He passed from sight. He could be heard singing dreamily, "Tla-la-la … tla-la-la …" His voice died away.
Now Truth remained all alone save that her son, Will o'Dreams, remained gazing at her happily.
But suddenly she perceived an intruder near her. For the last time, Mr. Literal was there beside her. He was smiling smugly and tetering back and forth on his feet. "You seem very well satisfied with yourself," he said with a sneer.
She only turned toward him serenely.
"Yet all the same," continued Mr. Literal, "the story is full of meaningless things and inconsistencies."
"Do you think so?" she returned.
"Of course. Take those unhappy pictures of childhood, for example. You don't mean to argue really that Everychild is treated unkindly?"
She replied thoughtfully, "I fear that Everychild is sometimes treated unkindly."
He seemed to weigh this point and to remain unconvinced. He moved more confidently to the next point. "At least," he said, "you'll scarcely contend that Everychild marries the Sleeping Beauty?"
She replied with assurance: "Everychild marries a Sleeping Beauty. To him she is beautiful, and she is asleep until he comes."