“Eldina,” said the Faery Titania, who is Queen of the Faeries, “we have come to bestow our gifts upon your child, whom we have taken under our special protection—is there any gift you would like him to possess?” “Yes, your Majesty,” cried Eldina eagerly; “the gift of happiness.” All the faeries looked grave at this request, and a sigh sounded through the room, while Titania gazed sadly on the child. “We cannot give happiness,” she said sorrowfully. “Every mortal can only find happiness in his own actions, but we will do the best we can—I will give the child the gift of song, which is the greatest of all gifts.” So saying, she touched the child’s lips with her wand, and retired, while the Faery Laurina stepped forward with a wreath of laurel leaves. “I give this child the gift of fame,” she said, placing the laurel wreath on the baby’s head; “his songs will make him famous throughout the world.” “From me he receives the gift of beauty,” cried another faery, whose name was Venusina. “From me the gift of wisdom,” said the Faery Minervetta. “From me the gift of a kind heart,” observed a smiling fay, who had kind blue eyes. Then all the other faeries bestowed their gifts in turn—wealth, honour, grandeur, cleverness, strength. Everything that human beings most desire was given to this lucky baby, on whom the name of Lanis was now bestowed by the universal voice of all the faeries present. “All these are beautiful gifts,” said Eldina, weeping, although she half smiled through her tears, “but they do not bring happiness.” “They bring happiness if wisely used,” cried Titania. “Then give him the power to use them wisely,” pleaded the poor mother. “We cannot—we cannot,” sighed the faeries; “the power rests with himself.” “Will he never find happiness?” cried Eldina in despair. “Yes, when he arrives at the Kingdom of Shadows, and enters it through the golden gate.” “But how will he find the golden gate?” “By being a good man. If he misuses his gifts and becomes wicked, he will go through the iron gate into the Kingdom of Fire.” Then the beams of the moon grew brighter, until the whole chamber glowed with silver light, and the faeries commenced to dance gracefully round the cradle, singing this song, while the baby Lanis slept peacefully, with the crown of green laurel leaves on his head: “Great blessings on thy head will fall, In this thy natal hour; But ah! the greatest gift of all, We have not in our power. We give thee wealth, we give thee fame, We give thee hate of wrong, The splendour of an honoured name, The mighty power of song. These gifts are idle as the wind, Tho’ by them thou art blest, Unless thro’ seeking thou canst find The gift we deem the best.”