," insisted
the little girl, eady to cry. "And what will she say when she sees
this one?"

"You shut the door, then," said the goblin, pointing to the door that
had never been closed, "and I'll wash the pearl." So the little girl ran
to close the door, and the goblin began to rub the pearl; but it only
seemed to grow darker. Now the door had been open so long that it was
hard to move, and it creaked on its hinges as the little girl tried to
close it. When the mother heard this she looked up to see what was the
matter. She had been thinking about the dress which she was making; but
when she saw the closing door, her heart stood still with fear; for she
knew that if it once closed tight she might never be able to open it
again.

She dropped her fine laces and ran towards the door, calling, "Little
Daughter! Little Daughter! Where are you?" and she reached out her hands
to stop the door. But as soon as the little girl heard that loving voice
she answered:--

"Mother, oh! Mother! I need you so! my pearl is turning black and
everything is wrong!" and, flinging the door wide open, she ran into
her mother's arms.

When the two went together into the little room, the goblin had gone.
The pansies now bloomed again, and the white dove cooed in peace; but
there was much work for the mother and daughter, and they rubbed and
scrubbed and washed and swept and dusted, till the room was so beautiful
that you would not have known that a goblin had been there--except for
the one pearl which was a little blue always, even when the king was
ready for Little Daughter to come to his court, although that was not
until she was a very old woman.

As for the door, it was never closed again; for Little Daughter and her
mother put two golden hearts against it and nothing in this world could
have shut it then.

_THE MINSTREL'S SONG_

MOTTO FOR THE MOTHER

_The child must listen well if he would hear_.

--_Blow's Commentaries_.

Once, long, long ago, there lived in a country over the sea a king
called Rene, who married a lovely princess whose name was Imogen.

Imogen came across the seas to the king's beautiful country, and all his
people welcomed her with great joy because the king loved her.

"What can I do to please thee to-day?" the king asked her every morning;
and one day the queen answered that she would like to hear all the
minstrels in the king's country, for they were said to be the finest in
the world.