours feared that she would have gone to join Ben in his grave under the sea . Dandelion did n't understand why every one was so sad , and why his father stayed away so long ; but he never lost his cheerfulness , never gave up hoping , or stopped saying , with a contented smile , ` Daddy tummin ' soon . ' The sunshiny little face was Hetty 's only comfort . The sight of the fuzzy yellow head , bobbing round the house , alone made it endurable ; and the touch of the loving baby hands kept her from the despair which made her long to end her sorrow in the sea . People do n't believe in fairies now-a-days ; nevertheless , good spirits still exist , and help us in our times of trouble , better even than the little people we used to read about . One of these household spirits is called Love , and it took the shape of Dandelion to comfort poor Hetty . Another is called Labor : a beautiful , happy spirit this is , and it did its part so well that there was little time for bitter thoughts or vain regrets ; for Hetty 's spinning-wheel must go , in order to earn bread for Dandelion , whose mouth was always ready for food , like a hungry bird 's .
Busily hummed the wheel : and , as it flew , it seemed to catch an echo of the XXXXX 's cheerful song , saying , over and over , ` Daddy tummin ' soon , ' till Hetty stopped crying as she worked , and listened to the cheerful whirr .
baby beach cheerfulness comfort eyes grave hands hope kind pinafores