me sliding down the moonbeam, laughing and singing:

"Hello, Nimble Jim! How are your melons?"

But he was not angry now; he only laughed respectfully, made a
profound bow, and said:

"May it please your majesty, I have mended your majesty's shoe."

The merry little queen took it from him, looked at it closely, saying
to herself: "Humph! I didn't think he could, but he did,"--and,
turning to Jim, said, much more graciously than before: "I suppose you
think yourself quite a cobbler; and so you are--for a mortal. Since
you have done your work so well, I will do as I said. Now," she
continued, handing him a little package about as big as a baby's
thumb, "plant these melon-seeds, and----"

"Are these little things melon seeds? They look too small,"
interrupted Jim,--for he had made no ceremony, even in the queen's
presence, about peeping into the package,--and it must be confessed
that they were very small indeed.

"Certainly they are, or I would not tell you so. They are the
magic melons of fairy-land. As I was about to say when you rudely
interrupted, plant----"

"I beg your pardon, your majes----"

[Illustration: "BEFORE NIMBLE JIM COULD GET BACK TO THE HOUSE, THE
YARD WAS FULL OF MELON-VINE."]

"_Will_ you keep still? Was there _ever_ such a chatterbox!" said
she. "I say, plant these melon-seeds to-morrow at sunrise, and you
will have your wish, foolish boy." And, while Jim was thinking of
melons and wealth, she skipped away up the moonbeam, singing:

"Nimble Jim is quite demented,--
Wants to be a melon-king!
Silly mortal! not contented
With the riches home-joys bring!
Oh! ho!
Oh! ho!
He will be sorry to-morrow;
To-morrow will bring only sorrow."

But Nimble Jim heeded her not. This night also he could not close his
eyes, and in the early morning he hastened to tell his mother their
good fortune. She looked grave, and said:

"Ah, my lad! I'd rather you minded the cobbler's bench, nor trafficked
with fairies. I fear me they're uncanny folks to deal with."

"Never fear, mother; we'll be rich yet, and I'll make you a queen
yourself, and then you need spin no more," said Jim, wild with hope
and excitement.

"I don't mind the spinnin', my boy. I'd rather be----".

Jim heard no more, for he dashed off at once to the garden to plant
his precious seeds just at sunrise. With furious energy, he tore up
all his old vines, flung them over the fence, and, after that, spaded
up th