the directions in the book, he suggested that he should take me to the
Palace at once and into the presence of the Grand Panjandrum.

"'For no doubt the operation must be performed by yourself, since you
alone possess the fairy power,' said he. And so we made the best of our
way to the beautiful building which I could see in the distance.

"I wish I could describe to you the magnificence of that marvellous
place. The jewelled windows and golden staircase; the wonderful velvety
carpets and silken hangings; the hundreds of silent servants dressed in
the beautiful royal livery of the Grand Panjandrum, who flitted about
executing immediately the slightest wish echoed in that wonderful place.

"But it is sufficient to say that, after a lot of ceremony, I was at
last ushered into the presence of the Grand Panjandrum himself.

"It is forbidden to anyone, under the most awful penalties, to describe
His Supreme Importance's appearance, so I cannot tell you what he was
like; but I found him suffering the most excruciating agony with the
toothache, and with his face even more swollen than the Chief Cook's had
been.

"At a sign from the Court Physician I quickly prepared my nettle leaves,
which we had thought to gather on our way to the palace, and began to
rub them gently on the Grand Panjandrum's cheek, on the opposite side of
his face to that which was swollen.

"To my horror and amazement, they had no effect whatever, except
immediately to raise a terrible rash upon His Supreme Importance's
cheek, and to cause him such pain that he called out angrily that it