VON NIP KINS DEFEAT.

I A Fairy Tale. EY BCUDIKOT COLT. I. Onca upon a time there lived two children named Dolly and Bjb, who vrer^ simply torj mentcd from e ; ght in tho morning until two in the afternoon by a most disagreeable and exacting old German governees. Their mother and father had been obliged to go on a long journey to a distant country, and had left the dear children in the care of Fraulein von Nipkin — for so was the governess named —believing her to be both wise and kind. Dolly and Bob were always making planß, ihough they were very good children, to escaps from her rule, which was most severe and harsh. They were never allowed to sit on chairs with back 3 while studying their lessons, and were foroed to wear round their itieoks copper collars with steel spikes to make them hold up their heads. This sort of thing had been going on for I aome months, when one day the children de- | uiared it w&3 not to be endured for another j moment, bo that afternoon, the very minute I lessons v/tri over, thay rushed from the echool-room band in hand to their favorite plaoa ir. tho old garden which surrounded tho otistls, tho prettiest spot you can imag'no, at the end of the cypres3 walk, where stood the sun-dial and an old marble settle whiah iheir great - uncla the Admiral had brought from the wars in Spain yeara aad years ago. Here it was the children would esoape from old Nipkin, and 3pend the long summer afternoons with games, and stories which they would read and tell to one another. Dolly and Bob were resting on tha settle after thsir flight from the school-room, and wondering what would be the best plan to adopt to escape from their thraldom, when j suddenly, as they were looking at it, the base of tha sun-dial began to slide up like a curtain, and these stood a frog, dressed in the grandest livery imaginable, bark green smallclothes, a white satia vest shot with silver, and a p*le pink velvet coat covered with lace aud goid braid. This elegant person stood there making the fiaecst bows, and in rather a husky but polite tone said to the children, "HerMajasty ihsQieon of the Pool presents her oompliinenttj, and commands your attendance at the palacg." Djlly was rasher surprised, not to say a little afraid, at these proceedings ; but Bab, a very brava boy for hia yeare, thought the matter over for a minute or two ; then stood up, and bowing politely to the royal messenger, said, '• We are much obliged to the Q leen, and would lika to go very much, but we don't know tbe way, and are only dressed ia our aobool clothes." At this the frog replied, without opening hia month, the noise S2emiug to come from his ear 3, "Nsver miad the clothes; that will be arranged ; but curl youraelvea up on the settle wisiiout speaking, and before you can spell your uatne^ you will ba at the palace portals." As the last word died away, tha sun-dial closed to the sound of far-away music, and djwn tbe cypreßS path rolled a soft violettintad ctoud studded with stars, and surrounded the children, who by this time had tucked themselve3 up neatly oa tho old settle, and vvero waiting breathlessly the fulfilment of the frog's worda. Toe cloud whizzed faster and faster about, until it almost took their breath away, and they saw through the haza strange faces aSa forms which circled about thsir head 3. Sjddenly all this csased, and tb.6y found themselves floating along a pith of thistledown whic'i had avidantly bsan prepared for them. Njw this wa3 great fun, though it made them sneeza not a little, but I don't think they were sorr/ when the scene changed and they entered a shady lane where the sun only cwinkied through the leaves, end on the gilding ot a sutejb state coach that her Mijisty nad thou^hofully sent for them. Tbey knew it mast be for them, as there stood tne gorI gecus frog motioning them to enter, which they lost no time in doing, though it was rather a difficult matter, they were laughing bo to see the coachman, who waa nothing but a monkpy, sitting up on the box in great state, with xolJed arms holding the reins on his tail, which \va3 gracefully poised over his shoulder. j Il7Tever, ia they jumped, and fell baok laxuriously on the yellow satin cushion?. As they drova off they were rather startled i (o see theQj?en'd measenger fcpring on the cjich step, ttirast hia bewigged head through the window, and whisper, " To change the tucea, press ths knob." There were musical boxes in the hubs of j the wheels, and to listen to one; tune all the wsy to tha palace would