THE STARLIGHT WONDER BOOK [Illustration: _Long and hard fought Thyrza, and presently a great gust of the gale swept her against the Bell of the Sea_] _The_ STARLIGHT WONDER BOOK _By_ HENRY B. BESTON AUTHOR OF _The_ FIRELIGHT FAIRY BOOK [Illustration] WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAURICE DAY _The_ ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS BOSTON COPYRIGHT 1923 BY THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS, INC. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA _To_ MISS MABEL DAVISON MY WAR-TIME GODMOTHER _with the_ HOMAGE _and_ GRATEFUL AFFECTION _of_ H·B·B· [Illustration] CONTENTS PAGE THE BRAVE GRENADIER 3 THE PALACE OF THE NIGHT 21 THE ENCHANTED BABY 45 THE TWO MILLERS 69 THE ADAMANT DOOR 89 THE CITY OF THE WINTER SLEEP 110 AILEEL AND AILINDA 131 THE WONDERFUL TUNE 151 THE MAN OF THE WILDWOOD 174 THE MAIDEN OF THE MOUNTAIN 193 THE BELL OF THE EARTH AND THE BELL OF THE SEA 215 THE WOOD BEYOND THE WORLD 239 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE THE BELL OF THE EARTH AND THE BELL OF THE SEA _Long and hard fought Thyrza, and presently a great gust of the gale swept her against the Bell of the Sea_ Frontispiece THE BRAVE GRENADIER _Suddenly the soldier’s foot dislodged a piece of clattering stone, and the hippodrac awoke_ 13 THE PALACE OF THE NIGHT _The image in the mirror stood still_ 35 THE ENCHANTED BABY _Over hill, over dale, in a long straight line, fled the Master Thief with the golden perambulator_ 57 THE TWO MILLERS _He lifted a moistened finger to the air. Good heavens, there wasn’t a breath of wind!_ 85 THE ADAMANT DOOR _Summoning up all his courage, Hugh threw open the adamant door_ 105 THE CITY OF THE WINTER SLEEP _The runaway Princess stepped forth into the dark street and, taper in hand, hurried to the gate of the city wall_ 117 AILEEL AND AILINDA _And now, all at once, there were cries and shouts of alarm. “Run! Run, everybody! The bird! Oh, see the bird!”_ 149 THE WONDERFUL TUNE _“No, I do not agree with you,” shouted the Lord Organist_ 171 THE MAN OF THE WILDWOOD _Before him stood the Man of the Wildwood_ 187 THE MAIDEN OF THE MOUNTAIN _For a long moment Leoline, awed yet unafraid, gazed at the Giant of the Mountain_ 203