ought an anemone flower, set in dead forest
leaf, and the spokesman explained that the flower was the anticipation
of summer, and that it was fitting it should have such a back-ground.
The Faeries from the streams were obliged to come sitting in shells
filled with water and drawn by dragon-flies. They made a fine appearance
and brought the scale of a trout; it was more beautiful than mother of
pearl. The Faeries from the flags in the marshes brought a carpet made
of leaves of the white violet; the central figure was a marsh mallow.
The Faeries from the tops of the Firs brought a complete dinner service
made of scales of the cone. The Faeries from the sea came upon the
sea-foam, and the East Wind brought them. It made the place exceedingly
chilly, and the Queen shivered. One could smell the saltness all over
the Garden, and one of the Faeries was so overpowered by it that she
fainted. They left their present, however, which was a necklace of
crystal salt, and were off again. The Queen could not wear the necklace,
however, for it made her head ache. The Faeries from the inside of caves
came riding upon bats, and brought a stalactite made in the form of a
horse of dandelion-down, for there is a favourite story among the
Faeries in which such a horse figures. This was a very pretty piece of
sculpture. The house Faeries brought a beautiful shawl made of the
interwoven golden hair of the youngest child and the silver hair of her
old grandfather. The church Faeries brought a sound from the organ; it
was very solemn, and every one was quiet when it was offered. As for the
gypsy Faeries they said they had nothing to give, and so would sing a
song, which they did to the great delight of all, though the
Walking-Sticks thought it not quite becoming.

The inhabitants of the Garden had been quite impatient for the Faeries
to be through, for their turn was yet to come. It would be quite
impossible to enumerate them all. The Flowers could not come themselves
but they sent their choicest perfumes, and the Miller was so obliging as
to carry for them a great many charming and delicate tints. The Bee gave
a drop of honey, but he was so loud and coarse in his way and carried so
many weapons about him that all were glad when he went. The Humming-Bird
would not come, the Honeysuckle was his Queen, he said. The Red Ant said
it was all fol-de-rol and there was no such thing as a faery in his
opinion, much less a Queen Faery; and he stayed in the