"Pease-Blossom and the nightingale," answered the fay; and great was the joy in fairyland at their return.
"How long you have been!" said Quick-As-Lightning.
"How fast you have come!" said little Twinkle-Toes.
But as for Spice-of-Life he could not speak at all for laughing at sooty Pease-Blossom.
Then Pease-Blossom made haste to bathe himself in the brook, and put on his finest court suit of pink satin rose-petals trimmed with lace from a spider's web; for the fairy queen had ordered a grand court ball in his honor, and there was no time to lose.
A cricket band played merrily, the nightingale sang from a thicket close at hand, and tripping and twirling the little folks went till the cock crowed and the sun came up; and it was fairy bedtime.
In light of sun and light of moon
How different all things seem, oh!
Wake up, wake up, dear Sleepy Head,
'Twas nothing but a dream, oh.
But who can tell? Some other night
When mellow shines the moon, oh,
Perhaps we'll dream the dream again
And may that night come soon, oh!