Lulu bowed low before the King, and presented to him the White Cricket; which at once took its place under the shadow of the King. In a moment it had found a floating film of gossamer, the web of the Fairy spiders, and the King inclined his ear as he heard a voice far off chirping.
"That," said the King, "is the telephone to Fairy-land. And now a royal wish of our own: May the Fairies help a Monarch who wishes always to be wise and good. Zulena! Zulena!"
And lo! as they all gazed at the spot where he stood, to their great surprise they saw standing there, smiling and bowing and looking very sweet, no less a person than Zulena, the good Queen of the Fairies.
Kneeling to her, before them all, the King kissed her hand. The face of the Queen was now very glad and happy.
"Now," said the King, rising and again looking very handsome, and very stern as well as very kind at the same time, "we, the good Queen Zulena and I, shall rule this country together from our joint throne. We shall ever defend the secret of the Fairy Valley where lies the Mother of Gold. From this time on it shall be our greatest task to spread abroad content and happiness for all."
"My lord speaks well and wisely," said the sweet voice of the Fairy Queen, "and that all may know our wishes to be the same, I shall grant to each of our subjects here present, before the Royal Wedding March begins, one wish each, for that which is best for the one wishing it."
The Court Detective, the Court Physician, and the Court Lawyer each wished for greater wisdom; and this the Royal Couple said was a very desirable wish, and should be granted. The Private Secretary asked that he might be continued all his life in the service of the King; and this was granted him, for a better Private Secretary was never known. The Prince Zuzu, and the Princess Lulu--for so they might as well be called at this time--each wished that all their friends might be happy and contented, that the King and Queen might live and reign for ever and keep Fairy-land a place whence good children may have good gifts sent to them.
The Widow Pickle made a wish which after all was, under the circ.u.mstances, perhaps quite as practical as any. "This looks like a wedding," said she, "and I have not a thing in the world fit to wear.
Dear me, I wish I was back in the city for just a day or so to do some shopping."
Now, as they all finished their wishes, they looked about them upon a strange and wondrous scene. The sun was just sinking and all the earth seemed as though flooded with gold. The King and Queen stood hand in hand upon the steps of the throne; and near by, grown very large, was the Enchanted Banjo, swung high between two tall trees. Birds came and perched upon the strings of the Enchanted Banjo, and the wind blew leaves across the strings; and as they looked at these things the Enchanted Banjo began to play.
BALLAD OF THE GOOD CHILD
When little children have been good-- As all good little children should-- It"s very strange, but very true, That then the sky is bright and blue Until the sun sinks in the west And then the stars all look their best And something whispers far away: "You have been very good to-day."
The bees that hurry home for night; The little chickens, plump and white; The katydids--they shout the word Until on every side "tis heard; The crickets hidden in the gra.s.s Chirp merrily to all who pa.s.s: "That child, in study, work and play, Was very, very good to-day!"
And when your little prayer is said And you have snuggled in your bed And when your eyelids slowly close-- Why, then, oh, what do you suppose?
The bed, the chair, your clothes, the wall, The turned-down light--they one and all Seem glad, and speak of you and say: "You have been very good to-day."
Perhaps it was the wish of their mother which brought it all about; and whatever might have been their own preference in the case, of course the wish of the Widow Pickle had to be granted, just the same as all the others. However that may have been, the facts are very plain: when Zuzu and Lulu awoke to a sense of their surroundings they were back in their own little beds, in their own little room at home, and around them there was no court of Fairy-land, nor any strange forest of the distant island in the sea. They rubbed their eyes, and stared about them for a time.
"Did you have a funny dream?" asked Zuzu.
"Yes, did you?" said Lulu. "I thought I heard music."
"Let"s talk about it," said Zuzu.
"Very well," said Lulu, "suppose we do, for certainly it was a very beautiful dream."