The Golden Key | Page 6

but she
felt that she was near her all the time; and she took care not to go out of
sight of the cottage. It was round, like a snow-hut or a wigwam; and
she could see neither door nor window in it. The fact was, it had no
windows; and though it was full of doors, they all opened from the
inside, and could not even be seen from the outside.
She was standing at the foot of a tree in the twilight, listening to a
quarrel between a mole and a squirrel, in which the mole told the
squirrel that the tail was the best of him, and the squirrel called the
mole Spade-fists, when, the darkness having deepened around her, she
became aware of something shining in her face, and looking round, saw
that the door of the cottage was open, and the red light of the fire
flowing from it like a river through the darkness. She left Mole and
Squirrel to settle matters as they might, and darted off to the cottage.
Entering, she found the pot boiling on the fire, and the grand, lovely
lady sitting on the other side of it.
"I've been watching you all day," said the lady. "You shall have
something to eat by-and-by, but we must wait till our supper comes
home."

She took Tangle on her knee, and began to sing to her--such songs as
made her wish she could listen to them for ever. But at length in rushed
the shining fish, and snuggled down in the pot. It was followed by a
youth who had outgrown his worn garments. His face was ruddy with
health, and in his hand he carried a little jewel, which sparkled in the
firelight.
The first words the lady said were,--
"What is that in your hand, Mossy?"
Now Mossy was the name his companions had given him, because he
had a favourite stone covered with moss, on which he used to sit whole
days reading; and they said the moss had begun to grow upon him too.
Mossy held out his hand. The moment the lady saw that it was the
golden key, she rose from her chair, kissed Mossy on the forehead,
made him sit down on her seat, and stood before him like a servant.
Mossy could not bear this, and rose at once. But the lady begged him,
with tears in her beautiful eyes, to sit, and let her wait on him.
"But you are a great, splendid, beautiful lady," said Mossy.
"Yes, I am. But I work all day long--that is my pleasure; and you will
have to leave me so soon!"
"How do you know that, if you please, madam?" asked Mossy.
"Because you have got the golden key."
"But I don't know what it is for. I can't find the keyhole. Will you tell
me what to do?"
"You must look for the keyhole. That is your work. I cannot help you. I
can only tell you that if you look for it you will find it."
"What kind of box will it open? What is there inside?"
"I do not know. I dream about it, but I know nothing."

"Must I go at once?"
"You may stop here tonight, and have some of my supper. But you
must go in the morning. All I can do for you is to give you clothes.
Here is a girl called Tangle, whom you must take with you."
"That will be nice," said Mossy.
"No, no!" said Tangle. "I don't want to leave you, please,
grandmother."
"You must go with him, Tangle. I am sorry to lose you, but it will the
best thing for you. Even the fishes, you see, have to go into the pot, and
then out into the dark. If you fall in with the Old Man of the Sea, mind
you ask him whether he has not got some more fishes ready for me. My
tank is getting thin."
So saying, she took the fish from the pot, and put the lid on as before.
They sat down and ate the fish, and then the winged creature rose from
the pot, circled the roof, and settled on the lady's lap. She talked to it,
carried it to the door, and threw it out into the dark. They heard the flap
of its wings die away in the distance.
The lady then showed Mossy into just such another chamber as that of
Tangle; and in the morning he found a suit of clothes laid beside him.
He looked very handsome in them. But the wearer of Grandmother's
clothes never thinks about how he or she looks, but thinks always how
handsome other people are.
Tangle was very unwilling to go.
"Why should I leave