now I'll tell you a story. That is,
it's like a story, but it's really a riddle. Father made it and
everybody thinks it's one of his best. There was once a fair lady of
renown who was engaged to be married to a prince. And when the
wedding-day came round--they were to be married in one of the prince's
palaces in the mountains--she was so long getting dressed--you see she
dressed in one of her father's palaces, down in the valley--that she
was afraid she would be late, so as soon as her veil was pinned on, she
ran down to the stables, threw a wolf-skin on the back of one of the
fieriest of the chargers, and springing on him, she dashed away. She
wasn't used to harnessing horses, and was in such a hurry that she
forgot all about the bridle, and so, as she was dashing away, she found
she couldn't steer the animal, and he didn't go anywhere near the
prince's palace, but galloped on, and on, and on, every minute taking
her farther and farther away from where she wanted to go. She couldn't
turn the charger, and she couldn't stop him, though she tore off pieces
of her veil, and tried to put them around his nose, but it was no good.
So when the wedding-party had waited and waited and waited, the prince
got angry and married another lady, and nobody knows where the fair
lady of renown went to, although there are some people who say that
she's a-galloping yet, and trying to get her veil around the charger's
nose. Now, why was it that that fair lady of renown never married?
Answer: Because she had no bridal. You can say either bri-d-a-l or
bri-d-l-e, because they both sound alike, and if she had had either one
of them, she would have been married. This is a pretty long riddle, but
it's easier than mine, because it's all fixed up right, with the answer
to it and everything. You like it better than mine, don't you?"

The small girl did not answer, and when Huckleberry looked around, he
saw that she was asleep.

"Poor little thing!" said Huckleberry, softly, to himself. "I guess I
gave her a little too much riddle to begin with. Her mind isn't formed
enough yet. But it's pretty hard on me. I wanted to teach somebody
something, and here she's gone to sleep. I wish I could find that
goose-girl. If father could teach her something, I'm sure I could."

[Illustration: THE FAIR LADY OF RENOWN.]

So he went walking through the fields, and pretty soon he saw Lois,
standing among her geese, who were feeding on the grass.

Huckleberry ski