was to see her. He put both his arms around her neck and
kissed her lovingly.

"Stop, stop!" cried she, pretending to be smothered. "Only just let me
have breath to speak one word. Tell me what has happened to you since I
saw you."

"Nothing has happened," answered the Prince somewhat dolefully.

"And are you very unhappy, my boy?"

"So unhappy, that I was just thinking whether I could not jump down to
the bottom of the tower."

"You must be content to stay where you are," said the little old woman,
"for you are a prince, and must behave as such--where is your
traveling-cloak?"

Prince Dolor blushed. "I--I put it away in the cupboard; I suppose it is
there still."

"You have never used it; you dislike it?"

He hesitated, not wishing to be impolite. "Don't you think it's just a
little old and shabby for a prince?"

The old woman laughed very sweetly.

"Why, if all the princes in the world craved for it, they couldn't get
it, unless I gave it to them. Old and shabby! It's the most valuable
thing imaginable! I thought I would give it to you, because--because you
are different from other people."

"Am I?" asked the prince with tears in his eyes.

She touched his poor little legs. "These are not like the legs of other
little boys."

"Indeed!--my nurse never told me that."

"I tell you, because I love you."

"Tell me what, dear godmother?"

"That you will never be able to walk, or run, or jump, but your life
may be a very happy life for all that. Do not be afraid."

"I am not afraid," said the boy, and his lip began to quiver, though he
did not cry.

Though he did not wholly understand, he began to guess what his
godmother meant. He had never seen any real live boys, but he had seen
pictures of them; running and jumping; which he had admired and tried
hard to imitate, but always failed. Now, he began to understand that we
cannot always have things as we want them, but as they are, and that we
must learn to bear them and make the best of them.

She comforted him and whispered in her sweet, strong, cheerful
voice--"Never mind!"

"No, I don't think I do mind, that is, I won't mind."

"That is right, My Prince! Let us put our shoulders to the wheel--"

"We are in Hopeless Tower and there is no wheel to put our shoulders
to," said the child sadly.

"You little matter-of-fact goose! Well for you that you have a godmother
called--'Stuff and Nonsense.'"

"Stuff and Nonsense! What a funny name!"

"S