The Little Colonel's Hero Part 19

We come, we come at thy call, On rainbow bubbles we float.

We fairies, one and all, Have answered the wind flute's note.

The south wind's silver flute, From the far-off summer land, It bade us hasten here, To lend a helping hand.

It bade us hasten, hasten here, To lend a helping hand.

2. To the aid of the gallant knight, To the help of the princess fair, To the rescue of the prince, We come to the Ogre's lair.

To the rescue of the prince, We come to the Ogre's lair.

3. And now, at thy behest, We pause in our bright array, To end thy weary quest, For love has found a way. To end thy weary, weary quest, For love has found a way.]

[_t.i.tania coming forward, waves Her star-tipped wand, and looks up toward Princess at the window._

_t.i.tania._ Princess Winsome, When thy good G.o.dmother Bade thee spin Love's thread, It was with this promise, These the words she said:

All the world helps gladly Those who help themselves.

The thread thou spinnest bravely, Shall be woven by elves.

And now, O Princess Winsome, How much hast thou spun, As thy wheel, a-whirling, Turned from sun to sun?

_Princess._ This, O Queen t.i.tania. [_Holding up mammoth ball._ To the humming wheel's refrain, I sang, and spun the measure Of one great golden skein.

And winding, winding, winding, At last I wound it all, Until the thread all golden Made a mammoth wonder-ball.

_t.i.tania._ Here below thy cas.e.m.e.nt Thy true knight waiting stands.

Drop the ball thou holdest Into his faithful hands.

[_Princess drops the ball, Knight catches it, and as t.i.tania waves her wand, he starts along the line of Fairies. They each take hold as the Witch and Ogre come darting in, she brandis.h.i.+ng her broomstick, he his bludgeon. They come through gate of the Orchard in the background. As the ball unwinds, the Fairies march around them, tangling them in the yards and yards of narrow yellow ribbon, singing as they go.

Fairy Chorus._ We come, we come at thy call, On rainbow bubbles we float.

We fairies, one and all, Have answered the Wind-flute's note.

To the aid of the gallant Knight, To the help of the Princess fair, To the rescue of the Prince, We come to the Ogre's lair.

We come, we come at thy call, The Witch and Ogre to quell, And now they both must bow To the might of the fairies' spell.

Love's Golden Thread can bind The strongest Ogre's arm, And the spell of the blackest Witch Must yield to its mighty charm.

[_Ogre and Witch stand bound and helpless, tangled in golden cord.

They glower around with frightful grimaces. King and Queen enter unnoticed from side. Knight draws his sword, and brandis.h.i.+ng it before Ogre, cries out fiercely._

_Knight._ The key! The key that opens yonder tower!

Now give it me, or by my troth Your head shall from your shoulders fly!

To stab you through I'm nothing loath!

[_Ogre gives Knight the key. He rushes to the door, unlocks it, and Princess and dog burst out. Queen rushes forward and embraces her, then the King, and Knight kneels and kisses her hand. Princess turns to t.i.tania._

_Princess._ Oh, happy day that sets me free From yon dread Ogre's prison!

Oh, happy world, since 'tis for me Such rescuers have 'risen.

But see, your Majesty! the plight Of Hero--he the Prince, my brother!

Wilt thou _his_ wrong not set aright?

Another favour grant! One other!

[_t.i.tania waves wand toward Knight who springs at Witch with drawn sword._

_Knight._ The spell! The spell that breaks the power That holds Prince Hero in its thrall!

Now give it me, or in this hour Thy head shall from its shoulders fall!

_Witch._ Pluck with your thumbs Seven silver plums [_Speaking in high, cracked voice._ From my golden apple-tree!

These the dog must eat.

The change will be complete, And a prince once more the dog will be!

[_Princess darts back into Orchard, followed by dog, who crouches behind hedge, and is seen no more. She picks plums, and, stooping, gives them to him, under cover of the hedge. The real Prince Hero leaps up from the place where he has been lying, waiting, and hand in hand they run back to the centre of the stage, where the Prince receives the embraces of King and Queen. Prince then turns to Knight._

_Prince Hero._ Hail, Feal the Faithful!

My grat.i.tude I cannot tell, That thou at last hath freed me From the Witch's fearful spell.

But wheresoe'er thou goest, Thou faithful knight and true, The favours of my kingdom Shall all be showered on you. [_Turns to t.i.tania._ Hail, starry-winged t.i.tania!

And ye fairies, rainbow-hued!

I have not words sufficient To tell my grat.i.tude, But if the loyal service Of a mortal ye should need, Prince Hero lives to serve you, No matter what the deed!

[_Characters now group themselves in tableau. Queen and Prince on one side, G.o.dmother and t.i.tania on the other. King in centre, with Princess on one hand, Knight on other. He places her hand in the Knight's, who kneels to receive it. Ogre and Witch, still making horrible faces, are slightly in background, bound. Fairies form an outer semicircle._

_King._ And now, brave Knight, requited stand!

Here is the Princess Winsome's hand.

To-morrow thou shalt wedded be, And half my kingdom is for thee!

_Fairy Chorus._ Love's golden cord has bound The strongest Ogre's arm, And the spell of the blackest Witch Has yielded to its charm.

The Princess Winsome plights Her troth to the Knight to-day, So fairies, one and all, We need no longer stay.

The golden thread is spun, The Knight has won his bride, And now our task is done, We may no longer bide.

On rainbow bubbles bright, We fairies float away.

_The wrong is now set right And Love has found the way!_

[_Curtain._

As Betty finished reading, there was a babel of voices and a clapping of hands that made her face grow redder and redder. They were all trying to congratulate her at once, and she was so confused that she wished she could run away and hide. But the applause was very sweet to shy little Betty. She felt that she had done her best, and that not only her G.o.dmother was proud of her, but Keith, and Keith's beautiful mother, who bent from her queenly height to kiss Betty's flushed cheek, and whisper a word of praise that made her glow for weeks afterward, whenever she thought of it.

"'And he kissed me once on my soft pink cheek, And once in my heart of gold,'"

hummed Keith. "Say, Betty, that's mighty pretty. How did you ever think of it?"

Before she could answer, one of the maids came out with a tray of sherbet and cake, and the boys sprang up to help serve the girls.

"I know some of my part already," said Kitty, stirring her sherbet suggestively, and repeating in a sepulchral tone:

"'I'll stir This hank of hair, this patch of fur, This feather and this flapping fin, This claw, this bone, this dried snake skin.'"

"Oh, Kitty, for mercy's sake _hus.h.!.+_" said Allison; "you make my blood run cold."

"But I must, if we've only a week to get ready in. I expect to say it day and night. It's better to do that than to take more than a week, and give up the camping party, isn't it?"

"It's going to be a howling success," prophesied Malcolm. "When mamma and auntie and Aunt Mary go into a scheme the way they are doing now, costumes and drills, and all sorts of impossible things don't count at all. We'll be ready in plenty of time."