The
grown men and women being like this, there is no reason to be
further astonished that the Princess Rosamond--the name her parents
gave her because it means Rose of the World--should grow up like
them, wanting every thing she could and every thing she couldn't
have. The things she could have were a great many too many, for her
foolish parents always gave her what they could; but still there
remained a few things they couldn't give her, for they were only a
common king and queen. They could and did give her a lighted candle
when she cried for it, and managed by much care that she should not
burn her fingers or set her frock on fire; but when she cried for
the moon, that they could not give her. They did the worst thing
possible, instead, however; for they pretended to do what they could
not. They got her a thin disc of brilliantly polished silver, as
near the size of the moon as they could agree upon; and, for a time
she was delighted.
But, unfortunately, one evening she made the discovery that her moon
was a little peculiar, inasmuch as she could not shine in the dark.
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