le_ thought. Don't I have to collect a little store of nuts
and things?"

"Surely----"

"I should have to start that pretty soon," said Udo thoughtfully.
"You know, I shouldn't be very handy at it. Climbing about after
nuts," he went on dreamily, "what a life for a----"

"Oh, don't!" pleaded Hyacinth. "Surely only squirrels do that?"

"Yes--yes. Now, if I were a squirrel. I should--may I have my tail
for a moment?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Hyacinth, very much confused as she realised
the liberty she had been taking, and she handed his tail back to him.

"Not at all," said Udo.

He took it firmly in his right hand. "Now then," he said, "we shall
see. Watch this."

Sitting on his back legs he arched his tail over his head, and letting
go of it suddenly, began to nibble at a sandwich held in his two front
paws. . . .

A pretty picture for an artist.

But a bad model. The tail fell with a thud to the ground.

"There!" said Udo triumphantly. "That proves it. I'm _not_ a
squirrel."

"Oh, I'm so glad," said Hyacinth, completely convinced, as any one
would have been, by this demonstration.

"Yes, well, that's all right then. Now we can make our plans. First
of all we'd better----" He stopped suddenly, and Hyacinth saw that he
was gazing at his tail.

"Yes?" she said encouragingly.

He picked up his tail and held it out in front of him. There was a
large knot in the middle of it.

"Now, _what_ have I forgotten?" he said, rubbing his head
thoughtfully.

Poor Hyacinth!

"Oh, dear Prince Udo, I'm so sorry. I'm afraid I did that without
thinking."

Udo, the gallant gentleman, was not found wanting.

"A lover's knot," he said, with a graceful incli--no, he stopped in
time. But really, those ears of his made ordinary politeness quite
impossible.

"Oh, Udo," said Hyacinth impulsively, "if only I could help you to get
back to your proper form again."

"Yes, if only," said Udo, becoming practical again; "but how are we
going to do it? Just one more watercress sandwich," he said
apologetically; "they go with the ears so well."

"I shall threaten the Countess," said Hyacinth excitedly. "I shall
tell her that unless she makes the enchanter restore you to your
proper form, I shall put her in prison."

Udo was not listening. He had gone off into his own thoughts.
"Banana fritters _and_ watercress sandwiches," he was murmuring to
himself. "I suppose I must be the only animal of the kind i