In less time than it takes to tell, he was back again for the third time in the golden garden, with the Counterpane Fairy standing before him, and he was ashamed to raise his eyes.
"So!" said the Counterpane Fairy."Did you know no better than to open the diamond door?""No," said Teddy, "I knew no better.""Then," said the fairy, "if you can pay no better heed to my warnings than that, the princess must wait for another hero, for you are not the one.""Let me try but once more," cried Teddy, "for this time I shall surely find her.""Then you may try once more and for the last time," said the fairy, "but beware of what is little and gray." Stooping she picked from the grass beside her a fallen acorn cup and handed it to him."Take this with you," she said, "for it may serve you well."As he took it from her, it was changed in his hand to a goblet of gold set round with precious stones.He thrust it into his bosom, for he was in haste, and turning he ran for the third time up the flight of glass steps.This time so eager was he that he never once paused to look back, but all the time he ran on up and up he was wondering what it was that she meant about her warning.She had said, "Beware of what is little and gray." What had he seen that was little and gray?
As soon as he reached the great golden hall he walked over to the curtain of spider-web.The spider was spinning so fast that it was little more than a gray streak, but presently it stopped up in the left-hand corner of the web.As the hero looked at it he saw that it was little and gray.Then it began to sing to him in its little thin voice:
"Great hero, wiser than ever before, Try the red door, try the red door.
Open the door that is ruby, and then You never need search for the princess again.""No, I will not open the ruby door," cried Teddy."Twice have you sent me back to the golden garden, and now you shall fool me no more."As he said this he saw that one corner of the spider-web curtain was still unfinished, in spite of the spider's haste, and underneath was something that looked like a little yellow door.Then suddenly he knew that that was the door he must go through.He caught hold of the curtain and pulled, but it was as strong as steel.Quick as a flash he snatched from his belt the magic sword, and with one blow the curtain was cut in two, and fell at his feet.
He heard the little gray spider calling to him in its thin voice, but he paid no heed, for he had opened the little yellow door and stooped his head and entered.
Beyond was a great courtyard all of gold, and with a fountain leaping and splashing back into a golden basin in the middle.Bet what he saw first of all was the enchanted princess, who lay stretched out as if asleep upon a couch all covered with cloth of gold.He knew she was a princess, because she was so beautiful and because she wore a golden crown.
He stood looking at her without stirring, and at last he whispered:
"Princess! Princess! I have come to save you."Still she did not stir.He bent and touched her, but she lay there in her enchanted sleep, and her eyes did not open.Then Teddy looked about him, and seeing the fountain he drew the magic cup from his bosom and, filling it, sprinkled the hands and face of the princess with the water.
Then her eyes opened and she raised herself upon her elbow and smiled.
"Have you come at last?" she cried.
"Yes," answered Teddy, "I have come."
The princess looked about her."But what became of the spider?" she said.Then Teddy, too, looked about, and there was the spider running across the floor toward where the princess lay.
Quickly he sprang from her side and set his foot upon it.There was a thin squeak and then--there was nothing left of the little gray spinner but a tiny gray smudge on the floor.
Instantly the golden castle was shaken from top to bottom, and there was a sound of many voices shouting outside.The princess rose to her feet and caught the hero by the hand."You have broken the enchantment," she cried, "and now you shall be the King of the Golden Castle and reign with me.""Oh, but I can't," said Teddy, "because--because---"But the princess drew him out with her through the hall, and there they were at the head of the flight of glass steps.A great host of soldiers and courtiers were running up it.They were dressed in cloth of gold, and they shouted at the sight of Teddy: "Hail to the hero! Hail to the hero!" and Teddy knew them by their voices for the golden birds that had fluttered around him in the garden below.
"And all this is yours," said the beautiful princess, turning toward him with---********"So that is the story of the yellow square," said the Counterpane Fairy.
Teddy looked about him.The golden castle was gone, and the stairs, and the shouting courtiers.He was lying in bed with the silk coverlet over his little knees and Hannah was still singing in the kitchen below.
"Did you like it?" asked the fairy.
Teddy heaved a deep sigh."Oh! Wasn't it beautiful?" he said.Then he lay for a while thinking and smiling."Wasn't the princess lovely?" he whispered half to himself.
The Counterpane Fairy got up slowly and stiffly, and picked up the staff that she had laid down beside her."Well, I must be journeying on," she said.
"Oh, no, no!" cried Teddy."Please don't go yet.""Yes, I must," said the Counterpane Fairy."I hear your mother coming.""But will you come back again?" cried Teddy.
The Counterpane Fairy made no answer.She was walking down the other side of the bedquilt hill, and Teddy heard her voice, little and thin, dying away in the distance: "Oh dear, dear, dear! What a hill to go down! What a hill it is! Oh dear, dear, dear!"Then the door opened and his mother came in.She was looking rested, and she smiled at him lovingly, but the little brown Counterpane Fairy was gone.
