"Why have you come hither to spy upon us? " the Fairy Queen demanded sternly. "You must be meaning to work us some mischief-for you are one of the deadly enemies of our race. ""Indeed, Your Majesty, I would not harm you, " pleaded the goblin, dropping on his knees before the Fairy Queen. "I hate the evil deeds of my brothers, andnever take part in their hateful plots. Every midsummer night I come to watch your revels, and my only wish is that I might be a fairy and go myself to Fairyland. "One of the fairies stepped forward and bowed low to the Fairy Queen.
"It is true, Your Majesty, " she said. "This goblin is not as other goblins. He loves the light of day, and hates the dark deeds of night. Often have I watched him working in his garden-and I have seen that he is ever kind and tender to the birds and bees and flowers around him. "The Fairy Queen looked at Scareacat more kindly.
"If this is so, we shall forgive you, " she said. "And, since I would make amends for my first harsh judgment, I shall grant you one wish.
"Ask what you will, and, if it be within my power to grant your desire, it shall be yours. "The goblin gave a gasp of delight.
"May I ask anything-anything I like? " he said. "Then let me go to Fairyland! "The Fairy Queen shook her head.
"It would be no good my taking you to Fairy- land, " she said. "Your eyes are not fairy eyes, and so you would see nothing even if I did. But there is onecharm that would enable you to obtain your wish. If you were to bathe your eyes with dew from a four- leaved clover, fairy sight would be given to you, and you would see clearly the way to Fairyland. ""Oh, thank you, thank you for telling me! " cried thegoblin. "And where can I find a four- leaved clover? ""Ah, that you must find out for yourself, " said the Fairy Queen.
Just at that moment the cock began to crow, and in an instant Queen and elves and fairies had vanished from Scareacat"s sight. He was left alone, as he had been on so many midsummer nights, but this time his heart was beating high with hope.
"I"ll search through the world until I have found a four-leaved clover! " he cried. "When I have bathed my eyes in its magic dew I shall see clearly the way to Fairyland! "The little goblin lost no time in setting out on his search.
"I shall go first to the common, " he said to himself. "I shall be sure to find a four-leaved clover there. " But, though he searched the common from end to end, he couldn"t find a four-leaved clover.
Scareacat was rather disappointed at his failure, buthe soon cheered up.
"Never mind, " he said to himself, "I"ll try the forest next. " So he journeyed on until he came to the forest, and then he hunted over every little bit of ground, peeping under every bush and looking behind every tree, but he couldn"t find a four-leaved clover in the forest.
"Maybe I shall find it on the mountains, " said the goblin; but, though he climbed ever so many mountains and grew terribly footsore and tired, he couldn"t find a four-leaved clover on the mountains. And at last poor Scareacat grew quite despairing.
"I shall never find a four-leaved clover, never! " he said with a choking sob. "And I shall never, never be able to go to Fairyland. I suppose I"d better go home to my little house, and try not to mind about having to be a goblin. "Very sadly and slowly Scareacat made his way back to his little house in Buttercup Meadow. It was quite early in the morning when he reached it, and all the flowers and grasses were wet with dew.
He had been away for three years, and the garden round the house was overgrown with weeds and grass.
Scareacat was quite shocked when he caught sight of it. "Dear me! Dear me! " he exclaimed. "My poor little garden! I shouldn"t have stayed away so long. " Takingoff his coat, he began at once to set the garden in order, without even waiting for his breakfast. He began at the front door, and the very first thing he uncovered was- what do you think?-a clover plant bearing a spray of four-leaved clover!
Scareacat hardly believed his eyes. He rubbed them, and pinched himself all over to make sure it wasn"t a dream. But it was true; he gave a shout of delight and flung his cap up in the air, he was so pleased and surprised and happy.
"Now I shall be able to find the way to Fairyland! " hecried.
The dew was still wet on the clover, and Scareacat quickly bathed his eyes in the magic liquid. Scarcely had he done so when he heard a laugh close behind him.
"Bravo! Bravo! " said a tiny little voice. "Why, I declare that you have found the charm at last! "Scareacat turned round hastily. There, perched on his own front gate, sat a little fairy, smiling and laughing at him! And all round her were other fairies, laughing and singing and working together. Scareacat rubbed his eyes again.
"Why, " he said in surprise, "I"ve never seen a fairy in Buttercup Meadow before! I didn"t know you ever came here."Drawn by Elsie J. Mckissock
The Goblin"s House
"Why, of course we do! Buttercup Meadow is part of Fairyland, " said the fairies, laughing. "We"ve been here all the while, only you didn"t see us until just this minute. ""Buttercup Meadow part of Fairyland! " gasped Scareacat. "Why, then-I"ve been living in Fairy-land all the time! ""Yes, of course you have! " laughed the fairies.