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diff --git a/25453.txt b/25453.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ce6e68b --- /dev/null +++ b/25453.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1141 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of How the Fairy Violet Lost and Won Her Wings, by +Marianne L. B. Ker + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: How the Fairy Violet Lost and Won Her Wings + +Author: Marianne L. B. Ker + +Illustrator: J. A. Martin + +Release Date: May 12, 2008 [EBook #25453] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY VIOLET LOST AND WON WINGS *** + + + + +Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Emmy and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was made using scans of public domain works in the +International Children's Digital Library.) + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: _The Fairy Violet's introduction to the Fire-King._] + + + + + HOW THE FAIRY VIOLET + LOST AND WON + HER WINGS. + +BY MARIANNE L. B. KER. + +_Author of "Eva's Victory," "Sybil Grey," &c._ + +ILLUSTRATED BY J. A. MARTIN. + +[Illustration] + + LONDON: + GRIFFITH AND FARRAN, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD. + + 1872. + + + + +HOW THE FAIRY VIOLET + +LOST AND WON HER WINGS. + + +The Fairy Violet lived in the heart of a beautiful forest, where, +through the glad spring months, the sun shone softly, and the bright +flowers bloomed, and now and then the gentle rain fell in silver drops +that made every green thing on which they rested fresher and more +beautiful still. At the foot of a stately oak nestled a clump of +violets, and it was there the wee fairy made her home. She wore a robe +of deep violet, and her wings, which were of the most delicate gauze, +glistened like dew-drops in the sun. All day long she was busy at work +tending her flowers, bathing them in the fresh morning dew, painting +them anew with her delicate fairy brush, or loosening the clay when it +pressed too heavily upon their fragile roots; and at night she joined +the elves in their merry dance upon the greensward. She was not alone in +the great forest; near her were many of her sister fairies, all old +friends and playmates. There was the Fairy Primrose in a gown of pale +yellow, and Cowslip, who wore a robe of the same colour, but of a deeper +shade. There was the graceful Bluebell, and the wild Anemone, the +delicate Woodsorrel, and the Yellow Kingcup. The Fairy Bluebell wore a +robe the colour of the sky on a calm summer's day, Anemone and +Woodsorrel were clad in pure white, while Kingcup wore a gown of bright +amber. One day, as the Fairy Violet was resting from the noonday heat on +the open leaves of her favourite flower, a noisy troop of boys, just set +free from school, came dashing at full speed through the forest. "Hallo! +there is a nest in that tree," cried one, and he trod ruthlessly on the +violets as he sprang up the trunk of the ancient oak. The Fairy Violet +was thrown to the ground, with a shock that left her for a time stunned +and motionless. When she recovered, the boys were gone, and the flower +in which she had been resting lay crushed and dying on the ground. +Filled with tender pity at the sight, Fairy Violet hastened to tend her +wounded charge, taking no thought for her own injuries. "Dear Violet, be +comforted," she whispered softly, as she raised the drooping flower from +the ground; "I will try to make you well." Then she took her fairy +goblet and fetched a few drops of dew from a shady place which the sun +had not yet reached, to revive the fainting flower, and bound up the +broken stem with a single thread of her golden hair. But it was all in +vain, and the fairy, after wrapping an acorn in soft moss, and placing +it for a pillow beneath the head of the fast fading Violet, left it to +try her skill on the other flowers. A faint fragrance from the dying +flower thanked her, as she turned sadly away to pursue her labour of +love. It was not till she had raised and comforted all the drooping +flowers and bound up their wounds, that the Fairy Violet thought of +herself. Then she discovered that her delicate gossamer wings were +gone! Evidently they had been caught on a crooked stick as she fell to +the ground and torn violently off, for there the remnants now hung, +shrivelled and useless, flapping in the breeze. At this sight the +hapless fairy threw herself by the side of the now withered Violet, and +wept bitterly. When spring and the spring flowers were gone, and their +work was ended, Violet and her sister fairies had been wont to spread +their wings and fly back to