And he told Baby about his home in a cottage in the Forest far away, where he used to live with his old mother, and little lame sister, and the tortoise-shell cat, till the King came and took him. And when he told about that, he began to cry again. Then Baby jigged him a bit, and said, "Now I'll tell you a secret the Queen told me last time she came round with the butter.--The King is going to let you out soon now, because at all events you _try_ to be good. There!" And when mannikin heard that, he sniffed and said, "Gobblessim." And after that Baby tied an empty reel to a thread, and gave it him. And he quite cheered up, and bobbed the reel, and twinkled his eyes, and said he a little fisherman, trying to catch a Surprise-present for being so truly good and loving. 46 Next morning, as Tiny entered the Fort, all the Fellows came rushing out from the shed, shouting, "Well done, Baby!--Good luck to you both!" for it usually leaks out who has won the Surprise-present for the year, before it is stuck up on the Castle-door. Then Tiny stopped and said, "But you don't _know_." So all the Fellows crowded round, and they answered, "No, we don't _know_. But the Queen got talking to the Junior Subaltern when he went to the Castle for his glass of milk this morning. So we next door to know." Just then the dear old Colonel came up with Moses on his shoulder, and little Marwy, who had quite recovered from her broken heart, trotting behind. And he stopped and patted Tiny on the back, saying, "Ah, my dear boy!--I believe I have to congratulate you." Then Tiny blushed and answered, "Well, Sir, we've heard nothing from the King as yet. Still--we hope." So the Colonel nodded very wisely and said, "Well, we shall see what we shall see." And he passed on to Sunday-school: for the Colonel always attended himself, and tried to get the Fellows to come too; only they always had sore throats or something, and couldn't. Then Tiny ran home, quite sure now. 47 And when he got there he found a white paper pinned on to the door, saying, _I have gone to my room to wait. Don't come._ So Tiny waited down below all day. But towards evening, he crept up, and peeped. And there was Baby waiting by the window, nursing her pussy-kitten. And as she nursed, she sang, "Hushaby, Hushaby, Here at twilight, Waiting, I, Sweet-contented, Know not why-- Hushaby, Hushaby." Then Tiny put his finger to his lips, and stole away without a word. But Baby waited at the window, looking East. 48 Then at dusk the good old doctor came from the Castle with a basket on his arm. And the basket was full of lovely little Stars of Bethlehem, which flower about then in That Country. And on the basket was a label written in the King's hand, _Baby from The King because She Is so truly Good and Loving._ Then the old doctor went up the stairs in the dusk very quietly.