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The 84d~m Lirar
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THE NEW FAIRY BOOK.
Cf
A.
MV INTERVIEW WITH THE KING.
(Gerald, the Gentle Giant.)
THE
NEW FAIRY BOOK.
EDITED BY
WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S.,
Author of Bygone England," etc.
HULL:
WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS.
LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL,:HAMILTON, KENT, AND CO., LTD.
I895.
HULL:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM ANDREWS AND CO., THE HULL PRESS.
Zbts IPolume
IS
DEDICATED TO
JANET ANDREWS,
WITH HER FATHER'S LOVE.
_ _____
3ntrobuction.
IN the following
M- pages it has been
SJmy desire to
,. ." furnish a fresh
collection of fairy
&r stories, written
by authors who
/ love children, and
S know the kind of
/ tales that give
/ them pleasure.
S -- Something more
than providing
enjoyment is attempted. It is hoped that some
useful life lessons may be learnt from this book.
It may not be out of place to here state that the
tales, before printing, have been read to some of
my young friends, and have been much appreciated,
and now they are brought together in book-form
II II ------
INTRODUCTION.
and submitted to a larger audience, I hope they
will not fail to win a hearty welcome.
In conclusion, I beg to thank my contributors
for their kind assistance with pen and pencil.
The happy relationship I have had with them
will always remain a pleasant memory, and
I am hopeful their efforts will not fail to
interest my readers, and merit the approbation of
the critical press.
WILLIAM ANDREWS.
THE HULL PRESS,
October 3oth, 1894.
Contents.
PRINCESS BEAUTY
LOVELOCKS AND THE PRINCE
CINDERINA AND THE ELVES
PRINCE FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN
THE TWO PALACES
THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN
THE POEM OF LIFE
THE COURT OF QUEEN MAB
THE PRINCESS PULCHERISSIMA
LORD HARRY'S GHOST
WHAT THE ICE-KING SAW AND DID
THE CASTLE OF DESIROUSELLE
THE GIRL, THE FAIRY, AND THE TOAD
GERALD, THE GENTLE GIANT
BROTHER BENEDICT'S BUNS
PAGE
I
27
33
41
65
77
- 98
103
115
144
159
170
-86
208
267
1princeze VBautp.
"- NCE upon a time, in the
j 1 days which we all love
to read and hear about,
When mighty kings and
beautiful queens reigned
li. over vast and powerful
kingdoms, and wore
golden crowns studded
with brilliant gems upon their flowing locks,
whilst their magnificent robes of velvet and
ermine swept the marble floors of their
stately palaces; in those days when beautiful
young princesses, with hair of dazzling gold
reaching to their knees, won the love of gallant
princes who would dare the vengeance of wicked
giants, and the fury of fiery dragons, for the sake
of their lady loves; when fairy godmothers never
wearied in their task of surrounding their loved ones
with every happiness and blessing which they
could think of, and thought no present too rich
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
or splendid to bestow on those whom they took
under their special care; in those days when
people prospered, and content reigned throughout
the land; in those glorious day of old, there lived
a noble young princess called Beauty.
She was not christened by this name, but it was
the pet name the loving subjects of her father,
King Light-heart, bestowed upon her. You see,
it was thought necessary to put the baby princess
under the protection of some kind and gentle lady,
who would always guard her godchild's happiness,
and so King Light-heart chose as his daughter's
godmother, the Lady Ermentrude Wilhelmina,
and, in order to please the old lady more, called
the princess after her. But, however grand and
powerful a princess may afterwards be, she cannot
help being a baby to commence with, and I am
sure Ermentrude Wilhelmina is much too grand
and long a name for a sweet, tiny baby princess.
And this is just what the people of the land
thought.
The princess's christening was a grand and
solemn affair. All the nobility of the land was
there. His Grace the Grand Duke brought her
Grace the Grand Duchess, my lord the Earl
brought my lady the Countess, and the knights
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
and squires all brought their dames. The most
magnificent person present, however, was the
godmother, the Lady Ermentrude Wilhelmina.
She wore a long robe of purple velvet, and leaned
on a high gold stick. Behind her walked a
handsome page-boy, who carried the christening
present, an enormous branch of pink coral; from
the end of each little point there hung a tiny silver
bell; I should think there were quite a hundred
of these bells, and they jingled so sweetly that the
princess crowed with delight, and showed her first
little pearly tooth in such a winning, pretty way
that even the gruff and high and mighty Grand
Duke talked baby-talk to her. The page-boy
was so overcome when his Grace said Did ums,
was urns!" and shook so in his efforts not to burst
out laughing, that the bells jingled all the
more merrily, and baby's excitement rose to
such a high pitch that the clergyman was
obliged to sternly ask for silence, and glared
at the Grand Duke as though he were a naughty
school-boy.
A petition had been sent to the king and queen,
that after the grand christening the commoner
people of the land should be allowed to see the
princess, and judge for themselves whether they
I I IP I-
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
thought the name suitable. Besides, they had
heard so much about her prettiness that they were
eager to see her, for in that country none but
beautiful, sweet, and loveable princesses were
allowed to reign.
The king and queen gave their gracious
permission to the request of their faithful subjects,
and so, after the christening, Princess Ermentrude
Wilhelmina, arrayed in her long flowing robes of
purest white, and sitting in her nurse's lap, held
her first grand reception. Queens and princesses
hold receptions now-a-days, but only the grandest
in the land may kiss the royal hand. However,
in those days no subject was too poor or too
humble to pay their respects to their sovereign.
You can tell, therefore, what crowds flocked into
the city to see their princess.
Everybody made holiday. Swings and Aunt
Sallies were put up, whilst the sweet stalls drove a
roaring trade, and there was not a boy in all that
city who did not manage to hit a cocoanut with
one of the wooden balls that day. The soldiers
had their work set, I can tell you, to keep order
amongst the light-hearted people. That was only
outside the palace gates, however, for it was
wonderful to see how gentle and respectful the
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
people were when once in the presence of the
baby princess.
All the preparations in her honour, and all the
kind faces around her, so amused the princess, that
she crowed right graciously, and smiled with such
royal grace, that everyone was enchanted, and
swore she was a true princess, and worthy to
succeed the king and queen, her royal father and
mother. To show the exceeding love they bore
her, they declared that she should be called
Princess Beauty, and should only be known on
very state occasions by the stiff and dignified
name of Princess Ermentrude Wilhelmina.
The affection and adoration which the people
showed Princess Beauty that day, lasted throughout
her life. "But why do we love her so much?"
they would say. "It is not only because she is
so fair to look upon. Queen Proudface was
beautiful as a goddess and graceful as a fairy, yet
we sent her away because she was cold and
haughty. No, it is not her beautiful face, but her
sweet and winning ways that bind us so closely to
her."
Princess Beauty never seemed at any time to
be angry or sulky. When quite a little child, she
never thought of herself first, but always of those
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
she loved, and she loved everybody. When the
queen would send up to the nursery to say visitors
had come, and would nurse bring down Princess
Beauty, she would leave her dolls or her fairy
tale, and would let nurse put on a clean pinafore
and sash, and brush her golden hair, without
showing any temper. Then when she entered
the drawing-room, the visitors would all exclaim,
"What a sweet, sunny child !" and when Beauty
saw her mother's proud face, she would feel amply
rewarded for leaving her toys.
The land over which King Light-heart ruled
was a very fair realm, and the capital, that is the
chief town in his kingdom, was still more beautiful.
Stately palaces of pure white marble glistened in
the sun like rarest jewels; soft, velvety parks,
where the deer loved to browse, stretched far and
wide; old leafy trees formed a welcome shelter
from the fierce rays of the mid-day sun; the broad
streets were always busy and gay; the shops and
bazaars were full of all the most beautiful things
imaginable, rich silks and velvets of every hue
and description, costly jewels, curious ivory boxes,
fans and cases, in fact everything that most
delights the eye was to be bought. Dotted here
and there through the city were fountains, which
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
threw up jets of water like diamond sprays flashing
in the sun; beautiful statues gleamed through the
trees. At night, myriads of fairy lights hung in
the trees, and, as they were of every colour,
orange, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, etc., one
could almost imagine one lived in fairyland. In
fact, so happy and content were the people, that I
am almost tempted to believe it was fairyland
after all. Whether it was or not I can't say, but
I know that nowhere else did the sun shine so
brightly, the birds sing so merrily, the fruit seem
so abundant and delicious, the people so rich and
prosperous, the king and queen so good and
thoughtful and anxious for the well-being of their
subjects, as in that fair land.
Princess Beauty was one day out walking in
the park. The nurse had met a friend, and the
two were busily talking, either about the queen
and the duchess, their respective mistresses, or
about their charges, or arranging an appointment
for their next evening out, or exchanging their
opinions on the splendid uniform and military
bearing of the soldiers who were drilling on the
grass. Whatever they were saying, however, it
did not interest Princess Beauty, who began
looking about her, first at the carriages and
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
horses, then at the trees, swaying in the breeze,
then she followed the course of a beautiful
butterfly, as it chased a fluttering leaf. Tired of
this, she gazed at the people passing. Her
attention was at length caught by a little boy,
standing on the kerbstone, offering matches to the
passers-by. She noticed that as each fashionably
dressed person refused to buy, and would perhaps
push the boy aside, a sad, wistful look crept into
the boy's eyes, but would speedily give place to
an eager, hopeful expression as another person
approached. Ten times, whilst she looked, was
he disappointed, till at length little Beauty's heart
was ready to break with disappointment too.
She stole up to the boy, and putting her tiny hand
sympathetically into his, she said softly: I'm so
sorry !"
The boy turned his dark eyes on the little face
upturned to his. His lip trembled, so touched
was he by her kind tone.
Nobody speaks like that to me now, but once
I never heard any but soft, gentle voices." Here
the poor little fellow could get no further, and he
burst into tears.
Tell me all about it," whispered Beauty.
