There too, but nearer to hand, was the moon-fay himself waiting--a great
figure of lofty stature, clad in furs of blue fox-skin, and with heron's wings
fastened above the flaps of his hood; and these lifted themselves and clapped
as Hands and the Princess drew near.

"Are you coming to the blue moon ?" called the fay, and his voice whistled and
shrewed to them like the voice of a wind.

Hands-pansy gave back answer stoutly: "Yes, yes, we are coming!" And indeed
what better could he say?

"But," cried Nillywill, holding back for a moment, "what will the blue moon do
for us?"

"Once you are there," answered the moon-fay, "you can have your wish and your
heart's desire; but only once in a blue moon can you have it. Are you coming?"

"We are coming!" cried Nillywill. "Oh, let us make haste!"

"Tread softly," whispered the moon-fay, "and stoop well under these boughs,
for if anything awakes to behold the blue moon, the memory of it can never
die. On earth only the nightingale of all living things has beheld a blue
moon; and the triumph and pain of that memory wakens him ever since to sing
all night long. Tread softly, lest others waken and learn to cry after us; for
we in the blue moon have our sleep troubled by those who cry for a blue moon
to return." He looked towards Nillywill, and smiled with friendly eyes.
"Come!" he said again, and all at once they had leapt upon the sledge, and the
reindeer were running fast down toward the sea.

The blue moon was resting with its lower rim upon the waters. At that sight,