Page:The Children Who Followed the Piper.djvu/86

 lips and her cheeks were red, and there were two dimples where she smiled. But the most beautiful thing about her was the spirit of sweet delight that filled up her face. One would think that the words she would say would be like the sound of silver bells.

Valentine called to her, and she greeted him and John Ball with gladness. And Valentine thought he should have apples and pears and plums and all sweet and wholesome things to offer her, so dear and beautiful did she seem.

The gods of the old time had gone, and the children were making ready to sleep under the great ash trees. John Ball and Valentine looked at each other. They saw that old Philemon stood beside them. He held two cups in his hands. "I shall give a cup to each of you," he said. "And if one of you is parted from the other, the cup I give will help to bring you together."

Each took the cup that Philemon gave. They were well and smoothly made out of beechen