se he
was once more on his way. On his right, in a beautiful green field, he
saw to his great delight three silver birches, their branches rustling
lightly in the morning wind.

Vance climbed the hedge and walked on steadily, being guided, as the
monkey had promised, by a seemingly endless row of pure white stones. At
noon he came upon a green stile, but it was so crooked that the Prince
thought he could more easily climb the hedge than get over it. As he
drew nearer he perceived a curious little man, who appeared to be
hunting for something in the grass at the foot of the stile. He was a
good-natured-looking old man; but his head, body, arms, and legs, even
his features, were twisted so that nothing about him was fair or
straight. He greeted the Prince very kindly, however, and invited him to
sit down by the brook and share his luncheon of bread and cheese. This,
you may imagine, the famished Prince was only too glad to do.

[Illustration]

"You've heard, perhaps," said the stranger, "of the crooked man who
walked a crooked mile and found a crooked sixpence against a crooked
stile? I am the man. I haven't found the sixpence yet, but hope to do so
soon. I want to warn you, when you reach the Crushed Strawberry
Wizard's, not to speak until he has spoken, or you'll spoil the charm
for ten years."

"How good you are!" exclaimed the Prince, gratefully. "How terrible if,
after all my journeying, I had spoilt the charm! Can I do anything for
you? I will help hunt for the sixpence if you like, or I will beg the
Wizard to untwist you."

"Oh, never mind!" returned the Crooked Man, cheerfully. "As to the
sixpence, I must find that myself; and as to my crookedness, a whirlwind
did it and a whirlwind must undo it. I don't mind. You see, I do not
feel as badly as I look."

Thanking the kind little man once more for his luncheon and his good
advice, Vance started off merrily through the beech-wood, feeling that
his toilsome journey was truly drawing to an end at last. The birds
sang, the brook babbled cheerfully beside him, and the breeze brought
him sweet odors from a thousand flowers. Just at sunset the Prince left
the wood, and came into a small open glade where the grass was like cool
green velvet to his feet, and a crystal fountain splashed in the midst
of a bed of flowers. Here Vance beheld a curious pink house shaped like
an enormous strawberry; and before the door, busily making tatting, was
a strange-looking person,