ood Spirit in the
air changes people into other forms when trouble comes, and they fly
away."

"But what is the story?" asked Lucy.

"There was once a prince," said Sky-High, "whose name was Chang. He was
a good prince; and there he is--the young man in the plate.

"And Prince Chang, the Good, loved a beautiful princess, as good as she
was pretty; and there _she_ is--the young woman in the plate.

"The prince and princess went to live on a beautiful isle, where was an
orange-tree--see--and there was an old mandarin who lived near--see his
house there--and he did not like the good prince and pretty princess
when he saw how happy they were on the Isle of the Orange-tree.

"So he determined to separate them; and one day, when he was very full
of dislike, he went towards the bridge that led to the Beautiful Isle to
catch them. But something very wonderful happened."

"Oh, what _did_ happen?" said Lucy. "I can hardly wait to learn."

"The Good Spirit of the air saw the grim old mandarin stealing away
toward the bridge to cross to the Beautiful Isle of the Orange-tree, and
he changed the prince and princess into two birds and they flew away.
See them flying there at the top of the plate!"

"I will give you the plate," said Mrs. Van Buren to Lucy; "for it was
your grandmother's plate, and her name was Lucy, and she would be glad,
were she living, to have you delight in a legend like that. It is good
to think that a loving Spirit hovers over us when evil draws near us--I
like the parable of the plate. I thank you for the story, Sky-High. Your
country has good stories."

"The story of the mandarin plate," said the little Chinaman, "is also
told in my country in a more tragic way; that the lovely girl is the
mandarin's daughter, and that he slays the lovers, and that it is their
souls that are seen flying away in the two birds. But it is the other
story that our scholars like."

VII.

SKY-HIGH'S KITE.

Charles and Lucy wished to give Sky-High a surprise. They had come into
possession of a kite which had been described to them as marvelous, and
they got their mother's permission to take the little Chinaman to
Franklin Park to see them fly it for the first time.

Franklin Park is not far from Milton Hill; and the street-cars readily
carry the crowds of children to the pleasure-grounds of the immense
common of woods, fields, great rocks and elms, and whole prairies of
grass. It is quite free--the dwellers of