Hubert Moore was sitting in a large armchair by the fire reading a book. The weather was cold and the north wind was blowing. It was getting dark, but still Hubert did not get in his night’s firewood.

“Come on, Hubert, and get in your wood. It is getting very dark,” called Mrs. Moore.

But as he always did, Hubert “put it off.” “Why can’t I get it later?” he asked himself, and went on reading. He read on, until it was quite dark. Then out into the darkness he went to the wood pile. He took one armful of wood and carried it to the house, then came back for another load. On the way to the wood pile he had to pass a large oak tree.

“My, but doesn’t that tree look spooky?” he softly exclaimed to himself. He was just about to pass the tree when someone jumped from behind it. It was a little old man dressed in red and holding a large crooked stick.

“Come with me,” he said, catching Hubert by the arm.

Up-up-up into the air they went, very fast, till they at last came to a large mountain. The little man knocked three times on the side of the mountain, and a door opened. There was a stairway leading down to a beautiful lighted room.

They descended the stairway and came into the prettiest room Hubert had ever seen.

“Gee, how I’d like to live here,” he said to the little man. But he soon changed his mind, for it was so cold there.

“Pull off your shoes,” demanded the little man, “and go bring me that glass.”

“Oh, oh!” said Hubert as he put his bare feet on the rug. “There are pins in rug and I can’t walk. Ouch!”

the little man only smiled and made Hubert go on and get the glass. When he came back, the little man said:

“Every time a boy or girl does not mind his or her parents and is always putting off doing his work, I bring him here and make him work for me two days and walk on the rugs barefooted.

“But I have to go home,” said Hubert. “I can’t walk on those rugs barefooted.”

“You can go home after you have worked for me two days.”

At the end of the second day the little old man told him:

“Now, Hubert, I am going to take you home. But you’d better not put off your work again.”

“I won’t, I won’t!” said Hubert, glad to get started for home.

Up-up into the air they went again, then down-down. Hubert felt himself going, then “bump.”

He opened his eyes to find he had only been asleep. “I’m glad it didn’t really happen,” he said, as he ran to the woodpile and hurried to get in his wood. But his dream taught him a lesson. He never put off his work again. His mother often wondered why he didn’t put things off now. But she never knew. No one knew but Hubert.