s man ran after the lovely lady and caught the hem of
her floating robe in his grasp. "Who are you, and whither are you
going?" he asked.

"I am the Fairy of Fortune," the beautiful lady said, "and that is my
castle. You may reach it to-day, if you will; there is time, if you
waste none. If you reach it before the last stroke of midnight, I will
receive you there, and will be your friend. But if you come one second
after midnight, it will be too late."

When she had said this, her robe slipped from the traveller's hand and
she was gone.

The industrious man hurried back to his friend, and told him what the
fairy had said.

"The idea!" said the lazy, man, and he laughed; "of course, if we had a
horse there would be some chance, but _walk_ all that way? No, thank
you!"

"Then good-bye," said his friend, "I am off." And he set out, down the
road toward the shining castle, with a good steady stride, his eyes
straight ahead.

The lazy man lay down in the soft grass, and looked rather wistfully at
the far-away towers. "If only I had a good horse!" he sighed.

Just at that moment he felt something warm nosing about at his shoulder,
and heard a little whinny. He turned round, and there stood a little
horse! It was a dainty creature, gentle-looking, and finely built, and
it was saddled and bridled.

"Hello!" said the lazy man. "Luck often comes when one isn't looking for
it!" And in an instant he had leaped on the horse, and headed him for
the castle of fortune. The little horse started at a fine pace, and in a
very few minutes they overtook the other traveller, plodding along on
foot.

"How do you like shank's pony?" laughed the lazy man, as he passed his
friend.

The industrious man only nodded, and kept on with his steady stride,
eyes straight ahead.

The horse kept his good pace, and by noon the towers of the castle stood
out against the sky, much nearer and more beautiful. Exactly at noon,
the horse turned aside from the road, into a shady grove on a hill, and
stopped.

"Wise beast," said his rider: "'haste makes waste,' and all things are
better in moderation. I'll follow your example, and eat and rest a bit."
He dismounted and sat down in the cool moss, with his back against a
tree. He had a lunch in his traveller's pouch, and he ate it
comfortably. Then he felt drowsy from the heat and the early ride, so he
pulled his hat over his eyes, and settled himself for a nap. "It will go
all the better for a lit