fairy-land, to report to the Queen what they +had done, and to receive from her reward or blame, according as they had +performed their task well or ill. Now this happy prospect was over for +poor Violet. "I shall never see fairy-land again!" she murmured, and +wept anew at the thought. + +The violets whom she had tended so lovingly were very sorry for her +grief, and shook their heads gently in the breeze, till their fragrance +filled the air, and stole softly round the weeping fairy. But though +they comforted, they could not help her. Presently she rose, and glided +swiftly through the tall grass, till she reached the flower where the +blue robed fairy was resting after her day's work. + +"Oh, sister Blue Bell," she cried, "I have lost my wings! Where shall I +get another pair, that I may fly back to fairy-land with you and my +sisters when our work is done?" Then Bluebell shook her head +sorrowfully, till all her sweet bells chimed--"I am sorry! I am sorry!" +but she could not help her sister Violet. + +"Perhaps Cowslip will know," she suggested. + +But Cowslip bade her try what Woodsorrel would say, and Woodsorrel +thought perhaps Kingcup might know, so Violet went about from one to +another, till she was ready to cry again with vexation. + +Then all the fairies gathered round her and tried to comfort her. + +"Let us ask the owl that sits in the hollow oak," said the gentle +Anenome, gliding to Violet's side; "he must be very wise, for he never +smiles, and seldom speaks more than three words at a time." + +So that night, when the moon lit her silver lamp in the sky, instead of +dancing, as was their wont, with the elves upon the greensward, they all +repaired to the hollow oak to seek an audience of the owl. They had to +repeat their errand two or three times before he understood it, for the +owl was as slow of understanding as he was of speech, and then, having +nodded his head solemnly for five minutes, and winked and blinked for +quite ten, he said solemnly:-- + +"Try the King of the Fire Spirits!" + +After which he relapsed into silence, and obstinately refused to say any +more. Then the Fairy Violet bade farewell to all her friends, and set +out on her journey to the King of the Fire Spirits. She had a long way +to go, for the Fire-King held his court in the very centre of the earth, +and she might have lost herself in the dark passages had not the +glowworm lent her his lamp. She had saved him once when a hungry bird +would have carried him off in her beak, and from that time the glowworm +had loved the gentle fairy, and always burned brightest when she was by. + +The Fairy Violet travelled very quickly, scarcely touching her feet to +the ground, but passing onward with a swift gliding motion that was very +beautiful; still it was three days and three nights before she reached +the kingdom of the Fire Spirits, for she had four thousand miles to go. + +Had she not been a fairy, she must have been scorched to death as she +entered the Fire-King's domain, for the streets were paved with molten +iron, and flames kept bursting forth in all directions, in which she +could perceive strange wild figures, some leaping to and fro in mad +fantastic glee, playing at ball with lumps of burning coal; others +manufacturing volcanic fire in their monstrous furnaces. + +They ceased their employment when they saw Violet, and came and knelt +before her in wondering admiration. She looked so beautiful as she came +floating towards them in her soft violet robe, with her fair hair +rippling in golden waves to her very feet, that they thought she must be +an angel who had strayed down from among the bright stars to their +gloomy dwelling-place, for they had never seen a fairy before. + +They were moved with compassion when they heard her sad tale, and at +once led her before their King, who was seated on a throne of molten +gold, with red and yellow flames curling up and arching over him for a +canopy, and a crown of fire on his head. He looked rather fierce, but +received Violet very graciously, and at once ordered his head blacksmith +to make the little fairy a new pair of wings. Violet was a little +startled when she found that these were made of fire, and were to be +fastened on her shoulders with bands of liquid gold, but the King +assured her that they were the very best of their kind. + +"There is nothing so powerful as fire," he cried, with a fierce exultant +laugh; waving his fiery sceptre in the burning atmosphere so wildly, +that though Violet thought he had been very kind to her, and bade him a +very grateful farewell, she was yet not at all sorry to be safely out of +his domains. + +How fresh