the Infanta's birthday sports were now to begin.

There was a marvellous bull fight in which some of the boys pranced
about on richly caparisoned hobby horses and vanquished a bull made of
wicker work and stretched hide. Next came the puppet show, and then a
juggler who played on a curious reed pipe for two green and gold
snakes to dance. He made a tiny orange tree grow out of sand, and
blossom and bear fruit; and he took the Infanta's fan and changed it
into a bluebird that flew about and sang. Then a shaggy brown bear and
some little apes were brought in. The bear stood on his head, and the
apes fought with tiny swords and went through a regular soldiers'
drill like the King's own bodyguard.

But the funniest part of the whole morning's entertainment was
undoubtedly the dancing of the little dwarf.

When he stumbled into the arena, waddling on his crooked legs and
wagging his huge misshapen head from side to side, the children went
off into a loud shout of delight; and the Infanta, herself, laughed so
much that one of the Court ladies had to remind her that such
merriment was not befitting a princess.

It was the dwarf's first appearance, too. He had been discovered only
the day before, running wild in the forest, and had been brought to
the palace to surprise the Infanta. His father, a poor charcoal
burner, was pleased to get rid of so ugly and useless a child. Perhaps
the most amusing thing about the little dwarf was his happiness. He
did not know how ugly he was; he did not know that he was a dwarf.

When the children laughed, he laughed as joyously as any of them. At
the close of each dance he made the funniest bows, smiling and nodding
to them just as if he were one of them. As for the Infanta, he could
not keep his eyes off her and seemed to dance for her alone. When, in
jest, she took the beautiful white rose out of her hair and threw it
at him, the dwarf put his hand on his heart and knelt before her, his
little bright eyes sparkling with pleasure.

The Infanta laughed at him until long after he had run out of the
arena, and she commanded that his dance be immediately repeated. But
it was growing warm in the garden. The Infanta was reminded that a
wonderful feast awaited her, including a birthday cake with her
initials worked all over it in painted sugar, and a lovely silver flag
waving in the top. So she rose with great dignity, and gave orders
that the little dwarf should perform before her again, afte