THE MARKET GARDENER AND THE PALACE OF TRUTH. 21

ought not to waste time talking to you, for we are going to the King’s
country, and the King does not wish us to loiter. If this were one of
the King’s Inns, where travellers may rest, it would be a different
matter.”

“ But it is one of the inns,” said the little girl, raising her eyes in
astonishment. ‘What do you mean? You are directly on the road.
Have you not a chart or a map with you?”

aide sesame

“ Well, show it to me, and I will point out this very house marked
upon it in pale blue ink. Now, then, look for yourself.”

Clover opened his map; the little girl came close up to him, and
pointed to a little star of forget-me-not blue on the map.

This star certainly pointed to a house which in all particulars
resembled the one at the door of which the children were standing.

“Well, itis all right then,” said Clover. He sighed, however, and
did not seem quite satisfied. Cowslip, on the other hand, was
overjoyed.

“We are quite hungry for our dinner,” she said. ‘‘I do hope you
have got something nice for us. Do you live here all alone? ”

“No, I live with my father. He is a market gardener; he will be
home presently. He brought me these flowers this morning ; are they
not pretty? He will be home to his dinner by-and-by. When he
comes home he is going to bring me wreaths of lily of the valley. I
shall throw away the forget-me-nots then, and put on the lilies of the
valley. To-night he will bring me sweet peas to wear. Is he not
good to me? Is it not pretty to be dressed up in flowers like
this?”

“But what do you do with all the flowers when they are
withered?” asked Cowslip. “I cannot bear to throw away half-
withered flowers.”

“But you would if you were a market gardener’s daughter,”
retorted the little girl. ‘ Flowers would be so plentiful with you that
you would think nothing at all about them. Now do come in and see
what I have got for your dinner.” ;

The two children followed the little girl into the interior of the