Number Two: A fat little Fairy boy, having fallen into the dust, picks himself up and stands crying great big teardrops, that, as they run down his chest, look like the snakes that children make with treacle on nice white slices of bread. Sitting on a fence, watching what is going on, are two Kookaburras, resting a little after having killed a big brown snake. When they see the funny little “Wrigglies,” running down the Fairy boy’s chest, they burst into such fits of laughter, that they each, so to speak, have to hold their sides, with the result that they both fall off the fence head over heels into the dusty road; and then the boy laughs till he has to sit down!
Number Three: Placed between the forked branches of a tree sits a bird’s nest. In it are three little bare-headed baby birds, eyeing in puzzled astonishment a big fat grub that has fallen on the edge of the nest from somewhere overhead, and is doubling away as fast as ever he can, saying as he goes: “Good-bye, Dearies! I’m so glad I saw you! But don’t wait for me for dinner! I’ve simply got to go home at once! And, by the way, don’t tell mother you saw me! It would make her feel sorry to think she missed me!”
Number Four: An old Mother Crow—all of whose children were as black as coal—was very jealous of the beauty of the Lyre Bird. Hearing one day that the Stork was bringing a nice new Baby to her hated rival, she placed around her neck a Lyre Bird’s tail that she had stolen years before, and watched and waited for the Stork to pass, hoping against hope that he would give her the baby Lyre-bird for herself. But when the Stork came along he saw through the poor make-believe, and though he felt a little sorry for the Crow, he [[66]]instantly resolved to punish her for stealing the Lyre Bird’s tail, as well as for trying to deceive him! So instead of passing by, he stopped and said, “Hello, Crow! Where did you get the Feather Stole?” And the silly Crow excitedly answered, “Stole it! No, no! I don’t mean that! It’s not a stole at all; it’s a Ruff! But you shouldn’t call me a ‘Crow’! I’m a Lyre Bird, and I’m waiting for the nice new baby you’ve got in your basket.’ ” “… Oh! ho!” retorted the Stork, “you’re a Lyre Bird all right; but,” he added, “I can’t give you the Lyre Bird baby I’ve got in the basket, because it’s promised to somebody else. But,” said he, observing her disappointment, and with a humorous glint in his eye, “if you hatch out the egg I’ll give you, you may get a surprise!”
Naturally enough, the Old Mother Crow, finding herself unable to deceive the Stork, and fairly burning with curiosity to find out what the surprise might be, took the egg and faithfully promised to sit on it until it was hatched out. And she kept her word, too, sitting on it night and day, with the ruff round her neck in case she might get a young Lyre Bird.
After a number of days she suddenly felt something move, and jumping off her nest in a state of great excitement, looked to see what she had got. To her intense mortification and disgust, she saw nothing in the nest but an ugly young Iguana! She was so annoyed at the trick that had been played upon her, that the tears sprang to her eyes, and she was just about to give vent to her outraged feelings in an angry squawk, when a number of yellow crested Cockatoos, sitting on a tree not far from her nest, seeing what had happened, laughed so loudly and derisively, that the Crow flew from the spot and was never seen again!
The next of the Palace rooms to call for attention is known as the Music Room. In it can be seen every instrument of Fairy music that has ever been invented. And very odd some of them are, too; though they are all capable of giving forth the most tuneful sounds imaginable. Among the many instruments are some so perfectly made that they can imitate Canaries, Larks and Nightingales with an accuracy that is truly fine. By simply touching a tiny spring the mechanism is released, and instantly one may hear a flood of melody [[67]]that would cause a Lark, for instance, to believe that one of his fellows was singing near! But the instrument which excites the greatest wonder of them all is called a Melodophone! It is the outcome of so much patience and skill that by a little adjustment it can be made to produce any kind of music—vocal or instrumental—from a single voice singing the simplest melody, up to the grandest orchestral masterpieces. It really is wonderful!
The Prince is very proud of his music room, and takes an immense delight in demonstrating what his collection of musical instruments can do. Further, he everywhere strongly maintains that music is one of the finest aids to happiness. Longfellow, the American poet, must have had much the same thought in his mind when he wrote that priceless little poem, entitled “The Singers,” for he makes “The Great Master” say of “The Singers”:—
“I gave a various gift to each,
To charm, to strengthen, and to teach,
These are the three great cords of might,