The yellow book: an illustrated quarterly (12.1897)

By Evelyn Sharp 187

all over, they went back to the river again, and helped the wood-
cutter to build a house that was big enough for them all ; and
there they took up their abode, and there they may be still, for
all that anybody can tell.

“ I don’t want to be a king,” the Prince declared. u I don’t
like killing things, and I hate stuffy rooms, and ceremonies, and
stupid subjects. Besides, what more does Nonamia want than
the Queen-mother ? ”

And that is all that Nonamia has ever had, for the Queen is
still enduring the stupidity of the Nonamiacs, and the King still
does what the Queen tells him.

And the fairy godfather ?

When the wedding was over, the Queen sent for him ; and the
impudence of such a proceeding so amused him, that he obeyed
the summons at once, just as though he had not been a fairy god-
father at all.

“ Kindly tell me,” said the Queen, “ whether you really did
give my son a christening present, or not ? ”

“ I gave him the gift of being a true lover,” replied the fairy
godfather.

“Is that all?” exclaimed the Queen. “I need hardly have
fetched you from Fairyland, just for that ! ”

“Your Majesty’s originality is to blame,” chuckled the fairy
godfather. And he forthwith took the Queen’s advice, and re-
tired into private life.

But it is said that others have followed the example of the
original Queen of Nonamia ; and that, now and then, a fairy
godfather, who looks just like an ordinary person, is present at
the christening of one or another of us. And, perhaps, that is
why there are still some true lovers left in the world.