CHAPTER I
On and on they flew; first Chip Wing ahead, then Spider Eyes, as his wing grew stronger.
Finally they came to some crossroads, where they stopped and said one to the other:
“I wonder which road will lead us to the beautiful world?”
“See,” said Spider Eyes, “see that bright fellow; he will surely know the way and with his lantern will guide us.”
“Oh, I am afraid to ask him,” said Chip Wing, “for he may do to us just as the toad tried to.”
“But we will have to ask some one anyhow,” said Spider Eyes, “since we cannot find the way ourselves.”
They started to speak to him, but drew back in fright on seeing that he was not alone.
In the roadway, here and there, glowed many a worm with his little lantern.
Dusty Cap said, “We can never dare to ask them, for there are so many of them, and they will surely do us some harm.”
“Well,” cried Spider Eyes, “I will face the danger; see, I am going.”
He flew in the air and alighted on the ground just before a large glowworm, who said to him:
“Ho, ho! What do you want, my little man?” and he brightened up his light so that it dazzled Spider Eyes.
“When did you come from Elfland, and what can I do for you?” he continued.
“Kind friend,” said Spider Eyes, shading his eyes from the glare of the glowworm’s lantern, “my brothers and I are going to see the beautiful world, and we wish to inquire the way.”
“I do not know anything about the beautiful world myself,” said the glowworm, “but you wait here, and I will ask some of the older glowworms who have traveled more than I have. To me, as I crawl over the ground, the world is dark and brown, so you see I do not pretend to know much about it. Above us are shining so many bright little lights, glittering and sparkling. They seem to journey from one place to another, just as we do with our little lanterns. Then there comes one big light from some far off place we do not know about. How it lights up the whole earth! and it shines so bright that we glowworms hide our lanterns in shame, for they seem so feeble. I suppose if you fly up there, high in the air, you can see the beautiful world. Now I will ask the way for you.”
The glowworm left, and Spider Eyes could hear the buzz of their talk.