"I live with an old woman called Dame
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
Tantrum; I don't know who she is, or how I
came to live with her, I only know she hates me,
and can never make me miserable enough. She
never gives me plenty to eat, and what I do have
is seldom anything but dry bread. I sleep on
straw in a corner of the room at night, and all day
Dame Tantrum sends me out to sell matches, and
if I do not bring home plenty of pennies, she
beats me, and sends me to bed without any
supper. What makes it all the harder is that she
does not need my pennies, for she always has
dainty things to eat, and sleeps on a beautiful soft
bed."
"Your Royal Highness must not speak to
dirty little street boys," here put in nurse, who
had now finished her conversation with the
duchess's nurse, and had time to notice what her
usually good and quiet little charge was doing.
"I wonder what Her Majesty, your mamma,
would say. Come, come along." Princess Beauty
stopped to shake hands with the match-boy. I
will come and see you again soon," she said, with
the winning, sunny smile that made all the people
love her so.
Beauty walked along quietly by her nurse's
side. At any other time she would have stopped
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
to pick an unusually bright flower, or have chased
a darting butterfly, and all the time would have
kept up a constant stream of prattle; asking such
unheard-of questions, that nurse would be puzzled
to answer, and so with a very wise shake of the
head, advise the little princess to wait till she
grew up, which is never a very satisfactory way
of answering questions. To-day, however, nurse
was delighted with Beauty's silence, and, as they
approached the gates of the palace, told her that
she had behaved like a princess should.
But Beauty was not thinking of behaving as a
princess ought. No, her brain was far too busy
trying to think how best she could help the poor
little match-boy.
Now, to whom do children go when they want
advice in their troubles? I think we all know
that. They do not go to nurse, for however kind
she is, she does not quite understand. They do
not go to father, for he is generally too busy. It
is to mother they all go. To mother when they
cut their fingers, or bruise their knees, or have
done something naughty, or are puzzled by
something which they want to do, but do not
quite know how to set about it.
So as soon as Beauty entered the palace she
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
slipped quietly away from nurse, and ran to
Queen Loveall, as she sat in the drawing-room
with some fancy work in her hand.
Mother, dear, let's be cosy," said Beauty,
nestling in her mother's arms.
"When my little girl comes for a cosy talk, I
know there is something serious to be told, so tell
me all about it, dear, and we will see what can be
done."
Then Princess Beauty told Queen Loveall the
whole story of the match-boy.
"And that is why you look so sad," said the
queen, kissing her daughter tenderly.
Yes, I am so sad because I am happy while
other people have no kind father and mother, no
beautiful home, no nice clothes to wear, no good
food to eat. Fancy being always, always hungry!
I don't think I have ever been really hungry.
Then everybody is so good and kind to me, while
that little boy is hated by the old woman, who
ill-treats him so."
Beauty must not be unhappy because others
are miserable," said the queen. "You must think
how best to help them."
Yes," answered Beauty, "I've been thinking
about that, and I want to give that little boy
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
my dinner to-day, so that he may not be so
hungry."
But then," said the queen, "you would be
hungry, and I could not allow that."
Beauty's face fell, and the tears stood in her eyes.
The queen, seeing her distress, kissed the
anxious little face, and then said, whilst gently
stroking the princess's long golden hair:-
"I have thought of a good plan, dear. It
means a little self-denial, so if you think it too
hard, you must say so. I only want to know how
far my little girl wants to do good. Now this is
what I propose. You have bread and milk for
breakfast, don't you?"
"Yes."
And nurse sprinkles sugar on it, doesn't she ?"
Yes."
"And you have sugar with your pudding at
dinner ?"
"Yes," again answered Beauty.
Is the sugar necessary ?" said the queen.
No, it makes the bread and milk and pudding
nicer though," said Beauty thoughtfully.
If you did not eat this sugar, which is not
quite necessary, you might save a penny a day, I
should think."
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
Then the queen paused and looked at her little
daughter.
Do all children have sugar with their bread
and milk?" at last asked Beauty slowly.
"Oh no! you have sugar because you are a
princess."
Beauty's face broke into a sunny smile. Then
it is a lovely idea, mother, for I want to give him
something of my own, and what I earn will be,
won't it? Papa would give me pennies whenever
I asked, but then that would be his present, not
mine, and I want to give poor Matchie something
of my own."
If Beauty had been a bright, sweet, jolly little
princess before, I really don't know how to
describe her now. The feeling that she had it in
her power to make some one happier, made her
happier too, and she was like a frolicsome
sunbeam in the palace. Her merry laugh was a
much pleasanter sound than the silver bells of her
godmother's fine present; everyone who heard it
laughed too, and the stiff and grand Grand Duke
would steal from the council chamber where state
matters of great importance were being discussed,
and, creeping up to the nursery, would go on his
hands and feet and growl like a surly old bear,
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
whom indeed on all other occasions he greatly
resembled without being obliged to go on his
hands and feet, and chase Beauty round the
nursery, much to her delight. The duke's growls
and the princess's shrieks of laughter would bring
the king and all the courtiers from the council
chamber, and then the nursery was turned into a
regular menagerie. The king would imitate a
lion, someone else a tiger, this courtier would bark
like a dog, that one crow like a cock. The queen
and her maids of honour, hearing the uproar,
would come up too, and the proceedings would
wax merrier than ever, for with so many beautiful,
charming ladies, the courtiers all felt put on their
mettle, and growled and roared, barked and
crowed, brayed and neighed, baa'd and maa'd, and
in fact proved themselves the jolly good fellows
they were. Then a game of blind man's buff
would be suggested by a maid of honour to amuse
the princess, and I am not so sure but more than
the princess were amused; at any rate the
exercise would make the maids of honour look
very pretty and rosy, and smiling and laughing.
Every day before going out for her walk,
Princess Beauty would receive from the queen the
penny which she had earned, When once used
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
to it, the bread and milk was quite, or very
nearly, as nice without the sprinkling of sugar.
Then what a pleasure it was to be able to say
"Yes !" when the queen would say, You've
earned another penny, Beauty ?" and to see the
glad pleased smile of her mother, and to know that
she thought her unselfish and good.
"Well, your Royal Highness, where shall we
go to-day ? nurse would say, when Beauty joined
her in the hall with her penny, and Beauty would
always answer, "To see Matchie first."
This was the name the princess had bestowed
upon her little friend. So satisfied were they
both with it that it never struck Beauty to ask his
real name, or the match-boy to tell it.
And how Matchie looked out for his "fairy
princess" as he called her! He had never been
so happy as now, for he knew he had some one to
sympathise with him in all his troubles. When
Dame Tantrum was more cross than usual, and
would send him to bed without any supper, he
would comfort his sad little heart by the thought
of how sorry Princess Beauty would be to hear of
his troubles, and how her soft little hand would
steal into his. When he started in the morning
.he would dance along the pavement to his
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
accustomed corner, whistling joyfully, for soon he
knew his princess would also come that way. As
he stood holding outhis matches to the passers
by, so bright and happy did he look, that people
would stare in astonishment that such a ragged,
thin little piece of humanity could smile so
radiantly. Ah! they did not know his secret, the
grand secret that had changed his sad life, as the
bright sun chases away the dull, leaden clouds,
and leaves the sky blue and clear. How
astonished they would have been had they known
that the only person who loved that ragged little
match-boy was the princess of the land, that the
only one who ever spoke kindly to him was the
beloved Princess Beauty.
If Matchie's face turned once to gaze down the
long avenue, I should think it did one hundred
times, during the course of the morning, to see if
Princess Beauty were coming. Then at length a
dainty little girl with long, golden, curly hair, eyes
of'deepest blue, and lovely dimpling face, would
appear dancing down the broad avenue across the
park, singing in her clear, childish voice, or
chattering and laughing merrily with her nurse.
When she reached the match-boy, Well,
Matchie," she would say, "have you sold many
PRINCESS BEAUTY. '7
matches? No, I see you have not. Here is my
penny, and look, mamma has sent you this nice
piece of cake for your lunch. I hope the old
woman is not in her tantrums to-day."
"-
night before, but somehow his troubles never
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THE I'lINCESS ANI) ,MA-I'CHIiI.
Then Matchie would tell his experiences of the
night before, but somehow his troubles never
seemed so bad when the princess was by.
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
But then, when Princess Beauty skipped away
once more, how all the joy disappeared from his
face. The sun no longer seemed to shine so
brightly, nor the birds to sing so sweetly. The
people no longer noticed his merry face, but
thought he was the ordinary sad little match-boy.
Then he would remember the cake and penny in
his hand; and he would kiss them tenderly. It
seemed wicked to him to eat the cake which she
had held, and he used to keep it as long as ever
his hunger would allow him. As for the penny,
how he hated to put it into the grasping, greedy
hand of the old woman, Dame Tantrum. He
used to be sorely tempted to let it lie snugly in
his pocket, but his sense of honour never allowed
the temptation to triumph, and he always gave it
up.
Now, it happened that one day the princess's
nurse had a holiday, as she wanted very much to
visit her mother who lived in the country, and was
very old and ill. So ill was she in fact that for
many years she had never left her bed, and the only
pleasure she ever had was seeing her daughter,
and hearing of all the grand things which
happened in the palace. The queen, who was
good-hearted, and always considered the happiness
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
of servants as well as the maids of honour and
great ladies who surrounded her, used to let the
nurse have a holiday as often as possible to visit
her mother, who had nursed the queen when
she was a little girl.
On these occasions the queen, who was very
simple in her habits, and liked to imitate humbler
mothers, would herself take her little daughter for
a run in the park, and would race and scamper
with Beauty, that is, if no one were looking, for of
course it would not do for a queen to be seen
skipping about like a young girl. They generally
chose a very quiet corner of the park, where no
one would disturb them, but this time Beauty was
eager to take her mother to see Matchie, and the
queen good-naturedly consented.
Queen Loveall was much struck by the
handsome, dark face of the poor match-boy, and
asked him many questions about himself, which
he answered frankly and clearly.
"And what is your name, my boy?" said the
queen. Her Royal Highness always calls you
Matchie, but of course you have a proper one."
Yes, your Majesty, my name is Rufred."
Rufred? That is a fine name, and somehow
seems to me familiar."
I I
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
Then after a few more kind words, the queen
and princess said good-bye.
