More Tales in the Land of Nursery Rhyme | Page 5

in all your kingdom can help you--Sir Hunny Bee and Sir Richard Byrde--but even these will be no use without the smile of the Princess Mary Radiant, and for her you must search over earth and sky and sea."
The King awoke from his sleep with a start.
"What ho! without there!" he cried. "Fetch me the Princess Mary Radiant!"
The assembled courtiers shook their heads.
"We have never heard of a lady with that name," they said. "Your Majesty must have been dreaming."
"Dream or no dream," said the King testily, "some one must fetch me the Princess Mary Radiant, for if she once smiles on my back-yard it will be turned into a garden with real grass and real flowers--Canterbury bells and sunflowers--that's what I have set my heart on!"
The courtiers answered nothing and shook their heads once more.
"We don't know such a lady," they repeated.
"Fetch Sir Hunny Bee, perhaps he can find the Princess for us," ordered the King.
The courtiers all ran off to find Sir Hunny Bee. In a few minutes that gallant knight appeared, all dusty from the recent ride from his castle, and splendid in his knightly garb of black and orange.
"What is your will, your Majesty?" said he, bowing low before the King.
"Search over all lands and bring me hither the Princess Mary Radiant," said the King, "for if she should smile on my back-yard it will be turned into a garden."
Now no knight ever dreams of disobeying his Majesty's commands, however impossible they may sound, so Sir Hunny Bee merely bowed low before the King and said, "I go,"--and went.
"Real Canterbury bells and sunflowers," murmured the King, listening to the jingle of the silver bells on the knight's bridle as he rode away.
Sir Hunny Bee had not gone many leagues from the palace when he began to realise that he might ride and ride, and never find the Princess Mary Radiant.
"I wish I knew the way!" he cried.
As he said these words, a little wizened old man sprang out on the road in front of him, and so frightened his horse, that the silver bells jingled more than ever.
"Ride over hill and dale for seven times seven leagues," said the old man, "till you come to a gate-post on which is hung a sign-board. Follow the directions on the sign-board and all will be well."
Before the Knight could say "thank you," the little old man had disappeared.
So Sir Hunny Bee rode on over hill and dale for seven times seven leagues, and there, just as the old man had said, was a gate-post, and on the gate-post a sign-board.
Sir Hunny Bee dismounted from his horse and led it by the silver-belled bridle up to the gate-post, that he might read the directions that were written in red letters upon the sign-board.
"THE GARDEN OF THE PRINCESS MARY RADIANT"
No man shall be admitted here, Till he a fine doth pay. And he who will not pay the fine From hence must ride away.
By him that rides here over land, A silver bell is paid. He that flies hither through the air, Must bring a dark-faced maid. While he that through the sea doth swim, Must bring a cockle-shell with him. By order, M. R.
"'By him that rides here over land, A silver bell is paid,'"
repeated Sir Hunny Bee. "But the question is, to whom do I pay it?"
Once more, like a jack-in-the-box, the little wizened old man appeared in front of the Knight.
"To me," he said, "and I will take you in. But though you may see all over the garden, I doubt it you will be allowed to see the Princess. She has a very uncertain disposition, and sometimes will not appear for days together."
So Sir Hunny Bee cut off one of the silver bells from his bridle and gave it to the old man, who put it carefully in his hat, and then led the Knight and his horse into the garden.
What a garden it was!
Paths of grass, green as emeralds and sparkling with dew like diamonds, bordered on each side with shells that shone like mother-o'-pearl. Flowers, flowers everywhere, of every hue and shade. Canterbury bells and sunflowers indeed! What should you say to bells of real silver, glowing and shining? To fair maids blossoming and curtseying in the flower-beds, fair maids so beautiful that the Knight would fain have stopped with them all day? To roses flowering everywhere? To lillies trickling oozy scent into gold bowls laid ready to receive it? To whole bowers of honeysuckle, and whole beds of lavender? To hedges of every flowering shrub imaginable? To lofty trees whose leaves whispered soft invitations to the passers-by to come and sleep beneath their soothing shade? To fountains plashing and showing a thousand different colours? To fruit of gold and silver hanging from the