ut no, you were not at the castle. So I came back again,
very much worried about you on account of the shower that came up so
suddenly, and met your horse, quite near the wood. I'm glad to find you
at last!" "Is it possible it was only an hour ago? I can hardly believe
it." "Oh yes, no more, though it has seemed longer to me, I have been so
anxious." Rudolph laughed. "I do believe I have been asleep! and I have
had the funniest dream! Do you know, I thought I was in Fairy Land? It
was all so sweet, and so grand, and learned, and tiresome--Oh, I am glad
it was only a dream. I did want so much to get home again, and have some
fun."

"How could he wish to leave such a charming place, where there was every
thing that was lovely on earth?" cried Gertrude. "I think he had very
little taste."

"There was all there," said Aunt Lucy, "but the very things he
wanted--his father and mother, his playmates, kind old Fritz, and his
horse and dog--not to speak of a very important thing in a boy's eyes,
liberty to play without being pestered with continual lectures."

"I think your Fairy Queen has a tart temper of her own, sister Ellen,"
said Tom. "When she was rating the poor little fellow for ingratitude, I
thought of that passage in Virgil, where the rage of the gods is spoken
of--'Tantaene animis coelestibus irae!'"

"Do translate, for the benefit of the unlearned. It is so _mannish_ to
quote Latin," said Cornelia.

"'Can such anger dwell in celestial souls?' You see I am all obedience,"
answered Tom.

"You should remember, my dear critic, that fairies never yet claimed to
be perfect beings. They are very far from being angels, and are
decidedly of the earth, earthy. You know that the inferior specimens of
the race--the vulgar fairies--delight in playing tricks upon careless
housekeepers, spilling their cream and spoiling their butter: that is
not very angelic, I'm sure. Of course, the Queen would be too dignified
and too spiritual for such frolics; but she could not understand much
about human nature, or child-nature, and especially she would think the
affections to be great nonsense. But she has bought her experience now,
with Rudolph."

"One comfort is, that she does not intend to take another child to
educate--she has had enough!" said Amy.

"She could not, if she would," replied Mary. "I think the day has now
come, foreseen by the prophetic owl,

'When iron monsters, with breath of flame,
Shall blot fr