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+Project Gutenberg's The Fairies and the Christmas Child, by Lilian Gask
+
+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: The Fairies and the Christmas Child
+
+Author: Lilian Gask
+
+Illustrator: Willy Pogány
+
+Release Date: September 27, 2011 [EBook #37547]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FAIRIES AND THE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, eagkw and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: Cover]
+
+  [Illustration: The Fairies
+                 and the Christmas
+                 Child]
+
+  [Illustration]
+
+  [Illustration: _Fr._               "We rocked the cradle"
+                                         (_Page 182_)]
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: Title Page]
+
+  The
+  Fairies and
+  the Christmas Child
+  By Lilian Gask
+
+  The Illustrations are by
+  Willy Pogány
+
+  T. Y. Crowell & Co
+  New York
+
+  [Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Contents
+
+
+  Chapter                                    Page
+     I.  The Fairy Ring                         1
+
+    II.  The Princess with the Sea-Green Hair  25
+
+   III.  Rose-Marie and the Poupican           45
+
+    IV.  The Bird at the Window                67
+
+     V.  The White Stone of Happiness          89
+
+    VI.  The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou       109
+
+   VII.  In the Dwarf's Palace                133
+
+  VIII.  The Silver Horn                      157
+
+    IX.  The Little White Feather             175
+
+     X.  The Wild Huntsman                    197
+
+    XI.  The White Princess                   217
+
+   XII.  The Favourite of the Fates           239
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+List of Illustrations
+
+
+  "We rocked the cradle"                    _Frontispiece_
+                                                      Page
+  "I fancied that I had seen those wee brown men"       11
+
+  "The Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves"      20
+
+  "Here a Fairy Princess awaited him"                   33
+
+  Rose-Marie and the Poupican                           54
+
+  "They tossed him three times in the air"              63
+
+  "She hid herself behind a curtain"                    83
+
+  "What ails you, Madame Marguerite?"                   99
+
+  "The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees"    114
+
+  "They instantly changed into snow-white birds"       129
+
+  "The Dwarf invited me to be seated"                  141
+
+  "Elberich had jeered him finely"                     151
+
+  "'She is yours, O Otnit!' cried the Dwarf"           154
+
+  "In the old man's place sat a little Dwarf"          167
+
+  "A little white feather danced above their heads"    189
+
+  "'How now?' cried a reassuring voice"                196
+
+  "He entreated the maiden to come down"               205
+
+  "Went shyly down to meet him"                        212
+
+  "Lowered herself from her window by means of a rope
+      of pearls"                                       224
+
+  "He tickled the monster's nose"                      233
+
+  "Pepita rushed into his arms"                        253
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: _To
+                 "The Doctor"
+                 and
+                 Mrs. Macnaughton-Jones
+                 my "Good Fairies"
+                 and best of
+                 Friends_]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter I
+
+The Fairy Ring
+
+
+The worst of being a Christmas Child is that you don't get birthday
+presents, but only Christmas ones. Old Naylor, who was Father's
+coachman, and had a great gruff voice that came from his boots and was
+rather frightening, used to ask how I expected to grow up without proper
+birthdays, and I thought I might have to stay little always. When I told
+Father this he laughed, but a moment later he grew quite grave.
+
+"Listen, Chris," he said. And then he took me on his knee--I was a small
+chap then--and told me things that made me forget old Naylor, and wish
+and wish that Mother could have stayed with us. The angels had wanted
+her, Father explained; well, we wanted her too, and there were plenty
+of angels in heaven, anyway. When I said this Father gave me a great
+squeeze and put me down, and I tried to be glad that I was a Christmas
+child. But I wasn't really until a long time afterwards, when I had
+found the Fairy Ring, and met the Queen of the Fairies.
+
+This was how it happened. Father and I lived at one end of a big town,
+in a funny old house with an orchard behind it, where the sparrows ate
+the cherries and the apple trees didn't flower. Once upon a time, said
+Father, there had been country all round it, but the streets and the
+roads had grown and grown until they drove the country away, and now
+there were trams outside the door, and not a field to be seen. I often
+thought that our garden must be sorry to be so crowded up, and that this
+was why it wouldn't grow anything but weedy nasturtiums and evening
+primroses.
+
+Father is a doctor, and most awfully clever. If you cut off the top of
+your finger, he'd pop it on again in no time, and he used to cure all
+sorts of illnesses with different coloured medicines he made himself
+behind a screen.
+
+But though he had lots and lots of patients--sometimes the surgery was
+full of them, 'specially on cold nights when there was a fire--they
+didn't seem to have much money to give him, and sometimes they ran
+away with their furniture in the night so's not to pay their bills.
+This worried Father dreadfully, and even Santa Claus was scared away
+by the things he said. On Christmas Eve the old fellow quite forgot
+to fill my stocking. It was all limp and empty when I woke in the
+morning, and if I hadn't remembered that when I grew up I was going to
+be a Commander-in-Chief, I should never have swallowed that lump in my
+throat.
+
+Father couldn't even take me to hear "Hark The Herald Angels" at the big
+church down the road that day, for someone sent for him in a hurry, and
+when he didn't come in for dinner, I wished it wasn't Christmas at all.
+Nancy Blake, who kept house for us and was most stingy over raisins,
+banged the kitchen door when I said I would make her some toffee, and
+I couldn't find anything else to do. I looked at all my books and
+pretended I was a soldier in a lonely fort; then I thought I would make
+up medicine myself, so's to save Father trouble when he came home. But I
+burnt my fingers with some nasty stuff in a green bottle, and it hurt a
+good deal. So I determined to go to meet him, and tell him what I'd
+done.
+
+[Illustration: "Nancy Blake."]
+
+The trams were running as usual, and as I had a penny left out of my
+pocket money--I hadn't spent it before as it had got stuck in some
+bulls' eyes--I took the car to the corner; then I jumped out and walked.
+There wasn't a sign of Father all down the road, and I remembered at
+last that he had said he must look in at the Hospital, which was in
+quite a different direction. I should have gone home then, if it hadn't
+been so dull with no one but Nancy Blake.
+
+"He won't be back until tea time anyhow," I thought, and I made up my
+mind to be a boy scout, and go and explore.
+
+It was a splendid day, and the roofs of the shops and houses glittered
+from millions of tiny points, just as you see on Christmas cards. I
+walked on and on, feeling gladder every moment, for my fingers had left
+off hurting me and I knew that I couldn't be far from the woods, which
+were just outside the town. I had been there once with Father, and it
+was lovely; so I hurried on as quickly as I could.
+
+When I got there they made me think of Fairyland. The trees were
+sparkling with the same frost-diamonds I had noticed on the roofs, and
+through the criss-cross branches above my head the sky was as blue as
+blue. A jolly little robin was twittering in a bush, enjoying himself no
+end; his bright red breast reminded me of the holly I had stuck over
+Father's mantelpiece, and I began to feel sad again. For it did seem
+hard lines that though Christmas was my birthday, no one, not even
+Father, had thought of it.
+
+"I wish that I hadn't been born on Christmas Day!" I said aloud, when I
+had reached the very heart of the wood, and I sat down to rest on the
+stump of a tree close to a little circle of bright green. It was here
+I had come that day with Father, and he had told me that though it was
+called a "Fairy Ring," it was really made by the spread of a very small
+fungus, or mushroom. I liked the idea of the fairy ring much better, and
+as I touched it with my foot I wished again that I wasn't a Christmas
+child. And then I heard a sigh.
+
+It wasn't the robin, for he was still twittering on his bush, and it
+wasn't the wind, for the air was quite sheltered behind the bank, which
+was sweet with wild thyme in summer. The next moment I heard another
+sigh, and this seemed to come from a frond of bracken just outside the
+fairy ring. It was brown and withered, but the frost had silvered it all
+over, and as I looked at it I saw the loveliest little creature you can
+imagine clinging to the stem. She was only about three inches high, but
+her tiny form was full of grace, and her eyes so bright and beautiful
+that they shone like stars. Her hair was the palest silver-gold, and
+she had a crown of diamonds and an amethyst wand that sparkled when she
+moved it. The scarf wreathed round her shoulders flashed all the colours
+of mother-of-pearl, and throwing it from her she hummed to herself a
+little song about violets and eglantine, and sweet musk roses. Her notes
+were as clear as the lark's, and as if she had called them, more Fairies
+showed amidst the bracken.
+
+They were lovely too, though not so lovely as she. One was dressed in
+pink, like a pink pea; another had a long grey coat, spangled with drops
+of dew, while the third had wings like a big grey moth, and the smallest
+Elf was all in brown.
+
+"It is Titania who sings," chirped the robin in my left ear; "Titania,
+the Queen of the Fairies, though some call her the fair Queen Mab!" And
+he hopped to the foot of the frond of bracken and made a funny little
+duck with his head.
+
+"Good bird!" cried Titania, breaking off her song. "You, too, sing
+through the winter gloom, and are here to welcome the sweet o' the
+year." Then she pointed her gleaming wand at me, and shook her head.
+
+"O Christmas child," she said reproachfully, "it is well that it was I
+who heard you, and not my brave lord Oberon, who has less patience with
+mortal folly. So you wish you had not been born on Christmas Day? Why,
+'tis the day most blessed in all the year--the day when the King of
+Kings sent peace and goodwill to Man in the form of the Christ Child. It
+is His birthday as well as yours, and in memory of Him the Fairies show
+themselves to Christmas children, if they are pure in heart and word and
+deed. Your Mother knew this, and she was glad. She called you 'Chris' to
+remind you always which day you came."
+
+And then I was sure that I hadn't been dreaming after all, though Nancy
+said, "Stuff and Nonsense," when I fancied that I had seen those wee
+brown men busy about the house on winter mornings, or flitting in
+shadowy corners at night, before she lit the gas. I had never spoken to
+them, for I thought if I did they might run away; but I was pleased to
+know they had been real.
+
+"You would have seen us before," said Titania, "but you live in a big
+town, and your eyes were dimmed with smoke and fog. My dainty Elves love
+dales and streams, and the depths of forests; in spring they throng
+the meadows, decking the cowslips' coats of gold at early dawn with
+splotches of ruby, my choicest favours, and hanging pearls in their
+dainty ears. In summer they sleep in the roseleaves, and ride behind
+the wings of butterflies, while in winter they hush the babble of the
+brooks, and powder the branches of the trees with frost to hide their
+nakedness. Away with you, Peas-blossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustard-seed!
+Go, freeze the fingers of Father Time into glassy icicles, and forget
+not to seek for crimson berries on which our friends the birds may feed
+at morn!"
+
+[Illustration: I fancied that I had seen those wee brown men]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+She clapped her hands, and the Fairies fled. I wondered why she did not
+fall, since she no longer clung to the frond of bracken; but her tiny
+feet were firmly planted in the fork of a leaf, and behind her glinted a
+pair of wings which had been invisible before. As I watched her I
+thought of a question I had often wanted to ask.
+
+"Where do Fairies come from?" I said, hoping she would not be offended.
+
+"Ah," she replied, "that is more than I may tell you. But we were here,
+in these very islands, long before the people of the woods, and the
+white-haired Druids who worshipped the God of the Oak. There were
+spirits then, as now, in streams and rivers, and sweet-voiced Sirens in
+the deep blue sea. Some Fairies rode on magic horses, and some were even
+smaller than I, and lived in the ears of the yellow corn. Dagda then was
+the King of the Fairies, a mighty spirit whose cauldron was supposed
+to be the vast grey dome of the sky. Those were the days of Witches,
+Dwarfs, and Giants, and little people who lived in the hills, and many
+other Fairies known by different names.
+
+We are found in various guises all over the world, but our home is said
+first to have been in Persia. There dwelt the ancient Jinn who haunted
+the mountain recesses and the forest wilds ages before the first man
+trod the earth. Here, too, were Deevs, malicious creatures of terrible
+strength who warred with our sisters, the Peries. These exquisite
+creatures abode at Kâf, in the deep green mountains of Chrysolite, the
+realm of Pleasure and Delight, wherein was the beauteous Amber City.
+Some day you may go to Persia, and then, if you meet a Peri, she will
+tell you how a mortal man once came to her sisters' rescue, and
+conquered the wicked Deevs."
+
+The thought of meeting a Peri took my breath away, for I had read about
+them on winter evenings.
+
+"Do you mean that wherever I go I shall see the Fairies, just as I see
+you now?" I cried.
+
+"Wherever you go!" she said, nodding her head, "and soon I believe you
+will cross the sea and travel through other lands. But you must not
+think," she went on earnestly, "that the Fairies in your own country are
+less worth knowing, for you might spend your life in making friends with
+them, and yet have much to learn."
+
+I can't remember half of all that Titania told me after this, but she
+spoke of fair White Elves who live among the trees, and are ruled by a
+King who rides abroad in a beautiful little coach with trappings of gold
+and silver; of mischievous Black Elves who live underground, and haunt
+people with nasty tempers; of Nymphs and Gnomes and sad-faced Trolls,
+and of Brownies and Portunes and Pixies. I should have liked to hear
+more about the Brownies and Portunes, but it was fun to learn how the
+Brownies play tricks on lazy people who lie in bed and won't get up,
+pulling the clothes right off them, and throwing these on the floor,
+and of how they help the farmers' wives to bake and brew if they are
+clean and neat. Titania said that Fairies dislike people who are untidy,
+and I hoped that she hadn't seen my playbox or my chest of drawers. I
+made up my mind that directly I got home I would put them straight, and
+so that she might not notice how red I had grown, I asked her to tell me
+what Portunes were.
+
+[Illustration: The "Portunes" were queer creatures.]
+
+"Queer little wrinkled creatures with faces like old men," she said.
+"They wear long green coats covered with darns and patches, and are only
+found now in the depths of the country. They like to live on prosperous
+farms, and though some of them are barely an inch high, they can lift
+heavier weights than the strongest labourer. Like the Brownies, they can
+be mischievous as well as helpful. A farmer once offended a Portune by
+speaking disrespectfully of his kindred, and the next time that the good
+man rode home from market in the dusk, the little fellow sprang on to
+the horse's reins, and guided him into the bog. Both horse and man had
+to flounder out as best they could, and the farmer was careful
+henceforth to mind his tongue."
+
+"And what are Pixies like?" I asked. She had said that I reminded her of
+one of these, so of course I was curious about them.
+
+"They are much taller than we are, and very fair," answered Titania,
+"with blue-grey eyes like yours. If you want to meet them, you must go
+to Devonshire, for it is there that they make their home. They love the
+ferns and the heather, and the rich red earth, and live in a Pixy-house
+in a rock. They, also, are ruled by a King, who commands them as I do
+my Elves and Fays, despatching them hither and thither to do his will.
+Sometimes he sends them down to the mines, to show the men who work
+there where the richest lode is to be found; and if the miners grumble,
+or are discontented, the Pixies lead them astray by lighting false
+fires. On other occasions they are told off to help the villagers with
+their housework, and their attentions are warmly welcomed by the Devon
+folk. One good dame was so pleased with the help a ragged little Pixie
+who had torn her frock on a sweet-briar bush gave her with her spinning,
+that she made her a new set of clothes of bright green cloth, and laid
+these by the spinning wheel. The Pixy put them on at once, and singing
+
+    "Pixy fine, Pixy gay,
+    Pixy now will run away!"
+
+sped out of the house in broad daylight, and, alas! she never came back
+again."
+
+"Ho! ho! ho!" laughed a merry voice, and a shock-headed little fellow
+swung himself down from a bough just behind me, and turned a somersault
+on the ground.
+
+"Welcome, gay Puck!" Titania cried. "Whence do you come, and what do you
+do this night?"
+
+"I come from the court of King Oberon, sweet Titania," answered the Elf,
+"and to-night I plait the manes and tails of Farmer Best's grey horses.
+At early dawn I shall skim the cream off the milk in his good wife's
+dairy, since yester-e'en she grudged a drink of it to an orphan child.
+'Robin Goodfellow has been here!' she will cry when she sees what I have
+been after, and her greedy old eyes will fill with tears. That is one
+of my pet names, Wide-eyes," he added, hopping on to my shoulder and
+pinching my ear. "I am also Pouke, Hobgoblin, and Robin Hood. But where
+are the Urchins, my merry play-fellows? It is high time that they were
+here, for the lady moon has hung her lamp i' the sky."
+
+[Illustration: "The Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves"]
+
+The clouds were all tinted a deep rose pink, and behind the trees, just
+where the moon had risen, was a haze of purple. I knew by this that it
+must be nearly tea-time, and I was just going to say that I must go,
+when Titania left the frond of bracken, and alighted in the centre of
+the Fairy Ring. Waving her wand, she summoned her "gladsome sprites,"
+and next moment the Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves who wore
+red caps and silver shoes, with bright green mantles buttoned with bobs
+of silk. Puck flew to join them, but Peas-blossom, Cobweb, Moth, and
+Mustard-seed, who sprang from nowhere, danced in an inner circle round
+the Fairy Queen. They sang as they danced, and this is their song. I
+found it afterwards in a book of Father's, which he said had in it more
+wonderful things than all books in the world but one:
+
+    "By the moon we sport and play,
+    With the night begins our day.
+    As we frisk the dew doth fall,
+    Trip it, little urchins all.
+    Lightly as the little bee,
+    Two by two and three by three,
+    And about goe wee, goe wee."
+
+"And about goe wee, goe wee!" echoed down the glade, and then the
+Elves suddenly disappeared, with Puck and Titania and her attendants.
+
+The wood was growing darker every minute, but the sparkles of frost were
+glittering still, and lit my way. At the end of the scrub I saw Father
+coming to meet me, swinging down the road with such long steps that he
+looked like a kindly big giant. He had guessed where I had gone, and he
+was so pleased to find me that he forgot to say I mustn't explore any
+more without him, as I was afraid he would. He took my hand, and we both
+ran; it was lovely at home by the fire.
+
+I meant to have told him about Queen Titania while we were having tea,
+but Nancy had made such scrumptious cakes that there wasn't time at
+first, and before I had finished he began to open the letters that had
+come just after he left that morning. They seemed to be all bills, and
+Father sighed as he looked them over, his forehead puckered into rucks
+and lines. Presently he came to a big blue envelope, and he turned
+this round and round as if he thought there might be something horrid
+inside. The paper crackled like anything as he drew it out, and when it
+was unfolded he sat looking at it for a long time, though there didn't
+seem to be much writing. At last he gave an odd kind of gasp, and took
+my face between his hands. He pressed it so hard that he made me say
+"O!" though I didn't want to do this, and I wondered what had happened.
+
+"Your great-aunt Helen is dead, Chris," he said at last, as he let me
+go. "I haven't seen her for years and years.... She was not over kind to
+me when I was a lad, though I believe she meant well.... And now she's
+left us all her money. We shan't be poor any more."
+
+This was the beginning of ever so many surprises. First, Father and I
+had warm new overcoats, with woolly stuff inside them that felt like
+blankets, only much more soft and fluffy, and Nancy had the blue silk
+dress she always vowed that she should buy when her ship came home.
+There was a fire every night in Father's study, and I had one in my
+bedroom. More patients came up for soup than they did for medicine, and
+they said "God bless you, Sir!" to Father so often that he wanted to run
+away. The children in the hospital had the biggest tree that the ward
+would hold, and all the old men and women in the workhouse had a big
+tea, and shawls and mufflers.
+
+A few weeks later a strange young man with a very shiny collar and a new
+brown bag came to stay with us. Father said he was a "locum," but Nancy
+said it ought to be "locust," for his appetite was enormous, and she
+couldn't make enough buttered toast to please him. He had come to take
+care of Father's patients until someone bought all the medicines and
+things in the surgery, and I was awfully glad to hear we were going
+away.
+
+"We'll go straight to the sunshine, Chris," said Father, "where there
+are trees and flowers instead of long rows of houses, and the air isn't
+full of smoke."
+
+And that night I dreamt all about fairies, and of what I was going to
+see and hear in foreign lands.
+
+[Illustration: The "Locust."]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter II
+
+The Princess with the Sea-Green hair.
+
+
+The cliffs were hidden in the mist when we left Dover, and the sky was
+dull and grey. But very soon it began to clear; a silvery light shone
+behind the clouds, and then the sun came out, and the rolling waves
+turned emerald green. They tossed our steamer up and down as if it were
+a cork, and Father soon went below, but I begged so hard to be allowed
+to stay on deck that he said I might if I would promise, "honour
+bright," not to get into mischief.
+
+When he had gone I put my cap into my pocket, so that it might not blow
+off, and leaned over the rails to watch the swell of the sea. I wasn't
+thinking of Fairies then, nor of being a Christmas child, but of how it
+must feel to be shipwrecked. So when the spray blew in my face and made
+me blink, I was surprised to see a merry red face grinning up at me from
+the foam. It had curls of seaweed upon its forehead, and a mouth like a
+big round "O".
+
+"I'm Father Neptune," it roared, so loudly that I could hear it quite
+distinctly above the noise of the wind. "Why not take a header, and
+come and ride one of my fine sea horses? 'Father wouldn't like it?'
+Ho! ho! ho! What a molly-coddle of a boy!"
+
+A big wave tossed him on one side, and on its crest was a beautiful girl
+with a shining tail, and hair like a stream of gold. Of course I knew
+she was a mermaid, and would want me to go to her coral caves.
+
+"Won't you come with me and play with my sheeny pearls?" she cried.
+"They gleam like the dawn on a summer morning, and you shall choose the
+loveliest for your very own."
+
+She held out her arms and I nearly sprang into them, for I thought that
+a pearl would be splendid for Father's pin. But just behind her I saw
+two ugly mermen, with horrid green teeth and bright red eyes, and ropes
+of seaweed in their long thin hands. Then I remembered that mermaids
+were dangerous, and I ran straight over to the other side of the steamer
+and put my fingers into my ears, so that I might not hear her call. She
+spoke so sweetly that it was difficult to resist, but I did not trust
+her.
+
+The water was calmer on this side, and I wondered why until I saw some
+funny brown men, rather like Brownies, but ever so much bigger and
+stronger, stretched out at full length on the tops of the waves.
+They were blowing on conchs as hard as they could, and wherever
+they blew, the waves grew quieter. I guessed at once that they were
+Tritons--seafolk who live with Neptune in his crystal palace under the
+sea. I was still watching them when Father came up behind me, and told
+me that we were really in.
+
+We stayed the night at a big hotel where almost everyone spoke in a
+language which I did not understand, and I had a grown-up dinner with
+Father, with heaps of different dishes, most of them tasting much alike.
+Next day we went on for hours in the train, and the air grew warmer and
+warmer, and the grass more green, until at last we were in the south of
+France. There were palms and orange groves and heaps of flowers, and it
+would have been just splendid if Father had been all right. He hadn't
+had time to be ill at home you see, and now there were no sick people
+to worry him, he was so tired that he couldn't do anything. But he told
+me not to worry, for once he was really rested, he would soon get well.
+
+And so he did, though it took a long time to rest him, and we couldn't
+explore a bit. In the mornings we strolled through the gardens, or down
+to the sea, and most afternoons we did nothing at all. Very often, as I
+sat beside him on the verandah, with the sun shining full on the green
+awning, and the roses nodding to us over the balcony, he would fall
+asleep; and then a Flower-Fairy would peep through the ferns, and tell
+me the loveliest stories. The Rose-Fairy came, and the Queen of the
+Lilies, with a lovely gold crown upon her head; but my favourite Fairy
+lived in a bed of violets. Her frock was purple, and I knew when she was
+coming because the air all round grew sweet. Her stories were the best
+of all. She had heard them from the wind, she said, as he played with
+her leaves at dawn. My favourite was one that she said he had brought
+from Provence.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Princess with the Sea-Green Hair.
+
+"A worthy couple at Marseilles," she began, "had longed for a child
+for years in vain, and great was their joy when they knew at last that
+their wish was about to be granted. The boy was born during a fearful
+storm, and the first sound he heard was the crash of the sea as it broke
+on the shore. He was christened Paul, and grew up into a handsome lad
+with a quantity of thick fair hair which curled like the tips of the
+waves, and piercing blue eyes which were always twinkling with fun and
+mischief.
+
+There was not any question as to what calling he should follow, for the
+sea claimed him as a son of her own, and he was never content on dry
+land. When his ship came home and the crew was dismissed, he could not
+rest, and every evening at sunset he would row himself out in a little
+boat as far as he could go. One summer night, when a thousand ripples
+danced on the waves, he leaned over the side of his boat, gazing
+down--down--down. He did not know why, but he felt quite sure that
+someone was calling him, and with all his heart he longed to obey the
+summons. Presently he felt himself lifted gently, and drawn through
+the gleaming water by hands which he could not see. It was black as
+night before they released him, for neither sun nor moon pierce the
+depths of the ocean. He would have been in total darkness but for the
+strange-shaped fish who carried lanterns on their heads, and guided
+him to the gates of a palace, formed of millions of barnacles. These
+were piled one on the top of the other until they reached an enormous
+height, and were decorated with what looked like a row of human eyes.
+
+The gates flew open as Paul approached them, and through a passage of
+mother-of-pearl he reached a chamber that flashed with opal lights. Here
+a Fairy Princess awaited him--a Princess so exquisitely beautiful in
+spite of her sea-green hair, that though his heart did not go out to
+her, he was not repelled by the love she showed him.
+
+She kept him with her for many hours, and at dawn of day she bade him
+return to his home, giving him two golden fish which he was to show
+to all who asked him where he had spent the night, telling them he
+had been a'fishing. The invisible hands which had brought him thither
+bore him back to his boat, and he landed just at sunrise. His golden
+fish were a source of awe and wonder to his neighbours, who had never
+seen their like before; but the priest shook his head, and warned him to
+have no dealings with the powers of darkness.
+
+[Illustration: Here a Fairy Princess awaited him--]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+But Paul could not resist rowing out to the edge of the sunset. Evening
+after evening he plied his oars, and always at twilight he was drawn
+down--down, to the palace of the strange Princess with the sea-green
+hair. When he went on a voyage all was well with him, for his vessel
+bore him to other seas, where no one called him when the sky grew red;
+but he was no sooner at home with his parents than something within him
+made him row out to the west.
+
+At last it seemed as if he had forgotten the Princess, for he fell in
+love with sweet Lucile, who was as good and gentle as she was fair, and
+willingly gave him her troth. Their wedding was fixed for Easter Day,
+and the night before, Paul wandered down to the sea-shore, thinking
+of the bliss in store for him on the morrow. His love-lit eyes fell
+dreamily on his boat, which had lain for months in the shallow cove
+where he had moored her, and without thinking what he was doing, he
+stepped inside and took the oars in his hands. Alas! No sooner did he
+feel the boat moving under him, than he was seized by the old wild
+longing to sail towards the west.
+
+All happened as before, until he reached the Princess's palace; but now,
+instead of smiling sweetly, she received him with threatening looks
+which showed an array of cruel teeth behind her rose-red lips.
+
+'So! you have been unfaithful to me!' she cried. 'I will not slay you,
+since I have greater punishments in store than death.... You shall stay
+in the depths of the sea until your yellow hair is bleached and white,
+and your face a mask of hideous wrinkles. Then, and then only, shall you
+return to land, and those who have loved you best shall spurn you from
+them as something loathsome. Scorn for scorn, and pain for pain. Thus
+will I take my revenge.'
+
+So for seven long years Paul was a prisoner in the darkness of the deep,
+his bed the black and slimy ooze, and his companions fearsome monsters
+who would fain have devoured him. At last, when his hair was white
+as snow, and his face so wrinkled and ugly that the children of the
+mer-folk shuddered as they passed, he was seized by a sprawling octopus,
+and dragged up through the water. The loathsome creature held him fast
+until they reached a spot not far from the little brown cottage where
+Lucile had lived with her old father, and here it loosened its coils;
+and a great wave cast Paul on shore. The cottage was empty and deserted,
+and the winding path he had trodden so often was covered with moss.
+Close by, however, was another cottage, far more spacious, and through
+the open door of this Paul saw his old sweetheart sitting beside a
+cradle. She sang as she rocked it gently with her foot, and her shining
+needles flew in and out of a fisherman's coarse blue sock.
+
+As the shadow fell across the threshold she looked up brightly,
+expecting to see her husband. Meeting Paul's gaze instead, her own
+grew strained with horror, and snatching her baby from the cradle she
+fled to the inner room. Without a word Paul hastened away. He knew his
+doom, and hastened to throw himself back to the sea.
+
+In his headlong flight he stumbled against an old, old woman, gathering
+drift-wood on the wreck-strewn coast. She would have fallen if he had
+not caught her in his arms, and as he held her she saw his eyes. They
+alone were unchanged, and his mother knew them.
+
+'My boy--my dear boy!' she cried with a sob of joy. And she drew his
+seared face down to her bosom, murmuring over it the same fond words she
+had used when he was a child. She kissed him, and the spell was broken;
+once more he was good to look upon.... The Princess had not known, you
+see, that a mother's love is immortal."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Father was still asleep when the story came to an end, so I implored the
+Fairy to tell me another.
+
+"This comes from Provence, too," she said in answer to my pleading, "and
+will show you that sea-folk can sometimes be merciful."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Sailor and the Porpoise.
+
+"Among the crew of the good ship _L'Oiseau_, was a sailor named Antoine,
+who kept all on board alive with his merry wit. One day, while sailing
+the waters of the Mediterranean, the sea only faintly ruffled by the
+breeze that helped them on their way, they espied what at first appeared
+to be a huge sea-serpent making its way towards them. For a few moments
+the mariners watched it in much alarm; then, to their immense relief,
+they found that their 'sea-serpent' was a string of harmless porpoises,
+swimming in a row, with their shining black backs just appearing above
+the surface of the water. As they neared the ship they broke their
+ranks, and evidently regarding the sailors as their friends, gambolled
+upon the waves like boisterous children. No man dreamt of interfering
+with them until Antoine thoughtlessly picked up a rusty spear and threw
+it at one of those farthest away. He did not do this from any desire to
+kill, but only to show how excellent was his aim, and when he saw his
+shaft strike home, tinging the sea with red as his victim sank with a
+convulsive shudder, he was seized with self-reproach and a nameless
+dread.
+
+And behold! a great storm shook the sea, as if the gods themselves were
+angry. Thunder and lightning rolled and flashed, and raindrops heavy as
+leaden balls fell in swift torrents. So fearful was the tempest that it
+threatened to overwhelm the ship, and the Captain was in despair.
+
+In this dire extremity a knight on a magnificent black charger came
+riding over the waves.
+
+'Surrender him who threw the spear!' he cried, and the sea stayed its
+turmoil to listen. 'Do this, and I will save the ship. Else shall it
+perish, with all on board, and sea creatures shall gnaw your bones.'
+
+The sailors were exceedingly afraid, but they would not betray their
+comrade. Seeing this, Antoine stepped forth of his own accord, for he
+would not let his shipmates suffer for his fault. Leaping from the deck,
+he landed upon the haunches of the charger, behind the knight, and that
+moment the sea became smooth as glass, and the strange steed disappeared
+with his two riders.
