'_I_ can't _do_ it,' said the Crow kindly, 'so that's all right. I thought you'd better get used to seeing rather large crows before I take you to Crownowland. We are all life-size there.' 'But a crow's life-size isn't a man's life-size,' Elsie managed to say. 'Oh yes, it is--when it's an enchanted Crow,' the bird replied. 'That makes all the difference. Now you were saying you wanted to tame something. If you'll come with me to Crownowland I'll show you something worth taming.' 'Is Crow-what's-its-name a nice place?' Elsie asked cautiously. She was, somehow, not so very frightened now. 'Very,' said the Crow. 'Then perhaps I shall like it so much I sha'n't want to be taming things.' 'Oh yes, you will, when you know how much depends on it.' 'But I shouldn't like,' said Elsie, 'to go up the chimney. This isn't my best frock, of course, but still....' 'Quite so,' said the Crow. 'I only came that way for fun, and because I can fly. You shall go in by the chief gate of the kingdom, like a lady. Do come.' But Elsie still hesitated. 'What sort of thing is it you want me to tame?' she said doubtfully. The enormous crow hesitated. 'A--a sort of lizard,' it said at last. 'And if you can only tame it so that it will do what you tell it to, you'll save the whole kingdom, and we'll put up a statue to you; but not in the People's Park, unless they wish it,' the bird added mysteriously. 'I should like to save a kingdom,' said Elsie, 'and I like lizards. I've seen lots of them in India.' 'Then you'll come?' said the Crow. 'Yes. But how do we go?' 'There are only two doors out of this world into another,' said the Crow. 'I'll take you through the nearest. Allow me!' It put its wing round her so that her face nestled against the black softness of the under-wing feathers. It was warm and dark and sleepy there, and very comfortable. For a moment she seemed to swim easily in a soft sea of dreams. Then, with a little shock, she found herself standing on a marble terrace, looking out over a city far more beautiful and wonderful than she had ever seen or imagined. The great man-sized Crow was by her side. 'Now,' it said, pointing with the longest of its long black wing-feathers, 'you see this beautiful city?' 'Yes,' said Elsie, 'of course I do.' 'Well ... I hardly like to tell you the story,' said the Crow, 'but it's a long time ago, and I hope you won't think the worse of us--because we're really very sorry.' 'If you're really sorry,' said Elsie primly, 'of course it's all right.' 'Unfortunately it isn't,' said the Crow. 'You see the great square down there?' Elsie looked down on a square of green trees, broken a little towards the middle. 'Well, that's where the ... where _it_ is--what you've got to tame, you know.' 'But what did you do that was wrong?' 'We were unkind,' said the Crow slowly, 'and unjust, and ungenerous. We had servants and workpeople doing everything for us; we had nothing to do _but_ be kind. And we weren't.'