The National tribune., 1881-12-03

! out enjoying the llSnt OF the 1uu moon, when
looked down with pleasure at their pretty antics,
and when no one of them had any thought Of
| danger, q dark shadow suddenly fell upon them,
and the King of the COLLINS, clad i'll strange
! fying-gear, swo0ped down like bird of prey
and, Selling Violet and Moonbeam, one in each
hand, few swiftly away with them. The shout
of the whole trOup of fairies, when they saw their
two companions snatched away, was no louder
| than your taintest whisper, yet to Spderee, who
was standing little distance off, it sounded like
deafening cutlery, and he looked around, just
as the goblin was starting upward. Quicker than
thought, he threw himself on the foot Of the
foe, grasped it tightly and in spite of all efforts
to throw him off, clung fast as they all rose
together toward the sky.
On and on flew the goblin, shaking himself
angriy every and then, to get rid of Spideree,
who still hung on bravely, determined not to let
go until he had found where his sisters were being
taken, and in what way he could best go to work
to save them from their sad fate But the goblin
was citing impatient at having this troublesome
elf cling to him so firmly, and as a last resort,
he pinched Violet and Moonbeam, whose shrill
screams so frightened their brother that in his
terror he loosed his hold, and one more shake
threw him headlong to the earth, while the
goblin himself mounted rapidly upward until
he was lost to sight.
Poor Spideree was stunned by his hard fall,
and when he recovered enough to raise himself
up and look about, there no trace of the
enemy to be seen in the moonlit sky. Hurt and
discouraged, he lay upon the grass, unable to
think what he should do and yet more than ever
resolved 70 root until he had saved his
At last he rose, tried his wings, and found that
fortunately neither of them had been broken in
the fall. Round and round he circed, Just above
the grass-tops, searching on every side for some
little trace which might show him in what drec-
ton those he sought had flown. Soon his eye
was caught by dewdrop, SO bright that he bent
down to see what was the cause Of it's singular
brlliancy, and on coming close to it, he saw that
instead of dew-drop, it was a tiny diamond.
It was SO finely cut that there were a thousand
distinct Sides or facets, to it, and it for this
reason that it sparkled SO. Spideree picked it
up, and found on examining it closely, that there
was minute goblin-letter cut on one of the sides.
This discovery delighted him greatly, for he now
felt assured that the diamond must be the prop
erty of the goblin, who had dropped it in his
flight, and who must have passed over the very
spot where the diamond was lying. Much re-
lieved to think he now knew in what direction
to fly, he started off rapidly, and flew until he
was exhausted.
For some hours he rested in the warm coils of
a woolly young fern, and then he started again !
on his wearisome journey. Many times in his |
flight he found bits of rainbow lying on the leaves
over which he passed, and joyfully picked them |
up, for he knew that they were shreds of the |
rainbow scarf which Violet always wore, and |
that she must have torn them off and dropped |
them for the special purpose Of guiding him
Alright. Often did he find himself astray and |
forced to hunt around until he was cheered by |
the sight of a rainbow-hued fragment glistening
in the grass or perhaps of tiny diamond flash
ing light from q myriad points. Two more of
these precious gems he fOund-the second had |
two thousand, the third three thousand facets,
and on each was the goblin-letter, so small that
none but fairy eyes could it, but which
showed whose property the jewel was.
At last, after many days, out with travel
ing, with tired feet and dropping wings, Spideree
arrived in sight of great and gloomy castle,
built of enormous blocks of solid stone, and sur
rounded by a mote which prevented any near
approach to it. The draw bridge was raised
when he first came in sight of it, and he stood
and gazed across the moat at the dark building
which he knew must be the abode of the King of
the Goblins and in which his little sisters he felt
sure, were condemned to perpetual labor, out of
sight of the bright sunlight the flowers, and the
friendly wild creatures which make fairy's life
one long delight.
Although he had penetrated farther than any
adventurous member Of his race had ever gone
before, and had made his way to the very castle
Of the COLLINS, yet Spideree seemed as far off as
ward neighboring wood, where he took up his
home in an old tree-stump, and waited to see if
perhaps some fortunate chance would help him
to gain his object. Every day from his hiding
place he saw, at midday, a long train of elves,
chained together two by two, come sorrowfully
)ut Of the CASTLE cross the draw bridge and take
heir daily walk under the guardianship of their
harsh keepers who would not permit them to
ak together nor even to take single step out
IF the straight path. Last among them came
Violet and MoOnbeam, looking the unhappiest of I
Ill, for they had not yet grown used to the hard
life they forced to lead Their brother /
watched them sadly, wondering whether he ]
should ever find it possible to release them from
heir servitude.
One day, when he was sitting perched on top
If one of the scarlet toadstools, number of
Ii -, Jo,,. 7