"His bed was of fresh, sweet hay"
"They were struck with wonder"
"Hunted down like wild beasts"
"The Spaniards called them Marigolds"

THE ENCHANTED CASTLE

Fairy Tales from Flowerland

THE ENCHANTED CASTLE

"Primroses, the Spring may love them,
Summer knows but little of them."
--_Wordsworth._

ONE day a little German girl was gathering flowers in the meadows, when
she was met by a wonderful maiden. Wondrous fair the maiden was to look
upon.

Her dress was of pale green velvet, with streaks of bright crimson. In
her hand she carried a basket of spring flowers, and on her head she
wore a wreath of pale yellow blossoms. Her voice was like the sound of
silver bells.

"Lisbeth, you are a good child," she said. "You have done your best to
help your sick mother, and now tell me, what are you going to do with
the flowers you are gathering?"

And the little girl replied, "I am gathering them for mother. She loves
the spring flowers, but she is too ill to gather them for herself, and
she cannot afford to buy them."

"I know that you are telling the truth," said the fairy. "Your mother is
sick and poor, and you want to help her. Now look at this, Lisbeth," she
continued, giving the child a blossom from her basket like those upon
her head, "this is a primrose. Take it, and as you walk along follow the
primrose blossoms until you come to the walls of an old castle.

"In the wall you will find a great doorway, covered all over with
flowers. Touch the lock gently with your 'key-flower'" pointing to the
primrose she had given her, "and the door will open so that you may
enter the enchanted castle. I will meet you there again."

Then the fairy vanished as suddenly as she had appeared, but the
astonished Lisbeth did as she had been told, and followed the primroses
on the banks until she reached the castle walls.

She soon found the door covered with flowers, and moving aside some of
the beautiful blossoms, she placed her "key-flower" upon the lock.
Slowly the great door opened, but Lisbeth was so surprised at what she
saw within that she was afraid to enter, and could only stand and look.

Great baskets hung from the roof of the house full of the pale yellow
blossoms; banks of them were heaped around the walls; while upon the
floor and tables stood vases of all shapes and sizes containing nothing
but primroses.

But in a few minutes she heard a sweet voice calling her, and on
entering she saw