The perfumes were very nice, certainly,
but there were such quantities of them--double quantities in honour of
the guest, of course! Griselda screwed up her handkerchief into a tight
little ball, so that the one drop of scent should not escape from it,
and then she kept sniffing at it impatiently, till at last the cuckoo
asked her what was the matter.

"I am so tired of the feast," she said. "Do let us do something else,
cuckoo."

"It is getting rather late," said the cuckoo. "But see, Griselda, they
are going to have an air-dance now."

"What's that?" said Griselda.

"Look, and you'll see," he replied.

Flocks and flocks of butterflies were rising a short way into the air,
and there arranging themselves in bands according to their colours.

"Come up to the bank," said the cuckoo to Griselda; "you'll see them
better."

Griselda climbed up the bank, and as from there she could look down on
the butterfly show, she saw it beautifully. The long strings of
butterflies twisted in and out of each other in the most wonderful way,
like ribbons of every hue plaiting themselves and then in an instant
unplaiting themselves again. Then the king and queen placed themselves
in the centre, and round and round in moving circles twisted and
untwisted the brilliant bands of butterflies.

"It's like a kaleidoscope," said Griselda; "and now it's like those
twisty-twirly dissolving views that papa took me to see once. It's
_just_ like them. Oh, how pretty! Cuckoo, are they doing it all on
purpose to please me?"

"A good deal," said the cuckoo. "Stand up and clap your hands loud three
times, to show them you're pleased."

Griselda obeyed. "Clap" number one--all the butterflies rose up into the
air in a cloud; clap number two--they all fluttered and twirled and
buzzed about, as if in the greatest excitement; clap number three--they
all turned in Griselda's direction with a rush.

"They're going to kiss you, Griselda," cried the cuckoo.

Griselda felt her breath going. Up above her was the vast feathery cloud
of butterflies, fluttering, _rushing_ down upon her.

"Cuckoo, cuckoo," she screamed, "they'll suffocate me. Oh, cuckoo!"

"Shut your eyes, and clap your hands loud, very loud," called out the
cuckoo.

And just as Griselda clapped her hands, holding her precious
handkerchief between her teeth, she heard him give his usual cry,
"Cuckoo, cuckoo."

_Clap_--where were they all?

Griselda opened her eyes--garden, butterf