y were as happy as the day was long--so happy that as they were
out sledging one day they were foolish enough to defy fate to spoil
their happiness.

'We shall see about that,' grumbled an old hag who sat by the wayside
blowing her fingers to keep them warm. The King thereupon was very
angry, and wanted to punish the woman; but the Queen prevented him,
saying:

[Illustration: GORGONZOLA FLIES OFF ON HER DRAGON]

'Alas! sire, do not let us make bad worse; no doubt this is a Fairy!'

'You are right there,' said the old woman, and immediately she stood up,
and as they gazed at her in horror she grew gigantic and terrible, her
staff turned to a fiery dragon with outstretched wings, her ragged cloak
to a golden mantle, and her wooden shoes to two bundles of rockets. 'You
are right there, and you will see what will come of your fine goings on,
and remember the Fairy Gorgonzola!' So saying she mounted the dragon and
flew off, the rockets shooting in all directions and leaving long trails
of sparks.

In vain did Farda-Kinbras and Birbantine beg her to return, and
endeavour by their humble apologies to pacify her; she never so much as
looked at them, and was very soon out of sight, leaving them a prey to
all kinds of dismal forebodings. Very soon after this the Queen had a
little daughter, who was the most beautiful creature ever seen; all the
Fairies of the North were invited to her christening, and warned against
the malicious Gorgonzola. She also was invited, but she neither came to
the banquet nor received her present; but as soon as all the others were
seated at table, after bestowing their gifts upon the little Princess,
she stole into the Palace, disguised as a black cat, and hid herself
under the cradle until the nurses and the cradle-rockers had all turned
their backs, and then she sprang out, and in an instant had stolen the
little Princess's heart and made her escape, only being chased by a few
dogs and scullions on her way across the courtyard. Once outside she
mounted her chariot and flew straight away to the North Pole, where she
shut up her stolen treasure on the summit of the Ice Mountain, and
surrounded it with so many difficulties that she felt quite easy about
its remaining there as long as the Princess lived, and then she went
home, chuckling at her success. As to the other Fairies, they went home
after the banquet without discovering that anything was amiss, and so
the King and Queen were quite happy. S