‘Pity, love, and patience will do wonders,’ said the Wise Woman, who seemed to have the gift of thought-reading, and what she said comforted the child not a little.
Every day for six long months Betty sat in the settle most of the day separating feather from feather, and it was not until the end of that time that the last feather was laid upon the table, and so bright and beautiful did they look that she said they looked as if they had been dipped in a rainbow.
The Wise Woman did not tell her what they were for, but she was sure they were to make her a pair of wings. ‘And how beautiful they will be when they are made—brighter than a sunset!’ she whispered to herself as she lay down to sleep that night.
When Betty awoke the following morning, she looked at the table to see if the feathers were safe, and saw, to her dismay, the Wise Woman sweep them into the skirt of her gown and take them to the door and shake them out on the down.
‘Aw, my beautiful feathers!’ ejaculated the child, springing up in her bed, when as she did so the ancient dame broke into a chant, and all she could make out of it was that now the spell was broken they must go with all speed to the Queen of the Little People and get her permission to help in the undoing of another spell.
When the chant had ceased, Betty, still more amazed, saw a great cloud, that looked more like winged flowers than feathers, float away over the downs towards the sea.
‘I don’t believe they were feathers at all!’ cried Betty to herself. ‘And, aw dear! how am I to get my wings now?’
She longed to ask the Wise Woman to tell her why she had flung the feathers away, but remembering what the old body had said, that she was to ask no questions, whatever she saw or heard, she kept back the words on her lips.
She was very cast down when her work of many days was gone—she knew not whither.
When she had had her breakfast and had done all her little chores, the Wise Woman bade her search in the seat of the settle for a black stone, which, she told her, she must rub till it was the colour of life.