“Jack the Giant Killer, if you will come to me with all your heart and place your hand in mine, I can make you beautiful and strong, despite all that Father Time has done.”

Jack lifted his troubled eyes to hers.  “You?” he asked.  And then he tried to approach her, but he had become too infirm.  “I cannot!” he cried despairingly.

He would have fallen, but the gentle hand of the giant, Will o’Dreams, was instantly about him, supporting him.  “Let me help,” he said.

Everychild’s heart was beating loudly.  “Let me help too!” he cried.  “I have always been fond of Jack the Giant Killer.”

Between these two, then, the infirm little old man, who had been the gay youth, moved totteringly toward the Masked Lady.  With a slow, tremulous gesture he placed his hand in hers, which was stretched out to him.

A miracle!  He was instantly the brave and gallant youth again, seven-league boots, invisible cloak, sword of sharpness and all!

He lifted his sword with a great shout of joy.  And then, remembering his manners, he said to the Masked Lady, “I thank you, lady!” And to Everychild he said, “They shall never be deceived who put their faith in you.”  And to the giant, Will o’Dreams, he said, after a solemn pause—­“It may be that you shall see me fight again; but when that day comes, I shall be fighting on your side!”

And so he marched gallantly away into the forest.

It was then that Everychild observed that the night was falling.  “Perhaps we ought to sleep awhile,” he said to his companions.  “This seems a very nice place, and we may have to go a long distance to-morrow.”

They all found places on the grassy bank, the giant Will o’Dreams lying down beside Everychild like a true friend.

They had no sooner taken their places than it was really night.  Insects in the forest about them made a droning sound.  A distant bell rang faintly.  One by one the members of the band fell asleep.

All save Everychild.  He alone was wakeful.  And he knew that the Masked Lady had taken a step forward and was looking down at him.

He lifted himself on his elbow and looked away toward the sky where it appeared through the trees.  And suddenly he exclaimed.  “Oh, wonderful!  I think I saw a star fall!”

The Masked Lady spoke to him soothingly:  “Perhaps.  They fall every little while.”

Everychild had not known this.  “Do they?” he asked; “I wonder why?”

The Masked Lady said, “Perhaps it is so we may know that they don’t amount to very much, after all.”

“Not amount to much!  But they are worlds, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are worlds.”

“Then if they don’t amount to a great deal, is there anything that does?”

“Nothing but human beings.”

“Human beings . . . and why do they?”

“Because every human being—­even the most obscure or humble or wayward—­is a little bit of God.”