Mamma," said Beauty, as they walked along,
"don't you think we might do something more
for Matchie ? It does seem a pity that he should
live with that cross Dame Tantrum when he is so
gentle and sweet himself."
Yes, m'y dear," answered Queen Loveall. I
must see what papa says. I am sure he will be
able to do something for him."
So that night when the king and queen were
enjoying a pleasant chat together after everyone
else had gone to bed, Queen Loveall told her
husband the whole story of the little match-boy.
"And do you know," she ended by saying, his
name, which is very uncommon, sounds quite
familiar to me. Can I have heard it anywhere
else ?"
The king thought deeply for a few minutes,
then a bright idea seemed to strike him.
"Why," he exclaimed, joyously embracing the
queen, why, my love, I do believe that between
you two, you have discovered the long-lost son of
poor King Sadman."
King Sadman, I must tell you, was king over
the country next to King Light-heart's, and was
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
quite as powerful and mighty a monarch. All his
greatness, however, did not please him nor satisfy
him. One great sorrow had crushed his whole
KING SADMAN.
life, and made him a gloomy, wretched creature.
So miserable was he, that for ten years he had
never been seen to smile, although his subjects
did everything in their power to make him.
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
Organs were always grinding outside his palace
windows, and the monkeys who accompanied the
organs were put through their funniest tricks, but
King Sadman smiled not. The jester never
wearied in making jokes, at which the courtiers
fairly roared with laughter, but King Sadman
never moved a muscle. Clowns, actors, ven-
triloquists, conjurorss, singers, dancers, were
encouraged to show off before the king, but no
one ever succeeded in amusing him.
So anxious were the courtiers to amuse him, that
the city was always making holiday, and laughing
and cheering. So gay were the people for their
king's sake that strangers were always flocking
into the city to share in the merriment, but
nothing had any effect on King Sadman. .The
cause of King Sadman's sadness was in this way.
When he was a young man he married a princess
whose loveliness had never been equalled, and
never were people happier than these two. A
beautiful, dark-eyed prince was born, and every-
thing looked bright and prosperous, when one sad
day the queen died. King Sadman's heart would
have been broken had it not been for the baby
prince, whose laughter cheered the king as
nothing else could have done.
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
Now there lived in that city a wicked old witch
who was never happy unless doing evil to
somebody. So many people had she injured that
at length the people asked the king to punish her,
and so the king ordered that she should be
locked up. She was therefore shut up in a dark
cell, with a jailer to keep watch over her. But
one night when the jailer had fallen asleep, worn
out by listening to her savage screams, the witch
managed to escape.
That same night the king's son, Prince Rufred,
was stolen from his cradle, and was never heard of
again. It was always supposed that the witch
had carried him off, and perhaps killed him. And
this is why poor King Sadman never smiled
nor seemed happy; he was always thinking of his
dead wife and lost son.
One night a grand ball was held in King
Sadman's palace. Lovely ladies and noble
knights were dancing in the lofty hall, and King
Sadman was sitting on his throne, gazing sadly
on the gay scene, and thinking of the days
when his young queen was the fairest lady at
any ball.
Suddenly the music ceased, and everyone
turned to the door to see who was coming. The
PRINCESS- BEAUTY.
chamberlain announced in a loud voice, "A
Herald from King Light-heart." King Sadman
called the Herald to him, and received from his
hand a letter, which he opened and read. As he
read, his courtiers were astounded to perceive
that their king's melancholy seemed to vanish,
and over his face there spread an expression of
great joy. The courtiers pressed forward to hear
the good news, for they knew that it must be
something very good to so move King Sadman.
The king rose joyfully from his throne.
" Rejoice with me, good people! King Light-
heart thinks he has found my long-lost son! If
this is true, once more life will be full of pleasures
for me; if not, ah! I cannot, will not, believe that
so cruel a disappointment is in store for me."
The courtiers were as pleased as King Sadman,
and made haste to prepare for the journey to
King Light-heart's palace. When they arrived
there, the next evening, King Sadman begged to
be taken at once to his son, and so the two kings
set off alone for the witch's house.
The old witch was seated crooning over the
fire, and gazing now and again into the depths of
a cauldron, in which she was stewing some dainty
morsel for her supper. Little Rufred lay asleep
PRINCESS BEAUTY.
on the floor, his handsome face looking pale and
worn, his dark curly hair untidy and neglected,
his clothes in rags. When the witch recognized
King Sadman, she uttered a scream of terror, and
rushed from the room. As no one ever heard of
her again, it was supposed that she died of cold,
by running out into the night air without her
shawl and goloshes, and that the big fierce black
cat which always followed her, buried her with
the feathers of the dear little birds he had killed.
The joy of Sadman was great at once more
finding his son, and he could not sufficiently thank
the king.
But my little daughter, Princess Beauty, is
the one you must thank," said Lightheart,
laughing, and then he told King Sadman the
whole story. Sadman was charmed at Beauty's
kindness, and when -they returned to the palace he
presented her with magnificent jewels. But the
presents did not please the little princess half so
much as the thought that Prince Rufred's
happiness was due to her. When Rufred was
dressed in princely garments he looked so
handsome and gallant that Beauty was prouder
of him than ever, and the two were never so
happy as when together.
I _
26 PRINCESS BEAUTY.
So fond of each other did they become, in fact,
that when they were older they married, and
never was there a happier couple than King
Rufred and Queen Beauty. What made them so
very happy was that they never wearied in trying
to make others as happy as they were themselves,
and I think they succeeded, for all their subjects
seemed cheerful and contented, and the rich,
copying the king and queen, always helped the
poor, so that throughout that vast land there was
no misery or wretchedness, but content and plenty
reigned everywhere.
EVELYN INGLEBY.
~lovelochs, anb tbe IPrince.
"And there are fairies dancing in the dell,
And sweetest music when the moonlight falls
Upon the shamrock and the clover rings."
NE summer evening, as the sun was
sinking behind a range of mountains,
all the blue hare-bells by the way-
S sides were ringing merry peals, and
a large humble-bee seated upon a
yellow dandelion-throne, murmured
an evening melody ere he flew to his
nest in the fern-covered rocks near.
And the music of the hare-bells was wedding
chimes, and this is how it came about.
Once upon a time, ever so many years before
the hare-bells were ringing their merry music,
a little girl, who lived with her grandmother in a
tiny thatched cottage at the foot of one of the
mountains, in fetching water from the well, was
so unlucky as to break her pitcher upon the stone
rim. Lovelocks, that was the little maid's name,
seated herself upon a grassy bank, and burst
into tears, for she knew her grandmother was
28 LOVELOCKS AND THE PRINCE.
very poor, and could not easily afford another
pitcher, she covered her face with her little brown
hands, and all her sunny curling hair fell over her
eyes.
Now, just above the well grew a large bunch of
foxeyes, and peeping from amongst the sweet
pink flowers was a little lady clad in a lily leaf
gown, on her head was a buttercup, and in her
tiny hand she held a wand of fairy-grass.
As she watched Lovelocks weeping, she slowly
waved her wand to and fro, and from out
every fern-frond and dog-daisy, wild-rose and
ox-tongue, stepped forth curious little people,
all clothed in flower petals and leaves; more
and more they came, until the grassy bank above
the well and the stone rim were crowded.
Then said the queen, who wore the buttercup
crown, "This good child has happened a
misfortune, she is an orphan, and lives with
her grandmother, who is very poor. What shall
we do for her ?"
One little man, who had on an oak-leaf mantle,
said, This is the child who climbed the tall tree
to put back the fledglings that had fallen from the
nest. That tells us she has a good heart."
A little lady, who leaned upon a hardhead for a
LOVELOCKS ANI THE PRINCE.
staff, said, I, too, saw her take a thorn from
a lambkin's foot."
So the queen held council. Just then another
fairy arrived, he was seated in an acorn-carriage
drawn by four golden-winged moths, four may-
IOVELOCKS AND THE PRINCE.
flies were servants, two driving, and two standing
behind.
When the queen saw him, she waved her
wand, and lo! a splendid royal equipage, with
powdered servants, and seated within, a handsome
30 LOVELOCKS AND THE PRINCE.
prince. As he drove past the well, he saw
Lovelocks, and ordered the horses to stand.
Then he called to her, and asked her why she
wept so sadly, and very humbly Lovelocks told
him the story of the broken pitcher, and how
poor her grandmother was. The prince told her
to dry her tears, and gave her two golden coins,
saying, Spend one upon thyself, the other give
away, as both are charmed."
Then smiling kindly upon her, he called to his
servants, and drove away.
With joy Lovelocks returned home, and told
her grandmother of her wonderful adventure.
And all unknown to her, the fairies followed to
see if she would fulfil the prince's commands
concerning the coins.
As Lovelocks and her grandmother were
starting out to buy another pitcher, seated by
their door they saw a poor old man, very lame
and almost blind. He was so weary, he told
them he could not walk any further, and begged
them to allow him to rest a little while within the
cottage. Lovelocks led him in, and gave him
a bowl of milk; and when he was refreshed, she
took the golden coin the prince had given her,
and placed it in his trembling hand. The old
LOVELOCKS ANI THE PRINCE.
man lifted up his eyes in astonishment, and called
for blessings upon Lovelocks.
After buying the pitcher, some money was left,
and this the grandmother spent in silkworms,
and Lovelocks helped her to feed and tend
them. And as the years passed, good fortune
was with them, and the grandmother became
known as a clever silk grower.
One day an old man asked to see Love-
locks, and lo! she knew him to be the poor
old man to whom she had given the charmed
coin.
The maiden, who wept by the well in the
bygone days was now grown into a beautiful
woman. And she took the old man's hand, and
led him towards the well-furnished house she and
her grandmother now occupied.
As she turned to bid him welcome, lo! in
place of the old man, there stood before her
the handsome prince who had befriended her.
And when her grandmother appeared, the prince
told her he had come to ask for the hand of
Lovelocks in marriage with his son Goodheart,
who was a mighty soldier, and returned victorious
from distant wars.
"For," said he, "she who has pity for the
32 LOVELOCKS ANI) THE PRINCE.
sad and needy, should rejoice with the rich and
noble."
Then he called for his carriage with the four
horses and powdered servants, and took away
Lovelocks to her reward.
