"WHY, it's wonderful!" said Twinkle, who had listened eagerly to the turtle's speech.
"It would be wonderful, indeed, if I were but a simple turtle," was the reply.
"But aren't you a turtle?"
"Of course, so far as my outward appearance goes, I'm a common little mud-turtle," it answered; "and I think you will agree with me that it was rather clever in the Corrugated Giant to transform me into such a creature."
"What's a Corrulated Giant?" asked Twinkle, with breathless interest.
"The Corrugated Giant is a monster that is full of deep wrinkles, because he has no bones inside him to hold his flesh up properly," said the turtle. "I hated this giant, who is both wicked and cruel, I assure you; and this giant hated me in return. So, when one day I tried to destroy him, the monster transformed me into the helpless little being you see before you."
"But who were you before you were transformed?" asked the girl.
"A fairy prince named Melga, the seventh son of the fairy Queen Flutterlight, who rules all the fairies in the north part of this land."
"And how long have you been a turtle?"
"Fourteen years," replied the creature, with a deep sigh. "At least, I think it is fourteen years; but of course when one is swimming around in brooks and grubbing in the mud for food, one is apt to lose all track of time."