28 THE MAGIC OAK TREE

nursey, and don’t let us have any more
fooling about with hedgepigs and such like!
I do declare I must take you safe back to
“my poor King and Queen, come what will!’

Little Hurly-Burly heard this speech with
some dismay, for, of course, if he had to go
home with his nurse it would be impossible
for him to search in the forest for the means
of restoring his brothers and sisters to their
natural shape. As I have already hinted,
however, the little fellow was something of
a pickle, and was not famous for doing as
he was told at once. On this occasion,
indeed, he had a better reason than usual
for disobeying his nurse, and had, therefore,
not the slightest intention of obeying her.
He was wise enough to know, however, that
it would not do to say so at once, or to run
away, which had been his first thought, so
he put on his gravest face, and said: ‘Don’t
you want to get brothers and sisters back,
nurse ?’

‘In course I do, Princey,’ she replied.
‘But it ain’t the way to do it—not letting
you go and be lost, too.’ (

‘But,’ said the boy, ‘I-do not think I
shall be lost if I do as I have just been told ;