y
fairy creatures! If you will listen very hard, you will hear them
stirring. It is the Flowers. They come to the Woodland to make it
ready for the Moon-Queen who will visit them this night!"

Down through the trees danced Nonie, bare-footed, arms outflung, as
though she was, indeed, joyously preparing for the triumphal coming of
a Queen. In turn she characterized the Daisy, the Hollyhock, the
Buttercup and the Rose--then became the good old Dandelion.

"Lily, you are _so_ lazy," the Dandelion sternly admonished her fair
sister. "Don't you know the Queen likes tidy gardens when she comes
here? And see the muss Buttercup has left around. Oh, dearie me,
children will be children and I'll be so glad when Buttercup and
Daffy-down-dilly grow up! Daisy, it isn't lady-like to complain that
your dress is so plain! I am sure the Queen will think you look very
well, if your petals are clean. It's what you _do_, anyway, and _not_
what you wear!"

Nancy saw Peter Hyde's laughing face drop suddenly between his arms.

With quaint, childish phrasing and with dancing steps Nonie interpreted
her story to her audience. When each flower had done its part toward
preparing the Garden for the coming of the Queen, Nonie, as the old
Dandelion, admonished them to sit very still, "so as not to muss their
dresses," and then disappeared only to appear again as the stately
Queen. Like a peacock, holding an imaginary train in one hand, Nonie
strutted across the grass, now nodding graciously to right and left,
now haughtily chiding imaginary moonbeams who accompanied her.
Then--the Queen supposedly in state upon her throne--Nonie was again
the Dandelion, leading forward her sister flowers to pay court to their
Queen.

Suddenly (from the direction of Aunt Milly's chair) came a slow,
sorrowful voice that the Flowers (or at least Dandelion) lamented
loudly as Trouble. The Flowers were sadly dismayed that Trouble should
have intruded upon this festive gathering in honor of the Moon-Queen!
But the Moon-Queen implored them "not to worry a bit."

"I know all about Trouble and the harm she does! I see everything as I
ride through the sky. But, never fear, we will find a way to get rid
of her!" The Queen threw out her hand with an imperial gesture.
"Summon Youth!"

Nancy, as Youth, trying very hard not to giggle, answered the summons.
In her pink dress, a flush dying her tanned cheeks, her eyes alight
with life, she was so much the em