+
+The ship made good way, and his shipmates never expected to see poor
+Antoine again, but to the amazement and joy of all, he rejoined
+the vessel a few days later as though it had stood by for him. The
+excitement of the men was great as they gathered round him to hear of
+his adventures.
+
+And truly he had a marvellous story to relate. He had ridden, he told
+them, to a distant island, where in a castle of shimmering gold, on a
+bed of the softest eiderdown, he found a knight stretched in agony. It
+was he whom he had wounded, while in the form of a porpoise, and the
+spear he had thrown so thoughtlessly was still sticking in his side.
+He drew this out, with tears of shame, and then, with his guilty right
+hand, he cleansed and bathed the wound. When this was done, the knight
+fell into a deep sleep, and woke at dawn well as ever. Taking Antoine's
+hand, he led him through many corridors lit with gems to a resplendent
+banquet hall, where the walls were encrusted with star-shaped sapphires,
+and the floor was of beaten gold. Many other knights were assembled
+here, and maidens so fair that Antoine sighed to think of them. When he
+had feasted on curious dishes of rich fruits, the same knight who had
+brought him thither took him back to the sea-shore, where the same black
+horse awaited their coming. Mounting as before, the charger sped like
+the wind over the sea until the ship hove in sight. When they came to
+within one hundred yards of the vessel, the black steed and his rider
+disappeared as mysteriously as they had come, and Antoine was left
+struggling in the water. However, he was an excellent swimmer, and soon
+reached the ship's side, up which he easily clambered by the aid of a
+rope which fortunately happened to be trailing in the water.
+
+This was the tale that Antoine told his shipmates, and in memory of the
+clemency of the porpoise-knight, the sailors vowed that never again
+would they injure a porpoise. Not only were they as good as their word,
+but the vow is kept to this day by their children's children."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter III
+
+Rose Marie and the Poupican.
+
+
+It was spring time when we left for Brittany. Father had been there
+once with Mother, and thought he would like to go again. So I said
+goodbye to my Flower-Fairy, and promised that if I could I would come
+back one day to see her.
+
+The sunny air of the south had done Father good, and now he was almost
+well. While we were in the train he read from the guide book, and told
+me about curious "dolmens," or mounds of stone, which are supposed
+to have been built to mark the ancients' burying places. There were
+hundreds of these in Brittany, he said, and I was glad, for I knew they
+were haunted by "Gorics" and "Courils"--strange Fairies of olden times.
+
+That very first evening, while Father was writing letters, I slipped
+away by myself instead of going to bed, for I wanted to see a Poupican.
+A Poupican, you must know, is the dwarf-child of a Korrigan--a Fairy who
+looks lovely by night and horrible by day, and cares for nothing so that
+she gets what she wants. Korrigans are said to have been princesses in
+days gone by, but they were so cruel and selfish that someone laid them
+under a spell, which lasts for thousands of years unless a mortal breaks
+it. On account of the wicked things they said their mouths are always
+dry, and they are consumed by thirst; so they chose their homes by
+streams and fountains, of which there are many in Brittany.
+
+Father had been telling me that there was a famous fountain in a wood
+not far from our hotel, and I thought I might find them here. The
+fountain was hidden behind a grove of fir-trees, but the moon shone
+down on its rough grey stones, and turned the square pond of water in
+front of it into a silver mirror.
+
+At first there seemed to be no one there, but when my eyes had grown
+used to the gloom I saw a number of Elves about two feet in height, with
+misty white veils wound round their bodies. A cloth was spread beside
+the fountain. It was covered with the loveliest things to eat--honey and
+fruit, and queer-shaped cakes sprinkled with sugar comfits--while in
+the centre stood a crystal goblet, from which the moon drew flashes of
+soft fairy light. As I crouched in the ferns, a wee green Wood-Elf stole
+up behind me; her tiny face was good and kind, and although she was so
+small that I could almost have held her in my hand, I felt she was there
+to protect me.
+
+Then I turned my eyes to the crystal goblet and I grew thirsty all at
+once; and I wondered what the Korrigans would do if I took a sip of the
+amber wine which filled it to the brim.
+
+"One drop would make you wise for ever," whispered the Wood-Elf, just as
+if I had spoken, "but you would be silent for ever, also. No mortal can
+drink that wine and live. The Korrigans pass it round to each other in a
+golden cup at the end of their feast, which takes place but once in the
+year. It gives them power to work many charms, and to take the form of
+animals at will."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Hunter who shot the white Doe.
+
+"Once, in these very woods, a hunter shot a fair white doe, when to
+his amazement, she spoke to him in a human voice. He was so touched by
+her reproaches that he tore his fine linen shirt into strips to bind
+up her wound, and then hurried off to the spring for water to quench
+her thirst. It was dusk by the time he could get back to her, for the
+first spring he reached was dry, and instead of the milk-white doe, he
+found a beauteous maiden, who threw herself on his bosom and entreated
+him not to leave her. For a year and a day he was under her spells,
+but he escaped in the end by making the sign of the cross with his two
+forefingers. This sign puts a Korrigan to instant flight, for things
+which are holy fill them with terror.... Ah! they have been at their
+mischief again. Poor Annette will weep for this."
+
+The Wood-Elf stopped speaking, for running lightly over the grass,
+holding each other's long white veils so as to form a swinging cradle,
+came a group of nine smooth-limbed Korrigans, their red-gold hair
+tossing on the wind behind them. In the midst of the hanging cradle lay
+a tiny baby, with widely opened eyes and a solemn pink face, sucking a
+fat round thumb.
+
+"They have stolen him from his mother, while she dreamt of fairy gold,"
+the Wood-Elf sighed. "She should not have left her door on the latch;
+it was a sad mistake. In her little one's place there is now a Poupican.
+At first she will not know, but will fondle and kiss the changeling as
+if he were her own. After a while she will grieve to find that he gives
+her no love in return for hers, and plays as readily with strangers as
+with his mother. But her husband, who is a hard man, will rejoice at the
+wee child's cleverness. For he will have an old head on young shoulders,
+and be wise beyond his years."
+
+While the Wood-Elf was speaking, poor Annette's baby lay contentedly
+beside the crystal goblet, sucking his thumb and looking up at the
+stars. The Korrigans had left off singing now, and they were passing
+round the golden cup when there came on the wind the sound of a church
+bell. Flinging the cup and the goblet into the pond, and staying only
+to wind the baby in their clinging veils, the Korrigans fled into the
+darkness with cries of anguish. Some spell seemed to hold me, or I
+should have tried to rescue the little thing; for it was dreadful to
+think what might happen to him with the Korrigans.
+
+But the Wood-Elf was quite comforting. "He will be well taken care of,"
+she said, "and someday Annette may break the spell, with the help of the
+Curé. Rose-Marie got back her child by her own wit, but then she has the
+name of the blessed Mother. 'You would like to know how?' Then I must
+speak softly, lest a Korrigan should hear."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Rose Marie and the Poupican.
+
+"Rose-Marie was very young when she married Pierre," began the Elf, "and
+nothing his mother or hers could say would induce her to beware of
+Korrigans when her baby came.
+
+'They would not hurt him even if they could,' she cried. 'Who could harm
+anything so small and sweet?' And she actually set his cradle under
+the cherry trees, so that his round pink face was covered with fallen
+petals. Then she went to fetch Pierre from his sowing that he might see
+how his little son was hidden under the spring snow, and lingered on her
+way to gather a cluster of purple violets.
+
+When she had disappeared, the Korrigans stole her baby, leaving a
+Poupican in the fragrant nest. The sun had gone in when she came back,
+and the little creature was wailing fretfully, Rose-Marie snatched him
+to her bosom and tried to soothe him, but from that day forward she had
+no rest. Her milk was sweet and plentiful, and the cradle was soft and
+warm, but he gave neither her nor her good man Pierre a moment's peace.
+All through the hours of the night he wailed, and tore at her hair when
+she held him close to her, scratching her face like an angry kitten.
+
+[Illustration: Rose-Marie and the Poupican]
+
+When he grew older, he was just as bad, for there was no end to his
+mischief. He shut the cat in a bin of flour, and opened the oven door
+when Rose-Marie was baking, so that the bread was spoilt. He drove the
+hens into the brook, and cut the cord which tethered Pierre's white cow,
+so that she roamed for miles. And with all he did, he never uttered a
+word. It was this which first roused Rose-Marie's suspicions, and after
+that she watched him carefully.
+
+One morning she made up her mind to surprise him into speaking, and as
+he sat beside the hearth, peering at her through his half-closed eyes,
+she set an egg shell on the fire, and placing in this a spoonful of
+broth, stirred it carefully with a silver pin. The Poupican was amazed,
+for it was nearing the dinner hour, and there would be ten to feed. At
+last he could contain himself no longer.
+
+'What are you doing, Mother?' he asked in a strange cracked voice.
+
+'I am preparing a meal for ten,' returned Rose-Marie, without looking
+round.
+
+'For ten--in an eggshell?' he cried. 'I have seen an egg before a hen;
+I have seen the acorn before the oak; but never yet saw I folly such as
+this!' And he fell to cackling like a full farmyard, rocking himself
+from side to side, and repeating, 'Such folly I never saw!' until even
+gentle Rose-Marie was moved to anger.
+
+'You have seen too much, my son,' she said, and lifting him up by the
+scruff of his neck in spite of his struggles, she carried him out of
+the house. Then, sitting down on a heap of stones beside the brook,
+she proceeded to whip him soundly. At his first cry of pain a Korrigan
+appeared, in the shape of an ugly old woman with bleared red eyes and
+straggling tresses. She was leading a curly-haired boy by the hand,
+the living image of Pierre. As she released him he flew across the
+grass to Rose-Marie and hid his face in her skirts.
+
+'Here is thy son!' croaked the Korrigan. 'I have fed him on meal and
+honey, and he has learnt no evil. Give me my Poupican, and I will go.'
+
+So Rose-Marie gave up the Poupican, and with a thankful heart took her
+own son home."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+"Do you know any more stories?" I asked when the Elf stopped for breath.
+I didn't want to go back just yet, for it was jolly in the wood, and I
+could smell violets close by.
+
+"More than I can tell," replied the Elf, "but you shall hear what
+happened to Peric and Jean."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Story of Peric and Jean.
+
+"In a beautiful valley not far from here a number of Korrigans were
+accustomed to gather on summer nights, for the grass was soft as velvet,
+and the mountains sheltered it from the breeze. None of the peasants
+dare cross the valley after dark, lest they might be forced to join
+their revels; for it was known by all that the Korrigans must dance
+whether they would or not, until some mortal should break the charm that
+had been laid upon them.
+
+One evening, when the west was aglow with fire, a farmer was sent for
+to attend the sick bed of his mother, who lived on the other side of
+the valley. His wife and he had been at work all day in the fields,
+since labour was scarce and they were poor, and as both loved the old
+woman dearly, they hurried off without stopping to lay aside their
+_fourches_--little sticks which are still used in some parts of
+Brittany as 'plough paddles.' By the time they were half-way across
+the valley, the dusk had fallen, and they found themselves encircled
+by angry Korrigans, who shrieked with rage and made as if they would
+tear them to pieces. Before they had touched them, however, they all
+fell back, and a moment later broke into singing. This was their
+song:--
+
+    'Lez y, Lez hon,
+      (_Let him go, let him go_,)
+    Bas an arer zo gant hook;
+      (_For he has the wand of the plough_;)
+    Lez on, Lez y,
+      (_Let her go, let her go_,)
+    Bas an arer zo gant y!'
+      (_For she has the wand of the plough_!)
+
+Then the dancers made way for the farmer and his wife, who reached the
+old mother safely, and comforted her last hours.
+
+When they returned to their own homes they told what they had seen and
+heard. Some of the villagers were still too much afraid of the Korrigans
+to venture, but others armed themselves with _fourches_, and hastened to
+the valley when night had fallen. All of these witnessed the famous
+dance, but none felt inclined to join it.
+
+In a neighbouring village two tailors dwelt, and they were as anxious as
+the rest to see the Korrigans. The elder was a tall and handsome fellow
+named Jean, but in spite of his inches he had no pluck, and was idle as
+well as vain. The other was Peric, a red-haired hunchback, so kind and
+lovable in spite of his looks that if ever a neighbour were in trouble,
+it was to Peric he went first. Though the hunchback and Jean shared the
+same business, the latter was always gibing at Peric, and left him to do
+most of the work.
+
+'Since you're so courageous,' he sneered, one fine warm night when
+he and Peric had stayed behind in the valley to watch the Korrigans,
+'suppose you ask them to let you join their dance. Your hump should make
+you safe with them, for they are not likely to fall in love with you.'
+
+'All right,' said Peric cheerfully, though at this unkind reference to
+his deformity his face had flushed. And taking off his cap he approached
+the whirling Elves.
+
+'May I dance with you?' he asked politely, dropping his _fourche_ to
+show he trusted them.
+
+'You're more brave than good looking,' they replied, their feet still
+moving to the same quick measure. 'Are you not afraid that we shall work
+you ill?'
+
+'Not a bit!' answered Peric, joining hands with them; and he started to
+sing as lustily as they:--
+
+    '_Dilun, Dimeurs, Dimerc'her_,'
+
+which means 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.' After a while he grew tired of
+singing these three words so often, and went on of his own accord:--
+
+    '_Ha Diriaou, ha Digwener_,'
+      (And Thursday and Friday!)
+
+'_Mat! Mat!_' (Good! Good!) cried the Korrigans in chorus, and though he
+could not tell why they were so delighted, he was glad to have given
+them pleasure. When they offered him the choice of wealth or power in
+return for some mysterious service which he seemed to have rendered
+them, he only laughed, for he thought that they were poking fun at him.
+
+'Take away my hump, then,' he cried at last, 'and make me as handsome as
+my friend Jean. A little maid whom I love dearly will not look at me
+when he is near, though she likes well enough to talk to me by the
+fountain if he is out of the way.'
+
+[Illustration: They tossed him three times in the air.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Is that all?' exclaimed the Korrigans. 'That will not give us the
+slightest trouble!' and catching him in their veils, they tossed him
+three times in the air. The third time he alighted on his feet. He was
+now as tall and straight as he could wish to be, with fine soft hair as
+black as the raven's wing.
+
+Instead of rejoicing at his friend's good fortune, Jean was full of
+envy. Forgetting his fears in his greed for gain, he pushed himself into
+the midst of the Korrigans, who had once more begun to dance, and joined
+them in their singing. His voice was less melodious than Peric's, and he
+did not keep time so well, but they suffered him amongst them out of
+curiosity.
+
+Presently he, like Peric, grew tired of the monotonous chant, and
+shouted:
+
+    '_Ha Disadarn, ha Disul_'
+      (And Saturday and Sunday)
+
+'What else? what else?' cried the Korrigans in great excitement, but
+he only looked as stupid as an owl, and repeated these words over and
+over. Catching him in their veils, they tossed him up as they had done
+Peric, and when he came down again he found he had red hair and a hump.
+They were angry you see, that he had come so near to breaking the spell
+and had then disappointed them, for if he had only had the sense to add:
+
+      '_Ha cetu chu er sizun_,'
+    (And now the week is ended)
+
+he would have broken the spell and set them free, since Peric had
+already sung 'And Saturday and Sunday.'"
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter IV
+
+The Bird at the Window.
+
+
+There were so many things in Brittany that Father wanted to show
+me--places he had seen with Mother, and curious monuments, and lovely
+views,--that I could not get out alone again until the day before we
+went on to Normandy. No Fairy would ever speak to me unless I was quite
+by myself, and the quaint little men who peered out from the old ruins
+when I ran on in front, scampered away at once when Father came in
+sight.
+
+On that last morning a funny old postman in a blue cap brought him some
+letters from home. They were about the practice, and Father said that he
+must stay indoors to answer them. The patients did not seem to like the
+"locust" at all, according to Nancy. I don't suppose he gave them such
+nice-tasting medicines as Father did.
+
+The moment he took up his pen I was off to the wood. The paths were
+carpeted with velvet moss, and starry flowers peeped through the green.
+Some bees were buzzing round a clump of violets that grew by the side of
+the fountain, and sitting on the steps were two hideous old women, with
+bleared red eyes and wisps of faded hair. As I drew near they scowled
+most horribly, and vanished in the spray. I was delighted to find my
+Wood-Elf by the violets, for somehow the sight of those two old crones
+had made me shiver.
+
+"They were Korrigans!" the Wood-Elf whispered. "That is how they look by
+daylight, so it is no wonder that they hate to be seen by mortals! I
+shouldn't advise you to come here to-night, for they will bear you a
+grudge, and might tempt you to dance with them!"
+
+I thought of what had befallen Jean, and shook my head. It must be
+dreadful to have a hump, though I read of one once that turned into
+wings. But Jean's didn't seem that kind.
+
+"I know better than to put myself in their power," I cried, and the
+Wood-Elf laughed.
+
+"You think you are very wise," she said, pausing the next moment to coax
+a bee to give her a sip of honey, "but mortal men are not a match for
+Fairy Folk. The Dwarfs, or Courils, who haunt the stone tables and
+curious mounds you find throughout this country, compel all travellers
+by night who come their way to dance with them, whether they will or no.
+They don't let them stop dancing until they drop to the ground, worn
+out with fatigue, and sometimes the poor creatures never regain their
+strength. Mčre Gautier's husband danced with the Dwarfs when he was but
+eight-and-twenty, and he has not done a stroke of work from that day
+to this, though now he is eighty-five. Mčre Gautier keeps the home
+together, and he sits by the fireside and tells the neighbours how the
+Dwarfs looked and what they said. The Curé declares that such idleness
+is sinful, and that he might work if he would; but one cannot be sure,
+and he makes himself out to be a very poor creature.
+
+The Gorics--tiny men but three feet high, though they have the strength
+of giants--are little better than Courils. Near Quiberon, by the sea
+shore, is a heap of huge stones, some say no less than four thousand in
+number, known as 'The House of the Gorics,' and every night the Dwarfs
+come out and dance round it till break of day. If they spy a belated
+traveller, even in the distance, they compel him to join them, just as
+the Courils do; and when he faints from sheer exhaustion they vanish in
+peals of laughter."
+
+"The Fairy I met in the South spoke of little men who gave away fairy
+gold," I said, trying not to let my voice sound sleepy. The sun was hot,
+though it was early spring, and there was a grasshopper just at my elbow
+who had been chirping a lullaby to her babies for the last half-hour.
+
+"If you shut your eyes you will see nothing!" the Wood-Elf pouted; and
+I knew that she had noticed my yawn. I sat up then, and told her how
+pretty I thought her frock, all brown and green, with a dainty girdle of
+silver. She laughed at this, and I coaxed her to tell me another story.
+It was one, she said, that had been sung in verse on the Welsh hills,
+for in ancient times the people of Wales and those of "Little Britain"
+were the closest friends.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Wee Men of Morlaix
+
+"Long, long ago," she began, "a lordly castle was built at Morlaix,
+in the midst of such pleasant surroundings that some little Dwarfs in
+search of a home thought that they could not do better than build their
+stronghold underneath it. So they set to work immediately, for they
+have a very wise rule that when once they decide that a thing must
+be done, it shall be done at once. By the time that the castle was
+finished, their home was completed too. Far below the ground they had
+fashioned a number of oval chambers, with ceilings encrusted with
+gleaming pearls which they found in the bay, and floors paved with
+precious amber. Beyond these chambers lay their treasure house, where
+they kept rich stores of fairy gold, and the winding passages which led
+to the upper world were only just wide enough to allow them to creep
+through. Their entrances were cunningly contrived to look like rabbit
+holes, so that strangers might think they led to nothing more than some
+sandy warren.
+
+But the country folk knew better, for they often watched the little men
+run in and out, beating a faint tattoo on the silver basins in which
+they collected the morning dew and the evening mist, which served them
+for food and drink. Now and then, when the sky was a vault of blue,
+and the sun shone his brightest, they brought up piles of their golden
+coins, that they might see them glisten in the light of day. So friendly
+were they to mortals, that if they were surprised while thus employed,
+they seldom failed to share their wealth.
+
+One very bleak autumn there was much distress on the countryside, for
+the harvest had failed for the third season, and many of the smaller
+farmers were on the verge of ruin. Jacques Bosquet--_Bon Jacques_--his
+neighbours called him, for he had never refused his help to a friend in
+need--was one of these. His frail old mother was weak and ailing, and he
+did not know how to tell her that she must leave the homestead to which
+she had come as a bride, full fifty years before. In his despair he
+tried to borrow a thousand francs from a rich merchant in the next town;
+but the merchant was a hard man, and his mouth closed like a cruel steel
+trap when he told Jacques roughly that he had no money to lend. As
+Jacques returned home his eyes were so dim with the tears which pride
+forbade him to shed, that in passing the castle of Morlaix he all but
+fell over three little men, who were counting out gold by a deep hole.
+
+'What is wrong with you, friend, that you do not see where you are
+going?' cried the eldest of the three; and when Jacques told them of his
+fruitless errand, they at once invited him to help himself to their
+treasure.
+
+'Take all you can hold in your hand!' they urged, and since Jacques'
+hand had been much broadened with honest toil, this meant a goodly sum.
+The three little men had vanished before Jacques found words to express
+his gratitude, and he hurried away with a thankful heart. The coins were
+of solid gold, and stamped with curious signs; to his great joy he very
+soon sold them for a big price, and had now sufficient not only to pay
+his debts, but to carry him through the winter.
+
+When the merchant who had received his appeal so churlishly heard of his
+good fortune, he was full of envy, and determined to lay in wait for the
+little men himself. Though blessed with ample means, he coveted more,
+and when at last he surprised the Dwarfs as Jacques had done, he made
+so piteous a tale that they generously allowed him to take two handfuls
+instead of one. But this did not content the greedy fellow, and pushing
+the wee men rudely away, he stooped to fill his pockets from the heap.
+As he did so, a shower of blows rained fiercely round his head and face,
+and so heavily did they fall that he had much ado to save his skull.
+When at last the blows ceased, and he dared to open his eyes, the Dwarfs
+had gone, with all their gold, and his pockets were empty of even that
+which they had contained before."
+
+The Wood Elf paused, for a large brown bird had perched himself on a
+branch which overhung the fountain. She waited until he had dipped his
+beak in the sparkling stream and flown away before she spoke again.
+
+"That bird is a stranger to these woods," she said presently under her
+breath, "and I wondered if it were really an Elf or a Fée. One never
+knows in these parts."
+
+"Tell me!" I urged; for I knew by her look that she was thinking of
+another story.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Bird at the Window.
+
+"There was once a most beautiful lady," she began, "whose face was so
+kind and gentle that wherever she went the children flocked round her
+and hung on her gown. No flower in the garden could hold up its head
+beside her, for the roses themselves were not so sweet, and even the
+lilies drooped before her exceeding fairness.
+
+From far and near lovers came to woo her, but she would none of them;
+for ever in her mind was a gallant knight to whom she had plighted
+her troth in the land of dreams. In the presence of a holy man, whose
+features were those of the Curé who confirmed her, he had placed a ring
+upon her finger; and so real did this dream seem, that she held herself
+to to be the knight's true wife. Her songs were all of him as she sat
+at her spinning, and her tender thoughts made warp and weft with the
+shining threads. When she went to the fountain, she heard his voice in
+the splash of the falling water, and when the stars shone through her
+casement, she fancied that they were the adoring eyes of her beloved.
+She prayed each night that she might be patient and faithful until he
+claimed her, for he, and none other, should touch her lips.
+
+But she was very beautiful, and her parents were very poor. And when the
+lord of those parts saw and desired her, they gave her to him, despite
+her prayers, though he was bent and old. He carried her off to his grim
+castle, and that no man but he should gaze on her loveliness, he shut
+her in his tower, with only an aged widow as her attendant. The widow
+was half-blind and wholly deaf, and withal so crabbed in disposition
+that as she passed the very dogs in the street slunk off to a safe
+distance. In vain the beautiful lady pleaded to be allowed to stroll in
+the gardens, or to ply her needle on the balcony; he would not let her
+stir from her gloomy chamber, and for seven long years he kept her in
+durance. His love had by this time turned to hate, for her beauty was
+dimmed with weeping. No longer did her hair make a mesh of gold for
+sunbeams to dance in, and her face was like a sad white pearl from which
+all tints had fled. And the heart of the wicked lord rejoiced, for since
+he could not win her favour, and she no longer delighted his eyes, he
+was glad that she should die.
+
+One morning in May when the dew lay thick upon the meadows and every
+thrush had found a mate, the old lord went off for a long day's
+hunting, and the aged widow fell fast asleep. The beautiful lady sighed
+anew as the sweet spring sunshine flooded her prison, seeming to mock
+her with its splendour. 'Ah, woe is me!' she cried. 'I may not even
+rejoice in the sun as the meanest of God's creatures!' And in her great
+despair she called aloud to her own true knight, bidding him deliver her
+from her misery. Even as she spoke, a shadow fell across the window. A
+bird had stayed his flight beside it; he pressed through the bars and
+was at her feet. His ash-brown plumage and rounded wings told her he
+was a goshawk, and from the jesses on his legs she saw he had been
+a'hunting. While she gazed in surprise at his sudden appearance, she
+beheld a transformation, and in less time than it takes to tell, the
+goshawk had become a gallant knight, with raven locks and flashing eyes.
+It was the knight of her dreams, and with a cry of joy she flew to him.
+
+'I could not come to thee before, my Sweet,' said he, 'since thou didst
+not call for me aloud. Now shall I be with thee at thy lightest wish,
+and no more shalt thou be lonely. But beware of the aged crone who
+guards thy door! Her purblind eyes are not beyond seeing, and should
+she discover me I must die.'
+
+And now the beautiful lady no longer pined to leave her prison, for she
+had only to breathe his name, and her lover reappeared. Her beauty came
+back to her as gladness to the earth when the sun shines after rain, and
+her songs were as joyous as those of the lark when it soars high in the
+heavens. The old lord was greatly puzzled, and bade the ancient widow
+keep a careful watch.
+
+'My beautiful lady is gay!' he said, with an ugly smile. 'We must learn
+why she and sighs are strangers. I had thought ere this to lay her to
+sleep beneath a smooth green coverlet, and it does not please me to see
+her thus content.'
+
+The aged crone bathed her eyes in water that flowed from a sacred
+shrine, so that sight might come back to them, and hid herself behind a
+curtain when the beautiful lady thought that she had left the tower.
+From this place of vantage she beheld, shortly after, the arrival of
+the goshawk, and his transformation into a handsome and tender knight.
+Slipping away unseen, she hastened to her master and told him all, not
+forgetting to describe the beautiful lady's rapture in her knight's
+embrace.
+
+The jealous lord was furious with rage, and caused, at dead of night,
+four sharp steel spikes to be fixed to the bars of the window in the
+tower. On leaving his love, the goshawk flew past these safely, but
+when he returned at dusk the next evening, he overlooked them in his
+eagerness, and was sorely hurt. The beautiful lady hung over her
+beloved, distraught with grief; all bleeding from his wounds, he sought
+to comfort her.
+
+[Illustration: She hid herself behind a curtain.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Dear love, I must die!' he murmured faintly, 'but thou shalt shortly
+bear me a son who will dispel thy sorrows and avenge my fate.' Then he
+gave her a ring from his finger, telling her that while she wore it
+neither the old lord nor the widow would remember aught that she would
+have them forget. He also gave her his jewelled sword, and bade her keep
+it till the day when Fate should bring her to his tomb, and she should
+'learn the story of the dead.' Then, and then only, he commanded, was
+his son to know what had befallen him.
+
+The beautiful lady wept anew, and in a passion of grief begged him not
+to leave her; but once more bidding her a fond farewell, he resumed the
+form of a goshawk, and flew mournfully away.
+
+It happened as the knight foretold. Neither the widow nor the old lord
+remembered his coming, and when the beautiful lady's son was born, the
+old lord was proud and happy. His satisfaction made him somewhat less
+cruel to the beautiful lady, who lived but for her boy. In cherishing
+him her grief grew less, but though she had now her freedom, she never
+ceased to long for the time when her son should know the truth about his
+father.
+
+The boy grew into a lad, and the lad into a handsome and gallant
+knight. He was high in favour at court, since none could approach him in
+chivalry or swordmanship, and many marvelled that one so brave and pure
+as he could be the son of the old lord, whose advancing years were as
+evil as those of his youth had been. One day his mother and he were
+summoned by the King to a great festival, and rather than let them out
+of his sight, the old lord rose from his bed to go with them. They
+halted on their way at a rich Abbey, where the Abbot feasted them
+royally and before they left desired to show them some of the Abbey's
+splendours. When they had duly admired the exquisite carvings in the
+chapels, and the golden chalice on the High Altar, he conducted them to
+a chapter room, where, covered with hangings of finely wrought tapestry,
+and gorgeous embroideries of blue and silver, was a stately tomb. Tapers
+in golden vessels burned at its head and feet, and the clouds of incense
+that filled the air floated from amethyst vessels. It was the tomb, the
+Abbot said, of 'a noble and most valiant knight,' who had met his death
+for love's sweet sake, slain by certain mysterious wounds which he bore
+on his stricken breast.
+
+When the beautiful lady heard this, she knew she had found the resting
+place of her own true love, and taking his sword from the silken folds
+of her gown, where she had ever carried it concealed from view, she
+handed it to the young knight and told him all.
+
+    'Fair son, you now have heard,' she said,
+    'That God hath us to this place led.
+    It is your father who here doth lie,
+    Whom this old man slew wrongfully.'
+
+With this she fell dead at her son's feet; and forthwith he drew the
+sword from its jewelled scabbard, and with one swift blow smote off the
+old lord's head.
+
+Thus did he avenge the wrongs of his parents, whom he vowed to keep in
+his remembrance while life should last."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter V
+
+The white Stone of Happiness.
+
+
+The fruit trees were a-glow with blossom when we reached Normandy, and
+the pink and white Elves who played hide-and-seek in the boughs were as
+lovely as Titania. We spent some time at a big farm, where Father had
+stayed long ago with Mother, and we drove all over the country in the
+farmer's gig.
+
+One day I woke quite early, when the birds had only just commenced to
+twitter, and the sky was still rosy with dawn. I threw open my little
+casement window as wide as it would go, and the air smelt so sweet, and
+it was all so beautiful, that I longed to be out-of-doors. In the quiet
+of the early morning the Elves might be abroad, so I slipped on my
+things and stole down to the orchard. And there, sure enough, were the
+Elfin hosts.
+
+But though I told them who I was, they were too shy to talk, and
+scattered the blossom on my upturned face, when I tried to coax them.
+A fat brown thrush scolded me for disturbing her babies at their
+breakfast, and fluttered round me, beating her wings, until I moved
+away, when the Elves seemed to be as pleased as she was, for they
+wanted to be left to themselves.
+
+On the opposite side of the orchard was a bank of moss, and I strolled
+across and sat down in a little hollow. The moss was soft as velvet, and
+through the boughs of a pear tree, laden with bloom, I could see the
+gate to the farm-yard. A speckled hen was the only creature in sight,
+and it amused me to watch how daintily she pecked this side and that.
