ught the
change with one wave of her wand; but unluckily the two were no longer
friends, because the fairy had tried hard to persuade the queen to
declare her niece heiress to the crown, which the queen refused to do.
Naturally, therefore, it was no use asking the help of Gangana to
enable the queen to take a second husband, who would be certain to
succeed her; and messengers were sent all over the neighbouring
kingdoms, seeking to find a witch or a fairy who would work the
wished-for miracle. None, however, could be found with sufficient
skill, and at length the queen saw that if ever the king of the Green
Isles was to be her husband she must throw herself on the mercy of the
fairy Gangana.

The fairy's wrath was great when she heard the queen's story, but she
knew very well that, as the king of the Green Isles had spent all his
money, he would probably be ready to marry even an old woman, like her
friend, in order to get more. So, in order to gain time, she hid her
feelings, and told the queen that in three days the spell would be
accomplished.

* * * * *

Her words made the queen so happy that twenty years seemed to fall
from her at once, and she counted, not only the hours, but the
minutes to the appointed time. It came at last, and the fairy stood
before her in a long robe of pink and silver, held up by a tiny brown
dwarf, who carried a small box under his arm. The queen received her
with all the marks of respect that she could think of, and at the
request of Gangana, ordered the doors and windows of the great hall to
be closed, and her attendants to retire, so that she and her guest
might be quite alone. Then, opening the box, which was presented to
her on one knee by the dwarf, the fairy took from it a small vellum
book with silver clasps, a wand that lengthened out as you touched it,
and a crystal bottle filled with very clear green water. She next bade
the queen sit on a seat in the middle of the room, and the dwarf to
stand opposite her, after which she stooped down and drew three
circles round them with a golden rod, touched each of them thrice with
her wand, and sprinkled the liquid over both. Gradually the queen's
big features began to grow smaller and her face fresher, while at the
same time the dwarf became about twice as tall as he had been before.
This sight, added to the blue flames which sprang up from the three
circles, so frightened the queen that she fainted in he