necklace.

"I have been to the enchanter Merlin," she said very humbly.

Immediately the necklace looked as beautiful as ever. But the children
teased her.

"You need not laugh," said Coralie, "for Merlin was very glad to see
us. He sent his carriage to the next town to meet us. Such a splendid
carriage, with six white horses, pink satin cushions, and a negro
coachman with powdered hair. Merlin's palace is all of jasper and
gold. He met us at the door and led us to the dining-room. There stood
a long table covered with delicious things to eat. First of all we
ate----"

Coralie stopped, for the children were laughing till the tears rolled
down their cheeks. She glanced at the necklace and shuddered. With
each new falsehood, the necklace had become longer and longer, till it
already dragged on the ground.

"Coralie, you are stretching the truth," cried the girls.

"Well, I confess it. We walked, and we stayed there only five
minutes."

The necklace shrank at once to its proper size.

"The necklace--the necklace--where did it come from?"

"He gave it to me without saying a word. I think----"

She had not time to finish. The fatal necklace grew shorter and
shorter till it choked her. She gasped for breath.

"You are keeping back part of the truth," cried her schoolmates.

"He said--that I was--one of the greatest--liars in the world." The
necklace loosened about her neck, but Coralie still cried with pain.

"That was why Merlin gave me the necklace. He said that it would make
me truthful. What a silly I have been to be proud of it!"

Her playmates were sorry for her. "If I were in your place," said one
of them, "I should send back the necklace. Why do you not take it
off?"

Poor Coralie did not wish to speak. The stones, however, began to
dance up and down and to make a terrible clatter.

"There is something you have not told us," laughed the little girls.

"I like to wear it."

Oh, how the diamonds and amethysts danced! It was worse than ever.

"Tell us the true reason."

"Well, I see I can hide nothing. Merlin forbade me to take it off. He
said great harm would come if I disobeyed."

Thanks to the enchanted necklace, Coralie became a truthful child.
Long before the year had passed, Merlin came for his necklace. He
needed it for another child who told falsehoods.

No one can tell to-day what has become of the wonderful Necklace of
Truth. But if I were a little child in the habit of telling
fals