+All at once there came an excited chorus of "_Cluck-Cluck-Cluck!_" and
+it seemed as if every fowl in the place were trying to go through the
+gate. They were led by a fine young cock, with beautifully bright green
+head feathers. Once he was safely through, he perched himself on an
+empty pail, and crowed indignantly.
+
+"_Cock-adoodle-do-oo!_" mocked a voice behind him, and a little boy in
+a red cap gave him a box on the ears which sent him flying.
+
+"That bird thinks twice too much of himself," he grinned, as he ran to
+me over the grass. "Who am I? Why, _Nain Rouge_ of Normandy, first
+cousin to Puck and Robin Goodfellow across the water."
+
+He had twinkling eyes that were never still, and a roguish face. I knew
+I was going to like him immensely, so I showed him my new knife and said
+he might whittle his stick if he'd promise to give it back to me. _Nain
+Rouge_ felt both blades with a small brown finger, and said they were
+too blunt for him.
+
+"Blunt?" I cried. "Why, they're as sharp as sharp can be! Just see!" But
+when I tried to show him how sharp they were, neither would cut at all.
+I was so surprised that I hadn't a word to say, and _Nain Rouge_ doubled
+himself in two with laughter.
+
+"Never mind," he gasped, when he could speak, "I'll make them all right
+for you." He touched them again, twisting his tongue round the corner of
+his mouth, and screwing his eyes up comically.
+
+"Now cut!" he said, and when I found they were as sharp as ever, I shut
+up the blades, and put the knife back into my pocket. I was glad I had
+left my watch in the house, for _Nain Rouge_ might have tried to play
+tricks with that.
+
+"Another name I go by is the 'Lutin,'" he said, throwing himself on the
+ground beside me. "When I have nothing better to do, I _lutine_, or
+twist, the horses' manes. One summer afternoon two lazy maids fell fast
+asleep in the hay loft, when they ought to have been down with the
+reapers in the long field. I _lutined_ their hair so nicely for them
+that when they woke they could not untwist it, and had to cut it off!
+The House Spirits made rather a fuss, for those girls were pets of
+theirs, but Abundia, Queen of the Fées and Lutins, said I had done
+quite right. We can't bear laziness, you know, for we're always busy
+ourselves."
+
+"What do you do besides mischief?" I said slyly, as he smoothed the
+feather in his pretty cap. _Nain Rouge_ looked quite offended.
+
+"If the truth were told," he said in a huff, "I should fancy I'm twice
+as much use as you are. The farmers couldn't get on without me. I look
+after the horses, and help to rub the poor beasts down when they come
+home tired at the end of the day; I stir their food so that it agrees
+with them, and scare off the grey goblins who might put it into their
+heads to work no more at the plough. And I'm as good to the farmers'
+wives as an extra maid, even if I do take my pay in a drink of cream. I
+dance my shadow on the wall to amuse the children if they are fretful,
+and tell them stories when the wind moans down the chimney and would
+frighten them if it could. And I pinch their toes when they are naughty,
+and hide the playthings they leave about."
+
+He looked so much in earnest while he told me all this, and so very
+good, that I was beginning to think he was not half so mischievous as
+Puck, when he gave a funny little chuckle, and rubbed his hands.
+
+"Such fun as I have with the fishermen!" he cried. "If they forget to
+cross themselves with holy water before they go to sea, I fill their
+nets with heavy stones, or entice away the fish. When the fancy takes
+me, I change myself into the form of a handsome young man, and if folks
+do not then treat me with proper respect, and call me '_Bon Garçon_'
+civilly, I pelt them with stones until they run! Their wives and
+daughters are always gentle to poor _Nain Rouge_, however; and when I
+can, I do them a good turn. Shall I tell you how I consoled the fair
+Marguerite when she wept? Then listen well!"
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The white Stone of Happiness.
+
+"A favourite haunt of mine," began _Nain Rouge_, "is a little fishing
+village, close to Dieppe. The maidens there are more to my mind than
+those on any other part of the coast; their skin is like clear pale
+amber, warmed into redness where the sun has kissed it, and their
+eyes--ah! you should see them! The fairest of all was Marguerite, and
+often I sat for hours on her window-sill to watch her at her spinning.
+Etienne would come and watch her too, and he thought, foolish lad, that
+her angel-face meant an angel temper; but I knew she had a tongue.
+
+And such a tongue! It was like the brook, for it never stopped, and she
+said such sharp and bitter things that the love of her friends withered
+up as they heard them, just as spring lilies droop before a cruel East
+wind. Etienne was a stranger, or he would have known better than to woo
+her seriously. Strange to relate, the wayward maid was different from
+the day he came. I had never known her so soft and sweet, and the
+neighbours said that surely some good fairy had laid her under a spell.
+
+Etienne and she were wed one summer morning, but the little new moon had
+not shone in the heavens a second time when there was trouble between
+them. Marguerite's tongue was sharper than ever from its long rest, and
+Etienne could not believe it belonged to his 'angel' bride. He left the
+cottage without a word, and when he came back his mouth was grim, for
+his mates had hastened to make things worse by telling him many tales.
+A foolish man was Etienne, or he would not have heeded them; but that is
+neither here nor there.
+
+From this time on he made as though he were deaf when Marguerite railed
+at him, and he took her no more to his breast when he came back from the
+sea. And Marguerite grieved, for she loved him well in her woman's way,
+and longed for his caresses. The sight of his pale set face, and his
+sombre eyes--they were like the eyes of a dog in pain, when the hand he
+loves best has struck him--stung her to fresh taunts, and there came a
+day when he answered her back in the same way, and all but struck her.
+Ah! a woman's tongue can do rare mischief! His mother had never heard an
+ugly word from him.
+
+One eve I met Marguerite on the shore. She was sobbing bitterly, for she
+had just come out of a cave in the rocks, where dwelt a Witch who
+could read the future.
+
+I had taken the form of a slim, dark, serious looking lad, and laying
+a gentle hand upon her arm, 'What ails you, Madame Marguerite?' I said.
+She glanced at me piteously, as one who seeks a refuge and knows not
+where to turn, and wrung her hands.
+
+[Illustration: "What ails you, Madame Marguerite?"]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'I have lost my Etienne's heart for ever, for ever,' she wailed, 'unless
+I can find the White Stone of Happiness, which a mermaid throws from the
+depths of the sea once in a thousand years. I may search for months, and
+never find it; and Etienne holds aloof from me, and grows further away
+each day.'
+
+Now just at her feet lay a small white stone, smooth and round as a
+Fairy's plaything. I picked it up and showed it to her.
+
+'It shall be yours,' I told her gravely, 'if you give me your solemn
+promise to heed my words.'
+
+'I promise!' she answered fervently, and the wind tossed her unbound
+hair until it floated round her shoulders like a Kelpie's mane. A
+seventh wave rushed up to her feet, and as she moved nearer the
+breakwater, I sang her this little song:
+
+    'Fairy stone of fairy spell,
+    Marguerite, O guard it well!
+    When thine anger doth arise
+    Elves would rob thee of thy prize.
+    Press it 'neath thy tongue so red,
+    Hold it firm till wrath has sped.
+    Smile, speak softly, and behold,
+    Love shall warm thee as of old.'
+
+Then I gave her the stone, and she clasped it against her bosom and sped
+to her home.
+
+When Etienne returned he was in a bitter mood. Luck had been against
+him; he had caught no fish, and his largest net had been torn on the
+rocks. Marguerite set a meal before him, but he pushed it angrily away;
+for the broth had burned while she was with the Witch, and tasted
+anything but pleasant.
+
+'Such food is not fit for a dog!' he cried. ''Twas an ill day for me
+when I came to _Le Pollet_! I had done better to drown myself.'
+
+Marguerite stayed her fierce reply that she might slip the white stone
+between her lips; and as she held it beneath her tongue her anger
+suddenly melted. She thought now of Etienne's hunger and weariness, and
+was sorry that she had nought in the house for him to eat. And as he sat
+in moody silence she stole away, and begged some good broth from her
+godmother, who had always enough and to spare. This she placed before
+him beside the hearth, and smiled, and spoke in a gentle voice that made
+him turn to her with a start--it was just as if the Marguerite he loved
+had come back to him from the grave. Then he drew her to him, hiding his
+face in her dress; and for the first time since many a long day there
+was peace between them. Marguerite kept that white stone always, and
+when she was tempted to speak in anger it worked like a Fairy spell."
+
+"And wasn't it one?" I asked, as _Nain Rouge_ put on his cap again, and
+a delicious smell of fried eggs and bacon came from the farmhouse
+kitchen on the breeze.
+
+"Not it," said _Nain Rouge_, laughing heartily, "there were thousands
+like it on the beach, but you see it did just as well. For if once a
+woman can be induced to hold her tongue when she is angry, there'll be
+little trouble 'twixt man and wife. This has been so from all time."
+
+"_Cock-a-doodle doo!_" cried the black cock, strutting grandly in front
+of us. _Nain Rouge_ darted after him, and I left them to themselves and
+went in to breakfast.
+
+I did not see _Nain Rouge_ again, but I heard a great deal about him
+from Madame Daudet, the farmer's wife; she called him "the plague of
+her life." She said he hid her spectacles every time that she laid them
+down, and that it was quite impossible to make good butter, for he would
+play tricks with the cream. I think she was fond of him, all the same,
+for when I mentioned his name her jolly old face crinkled up into
+smiles, and she looked quite pleased and happy.
+
+One day when Father had gone to the village to see some sick child whom
+the peasants believed to have been gazed at with "an evil eye," because
+it seemed unable to get well, Madame came to me as I stood prodding
+with a stick some fat black pigs who would not stir.
+
+"Since you are so fond of Fairy Folk," she said, "why not go to the
+valley, and see if you can meet a Fée? I have never seen one myself,
+but my great-great-grandmother came across a bevy of them in a
+forest near Bayeux. The loveliest one was their Queen, and my
+great-great-grandmother talked of her beauty until her dying day."
+
+"All right," I said. And she gave me some brown bread and a golden
+apple, so that I need not come home for tea. Perhaps she wanted to get
+me out of the way, for the sick child's aunt was coming to pay her a
+visit, and she liked a gossip.
+
+The valley was very still. Even the birds seemed to have gone to sleep,
+and the stream that trickled down from the hill tinkled very softly, as
+if it had to be careful not to wake the ferns that fringed its banks.
+As I looked up the glade I saw a lovely little lady coming slowly
+towards me, and my heart began to thump in the queerest way. She wore a
+trailing silvery gown, with a deep band of blue at its border. Her shoes
+were set with tiny diamonds, and her dainty feet moved through the grass
+as prettily and as softly as the wind does through the corn. She did not
+see me until she had come quite close, for I stood in the shade of a
+blossoming bush. As I took off my cap, her fair face flushed deeply, and
+for a moment I feared she would run away. So I hastened to tell her that
+I was a Christmas Child, and why I had come to the valley. At this she
+smiled, and I saw that her eyes were as blue as the depths of the sea.
+
+"You are welcome," she said, "though at first I feared you. Such sorrow
+has come to Fées through mortals that we are wont to fly at man's
+approach. But a Christmas Child is almost a Fée himself, and I may talk
+to you. My name is Méllisande."
+
+Then she asked me to walk with her through the wood, and I felt quite
+proud when she took my hand. A cheeky little Elf, who overheard me say
+that I would go with her anywhere, turned a somersault in the air and
+burst out laughing, but I pretended not to hear. It wasn't his business,
+anyhow, and I wished that that walk through the valley had been twice as
+long.
+
+At the further end, quite hidden among the larches, was a natural grotto
+of moss-grown stones, and just inside it a heap of ferns, piled up to
+make a throne that was fit for a queen. Méllisande seated herself on
+this, and I sat down at her feet.
+
+We did not talk for a long while, for she seemed to be thinking as
+she stroked my hair, and I only wanted to look at her. After awhile
+I asked her if she had been one of the Fées that Madame Daudet's
+great-great-grandmother had met in a forest near Bayeux. She smiled
+and sighed as she told me "Yes," and a wood dove flew out of the trees
+and perched on her shoulder.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter VI
+
+The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.
+
+
+"Once upon a time," said Méllisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of
+Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for
+the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form. All women
+loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight,
+he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their
+company. He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the
+stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the
+pines. Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them
+to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward. The Fées in the forest
+drew near to listen, for the voice of this lord of Argouges was sweet as
+the lute of Orpheus, and their lovely Queen lost her heart to him. Day
+after day she hovered by his side, sighing when he was sad, and
+rejoicing when the words he sought came quickly to his pen.
+
+Once when he looked up suddenly he saw her as in a vision. A silvery
+veil of misty gauze half hid her exquisite form; and out of this her
+face looked down upon him, pure as an angel's, but with the love of a
+woman in her lustrous eyes. As he sprang to his feet, she melted away in
+a white cloud, and close to his ear he heard a mournful sigh, as if her
+spirit grieved to part from his. And he wrote no longer of flowing water
+or whispering wind, but of the Lady of the Woods.
+
+For many a day he saw her no more, for Henry I of England coveted
+Normandy, the ancient patrimony of his house, and sent his armies to
+take possession of it. When the city of Bayeux was besieged, the Lord of
+Argouges was amongst its most gallant defenders, and his resource and
+daring were the talk of all. None who crossed swords with him lived to
+tell the tale, for his courage was equalled by his skill.
+
+One morn a giant sprang from the enemy's ranks--a lusty German, well
+over seven feet, with the limbs of a prize-fed ox.
+
+'I dare you to fight me singly, Lord of Argouges!' he cried, for he
+knew with whom he had to deal. The soldiers near stayed their hands to
+watch; the hearts of the Normans almost stood still, but the English
+exulted, for surely now would the Lord of Argouges bite the dust, and
+his fiery sword no more work havoc in their ranks! Their dismay was
+great when he proved himself victor, though they would not have
+wondered had they had vision to see how ever beside him moved the
+shadowy form of his Lady of the Woods, directing his arm that his aim
+might be swift and sure, and oft-times interposing her tender body
+between him and the German's thrusts. Later on, when the gallant
+knight fainted from his wounds and was left for dead, she tended him
+pitifully as he lay on the blood-stained earth, moistening his lips
+with the dew of heaven, and whispering such sweet thoughts to him that
+the weary hours were eased by blissful dreams. He was still alive when
+morning dawned, and was found by his friends and carried into camp.
+Though visible to him alone, the Lady of the Woods was there beside
+his couch, and the terrible sights and sounds that accompanied the
+merciful efforts of those who tended the wounded could not scare her
+away from him. When his suffering was over, and he could raise himself
+to eat and drink, she came to him no more, and as his strength slowly
+returned he was consumed with a passionate desire to find her.
+
+At length he was able to go home to his castle, and once more he roamed
+the forest. The songs of the birds were hushed by now, and the trees
+under which he used to rest were almost bare. It was autumn, for he had
+been long absent, and even yet his step was slow and his proud head bent
+with weakness. He was sick with longing for his gentle lady; 'If I do
+not find her, I shall die!' he cried.
+
+Presently he came to a glade where the naked boughs formed a splendid
+arch above his head, and he saw a troop of horsewomen riding toward him
+on snow-white steeds. In their midst was his Lady of the Woods, a bridal
+veil on her star-crowned hair, and myrtle at her breast. He awaited her
+approach in a trance of delight; nearer and nearer came the prancing
+horses, their skins of satin glinting in the sun. The cavalcade reached
+his side; the Queen of the Fées dismounted and stood beside him, while
+the ground at her feet became a bed of lilies. The Lord of Argouges
+threw himself on his knees amidst their fragrance, gazing up at her with
+enraptured eyes, as softly and shyly she bent toward him.
+
+'Once more I greet you, dear lord!' she said, and as she touched his
+forehead with her lips, the birds still lingering in the forest burst
+into joyful song. When the knight found words to tell her of his great
+love, she plighted her troth to him, but only he heard her whispered
+promise that she would be his wife.
+
+Once more she mounted her snow-white steed; he seated himself behind
+her, and thus they rode to the castle gates, accompanied by her maidens.
+Here the Lord of Argouges sprang to the ground; light as a wisp of
+thistledown, she floated into his arms, and to the amaze of the
+household, who had watched the approach of the procession from the
+castle windows, her horse, thrice neighing, changed into a bird, and
+fluttered sorrowfully away.
+
+[Illustration: "The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees"]
+
+'Farewell, sweet Queen!' her maidens cried, and kissing their hands to
+her, rode swiftly back to the depths of the forest.
+
+Then the Lord of the Argouges drew the Lady of the Woods across the
+threshold of the castle, and so queenly was her beauty and so gracious
+her demeanour, that even his aged mother, jealous of the son for whom
+she would have shed her life-blood, found no word to say against his
+choice.
+
+'My love for him is nought beside thine,' the Fée Queen pleaded very
+sweetly, 'for thou didst bring him into the world, and hast anguished
+for him as none else can. But I too have suffered on his behalf; I pray
+thee, let me love him too!'
+
+Then his mother looked long and deeply into the eyes of the woman who
+had dethroned her from her dear son's heart, and what she saw there
+filled her with peace. 'Be it as thou wilt,' she said, and that
+self-same night the Lord of Argouges wedded his Lady of the Woods in
+the castle chapel, which was decked with the fragrant lilies that sprang
+wherever her feet had trod. The rejoicings lasted for seven days, and
+the Lord of Argouges looked as one to whom the gates of Paradise had
+opened.
+
+The Queen of the Fées was now to all seeming a mortal woman, and so far
+from regretting that she had laid aside her rank, each day found her
+more content in her husband's love, and by every womanly art she knew
+she sought to please him. One favour only she asked of him--that never
+in her hearing would he mention the word 'Death.'
+
+'If you do, you will lose me for ever,' she told him fearfully, and he
+vowed by all that he held most sacred that this dread word should not
+cross his lips.
+
+The years went on. The lovely Lady of the Woods bore him fair daughters
+and gallant sons, and all was well with the Lord of Argouges. But one
+thing grieved him; since the Fées' sweet Queen had linked her lot with
+his, she too was subject to the laws of Time, and her beauty waned with
+increasing age. The gold of her hair was streaked with silver, and her
+face lost some of its soft pink bloom. Her lord spake no word of what
+was in his mind as he looked at her earnestly one bright spring morn,
+but she divined his regretful thoughts, and full sorrowful were her own.
+
+The Fées could not help her, since she had left her fairy kindred
+to throw in her lot with mortal man, and so, with woman's wit, she
+determined that at the forthcoming festival at the Court the splendour
+of her attire should make her lord forget Time's changes. She therefore
+summoned to the castle the most skilful workers in silks and broideries,
+who toiled in her service day and night, that she might be richly
+adorned at the Royal Tournament.
+
+Her gown was of azure satin, encrusted with many gems, and her long
+court train glittered and shone with gold and silver. Diamonds blazed at
+her breast and neck, while a circlet of rubies glowed in her hair. But
+their rich red lustre made her pale sweet face look paler than ever,
+and she still gazed wistfully at her glass though the Lord of Argouges
+waited below, wondering what delayed her. At length he sought her
+himself, and in spite of his impatience, he could but admire her
+resplendent attire.
+
+'You have robbed the sky of his morning glories!' he told her gallantly.
+Then, as she lingered still, his impatience returned: 'Fair spouse,' he
+said, 'it were well if Death should send you as his messenger, for you
+tarry long when you are bidden to haste!--Forgive me, Sweet! I should
+not have said that word!'
+
+His remorse came too late, for the ominous sound had scarcely crossed
+his lips when with a cry of bitter anguish, his lady became once more a
+Fée, and vanished from his sight. Long and vainly did he seek her, for
+though her footmarks are still to be seen on the battlements of the
+Castle, and night after night she wandered round it clad in a misty robe
+of white, they two met on earth no more. She is pictured still in the
+crest of the house of Argouges, over its motto, 'A la Fe!'"
+
+I liked this story, but I wished that it had not ended quite so sadly.
+When I said so to Méllisande she turned her face away from me, and I
+think it was a tear drop that glittered on her hand.
+
+"Then I will tell you neither of Pressina nor Melusina," she said, "for
+both these Fées lived to rue the day when they put faith in the word of
+man. It was different with the fair Norina. She demanded no pledge, for
+doubt and distrust came not nigh her path, and her love brought her only
+gladness."
+
+The shadows lengthened; the wood dove flew off to rejoin her mate; and
+Méllisande's lips began to smile as she thought of another story.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.
+
+"Long, long ago," she went on presently, "when our beautiful Normandy
+was known by another name, and formed part of the kingdom of Neustria,
+which was given to the Duke of Paris by Charles the Bald, there lived a
+wise and noble lord who was said to have magic powers. So gentle was he
+that the very birds would perch on his shoulder and twitter their joys
+to him, yet so brave and strong that the proudest knight cared not to
+provoke his wrath. He was skilled in the lore of plants and herbs, and
+by means of a slender hazel from the woods could tell where crystal
+waters flowed deep in the bowels of the earth. Full many a maid would
+have flown to him had he lifted his little finger, but though he was
+often lonely as he wandered beneath the stars, his heart went out to
+none, whether of high or low degree, and he preferred his own company to
+that of a mate whom he could not love.
+
+One Mayday he was up at dawn, searching the fields for a tiny plant
+which had some special gift of healing. The grass was spangled with
+myriad flowers, but he passed them all till he came to the one he
+sought--a small pale blossom of faintest lilac, with perfume as sweet as
+a rose's. While yet he held it in his hand he heard a cry; it was that
+of some creature in pain, and forcing his way through a prickly hedge,
+he found a pure white dove with a broken wing lying under a thornbush.
+
+'Poor bird!' he exclaimed compassionately. 'Who has dared to injure so
+fair a thing?' With tender hands he set the broken wing, binding it to
+her side with three green leaves and some long-stemmed grass, and fed
+her with juice from the lilac flower as he soothed her with gentle
+words. When he had stilled her flutterings, he laid her on his breast,
+that he might bear her home and tend her until she could fly once more
+under the vault of heaven.
+
+On he strode through the meadow, and high in the sky the larks trilled
+their pćans of joy. Never to him had seemed the earth so fair, and the
+morning sun tinged his cheek with gladness. Suddenly he felt the burden
+on his breast grow heavy, and stayed his footsteps in surprise. No
+longer did he hold a wounded dove against his bosom, but a beauteous
+maiden in pure white garb, with three green leaves bound about her arm
+with stems of grass.
+
+He set her on her feet and stared at her in amaze; she met his
+enraptured gaze with eyes that shone like twin blue stars. Then her
+eyelids fell; she drooped beneath his glance as a fragile flower beneath
+the sun's fierce wooing.
+
+And as the wind sweeps over a field of corn when it is ripe for reaping,
+love took possession of him. Fée or woman, he swore, this beauteous maid
+should be his wife if she were willing, and he would guard her through
+good and ill while life should last.
+
+'Art thou mine?' he asked her presently, hoarse for very joy.
+
+'I am thine!' she said, for she had loved him long, and had but taken
+the form of a dove to try him. And taking her home to his castle, they
+were wedded by the holy priest.
+
+No longer now was he lonely, no longer did he wander solitary beneath
+the stars, for the lovely Fée was as true and tender as mortal woman,
+and made him a faithful wife. Sons were denied them, but seven fair
+daughters came, and he called them after the seven gems that graced
+their mother's diadem.
+
+The maidens were of such supreme loveliness that as they grew up to
+womanhood they were known as the Seven Fair Queens; each was without
+rival in her own style of beauty. Pearl was fair as day, with a skin
+like milk; Ruby's dark splendour was a gift from the Queen of Night,
+and her red, red mouth the bud of a perfect flower. The glorious hair
+of Amber fell round her shoulders in shimmering waves of light, and
+sunbeams lost themselves in her lashes. Sweet Turquoise had her mother's
+eyes of blue forget-me-not, while Sapphire's were of deeper hue, and
+Amethyst's that of the violet. Chrysolite's were a misty green, like the
+sky in the early morning, and no mermaid sang sweeter songs than she as
+she sat on the rocks at low tide.
+
+There came a time when the father of the Seven Fair Queens fell very
+sick, and not all his potions could prolong his days. His call had come,
+and so closely were he and Norina united, that one eve at sunset her
+life went out with his. For awhile their orphaned daughters wept with
+grief as they paced the gardens, or sat by the crackling fire in the
+great hall. But youth cannot mourn for ever, and with a second spring,
+glad hopes came back to them, and once more they rode in the chase.
+Since they were rich as well as beautiful you may be sure they had many
+wooers, but all preferred to reign alone.
+
+'When we wed, it will be with Fées!' they said disdainfully. This
+angered their lovers, and presently they were left in peace.
+
+Full wisely did they use their parents' wealth, improving the land and
+making sure provision for all dependant on their bounty. On the coast
+of the Cotentin they built the Castle of Pirou, which gave work to the
+poor for several succeeding years, and when it was finished they filled
+it with gorgeous tapestries and all the treasures of art they could
+collect. Here they lived in splendour, keeping open house; no passing
+wayfarer, however humble, need miss a welcome if he cared to claim it.
+
+They were still in the first full bloom of their beauty when their fame
+reached the ears of one of the great sea pirates, the dreaded Vikings
+who rode the waves like giant birds of prey. North, South, East and
+West, from Norway and Sweden, and little Denmark, they sailed in search
+of plunder, and such was their love of fighting that they would, if
+need be, challenge each other rather than allow their swords to rust
+with disuse. Although they robbed, they were brave men, and believed
+themselves entitled to all they took. Their vessels were small, and
+light of draught, so they could penetrate many rivers, but the great
+chiefs chose the sea for their battle ground, and ravaged many a town
+and village on the coast of France.
+
+When the mighty Siegmund heard of the Seven Fair Queens of Pirou, he
+resolved to storm their castle and take the loveliest for his bride.
+With this intent he set sail for the coast of Cotentin with a gallant
+fleet. The wind and the tide were with him; he reached it one soft
+spring morning when the sea was a sheet of blue.
+
+As the vessel which bore him neared the shore, the Viking espied a bevy
+of maidens in a sheltered cove, where the sand lay in golden ripples.
+Ruby and Pearl, and the gentle Turquoise sported in a sun-kissed pool;
+while Sapphire and Amethyst wove wreaths of seaweed, and Amber was
+smoothing her shining hair with a slender shell of mother-of-pearl
+that the waves had thrown at her feet. Chrysolite sat on a dark rock,
+singing, and her soft clear notes rang over the waters, enchanting
+Siegmund with their music.
+
+'By Thor and Odin,' he thundered, 'our journey was well planned. Haste
+thee, my men, and get me to that rock! That maiden shall be my bride.'
+
+The boat sped swiftly, with Siegmund sitting in the stern. His yellow
+locks streamed over his stalwart shoulders, and his face was like that
+of some eager god as he noted Chrysolite's beauty. The maiden saw his
+approach; and now the glad notes of her exquisite song changed to a
+mournful rhythm. She was chanting the words that her mother had
+breathed to her seven daughters as she lay a'dying:
+
+    'Women ye, my daughters fair
+      (Cloudless spreads the sky);
+    But when menace fills the air,
+      Fées, as once was I.
+    Slender arm shall change that day
+      Into snow-white plume;
+    Winged as birds, haste swift away
+      From thy threatening doom!'
+
+As the last words left her sorrowful lips, Chrysolite's sisters gathered
+round her; the boat's keel grated on the sand, and Siegmund sprang
+eagerly forward. At the same moment the Seven Fair Queens of Pirou
+raised their arms, and instantly these changed, before his eyes, to
+fluttering wings. High in the air mounted the maidens, and to the
+bewildered gaze of Siegmund they were nought but a line of snow-white
+birds flying westward in single file high up in the sky.
+
+[Illustration: "They instantly changed into snow-white birds."]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+When Siegmund had somewhat recovered from his amazement, he and his
+followers sacked the castle, and pillaged the surrounding country;
+it did them but little good, for a storm blew up as they sailed back
+northward, and the ships that carried the stolen treasure were wrecked
+on the rocks. As for the Seven Fair Queens, they mated with Fées, and
+were glad as the morning. Every year as spring comes round, they return
+to Pirou with their numerous descendants, in the form of a flock of wild
+geese, and take possession of the nests which they have hollowed out in
+the crumbling walls. They also appear when a child is born to the house
+of Pirou; if it be a daughter, and Fate has destined her for a nun,
+one sits apart in a corner of the courtyard, and sighs as if in sore
+distress. If a son is born, the male birds display their plumage, and
+show by their mien that they rejoice."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Méllisande rose from her throne of ferns, "It will be twilight soon,"
+she said, "and we must go. See! the mists are already rising in the
+valley, and the night-birds awake and call. Farewell, dear Christmas
+Child, farewell!"
+
+And, stooping down, she kissed my forehead.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter VII
+
+In the Dwarf's Palace.
+
+
+Now I knew that Germany was the very country for Dwarfs and Fairies,
+and when I heard that this was where we were going next I determined to
+be on the look out. I did not see them, though, for a long time after we
+arrived, for I was so tremendously interested in everything else. Even
+in the big cities where Father spent hours and hours in the hospitals,
+watching the wonderful things that the German doctors did, most of the
+children looked plump and rosy, and I didn't see any so thin and pale
+as those we had left at home. One of the Herr Professors, with whom we
+stayed, said that this was because the State made so kind a Grandmother,
+but when I asked him what he meant, he only laughed.
+
+I liked this professor best of all--he had such a nice way of talking,
+and he loved Fairies as much as I do. He said "_Ach! So!_" when I told
+him I was a Christmas Child, and smiled all over his kind old face. Then
+he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me that I must remember to do
+my part to make my birthday the gladdest day in the year for everyone
+around me.
+
+"It is different in your country," he went on, "but here, in the
+Fatherland, there is scarcely a cottage home which has not its Christmas
+tree, even if this is only a branch of fir stuck in a broken pot, and
+hung with oranges and golden balls. No child is so poor but has his
+Christmas presents of cakes and toys, for if his mother cannot provide
+them, she tells his teacher in good time, and the teacher sees that he
+is not forgotten."
+
+I thought this was a ripping plan, for it is horrid when Santa Claus
+forgets you, and your stockings hang all limp and flat, like mine did
+last year. And I made up my mind, then and there, that next Christmas
+there should be a tree for all the littlest and grubbiest children in my
+old home.
+
+While Father was at the hospitals with the Herr Professor, I stayed with
+Rudolf and Gretchen, two of his grandchildren--fat little things with
+big blue eyes, who stared at me as if I had seven heads when I told them
+about the Korrigans. Gretchen believed in Fairies of all kinds, but
+Rudolf only in Dwarfs and Giants. He even said that Santa Claus was
+just his own father dressed up, and declared he had seen his old brown
+pipe peeping out of Santa Claus' pocket the last time he paid them a
+visit. Gretchen said that if so, Santa Claus had taken away the old
+brown pipe to bring a lovely new one in its place, and Rudolf told her
+girls knew too much. They were both angry by this time, and their faces
+looked very red. So I thought we had better talk about Dwarfs and
+Giants.
+
+"Grandfather says there are no Giants now," Rudolph said seriously, "but
+there are plenty of Dwarfs in the hill which looks down on the forest. I
+saw one there myself last summer; he ran away and wouldn't speak to me,
+as if he were afraid."
