One day a Sunbeam determined to run away from all his merry brothers and
sisters, and go upon an excursion by himself.
And as his mamma, the Moon, was off on a visit to the other side of the
earth, and his papa, the Sun, was busy flirting with all the brooks and
flowers he could find, instead of minding the little Sunbeams, as he had
been told to do by the Lady Moon, he thought it a capital time.
So making use of the limbs of an old elm-tree to hide him from his
papa's view, he slipped through the dancing leaves, and stopped just one
minute on the outside of a gray old palace to consider what he should do
with himself.
"Oh, you darling Sunbeam!" called a sweet voice from a little latticed
window, "how ever did you get there? You are the first sunbeam that ever
managed to slip through that old elm's leaves. Do come in and play with
me."
"With all my heart," answered the Sunbeam, gliding through the open
casement right down beside the loveliest little girl; and before she
could say a word he had played at hide-and-seek among her golden curls,
peeped into her bright blue eyes, and kissed her rosy lips a dozen
times.
The little girl did not get angry; she just laughed, and said, "Oh, you
dear Sunbeam!" And then she added, sadly, "No one kisses me, now that my
mamma has gone away."
"Where did she go to?" asked the merry Sunbeam.
"Ah! that is what I do not know. But come, and I will show you her
picture;" and as she spoke the Princess let the Sunbeam into a room
where hung the portrait of a lovely lady, whose rosy lips looked as
though they would say, "My darling child," and whose white hands seemed
as though they would lift the Princess up and fold her to her breast.
"See, this is my mamma," she cried. "She used to call me Princess
Sunnylocks, but no one calls me that now; for since the other Queen came
in her place I have been so lonely and so sad. Ah! if I only knew where
my mamma was gone, I would go and find her out; for I am sure she wants
her little Sunnylocks. _Oh, I must go to her!_ Dear Sunbeam, tell me
where you think she has gone."
The Sunbeam glided first upon the rich gilt frame, and then he kissed
the small white hands, and then he kissed the lovely face all over, and
as he came back to the Princess, said, "She is just like you; and she is
so beautiful that she must have gone to Fairy-Land."
"Gone to Fairy-Land," cried the little Princess. "Why, if she has gone
there, so will I; I too will go to Fairy-Land." And catching up her
cloak and hood, she fled as fast as her feet could carry her, away from
the gray old palace, and out into the forest that bounded her father's
kingdom.
All day she travelled gayly on, as happy as the birds who brought her
berries, or the squirrels who brought her nuts; and just as evening
fell, she found a lovely spot where seven oaks grew, and underneath
their shadow was a fairy ring, as soft as velvet and as fresh and green
as could be. Here she determined to pass the night; so, commending
herself to the care of the good God, she lay down in the centre of the
ring and fell fast asleep.
The next morning when she opened her bright blue eyes she had to shut
them quickly; for there was the runaway Sunbeam laughing right down into
her pretty face from among the branches of the largest oak.
"Oh, I am so glad you have come, you dear, dear Sunbeam," she cried,
"for I am sure you know the way to Fairy-Land."
"To be sure _I_ do; but _you_ must go to the great white Stork who lives
in the ruins over there, and he will tell you where it is, and how to
get there too. Come now with me, and I will find you some sweet ripe
dew-berries."
The Princess tripped by the Sunbeam's side, and at last they came to the
ruins. Then she knocked at the door, but the Sunbeam jumped through the
window right down upon the Papa Stork's shoulder.
"Ah! you are welcome, my dear Sunbeam--take a chair, I pray," said the
Papa Stork, gravely.
"So I will; but first send some one to open the door, for a sweet little
princess knocks there to gain admission."
Mr. Stork opened the door himself, and led little Sunnylocks in, who
said,
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stork, I bring you a gift of sweet ripe dew-berries
which the Sunbeam found, and I gathered fresh from the grass this
morning."
"We are much obliged, my dear, and will accept them gratefully," said
Mrs. Stork; "and now thou and the Sunbeam will stay and take breakfast
with us, and then thou mayst go upon thy journey."
