250 



Princess Ruby- Tin- oat. 



indignant when it was mentioned, that it 

 was always thought best to let the subject 

 drop. 



Among all the race none was more re- 

 nowned for loveliness and grace than the 

 Princess Ruby-Throat, so called because of 

 the brilliant red jewels that she wore con- 

 stantly at her throat, and it is certain that 

 she deserved all the praise showered upon 

 her, for she was not only beautiful but also 

 extremely amiable. 



She had never been known to take part 

 in any of the frequent quarrels that dis- 

 turbed the peace of her neighbors, and she 

 had more than once been seen to leave a 

 flower bell filled with particularly fine honey 

 rather than dispute its possession with some 

 other fairy who came flying up just as she 

 was getting ready to enjoy her treat. 



Ruby-Throat plainly looked upon the 

 whole world as a place to be happy in, and 

 devoted her whole life to pleasure. She 

 said that youth was the time for enjoyment, 

 and that she did not intend to have any 

 care about anything until she grew old and 

 it was forced upon her. 



And so day after day was to her but a 

 succession of delights. When she awoke 

 in the morning her first thought was for 

 her dress, for she always gave the greatest 

 care to her apparel, and prided herself upon 

 the elegance of her attire. When she had 

 arranged her toilet to her satisfaction she 

 would float lazily up to a dewy leaf whose 

 glistening surface formed an admirable 

 mirror, and poising herself on her gauzy 

 wings, admire her beauty to her heart's 

 content. 



Then she would fly off to her favorite 

 trumpet flowers, and drink deep draughts 

 of the delicious honey which they had been 

 holding, as she supposed, for her especial 

 use. 



Breakfast over, she would journey from 

 blossom to blossom, merely for the sake of 

 their fresh beauty, for she enjoyed the love- 

 liness of others as much as she did her 



own, and admired every flower that raised 

 its head up to her friendly eyes. She would 

 flutter in ecstasy around the velvet petals 

 of the red rose, and would hang over the 

 snowy radiance of the lily thrilled with de- 

 light, while even the dainty-hued wild violet 

 would receive her delicate attentions. But 

 Ruby-Throat did not enjoy the flowers 

 alone. She enjoyed also the shady streams 

 that flowed so quietly over the grassy mea- 

 dows, and the deep stillness of the forest. 

 In fact, if she was needed for any purpose, 

 her friends never knew whether to look 

 among the crimson peach blossoms or the 

 plumes of the fern, or the wild dells where 

 the water dripped over the brown rocks 

 that were the haunt of timid birds, for the 

 young princess seemed to be everywhere at 

 once, and to enjoy one place as well as an- 

 other. 



Occasionally she would make a visit to 

 the Gray Giants who lived not far away, but 

 this she did more from waywardness than 

 anything else, for they were so exceedingly 

 homely as to be disagreeable to look at, and 

 their manners and customs were also most 

 offensive. Besides, she had been advised 

 by her mother never to venture into any 

 kind of danger, and as Ruby-Throat dearly 

 loved excitement, she sometimes went near 

 the Giants just for the fun of having them 

 run after her. There was no real danger, 

 for the princess was so swift of motion she 

 could easily elude a whole army of giants, 

 but still she liked to fancy that there was a 

 little bit of risk in entering their dominions. 

 One day, when she felt in the mood for 

 something lively, she wandered off toward 

 the domain of the Gray Giants and looked 

 curiously at their gloomy castles. She could 

 hear the piteous moans of the many captives 

 who were confined in these dreary dun- 

 geons, and for the first time in her life she 

 appreciated the blessing of being able to 

 fly about just as she pleased. 



She felt so happy to think that she was 

 not a prisoner in a dark cell that she forgot 