+
+Without saying anything to Rudolf, who might have wanted to come too, I
+started for the hill directly after dinner, while he and Gretchen were
+arguing again over the pipe and Santa Claus. The Professor's house was
+just at the end of the town, so I didn't have far to go; but the hill
+took much longer to climb than I thought it would, and I was quite out
+of breath when I reached the top and sat down on a flat white stone. As
+I looked about me, I swung my foot, and it tapped against a biggish rock
+that was just in front. The third time that I did this, a little brown
+man hopped briskly out of a crevice and stood before me. He wore a
+bright red coat trimmed with green buttons, and carried in his hand a
+close-fitting cap of grey.
+
+[Illustration: Fat little things, with big blue eyes.]
+
+"Gently, gently, good child!" he cried. "One knock is enough, if we want
+to hear it, for our ears are as keen as we could wish. Why did you call
+me, and what would you have?"
+
+"I would hear of you, and of your kinsmen, Master Dwarf!" I said. "I am
+a Christmas Child, and the Fairies are all my friends."
+
+At this he bowed, and said he was glad to meet me, nodding his head with
+a sort of grunt as I told him where I had met Titania.
+
+"If it be your pleasure," he said, looking round to see that no one was
+near but me, "I will take you within the hill, and introduce you to my
+wife. The ground whereon you stand is hollow, as you will soon perceive,
+and we are less than a stone's throw from my palace."
+
+I told him that nothing would please me more than to pay him a visit,
+and muttering a word in some strange language, he rapped his knuckles on
+a cleft in the rock. It widened sufficiently to let us both through, and
+closed again with a thud.
+
+The winding passage in which I found myself was lit by a soft red glow,
+coming from hundreds of rubies set deep in the walls, which seemed to
+be of oxidised silver. After several twists and turns, it ended in a
+wide hall, where I could just stand upright under the jewelled dome! As
+soon as my eyes grew accustomed to the blaze of light which came from
+the diamond stars set round it, I saw a sweet little creature in a frock
+of pale purple silk, cut short in the sleeves to show her pretty white
+arms, on which she wore many bracelets.
+
+"My wife!" said the Dwarf proudly, and he explained to her who I was and
+what I wanted, and a great deal more about me that I was astonished he
+should know. My surprise amused him a good deal, and as his wife led the
+way to her boudoir he chuckled merrily.
+
+"There are Kobolds, or House-Spirits in most old houses," he remarked,
+"and it is more than two hundred years since the first stone was laid of
+the Herr Professor's. I knew this noon that you were coming, and the
+Kobold spoke well of you, and said that you were not above taking advice
+from others wiser than yourself. Now, sir! What do you think of this?"
+And he opened a door with a great flourish, holding it back for me to
+enter.
+
+"It's grand!" I said, for so it was. The silver floor was inlaid with
+a gold scroll; the walls, of tinted mother-o'-pearl, were adorned with
+wreaths of forget-me-nots, each tiny turquoise flower having an amber
+centre. The furniture was of filigree silver, so fragile to look at
+that I was afraid to touch it, much less to sit down on one of the tiny
+chairs, even if I could have fitted myself in. The Dwarf invited me to
+be seated, and his small wife gave me a roguish smile as she brought a
+velvet cushion from an inner room, and placed this on the ground. I
+found afterwards that it was the Dwarfs own bed, and that his pillow was
+made of spun spider silk, filled with scented roseleaves and wild thyme.
+
+[Illustration: The Dwarf invited me to be seated.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"When you are rested and refreshed," said the Dwarf kindly, as his
+little spouse offered me a sip of nectar from a crystal goblet, "I will
+show you my palace. There is not much to see, for we are humble folk,
+and this hill comparatively a small one. The estates of some of our
+nobles extend for miles, and that of our Emperor runs through a range
+of mountains. In times gone by we welcomed mortals as our guests, for
+we were anxious to be their friends. But they grudged us even a handful
+of peas in return, and met our advances with jeers. Now we keep to our
+hills as far as possible, and when we desire to walk abroad, we are
+careful to wear our mist caps, which render us quite invisible."
+
+He sighed so deeply that the dainty lace cap poised on his wee wife's
+hair was almost blown away, and then, straightening his bent shoulders,
+he took me to see his Banquet Hall. The curtains were all of filigree
+silver, fine as lace, and on the walls of the kitchen, where silent
+little men in big white aprons kneaded cakes on crystal slabs, shone
+ruby and sapphire butterflies.
+
+But this was nothing to what I saw in the long low vault where the Dwarf
+kept his treasures. At one end was a shimmering heap of pearls, some
+larger than pigeons' eggs; at another, a conical mound of diamonds,
+which threw out marvellous lights as the Dwarf stirred them gently with
+one small hand.
+
+"We know the properties of each stone," he said; "how some give
+strength, and some wisdom and power to rule, while others still stir
+up strife and envy, and make men merciless as beasts of prey. That
+ruby you see has an evil history; a woman gave her soul for it, and
+thousands were slain in her cause."
+
+I picked up the beautiful, glowing gem, and fancied I saw the face of an
+evil demon grinning at me from its depths. Dropping it quickly, I looked
+instead at a pile of rings at the other side of the vault. One in
+particular drew my attention; it was of beaten gold, with a curious
+stone set deep in its centre. As I held it aloof and stared at it, I
+caught a glimpse of a waving meadow, with a tiny path leading past a
+brook.
+
+"That is the ring which the Queen of Lombardy gave to her son, Otnit,"
+said the Dwarf. "Come with me to the Court of Rest, and you shall hear
+the story."
+
+This was the loveliest place which I had yet seen in the palace. A
+circle of orange trees in full bloom enclosed a space round a rippling
+fountain, where from the gleaming beak of an opal bird a stream of water
+splashed into an emerald basin. The invisible wind that stirred the
+petals of the orange blossom brought with it the swish of the sea, and
+somewhere, far off, a nightingale was singing.
+
+The Dwarf seated himself on one of the velvet cushions strewn on the
+ground, and motioning me to take another, began his tale.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Dwarf Elberich and the Emperor.
+
+"Otnit, Emperor of Lombardy, was one of the greatest kings that ever
+lived. By force of wisdom more than by might, he subdued the surrounding
+nations, and his people looked up to him as to a god. When the time came
+for him to wed, no maid in his wide dominions pleased his fancy, for
+the wife he pictured in his dreams was sweet and simple, though of royal
+birth, and quite unspoiled by praise and flattery. He told his ministers
+this, and they shrugged their shoulders.
+
+'His Majesty desires the impossible!' they whispered amongst themselves,
+and so it seemed until the Emperor's Uncle Elias, the wild-bearded King
+of the Russians, told him of a highborn maid who was as good as she was
+beautiful, and had never yet been wooed by man.
+
+'She shines o'er other women as bright roses do!' he cried, and Otnit
+vowed to win her.
+
+On the eve of his departure for Syria, where she dwelt with her father
+the Soldan, Otnit's mother gave him the ring you held, bidding him take
+his horse and ride toward Rome while gazing at the gem in the ring, that
+what he saw there might direct his path. The Emperor smiled, but wishing
+to humour her, did as she requested, and rode through the silver
+starlight thinking of his fair maid. At early dawn, when the welkin rang
+with the song of birds, he saw mirrored in the ring a narrow pathway
+trodden in the green grass. Making his way by this fragrant road, he
+reached a linden tree by a lake. Here he stayed his courser, and sprang
+to the ground, peering beneath its boughs.
+
+'Never yet from tree came so sweet-breathing a wind,' he laughed; for
+lo! an infant lay on the grass, his fair white frock fringed with many
+gems. Otnit found it all he could do to lift him, in spite of his
+strength, but placing the little creature on the saddle, declared his
+intention of taking him to the palace, and putting him in his mother's
+care.
+
+But this did not please Dwarf Elberich, who for his own purpose had
+taken the form of an innocent babe. He offered Otnit such splendid
+ransom of sword and shield to set him free, that the Emperor laid him
+down again, and even allowed him to hold the magic ring, by the wearing
+of which it had been possible for him to see what is usually hidden from
+mortal sight.
+
+Now it was Elberich's turn, and being once more invisible, he teased
+the Emperor to his heart's content, dwelling on the anger of the
+Queen-Mother should she find that her gift was lost. Not until the
+Emperor was out of patience, and on the point of riding away did
+Elberich restore the ring to him.
+
+'And now, O Otnit,' he said, 'since I see you love well your mother,
+whom I loved long ere you saw the light, I will help you to gain your
+bride.'
+
+And Otnit was glad, for he knew that the word of a Dwarf is ever as good
+as his bond.
+
+In the spring of the year, 'when all the birds were singing,' the
+Emperor called his friends together and bade them embark their troops
+with his in the ships at anchor in the harbour. The waters of the bay
+gleamed as a field of gold as the stately vessels glided over them, and
+for long the carols of the birds on shore went with them on the breeze.
+Otnit's hopes were high as he paced the deck, though he grieved that the
+Dwarf had not come to join him.
+
+At length the fleet reached the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean,
+and there King Otnit beheld a haven full of ships, far more in number
+than his own. 'I would that Elberich were here, for he is skilled in
+warfare,' he murmured uneasily, for his men looked askance at the fleet
+before them. The words had barely left his lips when the sound of a
+laugh came from aloft, and straightway the Dwarf displayed himself. He
+had been in hiding amongst the rigging, and was now at hand to use his
+Fairy powers in Otnit's service.
+
+Elberich's gift of a small round stone, which he bade him thrust into
+his cheek, conferred upon Otnit the gift of language, and enabled him
+to impersonate a rich merchant with so much success that his ship was
+allowed to drop anchor in the harbour. When dusk had fallen, and all
+was quiet, the Emperor disembarked, encamping with his troops among the
+rock-hewn burial places of the ancient Phoenicians, which abounded on
+that coast. Here he abode for three whole days, while Elberich sought
+the King of Syria, demanding his daughter's hand in marriage for his
+royal master. It was refused point blank, and, more than this, the
+Soldan ordered his unwelcome visitor to be put to death. But the
+flashing blades of the guards cut the empty air, and Elberich jeered at
+them finely.
+
+[Illustration: Elberich had jeered him finely.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Your daughter shall go to my lord of her own free will,' he cried to
+the Soldan, 'and only so shall your skull be saved!' He then returned to
+the Emperor, who bade his troops attack the city of Sidon.
+
+A desperate battle with the heathen followed; for awhile the enemy's
+numbers triumphed, but not for long. The Emperor's charge swept all
+before him, and the Soldan's soldiers fell like corn before the scythe.
+Then the Dwarf led the army to the Syrian capital; and red as had been
+the field of Sidon, it was as nothing to that of Muntabur, where men's
+blood flowed as a crimson river.
+
+While yet the battle was at its height, Elberich made his way, unseen,
+to an inner chamber of the Royal Palace, and though he had come to
+rate the Princess for her father's obstinacy, words forsook him in her
+presence. So fair a maid he had never seen; her mouth 'flamed like the
+rose,' her flowing hair was the colour of rich red gold, and her lovely
+eyes had the radiance of the moon. Elberich drew her to the window, and
+by the aid of his power over space, showed her King Otnit in the thick
+of the fight. The sun fell full on his upturned face, as, seated on his
+white charger, he rallied his men for the final onslaught; he looked as
+brave a knight as the Princess had ever seen, and she lowered her glance
+as Elberich told her how she could save her father.
+
+'Death alone can wean King Otnit's desire to wed you,' he said. 'His
+love for you passes the love of man, and is withal as tender as that of
+a woman for her child.'
+
+Much more Elberich spake to her to the same purpose, and at close of day
+she allowed him to lead her where he would. Together they passed through
+a secret passage beneath the Palace, and so through the royal gardens,
+to a path which wound down to the field of battle.
+
+Fighting had ceased for awhile, for the heathen had been sore smitten;
+and since his men had neither eaten nor slept for many long hours,
+the Emperor must needs let them rest until dawn. Full of impatience at
+the delay which kept him from storming the walls that held the lady of
+his love, he paced his tent, and turned to find her standing before him.
+Her mouth flamed red as the reddest rose; her eyes had the lustre of the
+harvest moon, and her red-gold hair framed a snowy brow that was white
+as the breast of a swan. Bending his knee, he touched with his lips the
+hem of her gown, and when the Princess gave him her exquisite hand, he
+could scarce breathe for rapture.
+
+[Illustration: "'She is yours, O Otnit!' cried the Dwarf"]
+
+'She is yours, O Otnit!' cried the Dwarf; and the Emperor lifted her on
+to his charger, speaking to her with such tender and kindly words that
+her fears were stilled. With Elberich perched on the horse's mane,
+they straightway rode to the coast, where the sails of the Emperor's
+vessel swelled roundly in the wind. On the summer seas of the blue
+Mediterranean, they two were wed; and never had mortal man a sweeter
+wife, or maid a more gallant husband."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter VIII
+
+The Silver Horn.
+
+
+When the Dwarf had come to the end of his story, he very politely bade
+me goodbye, and bowed me out of his Castle. A week or two later we went
+to Saltzburg, and there I had a real adventure.
+
+The Professor with whom we were staying hadn't a single grandchild, and
+as all his books were old and dusty, to say nothing of being written in
+German, I should have found it rather dull if he had not lent me his
+nephew's pony. I had learnt to ride as a little chap, when we lived in
+the country. It was lovely there, but no one was ever ill, and Father
+had so few patients that we could not stay.
+
+The pony's name was Heinrich. He knew his way everywhere, the Professor
+said, so Father didn't mind my riding him alone, and I had a ripping
+time.
+
+One day we went to the Wunderberg, a big hill on a wide bleak moor,
+which was supposed to be quite hollow, and the favourite haunt of Wild
+Women.
+
+The ground was extremely bumpy, and several times I was almost thrown
+out of the saddle. At last I got off, for I thought I would rather
+walk.
+
+It was a splendid morning, and I was glad that I wasn't the Professor's
+nephew, away at school, as I lay on my back and looked up at the sky.
+
+A small black beetle crawled over my hand, but I was so comfortable that
+I scarcely stirred. It crossed my cuff and climbed a blade of grass; and
+as I watched it a shadow fell between me and the sunlight.
+
+A slender woman in a white gown was standing close to me. Her face was
+thin, and very wistful, and over her shoulders, down to her very feet,
+fell a mantle of glistening yellow hair.
+
+"Are you hungry, child?" she asked gently, holding out to me a slice of
+fine white bread.
+
+"Not yet," I answered, for we had had _Sauerkraut_ for breakfast, and I
+felt that I should not want anything more to eat for a long time. She
+looked disappointed, and sighed as she threw the bread away. A bird
+flew down and pecked it, but after a taste or two he left it where it
+was.
+
+"Then surely you are thirsty, and will drink from my horn?" she pleaded,
+showing me a silver vessel with curious scrolls and writings traced in
+gold, which had been hidden by her beautiful hair. I took a sip from its
+bevelled edge, and had scarcely swallowed the first drop when I felt
+myself sinking through the hill, the Wild Woman still beside me.
+
+"At last! At last!" she cried, clapping her shadowy hands as we stood in
+a wide hall lit with amber light. "O sisters, rejoice with me! I have
+found a child, and his eyes, his eyes are crystal clear."
+
+She bent over me as she spoke, half smothering me with her silken
+tresses, and I was so afraid that those sisters of hers would hug me
+too, that I scrambled away and I took to my heels and _ran_.
+
+But you couldn't get far in that place. It was a miniature town, with
+silver streets and golden houses, and gorgeous palaces in between.
+Every turn I took led to a wide square filled with rose trees, where
+fountains of gold and silver water bubbled and sparkled in the
+mysterious pale green light. A flock of brilliant humming birds whirred
+their wings in my face so that I could not see where I was going, and
+the Wild Women formed a circle round me and began to sing:
+
+    "Only once did mortal child,
+    By our silver horn beguiled,
+            Find a way to leave us;
+    Though they call us strange and wild,
+    Thou shalt find us soft and mild.
+            Stay, and do not grieve us."
+
+Their voices were very sweet, but when they had sung that verse twice
+over, I did not want to hear it again.
+
+"I don't mind staying with you for an hour or two," I said, as they
+stopped singing, "but I shouldn't care to live here. I am a Christmas
+Child, and there are other Fairy Folk I want to see."
+
+Then they looked at each other, and drew away.
+
+"Since he is a Christmas Child," said one, "we cannot keep him. You
+should have known better, Sister Snow-blossom, than to bring him here!"
+
+"How could I tell," wailed Snow-blossom. "He seemed like any other boy,
+and would just have fitted the green silk suit that I wove so long ago."
+
+"Alas, alas!" the others sighed. "The longer he stays, the more it will
+wring our hearts to part with him. Take him back to the hill at once,
+dear Snow-blossom, and bid him hasten home."
+
+But I didn't want to go just yet, for now that they did not wish to hug
+me, I thought they were rather nice. Their faces were like pure marble,
+so still and pale, and their light green eyes were very gentle. So I
+asked if Snow-blossom might not show me round, as the Professors did
+Father when he came to a strange town. Her sisters still urged her to
+send me away at once, before she had time to grow fond of me, but she
+would not listen.
+
+"What do you want with a mortal child?" I said, when I had been all over
+the empty golden houses, and had seen the tiny cathedral, the model of
+the one at Saltzburg, set with pearls and rubies, and many other
+precious stones of which I did not know the name.
+
+"Because we are lonely," she answered; "so lonely, child. Our only
+friends are the little people who guard our treasures in the centre of
+the earth, and we would fain have mortals to bear us company. Once, long
+ago, a goodly youth of noble birth was almost tempted to sip from our
+silver horn, and had he done so his home would have known him no more.
+Sweet Stella, the fairest Wild Woman who drew breath between the last
+faint pulse of the night time and the glowing dawn of day, waylaid him
+on the brow of the hill when he was heated in the chase, but although he
+craved the cooling draught she offered him, he would not drink from her
+hand; her exceeding beauty excited his suspicions, and he guessed that
+she was no mortal maid.
+
+'Let me see what your wine is like before I taste it!' he said warily,
+taking the silver horn from her hands. He had no sooner grasped it,
+than he sprang to his horse and rode away. For many years the horn was
+kept amongst the treasures of the House of Oldenburg, to which he
+belonged, but at last, after many generations, it came back to us. No
+one but you and the little Karl has drunk from it since then."
+
+We were under the rose trees in the great square, and I had found a seat
+in a ruby and pearl pavillion, with queer golden faces staring down on
+me from each corner. Snow-blossom hid her face in her hands when I asked
+her who was Karl, and rocked herself to and fro; then she lifted her
+head and looked at me, and I saw that she was crying.
+
+"I will tell you," she said, "but first come close. For words have wings
+in the Wunderberg, and I would not have my sisters know I am grieving
+still."
+
+I sat down beside her, and then she began, speaking very softly and
+slowly, with deep sighs in between. The tears on her cheeks seemed to
+shine like pearls, and her hair gleamed more golden than ever.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The little Karl and the wild-woman.
+
+"There was once a poor man named Henzel who should have been well
+content, for his girl-wife, Gretchen, was good and sweet, and the black
+bread he ate when his toil was over was pleasant to his taste. His bed
+was warm, and his sleep was sound. What could a man want more?
+
+But Henzel was ever full of complainings. His neighbour, Johann, had
+married a rich woman, and now owned a well stocked farm with many herds.
+Each time that he met him, Henzel sighed.
+
+'I might have done better than he,' he grumbled, even when he heard that
+Johann's wife was a great scold, and did not allow her husband a
+moment's peace. He looked askance at his gentle Gretchen, who bore with
+his rough moods tenderly, since once he had been her lover. But she
+grieved in secret, for never a good word had he for her now, and her
+flaxen hair lost its shimmer of satin, and her cheeks their dainty
+bloom.
+
+She was digging in the cottage garden, for Henzel would do no work at
+home, when a very old man toiled slowly up the hill. His clothes were
+dusty, and his staff was bent; he looked very weary, and his voice, as
+he bade her 'Goodmorrow,' was faint and low. Gretchen's heart was filled
+with pity; she invited him to enter her tidy kitchen, and put before him
+the best she had. It was not much, but her strange guest thanked her
+gratefully. While he rested, she went to the forest, to cut him a strong
+oak sapling for a staff. The old man had vanished when she returned, and
+in his place sat a little Dwarf, not more than twelve inches high.
+
+[Illustration: In the old man's place sat a little Dwarf.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'I perceive that you have a kind disposition, Gretchen, which is better
+than a rich dower,' he said, waving his hand for her to be seated also.
+'You are already sufficiently blessed,' he went on, 'in being both
+virtuous and patient, but I am willing to grant you your dearest wish.
+Speak out, and tell me what you most desire.'
+
+Gretchen bent her brows, and pondered deeply. If she asked the Dwarf for
+gold, Henzel would rejoice, but she had lived with him long enough to
+know that whatever he had, he would still want more. Should she ask for
+another husband, then, since the one she had, had ceased to love her,
+and threw her but scornful looks? Nay--that would be wrong, for whatever
+happened she was Henzel's wife. And the flush on her girlish face became
+yet deeper, for a very sweet thought had fluttered across her mind. She
+would ask for a little child to lie on her breast, and bear her company
+through the long nights and days.
+
+When the Dwarf heard her whispered request, he smiled on her very
+kindly.
+
+'You are a true woman,' he said, and disappeared as Henzel crossed the
+threshold.
+
+'Who has been here?' he asked, scowling at the empty cup and platter.
+
+'An old, old man, who was tired and hungry,' Gretchen replied,
+and anxious to escape his further questioning, she turned to the
+newly-kindled fire, and put on a saucepan of broth for him. But Henzel
+was very curious, for strangers came that way but seldom, and before
+long he had drawn the whole story from Gretchen's lips, with the
+exception of the Dwarf's offer to grant her a wish.
+
+'Did he not speak of rewarding you for your hospitality?' her husband
+persisted, guessing that something had been kept back from him. And
+Gretchen shyly told him for what she had asked.
+
+Fierce was Henzel's anger at her neglect of this opportunity to make him
+rich. He stormed and raved until poor Gretchen longed to hide, and when
+at last his rage had spent itself, he was sullen as winter clouds. She
+would have minded this more had it not been for the dear new hope that
+filled her bosom, and early in the spring a little son was born to her.
+
+What cared she then for Henzel's anger, so long as it did not touch her
+child? It was joy enough to feel the wee thing's fingers straying over
+her face, to see his limbs grow round and dimpled, and to hear him laugh
+as she sang to him baby songs. Henzel went in and out, taking little
+notice of either of them; his thoughts were all absorbed in schemes for
+growing rich, for the love of money held him in its grip.
+
+When little Karl was six years old his mother died. Instead of sorrowing
+for her, Henzel was glad, for now he could marry the elderly widow in
+the next town who was ready to exchange her wealth for a handsome
+husband.
+
+So Henzel, too, had now a well-stocked farm, but this brought him small
+satisfaction. For his new wife was a greater scold even than Johann's,
+and he dare not so much as cross the threshold without taking off his
+boots. As to Karl, he was sent to mind the cattle on the Kugelmill close
+by; the little lad was so ill-clad that his ragged tatters blew in the
+winter wind. He was hungry also, for his stepmother grudged him the
+simplest food, and but that he shared their berries with the birds, he
+must have starved.
+
+When the hawthorns were white with the snows of spring, and the daisies
+showed their golden centres on the grassy slopes, we heard him crying
+for his mother. Stella flew to his side, and gathered him in her arms.
+Her lovely hair covered his shivering limbs, and the desolate child
+clung close to her as she held the silver horn to his curved red lips.
+His soft embrace set her woman-love on fire, and veiling him in her
+golden tresses, she brought him here.
+
+He was happy with us--as happy as the days were long. We wove for him
+garments of silken sheen, and taught him to call us by the sweet name of
+'Mother.' ... One day he begged us to let him play on the hill, so we
+took him thither, hiding close by, that we might guard him from harm. He
+was seen by some wood-cutters working near, and they took word to his
+father; but before he could fetch him, we had spirited him away. Karl
+never asked to play on the hill again, and all went well with us for
+many years, till he sprang into a gallant youth, with his mother's eyes
+and a lordly will, unlike her yielding way.
+
+And then? Ah me! His love for our beautiful Stella grew fierce and
+wild--the love of a mortal man for a maid. And since no Wild Woman may
+wed, one night he bore her away from our hill to the evening star, which
+is the sanctuary of lovers. Thence she sends glad dreams to motherless
+children, and to lonely women who pine for love."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+I did not stay much longer in the Wunderberg, for somehow the scented
+air seemed to have grown chilly. When I said to Snow-blossom that I
+must leave her, she wept again, and gave me a shining strand of hair to
+guide me back to the moor. It turned into gossamer when I reached the
+daylight, and floated softly away.
+
+Heinrich was still munching at the short grass, and stared at me very
+hard when I caught his bridle. I suppose he thought I had been a long
+while gone.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter IX
+
+The Little White Feather.
+
+
+If you've ever tried to count the raindrops, you will know how I felt
+when for three whole days it poured in torrents. I was alone in the
+library, watching a hole in the wainscotting through which a mouse had
+just poked her head, when some one said "_Guten Morgen_" in a piping
+voice, and I knew this must be a Kobold. I was rather surprised that I
+had not met one of these House-Spirits before.
+
+He was sitting on the edge of a bookcase--a little brown man with a
+wrinkled, good-natured face, and wearing no clothes. He chuckled when I
+said that I would rather speak English if he did not mind, and remarked
+that all languages were the same to him.
+
+"I believe you have met some cousins of mine, the Brownies," he went
+on affably, kissing his hand to the mouse, who popped back to her hole
+as if he had shocked her. "They are good little chaps, but quiet and
+humdrum. You always know what a Brownie will do, but as for us--mortals
+can never tell what a Kobold will be up to next. We make ourselves quite
+at home in their houses, and really own them, if the truth were known.
+But excuse me--I should not appear before you in this undress."
+
+In the twinkling of an eye the Kobold had changed himself into a
+curly haired boy, with smooth pink cheeks and a red silk coat, and
+knickerbockers of dark green velvet. "This is my best suit," he
+explained proudly, turning himself from side to side. "I usually wear
+it when I play with children who were born, like yourself, at the
+blessed feast of Christmas-tide. It is only one of my many disguises,
+however, though I seldom allow myself to be seen at all. I can even
+hide in the cast-off coat of a harmless snake, and woe to him who lays
+stick upon me or seeks to drive me away. The Heinzelmänchen, as we are
+called, can be bitter foes as well as powerful friends, and 'twas an
+evil day for the city of Köln when we marched out of it. It has never
+prospered since."
+
+"Why----" I began, and the Kobold held up his hand to stop me, puckering
+his baby face into a dreadful frown.
+
+"Why? Why? Why?" he mimicked. "How like the child of mortal man!
+Everything has to tell its reason--you rob the peach of its velvet bloom
+that you may find the secret of its ruddy splendour, and the fairy gems
+on the grass at dawn are to you but water distilled from earth! You
+would know how the tide finds a way to turn, why the light of the stars
+transcends your rush-lights! Elves and Fairies and such-like things are
+driven away by your curiosity, as the Heinzelmänchen were by Rosetta."
+
+I was going to ask who Rosetta might be, but I remembered just in time
+that this would be another question. The Kobold chose a more comfortable
+seat, and told me of his own accord.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Sin of Rosetta.
+
+"Toward the end of the eighteenth century," he began, "the
+Heinzelmänchen, took up their abode in the city of Köln, where Johann
+Farina distilled the sweet-scented waters now famous all over the world.
+When first he blended the fragrant oils of bergamot, citron, orange and
+rosemary, it was we who whispered to him in what proportion he should
+mix them, and how to imprison their lasting perfume. Not only him did
+we help, but wherever we came across a worthy fellow who was poor
+but honest, we gave him a lift up; such was Rudolph the tailor, whom
+we found when a lad on the steps of the great Cathedral, without a
+_pfennig_ in his pocket, and with a wolf inside him big enough to
+swallow a little pig. When we saw how readily he returned a _thaler_
+that rolled to his feet to the feeble old woman who had dropped it,
+though he might well have said he had not seen it fall, we took him to
+our hearts, and swore to befriend him.
+
+'So!' we said, one to the other. 'Rudolph is worthy to be our comrade.
+He is a good lad, and henceforth we will see that he does not want.'
+
+The first thing to be done was to procure him decent clothing, for no
+one would employ him while he went in rags. We did this by pointing him
+out to the wife of a rich merchant, who fancied she saw in his pinched
+white face a likeness to the son she had lost long since.
+
+Touched by the poor lad's poverty, she gave him a suit of clothes which
+had lain by for many a day, and on finding he was an orphan, apprenticed
+him to a tailor. The lad worked well. We took it in turns to sit beside
+him, showing him just where to place his needle, so that his seams were
+always neat, and guiding his scissors so that he cut the cloth to the
+best advantage. So skilful did he become that, when his time was out,
+his master begged him to stay on with him as head assistant, and gave
+him a good wage.
+
+A fine young spright was Rudolph now, with jet-black hair and eyes like
+coals. His master's daughters, Euralie and Rosetta, both looked on him
+with favour, and for a time it seemed that he knew not which to choose.
+Euralie was small and slight, with eyes like a dove's; Rosetta was tall
+and buxom, and had she been free from the vice of curiosity would have
+made him a model wife. She was clever and industrious as well as witty,
+and when Dark Rudolph passed by the gentle Euralie, and took Rosetta for
+his betrothed, it was only the Heinzelmänchen who shook their heads.
+
+Never was grander wedding feast than his. While he and Rosetta where
+still in church, we brought to his house the finest drinking vessels
+that we could lay our hands on, and pots and pans of beaten copper that
+were the envy of every housewife bidden as a guest. There were fairy
+cakes in the silver dishes, and luscious fruits such as grew in no
+western lands; the wine in the ruby goblets was honeyed nectar, and
+though his friends quaffed deeply, their heads remained quite clear. A
+proud man was Rudolph as he drank to his bride, and she looked so happy
+and gay and bright, that we resolved to take her, too, under our
+protection.
+
+And this we did. When her children came, we rocked the cradle and sang
+them lullabies while she baked and brewed, and when they slept we
+scrubbed and polished from garret to cellar, until her house was the
+pride of the street. Often she would ask to be allowed to see us, but we
+always refused, telling her to respect our wish, and be content. Still
+she would not rest, and nothing that Dark Rudolph could say to her would
+induce her to hold her peace.
+
+He had now three shops instead of one, and counted lords and barons
+among his customers. No one could fit as he could, for we were always at
+hand to nip in here or let out there, and many a fine straight figure
+was the result of our cunning skill. His fame spread far through the
+neighbouring towns, and one spring a great noble travelled to Köln to
+order some rich apparel for himself and his suite. Our busy tailor was
+at his wit's end how to get it finished in time, for all his assistants
+were working their hardest, and still they were behind.
+
+'Have no fear! Dark Rudolph,' we cried, when we found him alone. 'Send
+your men to rest, and leave it to us. When you wake in the morning you
+shall find all done.'
