to grow lighter and larger. And suddenly the scene changed! He was out
in the woods, with lofty trees towering above him, while all about,
laughing and talking, were hundreds of little fairies, gnomes and
sprites, and there, too, were the playmates of long ago, just as he had
seen them when he had closed his eyes and played in the attic.

And there, too, was his sister as she had been when a child. He looked
at himself, and lo! he was no longer wrinkled and old. He was young
again!

In his gladness he danced with joy, and catching his sister to his
breast he kissed her again and again.

And, looking about him with shining eyes, he again drew his bow across
the strings and played a tune so lively and full of sweet happiness the
childhood friends caught hands and danced in a circle, and the little
sprites, elves, gnomes and fairies caught hands and danced around the
children, and as they passed before the brother he caught a mischievous
glance from the eyes of one of the little fairies, and he knew in a
moment she was the one who had played the old woman, and who had given
him the iron ring....

The people who lived in the room below the attic room missed the little
old man's shuffling step, and, not hearing it for two days, they told
the landlady, a kindly soul who had let the brother and sister have the
attic room free of charge, and all went up to investigate....

They rapped upon the attic door. All was quiet within. Timidly they
opened the door and looked in. There upon the floor lay an old rusty
iron ring. It was the Fairy Ring.