sleep out of her eyes,
and wondered how long it would take to live through two whole years, so
that she might have a birthday party and a birthday cake, and a visit
from her fairy godmother. The Fairy Zigzag, however, did not seem at
all impressed by the charming manners of her godson.

"I never eat cake," she said, without giving so much as a look at the
crooked slice of cake which the Prince was handing her on a real gold
plate. Her godson put down the cake immediately, and took up a silver
goblet filled to the brim with sparkling ginger-beer.

"You have come just in time, dear godmother, to drink my health," he
said, just as politely as ever.

"I never drink healths," said the Fairy Zigzag, frowning. "I have
plenty of my own, thank you. What's the matter with your health that
you want every one to drink it up? You 'd better keep it: it may come
in useful, later on."

This was such an entirely new view of the matter that a complete
silence fell on every one in the room; and all the guests put down
their glasses of ginger beer, and stared into them to see if the
Prince's health was floating about on the top. In the midst of the
pause, the Fairy Zigzag stalked to the table, nodded to the royal
parents, and took the seat that had been reserved for her at the
Queen's right hand.

"So good of you to come," murmured the Queen, nervously. "We never
thought you would give us so great a pleasure."

"Oh, didn't you? Then, why did you invite me?" snapped the fairy
godmother. The Queen said nothing, for she did not know what to say.
The King did his best to put matters right.

"The Prince has been looking forward to your visit all day," he
hastened to say. "The dear boy has hardly known how to wait until this
evening."

"Rubbish," said the Fairy Zigzag, laughing most unpleasantly. "It is
quite time for the dear boy to be in bed. What is that other child
doing, over there?"

She pointed with her wand at the little Princess Pansy, whose eyes were
now so full of sleep that she could hardly keep them open. When,
however, she saw the Fairy Zigzag pointing at her, she instantly became
wide awake, and grew quite pink with pleasure at being noticed. It was
the first time any one had noticed her all that day; but of course, one
must expect to be forgotten when it is somebody else's birthday.

"Oh!" cried Princess Pansy, holding out both her hands to the cross old
Fairy Zigzag. "Are you really a fairy godmother