+
+We lost not a moment that livelong night--it was as if our needles had
+wings. Just before cockcrow, the door of the workroom creaked softly
+open, and there stood Rosetta in her white nightgown, with her hair in
+two long plaits, peering round the corner to see if she could catch us
+at work. We were justly enraged, but since we heard her in time to
+render ourselves invisible, and also because we loved Dark Rudolph, we
+decided to give her one more chance.
+
+It was our custom to leave the lower part of the house at the hour of
+midnight, no matter what we might be doing, and climb the steep stairs
+that led to the bedrooms, to watch that the ghosts which were free to
+roam till cockcrow might not ruffle the children's hair, or wake them
+with their long-drawn sighs. Rosetta knew this, for she had often heard
+us comforting the little Rudolph when his sleep was disturbed by a bad
+dream, and with gross ingratitude she tried to be-fool us. One night,
+she strewed dried peas on the top steps of the winding staircase, so
+that when we came up we should lose our footing and fall to the bottom,
+and thus she might see us struggling on the ground. We knew perfectly
+well, however, why she had bought the peas, and stayed below. When she
+rose next morning, she forgot the trap she had laid for us, and tumbled
+headlong down the stairs. While she groaned and moaned over her broken
+ankle, the Heinzelmänchen marched out of the town to stirring music,
+which was heard by all the citizens. We sailed down the Rhine in a
+phantom boat, which you may yet see floating on its waters if you look
+for it at the right time. And Dark Rudolph and his Rosetta sighed for
+our help in vain."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Kobold was a most entertaining little fellow, and stayed with me all
+the morning, telling me of well known House Spirits of days gone by. One
+of these tales was about
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Little white Feather.
+
+"Hinzelmann," said the Kobold solemnly, "was a Spirit who haunted the
+castle of Hudemühlen, though it was not until late in the sixteenth
+century that those who lived there were aware of his presence. He seemed
+of so friendly a disposition that the servants became quite used to
+him. They never saw him, but he would often talk with them while they
+worked, telling them of what went on in the Underworld, and of the
+mighty Giants of bye-gone days who had been created in order to protect
+the Dwarfs from savage beasts, but had become themselves so savage in
+the course of the ages that they had to be done away with. In time the
+lord of the castle heard of his strange visitor, and sent him a message
+saying he desired his presence at a certain hour.
+
+'No need to wait until then, good Sir!' laughed Hinzelmann over his
+shoulder. 'I assist each morning at your lordship's toilet, though you
+do not perceive me, and I blunt your razors when you are out of temper.'
+
+This displeased the lord of the castle, for he thought it unseemly to be
+on terms of such familiar intimacy with a bodiless House-Spirit. When he
+rebuked him for his presumption, Hinzelmann laughed more loudly still.
+'Better men than you have to put up with my company, if I will!' he
+cried, 'and, believe me, I do not intend to leave you!'
+
+The nobleman grew more and more uneasy, for it disturbed him to feel
+that he was never alone. Hinzelmann whistled and sang through the State
+rooms, and when his lordship expressed irritation this was the
+House-Spirit's favourite song:
+
+    'If thou here wilt let me stay,
+    Good luck shalt thou have alway.
+    But if hence thou dost me chase,
+    Luck will ne'er come near the place.'[1]
+
+         [Footnote 1: The Fairy Mythology]
+
+He hummed this morning, noon, and night, until the lord of the castle
+was sick of it. 'Since I cannot drive this fellow away,' he said at
+last, 'I must e'en go myself;' and telling no one of his intentions, he
+summoned his coach and set out for Hanover. On the way he noticed that
+no matter how fast his horses went, a little white feather danced above
+their heads. Although he wondered at this, he did not connect it with
+the House-Spirit, and when he arrived at his chosen Inn, sought his
+couch with a mind at ease.
+
+'Thank heaven,' he muttered, as he turned him over and went to sleep, 'I
+am free at last of this troublesome Hinzelmann. By the time I see fit
+to return home, he may have gone elsewhere.'
+
+[Illustration: A little white Feather danced above their heads.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Next morning he missed his fine gold chain, which was an heirloom, and,
+greatly distressed, he haughtily demanded of the Innkeeper that his
+servants should be searched.
+
+'They have robbed me,' he cried, 'and they shall suffer for it! Cannot
+one sleep at your house without meeting with knaves and thieves?'
+
+At this the Innkeeper was very angry. Instead of condoling with the
+nobleman on his loss, and offering to make it good, he roundly rebuked
+him for taking away the character of honest men without due proof. The
+noble was leaving the Inn in much haste when a soft voice asked him why
+he was troubled.
+
+'If it be on account of the bauble upon which you set such store,' it
+continued, 'look under your pillow and you will find it. You cannot get
+on without Hinzelmann after all!'
+
+'I would I had never known you, base spirit!' stormed the nobleman. 'You
+have put me greatly in the wrong with all these men, and my journey has
+been for nought, since you are here. If you do not quit me I will leave
+this country; it is not wide enough to hold us both.'
+
+Then Hinzelmann spoke to him with much reason, pointing out that he
+wished him no harm, and that it was impossible to shake him off, since
+wherever the lord went, he could follow.
+
+'It was I who flew as a little white feather in front of your coach,' he
+concluded. 'You played the part of a poltroon when you fled from what
+you believed to be evil, instead of fighting it on your own ground. Come
+back with me, and if you give me your friendship, I will work but good
+to you and yours.'
+
+So the nobleman went back to his castle, and Hinzelmann lived there with
+him. A little room was set aside for his use in an upper story, and here
+they placed, by the nobleman's orders, a small round table, and a tiny
+bed. No one could ever make out if he slept on this, but once when the
+cook entered very quickly, to take him the dish of new milk and wheaten
+crumbs which was placed each morn on his table, she saw a shallow
+depression on the down pillow, as if something very small and soft had
+rested there.
+
+When the time came for Hinzelmann to leave the castle, he presented its
+lord with three fairy gifts, the last of these being a leather glove
+richly wrought with pearls in a curious pattern of snails and scrolls.
+So long as this glove was in possession of his house, he told him, so
+long would his race flourish. And thus he requited the kindness which
+had been shown him. There is nothing that we like better than to help
+our friends."
+
+"I know," I said, nodding my head. And the House Spirit smiled as if
+this pleased him.
+
+"We need take no credit for this," he remarked, "since the Dwarf King
+himself sets us the example. His rescue of the poor old couple at
+Schillingsdorf is but one of many instances of the way in which he
+gladly helps those who show hospitality to him or his.
+
+Caught in a storm, he wandered from door to door, entreating each person
+who answered his knock to let him enter and warm himself. One and all
+they refused, for his green velvet garments were stained and draggled,
+and they had not the wit to see that in spite of his dripping clothes
+and dishevelled beard he was still every whit a king. At last he came to
+the hut of an ancient shepherd, whose little old wife was as thin as he,
+for food had been very scarce. The moment she saw the wanderer, her
+heart went out to him.
+
+'Come in and welcome, you poor little fellow!' she said, setting wide
+her door. 'Our fire is not much to boast of, but 'tis better than none
+on a night like this.' And the shepherd hobbled to the inner room that
+he might bring his Sunday coat, and place this round their visitor's
+shoulders while his own lay drying on the hearth. Then the old woman
+spread a white cloth on the table, and gave the Dwarf her share of the
+coarse black bread which was all her cupboard contained.
+
+'I thank you, my friends,' he said, breaking the bread into two
+fragments. As he did so, one became a fine white loaf, and the other a
+noble cheese. The Dwarf laughed at the old couple's amazement, and bade
+them feast to their heart's content.
+
+'So long as you leave on the platter a crust of bread and an inch of
+cheese,' he said, 'so long will a fresh loaf and a fresh cheese spring
+from these fragments during the night; but if ever a beggar entreats
+your help, and you refuse him, they will turn to dust and ashes. Now I
+bid you farewell, but ere long we shall meet again.'
+
+So saying, he went out in the rain, despite their entreaties that he
+would at least stay with them until the storm was over.
+
+Little sleep did they have that night, for wind and rain swept through
+the valley. Torrents roared down the mountain side, flooding the wooden
+houses, and even worse befell at daybreak. An enormous rock snapped off
+from a topmost peak, and carrying with it great masses of stones and
+uprooted firs, crashed down on the little village. All living things
+were buried beneath its weight except the shepherd and his wife, whose
+cottage yet was spared. Tremblingly they stood on the threshold, for
+they thought their last hour had come.
+
+'Thou hast been a good wife, my dear one,' breathed the shepherd, as he
+drew her frail form close to him.
+
+'It is well that we should go together, since thou hast lain by my side
+for nigh sixty years,' she whispered, hiding her face against his
+breast.
+
+'How now?' cried a reassuring voice. 'Dost despair so easily?' And
+looking up they saw their friend the Dwarf riding on a rough raft in
+the centre of the stream, and steering before him the trunk of an
+immense pine. This he proceeded to fix crosswise in front of their
+little garden, so as to form a dam. The torrent now passed by the
+cottage, leaving it undisturbed, and the voice of the wind was hushed.
+The sun came out, and the birds sang; but the only people alive in
+Schillingsdorf were the shepherd and his old wife."
+
+[Illustration: "'How now?' cried a reassuring voice."]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter X
+
+The Wild Huntsman.
+
+
+The forest paths were dappled with sunlight as Father and I strolled
+down its winding glades, and all the wood things were chirping and
+chattering with joy. Now and then something brown and furry scuttled
+across our path, and once I all but trod on a tiny mouse, who had hidden
+herself under last year's leaves.
+
+"You clumsy boy!" said a tiny voice, and I turned in time to catch sight
+of a wee pink Elf as she sprang from the flower Father wore in his
+button hole upon a bright blue butterfly which had been hovering above
+her for some time, and now darted swiftly away.
+
+After a while we came to an open space where the woodmen had been
+felling timber. Several great trees still lay on the ground; one was
+particularly straight and round, and I noticed three wide crosses cut
+deep into the bark. I thought I would like to carve my name there too,
+for my knife had been most beautifully sharp since the _Nain Rouge_
+touched it, so when Father sat down soon afterward to read his letters,
+I went straight back to the spot. As I reached it I heard the distant
+baying of hounds; the sound came nearer and nearer, and mingling with
+it were shouts in a strange deep voice, which almost frightened me.
+As I looked up, my knife was jerked out of my hand by a little woman
+dressed in green, who pushed me breathlessly aside and sat down,
+sobbing bitterly, on the middle cross. I was still staring at her when
+there flashed through the air a huntsman on a fiery horse, followed by
+many hounds. Their hurrying feet knocked off my cap and rumpled all my
+hair. They had passed in a second, and next moment I heard their
+baying far away.
+
+The little woman in green sobbed still, but she seemed to be growing
+calmer. Her hair and eyes were a soft light grey, and her frock was most
+prettily trimmed with tufts of moss.
+
+"Aha!" I thought when I noticed this, "you are one of the Moss-women,
+I've no doubt." For I knew that these were supposed to haunt the forests
+of Southern Germany.
+
+"That was the Wild Huntsman," said the little thing, looking at me
+trustfully. "But for the kindness of the woodcutters who make these
+marks in the trees they fell, I should have fallen to his bow and
+spear. When we can find three crosses we are safe, for he dare not touch
+us then."
+
+I waited to hear what else she would say, for I thought of the Kobold's
+"_Why? Why? Why?_" and did not like to ask her questions. In a little
+while her lips were smiling, and swaying to and fro, as a tree sways in
+the wind, she began to sing. I knew I had heard that song before, but I
+could not think where until I remembered that the pines which rustled
+against the windows of my night nursery had often sung it when I was
+small.
+
+"It's the song of the wind," she told me, "and the very first sound we
+hear. We are born in the roots of the tree which is to be our home, and
+when this dies, we must die too. So long as the sap runs through its
+branches, and the bark is not cut or injured, we are safe and sound in
+our snug recess, but at certain times we are bound to leave it, to seek
+for food, or to attend our lords. It is then that we are in such grave
+danger--and all because Elfrida tried her witcheries on a stranger."
+
+"What did she do?" I could not help asking.
+
+"I will tell you," said the Moss-woman sadly, "and then you will
+understand why even the youngest of us has now grey hair."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Wild Huntsman.
+
+"Elfrida was the fairest of our race," she sighed, "and her palace the
+tallest and straightest pine that ever raised its boughs to Heaven.
+When she left its shelter at early dawn to bathe in some sparkling
+stream, or seek for sweet berries in the thickets, the Flower-Elves
+flocked to greet her; wild roses gave her their bloom for her oval
+cheeks, and the violets scented her sunny hair. Wherever she passed, the
+moss grew a brighter green, and she had but to breathe on a gnarled old
+trunk, and the softest feathery fronds came to hide its ugliness. The
+creatures of the forest were all her friends, and took pride, as we did,
+in her loveliness.
+
+'Have a care, Elfrida--a stranger comes!' cried a squirrel one summer
+morning, staying his dancing feet to warn her. His up-cocked ears had
+caught the thud of some well-shod charger's swift approach, and he
+guessed he would not be riderless.
+
+'Go back to thy palace, dear child!' cooed a motherly pigeon who had
+reared many broods of snowy fledglings, and misdoubted the sparkle in
+Elfrida's pale green eyes.
+
+'Haste thee home, Elfrida!' cried the stream as it gurgled over the
+stones; 'haste thee home, and hide thy face from the sunlight.' But
+Elfrida pretended not to hear as she shook out the crystal drops from
+her gorgeous hair.
+
+The horse and his rider were close to her now; the huntsman blew his
+golden horn, and in the excitement of the chase might have passed her
+by, unseeing, but for his hounds. In a moment they had surrounded her,
+baying like hungry wolves, and Elfrida sprang to a branch that overhung
+the water, where her white limbs gleamed against its green. The huntsman
+sent the dogs to heel, and dismounting from his horse, entreated the
+maiden to come down to him. Nothing loth, Elfrida coyly descended, and
+the huntsman was amazed anew at her perfect form. He sat at her feet
+through the hush of noonday, and at even he was there still. When the
+moon turned the glades to silver, Elfrida left him, but she promised to
+meet him again next day, and he could not sleep for thinking of her.
+
+But although she smiled on him sweetly as she lay on the banks of the
+stream, and listened with languid pleasure to his fond fierce wooing,
+which passed for her many an idle hour, she would not consent to be his
+wife.
+
+'I like best the gems that I find on the lilies at daybreak,' she said,
+when he vowed that the richest jewels that the earth could give should
+deck her fair white arms. 'You must offer me something rarer than these
+if I am to forsake my kindred to go with you.'
+
+Then the huntsman swore that he would give her all he had; only his
+honour would he hold back, for he was sick with love and longing.
+
+Now behind Elfrida's loveliness dwelt a spirit of malice and wanton
+cruelty, and though she loved not this wild Huntsman, and had no
+intention of being his bride, she wished to see how far her power over
+him could go. So she asked of him these three things: the crest of his
+House cut in the stone over his castle gates, where it had stood for
+centuries; the leaf from his dead mother's Bible, whereon she had
+written the date of her marriage day, with the names of the children
+born to her; and his father's sword.
+
+[Illustration: He entreated the Maiden to come down.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Nay, Sweetheart!' cried the Huntsman. 'Ask me for aught else in the
+world, but not for these things, since they touch my honour!'
+
+'These will I have, and nothing less,' said Elfrida wilfully, looking at
+him through her long gold lashes until his soul went out from him. His
+face was white as milk as he rode away, and the creatures of the forest
+cringed with shame. For they knew she had asked what was unseemly; and
+they ceased to attend her when she went to the stream at dawn.
+
+When the moon was at her full the Huntsman returned with the three
+gifts, and now he thought to take Elfrida in his arms. But she thrust
+him from her with bitter words, tearing the leaf from the sacred Book
+into a thousand shreds, and tossing the crest and sword into the running
+stream.
+
+'What!' she cried, and her scornful laugh rang through the woodland,
+'shall I, Elfrida, be the sport of a man who holds the honour of his
+house as something less than a maiden's whim? I will have none of
+you--get you gone!' And she flung out her arms to the strong North Wind,
+who caught her to him and bore her off. But not to her high pine palace
+did he take her, for he was angry because of her cruelty; and far away
+at the grim North Pole, she shivers yet under the thickest ice. Her
+green eyes shine through the frost-bound floes, and light the depths of
+the Northern seas."
+
+"And the Huntsman?" I questioned.
+
+"He died in his rage, where Elfrida left him!" said the Moss-woman
+mournfully, "and his spirit seeks still to avenge his wrongs. To the
+last of our race it will pursue us, until none of our kindred lives."
+
+"Chris! Chris! where are you?"
+
+It was Father's voice, and the Moss-woman vanished. Father wanted to
+read me a funny letter from the Locust, who complained a lot of being
+called up at night by patients who had no money, and wouldn't have paid
+him even if they had. This was the way they often treated Father, but he
+said "Poor beggars!" and then forgot it, while the Locust was very
+cross.
+
+Next day I went back to the forest, hoping to find the Moss-woman again,
+but she was not there. I found instead an Elf who was almost too small
+to be seen. She told me that she and her sisters lived in the cells
+which make leaves so green, and mixed things they drew in from the air
+and sunlight with the water that came through the roots, turning these
+into sugar to feed the tree. It sounded like magic, and I was so much
+interested that I almost forgot to ask about the Moss-women.
+
+"Poor little things!" said the Leaf-Elf kindly, when I said I had seen
+one. "It is well that the woodcutters are their friends, or they would
+fare badly. Many a meal did they have from them in past times, and even
+Hans the Unlucky never grudged them what he gave. They paid him back for
+it, never fear, for they do not forget a kindness."
+
+"Who was he?" I asked. And this is what she told me.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Luck of Hans.
+
+"Of all the unlucky mortals, Hans was surely the most to be pitied, for
+though he was honest and frugal, nothing he touched seemed to prosper.
+The farm had done well in his father's lifetime, but after he died there
+was not one good season for three bad ones. Far from being idle, Hans
+was up before dawn, and still hard at work at sundown. His mother sent
+away her maids, since she could not pay them their wages, and kept the
+house straight herself; where could you find a worthier pair? But Hans'
+affairs went from bad to worse, and when (at the busiest time of the
+year) his mother lost her sight and became quite blind it was clear he
+was born to be unlucky.
+
+The farm went to rack and ruin, and there came a time when Hans was
+forced to go off to the forest to fell a tree that his poor old mother
+might have fuel to warm her. When the sun was high, he drew out his
+lunch, and a poor little Moss-woman stole out from the undergrowth to
+beg a few crumbs for her hungry children.
+
+'Take it all!' he cried, thrusting his bread into her tiny hands. 'It is
+waste of good food for a man to eat who is as unlucky as I.'
+
+'I cannot repay you in kind, friend Hans,' said the Moss-woman, 'but I
+will give you some good advice. In the house by the mill lives a sweet
+young girl, with a face tinged with pink like a daisy's. She has loved
+you long, for you are her mate. Take her to wife, and your luck will
+turn.'
+
+Hans flushed deep crimson beneath his tan, and the veins on his forehead
+grew tense and hard.
+
+'You--you--' he stammered; 'you must mean Elsa? And Elsa, you say, Elsa
+cares for _me_? It can't--it can't--be true.'
+
+'A woman's heart goes where it will,' answered the Moss-woman. 'Try your
+luck, friend Hans, and lose no time. Life is short, and the days are
+flying.'
+
+Hans went at once to the house by the mill, for had he not gazed at it
+time and again as the casket which held his treasure?
+
+When Elsa saw him coming with that look upon his face, she twisted a
+ribbon, blue as her eyes, in the pale gold plait that crowned her head,
+and went shyly down to meet him.
+
+[Illustration: "Went shyly down to meet him"]
+
+Hans said not a word, but he found a way to make her understand, and his
+eyes spoke, though his lips were dumb.
+
+They were betrothed and married within the month, and little cared sweet
+Elsa that her friends marvelled at her choice. She comforted the sad
+blind dame, whose son was now her husband, as a happy woman comforts one
+who fears she has lost all, and behold! the old woman smiled again. As
+to Hans, the neighbours scarcely recognised him when they met him in
+the markets; she trimmed his beard, did Elsa, with her own hands, and
+mothered him as if he were a child of seven. His fields grew green, and
+then golden with harvest; his scanty flocks increased and multiplied.
+
+'Hans' luck has changed!' the neighbours said, and they scoffed at him
+no more.
+
+But good luck itself does not last for ever, and after three years of
+plenty came a bad one for all in those parts. There was a long and
+unusual drought, followed by so much rain that the roots rotted in the
+ground, and sickness spread amongst sheep and oxen. Hans lost all that
+he had re-gained, and to add to his misfortunes, he chopped his hand
+instead of a log of wood, and could do no work for weeks. He was in
+despair, and the old blind woman beside his hearth wept and wailed from
+morn till eve.
+
+'I would I were dead,' she moaned. 'I am a useless burden, for I cannot
+even knit. My store of wool is exhausted, and we have no money to buy
+more.'
+
+'Dear Mother,' said Elsa tenderly, 'who has a greater right than you to
+the last penny that Hans possesses? You carried him on your breast when
+he was small and helpless, and have loved him faithfully all these
+years!'
+
+But the mother turned her face to the wall and wrung her idle hands.
+
+Then Elsa sold the ring that had been her lover's gift in order to buy
+for her soft white bread and warming cordials, and wool wherewith to ply
+her needles. As she returned home with her basket, grieving to think of
+the pain of those she loved, a Moss-woman accosted her in the forest.
+
+'I have nought for my children to eat,' she said. And Elsa, pitying her
+the more that she herself was hungry, gave her a share of what she had,
+even to a skein of the wool, that she might weave a coat for her crying
+babe.
+
+'Wait for me here!' cried the Moss-woman earnestly, and Elsa leaned
+sadly against a tree, too weary to be surprised. In a moment or two the
+Moss-woman returned, carrying a grey ball of wool and some chips of
+wood.
+
+'Give the wool to the old crone who weeps by your hearth,' said the
+little thing, 'and the chips to Hans. He is lucky in his wife, if in
+nought else!'
+
+So saying, she disappeared, and Elsa went quickly home. Thinking to
+win a laugh from her husband, she opened her apron to show him the
+Moss-woman's gifts, and, to her amazement, found that the chips had
+turned to yellow gold, and the little grey ball of wool into a large one
+of fleecy whiteness, so soft and thick that it felt like velvet! The
+golden chips stocked the farm again, for they were of pure metal, and
+weighty, and the ball of white wool was never exhausted during the old
+woman's life time. She knitted away until her hundredth year, and when,
+long afterward, the summons came also for Hans and Elsa, in their turn,
+their children had good cause to bless the name of the Moss-woman."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter XI
+
+The White Princess.
+
+
+It was to Italy we travelled next, to stay with the Signor, who had
+lived in England once, and was a patient of Father's.
+
+It was fearfully hot when we arrived, and most English people had gone
+away; but Father and I could bear a lot of sunshine, and we did not go
+out in the middle of the day.
+
+In the early mornings I went off to explore while Father was still
+asleep. Sometimes I made for the hills, but often I chose the city,
+for I liked to wander through the streets and make friends with the
+chattering children. They were jolly little beggars, with bare brown
+feet and thick dark hair that fell over their faces. My favourites were
+Giovanni and Mariannina; their mother worked for a grand Contessa
+who lived not far from the Signor. Giovanni was thin as a reed, but
+Mariannina, whose curly head did not reach her brother's shoulders, was
+as plump as a partridge, and her cheeks were red instead of brown.
+Adelina, the Signor's housekeeper, told me their names, and that
+Mariannina was the pride and torment of Giovanni's life.
+
+"He adores her," she said, "but she is surely bewitched. She runs
+from him like a squirrel, and is an imp for mischief. Ah, the poor
+Giovanni--he has his hands full!"
+
+After this I often met them, and if Mariannina were in a good humour she
+would smile at me through her lashes, while if she were cross she would
+frown like a Witch, and even shake her tiny fist. At this, Giovanni
+would look quite shocked, and would beg me in broken English not to be
+hurt at '_la sorellina's_' unkindness.
+
+"She so ver' small!" he pleaded wistfully, and this was always his
+excuse for her.
+
+One day she took it into her head to run away from him, and darted into
+the middle of the road, almost under the heels of some prancing horses.
+I happened to be close by, and seized her red skirt just in time to drag
+her back. Panting with terror, Giovanni took her from me, and when he
+found she was not hurt, for the first time in his life he shook her. And
+then he tried to kiss my hands; I almost wished I had left Mariannina to
+be run over. Before I could get away from him, he had thrust upon me
+the small gilt cage he always carried about with him, and had but just
+now tossed on the ground. It held his cherished '_grillo_,' or cricket,
+a curious pet of which all his playmates seemed very fond.
+
+"It is yours, it is yours!" he cried, and seemed so grieved when I tried
+to give it back to him that I was obliged to keep it.
+
+The cricket was a merry little creature, with a very loud voice for his
+size. "_Cree-cree-cree!_" he chirped, as I carried him to the villa, and
+he never once stopped all day. I believe that he sang the whole night
+through, for I heard him in my dreams; and when I woke I determined to
+set him free.
+
+I carried the little gilt cage up the slope of a hill before I
+opened the door. No sooner had he hopped on the grass, when his
+"_Cree-cree-cree_" was taken up by hundreds of other crickets, who
+gathered round him in great excitement, chirping with all their might.
+As I put my fingers into my ears, a little old woman appeared from
+nowhere, and with a wave of her hand sent them all away.
+
+"Many mouths make a small noise great," she said, "and you are not the
+first to be wearied by the crickets' song. The Sorcerer of the Seven
+Heads[2] liked it as little as you did, and the White Princess owes her
+happiness to this. I say what I know, for I am her Fairy Godmother."
+
+        [Footnote 2: Crane's Italian Fairy Tales]
+
+"Why, they told me there were no Fairies in Italy!" I cried. And then I
+was sorry that I had spoken, for the little old woman grew pale with
+rage.
+
+"No Fairies?" she exclaimed. "Ah, foolish ones, worse than blind! Had
+you not believed them you had seen countless Witches and Fays ere this,
+for Ascension Day has come and gone, and they are all set free. Besides
+these, there are Goblins and Spirits, and fearsome Incubas, and shadowy
+Fates who sway men's destinies. All these abound in our sunny Italy for
+those who have eyes to see; and there are also Fairy Godmothers, such as
+I. The maidens for whom I stand sponsor comb jewels out of their hair;
+diamonds and pearls, rubies, and shining turquoise. But the White
+Princess' were always pearls; and pearls often turn to tears."
+
+Then, drawing close to me, as I sat in the long grass, she told me of
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The White Princess.
+
+"The fates had dowered Queen Catherine with gifts; but though her
+husband was devoted to her, and the kingdom was blessed by a long spell
+of peace, she sighed unceasingly. One boon alone had been denied her,
+and without this she did not care to live.
+
+'Let her have her way!' cried the Fates at last, weary of her
+complainings. So one summer dawn a babe was found in the bed of lilies
+beneath her window, and now her mourning was turned into joy. For a
+daughter had been her heart's desire.
+
+The little Princess was christened Fiorita, but from the day of her
+birth she was known as the White Princess. Her skin was as purely pale
+as the petals of her guardian flowers, and the yellow gold of their
+stamens was the colour of her hair. But out of her eyes looked a spirit
+that boded sorrow--the spirit that would fain know all.
+
+The White Princess grew lovelier day by day, smiling but seldom, and
+staring for hours at the distant line of the far horizon, where the
+hills kept watch for ever over the land Beyond. The Queen looked on with
+delight at the unfolding of this tender blossom, but her happiness did
+not bring strength, and when in due time the sweet coral lips lisped the
+soft word 'Mother,' her soul broke the bonds which held it, and sped
+away.
+
+Fiorita was now twice orphaned, for her father, the King, would scarcely
+look at her, since he connected her coming with the death of his beloved
+wife. In order that the sight of her might not continually remind him
+of his sorrow, he built a fine tower of gold and crystal, and here,
+surrounded by all her ladies, the White Princess grew into womanhood.
+Lovely as snow crystals, and cold as the arctic wastes, Fiorita made
+few friends, and spoke to none of her inmost thoughts. The Kings of the
+Earth who came to woo her were abashed by her strange white beauty, and
+only the Prince Fiola remained to ask her hand.
+
+He was brave as a lion, and gentle as a woman, as true knights are to
+this very day. The sound of his voice as he spake of his love stirred
+the Princess' heart to a secret joy; but him, too, she sent away
+with but a glance from her blue-grey eyes. And though I, her Fairy
+Godmother, scolded her well and entreated her to say him yea, she
+would not be persuaded.
+
+[Illustration: "Lowered herself from her window by means of a rope of
+pearls"]
+
+'First I must see what lies hid in the land Beyond,' she said, and that
+very night, when the Crystal Tower shone wanly in the moon-light, and
+all her ladies were sleeping, the Princess covered her snow-white robe
+with a gossamer cloak of clouded grey, and lowered herself from her
+window by means of a rope of pearls, passing through her gardens and
+into the forest, which lay between her and the land Beyond. All fearless
+in her virgin purity, she listened neither to the Goblins who eyed her
+hungrily from the shapeless trees and besought her to show them favour,
+nor to the warnings of compassionate Fays who bade her return to the
+Crystal Tower.
+
+'I seek the land Beyond,' she cried, not knowing that she could never
+reach it except on spirit wings.
+
+Now the Prince Fiola could not sleep for love of her, and this night he
+stayed his restless wanderings in the Palace grounds by the waters of a
+placid lake, for the fancy came to him that therein dwelt some kindly
+Sprite who, perchance, would give him counsel and further his suit.
+Clear shone the moon above, making the smooth surface into a fairy
+mirror which reflected the swaying trees and the mysteries of forest
+depths; and as he looked, the Prince descried the shape of a slim white
+form which seemed to be hurrying onward amidst a forest. The poise of
+the head was Fiorita's; hers, too, was the queenly gait. But thinking
+her to be safely sleeping, the Prince believed that his eyes were
+cheating him, and moodily resumed his walk. When morning came, however,
+he hastened to the Crystal Tower. He found it in great commotion. Doors
+were opened and shut in rapid succession, and scared attendants ran in
+and out like ants.
+
+'The Princess is not in her chamber!' her ladies told him, wringing
+their hands. 'Her bed has not been slept on, and her silken wrapper is
+still in its broidered case.'
+
+As the Prince stood bewildered, the King came up. The remembrance of his
+lack of love was heavy upon him, and he strove to stifle his remorse by
+loud threatenings of dire punishment to all if his daughter were not
+speedily recovered.
+
+As he stood quietly aside in the midst of the commotion, Prince Fiola
+remembered the vision of the lake, and bidding a groom go fetch him
+a horse, he mounted and rode straightway to the forest. Two paths
+stretched out before him; his horse would have taken that on the right,
+but the Prince urged it along the other, for he thought that he caught a
+glimpse of his love's white gown at the end of a woodland glade.
