aking
and cleaning as busily as if she were the wee woman herself.

"'Tis fine weather for flowers," said she, nodding and smiling at the
wee woman.

"The finest in the world," said the wee woman; and she nodded and
smiled too, for she knew that the magic flower had done its work.

THE LIONS IN THE WAY[7]

Once upon a time three friends set out to go to the palace of the
king, which was known as the House Beautiful.

[Footnote 7: Founded upon the incident of the Lions in the Way in
Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress."]

The king himself had invited them there, and that they might have no
trouble in finding the way he sent to them a scroll upon which the
path was marked so plainly that it would have been a hard matter to
have missed it. And to make assurance doubly sure he wrote upon the
scroll with his own hand, bidding them to keep to the path.

"Turn neither to the right nor to the left," his message said; "but
follow the path and it will lead you safely to the House Beautiful,
where I have prepared a place for you."

All their lives the three friends had heard of the wonders of the
king's house. Some people said that it was built of gold bright as the
sun itself, and others that it was made of gleaming pearl. Its windows
were said to overlook the whole world, and its towers to reach higher
than the sky. And every one agreed that there was naught within its
gates but peace and joy.

So eager were the friends to see it that they could not journey fast
enough to satisfy themselves, and from morning until night they urged
each other on.

The path by which they were to go was a narrow path, with a rough
place now and then, and now and then a briar or sharp stone upon it,
but for the most part it was a pleasant way. The travelers hastened
joyfully along it and all went well with them until, one day, they met
a man whose face was turned toward the land from which they had just
come.

"Good neighbors," he cried, "why travel you so fast? Is a house afire
or a friend ill; or does a feast wait till you come? Tell me, I pray
you, that I may sorrow with you, or rejoice, as your need may be."

"Rejoice, rejoice!" cried the three; "for we journey to the king's
House Beautiful, where a place is prepared for us."

But when the man heard this he shook his head sorrowfully as if what
they told him was grievous news indeed.

"I, too, had thought of going there," he said; "but that was before I
knew of the lions in t