and green the earth looked as she emerged from the dark +caverns that led to the Fire-King's palace, and rested her hot feet on +the cool grass! But when eager to tell her friends of her success, she +began to try the Fire-King's present, a general cry of dismay and terror +broke forth. + +"Sister Violet, you are killing our flowers," cried the fairies, +reproachfully. + +"Oh, I am burning! I am burning!" shrieked the grass. + +"Cruel fairy! you have killed us!" murmured the insects, as, with +scorched wings, they fell helpless to the ground. + +"Alas!" said Violet weeping, "I am bringing death and destruction +wherever I go. I will fly back to fairy-land before I work more +mischief." + +But the birds looked down from their nests wild with terror at the +thought. + +"You will kill us if you fly up here with your burning wings," they +chirped piteously. "You will scorch us to death," shouted the trees, +tossing their heads angrily in the breeze. + +"Ah, gentle fairy, have pity on us!" cooed the dove; "did I not comfort +you when your pet violet died?" + +"Have I not sung to you at night when you were weary with dancing?" +warbled the nightingale. + +"Have we not sheltered you from the fierce heat of the sun, and the +beating of the pitiless rain?" rustled the trees, indignantly. + +"Heartless!" muttered the wind, rushing rudely past her; "to injure +those who love you so much." + +"I shall never see fairy-land again!" murmured Violet. But she had too +gentle a heart to persist, so she sadly retraced her steps, and bade the +Fire-King take back his fatal gift. + +That evening, she and her sister fairies went to the owl and told him of +the ill success of her mission. The owl heard her to the end with great +gravity, and then said, severely: "Of course! Anyone with any sense +would have known that wings forged by the Fire Spirits _must_ burn +everything they touched." + +Violet would have liked to remind him that it was _he_ who bade her go +to the King of the Fire Spirits, but he looked so very severe, as he sat +blinking solemnly in the moonlight, that she was afraid, and only said, +humbly-- + +"Please what shall I do now?" + +"Go to the King of the Snow Spirits, of course!" said the owl, rather +crossly, for he wanted to go to sleep; "if fire is too hot, you had +better try snow." + +"Alas! what shall I do?" said Violet, very sadly. "The Snow-King lives +far off by the North Pole, and I have no wings to bear me to him over +the seas." + +Then a gentle fluttering was heard in the trees, and a sea-bird alighted +at Violet's feet. + +"Beautiful fairy," he sang, softly, "do you not remember now, three +springs ago, when the trees were clothing themselves anew in their green +raiment, and the flowers were springing up among the fresh grass, you +bound up my leg, which the hunter had wounded with his cruel gun; and +fed me daily with luscious fruits, and gave me to drink of sparkling dew +till I recovered? I vowed then that I would one day repay you, and now +my chance has come. Mount on my back, sweet Violet, and I will carry you +to the Snow-King." + +Then Violet thanked him joyfully, and seated herself on his back; and +the sea-bird flew away with her far over the hills and vales, and +pleasant fields, and beyond the great ocean till he reached the palace +of the Snow-King. + +The Palace was built of blocks of ice, filled in with snow, and arched +over with a graceful snowdrift for a roof; while lofty colonnades of +snow, supported by pillars of ice, led the way to the audience chamber, +which glistened with diamonds and crystals of the most sparkling +brilliancy. The Snow-King wore on his head a crown of ice-diamonds, +while from his shoulders hung gracefully a pure white cloak, fringed +with glittering icicles and fastened at the neck with a crystal brooch. + +Violet shivered a little as she entered this coldly beautiful palace, +for she was accustomed to bask all day long in the warm sunshine, and +had never trod on anything colder than the soft grass; but she quickly +recovered herself, and gliding with a swift graceful movement to the +foot of the Snow-King's throne, she bent on one knee before him, and +told him for what she had come. + +Then the Snow-King looked kindly upon the little fairy, and raised her +gently with his ice-cold hands. + +"Beautiful fairy," he said, "you are the first of your race who ever +visited my kingdom, and never have I seen aught so radiantly lovely +before. Your wish is granted, I only would it were twice as costly;" +and, turning to the snow-spirits, who were gathering lovingly round the +bright being who had ventured so boldly into their ice-bound