uld bother to pick them up. And as for breath, you might spare a
little more of that; it doesn't cost anything."

The man paid no especial attention to these rather uncivil remarks, but
went on in his work with great diligence.

"Do talk a little!" Vance said, becoming more and more impatient every
moment. "At least you can tell me how to find the Crushed Strawberry
Wizard?"

"Why?" asked the man, with the first show of interest he had displayed.

"I'm going in search of him."

"Wouldn't," was the little man's reply.

"Why not?"

"Dreadfully wearing on shoes," the other answered.

Then he stopped and collected the breath which he had used in this
speech,--for him a very long one,--and went on steadily picking
thistledown.

"But I must find him," Vance persisted, vexed anew at this reply; "where
does he live?"

"Don't know," said the thistledown-gatherer, shortly.

Vance arose from the stone with an impatient flounce, and took up his
box so suddenly that the teeth of all the Court chattered.

"Well," he said snappishly, "you are certainly the stingiest man I ever
saw. You can't even give away a civil word."

"Oh, no!" returned the old man, with an expression of great
astonishment. "Never give anything away. What will you give for your
dolls?"

Now, this question might sound like pure idiocy to some people; but
funnily enough it came into the head of Vance that when he had been
teasing those twelve models of propriety, his sisters, a few days
before, and had made their blue bead-like eyes swim with tears by taking
away their playthings, he had used just those very same words to them.
He hung his head a little; but still, determined to put a bold face on
the matter, he said,--

"Don't talk nonsense! Tell me the way to the Crushed Strawberry Wizard's
this minute!"

But, to his surprise, where the queer old man had stood there was only a
seedy black raven, very battered and ragged, but with a remarkable pair
of glittering red eyes.

VI

"I must say," the raven remarked severely, "that, considering the fact
that nobody invited you to come to this concert at all, and that you
have no check for a reserved seat, it would look better in you to keep
quiet and not disturb the entertainment."

"Concert!" exclaimed Vance, in bewilderment. "There isn't any concert."

"But there is going to be," returned the bird, more severely than
before. "I'm going to sing myself. First, I shall sing a love-song. B