Move over, Smurfs!  Take a hike, Keebler Elves!  Hit the road, California Raisins!  The Brownies created by Palmer Cox are much higher on the cuteness scale, at least in my opinion.  Created by Canadian artist Palmer Cox around the 1880’s, the Brownies were a comical group of little elfin characters, all male, that depicted ethnic types such as a Chinese fellow or an Indian; various occupations such as a policeman, sailor, or jockey; and other little characters such as band-members and their instruments. The story goes that Palmer Cox was inspired by his mother’s Scottish fairy tales she told him as a child, full of fairies, goblins and other magical creatures. He began writing about his own little band of merry mischief makers, who would spring into action while mortals slept, often doing good deeds but sometimes getting themselves into trouble along the way.