who would, perhaps, have no
houses at all if I did not build them. That is more important than
building castles in the air for one's self."

"What are your real houses like?" asked the Princess.

"They are strong," answered the stranger, proudly. "All the four winds
joined together could not blow them down. No one has ever built such
strong houses as mine."

"Are they beautiful, too?" asked the Princess.

"I have no time to look after that," answered the stranger. "I build
more houses than any one else in the world; and still, there are people
who are waiting for houses to live in. I must build as fast as I can,
day after day, year after year."

"Then why are you not building houses now?" asked the Princess. The
great builder looked sorrowful.

"There is something wrong about my real houses, too," he confessed.
"The people who live in them are never quite contented; and I have come
away to think out a new plan by myself, so that the next houses I build
shall be the most wonderful houses in the world."

The Princess leaned her chin on her hand, and looked quite thoughtful
for a moment or two.

"May I come and help you to build real houses, for a change?" she said
presently. "I am dreadfully tired of building castles in the air that
do not turn out properly--though, of course, that was principally the
magician's fault! Still, if you were to show me the way, I might be
able to build something real that would turn out properly; and that
would be ever so much more amusing."

"It is not at all amusing," said the traveller, shaking his head. "You
would soon grow tired of it; besides, you would have no Prince to play
with."

"I don't think I want a Prince to play with," said the charming
Princess in the gold and silver frock. "He might turn out to be as
dull as my castle in the air, especially if the magician had anything
to do with it! I would much sooner come and help you to build real
houses."

The traveller in the dusty brown cloak still shook his head.

"Little ladies in gold and silver gowns can only build castles in the
air," he said.

"Do the people who live in your houses never build castles in the air?"
asked the Princess.

"I never thought of asking them," answered the great builder. "I have
been too much occupied in building their real houses."

"Then let us go and ask them now," said the Princess; and she came down
from her castle in the air, and stepped once more on to the dusty roa