"'No, I oughtn't,' said the frog. 'It would be extremely bad for me.
Listen. Tell Albert to come down here with a sieve to-morrow morning. He
may be a bit of a fool, but, if he doesn't apply for you before lunch,
he's a congenital idiot.' And with that he took a short run and dived
into the stream.

"The princess did as she was bid, and at eleven o'clock the next morning
Albert the Watchguard appeared, complete with sieve, upon the bank of
the trout-stream. Twenty-five minutes later, with a cigarette behind his
ear and _a nugget of gold in each boot_, he made formal application for
the hand of the princess and half the kingdom--a request which was
immediately granted.

"Two days later they were married.

"What Albert the Watchguard said, on learning that his half of the
kingdom did not include the territory watered by the trout-stream, is
not recorded.

"If you remember, he was a bit of a fool."

"Good for you, old chap," said Daphne.

Jill's hand stole out of the darkness and crept into mine.

Berry turned to Adèle.

"A blinking wonder," he said, "is not he? Fancy turning out a comic
cameo like that on demand. But then for years he's been on the staff of