ll!"

"Where are you?" cried the other fairy, flying up among the columbines;
for she could see no opening in the rock, and wondered where the voice
came from. No one replied, for Thistle did not hear her, so she sang her
answer to his call,--

"Through sunshine and shower
I have looked for you long,
Guided by bird and flower,
And now by your song,
Thistledown! Thistledown!
O'er wood, hill, and dell
Hither to comfort you
Comes Lilybell."

Then through the narrow opening two arms were stretched out to her, and
all the columbines danced for joy that Thistle was found.

Lilybell made her home there, and did all she could to cheer the poor
prisoner, glad to see that he was sorry for his naughtiness, and really
trying to be good. But he pined so to come out that she could not bear
it, and said she would go and ask the Brownies what he could do to be
free.

Thistle waited and waited, but she did not come back, and he cried and
called so pitifully that the Brownies came at last and took him out,
saying,--

"Lilybell is safe, but she is in a magic sleep, and will not wake till
you bring us a golden wand from the earth elves, a cloak of sunshine
from the air spirits, and a crown of diamonds from the water fairies. It
is a hard task, for you have no friends to help you along. But if you
love Lilybell enough to be patient, brave, and kind, you may succeed,
and she will wake to reward you when you bring the fairy gifts."

As they said this, the Brownies led him to a green tent made of tall
ferns, and inside on a bed of moss lay Lilybell fast asleep, like the
Beauty in the dear old story.

"I will do it," said Thistle, and spreading the wings that had been idle
so long, he was off like a humming-bird.

"Flowers know most about the earth elves, so I will ask them," he
thought, and began to ask every clover and buttercup, wood-violet, and
wayside dandelion that he met. But no one would answer him; all shrunk
away and drew their curtains close, remembering his rough treatment
before.

"I will go to the rose; I think she is a friend, for she forgave me, and
took me in when the rest left me in the cold," said Thistle, much
discouraged, and half afraid to ask anything of the flower he had hurt
so much.

But when he came to the garden the rose-mother welcomed him kindly, and
proudly showed the family of little buds that now grew on her stem.

"I will trust and help you for Lilybel