their great glory and renown, they gave three huzzas for the little
human, and set off, like an army, to thank her, the court advancing in
front and the canopy keeping step with it. They traced Maimie easily
by her footprints in the snow.

But though they found her deep in snow in the Figs, it seemed
impossible to thank Maimie, for they could not waken her. They went
through the form of thanking her, that is to say, the new King stood
on her body and read her a long address of welcome, but she heard not
a word of it. They also cleared the snow off her, but soon she was
covered again, and they saw she was in danger of perishing of cold.

"Turn her into something that does not mind the cold," seemed a good
suggestion of the doctor's, but the only thing they could think of
that does not mind cold was a snowflake. "And it might melt," the
Queen pointed out, so that idea had to be given up.

A magnificent attempt was made to carry her to a sheltered spot, but
though there were so many of them she was too heavy. By this time all
the ladies were crying in their handkerchiefs, but presently the
Cupids had a lovely idea. "Build a house round her," they cried, and
at once everybody perceived that this was the thing to do; in a moment
a hundred fairy sawyers were among the branches, architects were
running round Maimie, measuring her; a bricklayer's yard sprang up at
her feet, seventy-five masons rushed up with the foundation stone and
the Queen laid it, overseers were appointed to keep the boys off,
scaffoldings were run up, the whole place rang with hammers and
chisels and turning lathes, and by this time the roof was on and the
glaziers were putting in the windows.