use of knowing a secret if you did not surprise others by showing how much you know. 

 Back he ran, but the fairies and their Queen put their fingers in their ears and ran away, so they could not hear. The telltale Goblin, however, was bound to tell, and he ran until he was near enough to shout: "She has married a River God and she left her wand in the dell; they gave me this silver cap not to tell." 

 When the Queen and the fairies heard this they stopped and the Goblin thought they wished to hear more, so he went to them and said he would help them hunt for the wand, if they would come to the dell. 

 The Queen put her finger on her lips to warn the fairies not to speak, and back they went to the dell, following the Goblin, who was hopping and jumping along before them. 

 "Here it is," he said, stooping to pick up a little gold wand. 

 "Hold!" cried the Queen; "do not touch it. I will pick it up, and now that you have told us the secret you shall have your reward." 

 The Goblin hopped with delight, for he was sure the Queen would touch him with the wand and he would have a new red coat at once. 

 "You shall wear the silver cap the rest of your life," she said, and before the Goblin could jump away the Queen tapped him on the head, and in place of the tell-tale Goblin there stood a silver thistle, all prickly and shining among the leaves and bushes. 

 "Your sister has left us, and we must forget her," said the Queen as the fairies followed her home.  "Let her be forgotten by you all; her wand shall be saved for a more worthy sister." 

 The Little Fairy never regretted marrying her River God, for she lived happy ever after, and sometimes when they come up from the river bottom to sit in the moonlight she will say to the River God: "What do you suppose became of the Goblin? Do you think he ever told the Queen?" 

 "Of course he did," replied the River God.  "He ran as fast as he could to the Queen, but the silver cap was so uncomfortable for him to wear that I am sure he has discarded it long before this. So he gained nothing for playing the spy." 

 "Perhaps his conscience pricked him and he is sorry," said the Little Fairy. 

 The Little Fairy was right. The Goblin was sorry when it 

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