"According to my father's instructions I watched him carefully as he sped through space to see whether he had started right, and to my great joy I observed that he had--that very shortly both he and mother would arrive safely on the dog-star--but alas! My joy was soon turned to grief, for a terrible thing happened. Our great heavy family trunk that had been dispatched first, and with truest aim, landed on the head of the King of the dog-star, stove his crown in and nearly killed him. Hardly had the king risen up from the ground when he was again knocked down by my poor father, who, utterly powerless to slow up or switch himself to one side, landed precisely as the trunk had landed on the monarch's head, doing quite as much more damage as the trunk had done in the beginning. When added to these mishaps a shower of hat-boxes and hand-bags, marked with our family name, fell upon the Lord Chief Justice, the Prime Minister and the Heir Apparent, my parents were arrested and thrown into prison and I decided that the dog-star was no place for me. Wild with grief, and without looking to see where I was going, nor in fact caring much, I gave a running leap out into space and finally through some good fortune landed here on this earth which I have found quite good enough for me ever since." Here the sprite paused and looked at Jimmieboy as much as to say, "How is that for a tale of adventure?" "Is that all?" queried Jimmieboy. "Mercy!" cried the major, "Isn't it enough?" "No," said Jimmieboy. "Not quite. I don't see how he could have jumped so many years before the world was made and yet land on the world." "I was five thousand years on the jump," explained the sprite. "It was leap-year when you started, wasn't it?" asked the major, with a sarcastic smile. "And your parents? What finally became of them?" asked Jimmieboy, signaling the major to be quiet. "I hadn't the heart to inquire. I am afraid they got into serious trouble. It's a very serious thing to knock a king down with a trunk and land on his head yourself the minute he gets up again," sighed the sprite. "But didn't you tell me your parents were unfairies?" put in Jimmieboy, eying the sprite distrustfully. "Yes; but they were only my adopted parents," explained the sprite. "They were a very rich old couple with lots of money and no children, so I adopted them not knowing that they were unfairies. When they died they left me all their bad habits, and their money went to found a storeroom for worn out lawn-mowers. That was a sample of their meanness." "Well that's a pretty good story," said Jimmieboy. "Yes," said the sprite, with a pleased smile. "And the best part of it is it's all true." "Tut!" ejaculated the major, scornfully. "Wait until you hear mine." CHAPTER X. THE MAJOR'S TALE. "A great many years ago when I was a souvenir spoon," said the major, "I belonged to a very handsome and very powerful potentate."