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We found mother’s Christmas-tree garden. We found Rosalee and young Derry Willard standing right in the middle of it. It was all caves and castles! It was like a whole magic little city all made out of white plumes! The sun came out and shone on it! Blue sky opened overhead! Everything crackled! It was more beautiful even than the Christmas tree in the parlor.

They didn’t hear us.

Rosalee gave a funny little cry. It was like a sob. Only happy.

“I love Christmas!” she said.

“I love you!” said Derry Willard.

He snatched her in his arms and kissed her.

A great pine-tree shivered all its snow down on them like a veil.

We heard them laugh.

We ran back to the house. We ran just as fast as we could. It almost burst our lungs. We ran into the parlor. I didn’t tell. Carol couldn’t tell.

My father and young Derry Willard’s father were talking and talking behind great clouds of smoke. The Yule log was blazing and sputtering all sorts of fireworks and colors. Only mother was watching it. She was paring apples as she watched. A little smile was in her eyes.

“What a wonderful–wonderful day to have it happen!” she said.

I couldn’t stand it any longer. I ran upstairs and got my best story-book. I brought it down and opened it at the picture of the Fairy Prince. I laid it open like that in Mr. Willard’s lap. I pointed at the picture.

“There!” I said.

Derry Willard’s father put on his glasses and looked at the picture.

“Well, upon my soul,” he said, “where did you get that?”

“It’s my book,” I said. “It’s always been my book.”

My father looked at the picture.

“Why, of all things,” he said.

“Why, it looks exactly like Derry!” said my mother.

“It is Derry!” said Derry’s father. “But don’t ever let Derry know that you know that it is! It seems to tease him a little. It seems to tease him a very great deal in fact. Being all rigged out like that. The illustrator is a friend of mine. He spent the Winter in Cuba three or four years ago. And he painted the picture there.”

I looked at Carol. Carol looked at me. It was an absolutely perfect Christmas! If this were true, then everything beautiful that there was in the world was true, too! Carol nudged me to speak.

“Then Derry really is a Fairy Prince?” I said.

Father started to speak.

Mother stopped him.

“Yes! Rosalee’s Fairy Prince!” she said.