my friends, although you see me reduced to this--to _this_ miserable
shadow of what I once was--you are not to imagine I was always thus
faded, thus broken and destroyed! No! In my youth my heart was indeed
light within me; for was it not of the best and most expensive species
of cork? A portion of a noble tree that once waved its umbrageous
branches in the fair land of Spain, and that fulfilled a better purpose,
even than that of sheltering a fair group of dark-eyed Castilian maids,
by furnishing the substance that was to assume so fair a shape as I did
once! My outside was no less beautiful, for I was covered with the best
and brightest hued scarlet morocco leather, and gilded richly besides. A
noble coronet of graceful plumes, once white as driven snow, adorned me,
plucked I doubt not, from the soaring pinion of some beautiful bird. Not
low, therefore, could have been the rank of him to whom I owe my
existence; indeed I have very little reason to doubt that he was of very
ancient lineage and noble name. But alas! It is unavailing to recall all
these bright departed glories, which have long, long since fled, and
left me the wreck you behold me!"

So saying, the Shuttlecock feebly waved her last remaining dingy
feather, and sank down on her side, as if in despair. But the Kite
fanned her very busily; and the Humming Top gave her such a long,
tiresome lecture on the duty of being contented, that she speedily
recovered herself, and continued her story.

"My first public appearance in life was on the occasion of a superb
Fancy Fair, which was held in the ancestral park of one of our country's
proudest nobles. It was for the benefit of a distinguished charity, and
some of the fairest and most fashionable ladies of the court were to
hold stalls on the occasion. It was whispered that even Royalty or some
of its branches might visit the spot, and therefore every effort was
made to give the fete a worthy success. Words would fail me were I to
describe to you the beauty of the scene on the important day. A monster
marquee was erected on the most commanding site in the fine domain, and
decorated gaily with the flags of all nations. A fine avenue of aged
trees made a noble sheltered walk for the gay visitors, and it led
almost all the way to the marquee, the space between being covered with
a smart scarlet-striped awning overhead.

"I had time to observe all this, as I was carried in a basket from the
Castle, down the green sl