No wonder they felt alarmed. It was enough to strike terror into the heart of anyone who had never seen such a strange and unusual sight before; and had it not been for the wisdom and calmness of their King, it is almost certain they would have fled helter-skelter from the scene. But he, not knowing what else to think, boldly and confidently asserted that the stranger flying towards them must be a messenger from Heaven, and as Heaven was kind, there was really nothing to fear. “Of a truth,” said he, “it is more than possible that some great blessing is about to be bestowed upon us. Let us therefore await God’s messenger calmly and fearlessly; and in due time we shall learn whatever is His Will.”
It thus came about that, when the Prince made a landing, instead of finding those he came to see in a state of panic, they were all drawn up in perfect order, and nothing, save their eyes, gave the slightest sign that anything out of the way was taking place.
As soon as the Prince stepped out of the carriage, however, the King knew him; for the fame of his person and marvellous works had penetrated to the remotest parts of Australia, and he would have been recognised anywhere. Without the slightest hesitation, therefore, the King stepped forward, offered his hand to his distinguished visitor, and in the kindliest manner bade him welcome!
Now it so happens that there are a very great number and variety of Wattle Fairies, and they are to be found in practically all parts of Australia. But by general consent, King Acacia and his wife, Queen Cootamundra, are recognised as being at the head of all the tribes. They are an extraordinarily handsome couple; and all their children are very lovely indeed, especially their eldest daughter, [[62]]Princess Wattle Blossom! As soon as Prince Waratah saw her he vowed to himself that never in all his life had he seen anyone so gloriously beautiful and charming; for the fact is, that not only is she delightfully sweet to gaze upon, but her manners are so perfect as to make her at once the most kindly and the most gracious Princess in the whole of Fairy Land. Her only fault, if such it can be called, is a tendency to droop her head a little; but this is wholly due to a certain natural shyness, and entirely disappears whenever she speaks or moves. It would have been strange indeed if the Prince had not instantly fallen in love with her—as he did—and had not resolved to some day make her his wedded wife. Nevertheless he paid her many, many visits before the courtship ended, and the marriage actually took place.
But to return to the Palace, about which you were being informed, when the Prince’s desire for a wife somehow came into the story.
Apart from the Entrance Hall, which has already been described, there are several rooms that call for more than passing mention. For instance, there is the Laughter Room! That may seem a strange name for a room, but the Prince has very decided opinions on certain matters, and one of his fixed ideas is that, next to Sunshine, Laughter is the finest thing in the World. He calls it “spiritual Sunshine,” because, he says, whenever folks laugh, worry and trouble disappear just as quickly as clouds before the sun itself. And so he urges that “everybody, every day, should take a little time for play, to laugh and drive dull care away!” He also says that everybody should have a laughter room in the house; by which he means, of course, that everyone should be careful not to so engage themselves with serious matters, that in their whole make-up there is no room for laughter. People like that, he thinks, do not enjoy life properly; and in order that he and those associated with him might laugh at times, he specially arranged for a Laughter Room.
“He vowed to himself that never in all his life had he seen anyone so gloriously beautiful and charming.”
Already, perhaps, you are wondering what sort of things that room contains? Well, not for long does it remain the same! Changes are constantly taking place, for one cannot continually laugh at the same old joke. But to give you an idea of the kind of thing [[65]]the Prince thinks funny, here are several that have appeared in the room at one time or another.
Number One: A baby bear, up in a gum tree, has just started to nibble at a particularly tempting leaf when over the edge of it peeps a Daddy Long Legs Spider, who says, “Excuse me! But I know something that you don’t know!” “What’s that?” says the Bear, but without letting go. “Why!” replies Daddy Long Legs, “You’re biting my foot!” “Sorry!” says the Bear, letting go; “I hope I haven’t sprained your ankle,” and he laughs till the tears run down his face.