y played with toys that would not break, however badly
they were treated; they chased one another over the rocks and through
the bushes, without getting out of breath at all; and when they could
not think of anything else to do, they laughed and laughed and laughed
and laughed. Then they sat down on the grass to rest; and the
Wonderful Toymaker sat between them and smiled at them both.

"Now, we will refresh ourselves by eating unwholesome sweets," he said,
and he gave a long low whistle. Immediately, they were pelted from all
sides by the most delicious, unwholesome sweets that were ever made;
but, although they were ever so unwholesome, and although the children
ate quantities and quantities of them, they were not in the least bit
the worse for it; and when they had eaten all they could, the Wonderful
Toymaker filled their pockets for them, and laughed again.

"Won't you stop here always?" he asked them.

The children shook their heads.

"I must go back to mother," said the Princess Petulant. "She must be
wondering where I am, now."

"And I have got to be Prime Minister, some day," said Martin, with a
sigh.

"You will never be Prime Minister," said the Toymaker, just as his
father was always saying. "Why can't you both stay with me? Only
think of all the games we can have, and the toys we can make, and the
unwholesome sweets we can eat! Won't you really stay and play with me?"

However, when he saw that they were quite determined to go home, he
made the best of it and asked them whether they would like to go by
sea, or by sky, or by land. Martin wanted to go by sky, but when the
Princess said she would much prefer to go by land as she had come most
of the way by sky, the Prime Minister's son gave in at once and said
that he had meant to choose the land road all the time. So the
Toymaker fetched two beautiful rocking-horses and helped the children
to mount them, and said he should never forget their visit for the rest
of his life. He could not have said more than that, for of course he
has been living ever since.

So they rode out of the valley and up the hill-side, and they waved
their hands to the Wonderful Toymaker who stood looking disconsolately
after them, and they wished they could have played with him just a
little longer. They had very little time even to wish, however, for
the rocking-horses rushed over the ground at such a pace that they
could see nothing they were passing; so, after all,