“No,” they said, “Winikin must come himself for a toy. We cannot send him one.”
Finikin thanked the lads and wished them good-night.
“Good-night, Finikin,” they cried; “you may come to see us every Midsummer Eve on your nag. He will always find the way although you couldn’t. Good-night!”
So Finikin left Magic Toyland. As soon as he was out-of-doors and had placed his basket of pippins on his arm he mounted his stick with the nag’s head.
Away he started! He had scarcely time to wonder how he should manage to ride down the steep rocks. He seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper and without knowing how, he found himself in the long narrow passage leading to the hermit’s garden.
All this time Winikin lay asleep in the woods. The sun was low in the western sky when he opened his eyes and saw Goldlocks sitting on the grass playing with a cup and ball.
“Lend me that plaything,” said Winikin.
“No,” said Goldlocks, “I have something which two of us can play with.”
He pointed to a couple of golden drums covered with finest vellum that were lying in the grass. The drumsticks were of ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
“We’ll play hide-and seek,” he said. “I’ll hide first and then I will beat my drum and you must try to guess from the sound where I am.”