robable for belief; "the
horse flew with him to England, or _somewhere_ in Europe--or else he
couldn't have met your dear grandmother, whom none of you ever saw, for
she died long before you were born. And I expect that, after he got off,
the horse flew back again, and was just able to get to Maerchenland
before the machinery broke down. And dear Papa very naturally would not
care for people to know that he had got there by such peculiar means,
which accounts for my never having heard of it before."

"Exactly," said the Fairy Vogelflug; "but King Smaragd only knew that
his son was lost to him, and when he discovered that the horse was
enchanted, and that his Queen had bribed the Hereditary Grand Magician
to construct it, his anger knew no bounds."

"Enough to annoy anybody," said Mr. Wibberley-Stimpson. "I should
certainly----"

"He ordered," the Fairy went on, without appearing to feel any interest
in what Mr. Stimpson would have done in similar circumstances, "both the
Queen and the Grand Magician to be enclosed in a barrel, the inside of
which had been set with sharp nails, and rolled down into the lake from
the top of the mountain."

"I should say myself," remarked Mr. Stimpson, "that that was going a
little too far. But he certainly had great provocation."

"He also commanded that all wizards and enchanters should renounce their
practices for ever, and adopt some other calling, or be banished from
the Country."

"There," said Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson approvingly, "I think he was _so_
right. I would never encourage any of those clairvoyant people myself.
And did he marry a third wife at all?"

"Not if he was wise!" said Clarence.

"No, although it grieved him sorely that he had no heir to succeed him.
But towards the end of his days, he dreamed repeatedly that his son was
yet living. He beheld him in these visions a wanderer in some far-off
land, earning his bread as a musician, for in Music he had rare skill."

"I fancy he must have given it up when he took to Finance," said Mrs.
Wibberley-Stimpson, "though he kept his taste for it. I well remember
his buying a beautiful orchestrion which used to be in the Picture
Gallery."

"Well," pursued the Fairy, "in further dreams it was revealed to the
King that his son was married to one, who, though not of his own race or
rank, was both gently born and very fair to see."

"Pollentine was the maiden name of your Grandmother on _my_ side, my
dears," explained Mr