"It is enough to say that the King called a great assembly of people,
and before them all said that as a fitting reward he should give me the
fairest jewel in all his kingdom, and handed me the very stone which had
been cast at the Dragon, and which was valuable beyond price, being one
of the most perfect and flawless stones in the world.

"I was glad enough to have the gem, but I had fallen madly in love with
the Princess's beauty, so I made bold to remind the King that the
fairest jewel in his kingdom was not the gem he had given me, but the
Princess, his daughter.

"The answer pleased the King and the people, though I remember sometimes
sadly, even now, that the Princess's face fell as she heard the King
declare that his word should be kept, and the fairest jewel of all, even
the Princess herself, should be mine.

"But now, alas! comes the sorrowful part, for, before the ceremony of our
marriage could be completed, I was doomed by the fairies to disappear,
and so I lost for ever my beautiful bride," and Shin Shira gave a deep
sigh. "The jewel though," he added, "remained mine, and I have always
worn it in the front of my turban in honour and memory of the lovely
Princess. You may like to see it," and Shin Shira reached up to his head
for the turban in which I had noticed the jewel sparkling only a moment
before.

It was gone!

"Dear me! I'm disappearing again myself, I'm afraid," said Shin Shira,
looking down at his legs, from which the feet had already vanished.