regions, +he bade them mould wings of the purest and most delicate snow for their +fairy visitant. Then the King lay back on his throne, and looked at the +sweet modest face of the little fairy, and at her graceful form, with +the bright hair rippling in sunny waves over the violet robe, till, +moved by some sudden impulse, he came and knelt down at Violet's feet. + +"Sweet fairy," he said, as Violet turned her wondering eyes upon him, "I +have long ruled as monarch among my Snow-Spirits, and I have been very +proud of the cold splendour of my palace, with its glittering crystals +and pillars of ice, and I have laughed when the Fire-King has taunted me +from afar with its lack of warmth and colour, for I cared not for +either; but now it seems to me that the bright gleam of your golden +hair, and the warm glow of your violet robe, are far more beautiful than +my ice-diamonds and sparkling crystals, and that my palace will be very +bleak and desolate when you have gone. Stay with us, gentle fairy, and +be my queen!" + +Then all the Snow-Spirits gathered eagerly round Violet, and cried, +"Stay with us, and be our Queen!" + +Violet shivered as their icy-breath blew upon her, and her hand grew +cold in the Snow-King's frozen clasp; but she turned to him, and said, +very gently, for she was sorry to give him pain, "I cannot leave my +beautiful fairy-land to become your Queen. I should pine away in your +beautiful ice-palace, for I love the warm sunshine and the bright +flowers, and the soft breath of balmy spring, and this cold air would +kill me. So do not ask me again, noble King, for I cannot say yes, and +it grieves me to say no." + +Then the Snow-King urged her no more, but went back to his throne, and +watched her with such sad, wistful eyes, that Violet's heart ached, and +she was glad when they brought her the wings that she might fly away. + +They were very beautiful, made of soft feathery snow, and fastened to +her shoulders with crystal buckles. + +Violet knelt down and kissed the King's hand, thanking him gratefully +for his kindness, and praying him to forgive her any pain she had caused +him; and then flew away side by side with her faithful bird. The +Snow-King watched her till the bright sheen of her hair, and the soft +flutter of her wings could no longer be seen, and then turned back, sad +and lonely, to his palace. + +But Violet was very happy; "I shall see fairy-land again; bright, +beautiful fairy-land!" she sang softly to herself over and over. + +But when the frozen seas were past, and she was hovering once more above +the land, the sun shone full upon her, the snow-wings melted away, and +she fell helplessly to the ground. + +"Dear Violet, are you hurt?" asked the Fairy Anenome, by whose side she +had fallen. But Violet could not speak. She hid her face in Anenome's +white robe, and wept bitterly. + +"Dear sister Violet," said Anenome, winding her arms lovingly round the +weeping fairy, "be comforted. This night we will go together and seek an +audience of the Owl. Perhaps he will give us wiser counsel this time." + +"The Owl only mocks me," said Violet; "I will not ask counsel from him +again." + +Then Anenome was silent, for she knew not what else to advise, and only +tried to show her pity by tender words and caresses. But Fairy Kingcup +lifted up her bright face, and said, cheerily:-- + +"Why not try the Wizard of the Black Rock? He lives a long way off, but +he is the wisest magician that ever lived; and if any one can help our +sister Violet, it is he." + +Violet shook her head sorrowfully. + +"I do not know the way," she said. + +"I will lead you," hummed a bee, from the deep cup of a cowslip. + +"And I will sing you my merriest songs to cheer you by the way," warbled +a thrush, circling lovingly round her head. + +"And I," cried the glowworm, "will light you at night with my golden +lamp." + +"We all love you, Fairy Violet, because you are so gentle and good," +they sang in chorus; and Violet lifted her head, comforted, and smiled a +sweet, joyous smile, as she bade farewell to her sister fairies. + +It was a long journey that she undertook, for the Wizard of the Black +Rock lived quite at the other end of the earth. + +Sometimes a benighted traveller, hurrying homewards, fancied he saw a +golden light flash like lightning past his dazzled eyes, or heard a +warbling of sweet music, delighting for an instant his bewildered ears; +but light and music were gone in a moment, and he never guessed that it +was the Fairy Violet who had passed him as she glided onward with her +three faithful attendants to seek the Wizard of the Black Rock. + +At length they reached the great