"For eating all the cakes. I think it's very wrong of them not to give you any." "Not at all; they're rich!... I say, isn't it beautiful over there?" "It's just the same here, only you can't see...." "Yes, I can," said Tyltyl. "I have very good eyes. I can see the time on the church clock; and Daddy can't!" The Fairy suddenly grew angry: "I tell you that you can't see!" she said. And she grew angrier and angrier. As though it mattered about seeing the time on the church clock! Of course, the little boy was not blind; but, as he was kind-hearted and deserved to be happy, she wanted to teach him to see what is good and beautiful in all things. It was not an easy task, for she well knew that most people live and die without enjoying the happiness that lies all around them. Still, as she was a fairy, she was all-powerful; and so she decided to give him a little hat adorned with a magic diamond that would possess the extraordinary property of always showing him the truth, which would help him to see the inside of Things and thus teach him that each of them has a life and an existence of its own, created to match and gladden ours. The Fairy took the little hat from a great bag hanging by her side. It was green and had a white cockade, with the big diamond shining in the middle of it. Tyltyl was beside himself with delight. The Fairy explained to him how the diamond worked. By pressing the top, you saw the soul of Things; if you gave it a little turn to the right, you discovered the Past; and, when you turned it to the left, you beheld the Future. Tyltyl beamed all over his face and danced for joy; and then he at once became afraid of losing the little hat: "Daddy will take it from me!" he cried. "No," said the Fairy, "for no one can see it as long as it's on your head.... Will you try it?" "Yes, yes!" cried the Children, clapping their hands. The hat was no sooner on the little boy's head than a magic change came over everything. The old Fairy turned into a young and beautiful princess, dressed all in silk and covered with sparkling jewels; the walls of the cottage became transparent and gleamed like precious stones; the humble deal furniture shone like marble. The two children ran from right to left clapping their hands and shouting with delight. "Oh, how lovely, how lovely!" exclaimed Tyltyl. And Mytyl, like the vain little thing she was, stood spell-bound before the beauty of the fair princess' dress. But further and much greater surprises were in store for them. Had not the Fairy said that the Things and the Animals would come to life, talk and behave like everybody else? Lo and behold, suddenly the door of the grandfather's clock opened, the silence was filled with the sweetest music and twelve little daintily-dressed and laughing dancers began to skip and spin all around the Children. "They are the Hours of your life," said the Fairy.