More Tales in the Land of Nursery Rhyme | Page 5

vain. There were
stacks of them lying in the palace yard, but never a single flower, never
even the beginnings of a garden.
One day the King, quite weary of looking through catalogues and
interviewing possible gardeners, had fallen asleep in the little shed in
the back-yard which was known as "The Arbour." As he slept he had a
dream.
He dreamt that a little wizened old man came to him and said,
"Catalogues and gardeners will not help you. You will never have a
garden until you get the Princess Mary Radiant to come and shine on
your back-yard. Only two men 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,