The Counterpane Fairy [36]
soft. Now that he was awake it sounded more like the voice of the singing garden than anything else.
Suddenly a faint rosy light appeared at the foot of the bed, and standing in it was the most beautiful lady that Teddy had ever seen. She was quite tall,--as tall as his own mother, and not even the fairy Rosine, or the Bird-maiden,--no, nor the Princess Aureline herself, had been half as beautiful.
But though the lady was so lovely there was something very familiar about her face. "Why, Counterpane Fairy!" cried Teddy.
The Counterpane Fairy, for it was indeed she, did not speak, but smiling at Teddy she moved softly and smoothly, as though swept along by the music to the side of the bed, and, still smiling, she bent above the little boy.
As he looked up into the face that leaned above him, it seemed to change in some strange way, and now it was the old Italian woman who had given him the presents from her basket; a moment after it was the face of the little child who had talked with him upon the rainbow; no, it was not; it was really the Counterpane Fairy herself, and no one else.
Closer and closer she leaned above him, seeming to enfold him with faint music and light and perfume. "Good-bye," she whispered softly. "Good-bye! little boy."
"Oh, Counterpane Fairy! where are you going? Don't go away!" cried Teddy.
"I'm not going away," said the fairy. "I shall be beside you still just as often as ever, only you won't see me."
"But won't there be any more stories?" cried Teddy, in dismay.
"Sometime, perhaps," said the Counterpane Fairy, "but not now, for to-morrow you'll be out and playing with the other boys, and after that it will be your school and your games that you'll be thinking of."
"Oh, Counterpane Fairy, don't go!" cried Teddy again, reaching out his arms toward her; but they touched nothing but empty air. Waving her hand to him and still smiling, the Counterpane Fairy slowly, slowly faded away. With her too, faded the rosy light and the perfume that had filled the room; only the faint sound of music was left. Then it too died away.
Teddy sat up and looked about him. The room was very still and dim. He heard nothing but the ticking of the clock. The half-moon had sailed up above the dark tops of the pine-trees on the lawn outside, and by its light he saw the great kite that papa had made him, as it stood propped up on the mantle. The gilt star in the middle of it shone.
It was true that he was no longer a little sick child. To-morrow he would be out-of-doors again, and shouting and playing with all the other boys.
End
Suddenly a faint rosy light appeared at the foot of the bed, and standing in it was the most beautiful lady that Teddy had ever seen. She was quite tall,--as tall as his own mother, and not even the fairy Rosine, or the Bird-maiden,--no, nor the Princess Aureline herself, had been half as beautiful.
But though the lady was so lovely there was something very familiar about her face. "Why, Counterpane Fairy!" cried Teddy.
The Counterpane Fairy, for it was indeed she, did not speak, but smiling at Teddy she moved softly and smoothly, as though swept along by the music to the side of the bed, and, still smiling, she bent above the little boy.
As he looked up into the face that leaned above him, it seemed to change in some strange way, and now it was the old Italian woman who had given him the presents from her basket; a moment after it was the face of the little child who had talked with him upon the rainbow; no, it was not; it was really the Counterpane Fairy herself, and no one else.
Closer and closer she leaned above him, seeming to enfold him with faint music and light and perfume. "Good-bye," she whispered softly. "Good-bye! little boy."
"Oh, Counterpane Fairy! where are you going? Don't go away!" cried Teddy.
"I'm not going away," said the fairy. "I shall be beside you still just as often as ever, only you won't see me."
"But won't there be any more stories?" cried Teddy, in dismay.
"Sometime, perhaps," said the Counterpane Fairy, "but not now, for to-morrow you'll be out and playing with the other boys, and after that it will be your school and your games that you'll be thinking of."
"Oh, Counterpane Fairy, don't go!" cried Teddy again, reaching out his arms toward her; but they touched nothing but empty air. Waving her hand to him and still smiling, the Counterpane Fairy slowly, slowly faded away. With her too, faded the rosy light and the perfume that had filled the room; only the faint sound of music was left. Then it too died away.
Teddy sat up and looked about him. The room was very still and dim. He heard nothing but the ticking of the clock. The half-moon had sailed up above the dark tops of the pine-trees on the lawn outside, and by its light he saw the great kite that papa had made him, as it stood propped up on the mantle. The gilt star in the middle of it shone.
It was true that he was no longer a little sick child. To-morrow he would be out-of-doors again, and shouting and playing with all the other boys.
End