His mother gave him her sympathy, and after some thought, said to him: "You must go to the sorceress Maetta and ask her assistance. She is a good lady, and a friend to all the King's family. I am quite sure she will aid you, if only you can find your way to the castle in which she lives." "Where is this castle?" asked Timtom, brightening up. "Away to the south, in the midst of a thick wood," answered his mother. "Then," said he, sturdily, "if this castle exists, I will surely find it, for to win Pattycake is my only hope of happiness." The next day he set out on his journey, filled with the hope of finding Maetta's castle and securing her assistance. Before he had gone very far a snow-storm began to rage. Now, the snow-storms in Mo are different from ours, for the snow is popcorn, and on this day it fell so thick and fast that poor Timtom had much difficulty in wading through it. He was obliged to stop frequently to rest, and ate a great deal of the popcorn that cumbered his path, for it was nicely buttered and salted. Finally, to his joy, it stopped snowing, and then he was able to walk along easily until he came to the River of Needles. When he looked on this river he was nearly discouraged, and could not think of a way to get across; for instead of water the river flowed a perfect stream of sharp, glittering needles. Sitting down on the bank, he was wondering what he should do when to his astonishment a small but sharp and disagreeable voice said to him: "Where are you going, stranger?" Timtom looked down between his feet and saw a black spider, which sat on a blade of grass and watched him curiously. "I am on my way to visit the sorceress Maetta," replied Timtom; "But I can not get across the River of Needles." "They are very sharp, and would make a thousand holes through you in an instant," remarked the spider, thoughtfully. "But perhaps I can help you. If you are willing to grant me a favor in return, I will gladly build a bridge, so you may cross the river in safety." "What is the favor?" he asked. "I have lost an eye, and you must ask the sorceress to give me a new one, for I can see but half as well as I could before." "I will gladly do this for you," said Timtom. "Very well; then I will build you a bridge," promised the spider; "but if you have not the eye with you when you return I shall destroy the bridge, and you will never be able to get home again." The young man agreed to this, for he was anxious to proceed. So the spider threw a web across the river, and then another, and another, until it had made a bridge of spider-web strong enough for Timtom to cross over. It bent and swayed when his weight was on the slender bridge, but it did not break, and after he was safe across he thanked the spider and renewed his promise to bring back the eye. Then he hurried away on his journey, for he had lost much time at the river.