“I was born,” said my brother-in-law, “when Uranus was in conjunction, Saturn in opposition, and the Conservatives in power.  Venus was all gibbous, the Zodiac was in its zenith, and the zenith was in Charles’s Wain, commonly called The Cart.  My sign was Oleaqua—­The Man with the Watering Pot.  When I add that a thunderstorm was raging, and that my father had bet five pounds I should be a girl, and had decided to call me ‘Hosannah,’ you will appreciate that it is no ordinary being who is addressing you.  A singularly beautiful infant, it was at once obvious that I was born to rule.  Several people said it was inevitable, among them an organ-grinder, who was ordered out of the grounds, to which during the excitement he had gained access.  He didn’t put it that way, but he explained at the police court that that was what he had meant.”

“To whose good offices,” said Jonah, “do you ascribe your pretty ways?”

“Uranus,” was the airy reply.  “From that deity came also meekness, an unshakable belief in human nature, and the fidgets.”

“You ought to have been called after him,” said Adele.

“My godfathers thought otherwise.  In a fit of generosity they gave me my name and a pint pot, which the more credulous declared to be silver, but whose hallmark persistently defied detection.  Then the fount dried up.  And now let me read your hand.  Or would you rather I taught you the three-card trick?”

“It’s too dark,” I protested.  “Besides, she’s going to sing.”

“Who said so?” said Adele.  “I was going to suggest that you told us a fairy tale.”

“A song for a tale,” said I.

“Done.”

“There was once a princess,” said I, “with eyes like brown stars and a voice like the song of a silver brook.  One day she was sitting all alone by the side of a shady trout-stream, when she heard a bell.  For a moment she thought she was dreaming, for she was rather tired.  Then she heard it again—­a clear tinkle, which seemed to arise from the heart of the stream itself.  This surprised the princess very much, because no bells were allowed in her father’s kingdom.  The old man was a bit of an autocrat, and one morning, when he had been rung up seven times running by subjects who wanted quite a different number, he just passed a law prohibiting bells, and that was that.  Well, while she was wondering what to do the bell rang again rather angrily, and, before she knew where she was, she had said ‘Come in.’

“‘At last,’ said a voice, and a large frog heaved himself out of the water and sat down on a tuft of grass on the opposite bank.  ’I shan’t knock next time.’

“‘I didn’t hear you knock,’ said the princess.

“‘I didn’t,’ said the frog.  ‘I rang.  How’s your father?’

“‘Full of beans,’ said the princess.  ‘And yours?’

“‘That’s my business,’ said the frog.  ‘Are you married yet?’

“‘No such luck,’ said the princess.  ’And, what’s more, I never shall be.’