Sunnylocks thanked Mrs. Stork, and after she had eaten her breakfast she
inquired the way to Fairy-Land.
"Why, I thought every bird and beast and flower knew the way. But then
thou art neither bird nor beast nor flower, consequently thou canst not
know the way. Fairy-Land lies on the other side of the moon."
"Alas! alas! how can I get there, then?" said the little Princess,
sadly.
"Cheer up thy heart, my pretty maiden, for I will direct thee to one who
will take thee to Fairy-Land if thou art as brave as thou art fair,"
said Mr. Stork.
"I fear nothing," cried the Princess, "and will brave all dangers to
reach dear Fairy-Land."
"Then thou must go three days' journey through this wood, when thou wilt
come to a range of mountains; climb that one whose head is crowned with
clouds, and there, upon a projecting cliff, stands King Eagle's castle.
He alone can take thee to Fairy-Land."
The Princess then kissed the Storks all round, and the Sunbeam kissed
her, after which they ran upon their journey, seeking berries, and
playing hide-and-seek the whole day long.
At last night came, and Sunnylocks lay down beneath an old oak-tree.
Here she slept sweetly until the Sunbeam coaxed a frolicking Breeze
Fairy to shake some dew-drops down upon her lovely face. That made her
laugh and shake her golden curls, and then she ran a race with them,
until she was quite tired out, when they caught and kissed her.
Presently they met a merry little Robin-Redbreast, who was busy getting
his breakfast, and he invited them to sit down and have some too, which
they accordingly did; and Robin had a long story to tell of how a wicked
white owl had eaten a dear little wren who was his sweet companion.
When he had finished, the Sunbeam vowed he would tease that owl all day,
and so did the Breeze Fairy.
The Princess now thanked the Robin, who sang her a sweet song, and even
accompanied her a little way; then they parted, and Sunnylocks ran gayly
on her journey.
Just at sunset she found a lovely bank of white violets, which, of
course you know, are the Fairy Queen's own flowers, shielded by her
magic power from all evil; consequently on them Sunnylocks slept sweetly
all that night.
When she awoke she looked about for the Sunbeam, but neither he nor the
Breeze Fairy was to be seen; so she ate her breakfast, and then began
her last day's journey.
At last she reached the mountains, but as it was fast growing dark, she
began to search for a resting-place. Now as she looked uncertainly about
her, a beautiful long-eared Rabbit came out of a little cave in the
mountain-side, and asked her what she sought.
"For a place to pass the night, madam," said the Princess Sunnylocks.
"Come in and sleep in my pretty house. There is a soft bed in the
warmest corner, and there is new fruit for your supper," replied the
grave gray Rabbit.
The Princess readily consented, and was soon asleep in the Rabbit's cozy
bed. The next morning, after thanking the Rabbit for her kindness, she
began her journey again; but the mountain was rough and steep, so she
was forced to travel very slowly now; but as she clambered wearily up,
out jumped Sunbeam, and kissed her on both cheeks before she could say,
"Oh!"
"Where have you been, you darling Sunbeam?" cried she, clapping both her
hands.
"Oh, I have had such a glorious time! We killed the owl, and then I ran
down into a great city, where a bad man was beating his poor horse, and
I gave him such a stroke right on his head that all the people cried:
'He is dead! he is dead! A sun-stroke, _poor_ man! Take him to the
hospital!' And then all the papas and mammas looked at the tell-tale
mercury, and forbade their boys to play ball that day."
"Ah, you naughty Sunbeam!" cried the little Princess--"not naughty for
hurting the bad man, but for getting all the little boys shut up."
At that the Sunbeam laughed, and said, "Oh, that did not matter; most of
them slipped away, anyhow; boys do do such things, you know," he added,
gravely.
"What else did you do?" asked Sunnylocks.
"Oh, I kissed all the little girls I met, and I freckled the runaway
boys, and I teased all the fat people, and I made a crying baby laugh by
jumping on the wall, and I went into the King's palace and kissed the
Queen before his face, and I did ever so many things besides."
