Tales Before Tolkien by Douglas A. Anderson

beautiful eyes, to sit, and let her wait on him.
    â€œBut you are a great, splendid, beautiful lady,” said Mossy.
    â€œYes, I am. But I work all day long—that is my pleasure; and you will have to leave me so soon!”
    â€œHow do you know that, if you please, madam?” asked Mossy.
    â€œBecause you have got the golden key.”
    â€œBut I don’t know what it is for. I can’t find the key-hole. Will you tell me what to do?”
    â€œYou must look for the key-hole. That is your work. I cannot help you. I can only tell you that if you look for it you will find it.”
    â€œWhat kind of a box will it open? What is there inside?”
    â€œI do not know. I dream about it, but I know nothing.”
    â€œMust I go at once?”
    â€œYou may stop here to-night, and have some of my supper. But you must go in the morning. All I can do for you is to give you clothes. Here is a girl called Tangle, whom you must take with you.”
    â€œThat
will
be nice,” said Mossy.
    â€œNo, no!” said Tangle. “I don’t want to leave you, please, grandmother.”
    â€œYou must go with him, Tangle. I am sorry to lose you, but it will be the best thing for you. Even the fishes, you see, have to go into the pot, and then out into the dark. If you fall in with the Old Man of the Sea, mind you ask him whether he has not got some more fishes ready for me. My tank is getting thin.”
    So saying, she took the fish from the pot, and put the lid on as before. They sat down and ate the fish and then the winged creature rose from the pot, circled the roof, and settled on the lady’s lap. She talked to it, carried it to the door, and threw it out into the dark. They heard the flap of its wings die away in the distance.
    The lady then showed Mossy into just such another chamber as that of Tangle; and in the morning he found a suit of clothes laid beside him. He looked very handsome in them. But the wearer of Grandmother’s clothes never thinks about how he or she looks, but thinks always how handsome other people are.
    Tangle was very unwilling to go.
    â€œWhy should I leave you? I don’t know the young man,” she said to the lady.
    â€œI am never allowed to keep my children long. You need not go with him except you please, but you must go some day; and I should like you to go with him, for he has found the golden key. No girl need be afraid to go with a youth that has the golden key. You will take care of her, Mossy, will you not?”
    â€œThat I will,” said Mossy.
    And Tangle cast a glance at him, and thought she should like to go with him.
    â€œAnd,” said the lady, “if you should lose each other as you go through the—the—I never can remember the name of that country,—do not be afraid, but go on and on.”
    She kissed Tangle on the mouth and Mossy on the forehead, led them to the door, and waved her hand eastward. Mossy and Tangle took each other’s hand and walked away into the depth of the forest. In his right hand Mossy held the golden key.
    They wandered thus a long way, with endless amusement from the talk of the animals. They soon learned enough of their language to ask them necessary questions. The squirrels were always friendly, and gave them nuts out of their own hoards; but the bees were selfish and rude, justifying themselves on the ground that Tangle and Mossy were not subjects of their queen, and charity must begin at home, though indeed they had not one drone in their poorhouse at the time. Even the blinking moles would fetch them an earth-nut or a truffle now and then, talking as if their mouths, as well as their eyes and ears, were full of cotton wool, or their own velvety fur. By the time they got out of the forest they were very fond of each other, and Tangle was not in the least sorry that her grandmother had sent her away with Mossy.
    At length the trees grew smaller, and stood farther apart, and the ground