116 Make-Beleve

shady trees, one reading while the others
listen.

“ Besides, the old. people have not for-
gotten what it was like to be a child, and
so they are just children grown bigger and
_ wiser. They come out into the gardens
constantly, and offer to tell tales, and they
all believe in fairies. Indeed, they cannot
help it, for the fairies have not had to go
away from that world, and you see the
mermaids when you are down by the
sea.” ,

“Tt must be a lovely world to live in,”
said the Visitor. “ But what happens when
the children are not good? For I suppose
they sometimes do wrong?”

“J don’t know about that,” said Doris,
after a moment’s reflection. ‘‘ You see,
they are never told not to do the things
that all children want to do, and you can-
not do wrong when there is nothing you
are told not todo..... There are some
things, of course, that must be punished.
But I am always sorriest when I am not