ou vain things! no
one wants you here," cried Betty, chasing the peacocks off the terrace,
while the Princess laughed to see them drop their gorgeous trains and go
scurrying away with loud squawks of fear.

"It was true. I _am_ vain and silly; but no one ever dared to tell me
so, and I shall try to do better now I see how foolish those birds look
and how sweet you are," she said, when Betty came skipping back to her.

"I'll make a peacock dance for you. See how well I do it!" and Betty
began to prance, with her full pink skirt held up, and her head tossed,
and her toes turned out, so like the birds that old Nurse and the maid,
who had followed, began to laugh as well as Bonnibelle.

It was very funny; and when she had imitated the vain strutting and
fluttering of the peacocks, Betty suddenly dropped her skirt, and went
hurrying away, flapping her arms like wings and squawking dismally.

She wanted to please the Princess and make her forget the rude things
she had been forced to tell; so when she came running back she was glad
to find her very merry, and anxious for more fun.

"Now I'll do the tulip dance," said Betty, and began to bow and courtesy
to a bed full of splendid flowers, all gold and scarlet, white and
purple; and the tulips seemed to bow and courtesy back again like
stately lords and ladies at a ball. Such dainty steps, such graceful
sweeps and elegant wavings of the arms one never saw before; for Betty
imitated the tall blossoms waving in the wind, and danced a prettier
minuet with them than any ever seen at court.

"It is wonderful!" said the maid.

"Bless the dear! she must be a real fairy to do all that," said the old
nurse.

"Dance again! oh, please dance again, it is so pretty!" cried the
Princess, clapping her hands as Betty rose from her farewell courtesy
and came smiling toward her.

"I'll give you the wind dance; that is very gay, and this fine floor is
so smooth I feel as if my feet had wings."

With that Betty began to flutter to and fro like a leaf blown by the
wind; now she went down the terrace as if swept by a strong gust, now
she stood still, swaying a little in the soft breath of air, then off
she spun as if caught in a storm, eddying round and round till she
looked like a stray rose-leaf whisked over the ground. Sometimes she
whirled close to the Princess, then blew up against the stout old nurse,
but was gone before she could be caught. Once she went down the marble
steps at a