"Guide, sire?" inquired a gnome, suddenly presenting himself and going down on one knee. "Guide to the fairy ring?" "Yes, please," and he followed him to where a number of peacocks stood on guard with their tails magnificently spread. "Have you twopence?" asked the guide anxiously. "I'm not sure," answered Cedric, fumbling in his pocket. "If not, I'm afraid you can't be let in, sire." The gnome was looking afraid that the king might not fall, after all, into the little trap he was preparing. "Not let me in? Can't I order myself through?" "No 'paper' allowed! You can only be let in by paying the entrance fee." "I never heard of a king paying twopence to go in anywhere," said Cedric, drawing himself up. He was not unreasonable, he felt, but he was a little hurt in his dignity as sovereign. "I'm afraid your Majesty can't go against the Office of Works." "S'pose I ordered the peacocks to be removed," said Cedric, growing hot at the undignified position of a monarch unable to produce the price of a Bath bun; "s'pose I ordered their necks to be wrung, or something?" "It would be deplorably irregular and excessively unconstitutional." Cedric was taken at a disadvantage by the length of the words; but a lucky discovery relieved him. "Here, I've got four ha'pennies. But I call it mean that I, of all people, shouldn't be allowed in free." "It's simply to show the person is well off, and to keep the place select--it's the same for all. In the case of royalty the amount is returned in cash at the end of the performance." Cedric entered alone, and found the fairy ring far beyond anything he could have dreamed of. Thousands of little fairies, wearing cunning arrangements of petals from the fruit blossoms, had joined hands and were dancing round joyously, raising tiny clouds of yellow dust, which enveloped them as with a golden mist. As he came in sight they burst into song, and manoeuvring cleverly until he was in their midst, they showed what they could do in grace of movement and harmony of sound, till, quite enchanted, he felt he could remain there for ever. "Go on! go on!" he shouted, clapping his hands with delight, for the little crew had come to a standstill. A pixie detached himself, and kneeling, begged his Majesty to give him the Golden Key. "What for?" asked Cedric, surprised. "To wind up the proceedings," came the reply of the fairies, who had eagerly drawn near. "Can't," said Cedric. "_Do!_" said the prettiest of the fairies in chorus.