“And Jimmie?  Jimmie’s my brother.  I know he would love to see him, too.  May he come?”

“Yes, you may bring Jimmie also.  But mind, I don’t want you to be disappointed.  Most fairy princes are disappointing, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Oh, that will be all right,” spoke Lulu, now quite happy again.  “May I bring them this afternoon?”

“Oh!  I suppose so, but no one else, mind.  You see the fairy prince is rather bashful.”

So Lulu promised she would bring no one else, and she hurried to the store and back again.  Fan Tail, the gold fish, went to the drug store for the sweet flag root for the fairy prince, and on the way she stubbed her nose against a stone, which made her cold in the head worse than ever; but of course we have nothing to do with that except to feel sorry for her.

When Lulu got home she was so excited she dropped the yeast cake in the pond, and it would have gotten all wet only it was wrapped in tin-foil.  Then she told Alice and Jimmie about the fairy prince she was going to see, but, as this story is too long already, I must stop, and in case the postman does not blow his whistle too loud and scary, I shall have the pleasure, to-morrow night, of telling you about the fairy prince.  And I hope you won’t be disappointed.

STORY VIII

WHO THE FAIRY PRINCE WAS

Mamma and Papa Wibblewobble were sitting in front of the duck pen, talking with Grandfather Goosey-Gander and the big rooster.  They were so busily engaged in conversation about the best way to serve cold corn meal mixed with water, that when Lulu asked her parents if she and Jimmie and Alice could go for a swim, Mrs. Wibblewobble said: 

“Yes, my dear, but be careful you don’t get wet.”

Now wasn’t that a funny thing for a duck mamma to say to her little duck girl?  But Mamma Wibblewobble was absent minded, so we must excuse her.  You see she thought Lulu wanted to go for a walk in the woods.  Well, it didn’t much matter, but I thought I would speak about it.

“Can we go?” asked Jimmie, when Lulu came back.

“Yes,” she answered.  “Hurry now, for we are going to see the fairy prince, as the gold fish promised.”

“Oh, I’m so excited I can hardly wait!” exclaimed Alice, who was quite romantic, as I have explained.  “Am I swimming straight, Lulu?  I wouldn’t for all the world, have a fairy prince see me swimming crooked.”

“Oh, don’t be so fussy!” called out Jimmie.  “I wish Bully, the frog was here.  He and I could have some fun.”

“Oh, no!” cried Lulu.  “We are the only ones allowed to see the fairy prince.  It’s a secret, and he is quite bashful.”

“How are you going to find him?” asked Jimmie.  “This is a large pond, and it’s going to be quite a task to locate the fairy prince, or even the gold fish.”

“Oh! let’s don’t worry,” suggested Alice.  “Worrying is one of the very worst things you can do, especially when there is anything in it about a fairy.  Don’t you know that fairies are especially made not to worry?  We will find our way somehow.  Either a golden ball will appear and roll on before us to show us the right direction, or else a magical boat will suddenly come up in the water, and we can ride right to the place.”