The Brownies and Prince Florimel

PS A

s, to Queen Titania's fairy kingdom, using his tentacles as propellers, is a matter for conjecture. But, at any rate, he got there with all tentacles. Whenever his suspicions were aroused, or there was

tead the necessary functions of the other organ, and, as he approached

t was sneaking, and the job which Dragonfel had g

the round pad-like ends of his tentacles in water so that when they were applied to a fl

climb up the high garden-wall and down the other side, wriggl

lf on the edge of a fountain's basin, saw him, with the result that i

le eyes he cocked his head in a professional survey of the palace. Then he began to ascend one of its towering walls. Higher

hich he began to let himself gently down like an elevator-car. A great volume of

n the throne-room. Before he did so he made sure to satisfy himself that no one was there. But there

and he craftily selected for his hiding-place a great tall clo

grandfathers in Queen Titania's kingdom. It was what

ccomplish this to make his proportions squarish and oblong. His queer-looking head showed at the top inst

ll see," he snorted. "I must

measured tick-tock! tick-tock! kept hitting his stomach, and it

he might betray himself. So he put a number of his tentac

its and flowers always were in bloom, with the skies mostly blue above them, and the winds soft and kind, May to the fairi

hough it might truthfully be sa

observances that sprang from the gladness and exultation in all hearts, the ver

velvet sward some distance from the palace grounds, and their hearts were pleasantly thrilled by

ion, and in her robes of blush-pink mossrose petals which swept away in

lory, with hat, bodice, and dress all like cornucopias,

d the big clock, and it's almost run down. Violet and Daffodi

bidding, and when he saw them coming

and would not work. Violet and Daffodil set about to wind the clock, but, on looking up to note the time, they were confronted by a face twisted in an expression that the Hum

he first time I've given folks a start in life. And now it behooves me to remove myself

m that every moment was precious, so he scrambled out

around in the water to get the soot off, and once more as the dove watched him pe

Then he hustled up the garden-wall, and down the other side, finally secreting him

uxuriant green growth, and he even let his tentacles droop gracefully over

est of the fairies, but so frightened were they still that it was hardly intelligible. Final

he clock, of course,

inations, young ladies," chided Dame Drusilda

ersisted Violet stoutly, "and it was the

Daffodil. "It was the most dread

ould we trouble ourselves about it any longer? It's time for our revels to begin, and if we don't hurry

they believed implicitly every word that Violet and Da

ding-place in the urn the Human Octopus with his big, gloating, goggle eyes noted every mo

ed down, and keeping his eyes close to the ear

o where the fairies sported on the green, and as

a luxuriant clump of peculiar rainbow roses whose leaves afforded

e could not deny to them with a certain grace that many enthusiasts would have pronounced most exquisi

yes to fill her arms with them. Little she dreamed of the danger that lurked in all their perfumed radiance. Swiftly she came, outdistancing the others, and as she bent over in sweet, innocent pillage the mean, contemptible nature of the Human Octopus manifested itself. Forgetful of his dip

ad fell back, her golden hair streamed over her shoulder

the Human Octopus