“Yes,” replied Sunbeam, “but it was to make some one else happy. Look down,” and she pointed to the earth.
Ray looked and saw a little boy with a white face lying in a bed. He was watching with sad eyes a corner of his little room. Suddenly a smile broke over his face, and Ray saw Sunbeam playing hide-and-seek in the very corner, and the sick boy’s face brightened and he forgot his pain.
“I steal into dark places to lighten them,” said Sunbeam, “and sometimes I steal into people’s hearts that are darker than the places.”
“I think I would like to be a sunbeam!” exclaimed Ray.
“But you are,” said his companion. “All little children are sunbeams, and when they show smiling faces and willing hands they bring happiness to everybody.”
When she said these words she darted off and Ray mounted his horse and continued his journey.
“Now I want to visit the country where all the bad giants live,” said Ray, and once more the enchanted horse headed his course for a new journey.
This journey was very exciting, because they passed witches and goblins on the road and some of them attempted to follow Ray. His horse went like the wind and Ray was not afraid until all at once he saw an old woman mounted on a broomstick coming toward him. He quickly turned his horse’s head the other way and was soon ahead of the witch on the broomstick.
But Ray could hear her laugh behind him and suddenly she called out in a cracked voice, “Come, goblins; come, witches, let us all join in the merry chase.”
Faster and faster flew the enchanted horse, but Ray could hear the loud voices and laughter close behind. He grew frightened and forgot that he should not look behind. With his horse going like mad, he suddenly turned around and looked back. The old woman on the broomstick gave a loud laugh, and all at once disappeared. Ray rubbed his eyes and looked around him. The enchanted horse was gone and his rider was sitting safe and sound in the Talking Chair.