What was the title of Palmer Cox's first proper Brownies story, published in 1883?

Palmer Cox’s first proper Brownies story, published in 1883, was “The Brownies’ Ride.”

The story appeared in the February 1883 issue of St. Nicholas Magazine, a prominent American children’s periodical. Cox’s Brownies were tiny, mischievous, elf-like characters presented through humorous verse and illustrations. Although Brownie figures had appeared in earlier forms, “The Brownies’ Ride” is identified as the first fully developed story in the series.

Cox drew inspiration from Scottish and English traditions concerning brownies, household spirits associated with nighttime work and mischief. He transformed that folklore into a large cast of visually distinctive characters, helping make the Brownies a major children’s publishing and merchandising phenomenon in North America.

A common mix-up is confusing the 1883 magazine story with The Brownies, Their Book, the first major book collection, published in 1887. Later titles such as Another Brownie Book, The Brownies at Home, and The Brownies Abroad were subsequent publications, not the first proper story.