Uncle Antoine was the proudest and happiest man alive, for the Prince had given him a brand new hurdy-gurdy which played every tune that had ever been composed, and had brought tears of joy into the old man’s eyes by telling him that he might spend all his time in the garden, playing his music, watching the flowers, and listening to the birds, of which there were millions, so tame that they would sing any song you requested of them, and perch on your hand to be fed. Monko was given all the peanuts he could possibly eat, a whole grove of cocoanut trees, and best of all, a kiddy-car on which he could ride all over the grounds. In the midst of all this glory they lived very happily until Uncle Antoine grew to be an old, old man, and Monko acquired a long, white beard, which trailed behind him for some three blocks. In fact, his beard was so very long that when he went out walking with the Princess Colette it looked like the train of her gown. One day, when Uncle Antoine and the Prince and Princess were all sitting out in the garden listening to a large black crow singing _Mammy’s Little Coal-Black Rose_, they heard cries of anguish from high up among the trees. They discovered that Monko’s beard had become twisted around a tree trunk, and that in trying to scramble down he had jerked so hard that he had pulled out all but a tiny little bunch of white whiskers. Poor, poor Monko! He was terribly distressed, until Colette assured him that his beard would grow again, or, if it did not, she would paste the old one on with molasses and he would be as handsome as ever. So you see, because little Colette and Uncle Antoine and Monko had always done their very best to make everyone about them as happy as they could, they were allowed to spend the rest of their days in the beautiful palace with the good Prince. JERRY AND THE WISHING-RING JERRY AND THE WISHING-RING Jerry was a handsome little boy, and had just celebrated his fifth birthday. His Uncle Jack, who was a Naval Officer on one of Uncle Sam’s battleships, was expected home from a trip around the world, and Jerry was so thrilled and excited that he could scarcely wait for the actual time to arrive. He remembered sitting on his Uncle Jack’s knee when he was a wee little chap, listening to stories of the sea, and he had not forgotten his Uncle’s promise to take him on a voyage when he was five years old. And then one day he heard the old familiar whistle sounding on the garden walk and, sure enough, there was his big Uncle looking brown and strong, greeting them all with smiles and kisses. He was to be home for just one day, but that was time enough to have Jerry fitted out with a smart sailor suit and made ready to take the next trip with him. Jerry had never known so much excitement, and when he bade good-bye to his mother and daddy and went aboard the battleship there was not a prouder or happier boy in the whole world.