the princess lil stood on the edge of the lake waiting for her turtlemobile to take her to her lily castle, which rested on the bright waters in the center of the lily pond.

presently she heard the honk, honk of chauffeur billy bullfrog's horn, and in another moment the turtlemobile swung around the tall sedge grass.

"you're late," she said, as she took her seat.

"i'm sorry, your royal highness," said chauffeur billy bullfrog, "but the turtlemobile was tired, and i couldn't make him put on more speed."

the princess made no reply, but sat gazing at the setting sun's reflection in the bright waters of the lake. the sky was all fairy colors, and just above the green tree tops the evening star was shining.

the turtlemobile glided swiftly in and out among the lily pads and hummocks of grass until it came to the open water. in the center of the lake was a beautiful white lily. here the turtlemobile stopped, and the princess lil stepped out on the smooth green lily pad. quickly running across, she tripped lightly down the golden stairway inside the stem of the beautiful white pond lily. when she reached the bottom of the golden flight, she opened a little door, and entered her pink and white chamber. throwing herself down on a silken couch, she rang a bell, and presently a pretty little fairy appeared.

"lorelei," said the princess, "i am weary; bring me my gossamer kimono, and do you loosen my hair. afterwards you may coil it again and fasten it with a single firefly, as i wish to sit out in the garden after supper."

the moon was shining brightly as the princess lil ran up the golden staircase and out upon the big flat lily pad, which was arranged like a beautiful garden. there were small pink flowers growing in little beds of moist earth, and winding in and out was a narrow path of tiny shiny pebbles. over this the princess tripped until she came to the end of the path, where she sat down, and began to sing softly, oh, so softly, a fairy lullaby.

"gently the wind of the dewy night blows,

over the quivering stream;

while children are sleeping, the fairies are peeping,

singing to them a dream.

"over and over, from daisy and clover,

from all of the sweet flower throng,

the fairies are swinging and drowsily singing,

a sweet little hush-a-by song."

"ah!" said the little princess as she finished; "i think all the little boys and girls are asleep by this time. indeed, i'm sure they are, for there goes the blue-bell tinkling 'nine o'clock!'

"good night, sweet moon!" she cried, as she paused before the portal of her lily castle, "good night, sweet moon!"

and then the little fairy princess ran down the golden staircase and disappeared in her pink and white chamber.