ctually out in the fields herding sheep, and their sons sweeping
chimneys or carrying newspapers; while the poor charwomen's and
coal-heavers' children spent their time like princesses and fairies.
Such a topsy-turvy state of society was shocking. Why, the Mayor's
little daughter was tending geese out in the meadow like any common
goose-girl! Her pretty elder sister, Violetta, felt very sad about it,
and used often to cast about in her mind for some way of relief.

When cherries were ripe in spring, Violetta thought she would ask the
Cherry-man about it. She thought the Cherry-man quite wise. He was a
very pretty young fellow, and he brought cherries to sell in
graceful little straw baskets lined with moss. So she stood in the
kitchen-door, one morning, and told him all about the great trouble
that had come upon the city. He listened in great astonishment; he had
never heard of it before. He lived several miles out in the country.

"How did the Costumer look?" he asked respectfully; he thought
Violetta the most beautiful lady on earth.

Then Violetta described the Costumer, and told him of the unavailing
attempts that had been made to find him. There were a great many
detectives out, constantly at work.

"I know where he is!" said the Cherry-man. "He's up in one of my
cherry-trees. He's been living there ever since cherries were ripe,
and he won't come down."

Then Violetta ran and told her father in great excitement, and he at
once called a meeting of the Aldermen, and in a few hours half the
city was on the road to the Cherry-man's.

He had a beautiful orchard of cherry-trees, all laden with fruit.
And, sure enough, in one of the largest, way up amongst the topmost
branches, sat the Costumer in his red velvet short-clothes and his
diamond knee-buckles. He looked down between the green boughs.
"Good-morning, friends," he shouted.

The Aldermen shook their gold-headed canes at him, and the people
danced round the tree in a rage. Then they began to climb. But they
soon found that to be impossible. As fast as they touched a hand or
foot to the tree, back it flew with a jerk exactly as if the tree
pushed it. They tried a ladder, but the ladder fell back the moment
it touched the tree, and lay sprawling upon the ground. Finally, they
brought axes and thought they could chop the tree down, Costumer and
all; but the wood resisted the axes as if it were iron, and only
dented them, receiving no impression itself.

Mea