"I'm afraid," said she. "It's alive, isn't it?"
"No; it won't hurt you," replied he. "Pick it up."
Half afraid, Teresa crept cautiously forward, and, stooping down, reached out her hand to take up the treasure; but before she could touch it, it bounded up with such a spring as caused her to scream and run hastily back.
Then it jumped over Amanda's head, just tapped her on the shoulder, as much as to say, "Come, catch me," and was lying some dozen yards off on the other side of the group before any of them could have said "Peter Piper."
"I know what it is," cried Alphonse; "it's a fairy slipper. The fairy has sent it for us to play with."
"It's a fairy slipper! It's a fairy slipper!" they all cried. "Let's hunt the fairy slipper!"
Off they started, the king and queen joining in the chase this time, and enjoying it, being without their crowns and trains. Master Edmund was foremost, but he overbalanced himself and lay sprawling on the ground, whilst the slipper jumped up into a tree. Philip and Alphonse, being the biggest boys, began immediately to climb up after it. But no sooner had Alphonse reached the bough where it was perched than it sprang off, rapped him on the nose, and slid down the opposite side of the tree, giving the king's leg a sharp kick as it passed by.
"Where has it gone?" cried the two, rapidly descending the tree.
"I don't know," was the general rejoinder, uttered in chorus.
"There it is!" cried Ernest, "hopping across the meadow."