t be at all a kindly act; so, having dusted the
Throne Room and performed a few simple physical exercises, she went
outside and attended to the smaller domestic animals.

[Illustration: _When anybody of superior station or age came into the
room she rose and curtsied_]

At breakfast she had three helps of something very nutritious, which
the Countess said would make her grow, but only one help of everything
else. She sat up nicely all the time, and never pointed to anything
or drank with her mouth full. After breakfast she scattered some
crumbs on the lawn for the robins, and then got to work again.

First she dusted and dusted and dusted; then she swept and swept and
swept; then she sewed and sewed and sewed. When anybody of superior
station or age came into the room she rose and curtsied and stood with
her hands behind her back, while she was being spoken to. When
anybody said, "I wonder where I put my so-and-so," she jumped up and
said, "Let _me_ fetch it," even if it was upstairs.

After dinner she made up a basket of provisions and took them to the
old women who lived near the castle; to some of them she sang or read
aloud, and when at one cottage she was asked, "Now won't you give me a
little dance," she smiled bravely and said, "I'm afraid I don't dance
very well." I think that was rather sweet of her; if I had been the
fairy I should have let her off the rest of the day.

When she got back to the Palace she drank two glasses of warm milk,
with the skin on, and then went and weeded the Countess's lawn; and
once when she trod by accident on a bed of flowers, she left the
footprint there instead of scraping it over hastily, and pretending
that she hadn't been near the place, as you would have done.

And at half-past six she kissed everybody good-night (including Udo)
and went to bed.

So ended July the Twentieth, perhaps the most memorable day in
Euralian history.

* * * * *

Udo and Hyacinth spent the great day peacefully in the library. A
gentleman for all his fur, Udo had not told the Princess about Wiggs's
refusal to help him. Besides, a man has his dignity. To be turned
into a mixture of three animals by a woman of thirty, and to be turned
back again by a girl of ten, is to be too much the plaything of the
sex. It was time he did something for himself.

"Now then, how did that bit of Sacharino's go? Let me see." He beat
time with a paw. "'Blood for something, something, some----'