mie, "why didn't you turn him
into an elephant or a lion and scare him, or why didn't you change him
into a bug or a mosquito, so he could fly away? Why didn't you do that,
eh?"

"There are several reasons," replied the mud turtle.

"Oh, wilt thou tell them to us?" asked Alice, romantically.

"Not now," replied the fairy prince, "but I will later. Return here
to-morrow and I will tell you," and he stretched first one wrinkly leg,
and then the other, and went to sleep.

"We will return," said Alice, and then the duck children hurried home, and
to-morrow night you shall hear about a magic trick and why the fairy
prince didn't turn that boy into an elephant or a lion. That is, if the
Thanksgiving turkey doesn't go to a football game.

STORY XVIII

THE FAIRY PRINCE DOES A MAGIC TRICK

One day, after they had been out roller skating, Lulu and Alice and Jimmie
Wibblewobble suddenly remembered that it was time they went back to the
woods to meet the fairy prince, who was to tell them why he didn't turn
that fisher-boy into a lion or an elephant. So they took off their skates
and hurried to the place, and by and by, after awhile, not so very long,
they got there. Then they stopped and looked around.

"Hu!" exclaimed Jimmie. "He isn't here. I _thought_ he was fooling us."

"Hush!" begged Alice. "He may be only hiding to test us, to see if we
really believe in him. He may appear any moment in a big balloon or on the
back of a great bird."

"Somebody's coming now," said Lulu, suddenly, for she heard a rustling in
the bushes. They all turned around, and whom do you think they saw coming
right out of the woods? Why, Uncle Wiggily Longears! The old gentleman
rabbit was limping along, making his nose go up and down and sideways at
the same time, the way you have seen all the bunnies do, you know.

"Ha! Ha!" he exclaimed. "What have we here? Why, I do declare! If it isn't
Jimmie Wibblewobble and his sisters! What are you doing here, little
ones?"

"We came here to meet the fairy prince," replied Jimmie. "He was going to
tell us about why he didn't change a boy into an elephant. But he isn't
here."

"Who--the fairy prince, the boy or the elephant?" asked Uncle Wiggily,
gently rubbing a horse chestnut on his left hind leg, that had the worst
rheumatism in it.

"Neither one," said Alice, "but the fairy prince is sure to come."

"Stuff and nonsense. Nonsense and stuff, also snuff and red pepper!" cried
Uncle Wigg