the king could not always remain in the pretty palace, because it
was necessary for him to go abroad to provide food and clothing for his
family. The queen, the tall princess and the little princess, were his
family."

"Yes," said Flora.

"And the tall princess could not always stay in the palace, because she
expected to be a queen herself some day, and her mamma--I mean the
queen--wanted her to be a wise one; so she sent her away to school every
morning. But the queen and the little princess stayed in the palace, and
it often happened that they were left at home together."

"Just like us."

"Yes, dear. The princess used to run about and play out of doors like
other little girls when the weather was pleasant, and when it was not
she amused herself in doors with her toys and her pets."

"Did she have a white mouse, do you think?"

"I think she had a white mouse."

"And a grandma?"

"I am almost certain that she had a grandma."

"But the grandma did not live in the palace?"

"Oh, no. The grandma lived in a house not far from the palace, and the
tall princess and the little princess used to visit her almost every
day."

"Well."

"The queen and the little princess were very happy together until
something happened. It was a long storm that happened, and there was no
sunshine in the palace for more than two days."

Flora, reminded of the rain, glanced at the window against which the big
drops were rattling merrily, but quickly turned to mamma again, for she
did not wish to lose one word of the story.

"Now when the sun did not shine in the palace it was a very gloomy
place, not like a palace at all, and the queen was sad and the princess
unhappy. The princess did not know why she was unhappy, but the queen
knew. It was because there was no sunshine to make little faces look
pleasant and cheerful. It made the queen sad to see the little princess
unhappy and discontented, so she thought she would try to make some
sunshine."

"Did she?"

"No," said mamma. "I am sorry to say that the poor queen worked very
hard, but she had forgotten how to make it."

"Too bad!" said Flora.

"But when the poor queen was quite discouraged the little princess
thought that she would try; and what her poor mamma--I mean the
queen--had failed to do, she did. The little princess made the
sunshine."

"Oh, goody!" exclaimed Flora, clapping her hands. "How did she do it?"

"Why," said mamma, smiling, and putting her arm round