+
+It was only the feather of a dove, however, and he pressed on, barely
+slackening his pace for hours. Darkness fell, but there was still no
+sign of Fiorita, and when he reached the borders of the forest, and yet
+had found no trace of her, his heart was sick at the thought of her
+peril. He could not stop, so with only the stars to guide him, he
+essayed to cross the waste that lay beyond, and at dawn was still riding
+wearily on. By the following noon both horse and rider were exhausted.
+The burning sun blazed down on their heads, smiting them as a sword, and
+though the Prince had no pity on himself, he grieved that his horse
+should suffer. Dismounting, he led it on until he came to a great rock,
+down the side of which flowed a stream of water. When he and his dumb
+companion had quenched their thirst, he took off its bridle and set it
+free, for he knew that the faithful creature could carry him no further.
+
+'Make your way home, good friend,' he said, as he patted its glossy
+mane. 'I cannot return without my Princess, though I fear me 'twill be
+many a day before I find her.'
+
+And now began the most toilsome part of his journey. With the land
+Beyond always before him, he trudged on and on, turning aside for
+nothing; and so passed another day and night. Now the long road wound
+uphill; stones blocked his way, and thorns tore his hands and face;
+still he pressed on, for his love was stronger than hunger and thirst,
+and pain had no terrors for him. Nevertheless, he had lost all hope,
+when a turn in the path disclosed a sight which made him for the moment
+forget his trouble.
+
+A bent old woman, crooked and frail, staggered beneath a load of sticks,
+and dancing along at either side of her, were two rough boys, who mocked
+at her lameness, calling her a Witch. The Prince overtook them with
+rapid strides, and knowing that the power of gentleness is more lasting
+than that of anger, he suppressed his wrath as he spoke to them, though
+withal he reproved them sternly.
+
+'Know you not,' he said, 'that only cowards persecute those who are
+weaker than themselves? 'Tis a woman whom you call 'mother,' and if only
+for this, you should hold all women in reverence. Now go--and remember
+what I have said. Here is something to purchase a gift for your parents.
+See that you are more worthy of their care.' And with other words to the
+same effect, he gave each a silver coin.
+
+Won alike by his kindness and the justice of his rebuke, the boys asked
+pardon for their rudeness, and scampered off with glowing faces, while
+the old woman blessed the Prince for thus befriending her. Disclaiming
+her thanks, he lifted her load to his own shoulders, when it immediately
+became as light as air. The next moment it fell from him altogether; and
+he turned in great astonishment to meet her serious gaze.
+
+'_Bel giavone!_' she exclaimed, 'I pray you think me not intrusive, but
+I know by your voice that your heart is heavy as the load I carried
+awhile ago. Tell me your grief, that if the Fates so will, I may in my
+turn help you.'
+
+'In truth, good mother,' said the Prince, 'no mortal can aid me now
+except by telling me where I may find the White Princess, whom I seek
+day and night in anguish, since she is my dear love.'
+
+'Even that can I do!' cried the old woman, straightening her bent figure
+until she stood before him tall and queenly, her squalid rags changing
+into flowing robes of purple velvet. 'I am the Witch Lucretia, and my
+spells are a match for those of the Sorcerer with the Seven Heads. You
+have travelled far from your White Princess, for the Sorcerer lurks in
+the forest through which you passed, and Fiorita is his prisoner. No man
+yet has entered his castle to leave it alive, but I will show you how
+this may be done, if you are willing to change your shape and become one
+of Earth's humblest creatures.'
+
+The Prince feared nothing so that he might once reach the side of
+Fiorita, and gladly submitted himself to the enchantments of the Witch.
+Lucretia lifted the silver wand that was hid in the fold of her gown,
+and at its touch the Prince became a cricket, just such another as the
+one which you lately restored to liberty.
+
+'You will find no difficulty now,' she said, 'in entering the Sorcerer's
+castle, for the pitfalls he has prepared for man are as nought to they
+who traverse the air. And that you may be one of many, and so a match
+for his spells, I will summon my Witches and Fairies to protect you.'
+
+Having muttered an incantation, she blew thrice on an opalescent shell
+which dangled from her waist upon a ruby chain; and troops of Fays and
+Witches came hurrying down the road. Some were slender and stately, with
+faces as fair as dreamland; some were twisted and bent, and some so
+small that a dozen could hide in the cup of a flower. With a second wave
+of her silver wand, Lucretia transformed them into a myriad crickets.
+Hailing Fiola as their king, she placed him at their head, and reminding
+him solemnly that persistence conquers where force must fail, bade him
+lead them back to the forest.
+
+In an incredibly short time this aerial army arrived at the castle of
+the Sorcerer with the Seven heads. It stood in the midst of a dense
+thicket, surrounded by a moat, the lurking place of demons with long
+forked tongues, and eyes that shot evil fires. Undaunted by their
+snarls, the crickets flew over the draw-bridge, and finding a way into
+the castle through the close-barred windows, swarmed round the
+Sorcerer's head. A cauldron swung from the domed ceiling, over a
+quenchless fire, and in this the wretch was even then concocting a
+potion by which he should overcome Fiorita. Her purity had hitherto
+protected her, and though he had bound her body with chains, he could
+not fetter her spirit.
+
+[Illustration: He tickled the Monster's Nose.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'How dare you disturb me?' he roared, lunging at the crickets vainly
+with a long and glittering knife.
+
+Fiola would fain have slain him where he stood, but when, forgetting his
+impotence, he hurled himself forward at the monster, he only tickled his
+nose.
+
+'Leave him to us!' cried his cricket friends; and then they began their
+witch-song of '_Cree-cree-cree_.'
+
+Now the Sorcerer having seven heads--Greed, Envy, Spite, Malice,
+Passion, Jealousy, and Despair, each of which would have instantly
+sprung forth again had Fiola been able to chop it off--he had naturally
+fourteen ears, and these were so extraordinarily sensitive to noise that
+he had destroyed all the woodpeckers in the forest that he might not
+hear their tap-tap on the trees as they searched the bark for insects.
+You can judge, then, of his disgust when on his refusal to obey
+Lucretia's command, and break the bonds which held Fiorita, this host of
+crickets swarmed round his head, and filled the air with discord. Each
+pitched his voice in a different key, and the din of battle was as
+nothing to that which now pervaded the castle.
+
+These were the words of the witch-song:
+
+    '_Cree-cree-cree-cree_
+    Set Fiola's Princess free.
+    Sorcerer thou, but Witches we--
+    Cricket-Witches, from grass and ditches.
+        _Cree-cree-cree-cree!_
+    Peace thine ears no more shall know
+    Till thou bidst the lady go.
+        _Cree-cree-cree-cree!_
+        Sorcerer, set the lady free!'[3]
+
+         [Footnote 3: Crane's Italian Fairy Tales]
+
+Over and over again they chanted this lay, and every cricket, far and
+near, joined in the maddening chorus. They sang until the Sorcerer with
+the Seven Heads felt that his senses were leaving him; pallid with rage,
+he severed the White Princess's chains. By the power of Lucretia, who
+had clearly foreseen his discomforture, the moment that the chains fell
+from her Fiorita immediately became a cricket also, and gladly did she
+fly to the side of the Prince, who greeted her with rapture.
+
+All would now have been well had they straightway left the castle, for
+Lucretia waited outside to restore to them their human form. As Fiorita
+passed the great cauldron which still swung over the lamp, she could not
+resist the temptation to lean over and peep inside, and the fumes from
+the potion being very strong, she straightway fainted, falling into the
+midst of the blood-red liquid. Before it could wholly cover her, the
+Cricket King seized her wings in his mouth; he carried her thus into the
+open air, where she speedily revived. Great was Lucretia's concern,
+however, when she heard from Fiola what had happened.
+
+'Alas,' she sighed, 'not even I, who am mistress of spells and
+enchantments, can avert from Fiorita the consequences of her delay.
+Since the Sorcerer's potion touched her, for six months each year she
+must be a cricket, even as now; for the rest, she will be the White
+Princess, to dwell with you where you will.'
+
+Then Fiorita was sad indeed, for she had lost her longing to see the
+land Beyond, and desired nothing better than to wed the Prince. But now
+that he knew she loved him, no spell could dampen Fiola's joy.
+
+'While you are a cricket,' he said, 'I will be one too, for so long as
+you are beside me--what matters else?' And the Fays and Witches, who
+reverence all true love, elected to share their banishment.
+
+And so it was, and is to this present time. For half the year Fiola is
+the Cricket King, and Fiorita, more than content, his Queen. But as
+Ascension day comes round, the spell is broken, and they take their
+accustomed places at the Court. It is hard to say when they are the
+happier; for love is as much at home in the humblest corner of Mother
+Earth as it is in a lordly Palace."
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter XII
+
+The Favourite of the Fates.
+
+
+One night there was not a breath of air, and I could not sleep. I
+tossed this way and that for hours, and directly the birds began to
+twitter, I put on my things and slipped back the bolt of the grand hall
+door. Once outside, it was beautifully fresh and cool, and the clouds in
+the sky were like wreaths of pink flowers on a turquoise sea, arched
+over with gleaming gold. They changed every moment, and while I watched
+them I forgot to look where I was going. When I stopped at last I found
+myself in the middle of the market place, where I had been with Father
+the day before.
+
+It was empty now, for no one was yet awake but me.
+
+Among the quaint old wooden houses I noticed one that I had not seen
+before; at first it seemed to be indistinct, but the longer I stared at
+it, the clearer it grew. Over the door of the tiny shop was the figure
+of a hen cut into the stone, and while I was wondering who had carved
+it, the wings fluttered gently toward me. The bird moved its head, and
+its wings were lifted; it flew to the ground, and a lovely white hen was
+at my feet. It looked at me wistfully, and flew away; when I turned to
+the little house once again, it was not there. But beside me stood the
+Fairy Godmother.
+
+"Come and sit in the shade," she said, when I asked her what had become
+of the hen, "and I will tell you all about her. She is seeking
+Furicchia, whom she served so well, not knowing that she is a shadow
+too."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Enchanted Hen.
+
+"Furicchia," said the Fairy Godmother, "was a very poor woman who owned
+a hen which an innkeeper greatly coveted. The shape of the bird was
+perfect; it had a most melodious voice, and its feathers were glossy and
+white as snow.
+
+'Come now, good dame,' the man cried, persuasively, 'I will give you
+double the market value of your little hen, for I wish to make a present
+of her to the widow Ursula, whom I intend to espouse.'
+
+'But the widow might kill and eat her!' said Furicchia, looking lovingly
+at the little hen, which she had brought up by hand from a tiny chick.
+It had slept beneath her best silk 'kerchief, and taken its food from
+her lips.
+
+'That is as may be,' he replied. 'Come, Furicchia, I make you a handsome
+offer. Give me the hen, and you shall fare well next feast day.'
+
+But Furicchia would not listen, in spite of the sad fact that her
+cupboard was as empty as her netted purse. The little hen was dear to
+her, though as yet it had lain no eggs, and she would not sacrifice her
+to her needs.
+
+Ere evening came, Coccodé was clucking gaily under the kitchen table,
+and Furicchia found, not one egg, but three, all a rich coffee brown,
+and polished like porcelain. Having joyfully exchanged one with a
+neighbour for a dish of broth, she broke the second into it, and
+prudently saving the third for next day, thankfully made a good meal.
+When morning came, she found eggs to the number of a round dozen strewn
+about her tiny room, and from being almost on the verge of starvation,
+she had plenty now and to spare. For Coccodé, the grateful creature,
+laid eggs by the score, and not only were they of exquisite flavour and
+very large, but it was noticed that if sick folk ate them, they
+straightway returned to health.
+
+Furicchia was now a famous egg-wife, and the more eggs she sold, the
+more eggs Coccodé laid. The little hen was both willing and industrious,
+and loved her kind mistress so dearly that she was never so happy as
+when helping to make her fortune. Her pride in Furicchia's first silk
+gown was comical to witness; she rustled her wings against its handsome
+folds, and clucked so loudly that the neighbours heard, and came to see
+what was the matter.
+
+This silken gown it was that roused the anger of the Signora, a wealthy
+woman who had much, and knew no better than to want more. Hearing of the
+prodigious number of eggs which Furicchia supplied, though no one had
+ever seen her with other than a single hen, she set afoot much scandal
+concerning her, ending by declaring her to be an evil Witch. At this,
+Furicchia's neighbours began to look askance at her; but the eggs were
+so good, and so moderate in price, that on second thoughts they decided
+to treat the Signora's hints with the contempt which they deserved.
+
+This made the lady still more angry; she resolved to find out
+Furicchia's secret, and ruin her if she could, so that she might obtain
+her customers for her own eggs. Coccodé was quite aware of what was
+going on, and before her mistress went out one morning she bade her
+fetch certain herbs that grew on a corner of barren land, and put these
+on the fire in a pot of wine.
+
+'And now, dear mistress,' she continued, when all had been done as she
+said, 'do you go out and trust your luck to Coccodé.'
+
+Furicchia had not long been gone, when the Signora's crafty face peeped
+slyly round the door. Finding the room apparently empty, she hurried in,
+delighted at such an opportunity for prying. First she peered here, and
+then she peered there, ransacking Furicchia's chests, and even turning
+over the leaves of her holy books, that she might see if an incantation
+to Witches had been written therein. Finally, she raised the latch of
+the inner chamber, where she had heard Coccodé clucking.
+
+'I have found out Furicchia's secret now,' she thought with glee. 'Her
+little white hen is under a spell, and she and it shall be burnt as
+Witches.'
+
+Coccodé was sitting on a pile of eggs that reached almost up to the
+ceiling, and even as she clucked she was laying more. The Signora drew
+close to her, and listened with all her ears, for she had distinguished
+words amidst her cluckings, and immediately jumped to the conclusion
+that Coccodé believed herself to be addressing her mistress. This is
+what she heard:
+
+    'Coccodé! now there are nine!
+    Bring me quickly the warm red wine.
+    Coccodé! take them away
+    Many more for thee will I lay.
+    And thou shalt be a lady grand,
+    As fine as any in the land,
+    And should it happen that any one
+    Drinks of the wine as I have done,
+    Eggs like me she shall surely lay;
+    This is the secret, this is the way,
+        Coccodé! Coccodé!'[4]
+
+        [Footnote 4: Leyland's 'Legends of Florence']
+
+'Aha!' said the Signora joyfully, 'now I have it!' And running back to
+the outer room, she lifted the wine off the fire and drank it, every
+drop, though it scalded her throat and made her choke. As it coursed
+through her veins she felt a most extraordinary sensation, and hurried
+home as quickly as she could. A meal was laid on the table, but she
+found great difficulty in taking her usual place, and could eat nothing
+but some brown bread, which she pecked at in a most curious manner. As
+the charm began to work, her legs grew thinner and thinner, and her feet
+so large that she had to cut off her boots. Next, her brown silk dress
+became a bundle of draggled feathers, while her nose turned into a
+beak, and her voice into a discordant cluck; in short, she was just a
+scraggy brown hen, and her friends held up their hands in horror. Eggs
+she laid by the score, but before she could sit on them they turned to
+mice and ran away. So she had nothing for all her trouble; and though
+she possessed a handsome house, she could only perch in a barn.
+
+This is what comes of greed and envy, and of meddling with other
+people's business."
+
+Just at this moment a girl darted out of a doorway opposite, followed by
+an elderly woman who loudly reproved her for refusing to do her share in
+some household task. Shrugging her shoulders, she came to a sudden end,
+as if she knew that her breath was wasted, and the girl disappeared with
+a peal of laughter.
+
+"She is off to gossip instead of work," said the Fairy Godmother
+disapprovingly. "She will pay for it later, will pretty Ursula, for the
+Fates are not likely to interfere on her behalf as they did for Pepita."
+
+I had to coax her to tell me this story, for she said she had much to
+do, and could not stay. But when she heard that the very next day
+Father and I were leaving Italy, she refused no more. We sat down on the
+step of a splendid church, and no one seemed to notice us.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Favourite of the Fates.
+
+"Troubles rolled off Pepita as water from a duck's back. So lighthearted
+and full of good humour was she that nought ever seemed to vex her, and
+no one living had ever heard an unkind word fall from her rosy lips.
+Even the three grim Fates, who rule over mortal destinies, relaxed their
+stern brows as they looked down on her, and smiled indulgently.
+
+Pepita was slender as a swallow, with a warm red flush on her olive
+cheeks, and dainty hands that looked far too delicate and small for even
+the lighter household tasks. These, indeed, Pepita seldom attempted,
+singing instead from morn to eve, and charming her mother with soft
+caresses when she hardened her heart and tried to scold her.
+
+But Pepita could spin. Ah yes, she could spin, and as no other maiden
+had ever been known to do since Arachne was changed into a spider.
+The snowy flax flew from under her fingers as though her distaff were
+enchanted; which, indeed, was the case, for the wayward Fates had
+bestowed upon her a magic gift, and having given her this, not even they
+could take it away from her.
+
+Pepita's mother was often wroth with her, for the dame had much work on
+her hands, and sighed that her only daughter should give her so little
+help. Were the maiden sent to wash clothes in the stream, ten chances to
+one they would go floating down the current while she twisted flowers in
+her hair. Were she set to make sweet little chestnut cakes, she would
+forget to put a cool green leaf at the bottom of each round baking dish,
+and when they were taken out of the ashes, behold, they would be all
+burnt!
+
+'You are a good-for-nothing!' her mother would cry angrily; but this was
+not true, for Pepita could spin.
+
+One feast day, while her mother went to the fair, she was told to watch
+the _pentola_, and to stir it carefully if it boiled too fast. It was
+made of rice and good fresh meat, with vegetables from the little
+garden; and it smelt so delicious that Pepita's small nostrils quivered
+like the petals of a rose on a windy day.
+
+'I will taste it to see that all is well,' she murmured, and drawing
+back the iron pot, she helped herself to a liberal portion.
+
+The _pentola_ was good; Pepita tasted it yet again, for she had been up
+early to go to Mass, and had sung herself hungry on the way home. Soon
+there was no meat left.
+
+'Ah, what shall I do?' she sighed, 'My mother will scold me terribly,
+and will tell the Padre that I am greedy.'
+
+She was sighing still when her eyes fell on an old leather shoe which
+had been cast away behind the door. Her face all dimpled with mischief,
+Pepita soused this under a tap, and threw it into the soup.
+
+'They will but think that the meat is tough!' she cried with a burst of
+laughter; but as the shoe fell into the boiling liquid her mother
+crossed the threshold.
+
+'What have you done?' demanded she, peering into the pot. '_Madonnamia!_
+Was ever an honest woman cursed with such a daughter?' And breathing out
+angry hopes that an Ogre would come and take her, she drove Pepita out
+of the house.
+
+At that moment a rich young merchant was strolling by, and Pepita
+unwittingly rushed into his arms. A thing such as this had never
+happened to him before, and since he scarce knew what to do, he clasped
+her tightly while he considered. By the time he released her, Pepita's
+face was pink as apple blossom, and the tears that sparkled on it were
+for all the world like dewdrops on the petals of a flower. Something
+stirred in his breast, and he blushed even more than she; for when a man
+falls suddenly in love he knows not where he stands. Looking from one to
+the other, the wrath of Pepita's mother suddenly cooled.
+
+[Illustration: Pepita rushed into his Arms.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Take her to wife,' she said, 'and you'll not get a bad bargain. True,
+she is nought in the house, but she can spin. And with all her faults
+she is not a scold.'
+
+'One wants more in a wife than that!' said the merchant shrewdly, though
+the last of her statements went far with him, since his mother had a
+tongue. Looking into Pepita's eyes, which were heavenly blue, and sweet
+as an angel's, he lost his last qualm of doubt, and lifted her hand to
+his lips. Then he turned once more to the elder woman. 'I have vowed to
+my mother I will not wed without her free consent, but if your daughter
+meets with her approval, I will gladly do as you say.'
+
+Guido's mother was in her seventieth year, and though she had never
+beheld a face more winning than merry Pepita's, it did not please her,
+and she gave her mind to finding a task which would prove beyond her
+powers.
+
+'The garden paths are green with weeds,' she quavered; 'they have been
+sadly neglected since Pietro fell ill. Take the hoe, and root them up;
+leave not a single one.'
+
+'Nay, mother! I seek not a gardener for my wife!' her son protested
+hotly, for Pepita's small hands could barely lift the hoe, and he had
+set his heart on her.
+
+'Unless the paths be clear of weeds ere the sun sets, I will not give
+thee my consent,' said the old woman obstinately; and there was nothing
+left for Pepita to do but to hoe up the weeds as best she could.
+
+No sooner had Guido's mother ceased watching her from the window, than
+Pepita whistled gently, and swift at her call came the birds she had
+fed with crumbs when the fields were bare. Pointing to the weeds, she
+made signs to them to destroy them, and by the time the old mother awoke
+from her nap, not one was left behind. This vexed her instead of giving
+her pleasure, for she did not wish her son to marry, and telling her
+maids they might have a holiday, she commanded Pepita to prepare the
+evening meal.
+
+The maiden was now in much perplexity, for she knew not how to cook, and
+her experience that morning with the _pentola_ had taught her little.
+But the Brownies who dwelt behind the hearth, and love to see a fair
+young face bending over the pots and pans, bade her be not discouraged,
+for they would stand her friends.
+
+Then the nimble little men flew hither and thither, fetching garlic and
+oil and meat and rice in just the proportions that Guido loved, and
+adding certain secret flavours of their own until the smell of the broth
+made the old woman's mouth water, and she could not but praise Pepita's
+cooking. When it came to the time to test her skill at spinning, she was
+completely reconciled to her son's choice, and put no obstacles in the
+way of the wedding.
+
+And now Pepita sang more blithely than ever, for though he was less well
+favoured, and slower of speech than many a young man who had wooed her,
+she adored her husband. She was as happy as the day was long until,
+wishing to have the biggest bank account as well as the prettiest wife
+in the neighbourhood, he took it into his head to turn her talent for
+spinning to account, and kept her beside her distaff from morn till eve.
+
+'I shall soon, at this rate, be richer even than the notary,' he
+thought, as he looked delighted at his stores of flax; and Pepita
+besought him in vain to give her a little rest, for he could be as
+obstinate as his mother.
+
+It was now that the Fates interfered on her behalf, though many more
+worthy than she are left to shift for themselves.
+
+'She has lost her bloom!' sighed one grim sister.
+
+'Her cheeks are hollow!' observed the second.
+
+'Her songs are sad ones!' said the third with a dreadful frown. And then
+they put their heads together, and formed a plan whereby Guido might be
+outwitted.
+
+As he sat in the doorway that evening while Pepita span, denying himself
+the sight of her in order that her work might not be disturbed, there
+came up the garden path a hideous old hag, who besought him to give her
+alms.
+
+'Look at me, Signor!' she groaned, lifting her head so that he saw the
+wrinkled folds that lapped her chin. 'Once I was fair as your Pepita,
+but I sat so long at my spinning wheel, that all my comeliness left me.'
+
+Guido hastily gave her a coin, and urged her to begone; for he did not
+want Pepita to see her, or to hear what she had to say.
+
+Next eve came a second old woman, uglier, if possible, than the last,
+and bent like some brutish beast. She had the same story to tell him of
+bygone loveliness, and Guido sped her down the hill with even more haste
+than before.
+
+The next night a third old woman appeared, so dread of aspect that he
+was obliged to avert his gaze. Against his wish, he felt himself
+constrained to enquire the cause of her terrible affliction.
+
+'I sat at my wheel, good master,' was the reply, 'until beauty and sight
+both left me, and my skin became even as you see.'
+
+Now thoroughly alarmed, he dismissed her quickly with a handful of
+coins, and calling Pepita to him, gazed at her long and searchingly.
+When the flush that his now unaccustomed touch had brought to her sweet
+face faded, he saw she was pale and thin. Her mouth drooped sadly, and
+purple shadows brooded round her eyes. With a cry of remorse he drew her
+to his breast, and kissed her tenderly.
+
+'You shall spin no longer, my Pepita,' he said, 'for I would rather have
+you as you are than be rich as Satan himself!'"
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+And this was the very last story I heard. We started for home next
+morning, and I went to school at the half term--a ripping school where
+there was any amount of cricket, and so many other games that I had no
+time to think of Fairies.
+
+But some day I'm going to find the Peri, and those other wonderful
+Sprites and Goblins of which Titania told me when I met her in the wood
+that Christmas day.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+Printed by W. W. Curtis, Ltd., Cheylesmore Press, Coventry.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's note: A few obvious printer's errors were corrected.
+Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were preserved.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Fairies and the Christmas Child, by Lilian Gask
+
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+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Fairies and the Christmas Child, by Lilian Gask.
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+<pre>
+
+Project Gutenberg's The Fairies and the Christmas Child, by Lilian Gask
+
+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: The Fairies and the Christmas Child
+
+Author: Lilian Gask
+
+Illustrator: Willy Pogány
+
+Release Date: September 27, 2011 [EBook #37547]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FAIRIES AND THE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, eagkw and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="420" height="552" alt="Cover" title="Cover" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw001.jpg" width="386" height="506" alt="The Fairies and the Christmas Child" title="Title" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw002.jpg" width="381" height="503" alt="Nain Rouge and the cock" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="frontis" id="frontis"></a>
+<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="367" height="486" alt="Fr. &nbsp; &ldquo;We rocked the cradle&rdquo;
+(Page 182)" title="" />
+<br /><span class="caption"><span class="lft"><i>Fr.</i></span> &ldquo;We rocked the cradle&rdquo;
+<br />(<i>Page <a href="#Page_182">182</a></i>)</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw003.jpg" width="380" height="504" alt="Title Page" title="Title Page" />
+</div>
+
+<h1>The<br />
+Fairies and<br />
+the Christmas Child</h1>
+
+<p class="tp">By <span class="f14">Lilian Gask</span></p>
+
+<p class="tp">The Illustrations are by<br />
+<span class="f14">Willy Pogány</span></p>
+
+<p class="tp">T. Y. Crowell &amp; Co<br />
+<span class="f8">New York</span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw004.jpg" width="381" height="499" alt="Fairy" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw005.jpg" width="389" height="505" alt="Contents" title="Contents" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents">
+<tr><td class="col1"><span class="f8">Chapter</span></td><td class="col2">&nbsp;</td><td class="col3"><span class="f8">Page</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">I.</td><td class="col2">The Fairy Ring</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">II.</td><td class="col2">The Princess with the Sea-Green Hair</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">III.</td><td class="col2">Rose-Marie and the Poupican</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_45">45</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">IV.</td><td class="col2">The Bird at the Window</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">V.</td><td class="col2">The White Stone of Happiness</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_89">89</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">VI.</td><td class="col2">The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_109">109</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">VII.</td><td class="col2">In the Dwarf&rsquo;s Palace</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">VIII.</td><td class="col2">The Silver Horn</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">IX.</td><td class="col2">The Little White Feather</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_175">175</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">X.</td><td class="col2">The Wild Huntsman</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_197">197</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">XI.</td><td class="col2">The White Princess</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_217">217</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col1">XII.</td><td class="col2">The Favourite of the Fates</td><td class="col3"><a href="#Page_239">239</a></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw006.jpg" width="172" height="72" alt="Heinzelmänchen" title="Heinzelmänchen" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw007.jpg" width="388" height="503" alt="List of Illustrations" title="List of Illustrations" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="List of Illustrations">
+<tr><td class="col5" colspan="2"><span class="lft1">&ldquo;We rocked the cradle&rdquo;</span><span class="rght f8"><i><a href="#frontis">Frontispiece</a></i></span></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col4">&nbsp;</td><td class="col4">Page</td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;I fancied that I had seen those wee brown men&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw011">11</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;The Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ic001">20</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;Here a Fairy Princess awaited him&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw017">33</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">Rose-Marie and the Poupican</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ic002">54</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;They tossed him three times in the air&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw027">63</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;She hid herself behind a curtain&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw033">83</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;What ails you, Madame Marguerite?&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw039">99</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ic003">114</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;They instantly changed into snow-white birds&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw045">129</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;The Dwarf invited me to be seated&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw050">141</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;Elberich had jeered him finely&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw054">151</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;&lsquo;She is yours, O Otnit!&rsquo; cried the Dwarf&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ic004">154</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;In the old man&rsquo;s place sat a little Dwarf&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw059">167</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;A little white feather danced above their heads&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw066">189</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;&lsquo;How now?&rsquo; cried a reassuring voice&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ic005">196</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;He entreated the maiden to come down&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw071">205</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;Went shyly down to meet him&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ic006">212</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;Lowered herself from her window by means of a rope of pearls&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ic007">224</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;He tickled the monster&rsquo;s nose&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw077">233</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td class="col2">&ldquo;Pepita rushed into his arms&rdquo;</td><td class="col3"><a href="#ibw083">253</a></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw008.jpg" width="385" height="500"
+alt="Dedication"
+title="To &ldquo;The Doctor&rdquo; and Mrs. Macnaughton-Jones my &ldquo;Good Fairies&rdquo; and best of Friends" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="l1" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw009.jpg" width="386" height="501"
+alt="Chapter I The Fairy Ring" title="Chapter I The Fairy Ring" />
+</div>
+
+<p>The worst of being a Christmas Child<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span>
+is that you don&rsquo;t get birthday presents, but
+only Christmas ones. Old Naylor, who was
+Father&rsquo;s coachman, and had a great gruff
+voice that came from his boots and was
+rather frightening, used to ask how I expected
+to grow up without proper birthdays, and I
+thought I might have to stay little always.
+When I told Father this he laughed, but a
+moment later he grew quite grave.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Listen, Chris,&rdquo; he said. And then he
+took me on his knee&mdash;I was a small chap
+then&mdash;and told me things that made me forget
+old Naylor, and wish and wish that Mother
+could have stayed with us. The angels had
+wanted her, Father explained; well, we
+wanted her too, and there were plenty of
+angels in heaven, anyway. When I said this
+Father gave me a great squeeze and put me
+down, and I tried to be glad that I was a
+Christmas child. But I wasn&rsquo;t really until
+a long time afterwards, when I had found
+the Fairy Ring, and met the Queen of the
+Fairies.</p>
+
+<p>This was how it happened. Father and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span>
+lived at one end of a big town, in a funny old
+house with an orchard behind it, where the
+sparrows ate the cherries and the apple trees
+didn&rsquo;t flower. Once upon a time, said Father,
+there had been country all round it, but the
+streets and the roads had grown and grown
+until they drove the country away, and now
+there were trams outside the door, and not a
+field to be seen. I often thought that our
+garden must be sorry to be so crowded up,
+and that this was why it wouldn&rsquo;t grow anything
+but weedy nasturtiums and evening
+primroses.</p>
+
+<p>Father is a doctor, and most awfully clever.
