"For a place to pass the night, madam," said the Princess Sunnylocks.
"Come in and sleep in my pretty house. There is a soft bed in the warmest corner, and there is new fruit for your supper," replied the grave gray Rabbit.
The Princess readily consented, and was soon asleep in the Rabbit's cozy bed. The next morning, after thanking the Rabbit for her kindness, she began her journey again; but the mountain was rough and steep, so she was forced to travel very slowly now; but as she clambered wearily up, out jumped Sunbeam, and kissed her on both cheeks before she could say, "Oh!"
"Where have you been, you darling Sunbeam?" cried she, clapping both her hands.
"Oh, I have had such a glorious time! We killed the owl, and then I ran down into a great city, where a bad man was beating his poor horse, and I gave him such a stroke right on his head that all the people cried: 'He is dead! he is dead! A sun-stroke, poor man! Take him to the hospital!' And then all the papas and mammas looked at the tell-tale mercury, and forbade their boys to play ball that day."
"Ah, you naughty Sunbeam!" cried the little Princess—"not naughty for hurting the bad man, but for getting all the little boys shut up."
At that the Sunbeam laughed, and said, "Oh, that did not matter; most of them slipped away, anyhow; boys do do such things, you know," he added, gravely.
"What else did you do?" asked Sunnylocks.
"Oh, I kissed all the little girls I met, and I freckled the runaway boys, and I teased all the fat people, and I made a crying baby laugh by jumping on the wall, and I went into the King's palace and kissed the Queen before his face, and I did ever so many things besides."
"And now you have come to help me to Fairy-Land," said the little Princess, gayly.