telling her of the fresh cypress trees around that

lake as they gaze at their dancing reflections cast upon the calm face of the water..! He was describing to her how the fish twist joyfully among the shadows of the branches flung across the surface of the waters.. She was enchanted and delighted, and forgot her grief, and said to him in wonder:

"Truly, your song was magnificent!"

The bird bowed before her with the utmost courtesy, good breed-ing, and grace. And no wonder — he is an artist!! And artists, of course, are well-mannered, and it pleases them that people should admire their skill. Then he asked her:

"Would you like me to take the place of your parrot?... I know I do not resemble his handsome, brilliant form... but on the other hand I am the possessor of a beautiful voice."

Princess September could do nothing but clap her hands with mirth and delight, and the little bird rejoiced and perched on the edge of her bed and sang to her until she drifted into a deep sleep.

And when she awoke the next day the bird greeted her with a sweet trill, and he was still standing there watching her. When break-fast time came the maids of honor brought it to her, and the bird came forward and picked up the rice from the Princess's palms and bathed in the water of her little cup, and then drank from it. The maids were disgusted at him and considered him beyond the bounds of accepted taste and manners: for one does not drink of water that is used for bathing! But Princess September is a philosopher by nature, for she counted that as what suits the temperament of an artist.

Then the bird set about letting them hear his sweet, magnificent musical art, and he amazed the maids of honor in spite of themselves and took hold of their hearts; as for the Princess, she

was proud of him and happy.. She wanted to introduce her bird to her sisters, so she took him on the forefinger of her hand, her ten maids of honor following her, and began with Princess January, then February.. down to Princess August — in accordance with correct tradition — and the bird sang each of them a new song, while their parrots could utter nothing but this sentence: "God save the King." When the King and Queen saw him they admired him, and the Queen expressed to His Majesty her weariness and boredom with the repeated sentence "God save the King"; but he answered her that the sentiment in itself pleased him, and repetition did not trouble him. It reminded him much of his ministers, who repeat the very same idea in seven different ways, just as the parrots repeat this sentence in seven languages. And at last Princess September went round all the halls of the palace with her bird, singing like a bulbul, while the little bird flew about her, trilling like the

nightingale — which was none other than himself.

As for the princesses, jealousy overran their hearts — and in truth the parrots were dull creatures — so they went to September and lined up around her in a circle, and then sat down, hiding their feet ("as is the custom followed by Siamese princesses on such occasions").. Then they told her of their deep regret at the death of her parrot, and of their resolve to buy her a yellow-and-green parrot with what they had saved of their allowances. But September rejected their offer with a coldness that was not entirely gracious of her, saying:

"I thank you for nothing. I have my bird, who sings me the sweet-est songs, and I do not know, in heaven's name, what I should do with a green-and-yellow parrot."

And Siamese princesses some-times lose patience with one another. So they said to her:

"It is nonsense, my dear, to talk

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