At that moment there popped down amongst them, as if it had been thrown from some high tree, a high-heeled silver slipper, studded with rubies and emeralds. "Oh!" screamed all of them, starting back and forming a circle around it, "where did that come from?" "Isn't it a beauty!" said one. "How it sparkles!" said another. "Why don't you pick it up?" said Edmund, nudging the little Teresa, who stood next to him. "I'm afraid," said she. "It's alive, isn't it?" "No; it won't hurt you," replied he. "Pick it up." Half afraid, Teresa crept cautiously forward, and, stooping down, reached out her hand to take up the treasure; but before she could touch it, it bounded up with such a spring as caused her to scream and run hastily back. Then it jumped over Amanda's head, just tapped her on the shoulder, as much as to say, "Come, catch me," and was lying some dozen yards off on the other side of the group before any of them could have said "Peter Piper." "I know what it is," cried Alphonse; "it's a fairy slipper. The fairy has sent it for us to play with." "It's a fairy slipper! It's a fairy slipper!" they all cried. "Let's hunt the fairy slipper!" Off they started, the king and queen joining in the chase this time, and enjoying it, being without their crowns and trains. Master Edmund was foremost, but he overbalanced himself and lay sprawling on the ground, whilst the slipper jumped up into a tree. Philip and Alphonse, being the biggest boys, began immediately to climb up after it. But no sooner had Alphonse reached the bough where it was perched than it sprang off, rapped him on the nose, and slid down the opposite side of the tree, giving the king's leg a sharp kick as it passed by. "Where has it gone?" cried the two, rapidly descending the tree. "I don't know," was the general rejoinder, uttered in chorus. "There it is!" cried Ernest, "hopping across the meadow." [Illustration: LUGANO. (_See page 90._)] The whole troop raised a loud shout, and scampered off after it, the biggest first, and the little ones running in the rear as fast as their short legs would carry them, and hallooing with the loudest. The slipper stood still till the foremost was within grasping, length of it, when it gave a spring and got some yards in advance of the party, and then kept on hop, hop, hopping before them; yet, although it did not seem to hop very quickly, and although the young folks ran at the top of their speed, it always managed to keep at a tantalising distance, so that none of them could catch it, leading them a fine dance, up hill and down dale, through hedges and across the stepping-stones of a little brook, where many a wet shoe and sock were the result of its pranks. At last, just as Edmund was about to lay hold of it--as he made sure to do--it bounded to the top of a high, steep bank, and commenced doing the toe and heel shuffle.