THE MARKET GARDENER AND THE PALACE OF TRUTH. 27

right road, so we must find one of the King’s Inns before we get a
great deal further. The cottage where the Market Gardener's little
git] lived was not one of the King’s Inns. But now if we walk on
very quickly we must find one. Then we shall be quite safe, and you
shall go to bed and have a long sleep.”

For a moment Cowslip was comforted by Clover’s brave words, but
then she burst out crying again.

“TI cannot walk a step until I have had something to quench my
thirst,’ she said. Then she suddenly gave a cry of delight. “Oh,
Clover,” she exclaimed, “what a silly girl I was to ee the straw-
berries and the peaches. Why, of course, that cone mee fruit will
quench our thirst splendidly.”

“Somehow,” said Clover, “I don’t want to eat it. I know it looks
very nice, and I know it smells very good, but I suspect anything that
comes out of the Market Gardener’s cottage.”’

“Then I think you are very unkind,” said Cowslip. “That was
a dear little girl; what possible harm did she do us? I for one am
determined to eat one of her delicious peaches.”

As Cowslip spoke she put down Do hand and took one of the
peaches and began to eat it.

How Gloire was the juicy fruit to her parched lips; how thank-
fully she devoured the peach, and then put down her hand to take
another. She ate three or four peaches before her thirst was at all better.

In the meantime Clover, who was also very thirsty and hungry,
helped himself to two or three strawberries.

He had not eaten nearly as much fruit as Cowslip, and was in
consequence not so much affected by it, for scarcely had the little
girl eaten the last of the peaches before, with a bitter cry, she fell on
the ground, clasping her hands to her head, and moaning as if in
dreadful pain.

“Oh, what is the matter, Cowslip?” said poor Clover, in a voice
of terror.

“T don’t know,” sobbed the child. “I only know that I ache
from head to foot, that I am more thirsty than ever, and that I cannot
possibly walk a single step.”