“They’re stars!” cried the Kitten.
“Because you said ‘asters’ meant stars,” said Phyllisy.
“And it’s Cassiopeia’s!—For you!” they all finished. “Do you like it?”
And the Princess reached around and gathered them all into one four-sided hug, because how she loved it she couldn’t otherwise tell. And Cassiopeia’s never had a quarter so many stars. “We didn’t leave one in the garden,—large enough to pick,” said Pat.
“That’s where you’re going to sit to tell the story,” said the Kitten.
“And when you’re ready, we’ll lead you up to it, and make ‘salaams,’” said Miss Phyllisy.
When she had admired more particularly the way they had done it, she was ready, and they went off to the next tree to come back properly, Pat and Miss Phyllisy leading the Princess, and the Kitten holding up her gown behind.
Then the Princess turned around and stood in front of the chair, and the Others stood facing her in a row.
“Salaam alekûm,” said the Princess, bowing very low and saluting with her down-dropped hand from her feet, to her heart, to her forehead, in two scallops.
“Alekûm essalaam,” replied the Others, saluting the same to her.