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All my days spent browsing round on shoots here in the wood, without a single adventure because nobody's willing to be rescued by the likes of me! And then the nights! Oh" groaned the poor fellow "the nights are the worst of all!" "What do you do then?" asked Rudolf and Ann. "Oh, I'm ridden to death," sighed the Knight-mare.
Could Peter be expected to refuse any kind of refreshments at any time? They knew that he could not. "Come," cried Rudolf, pulling at the Knight-mare's arm. "Take us to him, please. We've got to hurry." The Knight-mare obligingly stepped forward, leading Ann by the hand, and the Bad Dreams to the children's surprise rose meekly to accompany them.
"I'm sorry not to oblige you," said Rudolf firmly, "but I can't do anything of the sort. I never cut anybody's head off in my life, and the sword's not so awful sharp, you know, and then how can you tell a new head will grow at your time of life?" "Oh, I'd risk that," said the Knight-mare lightly. "I do wish you'd think it over. If you knew what a life mine is!
"Nobody's got any sympathy for me. How would you like it? Suppose you were a little girl only as far as your shoulders and all the rest of you hippopotamus, eh?" "I wouldn't like it at all," said Ann, after thinking a moment. "Then no more do I," said the Knight-mare, and sighed a long sad sigh. "Would you mind telling us how it happened?" asked Rudolf politely.
"Not at all," said the Knight-mare. "You see I was a great boy for fighting in the old days though you mightn't think it to see me now and I used to ride forth to battle on my coal-black steed, this very mare whose head I'm wearing now.
Instantly the Bad Dreams stopped their dance and vanished into the darkness. When they came again into the firelight the children saw that the Cook, the Dancing-master, and several others carried large dishes in their hands which they now presented with low bows to Peter. "It's the Banquet!" whispered the Knight-mare nervously. "If he touches a morsel, he's lost.
"The seeds in it are poppy-seeds," explained Rudolf, "and you'll go to sleep and dream Bad Dreams forever, like the Knight-mare said, so you sha'n't eat it!" He tried to get the cake away from his naughty little brother who only grasped it the more tightly. There would have been a quarrel, and a fierce one, if it had not been for Ann. "I tell you," said she, "let's try it on the animals!"
"We can't do that," cried Rudolf and Ann together. "Then come with me," said the Knight-mare. "It's only a short way to " He was suddenly interrupted by a fresh commotion in the wood. Heavy bodies were parting the undergrowth back of where they stood.
I was the nicest kind of a Good Dream once why I belonged to a lady who lived in a castle, and she thought a lot of me, she did!" "It's too bad," said Rudolf sympathetically; "but isn't there anything you can do about it?" "Nothing," groaned the Knight-mare, "nothing at all. At least not till I can find a way to get rid of this ugly head of mine.
As soon as her eye fell on her little brother, Ann started toward him, but the Knight-mare held her back. "No use," said he. "Wait a bit, and I'll tell you when the real trouble's going to begin." The children had no choice but to obey, and their attention was soon occupied by the strange sights before them.
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