t whom this story is told. For many generations
there had been but one child born to the royal family; but goodness and
beauty being hereditary, these only children were beloved by all the
subjects of the realm; and although they ran a great danger of being
spoiled, they never were, but remained all through their lives as
simple, gentle, and unpretentious as though born to the humblest lot.

Of course, the event of the birth of one of these children had been,
from time immemorial, the occasion of the greatest and most sincere
rejoicing, and the enthusiasm of the people seemed even greater at each
repetition of these blessed anniversaries.

In this happy island crimes were almost unknown; and so generous and
confiding were the people, that they imagined all the world were as
good as themselves. It is not surprising, therefore, that when the
great physician Aigew came from a far distant land to attend the
grandfather of the little princess on his death-bed, no one in all the
island suspected that he was anything else than the best and kindest of
doctors. It is true that the former court physician, now displaced by
Aigew, had his doubts about his successor. But it is best not to
trouble ourselves with what we cannot understand; and whether or not
Aigew was as good as he pretended to be, the king and queen were
altogether pleased with their new doctor. Knowing him to be wise and of
great book-learning, they admitted him to the closest intimacy in their
private life, consulted him upon all questions of state, and accepted
his guidance and counsel as that of a superior being. It was to his
influence that the islanders owed their great birthday law, by which it
was enacted that, on each recurrence of the princess's anniversary,
every child in the kingdom was to be allowed his or her way, without
restraint, from sunrise until sunset; and, during the day, the use of
the word "no" was forbidden to all fathers and mothers and
nursery-maids, from one end of the island to the other.

Everybody thought this one of the best enactments of the reign. "What a
beautiful thought!" said they. "All the children in the land rejoicing
with their princess! When they are grown men and women, they will
always think of her with pleasure, for she will be associated with the
most delightful memories of their childhood."

It certainly did seem very charming at first. But the day after was
harvest-time for the great physician and his assistants, wh