“Well, Spider Eyes,” asked the doctor, “what is the matter with your wing? How did you hurt it?”
“Oh, doctor,” answered Spider Eyes, “we were on our journey to see the beautiful world, and were taking a ride on a toad’s back. He jumped through a thistle hedge, and some of the thistles caught my wing. It does hurt me so.”
“Ah, my little fellow,” said the doctor, “why were you not contented at home? Is not everything beautiful enough in Elfland? Is not Queen Wishtah the kindest and best of Queens?”
“Oh, yes,” they all said, “we love our homes, but we have heard so much of the beautiful world that we want to see it.”
“Well, well! my little men,” said the doctor, “I think you had better go back to your good homes. Home is the best place for every one.”
Then he looked at poor Spider Eyes’ wing and found it was torn very badly in three different places. No wonder it pained him.
He pulled out a sharp needle from his case, then he drew some fine thread from his body, which he fastened to the side of the wing and began to weave back and forth, over and under, in and out, until the wing looked as it did before.
Then to make it glossy he spat upon it.
“Now my work is done, and my advice to you still is, go home to Elfland, and leave the beautiful world for others to find.”