And that was how the sweet hare-bells came to
ring such merry wedding peals.
PATTY HONEYWOOD.
Cinberiua ant the ]Elve.
INDERINA was first cousin to
Cinderella, as you may guess from the
name, yet she was no slut, but a
cJ{ pretty blue-eyed girl, with cheeks like
roses, and curls like-well, gold, or
the yellow-rayed sunflower that shook
its great round face in at the open
lattice with every wave of July air that flowed
through the garden, and tossed the flowers
together to rob them of their perfume.
No fairy godmother had Cinderina, but to
whisper the truth--and it must go no further-
her godmother was not a very sweet tempered old
lady: her chin and nose !-well we must refer you
to Punch, or a pair of nut-crackers.
Poor Cinderina! it had been oh! so hot all the
morning; and she had been up since four o'clock,
before the dew was dry on the grass.
With her pretty arms in the suds, twirling the
dolly-stick, hanging out the clothes, she had got
through the washing, and the snow-white linen
34 CINDERINA AND THE ELVES.
was heaped up in a great basket on the table. It
was two o'clock; godmother Dorothy had had a
nap, had put on her steeple hat and her crimson
cloak (enough to set the village on fire that hot
July day), had filled her horn with snuff, and with
her crutch-handled stick in her hand, had set off
to visit Miss Scandal, to enjoy a good gossip
over a dish of hot tea.
. Her last words to Cinderina were, Now
Cindy, I shall be back by seven, and you must
wash the floor, take up the cinders, and have all
the clothes ironed before I come back. "
I don't like selfish people, do you? and a
godmother is not to be spoken of behind her
back; but "if I had such a godmother as
Cinderina, wouldn't I-." What would you
do, eh ?
The large yellow sunflower turned pale, and
would have shed quite a sugary tear for Cinderina,
if the great greedy humble bees had not been
busy all day robbing it of its nectar.
Cinderina, hot and tired, sat down to rest; and
although she was a good, cheerful girl, I think the
great tears gathered in her eyes; but she was too
brave to let them trickle down her nose, and
make a guy of her, and a bright sunbeam dancing
CINDERINA AND THE ELVES.
through the lattice kissed them clear away before
they could fall.
Swayed by the breeze, a convolvulus bell
/
Ii I
CINDERINA.
peeped in at the open casement, and perched
inside of it was the prettiest little fairy that ever I
saw, or you either. As she listened to god-
CINDERINA AN) THE ELVES.
mother Dorothy, she shook her little head sadly,
and I am not sure that she did not double her
delicate little fist-just as Fred does when-
ahem !-well when Fred's not pleased.
A stout brown and orange moth that had been
sailing through the cool air all the night, lay
snugly hidden away from the sun under one of
the broad, cool leaves of the sunflower; it caught
the fairy's eye, and in a trice she had perched
herself between its wings, ordered it to carry her
into the room, and await her orders before
resuming its nap. Miss Moth sulkily shook her
head, and rolled her great fiery eyes, but was too
wise to offend the fairy, and so fluttered into the
room, and perched on the back of Cinderina's
chair, nodding her heavy head, and looking as
stupid as a sulky boy-or girl.
The fairy flitted on to Cinderina's curls, the
most charming crown that ever graced a pretty
girl. With her delicate wand, tipped with the
tiniest spark of crimson light (it surely must have
been a grain of ruby dust), she touched the long
eyelashes of the tired girl. The white eyelids
closed over the truthful blue eyes, and I don't
want to see a fairer sleeping beauty than
Cinderina made that afternoon. She dreamt, too,
CINDERINA AND THE ELVES.
such a dream, all about a handsome little prince,
who loved her, just as dearly as you love sugar
plums at Christmas, or ice cream in July.
Down fluttered the fairy, light as thistle-down
or December snow-flake. Putting her tiny hands
to her rosy lips she gave the most musical little
hillo! hillo! that I ever heard. Then in silvery
tones she sang:-
Hither my brown elves one and all.
Quickly troop at your lady's call
Cinderina, gentle and true,
Sleeps, and her housework you must do."
Not very good verse, but they have no laureate
in Fairyland, at least they had not when I was
there; but that was when I wore pinafores-a
long, long time ago.
Such fun followed. In an instant scores of
little odd brown fellows, with bright black eyes,
and peaked red beards and top knots, came
jauntily dancing up, their tools in their hands-
tiny Italian and flat irons, sweeping brushes,
hand-brushes, dust-pans, buckets, scrubbing and
black-lead brushes, mops, and floor-cloths. They
came thronging to the open door, but there they
stood, grimacing and shaking their heads at
a great rate-for godmother Dorothy had
38 CINDERINA AND THE ELVES.
nailed a horse-shoe over the door, and neither
good nor bad elves could cross the thres-
hold.
The little fairy laughed merrily at their dis-
comfiture, then mounting Miss Moth, she went
flying through the casement, and pointed the way
to the elves. Like a swarm of big brown bees
they poured through the window, and filled the
great old-fashioned kitchen. You never saw a floor
scrubbed in such fashion, with two elves scrubbing
at each brick as if for dear life, while it took a
whole gang of workers to pass the buckets of
water through the window, and dash and splash
them on the floor, while the mops and floor-cloths
sopped it up in a thrice.
The eye could scarcely follow the movements of
the elves. It was rare fun to see a hundred of
them squatted on the hearth, with hand-brushes
and dust-pans, clearing away the ashes and
cinders, washing it clean, and laying on the
yellow stone in the neatest and most artistic
style.
You would have thought the black-leaders had
been in training a thousand years,--perhaps they
had,-they worked so.deftly. You may as easily
follow a flash of lightning as the swift movement
CINDERINA AND THE ELVES.
of their brushes. It took all hands to swing the
old iron kettle on to the crane, and then a
hundred of them danced off to the well, a bucket
in each hand, and filled up the old kettle, laughing
and chatting merrily all the time.
It was the richest fun to see them do the ironing:
they had fifty portable stoves ranged at one end
of the kitchen, and fifty elves at each end to
blow the bellows, heat the heaters, and pass the
irons on. It took a hundred elves to get up one
of godmother Dorothy's frilled caps; to iron the
crown, and Italian iron the frills; and if the old
lady had heard the jokes they cracked over their
work, she would not have slept a wink all that
night. Such pulling and folding of sheets, towels,
pillow-cases, and what-not, was never seen before:
they sprinkled the linen from the tiniest of
watering-cans, and were up to every wrinkle of the
laundresses' craft. By a quarter past two all the
work was done, the beds made, and Cinderina's
tea set ready for her.
When the tools had all been packed up, the little
elves formed circle within circle, twenty deep,
with the little fairy in the midst, and went whirling
and dancing like mad, round and round, again and
again, singing :
40 CINDERINA ANI) THE ELVES
"To elves hard work is only fun,
Cinderina your work is done;
Fairy Princess your elves have wrought
All your bidding of word or thought;
Hard work to elves is only play,
Our task is done !-Away Away !"
Head over heels, topsy-turvey; with the most
comical antics, the elves went flying through the
window; then like a cloud of brown bees shot
through the sunbeams, and disappeared in the
distance. Then the fairy princess allowed Miss
Moth to hide her sleepy head under the green
leaves, and took a nap herself in the convolvulus,
but was astir in time to enjoy the puzzled
amazement of Cinderina when she awoke from her
nap, and found all her work so quickly and
perfectly done.
EDWARD LAMPLOUGII.
Prince florimel anb tbe zerpentW~ oman.
N that long ago period which we
sometimes speak of as once upon a
Timee" there lived in a lonely little
island on the sea that washes the
shores of Greece an old man, who,
if all the stories told about him
were true, was a magician of no small
power. The habitation of the old man was a
marble tower on the highest part of the island,
and there he lived alone, save for the society of
his only daughter-his only child, indeed-and
the presence of their servants.
He had dwelt upon the island for many years,
and his daughter had grown up from infancy
into a beautiful woman, when the few poor fisher-
men and cultivators of the soil who lived on the
lower parts of the island saw one day, with
much surprise, the servants come down the steep
and winding path that led from the tower to the
beach, carrying heavy boxes, which they placed
aboard a small vessel that had cast anchor off the
42 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
landing-place the night before. Their surprise
was not lessened, but rather increased to a degree
to which they were unable to give expression,
when they saw the old magician descend the path
alone, and go on board the vessel, which shortly
afterwards sailed away to the eastward.
The islanders were not sorry that he was gone,
but they were very much concerned about his
daughter, whom they all loved for her kind heart,
and who appeared to have been left in the old
tower on the summit of the island. What a
lonely existence it would be for her, they said
to one another. And why had she been left and
all the servants departed with their master ? It
was very odd; but they thought she would come
down to their cottages to see them, and then,
perhaps, they would hear all about it.
In this, however, they were doomed to be
disappointed, for day after day passed away, and
the young lady failed to make her appearance
amongst them. The wondering islanders often
looked up the steep path that meandered up the
hill to the tower on its summit, and strained their
eyes in the hope of seeing her walking in the
terraced gardens around it; but they never saw
her. It was very odd, they said again. They
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 43
soon began to think she must be dead; dead,
probably, before her father and the servants left
the island. That, they thought at last, must be
the solution of the mystery.
One of the boldest among them proposed that
they should go up to the tower and ascertain the
truth. But the reputation of its owner as a
magician prompted all the others to cross
themselves and declare that they would not
venture to enter the tower for all the treasures of
the Greek emperor. So the weeks grew into
months, and the months into years, until'at length
the fate of the Lady Zeneyda,-that was the
name of the magician's daughter,-like that of the
unfortunate young lady who found a living tomb
in an old oak chest on her wedding day, "was
told as a sorrowful tale long past."
One night, a long time after her mysterious dis-
appearance, in the midst of a fearful storm, a small
vessel was seen from the island battling with the
wild waves that were breaking in white foam over
her, and threatening her with destruction. One
moment she was lost in the darkness, and the next a
flash of lightning showed her still struggling to hold
on her course. But the fight of her crew with the
wind and waves came to an end with a crash, and
44 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
a cry of terror and despair that told the watchers
on the beach that she had struck upon a rock,
and become a wreck.
