hat a charming lad!" exclaimed the King as his glance fell upon
AEneas. "Now tell me about these wonderful pies, and I will reward you
as becomes a monarch!"

Then Patroclus fell on his knees and related the whole history of the
Giant's head pies from the beginning.

The King actually blushed. "And I forgot to knight you, oh noble and
brave man, and to make a lady of your admirable wife!"

Then the King leaned gracefully down from his saddle, and struck
Patroclus with his jeweled sword and knighted him on the spot.

The whole family went to live at the royal palace. The roses in the
royal gardens were uprooted, and Giant's heads (or pumpkins, as they
came to be called) were sown in their stead; all the royal parks also
were turned into pumpkin-fields.

Patroclus was in constant attendance on the King, and used to
stand all day in his ante-chamber. Daphne had a position of great
responsibility, for she superintended the baking of the pumpkin pies,
and AEneas finally married the Princess Ariadne Diana.

They were wedded in great state by fifty archbishops; and all the
newspapers united in stating that they were the most charming and well
matched young couple that had ever been united in the kingdom.

The stone entrance of the Pumpkin Giant's Castle was securely
fastened, and upon it was engraved an inscription composed by the
first poet in the kingdom, for which the King made him laureate, and
gave him the liberal pension of fifty pumpkin pies per year.

The following is the inscription in full:

"Here dwelt the Pumpkin Giant once,
He's dead the nation doth rejoice,
For, while he was alive, he lived
By e----g dear, fat, little boys."

The inscription is said to remain to this day; if you were to go there
you would probably see it.

THE CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE.

On Christmas Eve the Mayor's stately mansion presented a beautiful
appearance. There were rows of different-colored wax candles burning
in every window, and beyond them one could see the chandeliers of gold
and crystal blazing with light. The fiddles were squeaking merrily,
and lovely little forms flew past the windows in time to the music.

There were gorgeous carpets laid from the door to the street, and
carriages were constantly arriving, and fresh guests tripping over
them. They were all children. The Mayor was giving a Christmas
Masquerade to-night, to all the children in the city, the poor as well
as the rich. The preparation