in the air above his head; or she would go dancing backwards and
forwards and sideways, like a great butterfly. It happened several
times, when her father and mother were holding a consultation about
her in private, that they were interrupted by vainly repressed
outbursts of laughter over their heads; and looking up with
indignation, saw her floating at full length in the air above them,
whence she regarded them with the most comical appreciation of the
position.

One day an awkward accident happened. The princess had come out
upon the lawn with one of her attendants, who held her by the hand.
Spying her father at the other side of the lawn, she snatched her
hand from the maid's, and sped across to him. Now when she wanted
to run alone, her custom was to catch up a stone in each hand, so
that she might come down again after a bound. Whatever she wore as
part of her attire had no effect in this way: even gold, when it
thus became as it were a part of herself, lost all its weight for
the time. But whatever she only held in her hands retained its
downward tendency. On this occasion she could see nothing to catch
up but a huge toad, that was walking across the lawn as if he had
a hundred years to do it in. Not knowing what disgust meant, for
this was one of her peculiarities, she snatched up the toad and
bounded away. She had almost reached her father, and he was holding
out his arms to receive her, and take from her lips the kiss which
hovered on them like a butterfly on a rosebud, when a puff of wind
blew her aside into the arms of a young page, who had just been
receiving a message from his Majesty. Now it was no great
peculiarity in the princess that, once she was set agoing, it
always cost her time and trouble to check herself. On this occasion
there was no time. She must kiss-and she kissed the page. She did