"'I never heard of him!' exclaimed little Maud.
"'Oh yes, you have,' said the Queen, 'for many a book has been printed about him and his wonderful achievements. Some years ago,' she continued, 'he was quite a popular personage among the children of the world, but many of them seem to have forgotten him of late. His most popular mention perhaps was in a jingle that began something like this:
"'To bed, to bed,' said Sleepy Head,
'Let's wait a while,' said Slow.
"Little Maud declared she had often heard her grandfather speak of him.
"'Yes,' said the Queen, 'he is always half asleep. It is his duty to sing to the children while the Sand Man sprinkles his sand in their eyes. He is a most beautiful singer, but the poor, industrious Sand Man has a very hard task in keeping him awake.'
"As the Queen finished her explanation, Mr. Sleepy Head fell headlong into the gutter. He arose, brushed the dust from his garments, and with another sleepy, lazy lunge, stood bowing and smiling before them.
"He was a curious-looking little man, with dull, dreamy eyes, and carried before him a small harp, securely bound to his person by a broad strap that encircled his neck. The harp was a woeful sight and was covered with dents and scars and cracks where he had fallen with it against various objects during his sleepy journeys.
"The Queen said it was a wonder that music could be produced from it at all, so little was the care he gave it, and then turned to him with a request for a song.
"Mr. Sleepy Head looked up with a lazy smile as he shook himself and then leaned with his back against the decayed trunk of a tree, while he yawned with outstretched arms. After stamping the drowsiness from his lazy limbs, he gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous fingers that filled the air with enchanting music; and, smiling again at the children, he proceeded to sing the song of