Black Rock, which rose up, grim and +forbidding, from a wide, desolate plain. The bee sank down humming +cheerfully, at the base, the thrush perched himself on a projecting +ridge, and the glowworm hid himself behind a tuft of withered grass. + +Violet advanced boldly to the small black door, studded with iron nails, +which was standing open, guarded only by a black dwarf of preternatural +ugliness. He turned as the beautiful fairy came floating towards him, +and led the way silently through dark long passages, and up narrow +winding stairs to his master's chamber. It was a small dark room, +lighted only by a silver lamp of great brilliancy, which stood on a +table by the fire-place, where, though the month was May, and the +weather bright and sunny, there burned a dim, smouldering fire. The +Wizard, whose silvery locks contrasted strangely with the surrounding +gloom, bent over a book; its jewelled clasps were rusted with age, each +page was enriched with coloured tracery. He was very old. More than a +hundred years had elapsed since it was first rumoured that a famous +magician had taken up his abode in the Black Rock, and all that time he +had spent in studying the great black book of magic spells that lay open +before him. No wonder he was wise and learned! + +The dwarf shut the door with a sullen resentful clang, and Violet was +left alone with the great magician. + +She glided to his side, and knelt down meekly before him. + +But the Wizard, deep in his abstruse studies, did not hear her; and +Violet felt a sensation of awe creeping over her as she noted his +abstracted gaze, and looked on the high, arched forehead wrinkled with +centuries of years and study. Suddenly the magician turned, muttering +some strange words in an unknown tongue, and, as he did so, his eyes +fell upon Violet. + +[Illustration: _The Fairy Violet visits the Magician._] + +A remembrance of some by-gone spell of grace and beauty seemed to stir +the Wizard as he looked upon the bright-haired fairy, to whose upturned +face the light of the silver lamp had lent a fairer radiance, for his +deep voice softened as he spoke to her, and he laid his hand gently on +her head while she told her story. + +When she had finished, he remained musing for some time in silence. + +"I know no spells that will serve where the Spirits of Snow and of Fire +have failed," he said at length, with unwonted gentleness. "No one can +help thee here but thine own loving heart. Kind words, gentle deeds, +faithful service, patient waiting--from these alone can be wrought the +wings, which will be slight enough for thy delicate frame to bear, and +yet powerful enough to withstand every trial. Go forth then, gentle +fairy, to thy daily tasks, and wait patiently till the great Mother +Nature herself give thee thy reward." + +"Thanks, kind magician," said Violet, with a bright smile; "you have +given me a pleasant task to do." + +Then kissing gratefully his withered hand, she went on her way, and the +aged Magician thought his silver lamp burned dimly, and his cell grew +dark when she had left. + +"Could not the great wizard help you?" cried her three friends, +sorrowfully, as, gliding past the black dwarf that guarded the entrance, +she stepped out into the open air. + +"Could he not help you?" echoed her sister fairies, when she re-entered +once more the old forest. + +"Alas! is there no help for you, sweet Violet?" wept the wind, wandering +in and out among the lofty trees, rocking and swaying them like slender +bulrushes in his fierce sorrow. + +But to each and all Violet replied only by a glad quiet smile. + +"Patience!" she said, gently; "Mother Nature will help me in her own +time." + +So she returned to her work among the violets; and when they had all +died, and the spring had gone, and her sister fairies flew away to +fairy-land, she still smiled, though a little sadly, and bade them +farewell without a shade of discontent in her brave, gentle voice. + +"Now, I must find some work," she said to herself, when her wistful eyes +could no longer discern the flutter of their wings in the azure sky. + +And she soon found plenty to do. + +Now it was binding up the wound of some stricken bird, or raising some +crushed flower, and sprinkling its drooping leaves with cooling dew, and +now it was closing the eyelids of a tired child who had thrown himself +down to rest beneath the forest shade, and singing softly in his ear a +fairy lullaby, till he fell asleep. Sometimes she would perch herself on +the shoulder of some sleeping wayfarer by the roadside, and whisper in +his ear sweet and tender words that made him dream of his home, and of +the