of bloom. The seed which I
have saved for you ripened only a few days ago, so you are very
fortunate.'

"He went back into the house and returned with a small golden box from
which he took a gold ring set with a valuable black diamond. He
pressed a spring and the stone lifted, disclosing a small seed lying in
the cavity. He shut the spring down again.

"'Put this on your finger,' he said, 'and do not open it until you are
safely at home and in your father's conservatory. Plant it in an
unpretentious pot at night, and do not tell anyone what it is, but
watch it every day yourself. The fairy too will watch it and pick the
blossoms for you, as no mortal can do that. She will pick the seed
flower as soon as it blooms, so that the Evil Magician may not secure
the seed.'

"I thanked him with tears in my eyes and hoped that I might see the
good fairy when I reached home.

"The old gentleman then took me over the house, which was indeed as
magnificent as he had said, and after that we went to see the grounds
and the immense wall.

"'We will have to ride,' said he, and led the way to the stables where
stood his two horses, fine sleek animals. A colored boy, who of course
like the other servants, was a fairy, harnessed them, and after riding
through the park and past the lovely gardens we came to a great gateway
in the high wall.

"The old gentleman reached down and touched a button at the side and
the gates swung slowly open, closing again as soon as we had passed out.

"Out there were more trees set well apart and at some distance from the
wall, and beyond that the yellow desert sands stretched away in the
distance. We rode along beside the wall, which on this side faced the
west. I was surprised to see that the whole wall was set with mirrors
of magnifying glass, now reflecting the gorgeous colors of the sunset
as it glowed in between the trees. It would have been beautiful had it
not been for the frightful reflections of ourselves and the horses.
They loomed large and distorted before us, and the old gentleman
explained to me that he never had blinders on the horses excepting when
they were riding beside the wall. He had tried riding without the
blinders one day, but his horse had bolted in fright, and he had great
difficulty in getting him inside again.

"'Now I can understand,' I said, 'why I thought I saw a lake when I was
traveling towards this oasis. And now too I know what kind of giants
chase all