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The Hair Tree
113

Then the sailor told how the Queen had been rude to a bird, who had in return destroyed her hair.

“I know; that was me,” said the bird, with a chuckle. “Give me some more nuts.”

Rupert again handed the bird the nuts, and then went on relating how the Queen had had a strange dream of a wonderful Hair Tree, and how the King had offered a reward to any one who could find it; so he was going to look for it.

“You will search a long time for the Hair Tree, I expect,” said the bird, still munching. “If the Queen waits for her hair till it is found, she will have to do without it nearly all her life. I suppose she’ll wish now that she had been civil.” But as he finished speaking, the bird’s glance fell on the golden nuts lying on the seat, and with a shrill cry he flew at them; but Rupert had seized them first and held them firmly out of his reach.

“What are these?” gasped the bird. “Where did you get them? Tell me at once.”

“They came,” said Rupert, still holding the bag tightly, “from the single pod of a tree that has no leaves, and whose branches look like brass, and

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