The Counterpane Fairy [25]
the mountain road again they turned and looked back toward the castle.
A warm south wind was blowing, and the aurora borealis had faded away. Already the castle was beginning to melt; the spires and turrets were softening and dripping down. There was a warm red light over everything, like the light of the rising sun.
"And now," cried the dwarfs, "will your Majesty come up to your own royal castle?"
"Yes," answered Teddy, "I will come."
* * * * * * *
"Quick! quick!" cried the Counterpane Fairy. "It's time to come back."
Teddy was at home once more. There was the flowered furniture, and the fire burning red upon the hearth. "Tick-tock! tick-tock! tick-tock!" said the clock.
"I must go," cried the fairy, hastily, "for I heard your little cousin opening and shutting the side door."
"Oh, wait!" cried Teddy. "Won't you wait and let her see you too?" But the fairy was already disappearing behind the counterpane hill. All he could see was the top of her pointed hood. Then that too disappeared. The door was thrown open and Harriett came running in bringing a breath of fresh out-of-doors air with her. Her cheeks were red, and she looked very pretty in her embroidered apron and pink ribbons.
CHAPTER SEVENTH.
THE RAINBOW CHILDREN.
IT was Sunday afternoon, and everything was very still.
Teddy had been allowed to sit up that morning for the first time since he had been ill. He had put on the little blue dressing-gown that mamma had made for him, and she was so funny about getting him into it, and wheeling the chair over to the window, that Teddy had laughed and laughed.
After that he sat at the window looking out and watching the chickens in the yard below, and the people going along the street.
Teddy's mamma was going to church, but his father stayed home with the little boy, and told him stories, and drew pictures with a blue pencil on a writing-pad; pictures of "David Killing Goliath," and of "Daniel in the Lions' Den."
Then he drew a picture of the house in the real country where he and mamma and Teddy were going to live some time--a house with a barn, and horses, and cows, and pigs, and a pony that Teddy could ride when he came in to town to school.
The morning flew by so quickly that the little boy was surprised when mamma came back from church, and said it was almost time for luncheon.
She looked at the pictures that papa had drawn, and smiled when Teddy told her about them; but very soon she began to talk seriously with papa. She told him she had stopped in at Mrs. McFinney's on her way home, and that she had been wondering whether something couldn't be done for little Ellen McFinney's lameness. She felt so sorry for her.
Papa said the child ought to be sent to a hospital, and he thought that if that were done she could be cured. Mamma said that she thought so too; but that someone had been talking to little Ellen, and frightened her so that she cried whenever the hospital was talked of, and her mother would not send her unless she felt willing to go.
Then mamma spoke of how lonely it must be for the little girl there in the house by herself all the day, while her mother was out at work, with so little to amuse her.
"Mamma," said Teddy, "why can't little Ellen have some of my books to amuse her--some I had when I was sick? Because, you know, I'm well now, and don't need them any more."
"That's a very good idea," said mamma, looking pleased. "You may choose the ones you will give her, and perhaps papa will leave them with her when he goes out for a walk this afternoon."
"Well," cried Teddy, eagerly, "I think I'll give her the Ali Baba book and Robinson Crusoe, and I think, maybe, I'll give her Little Golden Locks too."
Mamma brought the books, and they tied them up in a neat package, and just as they finished there was a little rattle of china outside the door, and in came Hannah with Teddy's luncheon, and a great yellow orange that Aunt Pauline had sent him.
After luncheon mamma made Teddy lie down for a while to rest.
A warm south wind was blowing, and the aurora borealis had faded away. Already the castle was beginning to melt; the spires and turrets were softening and dripping down. There was a warm red light over everything, like the light of the rising sun.
"And now," cried the dwarfs, "will your Majesty come up to your own royal castle?"
"Yes," answered Teddy, "I will come."
* * * * * * *
"Quick! quick!" cried the Counterpane Fairy. "It's time to come back."
Teddy was at home once more. There was the flowered furniture, and the fire burning red upon the hearth. "Tick-tock! tick-tock! tick-tock!" said the clock.
"I must go," cried the fairy, hastily, "for I heard your little cousin opening and shutting the side door."
"Oh, wait!" cried Teddy. "Won't you wait and let her see you too?" But the fairy was already disappearing behind the counterpane hill. All he could see was the top of her pointed hood. Then that too disappeared. The door was thrown open and Harriett came running in bringing a breath of fresh out-of-doors air with her. Her cheeks were red, and she looked very pretty in her embroidered apron and pink ribbons.
CHAPTER SEVENTH.
THE RAINBOW CHILDREN.
IT was Sunday afternoon, and everything was very still.
Teddy had been allowed to sit up that morning for the first time since he had been ill. He had put on the little blue dressing-gown that mamma had made for him, and she was so funny about getting him into it, and wheeling the chair over to the window, that Teddy had laughed and laughed.
After that he sat at the window looking out and watching the chickens in the yard below, and the people going along the street.
Teddy's mamma was going to church, but his father stayed home with the little boy, and told him stories, and drew pictures with a blue pencil on a writing-pad; pictures of "David Killing Goliath," and of "Daniel in the Lions' Den."
Then he drew a picture of the house in the real country where he and mamma and Teddy were going to live some time--a house with a barn, and horses, and cows, and pigs, and a pony that Teddy could ride when he came in to town to school.
The morning flew by so quickly that the little boy was surprised when mamma came back from church, and said it was almost time for luncheon.
She looked at the pictures that papa had drawn, and smiled when Teddy told her about them; but very soon she began to talk seriously with papa. She told him she had stopped in at Mrs. McFinney's on her way home, and that she had been wondering whether something couldn't be done for little Ellen McFinney's lameness. She felt so sorry for her.
Papa said the child ought to be sent to a hospital, and he thought that if that were done she could be cured. Mamma said that she thought so too; but that someone had been talking to little Ellen, and frightened her so that she cried whenever the hospital was talked of, and her mother would not send her unless she felt willing to go.
Then mamma spoke of how lonely it must be for the little girl there in the house by herself all the day, while her mother was out at work, with so little to amuse her.
"Mamma," said Teddy, "why can't little Ellen have some of my books to amuse her--some I had when I was sick? Because, you know, I'm well now, and don't need them any more."
"That's a very good idea," said mamma, looking pleased. "You may choose the ones you will give her, and perhaps papa will leave them with her when he goes out for a walk this afternoon."
"Well," cried Teddy, eagerly, "I think I'll give her the Ali Baba book and Robinson Crusoe, and I think, maybe, I'll give her Little Golden Locks too."
Mamma brought the books, and they tied them up in a neat package, and just as they finished there was a little rattle of china outside the door, and in came Hannah with Teddy's luncheon, and a great yellow orange that Aunt Pauline had sent him.
After luncheon mamma made Teddy lie down for a while to rest.