On one night with those glittering stars, when the moonlight was falling tinkly on the roses of the garden, the girl saw her first guest outside her window.
He spent the day acquainting himself with every glinting angle and glowing curl then passed the evening gazing at his reflection by moonlight and sleeping with his fingers grazing the water.
There was the far-off yelping of possum dogs in the dark swamp under cool autumn moons and the smell of eggnog bowls, wreathed with holly at Christmas time and smiles on black and white faces.
The Princess waited all week for Sunday to come, when she could wear her sky-blue dress, or the one that shimmered like moonlight and remember how it felt to be a princess again.