"I think I'll go alone. Besides, Jimmie is off
with Sammie Littletail, playing leapfrog. I'll go alone."

So off she went. Now I'm going to tell you why she wanted to go alone, but
don't whisper it to any one. You see, Alice thought maybe she might meet
the fairy prince, for she still hoped that some day he would change into a
king with a golden diamond crown on his head.

But, as she walked on toward Mr. Drake's store she saw nothing of the
fairy prince, though she kept a sharp lookout. Well, she got the pound of
butter and the cornmeal, and to make sure it was fresh she ate a little,
for that's the surest way to tell. Then she started for home, with the
butter under one wing and the cornmeal under the other.

Well, all of a sudden, just as she got past the weeping willow tree, if
she didn't step on a sharp stone and cut her foot, because, you see, she
had no shoes on, and the stone was very, very sharp, almost as sharp as an
exclamation point; yes, indeed! There, I had the printer put one in (!) so
you could see how very sharp it is. Always be careful of exclamation
points, children.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" cried Alice, as she felt the sharp stone go in her foot, and
she had to sink down to the ground, it hurt her so. Then the cornmeal fell
from under her wing and the bag burst and it spilled all over. Then the
butter fell from under the other wing, but that didn't get hurt any. It
only got some dents in it, and you know that doesn't matter, for butter.

"Oh, dear! Whatever shall I do?" cried Alice again. "I--I can't walk on my
sore foot, and I can't carry the cornmeal and the butter! Oh, dear! Oh,
dear! My foot's bleeding, too!" and, sure enough it was. Poor Alice! How
sorry I feel for her.

"Ah, if only the fairy prince would appear now," she went on. "He would
cause a golden chariot to take me home!"

You see, Alice hadn't gotten over being romantic, even if she had cut her
foot. Oh, my, no, and a diamond earring besides!

Well, as true as I'm telling you, no sooner had she made that wish about
the fairy prince than a voice called out:

"Who is crying? Does any one need help?"

"Yes," replied Alice, "I do. I've cut my foot, and I've dented the butter
in several places, but that doesn't matter much, and I've spilled the
cornmeal."

"Oh, what a lot of troubles for one poor little duck girl!" cried the
voice again. "Perhaps, I can help you," and who should come along but
Uncle Wiggily Longears, the nice old gentlem