CHAPTER III.
EVERYBODY IS SURPRISED.
Neither the Prince nor Princess could speak for a minute or two. Their eyes popped wide with wonderment, they only gazed from one little flower person to the other. The Flower Folks also were too surprised to speak, although their silence may be excused because they were not accustomed to talking.
Finally, Moon Queen broke the stillness when she laughed and said: "Well, don't you folks like each other, after all?"
"Oh, I'm just too delighted to speak!" exclaimed Princess Patricia. "Everything is so strangely wonderful, and I want to say so much that I guess all the words are jumbled up in my mouth so tightly that they won't come out!"
"A-a-nd, I don't know anything to say!" stammered Prince Philip, his eyes still dancing about in a bewildered manner because of the wand-star having almost touched his nose.
"My, my, how foolish we Flower Folks are acting," spoke up impulsive Rufus Rose. "Here we are realizing a wish that we always longed for, and yet we don't seem to appreciate it at all. I, for one, apologize to the Prince and Princess for being so dumb!"
"And so do I," added little Flo Forget-me-not. "My face may look like I have the blues, but I was never happier in my whole life than I am right at this moment. I shall never forget the great happiness that our master and mistress have brought me."
"Yes, and although a Prince and Princess, they have given us plenty of nice, cool water to drink," interposed Penelope Pansy. "You know, I must have a great deal of water or else my face would shrivel and wrinkle just as if I were a hundred years old. Why, late this afternoon, when I was very very thirsty, our master and mistress made me so happy as I saw them coming down toward my bed with a sprinkling can held between them. Just as soon as the cool water touched my cheeks, I raised my head to thank them and I'm sure that they understood exactly what I meant, for the Princess smiled and said: 'Oh, Phil, see how Penelope appreciates a nice drink of water. She has raised her head and is looking straight at us. Why, I can almost hear her say, 'Thank you very much!'"
"And I remember how sweet you looked," replied Princess Patricia. "The gardener wonders why Phil and I always wish to be with you flowers so much, and the other day mother laughed and said that we might get stoop-shouldered from carrying the sprinkling can. Of course, we could use the hose, but the water from it seems to disturb you too much. I'm sure that you don't like it, even when the spray is on."
"Wait just a minute, sis, I have something to say, now," interposed Prince Philip, as he dropped upon one knee before Moon Queen, while the Flower Folks looked on and wondered what was about to happen to their young master. "I wish to beg the kind fairy's pardon for being so rude when she came to my room to get me. You see, I had never believed in fairies and thought that sis was playing a joke on me when that bright light flashed in my face. Now I know how wonderful and kind the fairies really are.
"And I also beg the pardon of the Flower Folks for seeming to act so funny," he continued, with a laugh. "But please remember that the good fairy held the star on her wand so close to my eyes that I couldn't see anything but thousands of stars until just a minute ago. Why, I was as blind as a bat and had no idea where I really was until my eyes quit dancing."
"Now, let's forget everything but having a good time," said Moon Queen. "I freely forgive Prince Philip for acting as almost any boy would have done under the same circumstances, and I'm sure that his flower friends are only too glad to enjoy his company. Nothing makes me happier than to see other folks enjoying themselves so I'll call a Ramble-Along and we'll be on our way."
The fairy then waved her wand in such a way that the bright wand-star formed the letters R and A in the air above her head, repeating slowly as she did so:
- "Even Steven, good and strong,
- Come and bring your Ramble-Along --
- If you have the time to spare!"
The fairy's wand-star formed the letters R and A above her head
Almost instantly a loud buzzing was heard and the largest Bumblebee that you could ever imagine alighted as gracefully as a feather upon the grass. Suspended from his body was a basket, something like the kind used with a balloon, but it could be seen that this basket in no way interfered with the movement of the huge insect's wings. Both the Prince and Princess were a little frightened when the big creature alighted so near them, but when the basket was seen they realized that it must be the Ramble-Along for which the fairy had called. They were certain of this when Moon Queen said:
"My, but old Even Steven certainly answered my call in a hurry. He must have been very close to the garden or he couldn't have made such a swift run, even with those exceedingly speedy wings of his that buzz louder than the motors of the largest aeroplanes."
"Yes, indeed, I was close to the garden when I got your signal," replied Even Steven. "In fact, I had just sighted Carol Castle and had slowed up my wings so as not to wake up the Prince and Princess."
"But your wings wouldn't wake up either of those young folks, for they are now very wide awake and are going with me on a wonderful trip. Perhaps you will also recognize some of the flowers around which you once buzzed when you were small, although I have changed them into little folks who are to enjoy their first voyage through the air."
Then turning to Prince and Princess and the Flower Folks, she said: "Now everybody climb into the Ramble-Along basket and don't forget that Even Steven is one of the best flyers in the world. No matter how fast he goes, remember, there is no danger -- just hold on tight and we'll soon be somewhere!"