"My father gave it to me for a Christmas present," said Pearl.
"Oh, look, look!" cried the children. "The diamond has turned dim!"
Pearl looked down at her necklace and saw that the lovely clasp was changed to coarse glass. Then she was very much afraid, and said, "I will tell you the truth: the wizard Merlin gave it to me."
At once the diamond was as bright as before.
The girls now began to laugh, because they knew that only children who told falsehoods were sent to Merlin.
"You need not laugh," said Pearl. "Merlin sent a lovely coach to bring us. It was drawn by six white horses, and was lined with satin, and had gold tassels."
She stopped, for all the children were laughing again. Then she looked at her necklace, and—what do you think? It hung down to the floor! At each false word she had spoken, the necklace had stretched out more and more.
"You are stretching the truth!" cried the little girls.
Then Pearl confessed that all she had told them was false; and at once the necklace changed to its right size.