"I used to, my child, in my younger days, but my powers are not what they were, and I seldom exercise them now, because it exhausts me too severely to do so. Once there were several of us Court Godmothers, but I am the only one left, and my health is so poor that I can do little for my God-children but give them moral teaching and wise counsel. However, such good offices as I can still render shall be entirely at your service." "You are very kind," said Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson, resenting the other's air of patronage, "but all my children are already provided with God-parents. As you tell me you are a Fairy," she continued, "I suppose I must accept your word for it--but it will take a great deal more than that to make me believe that we are in Fairyland." "I thought," said the Fairy, "you already knew that the name of this country is Maerchenland." It should be said here once for all that the Wibberley-Stimpsons found no difficulty in understanding, or making themselves perfectly intelligible to any Maerchenlanders, although they always had a curious feeling that they were conversing in a foreign language. "Whatever the country is called," said Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson aggressively, "I should like some explanation of that Baron Troitz's conduct in entrapping us into coming here. I was distinctly given to understand that I had been chosen to be the Queen at our local Pageant, and that we were being taken to talk over the arrangements with the Committee. Now he has gone off in the most ungentlemanly way, and left us stranded and helpless here!" "You must have misunderstood the good Baron," said the Fairy Vogelflug; "and he is far too loyal to desert you. He has merely hastened on to Eswareinmal, the city whose walls and towers you see yonder, to prepare for your reception. As you probably know, he has devoted himself with the most untiring zeal to his mission of seeking you out and restoring you to your inheritance." "He never said a word about that to me--not a word. If I am really entitled to any property in this country, I should be glad to know where it is situated, and what is its exact value." "Then," said the Fairy, "I may inform you that you are entitled, as the daughter of your late Father--our long-lost and much-lamented Prince Chrysopras--to no less a possession than the Crown of Maerchenland." "You--you don't _say_ so!" gasped Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson. "The Crown of--Sidney, did you hear _that_." "It's some mistake, my dear," he said. "Must be! ... My wife's father, Ma'am, though in some respects--a--a remarkable character, was never a Prince--at least that _I've_ heard of."