a bad one. And
I shouldn't show them all at once. Take small things and conceal them
craftily about your persons.'

This advice seemed good. Soon the table was littered over with things
which the children thought likely to interest the Ancient Egyptians.
Anthea brought dolls, puzzle blocks, a wooden tea-service, a green
leather case with Necessaire written on it in gold letters. Aunt
Emma had once given it to Anthea, and it had then contained scissors,
penknife, bodkin, stiletto, thimble, corkscrew, and glove-buttoner. The
scissors, knife, and thimble, and penknife were, of course, lost, but
the other things were there and as good as new. Cyril contributed lead
soldiers, a cannon, a catapult, a tin-opener, a tie-clip, and a tennis
ball, and a padlock--no key. Robert collected a candle ('I don't suppose
they ever saw a self-fitting paraffin one,' he said), a penny Japanese
pin-tray, a rubber stamp with his father's name and address on it, and a
piece of putty.

Jane added a key-ring, the brass handle of a poker, a pot that had held
cold-cream, a smoked pearl button off her winter coat, and a key--no
lock.

'We can't take all this rubbish,' said Robert, with some scorn. 'We must
just each choose one thing.'

The afternoon passed very agreeably in the attempt to choose from the
table the four most suitable objects. But the four children could not
agree what was suitable, and at last Cyril said--

'Look here, let's each be blindfolded and reach out, and the first thing
you touch you stick to.'

This was done.

Cyril touched the padlock.

Anthea got the Necessaire.

Robert clutched the candle.

Jane picked up the tie-clip.

'It's not much,' she said. 'I don't believe Ancient Egyptians wore
ties.'

'Never mind,' said Anthea. 'I believe it's luckier not to really choose.
In the stories it's always the thing the wood-cutter's son picks up in
the forest, and almost throws away because he thinks it's no good, that
turns out to be the magic thing in the end; or else someone's lost it,
and he is rewarded with the hand of the King's daughter in marriage.'

'I don't want any hands in marriage, thank you.' said Cyril firmly.

'Nor yet me,' said Robert. 'It's always the end of the adventures when
it comes to the marriage hands.'

'ARE we ready?' said Anthea.

'It IS Egypt we're going to, isn't it?--nice Egypt?' said Jane. 'I
won't go anywhere I don't know about--like that dreadful big-wavy
burning-mountain city,