There was only one survivor of the disaster, a
young man, who swam ashore, reaching the beach
in a very exhausted condition. The islanders
carried him into one of their houses, and
marvelled much at his fine clothes and his white
hands, which showed that he was not one of the
seamen. On the following day, when he had
somewhat recovered, he asked many questions
concerning the island and its inhabitants, as was
natural for one who was likely to have to wait
some time for a ship aboard which he might
continue his voyage; but he gave no information
concerning himself.
I suppose yonder tower is the residence of the
chief man of the island," he remarked to his host,
on the first day he was able to leave the cottage,
looking as he spoke towards the deserted tower
on the summit.
"It was," returned his host, "but he left
it, and left the island, a good time ago, and
no one, not even a servant, has lived there
since."
"Yet it looks as if it might be a desirable
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 45
abode," observed the young stranger, with his
gaze still fixed on the tower.
"It was so," said the islander "but-," he
hesitated a moment, and then added, "but not
one of us, poor as we are, would care to live
there now."
How is that ? the stranger asked, turning to
his host, and speaking in a tone that showed how
strongly his curiosity had been excited by the
latter's last remark.
"There is a mystery about it," was the reply.
"The saints be between us and all evil!" The
man crossed himself, and continued, "The
owner had a beautiful daughter, and she was as
good as she was beautiful. She did not leave the
island with her father, and she has never been
seen since."
"That is strange, certainly," observed the
stranger, again looking towards the tower. You
have excited my curiosity so much that I shall not
rest until I have been up there, and had a look at
the place. The mystery, it seems to me, can only
be solved on the spot."
His host shrugged his shoulders, but did not
attempt to dissuade the young man from the
adventure. On the following day, therefore, the
46 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
shipwrecked stranger, feeling much stronger, left
the cottage, and ascended the steep path leading
from the landing-place to the tower. As he had
already learned that all the present inhabitants of
the island lived in the cottages along the beach,
he did not expect to meet any human creature on
his way, and he saw nothing that particularly
attracted his attention until he reached a broad
flight of marble steps below the lowest terrace of
the private grounds by which the tower was
surrounded.
As he ascended these, and approached the
tower, he saw many signs of long neglect. Moss
grew in the crevices of the marble steps, the paths
were clothed with grass, the shrubberies were
tangled with wild climbing plants, and the gardens
were over-run with weeds. No human foot
appeared to have trodden the paths since the old
magician and his servants had left the island.
The tower wore outwardly the like marks of
desertion and neglect with the grounds. He
observed, with -surprise, that the door that
appeared to be the principal entrance was open,
and by this he ventured to enter, after listening
for a few moments without hearing the slightest
sound that would indicate the presence in the
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 47
building of a human occupant. He found himself
in a lofty hall, floored with marble of various
colours, and having a door on each of its four
sides, and broad stairs leading to the upper rooms.
He opened one of the doors, and looked into
the apartment, which appeared to have been the
dining room. Dust alone now covered the table,
from which the silver and napery had been
removed after the late occupant of the tower had
taken his last meal there, before abandoning it to
the bats and owls. A long time had evidently
passed since any human foot had passed the
threshold of the deserted place, for all the rooms
which the stranger entered were in the same
condition. The furniture remained, but it was
covered with dust, and spiders had made their
webs in every corner.
As the tower offered better accommodation than
could be obtained in the cottages near the beach,
the visitor, who had been accustomed to even
better surroundings, resolved to make it his home
until some passing vessel afforded the means of
leaving the island. He strolled about the
neglected grounds until nightfall, therefore, and
then laid him down to rest upon a couch in one of
the upper rooms.
48 FLORIMEL ANI THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
There are many persons who court sleep in
vain when they have to pass the night in a strange
room, and of this number was the young stranger
whom the disaster of shipwreck had thrown upon
this lonely island. He heard strange noises in
the hours of darkness. Such are not uncommon
in old houses, and naturally attract more attention
in the silence of night than they would in day-
light.
Trailing ivy flapped against the windows,
creaking sounds issued from the old furniture, rats
scampered across the floor. He fancied, too, that
he heard sounds from the stairs, as if some animal
was slowly and heavily ascending them; but this
may have been, in part at least, the effect of
imagination.
Unable to obtain more than very brief intervals
of sleep, he quitted the couch as soon as the first
beams of the rising sun shone into the room, and
looked out from the window upon the gardens and
groves around the tower, the fields on the slope of
the hill, and the blue sea beyond, the wavelets of
which were tipped with red by the dawning light
from the east. No sail was in sight, the trees
were motionless in the calm, and no sound of life
came up from the cottages below.
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 49
Higher rose the sun, and as the morning tints
of sea and sky changed from crimson to gold, the
solitary watcher became conscious of a move-
ment among the rank herbage below the window
at which he stood. As he had not seen even a
cat about the place, his curiosity was excited as to
what might be the cause of that undulating motion,
and he looked intently downward. To his
surprise the cause was presently revealed in the
unexpected form of an enormous serpent!
Slowly it glided over the weed-choked flower-
beds of the terraces, and disappeared among the
tangled shrubbery beyond.
Wondering very much to see so large a serpent
on the island, he left the window, and descended
to the hall, intending to visit his friends below, in
order to ascertain if the creature had been seen by
any of them, and to make arrangements to receive
from them a daily supply of food and wine. As
may be supposed, he looked carefully to the right
and left as he descended the marble steps leading
from one terrace to another, lest he should run
into the gaping jaws of the huge reptile he had
seen from the window; but he reached the steep
path that wound down the hill without seeing or
hearing it.
50 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
The serpent had, when it disappeared from his
wondering sight, gone in the direction of a cliff in
the contrary direction. Wearily, as it seemed, it
rolled its yellow and brown length between the
shrubs and over the waving flower-spangled grass
until it reached the cliff. Then coiling up its
scaly form, it raised its head, and gazed upon the
shining sea. What could the creature be looking
for in that direction? What interest can a
serpent be supposed to feel in the sight of a distant
vessel, or even a school of dolphins ? These are
puzzling questions ; but the mystery must be left
to unfold itself as the tale proceeds.
Swinging its flat head from side to side, the
reptile swept the sea with its gaze, and then
emitting a sound that was strangely like the sigh
of a human being, it unfolded its coils, and began
to return towards the tower.
The stranger had in the meantime reached the
cottages above the beach, and entered into
conversation with some of the islanders.
"We are right glad to see you, sir," said one
of them, the expression of whose countenance
proved the sincerity of the assurance. "As you
did not return last night, we were afraid some-
thing had happened to you,"
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 51
I slept at the tower, and until I can leave the
island I intend to remain there," returned the
young man.
"You slept there!" exclaimed one of the men,
crossing himself. "And what did you see? Did
you make any discovery ?"
None worth mentioning," replied our hero.
"I saw no living thing bigger than a spider,
and of those objectionable creatures there are
many fine specimens in all the rooms. The
young lady is certainly not there, either living or
dead, unless she was buried before her father and
the servants left the place. Don't you think she
may have gone aboard the vessel that took them
away without being observed by any of you ? "
"Look here, sir," said the islander, "here's
our cottages, and there's the landing-place. Now,
is it likely she could have come down from the
tower, and been taken off in a boat, without any
of us seeing her? Besides that, she wouldn't
have gone away without coming to say farewell
to us. You don't know the Lady Zeneyda, sir."
"I am afraid, then, the mystery must be left for
time to solve, if it ever is to be solved," said the
stranger, so let us get to business. I want
bread, milk, fruit, and anything else eatable you
52 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
can supply me with, brought up to the tower
every day while I remain there, and I will pay
you for whatever you bring."
The cottagers looked at each other, as if
holding a silent consultation, before one of them
ventured to give any undertaking of the kind
suggested.
Well, I suppose, sir, if no harm comes to you
there, it will be safe for any of us to venture at
least as far as the lower terrace," one of them at
length said.
"Send what you can this morning, then," said
the new dweller of the tower, who then turned as
if to retrace his steps up the path, but in a
moment faced about again."
"Are there any serpents on the island?" he
asked.
"Only some small vipers," one of the men
replied.
"I thought I saw a rather large one this
morning, and I have a great horror of them," said
the stranger. But if there are, as you say, no
very large ones, I must have been mistaken."
He knew that he had not been, however, and
the denial of the existence of any large members
of the reptile family, after what he had seen that
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 53
morning, rather troubled him as he walked slowly
up the steep path. He looked about him warily
as he advanced, his ears listening as intently for
the hiss that would warn him of the terrible
creature's presence as his eyes watched for its
yellow and brown folds.
Suddenly, as he reached the upper terrace, he
paused, and a shudder shook him from head to
foot as he saw the serpent coiled upon a flowery
bank, as if in quiet enjoyment of the warm sun-
beams.
For more than a minute he stood motionless,
for he feared to arouse the reptile, which appeared
to be sleeping, and he could not enter the tower
without passing it. Then with noiseless tread,
he crossed the terrace quickly and sprang up the
marble steps.
"How am I to live here?' he asked himself,
when he had reached the dining-room, and had
thrown himself upon a couch. That creature
will be too terrible a neighbour. I dare not
leave a door or window open, and if it has a fancy
for basking on the terrace it will keep me a
prisoner here."
He had scarcely uttered the last words when a
sound at one of the windows, such as would be
54 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
produced by a person tapping on it with the
fingers, caused him to look in that direction,
when, to his surprise and horror, he saw the
serpent looking into the room. The tapping had
been caused by its head touching the glass, or
whatever substitute was used for it in those days.
He started to his feet, when the glistening dark
eyes of the serpent drew him, without his will, as it
were, towards the window. The creature lowered
its head as he approached, but not before he had
seen, with surprise, tears dropping from its eyes.
He had heard of "crocodile's tears," without a
very strong belief in such signs of emotion on the
part of a reptile, and these undoubted evidences
of something like human feelings in a serpent
were startling.
Fair sir, the saints have surely sent you to
my relief."
Who speaks ? exclaimed the startled young
man on hearing these words, which evidently
proceeded from some person outside and near the
window.
