it off stage._
_Knight_
Lean out of thy window, O Princess fair,
Rescuers now are at hand.
Thou shalt be led down the winding stair
By the Queen of the Fairy band.
Listen, as low on the South Wind's flute
I call the elves to our tryst.
Down rainbow bubbles they softly float,
Light-winged as stars in a mist.
[_He blows a flute, and from every direction the Fairies come floating
in, their gauzy wings spangled, and each one carrying a toy balloon,
attached to a string. They trip back and forth, their balloons bobbing
up and down like rainbow bubbles, singing._
_Fairy Chorus_
[Illustration: Fairy Chorus]
We come, we come at thy call,
On rainbow bubbles we float.
We fairies, one and all,
Have answer'd the wind flute's note.
1. The south wind's silver flute,
From the far-off summer land,
It bade us hasten here,
To lend a helping hand.
It bade us hasten, hasten here,
To lend a helping hand.
2. To the aid of the gallant knight,
To the help of the princess fair,
To the rescue of the prince,
We come to the Ogre's lair.
To the rescue of the prince,
We come to the Ogre's lair.
3. And now, at thy behest,
We pause in our bright array,
To end thy weary quest,
For love has found a way,
To end thy weary, weary quest,
For love has found a way.
[_Queen Titania coming forward, waves her star-tipped-wand, and looks
up toward Princess at the window._
_Titania_
Princess Winsome,
When thy good Godmother
Bade thee spin Love's thread,
It was with this promise,
These the words she said:
All the world helps gladly
Those who help themselves.
The thread thou spinnest bravely,
Shall be woven by elves.
And now, O Princess Winsome,
How much hast thou spun,
As thy wheel, a-whirling,
Turned from sun to sun?
_Princess_
This, O Queen Titania.
[_Holding up mammoth ball._
To the humming wheel's refrain,
I sang, and spun the measure
Of one great golden skein.
And winding, winding, winding,
At last I wound it all,
Until the thread all golden
Made a mammoth wonder-ball.
_Titania_
Here below thy casement
Thy true knight waiting stands.
Drop the ball thou holdest
Into his faithful hands.
[_Princess drops the ball, Knight catches it, and as Titania waves her
wand, he starts along the line of Fairies. They each take hold as the
Witch and Ogre
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