Everychild listened to him speaking in this strain on one occasion, and the effect upon him was unbelievable.  Everything seemed different to him.  The golden furniture in the finest room in the castle no longer seemed to be of gold.  It was merely painted yellow, he thought.  Even the Sleeping Beauty seemed changed in his eyes.  Her face did not seem so perfect, after all!  There were moments when she seemed even commonplace, not to say dreadfully old-fashioned.  He fought against this state of mind, but all in vain.

Seeing how things were going, the physicians urged that the giant’s friends be prevented from seeing him any more.  They were even for removing him to the castle dungeons and confining him.  But so great was the outcry against this extreme measure that if was not carried out.

Nevertheless, as one day after another passed, it was plain that something must be done.  The giant’s voice could be heard far and near, uttering evil words and pretending that things were quite unlike what they really were.  And all this had an effect upon all his former companions.

Cinderella was heard to say with a fearful sigh:  “I am sure the prince of the crystal slipper will never find me.  It is absurd to suppose so!”

Hansel was heard to say, “Oh, yes, I get enough to eat now:  but who knows how soon I shall be required to go without eating?”

Grettel said, “It’s all very well, but no one can tell me we’ll come to any good in this place surrounded by a forest in which there may be all kinds of monsters!”

Tom Hubbard maintained that his little black dog had never had so many fleas since the day he was born, and that it was all the fault of the old castle.

Little Bo-Peep and Little Boy Blue were seen to weep together and to confide in each other the fear that they would some day have to return to the folds to find that the wolves had become much larger and more ferocious than they had even been before.

Even the gentle Prince Arthur became moody and remarked to Everychild on one occasion, “There’s always a good deal of visiting among kings, and we may expect some one to see me here sooner or later and carry word to King John.  And then there will be no further liberty for me.”

For the time being everybody forgot all about the Masked Lady, who sat alone much of the time, and regarded this person or that with steadfast eyes through her mask.

To speak quite plainly, the Masked Lady had been putting off to the last possible moment a step from which she could not help but shrink.

The time had come for Everychild to take that dread journey to the Mountain of Reality.  She had given him as many days of grace as she could possibly permit.  And at last she said solemnly: 

“It shall be to-morrow.”

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE MOUNTAIN OF REALITY