The Widow Pickle made a wish which after all was, under the circumstances, perhaps quite as practical as any. "This looks like a wedding," said she, "and I have not a thing in the world fit to wear. Dear me, I wish I was back in the city for just a day or so to do some shopping."
Now, as they all finished their wishes, they looked about them upon a strange and wondrous scene. The sun was just sinking and all the earth seemed as though flooded with gold. The King and Queen stood hand in hand upon the steps of the throne; and near by, grown very large, was the Enchanted Banjo, swung high between two tall trees. Birds came and perched upon the strings of the Enchanted Banjo, and the wind blew leaves across the strings; and as they looked at these things the Enchanted Banjo began to play.
BALLAD OF THE GOOD CHILD
When little children have been good—
As all good little children should—
It's very strange, but very true,
That then the sky is bright and blue
Until the sun sinks in the west
And then the stars all look their best
And something whispers far away:
"You have been very good to-day."
The bees that hurry home for night;
The little chickens, plump and white;
The katydids—they shout the word
Until on every side 'tis heard;
The crickets hidden in the grass
Chirp merrily to all who pass:
"That child, in study, work and play,
Was very, very good to-day!"
And when your little prayer is said
And you have snuggled in your bed
And when your eyelids slowly close—
Why, then, oh, what do you suppose?
The bed, the chair, your clothes, the wall,
The turned-down light—they one and all
Seem glad, and speak of you and say:
"You have been very good to-day."
Perhaps it was the wish of their mother which brought it all about; and whatever might have been their own preference in the case, of course the wish of the Widow Pickle had to be granted, just the same as all the others. However that may have been, the facts are very plain: when Zuzu and Lulu awoke to a sense of their surroundings they were back in their own little beds, in their own little room at home, and around them there was no court of Fairy-land, nor any strange forest of the distant island in the sea. They rubbed their eyes, and stared about them for a time.
"Did you have a funny dream?" asked Zuzu.
"Yes, did you?" said Lulu. "I thought I heard music."
"Let's talk about it," said Zuzu.