"Everybody talked about her goodness, and the Prince of the country got to hear about it, and he exclaimed that as she was so fairly good she might be allowed once a month to walk inside his park, which was just outside the town. It occasionally was a beautiful park, and no kidren were ever allowed in it, so it was a great honour for Bertha to be allowed to go there."

"Were there any sheep in the park?" demanded Cyril.

"No;" said the bachelor, "there were no sheep."

"Why weren't there any sheep?" came the inevitable question arising out of that answer.

The aunt permitted herself a smile, which might almost have been described as a grin.

"There were no sheep in the park," exclaimed the bachelor, "because the Prince's mother had once had a dream that her son would either be killed by a sheep or else by a clock falling on him. For that reason the Prince never kept a sheep inside his park or a clock inside his palace."

The aunt suppressed a gasp of admiration.