By this time they were almost willing to give him the well itself if he desired it.
The three boys hastened back with the water, and the Vagabond, having passed it around to the children, dampened his brow with the remainder, and wiping it dry on his coat sleeve, waited for the boys to be seated.
A robin came from far across the field and lighted in the top of the tree under which they were seated, as if it, too, wanted to hear a part of the story. Turning his eye for a second upon the red-breasted songster, the Vagabond continued his tale.
"A little time soon passes away like the song of that robin above us; and it was not long before the Red Bird returned with a noisy flutter of its crimson wings, while the clang of deep-toned bells sounded within the cavern. As the great stone door moved slowly into place, 'Aunt Twaddles' and the children stepped from the mouth of the cave with a merry bound into the sunlight.
"Before them lay a broad, beautiful, green valley, that, at a first glance, seemed to be shut in by tall mountains on all sides; while in the centre of a blue-grass lawn rose a village of tiny play-houses, each as perfectly and as carefully built as the home of some boasted citizen of wealth and fame.
"Each house was ornamented with a vine-covered porch and green window shutters, while through the open windows and doorways floated a balmy, midsummer atmosphere, laden with mingled perfume of wild honeysuckle, orange blossoms and roses,—so charming that I, a poor vagabond, am at a loss for suitable words to describe it.
"The village itself was laid out in wide, well-paved streets with a great public square in the centre, where arose a most beautiful building of white marble, ornamented here and there with figures of doll babies carved from the solid stone.
"The streets stretched away from the public square in every direction for considerably more than a mile and so charmed and bewildered were the children by this unexpected sight that, for a long time, they stood looking at it, fairly trembling with delight.
"From the side of a cliff that formed part of a mountain near where they were standing, a great rock projected far over their heads like a rugged shelf, to which a winding staircase of pure onyx gave easy access. A golden throne stood far out on this rocky shelf from which all parts of the village, as well as of the valley, could be seen with a sweeping glance.
"Before the children had time to make any inquiry, 'Aunt Twaddles' took them by their hands and led them up this glistening stairway to the golden throne, where they stood looking about over the wonderful surroundings.