"Well, you see, when the invitations to my christening were sent out,
my folks forgot the fairies, I guess. And as I grew up, I found that I
hadn't been gifted with wealth or beauty or talents or charm----"

"I know," Mary Alice broke in.

Godmother looked surprised.

"I mean, I know how that feels," Mary Alice explained.

"Then you know I was pretty unhappy until--something happened. I met a
charming woman, once, who was so sweet and sympathetic that my heart
just opened to her as flowers to sunshine; and I told her how I felt.
'Well, that _was_ an oversight!' she said, 'but you know what to do
about it, don't you?' I said I didn't. 'Why!' she said, 'the fairies
had their gifts all ready to bring, and when they were not invited to
the party, what would they naturally do?' 'Give them to some one
else!' I cried. I shall never forget how reproachfully she looked at
me. 'That is a purely human trick!' she said; 'fairies are never
guilty of it. When they have something for you, they keep it for you
till you get it. If they were not asked to your party, it's your
business to hunt them out and get your gifts. Somewhere in the world
your own is waiting for you.' That was a magic thought: Somewhere in
the world your own is waiting for you. I couldn't get away from it; it
filled my mind, waking and asleep. And I set out to find if it was
true."

"And _was_ it?"

"Well, it must have been. For I've found some of my own, surely, and I
believe I shall find more. And oh! the joy it is to look and look,
believing that you will surely find. I haven't found wealth, nor
beauty, nor accomplishments--perhaps I didn't look in the right places
for any of those--but I've found something I wouldn't trade for all the
others. It is all I have to bequeath you, dear. But the beautiful
part of this bequest is, I don't have to die to enrich you with it, nor
do I have to impoverish myself to give it away. I just whisper
something in your ear--and then you go and see if it isn't so."

"Whisper it now, please," begged Mary Alice, going over to her
godmother and putting her ear close.

"Oh, no," said Godmother, kissing Mary Alice's ear, "this isn't the
time at all. And it's _fatal_ to tell till the right time comes."

And no teasing would avail to make her change her mind.

III

FINDING THE FIRST FAIRY

The next few days were spent in sightseeing; and Mary Alice would never
have believed there could be any one s