mother sleeping so peacefully in the churchyard far away, till he +started from his sleep and went on his way with a touched and softened +heart. Every day Fairy Violet found some kindly deed to do, and every +day Mother Nature, looking lovingly on her child, saw the time was +drawing nearer when she should receive her reward. + +One day as she was wandering through one of the by-streets of a crowded +city, she was attracted by a plaintive voice that proceeded from one of +the low-roofed, badly built houses. + +"Put the geranium where I can see it, mother," the voice was saying, "I +love to lie back and watch it." + +A woman came forward at these words and altered the position of the +plant, which Fairy Violet had already noticed as being rather faded, and +in want of her skill to brighten the colours. + +"It is very washy-like," she said regretfully, "I doubt this stuffy air +is killing it." + +"Will it live as long as I shall?" asked the plaintive voice. + +There was no answer, but Violet saw that the mother's hands shook as +they busied themselves with the flower. + +"I hope it will," the voice continued, with a sort of wistful eagerness, +"for it is such a pleasure to me to watch it. It seems to comfort me, +when the pain is very bad, and I lie awake through the long weary night, +to look at it and wonder what the little garden is looking like in the +old home you have told me of so often, mother, and whether the moon is +shining as sweetly there as over our poor house here. I sometimes +wonder, too, whether the flowers there are so very much more beautiful +than my poor sickly geranium, and whether if I saw them I should care +for it no longer; and then I think no, that no flower could ever be so +beautiful to me as my flower, and that I love it far better, rearing its +pretty head so bravely in this dull stuffy room, than if it bloomed in +the loveliest garden that was ever planted. And many a time when I have +felt a little downhearted, with being a burden to you, mother, and the +pain seeming as if it was more than I could bear, it has seemed to say; +'Patience! poor little Faith, it will be over soon.' Do you think there +will be flowers in heaven, mother?" + +"Like enough, child," said the woman, dreamily; "there will be +everything that is beautiful there, I expect," and she heaved a deep +sigh. Poor woman! there was little of beauty in her present life, and +the country home of which her child had spoken was but a far off +recollection to her now. + +"I should like to have it near me when I die," the sick girl went on, "I +have never had a friend you know, mother, but my flower has seemed to +stand in the place of one to me, and I should like to look at it just at +the last." + +"Lord love you, child! don't talk of dying; unless you want to break my +heart," said the mother, with a tone of sharp impatience in which there +was more of grief than of anger. + +While she was speaking, Fairy Violet glided in at the open door. + +The room was poor, but scrupulously clean, and the scanty furniture was +as bright as diligent rubbing could make it. On a rude couch, opposite +the open window, lay a girl of about sixteen years of age, but with a +wan-pinched face that made her look ten years older. Constant pain had +blanched all the colour she might once have possessed, and the blue +veins showed clearly through the thin transparent skin. She turned her +head as Violet entered, and a faint flush of pleasure rose on her pale +cheeks. + +"Mother! do you smell the violets?" she exclaimed, eagerly, "the room +seems filled with fragrance." + +"It must be your fancy, child," said the woman wearily; "I smell +nought." + +By this time Violet had settled herself in one of the blossoms of the +geranium, and was busy at work. + +"Look, look, mother!" cried the sick girl again, "this at least is no +fancy;" and mother and daughter gazed at the flower in amazement as the +faded colour grew bright under the fairy's magic touch. "'Tis the moving +it to a sunnier spot, or mayhap 'twas the water I gave it this morning," +said the woman, recovering herself with a start. "I'll give it a drop +more," and she bustled off to get some, while her daughter lay back and +watched the flower with a quiet, restful smile on her patient lips. + +"There is work for me to do here," said Violet to herself, feeling quite +happy as she glided from blossom to blossom, touching and re-touching +with her delicate brush. So she stayed, and day by day the flower grew +more radiantly beautiful beneath her loving hands, sweetest fragrance +filled the room, and softest murmuring of fairy music floated on the +air, which, though the