Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-16

the diadem of their king.
While our friends gazed wonderingly upon
the Fairy Beavers, the king introduced
them, saying:
This is a little mortal princess named
Jacquelin, whom L have protected because
her heart is as fresh and innocent the
daisies that grow in the fields This Is
Chick, known also as the Cherub. an Incu-
bator Baby without relatives, but who is
not lacking in friends. And this is John
Dough, q strange creature, having the form
of man, made out of gingerbread He is
not exactly a fairy, but lives through the
magic of fairy compound known as the
Great Elixir and is therefore not reSpon-
sible for being alive and is liable to perish
! before he has grown very old. Each of
these guests is. l believe. worthy of our
friendship and protection, and l trust that
my people will join me In welcoming them
to our palace
Answering the kings speech. all tho
Beaver Fairies gracefully arose from their
cushions and bowed thrice-once TO the
princess and once to Chick and once to
John Dough. Then they all reseated them
selves and drank to the health of their
guests from dainty tumblers no bigger
than harebells. which contained water as
pure as crystal.
Then, while the feast began, a chorus Of
black beavers entered and chanted pretty
song and afterward other beavers. so small
that the princess thought that they were
quite young, entered and danced minuet
for the amusement of the entire company.
Chick and the Princess Jacquelin were
"
at first feared the food placed before them
was not such they could enjoy, they
tasted some of the dishes and found them
so delicious that both ended by eating
heartily, and afterward decided they had
never enjoyed meal SO much.
OF course John Dough missed the pleas
ure of eating. but he had good time lis
tening to the music and watching the
dancers; so he was quite content. Later he
amused the company by telling the story
of his adventures since he had come to ..fe
in the bake-shop. He spoke in the beaver
language, SO that all understood him; and
even the princess could understand most or
his speech, for the portion of gingerbread
she had eaten had conveyed to her some
share of the powers of the Great EliXir,
The Fairy Beavers were much Interested,
and loudly applauded the recital.
After dinner the girl was escorted by six
pretty Beaver Fairies TO a coy little room
decorated with pink and white shells, which
were polished smooth as glass. There was
no regular bed in the room. but the bea-
Vers heaped many Of the soft CUSHIONS into
a corner and upon these the princess lay
down and slept very peacefully until the
next morning Chick had room of blue
and gold in the four corners of which
perfumed fountains shot their sprays into
the air. The tinkling sounds of these
fountains might have Soothed any child to
sleep. yet Chick could have slept as sound
Iy in the open forest as within this luXurl-
GUS room.
John Dough also was supplied with a
room in the palace; but as he did not sleep
he had no need to lie down, and so amused
himself during the night by looking at the
beautiful pictures that decorated the walls
and ceiling. Most of these depicted the
work of beavers engaged in building dams
and houses: John found them very interest
ing and therefore passed a pleasant night.
Soon after daybreak the Beaver King
came to John and escorted him to the OBJ
servation Room, where he found Chick and
the princess-who -ad- already risen ana
finished their Notwithstanding earnestly
through the window of the black box. lie
also approached the box to gaze at the
shifting pictures and discovered that the
forest had become quiet as usual, the
Arab and Black Ooboo having returned 10
the village in the clearing, and only Few
of the Mifkets Being left to wander along
the sides of the brock and watch the
waterfall at the dam of the beavers
Now" said the Fairy Beaver TO the girl,
II can do one more thing to please you.
Make a WISH princess, and | will grant IL
Thank you she cried, eagerly. L
wish to reJoin my dear father and mother
wherever they may be.
VERY WE'LL" returned the king; come
with me-"
He led them through many passages.
until they reached a sort of tunnel that
brought them t. a rocky cave under the
river bank some distance below the water
fall The water of the river covered hair
the floor of the cave, and upon the SANDY
beach at its edge rested large glass cylin-
der which was pointed at both ends and
had a door in the top Harnessed to one
end of the glass tube were twenty-four
strong beavers, who sat motionless be-
side 1t.
Continued Next Week.