"And now you have come to help me to Fairy-Land," said the little
Princess, gayly.
"Yes, and I might have carried you there, only I was afraid my lady
mamma would set me to work again," laughingly said the Sunbeam.
"You are a lazy fellow," said sweet Sunnylocks; and then they went on,
the Princess laughing gayly at his freaks, for never did Sunbeam behave
so wildly before or since. In fact, he performed so many wonderful feats
that Sunnylocks never felt tired once, and was surprised when she found
herself fairly in the Eagle's castle, and standing before that monarch
himself.
He listened gravely to all her entreaties to take her to Fairy-Land, and
then he stretched his mighty pinions, and bade her follow him.
This both the Princess and the Sunbeam did, gliding swiftly down the
mountain-side until they reached Cloud-Land, where the Eagle bade her
step into a tiny skiff made of a fleecy cloud.
No sooner had she done so than away it floated, King Eagle just a little
in advance, and the Sunbeam making beautiful rainbows over it, just to
amuse himself and her.
Soon the skiff moored in a lovely arbor, where the water made sweet
music as it rippled by the amber steps, up which the Princess now went
alone, for the Sunbeam fled back to the mountain-side again, as he was
afraid his lady mamma would set him to work.
And now if you want to know what Fairy-Land looks like, you just ask
your baby brother or sister the first time you see them smiling in their
sleep, and they will tell you; for only babies and angels have the right
words to describe it with.
All I know is that Sunnylocks was led to the palace of the Fairy Queen,
which is built of all the lovely actions which are unheeded in this
world of ours, and that she dropped upon her knees and said:
"Dear Fairy Queen, the Sunbeam saw my beautiful mamma's picture, and he
said she was so lovely that she must have come to Fairy-Land. _Oh, if
she has, please give her to me, for I want her--oh, so much!_" and
little Sunnylocks stretched out her arms as though to clasp her dear
mamma in them.
"Dear child," said the Fairy Queen, "thy mother is not here; she went to
the Land of the Blessed to dwell; but be thou of good cheer, and I will
send thee thither also." And as she spoke she came down from her
gleaming throne, and taking Sunnylocks by the hand, she led her to the
shore of the mighty Ocean Space.
Here she waved her magic wand, and instantly a bark made of a purple
cloud, with golden masts and rosy sails, drifted swiftly to the shore;
and after a loving farewell, Sunnylocks was borne by it onward, and
still onward.
At last she stepped upon a land whose glory far exceeded that of all
God's other worlds; and as she stood upon the wondrous shore, great
bands of little children came singing down to meet her, led by One
beyond all beautiful, who smiled upon them as they pressed about His
steps.
Now when Sunnylocks saw the beauty of the children, and perceived that
He who walked with them was indeed the King, she feared _she_ would not
be received; but He stooped down, and set His seal upon her brow, while
the children robed her in such garments as they wore, and then the great
King led her toward a lovely lady seated on the ocean's shore, as though
she watched for some one.
But as soon as Sunnylocks beheld her lovely face, she cried, "My
beautiful mamma!" and this time the lips _did_ say, "My darling child,"
and the white arms _did_ fold her closely to her breast; and all the
children rejoiced with great joy because Sunnylocks had found her dear
mamma, and come to dwell forever with them.
"But what became of the runaway Sunbeam?"
Well, when the Sun, his papa, discovered that he was gone, he sent six
of his brothers to catch and bring him back; but the little Sunbeam was
too fleet for them, for before they could even touch him, he jumped
right into the Lady Moon's arms, and as he was the very littlest and the
very youngest Sunbeam, it was not likely his mamma would send him back
to be punished.
So the six little Sunbeams went back, and standing before their papa,
with their little fingers in their sweet little mouths, they all told
him what the Lady Moon had said.
At that the Sun got into a tremendous passion, and hid himself and all
the little Sunbeams behind some ugly clouds for three whole days; and
when he next came out, the astronomers declared they saw dark spots upon
his face.