The biggest sunbeam she could find was the one that came in at the library window and sent her father, the Count, to sleep over the state documents. And there she took off her little red shoes and stockings, and pulled the golden pins out of her hair, and let it fall loosely round her shoulders, and she began to climb slowly up the ray of sunlight. At first it was very hard work, for it was very slippery, and she was frightened of falling off; but she thought of the Prince, and went on as bravely as she could. And then it seemed as though invisible hands came and helped her upwards, for after that it was quite easy, and she glided up higher and higher and higher until she came to the sun itself--the big round sun. And she went straight through the sun, just as though it were a paper hoop at the circus, and she tumbled out on the other side into a land of yellow fog. There was no sunshine there, and no moon, and no stars, and no daylight--nothing but a dull red glow over everything, like the light of a lamp. "Why," said Lady Daffany, feeling her clothes to see if they were singed, "I always thought the sun was hot!" "I have no doubt you did; it is quite absurd what mistakes are made about the sun," said a familiar voice, and, looking round, she saw the identical Wymp who had come to disturb the betrothal banquet. "Hullo! I've been expecting you," he said, as he recognized her. "Why didn't you come before?" "Because you didn't send me an invitation," said Lady Daffany, merrily; and she made him a court bow. Now it is true that the Wymps spend their lives in laughing at other people, but they are not accustomed to being laughed at themselves; so when Lady Daffany continued to be amused at her own joke the Wymp drew himself up very stiffly and looked offended. "I don't see anything whatever to laugh at," he said, severely, "and you had better come along and explain to the King why you've come." Then he led her through the dimly lighted land of yellow fog, and they passed crowds of other little Wymps who were all so like himself that it was difficult to tell one from another; for they were all dull yellow and misty in appearance, and they all had small eyes and large mouths, and their faces were all covered with laughter wrinkles. They seemed to be spending their time in turning somersaults and tumbling over one another, and laughing loudly at nothing at all. But the Wymp who was with Lady Daffany did not laugh once; he just trotted along in front of her and did not speak a word, so that she really was afraid she had hurt his feelings, and she began to feel sorry. "Please, Mr. Wymp, I didn't mean to laugh at you at all," she said, very humbly. "That's all very well," said the Wymp, sulkily, "but no Wymp ever allows any one else to make a joke. Come along to the King." "But it wasn't a joke!" cried Lady Daffany.