Be not alarmed," continued the voice, which
he now found, to his increased surprise, proceeded
from the mouth of the serpent, I am not what I
seem.
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 55
"In the name of everything wonderful, who
and what are you. then ? he inquired.
I am the unfortunate daughter of Marsyas,
"HE SAW THE SERPENT LOOKING IN AT THE WINDOW.
the great magician, transformed by him into a
serpent because I refused to marry the son of the
Sultan of Egypt," the creature replied.
56 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
"Then from my heart I pity you," said he,
wondering more and more as he heard this
strange explanation.
"Ah, fair sir, if you pity me--." The head of
the serpent-woman was raised for a moment as
she uttered these words, but as she paused her
dark eyes fell again, and for a moment she
seemed unable to proceed. "But," she con-
tinued, "you shall hear all my sad story, and
then, perhaps,-but I will not-I fear to
anticipate the result, for disappointment would
be too terrible."
She paused, and our hero, no longer feeling
afraid of her, sat down by the window, which he
partly opened, the better to hear the promised
story. In a few moments she proceeded.
"When my father had exhausted all his powers
of persuasion, and had found that even threats
failed to obtain compliance with his wish that I
should marry the Egyptian prince, he cursed me
in his wrath, and pronounced the spell which
changed my natural form into what you see. I
fled from him in horror into the gardens, and for a
time was unable to realise what had happened.
Then, as my brain recovered from the awful shock
it had received, I began to bewail my terrible fate.
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 57
Presently I felt a hand touch me, and I looked
up, expecting to see my father, who, I thought,
might have relented, and come to restore me to
my natural form. But instead it was a being of
another world that I beheld, a tiny creature,
human in form, indeed, but with gauzy wings, like
those of the dragon-fly. She evidently knew of
my transformation, for she regarded me pitifully,
rather than with fear or aversion, and proceeded,
in soft and gentle accents, to give me hope.
There was a charm, she said, that would
prove an antidote to the wicked spell laid upon
me by my unnatural father. I might be restored
to my proper form when a young man should
come to the island who, influenced by Christian
charity alone, would kiss my lips."
Her sad and wonderful story ended, the
serpent-woman bowed her head, not daring to add
another word to this statement. Our young hero
rose from his seat by the window, and after a
shuddering glance at the scaly head, began to
pace the room in much perturbation of mind.
Pity urged him one way, a feeling of repulsion
which he found difficult to overcome, restrained
him from it.
"Alas!" said the unfortunate daughter of
58 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
Marsyas, with a despairing sigh, I could scarcely
hope for relief on such a condition. Forget,
fair sir, that you have seen me, or heard my
story."
Stay!" cried he, as she was about to withdraw
from the window. "It shall never be said that
Florimel resisted the appeal of an unfortunate
woman in the name of Christian charity."
He leaned forward, approaching his face to the
forepart of the serpent's head, but he was unable
to quite repress a shudder, and he felt constrained
to close his eyes. A little closer he advanced his
face, shuddered again as his lips touched those of
the serpent, and then fell back upon the couch.
The blessing of all the saints be your reward,
fair sir," said Zeneyda, her voice sounding now
even more soft and musical than when it came
from the mouth of the serpent.
For when Florimel opened his eyes he saw that
she was a serpent no longer, and that it was a
young and beautiful woman who now stood before
him.
I can now bid you welcome to my father's
tower," she said, with a sweet smile.
"In which I have been a trespasser," he
rejoined, as he stepped out upon the terrace, and
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 59
took the small white hand she extended to him in
his own.
Let me know the name of the good young
man to whom I am indebted for my release from
that horrible spell," said she.
"I am Florimel, a son of the King of Armenia,"
he replied. "I was voyaging to Constantinople,
to the court of the Emperor, when the vessel in
which I had embarked was caught in a storm off
this island, and became a wreck. I am the sole
survivor of that disaster, which I no longer
regret,-except on account of the poor seamen
who lost their lives,-since it has procured the
pleasure of making your acquaintance and restor-
ing you to your proper form."
"For which service I can never sufficiently
show my gratitude," said Zeneyda. "You must
be my guest until the means of continuing your
voyage offer themselves. Give me your arm,
Prince, and we will go down to the cottages,
where the poor people of the island will be rejoiced
to see me."
"Of that I am sure," returned Florimel.
" They have been profuse in their praises of you
and regrets for your disappearance, which they
attribute to death."
60 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
How glad they will be to know that I am
alive and well!" said Zeneyda. "But look! Is not
that a ship ?" she asked, stopping suddenly on the
lower terrace, and looking towards the sea.
"It is!" exclaimed Florimel. "And it is
coming this way."
"It is seldom that a vessel touches at this
island," observed his companion, who had
suddenly become pale with fear. Suppose my
father is returning in yonder bark! I tremble at
the possibility of such an encounter."
"Why should it be him?" said the Prince.
"But if it should be so, I will protect you."
As they descended the path leading to the
cottages near the beach, the vessel drew nearer
to the island, and attracted to it the attention of
the people, who were seen standing in groups,
watching the white sails that were wafting it to
their shores. Presently the sound of footsteps
coming down the path reached their ears, and
cries of mingled surprise, joy, and wonder were
raised as they recognized the magician's daughter
in the companion of the shipwrecked stranger.
The story of Zeneyda's transformation, and her
restoration to her natural form, was told, and was
heard by the islanders with many crossings of
FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN. 6r
themselves, as an accompaniment to their
expressions of wonder.
The approaching vessel had by that time
dropped her anchor, and a boat soon afterwards
left her side, and was pulled towards the shore.
As it came near the island, an old man was seen
seated in the bows, whom the watchers recognized
as the owner of the tower, Marsyas, the magician.
My father!" exclaimed Zeneyda, and she
immediately fled in terror towards the tower.
Florimel remained behind, in the hope of
learning the purpose of the magician in returning
to the island. The boat presently touched the
beach, and the old man landed, and, without
stopping to speak to any of the people of the
island, threw a wondering glance towards the
Prince, and hurried up the path. Florimel
followed in order to protect Zeneyda in the event
of her requiring protection. The young lady was
soon seen ascending the hill before them, and her
unexpected appearance caused the old man to halt,
regarding her retreating form with mingled
surprise and perplexity, and then turning to
Florimel.
"Who is that lady ?" he asked, "and who, if I
may ask, are you, sir ?"
62 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
That lady is the daughter of the owner of the
island, and I, sir, am the son of the King of
Armenia," replied Florimel.
Stay, Zeneyda!-stay, I emplore you!" cried
Marsyas, clasping his hands, and extending them
towards his daughter.
"Stay, you bad man!" exclaimed a tiny
glistening, form which at that moment appeared on
the path in front of them. "Thus I punish you
for your wicked transformation of your daughter."
The fairy touched. him with her wand, and he
was instantly transformed into a toad.
The imploring tone in which her father had
called to her, prompted Zeneyda to pause in her
flight and look back. Thus it was that she saw
what had taken place.
Good fairy," she exclaimed, running back -to
the spot, "do not, I pray, lay so heavy a burden
upon him. I have forgiven him."
"At the intercession of your much-injured
daughter, I will take off the spell on one
condition," said the fairy, addressing the
transformed Marsyas. Promise to give her in
marriage to this young prince, to whom she owes
her restoration, and I will release you from that
form,"
MTAU\ A fIZA\SFCRMIF INK A TIIA).
64 FLORIMEL AND THE SERPENT-WOMAN.
I promise," came from the mouth of the toad.
" Remorse has driven me back to the island to
undo my unnatural work."
Rise, then," said the fairy, touching the toad
with her wand, and in a moment Marsyas again
stood before them, holding out one hand to his
daughter, and the other to Florimel.
There is little more to be told. Zeneyda
became the wife of the Armenian prince, and they
lived happy in each other's love for many years.
THOMAS FROST.
Ube two IPalaces.
LGIE was not the sort of boy you
wanted to kiss as soon as you saw
him, he was altogether too old-
looking and proper for that. He was
the kind of boy whom every one
called "so very well-behaved." Even
the servants could find no fault with
him, the boot-boy never found mud on Master
Algie's boots, unless the roads were almost
impassable, and he was forced to go through it.
His cousin Dick, with saucy, dirty face, and yellow
curls always in a tangle, was, strange to say, far
more of a favourite, why, nobody could tell. He
tore his clothes, he walked through mud puddles
whenever he could, in fact he could find mud when
it had not rained for a week. He hid behind doors,
and rushed out to make people jump, and did all
sorts of such-like improper things. But then he
had such a smile on his roguish face, and he would
sit on the kitchen table, kicking his heels (another
naughty trick he had), and amusing the boot-boy
THE TWO PALACES.
while he cleaned all the boots, that the long-
suffering boy forgot to be sulky.
Now, outwardly, Algie was always good, always
noiseless, always obedient, but yet the two old
fairies, sitting up by the chimney in the cool of the
day, knew that he had faults, and they talked
over them as they smoked their pipes. Very ugly
old fairies they were, but then they had lived so
very long that their beauty had faded hundreds of
years before. Now they lived only to watch the
doings of little boys and girls, and wag their huge
caps together over them.
Dick is seldom good," observed Fairy
Yellow-as-Gold.
Algie is seldom naughty," said Fairy Green-
as-Grass.
But yet he has a conceited heart, and he is
selfish."
Yes, he is. He wants taking to the Palace of
the Looking Glass," said Fairy Green-as-Grass.
I shall take him."
"Yes, and I will take Dick to the Great Palace
of Come-Day Go-Day. Come along."
And waving a couple of wands, after putting
away their pipes, the two ugly fairies dropped right
down in front of the two boys, who were sitting
THE TWO PALACES.
on a garden seat, learning their lessons for
to-morrow.
They were eight years of age, Algie was learn-
ing words of four syllables, whilst Dick was
hopelessly stuck in words of two. Dick was
sucking his thumb, and watching the crows in the
high trees before him. Algie was studying, to all
appearance, with great earnestness.
Just then, in a squeaky voice, Fairy Green-as-
Grass said, Arise, Algie, and follow me."
And Fairy Yellow-as-Gold said just the same
to Dick.
