The Counterpane Fairy Part 5

"Are you Silverling?" cried Teddy, breathlessly.

"Yes," said the little boy.

"Then come! come quick!" cried Teddy. "Starlein is just around the corner, and she is waiting for you to come and show us the way into the garden where the singing fountain is."

He caught Silverling by the hand and without another word they ran as fast as they could up the hall and around the corner, through the silvery archway, and into the other hall. There Teddy stopped short, looking blankly about him. Starlein was gone.

Silverling shook his head sadly. "I know how it would be," he said.

"I've been hunting for her ever since we quarrelled, but I can't find her, and I can't find the way into the garden of the singing fountain either."

"What did you quarrel about?" asked Teddy.

"We quarrelled about this," said the little boy, touching a slender golden chain that hung around his neck. "We found it in the garden and we quarrelled about who should wear it, but I'd be so glad to give it to Starlein now if she would only come back again."

"Well, wait!" said Teddy. "She can't be far away and I'll go and find her."

"No, no!" cried Silverling. "You can't find her, and I'll lose you too.

Stay here awhile, little boy, and play with me, for I'm very lonely.

Look! Let's play with my silver ball," and taking it from his pocket he tossed it to Teddy. Teddy caught it and threw it back to him, and so they played together in the marble hall, tossing the silver ball and shouting with laughter.

At last Silverling missed the ball, and as it rolled on down the hall he ran after it, stooping and trying to catch it, but always just missing.

Teddy shouted and clapped his hands, jumping up and down with his bare feet, and then he stood still watching Silverling as he ran far, far down the hall.

As he stood thus, suddenly he heard from just around the corner the cooing of Starlein's doves.

He did not stop a moment, but turning ran around into the next hall, and there sure enough was Starlein with her doves about her.

"Oh, little boy!" she cried, "I was afraid I had lost you."

But Teddy caught her by the hand. "Come quick!" he cried, "I have found Silverling."

They ran together into the hall where a moment ago Silverling had been playing with the silver ball, but it was vacant now; Silverling was gone.

"Well, I never!" said Teddy. Then he turned to Starlein. "Starlein, you shouldn't have gone away when I told you not to."

"I didn't," said Starlein. "I stayed right there."

Teddy thought awhile. "Then it must have been the wrong hall," he said.

"But never mind! I'll find him again, and this time I'll surely bring him to you; only wait here no matter how long it is."

"Stop! oh, stop!" cried Starlein. She caught one of her doves in her hands and held it out to Teddy. "Here, little boy," she said; "take this with you, and if you can't find me again, give it to Silverling and tell him he is to keep it for his very own."

"Yes, I will," said Teddy, and he took the dove and put it in the bosom of his tunic, and it nestled there all warm and soft and still.

Then he turned and walked quietly down the hall and into another. He went on and on, but he did not run and jump now, for he was thinking.

After a while, when he turned into another hall he once more saw Silverling at play with his silver ball.

"Did you find her?" cried Silverling, eagerly.

"Yes," said Teddy, "I found her, and she sent you a dove for your very own; but, Silverling, I think this. I think the only way for us ever to find her together is for us to set the dove free, and to follow it when it flies back to her."

"But we couldn't follow it," said Silverling. "It would fly so fast that it would be out of sight in a minute."

"I know," said Teddy, "but we could tie something to it."

"What could we fasten to it?" asked Silverling.

The two little boys stood looking about them and wondering what they could use. Suddenly Teddy clapped his hands so the dove in his tunic started. "We'll fasten the end of your golden chain to it," he cried.

No sooner said than done. In a moment Silverling had taken the chain from his neck and unfastened the ends. It was so long that it had been twisted several times around his neck. Very gently they took the dove and fastened the chain to its leg, and then they let it go.

It fluttered up over their heads and circled about them once or twice, and then it flew on down the hall with the little boys following it.

They turned many a corner and went through many a door, and at last they came into a hall and there--there was Starlein waiting for them with her doves about her.

"Oh, Starlein!" cried Silverling.

"Oh, Silverling!" cried Starlein.

They ran to each other and threw their arms about each other's necks and kissed, while the white doves flew circling about them. Then they told each other how sorry they were that they had quarrelled, and that they would never do it any more, and then they kissed again.

"And you may have the golden chain, Starlein," said Silverling.

"No, no! you must keep it," said Starlein.

"Oh, I know what we'll do!" cried Silverling; "we'll give it to this little boy, because if it hadn't been for him we wouldn't have found each other."

"Oh, yes!" said Starlein.

But Teddy held up his hand--"Hush!" he whispered; "don't you hear it?"

Then they all listened, and sweeter and clearer than ever before they heard the voice of the singing fountain in the beautiful garden.

"It is the fountain!" cried Starlein and Silverling, half fearfully.

They each caught Teddy by the hand, and all ran down the hall together, and the very first corner that they turned they found themselves at the door of the garden.

The wind was blowing the lilies, the fruit on the wonderful trees shone and glistened in the sunlight, and the fountain--ah! the fountain was no longer singing, for the music-box in the nursery had run down.

Teddy looked about him. Instead of the garden there was the flowery India-room. The clock ticked, the fire crackled;--he was back in bed once more, and he heard mamma speaking to Hannah in the hall outside, so he knew she was home again.

"And that is the end of that story," said the Fairy of the Counterpane.

CHAPTER FOURTH. THE MAGIC CIRCUS.

TEDDY was still in bed, though the doctor had said that very soon he might have the big chair wheeled up to the window and sit there awhile.