as received with
unbounded rapture by his parents. The King and Queen felt that to have a
son with feet of such a size was something to be proud of, indeed. They
could not admire him sufficiently, although the whole country was
illuminated, and feasting continued throughout his visit.

But though he was glad to be no more a disgrace to his family, it cannot
be said that he enjoyed the size of his feet very much on his own
account. Indeed, he much preferred being Prince Fairyfoot, as fleet as
the wind and as light as a young deer, and he was quite glad to go to the
fountain of the nightingales after his visit was at an end, and bathe his
feet small again, and to return to the palace of the Princess Goldenhair
with the soft and tender eyes. There everyone loved him, and he loved
everyone, and was four times as happy as the day is long.

He loved the Princess more dearly every day, and, of course, as soon as
they were old enough, they were married. And of course, too, they used to
go in the summer to the forest, and dance in the moonlight with the
fairies, who adored them both.

When they went to visit Stumpinghame, they always bathed their feet in
the pool of the red berries; and when they returned, they made them small
again in the fountain of the nightingales.

They were always great friends with Robin Goodfellow, and he was always
very confidential with them about Gauzita, who continued to be as pretty
and saucy as ever.

"Some of these days," he used to say, severely, "I'll marry another
fairy, and see how she'll like that--to see someone else basking in my
society! _I'll_ get even with her!"

But he _never_ did.

THE PROUD LITTLE GRAIN OF WHEAT

There once was a little grain of wheat which was very proud indeed. The
first thing it remembered was being very much crowded and jostled by a
great many other grains of wheat, all living in the same sack in the
granary. It was quite dark in the sack, and no one could move about, and
so there was nothing to be done but to sit still and talk and think. The
proud little grain of wheat talked a great deal, but did not think quite
so much, while its next neighbour thought a great deal and only talked
when it was asked questions it could answer. It used to say that when it
thought a great deal it could remember things which it seemed to have
heard a long time ago.

"What is the use of our staying here so long doing nothing, and never
being seen by anybody?"