+If you cut off the top of your finger, he&rsquo;d pop
+it on again in no time, and he used to cure all
+sorts of illnesses with different coloured
+medicines he made himself behind a screen.</p>
+
+<p>But though he had lots and lots of
+patients&mdash;sometimes the surgery was full of
+them, &rsquo;specially on cold nights when there
+was a fire&mdash;they didn&rsquo;t seem to have much
+money to give him, and sometimes they ran
+away with their furniture in the night so&rsquo;s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span>
+not to pay their bills. This worried Father
+dreadfully, and even Santa Claus was scared
+away by the things he said. On Christmas
+Eve the old fellow quite forgot to fill my
+stocking. It was all limp and empty when I
+woke in the morning, and if I hadn&rsquo;t remembered
+that when I grew up I was going to be
+a Commander-in-Chief, I should never have
+swallowed that lump in my throat.</p>
+
+<p>Father couldn&rsquo;t even take me to hear &ldquo;Hark
+The Herald Angels&rdquo; at the big church down
+the road that day, for someone sent for him in
+a hurry, and when he didn&rsquo;t come in for
+dinner, I wished it wasn&rsquo;t Christmas at all.
+Nancy Blake, who kept house for us and was
+most stingy over raisins, banged the kitchen
+door when I said I would make her some
+toffee, and I couldn&rsquo;t find anything else to do.
+I looked at all my books and pretended I was
+a soldier in a lonely fort; then I thought I
+would make up medicine myself, so&rsquo;s to save
+Father trouble when he came home. But I
+burnt my fingers with some nasty stuff in a
+green bottle, and it hurt a good deal. So I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span>
+determined to go to meet him, and tell him
+what I&rsquo;d done.</p>
+
+<div class="figright">
+<img src="images/ibw010.jpg" width="235" height="322" alt="&ldquo;Nancy Blake.&rdquo;" title="&ldquo;Nancy Blake&rdquo;" />
+</div>
+
+<p>The trams were running as usual, and as
+I had a penny
+left out of my
+pocket money&mdash;I
+hadn&rsquo;t spent
+it before as it
+had got stuck in
+some bulls&rsquo; eyes&mdash;I
+took the car
+to the corner;
+then I jumped
+out and walked.
+There wasn&rsquo;t a
+sign of Father
+all down the
+road, and I
+remembered at
+last that he had
+said he must look in at the Hospital, which
+was in quite a different direction. I should
+have gone home then, if it hadn&rsquo;t been so dull
+with no one but Nancy Blake.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He won&rsquo;t be back until tea time anyhow,&rdquo;
+I thought, and I made up my mind to be a
+boy scout, and go and explore.</p>
+
+<p>It was a splendid day, and the roofs of the
+shops and houses glittered from millions of
+tiny points, just as you see on Christmas
+cards. I walked on and on, feeling gladder
+every moment, for my fingers had left off
+hurting me and I knew that I couldn&rsquo;t be far
+from the woods, which were just outside the
+town. I had been there once with Father,
+and it was lovely; so I hurried on as quickly
+as I could.</p>
+
+<p>When I got there they made me think of
+Fairyland. The trees were sparkling with
+the same frost-diamonds I had noticed on the
+roofs, and through the criss-cross branches
+above my head the sky was as blue as blue.
+A jolly little robin was twittering in a
+bush, enjoying himself no end; his bright
+red breast reminded me of the holly I had
+stuck over Father&rsquo;s mantelpiece, and I
+began to feel sad again. For it did seem
+hard lines that though Christmas was my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>
+birthday, no one, not even Father, had
+thought of it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I wish that I hadn&rsquo;t been born on
+Christmas Day!&rdquo; I said aloud, when I had
+reached the very heart of the wood, and I sat
+down to rest on the stump of a tree close to a
+little circle of bright green. It was here I
+had come that day with Father, and he had
+told me that though it was called a &ldquo;Fairy
+Ring,&rdquo; it was really made by the spread of
+a very small fungus, or mushroom. I liked
+the idea of the fairy ring much better, and as
+I touched it with my foot I wished again that
+I wasn&rsquo;t a Christmas child. And then I
+heard a sigh.</p>
+
+<p>It wasn&rsquo;t the robin, for he was still
+twittering on his bush, and it wasn&rsquo;t the
+wind, for the air was quite sheltered behind
+the bank, which was sweet with wild
+thyme in summer. The next moment I
+heard another sigh, and this seemed to come
+from a frond of bracken just outside the fairy
+ring. It was brown and withered, but the
+frost had silvered it all over, and as I looked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>
+at it I saw the loveliest little creature you can
+imagine clinging to the stem. She was only
+about three inches high, but her tiny form
+was full of grace, and her eyes so bright and
+beautiful that they shone like stars. Her
+hair was the palest silver-gold, and she had
+a crown of diamonds and an amethyst wand
+that sparkled when she moved it. The scarf
+wreathed round her shoulders flashed all the
+colours of mother-of-pearl, and throwing it
+from her she hummed to herself a little song
+about violets and eglantine, and sweet musk
+roses. Her notes were as clear as the lark&rsquo;s,
+and as if she had called them, more Fairies
+showed amidst the bracken.</p>
+
+<p>They were lovely too, though not so lovely
+as she. One was dressed in pink, like a pink
+pea; another had a long grey coat, spangled
+with drops of dew, while the third had wings
+like a big grey moth, and the smallest Elf was
+all in brown.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is Titania who sings,&rdquo; chirped the
+robin in my left ear; &ldquo;Titania, the Queen of
+the Fairies, though some call her the fair<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span>
+Queen Mab!&rdquo; And he hopped to the foot of
+the frond of bracken and made a funny little
+duck with his head.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good bird!&rdquo; cried Titania, breaking off
+her song. &ldquo;You, too, sing through the
+winter gloom, and are here to welcome the
+sweet o&rsquo; the year.&rdquo; Then she pointed her
+gleaming wand at me, and shook her head.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;O Christmas child,&rdquo; she said reproachfully,
+&ldquo;it is well that it was I who heard
+you, and not my brave lord Oberon, who has
+less patience with mortal folly. So you wish
+you had not been born on Christmas Day?
+Why, &rsquo;tis the day most blessed in all the
+year&mdash;the day when the King of Kings sent
+peace and goodwill to Man in the form of
+the Christ Child. It is His birthday as
+well as yours, and in memory of Him the
+Fairies show themselves to Christmas children,
+if they are pure in heart and word and
+deed. Your Mother knew this, and she was
+glad. She called you &lsquo;Chris&rsquo; to remind you
+always which day you came.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And then I was sure that I hadn&rsquo;t been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span>
+dreaming after all, though Nancy said, &ldquo;Stuff
+and Nonsense,&rdquo; when I fancied that I had
+seen those wee brown men busy about the
+house on winter mornings, or flitting in
+shadowy corners at night, before she lit the
+gas. I had never spoken to them, for I
+thought if I did they might run away; but I
+was pleased to know they had been real.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You would have seen us before,&rdquo; said
+Titania, &ldquo;but you live in a big town, and
+your eyes were dimmed with smoke and fog.
+My dainty Elves love dales and streams, and
+the depths of forests; in spring they throng the
+meadows, decking the cowslips&rsquo; coats of gold
+at early dawn with splotches of ruby, my
+choicest favours, and hanging pearls in their
+dainty ears. In summer they sleep in the
+roseleaves, and ride behind the wings of
+butterflies, while in winter they hush the
+babble of the brooks, and powder the
+branches of the trees with frost to hide their
+nakedness. Away with you, Peas-blossom,
+Cobweb, Moth, and Mustard-seed! Go,
+freeze the fingers of Father Time into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>
+glassy icicles, and forget not to seek for
+crimson berries on which our friends the
+birds may feed at morn!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw011" id="ibw011"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw011.jpg" width="389" height="503"
+alt="I fancied that I had seen those wee brown men"
+title="I fancied that I had seen those wee brown men" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw012.jpg" width="388" height="502" alt="More wee brown men" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p>
+<p>She clapped her hands, and the Fairies fled.
+I wondered why she did not fall, since she no
+longer clung to the frond of bracken; but her
+tiny feet were firmly planted in the fork of a
+leaf, and behind her glinted a pair of wings
+which had been invisible before. As I watched
+her I thought of a question I had often wanted
+to ask.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where do Fairies come from?&rdquo; I said,
+hoping she would not be offended.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; she replied, &ldquo;that is more than I
+may tell you. But we were here, in these
+very islands, long before the people of the
+woods, and the white-haired Druids who
+worshipped the God of the Oak. There were
+spirits then, as now, in streams and rivers,
+and sweet-voiced Sirens in the deep blue sea.
+Some Fairies rode on magic horses, and some
+were even smaller than I, and lived in the
+ears of the yellow corn. Dagda then was
+the King of the Fairies, a mighty spirit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>
+whose cauldron was supposed to be the vast
+grey dome of the sky. Those were the days
+of Witches, Dwarfs, and Giants, and little
+people who lived in the hills, and many other
+Fairies known by different names.</p>
+
+<p>We are found in various guises all over
+the world, but our home is said first to have
+been in Persia. There dwelt the ancient
+Jinn who haunted the mountain recesses and
+the forest wilds ages before the first man trod
+the earth. Here, too, were Deevs, malicious
+creatures of terrible strength who warred
+with our sisters, the Peries. These exquisite
+creatures abode at Kâf, in the deep green
+mountains of Chrysolite, the realm of Pleasure
+and Delight, wherein was the beauteous Amber
+City. Some day you may go to Persia, and
+then, if you meet a Peri, she will tell you how
+a mortal man once came to her sisters&rsquo; rescue,
+and conquered the wicked Deevs.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The thought of meeting a Peri took my
+breath away, for I had read about them on
+winter evenings.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you mean that wherever I go I shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span>
+see the Fairies, just as I see you now?&rdquo; I
+cried.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wherever you go!&rdquo; she said, nodding her
+head, &ldquo;and soon I believe you will cross the
+sea and travel through other lands. But
+you must not think,&rdquo; she went on earnestly,
+&ldquo;that the Fairies in your own country are less
+worth knowing, for you might spend your life
+in making friends with them, and yet have
+much to learn.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I can&rsquo;t remember half of all that Titania
+told me after this, but she spoke of fair White
+Elves who live among the trees, and are ruled
+by a King who rides abroad in a beautiful
+little coach with trappings of gold and silver;
+of mischievous Black Elves who live underground,
+and haunt people with nasty tempers;
+of Nymphs and Gnomes and sad-faced Trolls,
+and of Brownies and Portunes and Pixies. I
+should have liked to hear more about the
+Brownies and Portunes, but it was fun to
+learn how the Brownies play tricks on lazy
+people who lie in bed and won&rsquo;t get up,
+pulling the clothes right off them, and throwing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>
+these on the floor, and of how they help the
+farmers&rsquo; wives to bake and brew if they are
+clean and neat. Titania said that Fairies
+dislike people who are untidy, and I hoped
+that she hadn&rsquo;t seen my playbox or my chest
+of drawers. I made up my mind that directly
+I got home I would put them straight, and so
+that she might not notice how red I had grown,
+I asked her to tell me what Portunes were.</p>
+
+<div class="figright">
+<img src="images/ibw013.jpg" width="253" height="321" alt="The &ldquo;Portunes&rdquo; were queer creatures." title="The &ldquo;Portunes&rdquo; were queer creatures." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Queer little wrinkled creatures with faces
+like old men,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They wear long
+green coats covered with darns and patches,
+and are only found now in the depths of the
+country. They like to live on prosperous
+farms, and though some of them are barely
+an inch high, they can lift heavier weights
+than the strongest labourer. Like the
+Brownies, they can be mischievous as well as
+helpful. A farmer once offended a Portune
+by speaking disrespectfully of his kindred, and
+the next time that the good man rode home
+from market in the dusk, the little fellow
+sprang on to the horse&rsquo;s reins, and guided
+him into the bog. Both horse and man had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>
+to flounder out as best they could, and the
+farmer was careful henceforth to mind his
+tongue.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what
+are Pixies
+like?&rdquo; I asked.
+She had said
+that I reminded
+her of one
+of these, so of
+course I was
+curious about
+them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They are
+much taller
+than we are,
+and very fair,&rdquo;
+answered Titania,
+&ldquo;with
+blue-grey eyes
+like yours. If you want to meet them, you
+must go to Devonshire, for it is there that
+they make their home. They love the ferns
+and the heather, and the rich red earth, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>
+live in a Pixy-house in a rock. They, also,
+are ruled by a King, who commands them as
+I do my Elves and Fays, despatching them
+hither and thither to do his will. Sometimes
+he sends them down to the mines, to show the
+men who work there where the richest lode is
+to be found; and if the miners grumble, or are
+discontented, the Pixies lead them astray by
+lighting false fires. On other occasions they
+are told off to help the villagers with their
+housework, and their attentions are warmly
+welcomed by the Devon folk. One good dame
+was so pleased with the help a ragged little
+Pixie who had torn her frock on a sweet-briar
+bush gave her with her spinning, that she
+made her a new set of clothes of bright green
+cloth, and laid these by the spinning wheel.
+The Pixy put them on at once, and singing</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0a">&ldquo;Pixy fine, Pixy gay,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Pixy now will run away!&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>sped out of the house in broad daylight, and,
+alas! she never came back again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ho! ho! ho!&rdquo; laughed a merry voice, and
+a shock-headed little fellow swung himself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>
+down from a bough just behind me, and turned
+a somersault on the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Welcome, gay Puck!&rdquo; Titania cried.
+&ldquo;Whence do you come, and what do you do
+this night?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I come from the court of King Oberon,
+sweet Titania,&rdquo; answered the Elf, &ldquo;and to-night
+I plait the manes and tails of Farmer
+Best&rsquo;s grey horses. At early dawn I shall
+skim the cream off the milk in his good wife&rsquo;s
+dairy, since yester-e&rsquo;en she grudged a drink
+of it to an orphan child. &lsquo;Robin Goodfellow
+has been here!&rsquo; she will cry when she sees
+what I have been after, and her greedy old
+eyes will fill with tears. That is one of my
+pet names, Wide-eyes,&rdquo; he added, hopping on
+to my shoulder and pinching my ear. &ldquo;I am
+also Pouke, Hobgoblin, and Robin Hood.
+But where are the Urchins, my merry play-fellows?
+It is high time that they were here,
+for the lady moon has hung her lamp i&rsquo; the
+sky.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="ic001" id="ic001"></a>
+<img src="images/ic001.jpg" width="365" height="481" alt="&ldquo;The Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves&rdquo;" title="" />
+<br /><span class="caption">&ldquo;The Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The clouds were all tinted a deep rose pink,
+and behind the trees, just where the moon had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>
+risen, was a haze of purple. I knew by this
+that it must be nearly tea-time, and I was just
+going to say that I must go, when Titania left
+the frond of bracken, and alighted in the centre
+of the Fairy Ring. Waving her wand,
+she summoned her &ldquo;gladsome sprites,&rdquo; and
+next moment the Fairy Ring was thronged
+with dancing Elves who wore red caps and
+silver shoes, with bright green mantles buttoned
+with bobs of silk. Puck flew to join them,
+but Peas-blossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustard-seed,
+who sprang from nowhere, danced in an
+inner circle round the Fairy Queen. They
+sang as they danced, and this is their song.
+I found it afterwards in a book of Father&rsquo;s,
+which he said had in it more wonderful
+things than all books in the world but one:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0a">&ldquo;By the moon we sport and play,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With the night begins our day.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">As we frisk the dew doth fall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Trip it, little urchins all.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lightly as the little bee,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Two by two and three by three,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And about goe wee, goe wee.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And about goe wee, goe wee!&rdquo; echoed down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span>
+the glade, and then the Elves suddenly disappeared,
+with Puck and Titania and her
+attendants.</p>
+
+<p>The wood was growing darker every
+minute, but the sparkles of frost were glittering
+still, and lit my way. At the end of the
+scrub I saw Father coming to meet me,
+swinging down the road with such long steps
+that he looked like a kindly big giant. He had
+guessed where I had gone, and he was so
+pleased to find me that he forgot to say I
+mustn&rsquo;t explore any more without him, as I
+was afraid he would. He took my hand, and
+we both ran; it was lovely at home by the fire.</p>
+
+<p>I meant to have told him about Queen
+Titania while we were having tea, but Nancy
+had made such scrumptious cakes that there
+wasn&rsquo;t time at first, and before I had finished
+he began to open the letters that had come
+just after he left that morning. They seemed
+to be all bills, and Father sighed as he looked
+them over, his forehead puckered into rucks
+and lines. Presently he came to a big blue
+envelope, and he turned this round and round<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>
+as if he thought there might be something
+horrid inside. The paper crackled like anything
+as he drew it out, and when it was
+unfolded he sat looking at it for a long time,
+though there didn&rsquo;t seem to be much writing.
+At last he gave an odd kind of gasp, and took
+my face between his hands. He pressed it
+so hard that he made me say &ldquo;O!&rdquo; though I
+didn&rsquo;t want to do this, and I wondered what
+had happened.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your great-aunt Helen is dead, Chris,&rdquo; he
+said at last, as he let me go. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen
+her for years and years.&hellip; She was not over
+kind to me when I was a lad, though I believe
+she meant well.&hellip; And now she&rsquo;s left us all
+her money. We shan&rsquo;t be poor any more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This was the beginning of ever so many
+surprises. First, Father and I had warm new
+overcoats, with woolly stuff inside them that
+felt like blankets, only much more soft and
+fluffy, and Nancy had the blue silk dress she
+always vowed that she should buy when her
+ship came home. There was a fire every night
+in Father&rsquo;s study, and I had one in my bedroom.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span>
+More patients came up for soup than
+they did for medicine, and they said &ldquo;God bless
+you, Sir!&rdquo; to Father so often that he wanted to
+run away. The children in the hospital had the
+biggest tree that the ward would hold, and all
+the old men and women in the workhouse
+had a big tea, and shawls and mufflers.</p>
+
+<p>A few weeks later a strange young man
+with a very shiny collar and a new brown
+bag came to stay with us. Father said he
+was a &ldquo;locum,&rdquo; but Nancy said it ought to be
+&ldquo;locust,&rdquo; for his appetite was enormous, and she
+couldn&rsquo;t make enough buttered toast to please
+him. He had come to take care of Father&rsquo;s
+patients until someone bought all the medicines
+and things in the surgery, and I was
+awfully glad to hear we were going away.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll go straight to the sunshine, Chris,&rdquo;
+said Father, &ldquo;where there are trees and flowers
+instead of long rows of houses, and the air
+isn&rsquo;t full of smoke.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And that night I dreamt all about fairies,
+and of what I was going to see and hear in
+foreign lands.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw014.jpg" width="385" height="504" alt="The &ldquo;Locust.&rdquo;" title="The &ldquo;Locust.&rdquo;" />
+</div>
+<hr class="l1"/>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw015.jpg" width="387" height="505"
+alt="Chapter II The Princess with the Sea-Green hair."
+title="Chapter II The Princess with the Sea-Green hair." />
+</div>
+
+<p>The cliffs were hidden in the mist when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>
+we left Dover, and the sky was dull and grey.
+But very soon it began to clear; a silvery
+light shone behind the clouds, and then the
+sun came out, and the rolling waves turned
+emerald green. They tossed our steamer up
+and down as if it were a cork, and Father
+soon went below, but I begged so hard to be
+allowed to stay on deck that he said I might
+if I would promise, &ldquo;honour bright,&rdquo; not to
+get into mischief.</p>
+
+<p>When he had gone I put my cap into my
+pocket, so that it might not blow off, and
+leaned over the rails to watch the swell of the
+sea. I wasn&rsquo;t thinking of Fairies then, nor of
+being a Christmas child, but of how it must
+feel to be shipwrecked. So when the spray
+blew in my face and made me blink, I was
+surprised to see a merry red face grinning up
+at me from the foam. It had curls of seaweed
+upon its forehead, and a mouth like a big
+round &ldquo;O&rdquo;.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m Father Neptune,&rdquo; it roared, so loudly
+that I could hear it quite distinctly above the
+noise of the wind. &ldquo;Why not take a header,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span>
+and come and ride one of my fine sea horses?
+&lsquo;Father wouldn&rsquo;t like it?&rsquo; Ho! ho! ho! What
+a molly-coddle of a boy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A big wave tossed him on one side, and on
+its crest was a beautiful girl with a shining
+tail, and hair like a stream of gold. Of course
+I knew she was a mermaid, and would want
+me to go to her coral caves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you come with me and play with
+my sheeny pearls?&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;They gleam
+like the dawn on a summer morning, and you
+shall choose the loveliest for your very own.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She held out her arms and I nearly sprang
+into them, for I thought that a pearl would be
+splendid for Father&rsquo;s pin. But just behind
+her I saw two ugly mermen, with horrid
+green teeth and bright red eyes, and ropes of
+seaweed in their long thin hands. Then I
+remembered that mermaids were dangerous,
+and I ran straight over to the other side of the
+steamer and put my fingers into my ears,
+so that I might not hear her call. She spoke
+so sweetly that it was difficult to resist, but
+I did not trust her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The water was calmer on this side, and I
+wondered why until I saw some funny brown
+men, rather like Brownies, but ever so much
+bigger and stronger, stretched out at full
+length on the tops of the waves. They were
+blowing on conchs as hard as they could, and
+wherever they blew, the waves grew quieter.
+I guessed at once that they were Tritons&mdash;seafolk
+who live with Neptune in his crystal
+palace under the sea. I was still watching
+them when Father came up behind me, and
+told me that we were really in.</p>
+
+<p>We stayed the night at a big hotel where
+almost everyone spoke in a language which I
+did not understand, and I had a grown-up
+dinner with Father, with heaps of different
+dishes, most of them tasting much alike.
+Next day we went on for hours in the train,
+and the air grew warmer and warmer, and the
+grass more green, until at last we were in the
+south of France. There were palms and orange
+groves and heaps of flowers, and it would
+have been just splendid if Father had been
+all right. He hadn&rsquo;t had time to be ill at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>
+home you see, and now there were no sick
+people to worry him, he was so tired that
+he couldn&rsquo;t do anything. But he told me not
+to worry, for once he was really rested, he
+would soon get well.</p>
+
+<p>And so he did, though it took a long time
+to rest him, and we couldn&rsquo;t explore a bit.
+In the mornings we strolled through the
+gardens, or down to the sea, and most afternoons
+we did nothing at all. Very often, as
+I sat beside him on the verandah, with the
+sun shining full on the green awning, and
+the roses nodding to us over the balcony, he
+would fall asleep; and then a Flower-Fairy
+would peep through the ferns, and tell me the
+loveliest stories. The Rose-Fairy came, and
+the Queen of the Lilies, with a lovely gold
+crown upon her head; but my favourite Fairy
+lived in a bed of violets. Her frock was
+purple, and I knew when she was coming
+because the air all round grew sweet. Her
+stories were the best of all. She had heard
+them from the wind, she said, as he played
+with her leaves at dawn. My favourite was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>
+one that she said he had brought from
+Provence.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw016.jpg" width="375" height="368" alt="The Princess with the Sea-Green Hair." title="The Princess with the Sea-Green Hair." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A worthy couple at Marseilles,&rdquo; she began,
+&ldquo;had longed for a child for years in vain, and
+great was their joy when they knew at last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>
+that their wish was about to be granted. The
+boy was born during a fearful storm, and the
+first sound he heard was the crash of the sea
+as it broke on the shore. He was christened
+Paul, and grew up into a handsome lad with
+a quantity of thick fair hair which curled
+like the tips of the waves, and piercing blue
+eyes which were always twinkling with
+fun and mischief.</p>
+
+<p>There was not any question as to what
+calling he should follow, for the sea claimed
+him as a son of her own, and he was never
+content on dry land. When his ship came
+home and the crew was dismissed, he could
+not rest, and every evening at sunset he
+would row himself out in a little boat as far
+as he could go. One summer night, when a
+thousand ripples danced on the waves, he
+leaned over the side of his boat, gazing
+down&mdash;down&mdash;down. He did not know why,
+but he felt quite sure that someone was
+calling him, and with all his heart he longed
+to obey the summons. Presently he felt
+himself lifted gently, and drawn through the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span>
+gleaming water by hands which he could not
+see. It was black as night before they released
+him, for neither sun nor moon pierce the
+depths of the ocean. He would have been in
+total darkness but for the strange-shaped fish
+who carried lanterns on their heads, and
+guided him to the gates of a palace, formed of
+millions of barnacles. These were piled one
+on the top of the other until they reached an
+enormous height, and were decorated with
+what looked like a row of human eyes.</p>
+
+<p>The gates flew open as Paul approached
+them, and through a passage of mother-of-pearl
+he reached a chamber that flashed with
+opal lights. Here a Fairy Princess awaited
+him&mdash;a Princess so exquisitely beautiful in
+spite of her sea-green hair, that though his
+heart did not go out to her, he was not
+repelled by the love she showed him.</p>
+
+<p>She kept him with her for many hours, and
+at dawn of day she bade him return to his
+home, giving him two golden fish which he
+was to show to all who asked him where he
+had spent the night, telling them he had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span>
+a&rsquo;fishing. The invisible hands which had
+brought him thither bore him back to his boat,
+and he landed just at sunrise. His golden fish
+were a source of awe and wonder to his neighbours,
+who had never seen their like before; but
+the priest shook his head, and warned him to
+have no dealings with the powers of darkness.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw017" id="ibw017"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw017.jpg" width="386" height="506" alt="Here a Fairy Princess awaited him&mdash;" title="Here a Fairy Princess awaited him&mdash;" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw018.jpg" width="385" height="505" alt="Paul in the sea" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p>
+<p>But Paul could not resist rowing out to the
+edge of the sunset. Evening after evening he
+plied his oars, and always at twilight he was
+drawn down&mdash;down, to the palace of the
+strange Princess with the sea-green hair.
+When he went on a voyage all was well with
+him, for his vessel bore him to other seas,
+where no one called him when the sky grew
+red; but he was no sooner at home with his
+parents than something within him made him
+row out to the west.</p>
+
+<p>At last it seemed as if he had forgotten the
+Princess, for he fell in love with sweet Lucile,
+who was as good and gentle as she was fair,
+and willingly gave him her troth. Their
+wedding was fixed for Easter Day, and the
+night before, Paul wandered down to the sea-shore,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>
+thinking of the bliss in store for him on
+the morrow. His love-lit eyes fell dreamily
+on his boat, which had lain for months in the
+shallow cove where he had moored her, and
+without thinking what he was doing, he
+stepped inside and took the oars in his hands.
+Alas! No sooner did he feel the boat moving
+under him, than he was seized by the old wild
+longing to sail towards the west.</p>
+
+<p>All happened as before, until he reached
+the Princess&rsquo;s palace; but now, instead of
+smiling sweetly, she received him with
+threatening looks which showed an array of
+cruel teeth behind her rose-red lips.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;So! you have been unfaithful to me!&rsquo; she
+cried. &lsquo;I will not slay you, since I have greater
+punishments in store than death.&hellip; You shall
+stay in the depths of the sea until your yellow
+hair is bleached and white, and your face a
+mask of hideous wrinkles. Then, and then
+only, shall you return to land, and those who
+have loved you best shall spurn you from them
+as something loathsome. Scorn for scorn, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>
+pain for pain. Thus will I take my revenge.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>So for seven long years Paul was a
+prisoner in the darkness of the deep, his bed
+the black and slimy ooze, and his companions
+fearsome monsters who would fain have
+devoured him. At last, when his hair was
+white as snow, and his face so wrinkled and
+ugly that the children of the mer-folk shuddered
+as they passed, he was seized by a
+sprawling octopus, and dragged up through
+the water. The loathsome creature held him
+fast until they reached a spot not far from the
+little brown cottage where Lucile had lived
+with her old father, and here it loosened its
+coils; and a great wave cast Paul on shore.
+The cottage was empty and deserted, and the
+winding path he had trodden so often was
+covered with moss. Close by, however, was
+another cottage, far more spacious, and
+through the open door of this Paul saw his
+old sweetheart sitting beside a cradle. She
+sang as she rocked it gently with her foot,
+and her shining needles flew in and out of a
+fisherman&rsquo;s coarse blue sock.</p>
+
+<p>As the shadow fell across the threshold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>
+she looked up brightly, expecting to see her
+husband. Meeting Paul&rsquo;s gaze instead, her
+own grew strained with horror, and snatching
+her baby from the cradle she fled to the inner
+room. Without a word Paul hastened away.
+He knew his doom, and hastened to throw
+himself back to the sea.</p>
+
+<p>In his headlong flight he stumbled against
+an old, old woman, gathering drift-wood on the
+wreck-strewn coast. She would have fallen
+if he had not caught her in his arms, and as
+he held her she saw his eyes. They alone
+were unchanged, and his mother knew them.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;My boy&mdash;my dear boy!&rsquo; she cried with a
+sob of joy. And she drew his seared face
+down to her bosom, murmuring over it the
+same fond words she had used when he was
+a child. She kissed him, and the spell was
+broken; once more he was good to look
+upon.&hellip; The Princess had not known,
+you see, that a mother&rsquo;s love is immortal.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Father was still asleep when the story
+came to an end, so I implored the Fairy to
+tell me another.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This comes from Provence, too,&rdquo; she said
+in answer to my pleading, &ldquo;and will show
+you that sea-folk can sometimes be merciful.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw019.jpg" width="375" height="369" alt="The Sailor and the Porpoise." title="The Sailor and the Porpoise." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Among the crew of the good ship <cite lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">L&rsquo;Oiseau</cite>,
+was a sailor named Antoine, who kept all on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>
+board alive with his merry wit. One day,
+while sailing the waters of the Mediterranean,
+the sea only faintly ruffled by the breeze that
+helped them on their way, they espied what
+at first appeared to be a huge sea-serpent
+making its way towards them. For a few
+moments the mariners watched it in much
+alarm; then, to their immense relief, they
+found that their &lsquo;sea-serpent&rsquo; was a string
+of harmless porpoises, swimming in a row,
+with their shining black backs just appearing
+above the surface of the water. As they neared
+the ship they broke their ranks, and evidently
+regarding the sailors as their friends, gambolled
+upon the waves like boisterous children.
+No man dreamt of interfering with them until
+Antoine thoughtlessly picked up a rusty spear
+and threw it at one of those farthest away.
+He did not do this from any desire to kill,
+but only to show how excellent was his aim,
+and when he saw his shaft strike home,
+tinging the sea with red as his victim sank
+with a convulsive shudder, he was seized
+with self-reproach and a nameless dread.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>And behold! a great storm shook the
+sea, as if the gods themselves were angry.
+Thunder and lightning rolled and flashed,
+and raindrops heavy as leaden balls fell in
+swift torrents. So fearful was the tempest
+that it threatened to overwhelm the ship, and
+the Captain was in despair.</p>
+
+<p>In this dire extremity a knight on a
+magnificent black charger came riding over
+the waves.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Surrender him who threw the spear!&rsquo; he
+cried, and the sea stayed its turmoil to listen.
+&lsquo;Do this, and I will save the ship. Else
+shall it perish, with all on board, and sea
+creatures shall gnaw your bones.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>The sailors were exceedingly afraid, but
+they would not betray their comrade. Seeing
+this, Antoine stepped forth of his own accord,
+for he would not let his shipmates suffer for
+his fault. Leaping from the deck, he landed
+upon the haunches of the charger, behind the
+knight, and that moment the sea became
+smooth as glass, and the strange steed
+disappeared with his two riders.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The ship made good way, and his shipmates
+never expected to see poor Antoine again, but
+to the amazement and joy of all, he rejoined
+the vessel a few days later as though it had
+stood by for him. The excitement of the men
+was great as they gathered round him to hear
+of his adventures.</p>
+
+<p>And truly he had a marvellous story to
+relate. He had ridden, he told them, to a
+distant island, where in a castle of shimmering
+gold, on a bed of the softest eiderdown, he
+found a knight stretched in agony. It was he
+whom he had wounded, while in the form of a
+porpoise, and the spear he had thrown so
+thoughtlessly was still sticking in his side.
