God made the frog jump; but the frog prefers jumping.

But when these things are settled there enters the second great principle of the fairy philosophy.
Any one can see it who will simply read "Grimm's Fairy Tales" or the fine collections of Mr.Andrew Lang.

For the pleasure of pedantry I will call it the Doctrine of Conditional Joy.

Touchstone talked of much virtue in an "if"; according to elfin ethics all virtue is in an "if." The note of the fairy utterance always is, "You may live in a palace of gold and sapphire, _if_ you do not say the word 'cow'"; or "You may live happily with the King's daughter, _if_ you do not show her an onion." The vision always hangs upon a veto.

All the dizzy and colossal things conceded depend upon one small thing withheld.