“So they got into a ship (I’ll show you how to make one out of paper, exactly like W), and sailed up into the sky, for the ship was a Ship of Stars—you make X’s for stars; but that’s a witch-ship; so it stuck fast in Y, which is a cleft ash-stick, and then came a stroke of lightning, Z, and burnt them all up!” He stopped, out of breath.
“I don’t understand the ending at all,” said Honoria. “What is a Ship of Stars?”
“Haven’t you ever seen one?”
“No.”
“I have. There’s a story about it—”
“Tell me about it.”
“I’ll tell you lots of stories afterwards; about the Frog-king and Aladdin and Man Friday and The Girl who trod on a Loaf.”
“And the Ship of Stars?”
“N—no.” Taffy felt himself blushing. “That’s one of the stories that won’t come—and they’re the loveliest of all,” he added, in a burst of confidence.
Honoria thought for a moment, but did not understand in the least. All she said was, “what funny words you use!” She went back to her alphabet—A, house; B, cat. It came more easily now.