"
So she set her fays to work, and had built on Child Island the beautiful
palace and houses I have told you of. When all was ready, she and her
fays took the little grumblers out of their beds one fine night and
wafted them away, whilst still asleep, to Child Island, taking care, I
should tell you, to leave changelings from Fairyland in their places, so
that the parents might not be filled with grief in the morning to find
that their dear children had been stolen away.
The next morning, after the sun had dispelled the mist which always
seemed to hang about him before breakfast at Child Island, and he was
fresh and bright for the day, like little boys with clean faces ready
for school, the young strangers were all assembled on the lawn in front
of the palace, and the fairy spoke to them as follows:--
"My dear children, as you all fancy you would be happier if you were
quite free from control, and if you had nothing to do but to play, I
have brought you to this beautiful island, where you can amuse
yourselves all day long. You will have everything supplied to you, and
there will be no one to dictate to you. These pretty houses I give you
to live in. The palace is for the king and queen, and the other houses
are so precisely alike that none of you will be able to dispute as to
choice.
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