Her bundle of dreams fell out of her arms, and lay on the ground under the rose-bush; and the poor little fairy burst into tears, for she knew that daylight always spoiled dreams, and these were very lovely ones.

Her shining wings were tangled in the web, her hands were chained, and her feet were helpless; so she had to lie still and wait for the day time which, after all, came too soon.

As soon as the sun was up, Mrs. Spider came out of her den; and when she saw the fairy she was very glad, for she thought she had caught a new kind of fly.

“If you please, Mrs. Spider,” cried the fairy quickly, “I am only a little fairy, and flew into your web last night on my way home to fairyland.”

“A fairy!” said Mrs. Spider crossly, for she was disappointed; “I suppose you are the one who helps the flies to get away from me.  You see well enough then!”

“I help them because they are in trouble,” answered the fairy gently.

“So are you, now,” snapped the spider, “But the flies won’t help you.”

“But perhaps you will,” pleaded the fairy.

“Perhaps I won’t,” said the spider, going back into her house and leaving the little fairy, who felt very sorrowful.

Her tears fell like dew drops on the spider web, and the sun shone on them, and made them as bright as the fairy queen’s diamonds.

The fairy began to think of the queen and the court, and the bundle of dreams; and she wondered who would do the work if she never got free.  The fairy queen had always trusted her, and had sent her on many errands.

Once she had been sent to free a mocking-bird that had been shut in a cage.  She remembered how he sang in his cage, although he was longing for his green tree tops.

She smiled through her tears when she thought of this, and said to herself:—­

“I can be singing, too!  It is better than crying.”

Then she began to sing one of her fairy songs:—­

“Oh! listen well, and I will tell, Of the land where the fairies dwell; The lily bells ring clear and sweet, And grass grows green beneath your feet In the land where the fairies dwell, In the land where the fairies dwell.”

Now though the fairy did not know it, Mrs. Spider was very fond of music; and when she heard the sweet song, she came out to listen.  The little fairy did not see her, so she sang on:—­

“Grasshoppers gay, by night and day, Keep ugly goblins far away From the land where the fairies dwell, From the land where the fairies dwell.”

Mrs. Spider came a little farther out, while the fairy sang:—­

“There’s love, sweet love, for one and all—­ For love is best for great and small—­ In the land where the fairies dwell, In the land where the fairies dwell.”

Just as the fairy finished the song she looked up, and there was Mrs. Spider, who had come out in a hurry.