E-text prepared by Anne Storer and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) from digital material generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/americana) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 23344-h.htm or 23344-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/3/3/4/23344/23344-h/23344-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/3/3/4/23344/23344-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/magicfishbonehol00dick THE MAGIC FISHBONE by CHARLES DICKENS With Illustrations by S. Beatrice Pearse [Illustration: The Queen came in most splendidly dressed p. 27] THE MAGIC FISHBONE A Holiday Romance from the Pen of Miss Alice Rainbird Aged 7. by CHARLES DICKENS London: Constable and Co. Ltd. FOREWORD The story contained herein was written by Charles Dickens in 1867. It is the second of four stories entitled "Holiday Romance" and was published originally in a children's magazine in America. It purports to be written by a child aged seven. It was republished in England in "All the Year Round" in 1868. For this and four other Christmas pieces Dickens received L1,000. "Holiday Romance" was published in book form by Messrs Chapman & Hall in 1874, with "Edwin Drood" and other stories. For this reprint the text of the story as it appeared in "All the Year Round" has been followed. * * * * * [Illustration: SEVERAL OF THE CHILDREN WERE GROWING OUT OF THEIR CLOTHES] There was once a King, and he had a Queen; and he was the manliest of his sex, and she was the loveliest of hers. The King was, in his private profession, Under Government. The Queen's father had been a medical man out of town. They had nineteen children, and were always having more. Seventeen of these children took care of the baby; and Alicia, the eldest, took care of them all. Their ages varied from seven years to seven months. Let us now resume our story. One day the King was going to the office, when he stopped at the fishmonger's to buy a pound and a half of salmon not too near the tail, which the Queen (who was a careful housekeeper) had requested him to send home. Mr Pickles, the fishmonger, said, "Certainly, sir, is there any other article, Good-morning." The King went on towards the office in a melancholy mood, for quarter day was such a long way off, and several of the dear children were growing out of their clothes. He had not proceeded far, when Mr Pickles's errand-boy came running after him, and said, "Sir, you didn't notice the old lady in our shop." "What old lady?" enquired the King. "I saw none."