er cry," said Skilful, in a superior tone. "It takes up
so much time, and when you 've done crying you 've got exactly the same
thing to cry about as before. If you are hungry, don't cry but get
something to eat."

"And if you 're tired, don't cry but go to sleep. Nothing could be
simpler," said Wilful.

"And if you tumble down, don't cry but pick yourself up again," said
Captious. "If you know how to tumble down properly, it is the best fun
in the world. We spend most of our time up here in learning new ways
of tumbling down."

"And if you are cross," added Queer; and then he stopped and looked
doubtfully at the other three. "What is she to do if she feels cross?"
he asked them. They shook their heads in reply.

"Nobody is ever cross in Wympland," they explained to Molly. "People
who know how to make jokes, really _good_ jokes, soon learn how to take
them as well, and then there is nothing left to be cross about. You
don't feel cross now, do you?"

Molly assured them that she did not feel in the least cross, and their
faces brightened again.

"Perhaps, if you will tell us when you begin to feel cross we shall be
able to do something for you," they said; "but, whatever you do, you
must not cry in Wympland. It is only the fairies who do that, and they
don't know any better. As long as the sun has had a country at the
back of it, no wymp has ever been known to cry. Now, let us go and
find somebody to tease!"

"I thought Queens could always do as they like," objected Molly, as
they took her two hands and made her jump down from the throne without
finding out whether she wished to come or not.

"Oh, no," said Skilful and Wilful and Captious and Queer. "You make a
great mistake. The King always does as he is told in Wympland. So
come along with us and see us tease somebody."

"I don't want to tease anybody," said Molly, decidedly. "I am going to
be a real Queen. Real Queens do just as they like; it is only Kings
who do as they are told. If you are not going to let me have my own
way I might just as well have stopped at home, instead of coming all
this way on purpose to be your Queen!"

The four little wymps looked very perplexed. "May she do as she
likes?" they asked one another, and shook their four little heads
doubtfully.

"She might order us about," said Skilful.

"Or laugh at us," said Wilful.

"Or expect us to obey her," said Captious.

But Queer turned three somersaults in the air