The mother, who, as queen of the spirits, was a very intelligent woman, thought it would be a good idea for the little prince to accustom himself to privations.
She issued an order, therefore, that for a certain time Upsilon was to have no playthings.
The order was carried out. Everything was taken away from him, even the comet that he and his little sister Omicron happened to be playing with.
Prince Upsilon was somewhat stubborn. He so far forgot himself one day as to speak disrespectfully to his mother.
Even Princess Omicron was contaminated by his example—nothing is worse than a bad example—and violently threw her pallet against the universe. That was not becoming in a girl.
Now, in the kingdom of spirits, there was a law to the effect, that anyone showing disrespect toward the queen, or throwing anything against the universe, should be deprived of all titles and dignities for a certain length of time.
Prince Upsilon became a grain of sand.
After he had behaved himself well in this capacity for a few centuries he received the news that he had been promoted to be a moss plant.
Then one morning he woke up and found himself a coral zoöphyte.
That occurred about the time that man began to cook his food.