had spurred on ahead, arrived exactly half an hour
late. The monstrous dragon with Tilda in his claws was just a little
smoky speck far down the southern sky. Princess Zenza and her court
stood by wringing their jeweled hands.

Suddenly Bobo thought of the half-hour. He had arrived half an hour
late, but he could have that half-hour back again! Things should be
exactly as they were half an hour before.

He opened the cover of the ebony box. Something like a winged white
flame escaped from it, and flew hissing through the air to the sun. As
for the sun itself, turning round like a cartwheel and hissing like ten
thousand rockets, it rolled back along the sky to the east. The hands of
the clocks, which marked half-past two, whirred back to two o'clock in a
twinkling. And, sure enough, there was brave little Tilda standing alone
in a great field waiting for the dragon to come and take her away.
Lumbering heavily along like a monstrous turtle, and snorting blue
smoke, the dragon was advancing toward her.

Bobo ran down into the field and stood beside Tilda, ready to defend her
to the end.

The dragon came nearer and nearer. Suddenly, angered by the sight of
Bobo and his drawn sword, he roared angrily, but continued to approach.
Bobo struck at him with his sword. The blade broke upon his steely
scales. The dragon roared again. Now just as the dragon's mouth was its
widest, Bobo who had been searching his pockets desperately, hurled into
it the lost temper.

There was a perfectly terrific bang! as if a million balloons had blown
up all at once. For the dragon had blown up. The lost temper had
finished him. Only one fragment of him, a tiny bit of a claw, was ever
found.

Everybody, you may be sure, began to cry "Hurrah" and "Hooray," and soon
they were firing off cannon and ringing all the bells. Then Tilda's
father took her in his arms, and told her that she was a real princess.
The Grand Cross of the Order of the Black Cat was conferred upon Bobo by
Princess Zenza, who also asked his pardon for having treated him so
shabbily. This Bobo gave readily. A wonderful fete was held. When the
rejoicings were over, Bobo and Tilda were married, and lived happily
together all their days.

THE ENCHANTED ELM

[Illustration: Young girl sitting in a tree.]

Once upon a time, while riding, a brave, young prince dashed merrily
ahead of his friends, and after galloping across a ploughed field,
turned his horse's head d