"Keeping the children light-hearted, Papa."

"Where is the magic fish-bone, Alicia?"

"In my pocket, Papa."

"I thought you had lost it?"

"O no, Papa."

"Or forgotten it?"

"No, indeed, Papa."

The King then sighed so heavily, and seemed
so low-spirited, and sat down so miserably, leaning
his head upon his hand, and his elbow upon
the kitchen table pushed away in the corner,
that the seventeen Princes and Princesses crept
softly out of the kitchen, and left him alone
with the Princess Alicia and the angelic baby.

"What is the matter, Papa?"

"I am dreadfully poor, my child."

"Have you no money at all, Papa?"

"None my child."

"Is there no way left of getting any, Papa?"

"No way," said the King. "I have tried very
hard, and I have tried all ways."

When she heard those last words, the Princess
Alicia began to put her hand into the pocket
where she kept the magic fish-bone.

"Papa," said she, "when we have tried very
hard, and tried all ways, we must have done our
very very best?"

"No doubt, Alicia."

"When we have done our very very best,
Papa, and that is not enough, then I think the
right time must have come for asking help of
others." This was the very secret connected
with the magic fish-bone, which she had found
out for herself from the good fairy Grandmarina's
words, and which she had so often whispered
to her beautiful and fashionable friend the
Duchess.

So she took out of her pocket the magic fishbone
that had been dried and rubbed and polished
till it shone like mother-of-pearl, and she gave it
one little kiss and wished it was quarter day. And
immediately it was Quarter Day, and the King's
quarter's salary came rattling down the chimney,
and bounced into the middle of the floor.

But this was not half of what happened, no
not a quarter, for immediately afterwards the
good fairy Grandmarina came riding in, in a
carriage and four (Peacocks), with Mr. Pickles's
boy up behind, dressed in silver and gold, with a
cocked hat, powdered hair, pink silk stockings,
a jewelled cane, and a nosegay. Down jumped
Mr. Pickles's boy with his cocked hat in his
hand and wonderfully polite (being entirely
changed by enchantment), and handed
Grandmarina out, and there she stood in her rich shot
silk smelling of dried lavender, fanning herself
with a sparkling fan.

"Alicia, my dear," said this charming old
Fairy, "how do you do, I hope I see you pretty
well, give me a kiss."

The Princess Alicia embraced her, and then
Grandmarina turned to the King, and said rather
sharply:—"Are you good?"

The King said he hoped so.

"I suppose you know the reason, now, why
my god-Daughter here," kissing the Princess
again, "did not apply to the fish-bone sooner?"
said the Fairy.

The King made her a shy bow.

"Ah! But you didn't then!" said the Fairy.

The King made her a shyer bow.

"Any more reasons to ask for?" said the
Fairy.

The King said no, and he was very sorry.

"Be good then," said the Fairy, "and live
happy ever afterwards."

Then, Grandmarina waved her fan, and the
Queen came in most splendidly dressed, and the
seventeen young Princes and Princesses, no
longer grown out of their clothes, came in newly
fitted out from top to toe, with tucks in everything
to admit of its being let out. After that,
the Fairy tapped the Princess Alicia with her
fan, and the smothering coarse apron flew away,
and she appeared exquisitely dressed, like a
little Bride, with a wreath of orange-flowers and
a silver veil. After that, the kitchen dresser
changed of itself into a wardrobe, made of
beautiful woods and gold and looking-glass,
which was full of dresses of all sorts, all for
her and all exactly fitting her. After that,
the angelic baby came in, running alone, with
his face and eye not a bit the worse but much
the better. Then, Grandmarina begged to
be introduced to the Duchess, and when the
Duchess was brought down many compliments
passed between them.

A little whispering took place between the
Fairy and the Duchess, and then the Fairy
said out loud, "Yes. I thought she would
have told you." Grandmarina then turned to
the King and Queen, and said, "We are going
in search of Prince Certainpersonio. The
pleasure of your company is requested at
church in half an hour precisely." So she and
the Princess Alicia got into the carriage, and
Mr. Pickles's boy handed in the Duchess who
sat by herself on the opposite seat, and then
Mr. Pickles's boy put up the steps and got
up behind, and the Peacocks flew away with
their tails spread.

Prince Certainpersonio was sitting by
himself, eating barley-sugar and waiting to be
ninety. When he saw the Peacocks followed
by the carriage, coming in at the window, it
immediately occurred to him that something
uncommon was going to happen.

"Prince," said Grandmarina, "I bring you
your Bride."

The moment the Fairy said those words,
Prince Certainpersonio's face left off being
stickey, and his jacket and corduroys changed
to peach-bloom velvet, and his hair curled, and
a cap and feather flew in like a bird and settled
on his head. He got into the carriage by the
Fairy's invitation, and there he renewed his
acquaintance with the Duchess whom he had seen
before.

In the church were the Prince's relations
and friends, and the Princess Alicia's relations
and friends, and the seventeen Princes and
Princesses, and the baby, and a crowd of the
neighbours. The marriage was beautiful beyond
expression. The Duchess was bridesmaid, and
beheld the ceremony from the pulpit where she
was supported by the cushion of the desk.