“ ‘By-and-by the winter rains began to fall, and the soil about me tightened its grip. [[96]]
“ ‘At first I didn’t like it; but I soon found out that if I wanted to be cosy and warm I had better not wriggle and struggle, as at first I felt inclined. Oh, how good and kind I found the Earth to be! For quite a long time she let me sleep, and when it was time to wake she softly whispered: “Feet down! Head up! Head up! Feet down!” And almost without knowing what I was doing, I felt myself pressing downwards with two little legs, and pushing upwards with a little green head as hard as ever I could.
“ ‘The moment I got my head through the soil I knew that I had done the right thing! There was the orchard I knew so well, and there, too, the Sun, who somehow seemed different, for instead of patting me on the cheeks as he used to do, he kept on saying, “Come up! Climb! Climb! If you want to get on in the world you must climb!”
“ ‘Well, as it seemed the right thing to do, climb I did; and I kept on climbing, until one day my little lady’s father stopped to examine me.
“ ‘ “Oh, ho!” said Mr. Orchardist, “what have we here? A good-looker right enough! I must watch you grow, my lady!”
“ ‘And he did too, giving me regular attention, treatment and care, until I began to feel that the deepest wish of my heart would be gratified. And sure enough it was, for in my fourth year, much to my little lady’s delight, I began to grow a grape she had never seen before—a long and shapely grape, with just the daintiest pink flesh on its delicate skin!
“ ‘Quite unknown to her, Mr. Orchardist had also seen what was taking place, and one day, to my intense joy, he said to the little lady, “Come hither, little lady, and show me your hand!” And as she held it out, he dropped into it my first bunch of grapes, saying, as he did so: “At last! At long last! Here are My Lady’s Fingers!”
“ ‘As to why I grow such grapes there is surely no need to say. It is to perpetuate the memory of the sweet little lady on whose hand I saw the fingers which inspired me to imitate their dainty shape.’ ”
So ended the story.
There followed a second selection by the Band; after which the Prince announced that a “Storks’ Companion”—one of the Fairies [[97]]who goes with a Stork when he takes a new baby home—would say what he overheard on one well remembered occasion.