upon Button-Bright's shoulders--a
hairy head with a sharp nose, pointed ears, and keen little eyes.

"Oh, don't do that!" cried Dorothy, shrinking back from her transformed
companion with a shocked and dismayed face.

"Too late, my dear; it's done. But you also shall have a fox's head if
you can prove you're as clever as Button-Bright."

"I don't want it; it's dreadful!" she exclaimed; and, hearing this
verdict, Button-Bright began to boo-hoo just as if he were still a
little boy.

"How can you call that lovely head dreadful?" asked the King. "It's a
much prettier face than he had before, to my notion, and my wife says
I'm a good judge of beauty. Don't cry, little fox-boy. Laugh and be
proud, because you are so highly favored. How do you like the new head,
Button-Bright?"

"D-d-don't n-n-n-know!" sobbed the child.

"Please, _please_ change him back again, your Majesty!" begged Dorothy.

King Renard IV shook his head.

"I can't do that," he said; "I haven't the power, even if I wanted to.
No, Button-Bright must wear his fox head, and he'll be sure to love it
dearly as soon as he gets used to it."

Both the shaggy man and Dorothy looked grave and anxious, for they were
sorrowful that such a misfortune had overtaken their little companion.
Toto barked at the fox-boy once or twice, not realizing it was his
former friend who now wore the animal head; but Dorothy cuffed the dog
and made him stop. As for the foxes, they all seemed to think
Button-Bright's new head very becoming and that their King had conferred
a great honor on this little stranger.

It was funny to see the boy reach up to feel of his sharp nose and wide
mouth, and wail afresh with grief. He wagged his ears in a comical
manner and tears were in his little black eyes. But Dorothy couldn't
laugh at her friend just yet, because she felt so sorry.

Just then three little fox-princesses, daughters of the King, entered
the room, and when they saw Button-Bright one exclaimed: "How lovely he
is!" and the next one cried in delight: "How sweet he is!" and the third
princess clapped her hands with pleasure and said, "How beautiful he
is!"

Button-Bright stopped crying and asked timidly:

"Am I?"

"In all the world there is not another face so pretty," declared the
biggest fox-princess.

"You must live with us always, and be our brother," said the next.

"We shall all love you dearly," the third said.

This praise did much to comfort the boy, and he