have been rather distressing; so the children amused themselves during the drive by making the old coach play all the beautiful airs they had , ever Inard. They were now drawing near the palace — a magnificent building ot white marble, with towers and loug colonadas hung with garlands, of roae3. The children wore delighted to sac the great fountains that threw on either side of the entrance jats of eau de Cologne high ia the air —ia facli, quite over the palace — and perfumed the whole country in tbe most deJijicua manner. A teruapia with agate eyes, who wag evidently the major-domo, preceded them into the palace, and ondusvQ'i them into the Hall of Audieiioo, where was asjambled the entire court. Tja children wera rather abashed at tbe magniiiosnaa of the oostumes, and thought with shame of ih^ir own sohool attire ; bai oh 1 wonder to relate, oa looking down they found they no longer had them on, but were dressed in tha most beautiful clothes. Dolly was drejsed in white gauze bordered with silver, and with a court train of white and silver brocade. Bob wore a court suit oi sky-blue velvet, t.nd carried a gold aword with a diamond hilt at his side. Hot? thi3 bad happened they never could tell, but the frog's words, you see, had oome true, and they vero oharmed. Everyone had now taken his place, the children too, on a carvsd bench in front of the throne, and were waiting with suppressed excitement tha arrival of the Queen, who was loudly announced by the four heralds — monkoys, of course — dressed in her Majesty's private livery of fish scales, with clasps of seed-pearls at the waist. Too great folding-door 3of the superb apartment were at this moment thrown open, and with a flourish of trumpets the Qjeen, richly drsased in sea-3reen gauzj and pearls, swept in and ascended the throne. Nothing could- hava been more gracious than her Majesty's reception of the children, and they were loaded with presents. At the end of this truly delightful audience the Qaeen signified her pleasure that Dolly end ncr brother ahould ba brought to her private apartments, there to be regaled by a sumptuous repast, the like of which was never | eeen before. All the^dainties of the land, | with fruits, ices, oandies. and sweeties of every i description, were placed before them in bsI wildering profusion on golden plates enriched with J3wele. They could hardly believe their good for-tune,--and expected Fraulein von Nipkin to chropin at any moment to spoil the flavor if 1

the goodies by observing that " too mush | sweet was bad for childien"' — a sage remark, no doubt, bat it had long since lost i*"S meaning to them, and onlymade tham angry.Nipkin tisod it so often daring dinner aad in tho school-rcom. The Q leen, however, being a fairy, knew what they were thinking about, and reassured them much by saying that no mortal could reach them, and that they were perfectly safe. The dinner being over now, the Qaeen gently waved her sceptre, aad the table with all its glittering service sank noiselessly through the floor and vanished from sight. They were then asked if they oared for music, to which they both eagerly replied that they liked nothing better. " Then," aaid the Qaeen, " you shall hear my orchestra," and she despatched a page to summon the musio : ans, who proved to be nothing more nor lesa than twelve large black tomcats in tight- fitting red jerseys, with tha royal arms embroidered on their breasts. " These," said the Q leen, " are tho musicians ; the instruments will follow shortly." The oats saluted by arching their back* and wa : ving theic long tails three times iathe air; they then stood bjlt-upright on their hind-lega and waited. Almost immediately a curtain was drawn aside, and in filed the •'instruments," as the Qaeen called them; but they were nothing but crickets, weasels, guinea-pigs, geese, parrota, and a sea-lion or two. These creatures, twelve in number, took up their positions opposite the Qaeen, with a cat at the back of each. Promptly at ths word of command, cr, I should cay, the wave of the baton or royal sceptre— for her Majesty led this etrango orchestra — there arose a series of most pieroing shrieks, yells, quavers, pipes, and barte that have ever been heard, each oat pincbiDg, poking, and scratching its unfortunate victim, and producing what the Qaeen was pleased to call music. Tbey played many diSerent pieoea and, strange to say, kept excellent time, and the children fancied they detected several well-known airs with which they were familiar.