ore of the world than the inside of the wall.

Now it happened that, some time before, a young Prince had ridden out of
the west and set about his travels. For the wise-man on the hill had
come to him and said:

"In the kingdom which lies next to fairyland dwells a Little Princess
who has a Fearless Heart. There is a wall which will not be easy to
climb, but the Princess is more beautiful than anything else in the
world!"

And that was enough for the Prince, so he girded on his sword, and set
out, singing as he went for pure lightness of heart.

But it is not so easy to find fairyland as it is to eat a ripe apple,
and the Prince could have told you that, before he was through. For in
some places it is so broad that it takes in the whole world, and in
others so narrow that a flea could cross it in two jumps. So that some
people never leave it all their lives long, but others cross at a single
step, and never see it at all.

Finally, the Prince came to the place where all roads meet, and they
were as much alike as the hairs on a dog's back. But it was all one to
him, so he rode straight ahead and lost himself in fairyland.

When the first fairy godmother saw him, she laughed to herself and flew
away, straight over his head, to the wall around the Garden. But you may
be sure that she did not trouble the guards at the triple gates: for, if
one has wings, what is the use of stairs? So over the wall she flew to
the room where the Little Princess lay sleeping.

You may readily believe that the Princess was astonished when she awoke
to find the fairy beside her bed, but she was not in the least alarmed,
for, you see, she did not know that there was anything in the world to
be afraid of.

"My dear," said the old lady, "I am your first fairy godmother."

"How do you do, Godmother?" said the Princess, and she sat up in bed and
courtesied. Which is a very difficult trick, indeed, and it is not every
Princess who can do it.

Her godmother was so delighted that she leaned over and kissed her.

"That is the second time I have kissed you," she said. "When I go, I
will kiss you again, and you had better save the three of them, for they
will be useful when you go out into the world. And, my dear, it is high
time that you were going out."

Then the Little Princess was overjoyed, but she only nodded her head
wisely and said:

"I know, the world is as big as the whole Garden, and wider than the
wall. But I can never go out,