dull senses of mother and daughter failed to +interpret rightly, yet stole into their hearts and gave them comfort. +Sometimes a vision would come before her of the radiant fairy-land from +which she was banished, or of her beautiful forest-home where fragrant +flowers had wrapt her in their dewy leaves, where birds had sung to her +from the leafy bower above her head, and the bright sun had shone upon +her with genial warmth. But she would quickly banish such thoughts, and +gliding round the room would touch every dull corner with her fairy wand +till it shone and brightened with a magic charm, would cast a spell upon +the smouldering fire, so that it burned and crackled cheerily, would lay +her cool hand upon the sick girl's throbbing brow till the pain abated, +and would cast a fairy haze before her languid eyes, so that they saw +beautiful visions in the changeful sky. + +So day by day passed by, till one morning, bending over a glass that +stood beneath the flower she was painting, Fairy Violet saw her own +reflection in the clear water. But she saw something more! A pair of +wings of the most delicate gossamer, tipped with silver and sparkling +with a marvellous radiance, had sprung from her shoulders and rose +almost on a level with her tiny head! Fairy Violet had won her wings at +last, and the golden gates of Fairy-land, where the woods and forests +were always green, and the valleys ever radiant with beautiful flowers, +were open to her once more. + +Wild with joy, she darted out of the window, and was already far above +the tops of the smoky chimneys, when she remembered the patient +suffering girl whose life was slowly wasting away in the close confined +atmosphere of her miserable home. Then her wings drooped and her bright +face clouded over. + +"I must not leave my work unfinished," she said, and with a wistful +glance at the white fleecy clouds that seemed to beckon lovingly to her, +she returned to the cottage; and the dying girl's last days were +brightened by the fairy presence of which she was so unconscious. + +She knew not that it was from Violet the murmuring music came that +delighted her wondering ears, that it was to her she owed the sweet +fragrance that filled the air, and the soft fresh colouring of the +flower at which she loved to gaze; but though the gentle fairy got no +thanks, she felt well rewarded for her labour of love when she saw the +peaceful smile that rested on Faith's wasted face, and the light that +beamed in her dark eyes. + +At last the end came. One evening as the sun was sinking to rest in +great waves of crimson and gold, Faith asked for her flower to be +brought to her, smiled faintly as her dim eyes rested on it for the last +time, laid her head on her mother's breast, and died. A low wailing cry +broke from the mother as she felt that never again would the dark eyes +be raised lovingly to hers, or the wan face brighten at her approach; +but Violet saw what the mother failed to see, that white-robed angels +had gathered round the death-bed, and were now bearing away the freed +spirit with strains of triumphant joy. So she framed the glorious vision +into a song, which she sang in the woman's ear, and the mother was +comforted, though she knew not why. + +"'Tis better so, my poor lamb," she murmured, while tears dropped slowly +one by one down her sunken cheeks. "There is no pain where thou art +gone, nor hunger either, and I will join thee there by-and-bye." + +Then Violet knew that her work was done, and she flew out of the open +window, and up into the clear sky, far above the tops of the tall +chimneys, and some men, who were looking up from the dusty streets at +the sunset, wondering whether the next day would be fine or wet, caught +a sudden gleam of her silver-tipped wings, and thought it was a flash of +summer lightning, and were conscious at the same moment of a delicious +fragrance as of violets, and said the wind must be from the west, for it +was wafting to them country scents. Fairy Violet laughed as she heard +their blundering guesses, a laugh that rippled out on the still air like +the chiming of silver bells, and then flew joyously on to thank the +Wizard of the Black Rock for his wise counsel. + +But when she reached the Black Rock, she found the magician, wearied out +with a succession of sleepless nights spent in abstruse study and deep +research, had fallen fast asleep, with his venerable head resting on the +mysterious book, and the black dwarf at his feet jealously guarding his +slumber. So she trimmed his silver lamp for him afresh, so that it +burned with a yet more wonderful brilliance, laid a cluster of sweet +flowers