ld out his net. This
alarmed her so much that she flew out of his reach to the top of the
acacia tree, and made up her mind to stay there until Abdullah went home
to luncheon.

She did not think he would stay where he was very long, because the king
was a punctual man and never liked any one to be late for meals; as it
was, he would be sure to miss his daughter, but he would never see her
again if once Abdullah got her into his net!

So Fantosina waited on the tree a long, long time, and at last she
thought Abdullah must have gone home, so she dropped to a lower branch,
and holding her little blue head on one side she looked carefully
around. There was no sign of her brother. He had evidently given up his
attempt to capture her for to-day, and she would take care he did not
have a chance again. She saw no sign of Abdullah, who was standing close
to the trunk of the acacia tree; but in order to be quite safe Fantosina
flew to a still lower branch, and holding her little blue head on one
side again she once more looked around. Suddenly she felt confused;
everything seemed to look dark and green as if she held a piece of
coloured glass before her eyes, and when she tried to fly to a lighter
place she knocked against a thin green wall. She tried to tear it with
her beak, she tried to scrape it with her claws, but it was of no use;
she could not escape do what she would; she felt she was being drawn
nearer and nearer to the grass, until at last she stood exactly on top
of a cowslip. Oh, if only she could get one of its petals in her beak!
the very tiniest morsel would do, but the horrid green net prevented
her, and then Abdullah put his hand round her and carried her home; and
Fantosina knew she should never become a princess again as long as she
lived.

'Look, look!' he cried, as he entered the palace. 'Look, Fantosina, I've
caught the bird! Give me a cage!'

'I wish,' said the king, 'that instead of catching birds you would
return in proper time for your meals.'

'I knew Fantosina wanted it,' answered Abdullah. 'Where is there a
cage?'

'I don't know what has become of your sister,' said the queen, little
imagining that Fantosina was held tightly in his hand, and listening to
every word she said.

'I never wait for anybody!' exclaimed the king; 'kindly sit down to
luncheon.'

'I will just put the bird in a cage,' said Abdullah. 'I wish Fantosina
would come. How pleased she will be; won't she, mother?'

Abdulla