"You must be an extraordinarily ignorant person," said the Enchanted Banjo, "not to recognize Queen Zulena's own private coach, the Bumblebee Express. But why do you wait? Why don't you get into the coach? You see the footman is waiting for you." "Get in?" said Zuzu. "Why, how could we?" "Yes, indeed," said Lulu. "It is not big enough for a kitten, let alone Twins of our age." "You are quite mistaken," said the Enchanted Banjo. "Her Majesty, the good Queen Zulena, has sent for you. Do not try to understand everything in the world, for you are still young and there are many things which you do not know. So do as I say and step in at once." To their great surprise, they stepped through the door with perfect ease and found there was plenty of room and to spare upon the seats. While they were settling themselves for the ride the Enchanted Banjo sang: HOW THE FAIRIES SING You can hear the Fairies sing Just as plain as anything, If you wait Till the breeze at twilight blows Breaths of perfume from the rose At the gate. Then it is you may hear words Sweeter than the songs of birds, Fair and fine, Soft and sweet and low and clear-- No such words as yours, my dear, Nor as mine. But the speech they use is quaint, Whispery, and very faint, Yet it swells As it drifts, now high, now low, Borne in echoes to and fro Like to bells. Once you hear the speech of them You will know each word a gem New and bright, For it seems to sway and shake As the jewels do that break Into light. [Illustration] CHAPTER XXIII TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad. They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down. But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead. They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern. The Enchanted Banjo now looked perfectly happy. "In this way, my friends," it remarked, "we shall soon be at the edge of the Valley of the Fairies. Had you stopped to climb down that Ladder, there is no telling how long it would have taken you. It might have been several years, and, indeed, for all I know, you might have been old persons by the time you got there, and so have had trouble about getting into the Valley; for every one knows that children are more loved by the Fairies than old people."