52 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND. [1.

carry off a boy? Don’t you go and believe every-
thing you hear, my pretty little poppets !’

‘Then sir, promptly replied Pettina, ‘if you had
nothing to do with carrying him off, you cannot object
to enquiry being made for him.’

‘Not a bit of it!’ cried the Giant. ‘Only let us
have a bit of an agreement. If I find your brother for
you, one of you will have to marry me, and stay and
live here always !’

At this remark the sisters felt a thrill of horror
run through them, but, thinking it best to dissemble,
Malvina, as soon as she could find voice to speak,
answered the Giant in these words :

‘We cannot think of marriage, sir, until our
brother is found and restored to his disconsolate pa-
rents: then, indeed, gratitude to the restorer will
incline us most kindly towards him, whoever he may
be.’

‘Well said, young lady, cried the Giant at this
speech, ‘But now, pray tell me, how shall you dis-
cover your brother if you see him after so long an
absence? He must be mightily changed since you
last saw him.’

Thus interrogated, the Princesses looked at each
other with some doubt and distress, for this was a
difficulty which had never hitherto struck them. No-
thing daunted, however, the clever and thoughtful
Pettina presently pulled out from her pocket a copy of
the original advertisement, published, as has been
already mentioned, upon the loss of Prince Mirabel,
and this she handed to the Giant, who attentively re-
garded it, although as, like most other giants, he was