Each of them hopes that he may one day find the magic garland, and never grow old and staid, and be able to go a-visiting to Fairyland. After all, it must be lying about somewhere, so if you find it, you’ll know what to do with it, won’t you? But be sure to give it to a lamb with a black nose. They’re so much the prettiest.
FOURTEEN
The Magic Umbrella
THERE was once a wizard who possessed a magic umbrella; and, being rather careless in his habits, he had the misfortune to leave it behind him in a small country town where he had had an appointment to meet a friend in the market-place at midnight. He left it standing against one of the wooden market stalls, and there it was found next morning by a farmer’s wife who had come into town to sell her butter and eggs.
“That’s a good, strong-looking umbrella,” she said to herself; “if no one comes to claim it I shall keep it.” No one made any inquiries, so she took possession of it, and when she went home in the evening, the umbrella went with her.
Now, as I said before, this was no ordinary umbrella, but was possessed of magic powers.
If you held it open in your hand and counted three and then stopped, you found yourself in your own house.
If you counted five, however, you found yourself where you most desired to be.
But if you counted up to seven, you were immediately carried away to the top of the nearest church spire.