onounced.

Charley was really sorry for Slyboots; he was distressed that the
fairy had told a falsehood; but, as to the mischief, it was so like
the capers his own brothers and sisters were always cutting, that he
felt very certain the comical little imp had not one grain of malice
in his heart, so he softly touched the Queen's knee, and as she kindly
bent down to him, whispered--"Oh, beautiful lady! he has a good heart,
and he is very sorry; please to forgive him."

"Slyboots," began the Queen, in a tone which she tried to make very
severe, "you have passed all reasonable bounds in this last prank; you
have outraged and insulted my faithful servant--and, worse than all,
you have told an untruth. If it had not been for this last, I might
have forgiven you after you had made fitting apologies to the prime
minister; even now I shall lighten your punishment, because this pure
and lovely mortal has interceded for you. Listen to your sentence. My
power tells me that the great wasp, Spiteful, has just entered the
chamber where little Minnie, Charley's sister, is lying peacefully
asleep, and within the hour he will thrust his poisonous cruel sting
into the tender arm of the little child. With your wings to dart here
and there, you might easily conquer him; but these must be fastened
together by your friend Brownie, and within the hour you must bring me
the dead body of the wasp. You have heard; Brownie, to your work!"

In the midst of a deep silence, the poor little trembling spider began
to spin thread after thread round and round the beautiful gauzy wings
of the disgraced and now sorrowful fay; one after the other the
beautiful tints of blue, and gold, and purple, first faded, then were
hidden under the misty cloud-color of network.

The court looked on in sorrow, for the elfin was beloved by many, but
not a fay dared murmur or question the justice of the sentence. At
last his wings, of a dead dull gray, were prisoned fast; and the
Queen, waving her sceptre, said--"Go, Slyboots; if you carry a right
spirit to your work, you will win the fight."

The fairy said not a word, but bowed him low, and turned sadly away.
The time was short, and he must hasten and don his stoutest armor, for
the foe was deadly. A friendly grasshopper offered to take him to the
foot of the window where he must enter. With a gleeful spring he
mounted, and away with great leaps they went through the ferns and
over the grass, scrambling painfully in