She often thought, "He is not so nice as Shaun O'Day!"
She imagined Shaun even finer than he was. She had really forgotten what he was like, and she made a prince of him in her thoughts.
"I shall never be happy until I find Shaun O'Day once more!" she said.
One day Marjorie asked her father if he would take her abroad. She wanted to visit the countries of Europe. Her father consented, and the family sailed away on a fine ship.
They were going to France and Germany and Italy and many other countries. They had not thought of going to Ireland. But Marjorie knew that they were going to Ireland!
And in Ireland, poor little John O'Day sat by the lake waiting for the fairies. He had waited there for many days. At first he sat very still with the clumsy trousers rolled up his legs and the big cap falling over his eyes.
He sat still and listened for a sound. He heard
only the lake lapping.
Then he began to bring his books along. He liked the books about Ireland that they gave him at school.
He thought the pictures of Dublin and Belfast looked very like that fairy city of which his father had told. He looked at those pictures for hours and hours. And he waited there by the banks.
He always changed to his red petticoat before he went home. He did not want anyone to know what he was doing. Some might laugh at him.
His mother would be frightened and hold him close. She might make him promise never to do it again. Then he would never see the fairies.
His brother could not imagine what had become of his old suit of clothes. He had to wear his Sunday suit until he could make enough money to buy a new suit. But the days slipped by, and the boy waited in vain for the leprechaun. The longing for adventure was great in his heart.
One day he stepped to the edge of the lake and cried out in a loud voice, "Arrah, 'tis long I've waited and tired I am! Come, Good Folk, come! Give to the son of Shaun O'Day the great wonders of your fairy powers!"
As his voice died down, he stepped back from the edge of the water. He looked about cautiously. Then his heart gave a leap. He had heard a tiny sound. It was not the lapping lake. It was not the wind in the trees.
It was surely a fairy. And as he was thinking these thoughts, he saw her.
She came gliding over the ground like a rainbow. Her gown was lavender and blue, flowing and billowy. Her dainty little shoes were snow-white. And her hair was spun gold.
A many-colored scarf twined about her neck and fluttered in the breeze. There was a beautiful perfume in the air as she appeared.
The boy backed into the bushes. He stared out at the lovely vision. His eyes were wild with fear.
The beautiful creature came closer. She held out her hand and smiled. Her hand was snow-white. Her smile was a sunbeam, with a dimple in it.
"Do not be afraid," said her clear, sweet voice. "You called the fairies, son of Shaun O'Day?"
John nodded, but could not speak. His mouth was dry.
"I have come at your command," she smiled. Then she led John out and looked at him for a long time. She was smiling kindly. At last she spoke.
"You are the son of Shaun O'Day. And I am the fairy Princess who once stole Shaun from the leprechaun. I used to hear his fine stories of Ireland. I loved to listen to him. He used to play with me in fairyland. Did he tell you?"
John looked into her sparkling brown eyes and said, "Sure, and he did. He told me about it all. And I did be wanting to go with the fairies, too."
She laughed a silvery laugh and put her arm about John. "And so you shall," she said. "Come with me. Let me show you to our fairy chariot."
She led him away. They walked for quite a while until they came to a dusty road. It was a road on which many donkey carts travel, but few automobiles.
She drew him to the side of a shining automobile. It was the most beautiful thing John had ever seen.
"Enter, Shaun," said the girl fairy.
John looked at her for just an instant with a question on his lips. She had called him Shaun. Why?
But she stopped his question and said, "We shall fly over the ground now. Hold on tight."
For the next hour, the boy John hardly breathed with excitement. He was being carried over the ground faster than ever he had gone in his life.
Trees and fields and pigs and donkeys flew by. Thatched cottages seemed to dart out at them and then disappear.
The girl fairy sat at the big wheel of the car and only smiled at him occasionally. She said never a word.
At last they drew up at the side of a lonely road. She stopped the flying car. She turned to him.
She said, "Now Shauneen, what do you want me to do for you?"
John took a deep breath and clutched the side of the car.
Then he answered slowly, "Faith! I'm after longing to visit fairyland."
The girl fairy's smile vanished for a moment. Then she took his hand in hers and spoke seriously.
"Shauneen," she said, "I cannot take you there. But I can show you a land as beautiful as fairyland. I can take you all about your own land, Ireland. Do you know that the poets have called Ireland fairyland? Do you know that there is no greener spot on earth?"