After the fairy had shown them all the pretty things the houses contained, and had allotted to each set of children the particular house they were to inhabit, a crystal car, drawn by six white swans, was seen to approach the shore. Then the fairy said, "Now, my little dears, I must go, for here is my coach and six come to fetch me." So she kissed them all round, bade them be good children, said she would come to see them again some day, got into her car, and was soon out of sight, the children shouting, "Good-bye, dear Fairy, good-bye," till they could see her no longer.
Then they said, "What shall we play at first?"
"Let us go into that pretty dell, where the fawns are at play, and gather some of the flowers," said Pepitia. To this they all readily assented, and ran skipping and singing into the dell. Some pulled long rushes and sat themselves down to weave little baskets; some gathered nosegays, some played with the fawns. Presently one of them said, "Oh! suppose we have a dance."
"Yes, yes, yes, so do," cried a dozen little voices.
"But there's no music," objected the queen, "we can't dance without music. How I wish we had some!"
"I'll hum a tune," said Sophia; and she immediately began one.
"No, that's so stupid," said Amanda.
"Oh!" screamed a little boy. "Look there!"
"Look where? What's the matter?" cried they all.
"Why, look at that big yellow thing," replied the child, pointing to a large gourd which lay upon the ground, "it's opening all by itself!"