to me. I was always considered good at
conversation."

The voice that squeaked out this reply was an excellent imitation of the
human one, though it came only from a bird. No lark this time, however,
but a great black and white creature that flew into the cloak, and began
walking round and round on the edge of it with a dignified stride, one
foot before the other, like any unfeathered biped you could name.

"I haven't the honor of your acquaintance, sir," said the boy politely.

"Ma'am, if you please. I am a mother bird, and my name is Mag, and I
shall be happy to tell you everything you want to know. For I know a
great deal; and I enjoy talking. My family is of great antiquity; we
have built in this palace for hundreds--that is to say, dozens of years.
I am intimately acquainted with the king, the queen, and the little
princes and princesses--also the maids of honor, and all the inhabitants
of the city. I talk a good deal, but I always talk sense, and I daresay
I should be exceedingly useful to a poor little ignorant boy like you."

"I am a prince," said the other gently.

"All right. And I am a magpie. You will find me a most respectable
bird."

"I have no doubt of it," was the polite answer--though he thought in his
own mind that Mag must have a very good opinion of herself. But she was
a lady and a stranger, so of course he was civil to her.

She settled herself at his elbow, and began to chatter away, pointing
out with one skinny claw, while she balanced herself on the other, every
object of interest, evidently believing, as no doubt all its inhabitants
did, that there was no capital in the world like the great metropolis of
Nomansland.

I have not seen it, and therefore cannot describe it, so we will just
take it upon trust, and suppose it to be, like every other fine city,
the finest city that ever was built. Mag said so--and of course she
knew.

Nevertheless, there were a few things in it which surprised Prince
Dolor--and, as he had said, he could not understand them at all. One
half the people seemed so happy and busy--hurrying up and down the full
streets, or driving lazily along the parks in their grand carriages,
while the other half were so wretched and miserable.

"Can't the world be made a little more level? I would try to do it if I
were a king."

"But you're not the king: only a little goose of a boy," returned the
magpie loftily. "And I'm here not to explain things, only to show them.
Sha