"Anything you wish, dear."  The giant sparrow seemed pleasantly surprised that Jude remembered her, and extended a wing, folding it around the girl in a feathery hug.  "Welcome back, Princess.  I wish it could have been under more auspicious circumstances."<br/><br/>She withdrew the wing, and shook herself. "Right. You lot!" This was to a mob of smaller birds, who had been watching the scene from the nearest door. "You heard the Princess. Let's make her a short dress and a pair of leggings!"<br/><br/>Immediately there was a flurry of feathers, as every bird seemed to take off at once.  There was chaos, and a noisy din of tweets, chirps, and honks.  Birds flew up with swathes of fabric; Mrs. Periwinkle would eye each one critically, and choose one.  Then they flew back, cutting and measuring and sewing.<br/><br/>A robin and a bluebird landed on Jude's shoulders, carrying a measuring tape between them.  They stretched it, measuring her shoulders, her armspan, her height, her hips.  The bluebird fluttered up her nightgown, before being scolded fiercely by Mrs. Periwinkle.  "You naughty thing! Off with you!" she swatted the abashed avian.<br/><br/>Through it all, Robin simply smiled and shook his head, leaning against the castle wall with his arms crossed.<br/><br/>At last the birds produced a pair of purple leggings, and a bright blue dress which stretched down to Jude's knees.<br/><br/>"In here, love," said Mrs. Nightingale, ushering Jude into the room and then closing the door behind her.  "All right, all of you who aren't women turn around and cover your eyes!" she ordered.  Roughly half the birds complied, hopping around to face the opposite direction.  The giant sparrow held the dress, ready to drop it over the girl's head when she was ready.