"I thought you said you could swim," spoke Jimmie.

"Hush!" begged Alice, who was very kind-hearted. "Don't be casting up!
Don't make him feel bad."

"Oh, I feel bad enough without that," said Mr. Doodle, sighing. "I guess
the water wasn't right for swimming to-day," and with that he walked off,
and hid himself in some leaves, to get dry, for he hadn't any towels at
his house. But the Wibblewobble children kept on swimming, for they knew
how; and now, let me see; well, how about a story of an enchanted castle
for to-morrow night; eh? that is if the scissors don't cut up too much.




STORY XI

ALICE WIBBLEWOBBLE'S ENCHANTED CASTLE


Alice Wibblewobble had made up her mind to find out more about the fairy
prince. She couldn't believe he was only a mud turtle. She felt sure he
was merely in that form until some one came along, pronounced the magical
words, or sprinkled the magical water on him, or did something else, to
change him back again.

"I think I will have another talk with him," she said. "Perhaps, if I go
all alone, he will tell me what to do. Oh, wouldn't it be perfectly lovely
if I could change him into a king with a golden-diamond-ruby crown. Yes, I