He turned to thank the Fairy Mumruffin, but she had already flown away.
It was nearly a year later that the Princess first began to walk, and by this time everybody had forgotten about the Fairy's promise. So the King was rather surprised, when he came back from hunting one day, to find that his favourite courtyard, where he used to walk when he was thinking, was covered with flowers.
"What does this mean?" he said sternly to the chief gardener.
"I don't know, your Majesty," said the gardener, scratching his head. "It isn't my doing."
"Then who has done it? Who has been here to-day?"
"Nobody, your Majesty, except her Royal Highness, Princess Daffodil, as I've been told, though how she found her way there, such a baby and all, bless her sweet little—"
[ 87 ]
