Was that Woggs all the time?"

"Yes, your Royal Highness. Wasn't it lovely and funny of her?"

The Princess looked across to the forest and nodded to herself.

"Yes. That's it. Wiggs, I don't believe there has ever been an Army
at all. . . . And I pay them every week!" She added solemnly, "There
are moments when I don't believe that woman is quite honest."

"Do you mean she isn't good?" asked Wiggs in awe.

Hyacinth nodded.

"I'm _never_ good," said Wiggs firmly.

"What do you mean, silly? You're the best little girl in Euralia."

"I'm _not_. I do awful things sometimes. Do you know what I did
yesterday?"

"Something terrible!" smiled Hyacinth.

"I tore my apron."

"You baby! That isn't being bad," said Hyacinth absently. She was
still thinking of that awful review.

"The Countess says it is."

"The Countess!"

"Do you know why I want to be _very_ good?" said Wiggs, coming up
close to the Princess.

"Why, dear?"

"Because then I could dance like a fairy."

"Is that how it's done?" asked the Princess, rather amused. "The
Countess must dance _very_ heavily." She suddenly remembered
something and added: "Why, of course, child, you were going to tell
me about a fairy you met, weren't you? That was weeks ago, though.
Tell me now. It will help me to forget things which make me rather
angry."

It was a simple little story. There must have been many like it in
the books which Wiggs had been dusting; but these were simple times,
and the oldest story always seemed new.

Wiggs had been by herself in the forest. A baby rabbit had run past
her, terrified; a ferret in pursuit. Wiggs had picked the little
fluffy thing up in her arms and comforted it; the ferret had slowed
down, walked past very indifferently with its hands, as it were, in
its pockets, hesitated a moment, and then remembered an important
letter which it had forgotten to post. Wiggs was left alone with the
baby rabbit, and before she knew where she was, the rabbit was gone
and there was a fairy in front of her.

[Illustration: _The rabbit was gone, and there was a fairy in front of
her_]

"You have saved my life," said the fairy. "That was a wicked magician
after me, and if he had caught me then, he would have killed me."

"Please, your Fairiness, I didn't know fairies _could_ die," said
Wiggs.

"They can when they take on animal shape or human shape. He could not
hurt me now, but before----" She shuddered.

"I'm so