w--much longer than it has taken
me to tell of it. The moon path was of course altered, but it didn't
make much matter. The Queen ordered them all to take to their horses,
and giving Milly a kiss on her rosy lips, she clambered down and untying
the lady birds from the strings of the night-cap got into her sleigh.
She cracked her musquito-leg whip, away went the lady birds and they
passed through the window--how, I don't know, but I'm sure I saw them
do it. The Queen saw me again as she passed out, and nodded to me. I had
just time to nod back and they were out of sight.

That is all, and if it's not true then my name isn't Jack Frost; and if
you don't believe me, ask North East Wind, who is my friend, and he will
tell you the same thing.

Wheugh!

[Illustration]

The Rock Elephant.

The Rock-Elephant.

[Illustration]

There is a tradition among the Elephants that some one of the race will
one day mount up to the sky and dwell among the stars. Once a young
elephant thought that he must be the one, for a great stone becoming
detached from a cliff fell upon his head. He instantly exclaimed, "I see
stars all around me. I am surely the Elephant foretold!" and for a few
moments actually thought he must have "gone up;" but those standing by
saw him rambling round with uncertain step and laughed at him. When he
got over the effects of the blow on his head, he had to acknowledge that
he was still upon the earth, though he always solemnly declared that for
a few moments he really had been in the sky among the stars. Of course
he had not "gone up," and each still continued to hope that he was the
one destined to immortality. The Lion, they said, was among the stars,
and the Bear and even the senseless Dipper. But none knew that to live
among the stars one must go through a great deal of suffering.

There were two Elephants living a long time since who were remarkably
sagacious. They were married and it was their earnest desire that their
son, if they ever had any, should be the one who should climb the sky
and live among the stars. They often talked over the best way of
securing this good, and ate up an immense number of different kinds of
trees because they had heard that there was a particular kind of tree
which, when eaten, would furnish the necessary knowledge. Whether they
ever ate the right tree or not it is difficult to say, but one night as
they were considering the matter, the father-Elephant notic