Then the old women waved theirwands, and away
they flew up into the air, after a time separating,
until Dick and Fairy Yellow-as-Gold could not
see the other two at all, but went on at a great
speed through the warm evening air. Dick was
afraid for a time, but, being a brave boy, soon
found courage to ask where they were going.
"You will see, you will see, only have
patience," said the fairy.
Very soon Dick saw they were nearing a
wonderful palace. As they approached, he saw
there were pools of water, and many half-broken
boats lying about. The marble steps were green
and mouldy, the wide doors were falling off their
THE TWO PALACES.
golden hinges. Passion flowers had once been
trained all over the walls, now they trailed in the
dust, mingled with weeds and climbing plants.
As they entered, Dick saw everything was the
same, pearl tables and fairy chairs all tumbled
in wild confusion on the floors. Gold and silver
ornaments, covered with the dust of years, were
in every direction.
"What a splendid palace; but where are the
people?" whispered Dick, holding his dirty
finger to his chin, and looking very solemn.
I couldn't tell you, I'm sure," said the old
fairy. Perhaps asleep. This is the Palace of
Come-Day Go-Day. Every one pleases himself.
So if you want anything, you must seek someone
and wake him up. You are to stay here for a
while by yourself." Then with a whirr like a
frightened blackbird, this funny old woman
whizzed out of sight.
For a while Dick was happy, he could do as he
liked here. He pulled the flowers and grapes,
and touched the wonderfully pretty things without
a creature to object. But after a time he grew
hungry for supper, and wondered where the
people were. He hunted through lonely
corridors and empty rooms for a long time. At
THE TWO PALACES.
last he found a large wide hall, with many lazy-
looking people, asleep mostly. Some few were
yawning and stretching their arms. Dick went
up to one, and asked where the servants were.
"I'm awfully hungry, and would like supper,"
he said.
The man turned over and looked curiously at
the new comer, and said sleepily:-
"We have no servants, every one here does as
he likes, we only do what we are really forced to
do."
Dick felt very queer, and he hurried away into
the gardens, leaving the strange people to sleep.
He thought of the orderly gardens at home, he
half wished he could meet nurse, though she
would scold about his dirty face and torn clothes.
He wandered away amongst the broken-down
summer seats, and remembered how he had often
said he wished the gardens at home were left
untidy, so that he could do as he liked in them,
but now he wished these poor flowers could be all
tied up as they once had been, and the trees could
be fastened over the arbours, and the long grass
that kept tripping him up could be made velvety
like the grass in his own garden was.
Who was that wandering about over at the
THE TWO PALACES.
other side of the grounds of the Great Palace of
Come-Day Go-Day. It looked like Algie, but he
was walking with his head down and a look of
shame about him. Dick put his hands to his
mouth and made that awful noise he had been
punished so often for making. A very ugly old
kelpie dropped from a tree, and looked so fierce, he
did not repeat it, but ran away after the boy he
had seen in the twilight. He found it 'was his
cousin after all, and how glad they were to meet
you can well imagine.
Oh, Dick," gasped Algie, after he had got
over his surprise a little, "that bad old woman
took me away to the Palace of The Looking
Glass, do you see it over there? Its towers all
gleaming with light."
How lovely," said Dick, gazing at the Great
Palace domes of shining glass, lighted from within
and without by a myriad lamps.
Don't say lovely, Dick," and Algie shuddered.
I have been round and round the awful rooms
till I was nearly frightened to death. I thought
at first the walls were made of looking-glass, like
we have at home, but they aren't. And there was a
boy in the walls who looked like me, and he did not
do just as I did at the time, but like I have done
THE TWO PALACES.
many a day since. He seemed to be reading, and
he was watching out of his eyecorners if anybody
saw him, and how good he could be."
"Oh, Algie, but you didn't never do that ?"
said Dick grammatically.
"Yes, and he strutted when he walked, and
looked scornfully at other children because they
didn't read like him, and couldn't say 'The boy
stood on the burning deck' right through, and
after that an old man hobbled by, and begged for
a copper, and my other self in the glass laughed
at him and called him a horrid old thing."
But you don't, Algie ?"
Algie nodded with a red face, and went on :
Its walls are like great eyes looking at you.
Don't you wish we were back, Dick ? I'll never
tell about you when you do bad things again, just
so I may look good against you."
"Well," said Dick solemnly, my palace hasn't
been any better than yours, the folks are all dirty
and lazy, everything is broken and spoiled,
nothing mended. I say, don't you think nurse
must be horrid tired of tidying up after us ?"
"After you, you mean," said Algie sharply.
"No, I didn't mean that, I am as bad as you,
only not your way."
THE TWO PALACES.
Just then a very beautiful little creature, with
white dress of shining silver, golden hair, with a
star in it, sprang out of the ground, and in a sweet
little voice like a linnet singing, said:-" Ah, I see,
you have been brought here by the naughty old
fairies, Yellow-as-Gold and Green-as-Grass."
"Yes, beautiful fairy," said Algie. We are lost,
and want to go home."
You have been to the Palace of the Looking
Glass," she said, and Algie nodded.
And you to the Great Palace of Come-Day
Go-day," she said, laughing into Dick's dirty
face. Come with me."
The boys took hold of hands and followed the
lovely fairy all through the wonderful gardens of
the Palace of the Looking Glass, until they
reached a great door, with shining letters over it,
School for Children of the Fairies."
Come in," said the Fairy of the Star. They
entered a large garden filled with coloured
fountains, gay birds darted here and there, arbours
were covered with flowering trees, and velvety
grass stretched far away, under the great yellow
moon. Fairy lamps hung to every bough, and
gleamed softly over the hundreds of shining little
fairy children grouped about.
THE TWO PALACES.
Do they never go to bed ?" asked Dick, very
much awed.
"Oh! yes, in the day-time, sometimes, they
have to learn so much at nights, when you earth
children are asleep."
P'~~ ,r -p
THE FAIRY OF THE STAR.
Then she took them through the flowers and
among the trees, where hundreds of tiny green
fairies were at work. They were putting right
THE TWO PALACES.
what the earth children had made wrong during
the day.
Here a little bird, all bare of feathers, and with
wide open mouth, was being fed, and its tiny legs
mended, which had been hurt by some cruel earth
boy.
What will you do with it ?" Dick asked.
Oh, put it back into its mother's nest again, and
I shall have to watch it until it can fly, so that no
harm comes to it."
"And look here, what is this tiny fellow
doing ?"
He's making sleep salve, to put on a lame boy's
eyes, who has such pain he can't sleep, and who
is so lonely all day, with no one to talk to him, or
read him a story."
Dick, do you think it's for that boy, Limping
Bobby,' down the lane at home, the boy you
teased that day ?"
Dick's cheeks turned scarlet, he glanced up at
the Fairy of the Star, and found her laughing at
him.
"Yes," she said "it is for the very boy, the
boy that Algie slyly flung a stone at once when
he was out by himself, and he thought no one saw
him."
THE TWO PALACES.
Algie's head that had begun to have its usual
conceited way with it, hung down suddenly,.
Scores of little green fairies were now running
here and there, preparing for their nightly journey
to the Earth. Shells were harnessed to great
moths and beetles. Acorn husks and fox-glove
flowers were loaded with medicines and bandages
for the earth creatures so far away. There was
stuff for smoothing wrinkles from mothers' fore-
heads, brought on with worrying all day. There
was medicine for crying babies, bandages for
lame dogs, kittens, and rabbits, who had no friends
to care for them, or even worse-belonged to
unkind earth boys and girls, who kept them to
starve and ill-use. When they were all ready the
fairy children raised a shout, mounted their driving
seats, and drove off like lightning through the air,
right down to Earth.
Suddenly there was a whirring sound, and the
old Fairies Green-as-Grass and Yellow-as-Gold
came up before the boys, and instantly the Fairy
of the Star disappeared, then they waved their
wands, and Algie and Dick found themselves on
the garden seat at home.
The rooks were still cawing round their nests in
the high trees, it was almost dark, Dick's book
76 THE TWO PALACES.
was on the floor, Algie was holding his in his
hand. A voice they knew to be nurse's was calling
loudly, Supper is ready, make haste, where are
you boys, always to seek, always to seek."
They slowly took hold of hands and went into
the house together, and when nurse saw them,
she lifted up her hands in astonishment, they
looked so quiet.
Are you ill," she said, lifting Dick's hair out of
his eyes, but he did not speak, and she said :
Bless the boy, no, he's only tired." And she
kissed him.
FLO. JACKSON.
Ube search for the fairp Queen.
ITTLE Arthur lived in a quaint, sweet,
old farmhouse. So lovely was it that
people came from far and wide to see
it as it stood covered with ivy and
honeysuckle, and with twisted old
apple trees surrounding it. Some-
how everything and everybody
always seemed so busy and yet so happy that it
was quite a pleasure to sit and watch what was
going on. So thought little Arthur any way, as
perched on an apple bough he lazily noted the
busy life around him.
There was first of all old Sam, the shepherd, as
with his crook in his hand and his dog at his
heels he set off to count the sheep in the sunny
meadows by the river.
A busy bee flew past, and as it darted on the
sweets lying in the heart of a lovely red rose, it
seemed to say to Arthur, Oh, you lazy boy,
why are you not making the best of this beautiful
weather. You people don't know how to enjoy
78 THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN.
the pleasures of life." A butterfly next swept
past, its bright wings shining like coloured satin
in the sunbeams. The very trees were bowing
to each other merrily, and murmuring, "What
a fine day !" As for the birds, their joy was so
great that they sang and chirped quite deafeningly
and circled in the air in the blithest manner.
A QUAINT, SWEET, OLD FARMHOUSE.
Then Arthur lifted his eyes a little higher, and
saw the tall, graceful spire of the church of
Stratford-on-Avon as it gleamed through the
trees, with hundreds of happy birds playing
around it. He remembered what his mother had
_a;L_
THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN. 79
told him about the great poet, Shakespeare,
having passed his boyhood amongst the lovely
scenery, and he wondered if he too had loved to
lie and drink in all the surrounding beauties.