beside him, and then gladly flitting from the gloomy rock, +spread her glistening wings, and darted up into the air; up, up, far +above the tops of the lofty trees, flashing like a bright vision through +the now darkening night. She passed the silver moon, which was shining +calmly down upon the world she had just left; she threaded her way in +and out among the golden stars; on, on she went till she saw the +beautiful radiant light that never dims, and heard the soft murmuring of +sweet music, and smelled the delicious fragrance of Fairy-land. + +As she passed through the golden gates she heard a great shout of, "'Tis +the Fairy Violet!" and instantly all the bells of Fairy-land began to +ring, and a gay procession of radiant fairies, all dressed in their +fairest robes, came to meet her, and pressed round her with loving +welcome and congratulation. "Come to our Queen, for she is waiting for +you," they cried; and led her in triumph up the shining steps of the +Fairy Palace, and into the Hall of Pearl, where the Queen was seated on +her throne dispensing the graceful wreaths, which, woven by her own +hand, were the choicest rewards bestowed in Fairy-land. It was easy to +adjudge the crowns of merit among the fairies, for their beauty +increased, or waned, according as they had done well or ill. + +Now, every one looking on the Fairy Violet saw that she was the most +beautiful of all, for her face was so radiantly lovely, that none but +the purest fairies could look on it undazzled. So when the Queen, after +greeting Violet with her sweetest smiles, had asked, "To whom shall I +give the fairest crown?" they all shouted unanimously, "To our Sister +Violet!" + +But Violet lifted her gentle face with a pleading gesture. + +"May it please your Majesty," she said, earnestly, "I do not deserve to +be so highly honoured; my sisters have all done as well as I have." + +"No, little Violet," said the Queen, smiling, "you have done best of +all. We well know what your work has been.--Listen!" + +Then Violet listened, and she heard a wondrous song, which, rising and +falling with each change of the fitful breeze, now broke into a wild +strain of piercing sweetness, and anon died away into a soft musical +murmur like the rippling of fairy streams. + +"That song, little Violet," said the Queen, "is the record of your life +on earth.--Listen again." + +They all listened, while the marvellous strain sang of Violet's gentle +life on earth. + +Not a loving word she had ever said, not a kind deed she had ever done, +not a smile her loving arts had brought to the lips of the dying girl, +not a blessing uttered by the mother unconscious to whom she owed the +peace and quiet of her daughter's last days; not a fragrant breath from +rescued flower, not a song from grateful bird, but added its sweet note +to that marvellous song. + +Had there been one unkind word, one selfish thought, one cruel deed, the +song would have been broken by jarring discords; but all was harmony, +not one harsh note disturbed the rippling melody. + +As one by one Violet's beautiful secrets were brought to light, the +fairies looked on her with loving admiration, but Violet was quite +ashamed at being praised so openly, and hid her blushing face on +Anenome's shoulder. + +When the story of Violet's deeds was ended, and the wild mysterious +music had lulled into inarticulate murmuring, the Fairy Queen looked +round upon her subjects, and asked once more, "To whom shall I give the +fairest crown?" + +And all the fairies cried again, more eagerly than ever-- + +"To Violet! To Violet!" + +Then Violet could refuse no longer, but bent gracefully on one knee +before the throne, while the Queen placed the crown on her shining hair. + +The wonderful music died away into silence, and was never heard again, +but the court-minstrel who had listened eagerly to its wild strains, +caught the beautiful melody, and repeated it on his harp; and to this +day, at fairy-feast and revel, the favourite legend is that which tells +how the Fairy Violet lost and won her wings. + +[Illustration] + + + + +Bellenden Series + +OF + +STORIES FOR CHILDREN. + +By M. L. B. KER. + +_Author of "Eva's Victory" &c., &c._ + +ILLUSTRATED BY J. A. MARTIN. + + +1. HOW THE FAIRY VIOLET LOST AND WON HER WINGS. + + _Will shortly be published--_ + +2. HANS VOGLER. + + =PRICE FOURPENCE.= + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors repaired. + +Page 23, "desevre" changed to "deserve" (do not deserve) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of How the Fairy Violet Lost and Won Her +Wings, by Marianne L. B. 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