“O dear,” said Margaret, “the thread gets so twisted as he goes over and over.”

“Let him hang for a minute from the end and he’ll swing it around straight again,” laughed Sir Bodkin.

This was done and the overcasting went on. After a while they were around the four sides of the handkerchief.

“What shall we do now!” cried Margaret.

“Fasten the red thread, take a blue one, then turn around and go the other way from left to right and you’ll see how pretty it looks,” said the King. The Fairy sang:

“Over and over from left to right,

To cross our first steps we go.

Jump over the edge, stick my toe ’neath the hem

Where I came through the first time you know.”