Arthur felt quite sure that he had, for he
remembered bits of lovely poetry which his father
had read aloud to his mother in the evenings, and
had said it was written by Shakespeare, about
flowers and fairies and all the lovely things that
one could not help thinking about when one lay in
the sun on such a glorious day. At last a
bright idea struck little Arthur. I will go and
wander about in the fields,, and find out all the
pretty spots. that father read about the other
night. I wonder if I could find that 'bank
whereon the wild thyme blows, Where ox-lips and
the nodding violet grows,' where the fairy queen
sleeps at night amongst all the sweet smelling
flowers ? I will try anyway."
So Arthur slipped from the bough of the apple-
tree on to the soft grass below, and without telling
anyone of his intentions set off to discover the
abode of the fairy queen.
Leaving the old orchard and the garden full of
bright flowers, he climbed a stile in the hedge,
almost hidden from view by creeping honeysuckle
I ___~_~__
8o THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN.
and prickly sweet-briar, and dropped into the
meadow below.
How soft and velvety the grass was under his
feet, how lovely the daisies and buttercups looked
as they held up their fair heads, saying, Pick
me, pick me!" The delicate cuckoo-flower bowed
gracefully to him as he passed. The cowslips with
their ruby spots welcomed him joyfully. On
every blade of tender grass there still glistened
the diamonds which the fairies had dropped in
their midnight dance, but when he tried to pick
them up, in order to give them back to the fairies
when he found them, lo! they turned into dew-
drops which the hot sun soon dry up.
For a long, long time Arthur trotted through
the fields, first picking up one lovely flower and
then another till his hands were quite full, and the
flowers in his hot grasp began to droop and fade.
The sun's rays fell with fierce power on Arthur's
golden curls, and he began to feel very tired and
hot and sleepy.
Across the broad meadows, however, he saw a
clump of trees, and under these he knew it would
be cool.
I shall sit down and rest there," he said
consolingly to- himself, and this restored his
' THE TALL, GRACEFUL SPIRE OF THi' CHURCH OF STATFOEDN-AVQN.
THE TALL, GI(ACEFUL SPIRE OF THIK CHURCH OF STRATFORD-ON-AVON.
82 THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN.
drooping spirits as a cool draught of water
would have refreshed the thirsty flowers in his
hands.
And when he reached the trees, what a lovely
fairy spot lay before him! Through the waving
trees, sunbeams strayed and danced on flower and
fern, lighting up each bright petal or delicate frond.
The ground rose and fell, forming here a little
valley, there a baby hillock, and all was covered
by grass of the daintiest green, amongst which
nestled pale primroses and sweet violets.
Arthur sank on the grass, which was soft as his
own little bed, and closed his eyes with a satisfied
sigh.
Who are you, bold stranger, who thus disturb
our slumbers? Some great giant man, I see!"
Arthur was much flattered by hearing himself
described as a great giant man. It sounded so
grown-up, and really it was time, for he was tired
of being called a little boy. He opened his eyes
and turned with a smile on his face in the
direction from which the voice came. Compared
with the little creature before him, he certainly
was a great giant man. A dainty little figure was
standing on a primrose, a crown on her head, and
a sceptre in her hand; she had blue eyes, the
THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN. 83
colour of cornflowers, while her hair was as yellow
as the corn. Although so tiny, she looked so
severe that Arthur quite trembled, and cast down
his eyes before her glance.
I am very sorry," was all Arthur could say.
"What do you want here ?" piped the fairy, in
her clear, sweet voice.
I wanted to find the fairies, and tell them how
much I love them, and how I should like to be one,"
replied Arthur, thinking it wise to be very polite.
The fairy looked less angry.
I am sorry for you," she said.
Oh, why ? Because I am a great giant man ?"
asked Arthur.
"Yes," answered the fairy. "Because being a
man, you have dared to trespass into fairy-land,
and therefore you will have to be punished.
Come, follow me."
Arthur quaked in his shoes at these words, and
felt inclined to run away. The fairy, as though
divining his intentions, raised a tiny whistle to her
mouth, and blew. At the sound, hundreds of other
fairies made their appearance, and jumped upon
him. Some pulled his hair, others pinched his
rosy cheeks and arms, till he cried out for mercy,
and promised to go where he was wanted.
84 THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN.
The fairy queen then gave command to the
other fairies to cease tormenting him, and they all
entered a dark cave, made by two large stones.
"This is the judgment hall," whispered a fairy
to Arthur. Here you are to be tried for your
crime.
What crime ?" asked poor Arthur.
Prisoner at the bar," said the fairy queen,
" are you guilty or not guilty ?"
Guilty of what ?" asked Arthur.
The prisoner is impertinent," said the queen
angrily, while all the other fairies looked aghast at
his boldness. Pull his hair!" This the fairies
did with so much energy that the prisoner begged
for mercy.
I declare the prisoner guilty of invading our
kingdom, and of impertinence towards ourself,
the Queen of Fairyland," said the Queen solemnly.
'We therefore sentence him to- "
Have his hair pulled ninety-nine million and
seventy-five times," screamed all the fairies with
much excitement, pulling threatening faces at him.
"Oh no, no, no!" screamed Arthur in such terror
that he awoke, and, opening his eyes, saw bending
over him a little girl far more beautiful than the
fairy queen.
THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN. 85
"Well," she exclaimed, laughing merrily and
showing two rows of pearly teeth, "you do sleep
soundly; I thought I never was going to wake you.
I tickled your nose and at last pulled your hair, but
nothing would wake you."
"Oh," said Arthur with a sigh of relief, "I
thought I was in fairyland, and all the fairies were
tormenting me."
The little girl burst into a merry peal of
laughter.
No, only one fairy was tormenting you all the
time. My name is Fairy, at least father calls
me so. But what are you doing here ?"
Then Arthur told her that he had wanted to
find the fairy queen his father had read about, who
must live near, for Shakespeare had known her.
Well," said Fairy you have found her, or at
least she has found you. I tell you I'm Fairy,
though not Shakespeare's, for if I were I should
be old, and yellow, and toothless like old Mother
Scarecrow, as Shakespeare lived so very long
ago. I don't live far from here, just on the banks
of the Avon, but I thought I would have a picnic
here to-day, and have brought my lunch."
Then Fairy opened a big basket by her side.
If Arthur had had some doubts about her being a
~I
86 THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN.
living person before, and thought that she must be
a real fairy, he was quite sure about her now, for
none but a healthy sturdy girl of five or six, unless
it were a boy, would have thought of bringing
such a quantity of provisions. She first pulled
out some huge slices of bread and jam ("Straw-
berry!" she explained triumphantly to her com-
panion);' then appeared three or four crisp
curranty cakes; apples and oranges and a bottle
of milk completed the repast.
After having spread them out on the green
grass, Fairy regarded them thoughtfully, while
Arthur's face put on a bright and jovial expres-
sion. Fairy looked at the meal, then at Arthur,
and sighed dolefully.
You do look as though you could eat a lot."
she said mournfully.
Yes I can," replied Arthur cheerfully.
And so can I," said Fairy.
There's plenty there surely," said Arthur.
Well, let's eat what there is, and then if we're
hungry we must go home."
And the two set to work as fast as their little
teeth would go, and soon made the provisions look
decidedly small. Arthur did not mean to eat much,
but Fairy, who was really a kind little girl,
THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN. 87
though at first she had been rather unwilling to go
shares, made him eat his fair half.
So you believe in fairies ?" asked Fairy
scornfully. You must be a milksop! Why
I've known for years and years that there were
no such things! Fancy going and looking for
them too, and then dreaming of them. I expect
you dreamt they made you fairy king, and all that
rubbish, did you ? "
Arthur flushed, for like all other boys he hated
to be made fun of. He drew himself up and
looked away.
Then a pair of soft arms was thrown around
him, and a merry voice said coaxingly:-
Did it tease it, then ? Come, be friends, and
then we'll go down to the river and gather rushes
and make whistles."
Arthur was mollified and graciously allowed
Fairy to kiss and make friends.
Then they set off to the river, the beautiful
Avon, which curves amongst the meadows, and
by the banks of which stands the beautiful church
of Stratford. They strolled along the banks, and
were often in great danger of falling in, so eager
were they to gather the finest and most feathery
rushes. Fairy kept up a constant flow of chatter,
_ _
88 THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN.
and proved herself a most delightful companion,
though she rather frightened Arthur by her reck-
lessness as she bent over the river to reach some
coveted reed or flower.
Why, you are a coward," she said once, as
Arthur pulled her back when he thought she was
in greater danger than usual.
I'm not afraid for myself, but I am for you."
Oh that's all very well! It's just like a boy to
pretend it's for the girl's sake he is so careful,
when he is so frightened himself that he
trembles all over. Why, look," she ended
excitedly, here's some fun, here's a boat."
And lightly as a fairy she jumped in. Arthur
followed her quietly, afraid to remonstrate lest he
should again be called a coward, and yet thinking
how grieved his mother would be at his doing what
he knew was wrong.
"Now I'll be Columbus going to discover
America, and you can be--oh I don't know-well
let's see! Oh, you can be the crew," she cried in
great glee. You must do just as I tell you, or
I shall clap you into irons."
The poor crew sat in the stern feeling very
frightened and uncomfortable. He began to think
of his mother and what she would say.
THE SEARCH FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN. 89
Now," said Columbus, take an oar, and let's
get to America as quickly as we can."
Arthur obediently took an oar, but splashed
Fairy all over, and nearly fell into the water
himself.
You are clumsy," remarked Fairy.
I shan't try any more," retorted Arthur,
crossly.
Now you are mutinying, and I shall clap you
into irons," and she jumped up in a threatening
manner, glaring ferociously at the crew. From
the bottom of the boat she picked up a piece of
string and fastened his hands together, the crew
offering no resistance. Indeed, the boat was
going along so rapidly that he was afraid if he
struggled it would capsize, and they would be
drowned.
Oh, Fairy," he began.
Call me Columbus, please," she interrupted
sternly, drawing the string more tightly round his
wrists.
Well then, Columbus, don't you think it
would be nice to think we had got to America,
and to land now and go and hunt lions or
tigers ?"
Now you are showing what a lot you know
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