The little pink buds did all they could. They caught every bit of sunshine, they sucked up every drop of moisture, they grew and grew. But their lazy brothers would not bestir themselves. They kept tight folded in their winter jackets. [Illustration] “It’s too cold,” they said. “Br-r-r. Why should we hurry?” And so, when the Queen’s birthday came, of course they were not ready, though the pink blossoms were all waiting to burst into bloom. Presently the Queen came riding through the forest on her white rabbit. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. She halted under the almond-tree and sighed a little. “I’ve had some lovely presents,” she said. “A necklace of dewdrops from the early morning, a blue velvet cloak from the night, and a basketful of perfumed kisses from the south wind, who came such a long, long way to bring them. I should be perfectly happy if only I had some pink flowers.” The buds of the almond blossom heard her and quivered with excitement. They could wait no longer. With one accord they all burst forth into full bloom. The scent of them was like the smell of honey. The Queen looked up. “Oh, you darlings,” she said. “You darlings. I’ll have my birthday party under your tree. It will be the prettiest spring party I have ever had.” And ever since that day the pink blossoms have always come out in time for the Queen’s first spring birthday without waiting for their lazy little brothers. And every year the fairies hold their earliest revels under the blossoming boughs of the almond-tree. ELEVEN The Rondel There was once a princess who dwelt in a castle in the midst of a great park. She lived hidden away from the world in her quiet home and was scarcely ever seen by strangers. Rumours of her charm and loveliness, and of her wonderful golden hair, spread far and wide over the land, and she was always known and spoken of as Princess Golden-bright. But her real name was Gentle. All round the castle were lovely pleasure-gardens in which were gay flower-beds and slender, dancing fountains. But the princess’s favourite spot was a circle of ash-trees which stood in the park some small distance away from the castle on a little grassy hill with a path leading up to it. It was called the Rondel. In the middle of the circle of trees stood a table with a seat running round it; the ground was carpeted with soft moss, and the tree-trunks stood up straight and tall like marble pillars. The princess loved nothing better than to sit in the Rondel in the warm weather with her books and embroidery. It was like being in a little house with a high green roof to it. Moreover it was a fairy place, and the ash-trees would often tell her the most delightful stories of what was going on outside the walls of the park, for they were so tall that they could see a long way. They learnt many things, too, from the birds, who loved to perch among their branches and to chatter away to one another about their adventures in the big world.