+He drew this out, with tears of shame, and
+then, with his guilty right hand, he cleansed
+and bathed the wound. When this was done,
+the knight fell into a deep sleep, and woke at
+dawn well as ever. Taking Antoine&rsquo;s hand,
+he led him through many corridors lit with
+gems to a resplendent banquet hall, where
+the walls were encrusted with star-shaped
+sapphires, and the floor was of beaten gold.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>
+Many other knights were assembled here, and
+maidens so fair that Antoine sighed to think
+of them. When he had feasted on curious
+dishes of rich fruits, the same knight who had
+brought him thither took him back to the sea-shore,
+where the same black horse awaited
+their coming. Mounting as before, the charger
+sped like the wind over the sea until the ship
+hove in sight. When they came to within one
+hundred yards of the vessel, the black steed
+and his rider disappeared as mysteriously as
+they had come, and Antoine was left struggling
+in the water. However, he was an excellent
+swimmer, and soon reached the ship&rsquo;s side, up
+which he easily clambered by the aid of a rope
+which fortunately happened to be trailing in
+the water.</p>
+
+<p>This was the tale that Antoine told his
+shipmates, and in memory of the clemency
+of the porpoise-knight, the sailors vowed
+that never again would they injure a porpoise.
+Not only were they as good as their word, but
+the vow is kept to this day by their children&rsquo;s
+children.&rdquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw020.jpg" width="382" height="499" alt="The wounded knight" title="" />
+</div>
+<hr class="l1"/>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw021.jpg" width="384" height="501"
+alt="Chapter III Rose Marie and the Poupican."
+title="Chapter III Rose Marie and the Poupican." />
+</div>
+
+<p>It was spring time when we left for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span>
+Brittany. Father had been there once with
+Mother, and thought he would like to go
+again. So I said goodbye to my Flower-Fairy,
+and promised that if I could I would come
+back one day to see her.</p>
+
+<p>The sunny air of the south had done
+Father good, and now he was almost well.
+While we were in the train he read from the
+guide book, and told me about curious
+&ldquo;dolmens,&rdquo; or mounds of stone, which are
+supposed to have been built to mark the
+ancients&rsquo; burying places. There were hundreds
+of these in Brittany, he said, and I
+was glad, for I knew they were haunted by
+&ldquo;Gorics&rdquo; and &ldquo;Courils&rdquo;&mdash;strange Fairies of
+olden times.</p>
+
+<p>That very first evening, while Father was
+writing letters, I slipped away by myself
+instead of going to bed, for I wanted to see
+a Poupican. A Poupican, you must know,
+is the dwarf-child of a Korrigan&mdash;a Fairy who
+looks lovely by night and horrible by day,
+and cares for nothing so that she gets what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span>
+she wants. Korrigans are said to have been
+princesses in days gone by, but they were so
+cruel and selfish that someone laid them
+under a spell, which lasts for thousands of
+years unless a mortal breaks it. On account
+of the wicked things they said their mouths
+are always dry, and they are consumed by
+thirst; so they chose their homes by streams
+and fountains, of which there are many in
+Brittany.</p>
+
+<p>Father had been telling me that there was
+a famous fountain in a wood not far from our
+hotel, and I thought I might find them here.
+The fountain was hidden behind a grove of
+fir-trees, but the moon shone down on its
+rough grey stones, and turned the square
+pond of water in front of it into a silver
+mirror.</p>
+
+<p>At first there seemed to be no one there,
+but when my eyes had grown used to the
+gloom I saw a number of Elves about two
+feet in height, with misty white veils wound
+round their bodies. A cloth was spread
+beside the fountain. It was covered with
+the loveliest things to eat&mdash;honey and fruit,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>
+and queer-shaped cakes sprinkled with sugar
+comfits&mdash;while in the centre stood a crystal
+goblet, from which the moon drew flashes of
+soft fairy light. As I crouched in the ferns, a
+wee green Wood-Elf stole up behind me; her
+tiny face was good and kind, and although
+she was so small that I could almost have
+held her in my hand, I felt she was there to
+protect me.</p>
+
+<p>Then I turned my eyes to the crystal
+goblet and I grew thirsty all at once; and I
+wondered what the Korrigans would do if I
+took a sip of the amber wine which filled it
+to the brim.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;One drop would make you wise for
+ever,&rdquo; whispered the Wood-Elf, just as if
+I had spoken, &ldquo;but you would be silent
+for ever, also. No mortal can drink that
+wine and live. The Korrigans pass it round
+to each other in a golden cup at the end
+of their feast, which takes place but once
+in the year. It gives them power to work
+many charms, and to take the form of
+animals at will.&rdquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw022.jpg" width="373" height="360"
+alt="The Hunter who shot the white Doe." title="The Hunter who shot the white Doe." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Once, in these very woods, a hunter shot
+a fair white doe, when to his amazement, she
+spoke to him in a human voice. He was so
+touched by her reproaches that he tore his
+fine linen shirt into strips to bind up her
+wound, and then hurried off to the spring for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>
+water to quench her thirst. It was dusk by
+the time he could get back to her, for the first
+spring he reached was dry, and instead of
+the milk-white doe, he found a beauteous
+maiden, who threw herself on his bosom and
+entreated him not to leave her. For a year
+and a day he was under her spells, but he
+escaped in the end by making the sign of the
+cross with his two forefingers. This sign puts
+a Korrigan to instant flight, for things which
+are holy fill them with terror.&hellip; Ah! they
+have been at their mischief again. Poor
+Annette will weep for this.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Wood-Elf stopped speaking, for running
+lightly over the grass, holding each other&rsquo;s
+long white veils so as to form a swinging
+cradle, came a group of nine smooth-limbed
+Korrigans, their red-gold hair tossing on the
+wind behind them. In the midst of the
+hanging cradle lay a tiny baby, with widely
+opened eyes and a solemn pink face, sucking
+a fat round thumb.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They have stolen him from his mother,
+while she dreamt of fairy gold,&rdquo; the Wood-Elf<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>
+sighed. &ldquo;She should not have left
+her door on the latch; it was a sad mistake.
+In her little one&rsquo;s place there is now a
+Poupican. At first she will not know, but
+will fondle and kiss the changeling as if he
+were her own. After a while she will
+grieve to find that he gives her no love in
+return for hers, and plays as readily with
+strangers as with his mother. But her husband,
+who is a hard man, will rejoice at the
+wee child&rsquo;s cleverness. For he will have an
+old head on young shoulders, and be wise
+beyond his years.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>While the Wood-Elf was speaking, poor
+Annette&rsquo;s baby lay contentedly beside the
+crystal goblet, sucking his thumb and looking
+up at the stars. The Korrigans had left off
+singing now, and they were passing round
+the golden cup when there came on the
+wind the sound of a church bell. Flinging the
+cup and the goblet into the pond, and staying
+only to wind the baby in their clinging veils, the
+Korrigans fled into the darkness with cries of
+anguish. Some spell seemed to hold me, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>
+I should have tried to rescue the little thing;
+for it was dreadful to think what might happen
+to him with the Korrigans.</p>
+
+<p>But the Wood-Elf was quite comforting.
+&ldquo;He will be well taken care of,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and
+someday Annette may break the spell, with
+the help of the Curé. Rose-Marie got back
+her child by her own wit, but then she has
+the name of the blessed Mother. &lsquo;You would
+like to know how?&rsquo; Then I must speak
+softly, lest a Korrigan should hear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw023.jpg" width="267" height="170" alt="The baby" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw024.jpg" width="373" height="367" alt="Rose Marie and the Poupican." title="Rose Marie and the Poupican." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Rose-Marie was very young when she
+married Pierre,&rdquo; began the Elf, &ldquo;and nothing
+his mother or hers could say would induce
+her to beware of Korrigans when her baby
+came.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;They would not hurt him even if they
+could,&rsquo; she cried. &lsquo;Who could harm anything
+so small and sweet?&rsquo; And she
+actually set his cradle under the cherry trees,
+so that his round pink face was covered with
+fallen petals. Then she went to fetch Pierre
+from his sowing that he might see how his
+little son was hidden under the spring snow,
+and lingered on her way to gather a cluster of
+purple violets.</p>
+
+<p>When she had disappeared, the Korrigans
+stole her baby, leaving a Poupican in the
+fragrant nest. The sun had gone in when she
+came back, and the little creature was wailing
+fretfully, Rose-Marie snatched him to her
+bosom and tried to soothe him, but from that
+day forward she had no rest. Her milk was
+sweet and plentiful, and the cradle was soft
+and warm, but he gave neither her nor her
+good man Pierre a moment&rsquo;s peace. All
+through the hours of the night he wailed,
+and tore at her hair when she held him
+close to her, scratching her face like an angry
+kitten.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="ic002" id="ic002"></a>
+<img src="images/ic002.jpg" width="369" height="483" alt="Rose-Marie and the Poupican" title="" />
+<br /><span class="caption">Rose-Marie and the Poupican</span>
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>When he grew older, he was just as bad,
+for there was no end to his mischief. He
+shut the cat in a bin of flour, and opened the
+oven door when Rose-Marie was baking, so
+that the bread was spoilt. He drove the hens
+into the brook, and cut the cord which
+tethered Pierre&rsquo;s white cow, so that she
+roamed for miles. And with all he did, he
+never uttered a word. It was this which first
+roused Rose-Marie&rsquo;s suspicions, and after that
+she watched him carefully.</p>
+
+<p>One morning she made up her mind to surprise
+him into speaking, and as he sat beside
+the hearth, peering at her through his half-closed
+eyes, she set an egg shell on the fire, and
+placing in this a spoonful of broth, stirred it
+carefully with a silver pin. The Poupican
+was amazed, for it was nearing the dinner
+hour, and there would be ten to feed. At last
+he could contain himself no longer.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;What are you doing, Mother?&rsquo; he asked
+in a strange cracked voice.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I am preparing a meal for ten,&rsquo; returned
+Rose-Marie, without looking round.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;For ten&mdash;in an eggshell?&rsquo; he cried. &lsquo;I
+have seen an egg before a hen; I have seen
+the acorn before the oak; but never yet saw I
+folly such as this!&rsquo; And he fell to cackling
+like a full farmyard, rocking himself from
+side to side, and repeating, &lsquo;Such folly I never
+saw!&rsquo; until even gentle Rose-Marie was
+moved to anger.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You have seen too much, my son,&rsquo; she
+said, and lifting him up by the scruff of his
+neck in spite of his struggles, she carried him
+out of the house. Then, sitting down on a heap
+of stones beside the brook, she proceeded to
+whip him soundly. At his first cry of pain
+a Korrigan appeared, in the shape of an ugly
+old woman with bleared red eyes and straggling
+tresses. She was leading a curly-haired
+boy by the hand, the living image of Pierre.
+As she released him he flew across the grass
+to Rose-Marie and hid his face in her skirts.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Here is thy son!&rsquo; croaked the Korrigan.
+&lsquo;I have fed him on meal and honey, and he
+has learnt no evil. Give me my Poupican,
+and I will go.&rsquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>So Rose-Marie gave up the Poupican, and
+with a thankful heart took her own son home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you know any more stories?&rdquo; I asked
+when the Elf stopped for breath. I didn&rsquo;t
+want to go back just yet, for it was jolly
+in the wood, and I could smell violets close by.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;More than I can tell,&rdquo; replied the Elf,
+&ldquo;but you shall hear what happened to Peric
+and Jean.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw025.jpg" width="282" height="224" alt="Lifting him up by the scruff of his neck" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw026.jpg" width="375" height="366" alt="The Story of Peric and Jean." title="The Story of Peric and Jean." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In a beautiful valley not far from here
+a number of Korrigans were accustomed to
+gather on summer nights, for the grass was
+soft as velvet, and the mountains sheltered
+it from the breeze. None of the peasants<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>
+dare cross the valley after dark, lest they
+might be forced to join their revels; for it was
+known by all that the Korrigans must dance
+whether they would or not, until some mortal
+should break the charm that had been laid
+upon them.</p>
+
+<p>One evening, when the west was aglow with
+fire, a farmer was sent for to attend the
+sick bed of his mother, who lived on the other
+side of the valley. His wife and he had been
+at work all day in the fields, since labour was
+scarce and they were poor, and as both loved
+the old woman dearly, they hurried off
+without stopping to lay aside their <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fourches</i>&mdash;little
+sticks which are still used in some parts
+of Brittany as &lsquo;plough paddles.&rsquo; By the time
+they were half-way across the valley, the
+dusk had fallen, and they found themselves
+encircled by angry Korrigans, who shrieked
+with rage and made as if they would tear
+them to pieces. Before they had touched
+them, however, they all fell back, and a moment
+later broke into singing. This was their
+song:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span>&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&lsquo;Lez y, Lez hon,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">(<cite>Let him go, let him go</cite>,)<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Bas an arer zo gant hook;<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">(<cite>For he has the wand of the plough;</cite>)<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lez on, Lez y,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">(<cite>Let her go, let her go</cite>,)<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Bas an arer zo gant y!&rsquo;<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">(<cite>For she has the wand of the plough!</cite>)<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>Then the dancers made way for the farmer
+and his wife, who reached the old mother
+safely, and comforted her last hours.</p>
+
+<p>When they returned to their own homes
+they told what they had seen and heard.
+Some of the villagers were still too much
+afraid of the Korrigans to venture, but others
+armed themselves with <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fourches</i>, and hastened
+to the valley when night had fallen. All of
+these witnessed the famous dance, but none
+felt inclined to join it.</p>
+
+<p>In a neighbouring village two tailors
+dwelt, and they were as anxious as the rest
+to see the Korrigans. The elder was a tall
+and handsome fellow named Jean, but in
+spite of his inches he had no pluck, and was
+idle as well as vain. The other was Peric,
+a red-haired hunchback, so kind and lovable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>
+in spite of his looks that if ever a neighbour
+were in trouble, it was to Peric he went first.
+Though the hunchback and Jean shared the
+same business, the latter was always gibing
+at Peric, and left him to do most of the
+work.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Since you&rsquo;re so courageous,&rsquo; he sneered,
+one fine warm night when he and Peric had
+stayed behind in the valley to watch the
+Korrigans, &lsquo;suppose you ask them to let you
+join their dance. Your hump should make
+you safe with them, for they are not likely to
+fall in love with you.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;All right,&rsquo; said Peric cheerfully, though
+at this unkind reference to his deformity his
+face had flushed. And taking off his cap he
+approached the whirling Elves.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;May I dance with you?&rsquo; he asked
+politely, dropping his <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fourche</i> to show he
+trusted them.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You&rsquo;re more brave than good looking,&rsquo;
+they replied, their feet still moving to the
+same quick measure. &lsquo;Are you not afraid
+that we shall work you ill?&rsquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Not a bit!&rsquo; answered Peric, joining hands
+with them; and he started to sing as lustily
+as they:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&lsquo;<i lang="gd" xml:lang="gd">Dilun, Dimeurs, Dimerc&rsquo;her</i>,&rsquo;<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>which means &lsquo;Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.&rsquo;
+After a while he grew tired of singing
+these three words so often, and went on of
+his own accord:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&lsquo;<i lang="gd" xml:lang="gd">Ha Diriaou, ha Digwener</i>,&rsquo;<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">(And Thursday and Friday!)<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>&lsquo;<i lang="gd" xml:lang="gd">Mat! Mat!</i>&rsquo; (Good! Good!) cried the Korrigans
+in chorus, and though he could not tell
+why they were so delighted, he was glad to have
+given them pleasure. When they offered him
+the choice of wealth or power in return for some
+mysterious service which he seemed to have
+rendered them, he only laughed, for he
+thought that they were poking fun at him.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Take away my hump, then,&rsquo; he cried at
+last, &lsquo;and make me as handsome as my
+friend Jean. A little maid whom I love
+dearly will not look at me when he is near,
+though she likes well enough to talk to me by
+the fountain if he is out of the way.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw027" id="ibw027"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw027.jpg" width="384" height="503" alt="They tossed him three times in the air." title="They tossed him three times in the air." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw028.jpg" width="381" height="501" alt="A Korrigan steals the baby" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p>
+<p>&lsquo;Is that all?&rsquo; exclaimed the Korrigans.
+&lsquo;That will not give us the slightest trouble!&rsquo;
+and catching him in their veils, they tossed
+him three times in the air. The third time
+he alighted on his feet. He was now as tall
+and straight as he could wish to be, with fine
+soft hair as black as the raven&rsquo;s wing.</p>
+
+<p>Instead of rejoicing at his friend&rsquo;s good
+fortune, Jean was full of envy. Forgetting
+his fears in his greed for gain, he pushed
+himself into the midst of the Korrigans, who
+had once more begun to dance, and joined
+them in their singing. His voice was less
+melodious than Peric&rsquo;s, and he did not keep
+time so well, but they suffered him amongst
+them out of curiosity.</p>
+
+<p>Presently he, like Peric, grew tired of the
+monotonous chant, and shouted:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&lsquo;<i lang="gd" xml:lang="gd">Ha Disadarn, ha Disul&rsquo;</i><br /></span>
+<span class="i2">(And Saturday and Sunday)<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>&lsquo;What else? what else?&rsquo; cried the Korrigans
+in great excitement, but he only looked
+as stupid as an owl, and repeated these words
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>over and over. Catching him in their veils,
+they tossed him up as they had done Peric,
+and when he came down again he found he
+had red hair and a hump. They were angry
+you see, that he had come so near to breaking
+the spell and had then disappointed them, for
+if he had only had the sense to add:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i2">&lsquo;<i lang="gd" xml:lang="gd">Ha cetu chu er sizun</i>,&rsquo;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">(And now the week is ended)<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>he would have broken the spell and set them
+free, since Peric had already sung &lsquo;And
+Saturday and Sunday.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw029.jpg" width="219" height="202" alt="He found he had red hair and a hump" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="l1"/>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw030.jpg" width="386" height="504"
+alt="Chapter IV The Bird at the Window." title="Chapter IV The Bird at the Window." />
+</div>
+
+<p>There were so many things in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span>
+Brittany that Father wanted to show me&mdash;places
+he had seen with Mother, and curious
+monuments, and lovely views,&mdash;that I could
+not get out alone again until the day before
+we went on to Normandy. No Fairy would
+ever speak to me unless I was quite by myself,
+and the quaint little men who peered out from
+the old ruins when I ran on in front, scampered
+away at once when Father came in sight.</p>
+
+<p>On that last morning a funny old postman
+in a blue cap brought him some letters from
+home. They were about the practice, and
+Father said that he must stay indoors to
+answer them. The patients did not seem to
+like the &ldquo;locust&rdquo; at all, according to Nancy.
+I don&rsquo;t suppose he gave them such nice-tasting
+medicines as Father did.</p>
+
+<p>The moment he took up his pen I was
+off to the wood. The paths were carpeted
+with velvet moss, and starry flowers peeped
+through the green. Some bees were buzzing
+round a clump of violets that grew by the
+side of the fountain, and sitting on the steps
+were two hideous old women, with bleared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span>
+red eyes and wisps of faded hair. As I drew
+near they scowled most horribly, and vanished
+in the spray. I was delighted to find my
+Wood-Elf by the violets, for somehow the sight
+of those two old crones had made me shiver.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They were Korrigans!&rdquo; the Wood-Elf
+whispered. &ldquo;That is how they look by
+daylight, so it is no wonder that they hate to
+be seen by mortals! I shouldn&rsquo;t advise you
+to come here to-night, for they will bear you
+a grudge, and might tempt you to dance with
+them!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I thought of what had befallen Jean, and
+shook my head. It must be dreadful to have
+a hump, though I read of one once that turned
+into wings. But Jean&rsquo;s didn&rsquo;t seem that kind.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I know better than to put myself in their
+power,&rdquo; I cried, and the Wood-Elf laughed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You think you are very wise,&rdquo; she said,
+pausing the next moment to coax a bee to
+give her a sip of honey, &ldquo;but mortal men are
+not a match for Fairy Folk. The Dwarfs, or
+Courils, who haunt the stone tables and
+curious mounds you find throughout this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span>
+country, compel all travellers by night who
+come their way to dance with them, whether
+they will or no. They don&rsquo;t let them stop
+dancing until they drop to the ground, worn
+out with fatigue, and sometimes the poor
+creatures never regain their strength. Mčre
+Gautier&rsquo;s husband danced with the Dwarfs
+when he was but eight-and-twenty, and he
+has not done a stroke of work from that day
+to this, though now he is eighty-five. Mčre
+Gautier keeps the home together, and he sits
+by the fireside and tells the neighbours how
+the Dwarfs looked and what they said. The
+Curé declares that such idleness is sinful, and
+that he might work if he would; but one
+cannot be sure, and he makes himself out to
+be a very poor creature.</p>
+
+<p>The Gorics&mdash;tiny men but three feet high,
+though they have the strength of giants&mdash;are
+little better than Courils. Near Quiberon, by
+the sea shore, is a heap of huge stones, some
+say no less than four thousand in number,
+known as &lsquo;The House of the Gorics,&rsquo; and
+every night the Dwarfs come out and dance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span>
+round it till break of day. If they spy a
+belated traveller, even in the distance, they
+compel him to join them, just as the Courils
+do; and when he faints from sheer exhaustion
+they vanish in peals of laughter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Fairy I met in the South spoke of
+little men who gave away fairy gold,&rdquo; I said,
+trying not to let my voice sound sleepy. The
+sun was hot, though it was early spring, and
+there was a grasshopper just at my elbow
+who had been chirping a lullaby to her babies
+for the last half-hour.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you shut your eyes you will see
+nothing!&rdquo; the Wood-Elf pouted; and I knew
+that she had noticed my yawn. I sat up then,
+and told her how pretty I thought her frock,
+all brown and green, with a dainty girdle of
+silver. She laughed at this, and I coaxed her
+to tell me another story. It was one, she said,
+that had been sung in verse on the Welsh
+hills, for in ancient times the people of Wales
+and those of &ldquo;Little Britain&rdquo; were the closest
+friends.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw031.jpg" width="370" height="359"
+alt="The Wee Men of Morlaix" title="The Wee Men of Morlaix" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Long, long ago,&rdquo; she began, &ldquo;a lordly
+castle was built at Morlaix, in the midst of
+such pleasant surroundings that some little
+Dwarfs in search of a home thought that they
+could not do better than build their stronghold
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span>underneath it. So they set to work
+immediately, for they have a very wise
+rule that when once they decide that a thing
+must be done, it shall be done at once. By
+the time that the castle was finished, their
+home was completed too. Far below the
+ground they had fashioned a number of oval
+chambers, with ceilings encrusted with gleaming
+pearls which they found in the bay, and
+floors paved with precious amber. Beyond
+these chambers lay their treasure house,
+where they kept rich stores of fairy gold, and
+the winding passages which led to the upper
+world were only just wide enough to allow
+them to creep through. Their entrances were
+cunningly contrived to look like rabbit holes,
+so that strangers might think they led to
+nothing more than some sandy warren.</p>
+
+<p>But the country folk knew better, for they
+often watched the little men run in and out,
+beating a faint tattoo on the silver basins in
+which they collected the morning dew and the
+evening mist, which served them for food and
+drink. Now and then, when the sky was a
+vault of blue, and the sun shone his brightest,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>
+they brought up piles of their golden coins,
+that they might see them glisten in the light
+of day. So friendly were they to mortals, that
+if they were surprised while thus employed,
+they seldom failed to share their wealth.</p>
+
+<p>One very bleak autumn there was much
+distress on the countryside, for the harvest
+had failed for the third season, and many of
+the smaller farmers were on the verge of
+ruin. Jacques Bosquet&mdash;<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Bon Jacques</i>&mdash;his
+neighbours called him, for he had never
+refused his help to a friend in need&mdash;was one
+of these. His frail old mother was weak and
+ailing, and he did not know how to tell her
+that she must leave the homestead to which
+she had come as a bride, full fifty years before.
+In his despair he tried to borrow a thousand
+francs from a rich merchant in the next
+town; but the merchant was a hard man, and
+his mouth closed like a cruel steel trap when
+he told Jacques roughly that he had no money
+to lend. As Jacques returned home his eyes
+were so dim with the tears which pride forbade
+him to shed, that in passing the castle of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span>
+Morlaix he all but fell over three little men,
+who were counting out gold by a deep hole.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;What is wrong with you, friend, that you
+do not see where you are going?&rsquo; cried the
+eldest of the three; and when Jacques told
+them of his fruitless errand, they at once
+invited him to help himself to their treasure.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Take all you can hold in your hand!&rsquo;
+they urged, and since Jacques&rsquo; hand had been
+much broadened with honest toil, this meant
+a goodly sum. The three little men had
+vanished before Jacques found words to
+express his gratitude, and he hurried away
+with a thankful heart. The coins were of
+solid gold, and stamped with curious signs; to
+his great joy he very soon sold them for a big
+price, and had now sufficient not only to pay his
+debts, but to carry him through the winter.</p>
+
+<p>When the merchant who had received his
+appeal so churlishly heard of his good fortune,
+he was full of envy, and determined to lay
+in wait for the little men himself. Though
+blessed with ample means, he coveted more,
+and when at last he surprised the Dwarfs as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span>
+Jacques had done, he made so piteous a tale
+that they generously allowed him to take two
+handfuls instead of one. But this did not
+content the greedy fellow, and pushing the
+wee men rudely away, he stooped to fill his
+pockets from the heap. As he did so, a
+shower of blows rained fiercely round his head
+and face, and so heavily did they fall that he
+had much ado to save his skull. When at
+last the blows ceased, and he dared to open
+his eyes, the Dwarfs had gone, with all their
+gold, and his pockets were empty of even that
+which they had contained before.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Wood Elf paused, for a large brown
+bird had perched himself on a branch which
+overhung the fountain. She waited until he
+had dipped his beak in the sparkling stream
+and flown away before she spoke again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That bird is a stranger to these woods,&rdquo;
+she said presently under her breath, &ldquo;and I
+wondered if it were really an Elf or a Fée.
+One never knows in these parts.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Tell me!&rdquo; I urged; for I knew by her look
+that she was thinking of another story.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw032.jpg" width="359" height="345"
+alt="The Bird at the Window." title="The Bird at the Window." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There was once a most beautiful lady,&rdquo;
+she began, &ldquo;whose face was so kind and
+gentle that wherever she went the children
+flocked round her and hung on her gown.
+No flower in the garden could hold up its
+head beside her, for the roses themselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>
+were not so sweet, and even the lilies drooped
+before her exceeding fairness.</p>
+
+<p>From far and near lovers came to woo her,
+but she would none of them; for ever in her
+mind was a gallant knight to whom she had
+plighted her troth in the land of dreams. In
+the presence of a holy man, whose features
+were those of the Curé who confirmed her, he
+had placed a ring upon her finger; and so real
+did this dream seem, that she held herself to
+to be the knight&rsquo;s true wife. Her songs were
+all of him as she sat at her spinning, and her
+tender thoughts made warp and weft with the
+shining threads. When she went to the
+fountain, she heard his voice in the splash
+of the falling water, and when the stars shone
+through her casement, she fancied that they
+were the adoring eyes of her beloved. She
+prayed each night that she might be patient
+and faithful until he claimed her, for he, and
+none other, should touch her lips.</p>
+
+<p>But she was very beautiful, and her parents
+were very poor. And when the lord of those
+parts saw and desired her, they gave her to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span>
+him, despite her prayers, though he was bent
+and old. He carried her off to his grim
+castle, and that no man but he should gaze on
+her loveliness, he shut her in his tower, with
+only an aged widow as her attendant. The
+widow was half-blind and wholly deaf, and
+withal so crabbed in disposition that as she
+passed the very dogs in the street slunk off to a
+safe distance. In vain the beautiful lady
+pleaded to be allowed to stroll in the gardens, or
+to ply her needle on the balcony; he would not
+let her stir from her gloomy chamber, and for
+seven long years he kept her in durance. His
+love had by this time turned to hate, for her
+beauty was dimmed with weeping. No longer
+did her hair make a mesh of gold for sunbeams
+to dance in, and her face was like a sad white
+pearl from which all tints had fled. And the
+heart of the wicked lord rejoiced, for since he
+could not win her favour, and she no longer
+delighted his eyes, he was glad that she
+should die.</p>
+
+<p>One morning in May when the dew lay
+thick upon the meadows and every thrush had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span>
+found a mate, the old lord went off for a long
+day&rsquo;s hunting, and the aged widow fell fast
+asleep. The beautiful lady sighed anew as
+the sweet spring sunshine flooded her prison,
+seeming to mock her with its splendour.
+&lsquo;Ah, woe is me!&rsquo; she cried. &lsquo;I may not even
+rejoice in the sun as the meanest of God&rsquo;s
+creatures!&rsquo; And in her great despair she
+called aloud to her own true knight, bidding
+him deliver her from her misery. Even as
+she spoke, a shadow fell across the window.
+A bird had stayed his flight beside it; he
+pressed through the bars and was at her feet.
+His ash-brown plumage and rounded wings
+told her he was a goshawk, and from the
+jesses on his legs she saw he had been
+a&rsquo;hunting. While she gazed in surprise at
+his sudden appearance, she beheld a transformation,
+and in less time than it takes to
+tell, the goshawk had become a gallant knight,
+with raven locks and flashing eyes. It was
+the knight of her dreams, and with a cry of
+joy she flew to him.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I could not come to thee before, my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>
+Sweet,&rsquo; said he, &lsquo;since thou didst not call for
+me aloud. Now shall I be with thee at thy
+lightest wish, and no more shalt thou be lonely.
+But beware of the aged crone who guards thy
+door! Her purblind eyes are not beyond
+seeing, and should she discover me I must die.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>And now the beautiful lady no longer
+pined to leave her prison, for she had only to
+breathe his name, and her lover reappeared.
+Her beauty came back to her as gladness to
+the earth when the sun shines after rain, and
+her songs were as joyous as those of the lark
+when it soars high in the heavens. The old
+lord was greatly puzzled, and bade the ancient
+widow keep a careful watch.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;My beautiful lady is gay!&rsquo; he said, with
+an ugly smile. &lsquo;We must learn why she
+and sighs are strangers. I had thought ere
+this to lay her to sleep beneath a smooth
+green coverlet, and it does not please me to
+see her thus content.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>The aged crone bathed her eyes in water
+that flowed from a sacred shrine, so that sight
+might come back to them, and hid herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span>
+behind a curtain when the beautiful lady
+thought that she had left the tower. From
+this place of vantage she beheld, shortly after,
+the arrival of the goshawk, and his transformation
+into a handsome and tender knight.
+Slipping away unseen, she hastened to her
+master and told him all, not forgetting to
+describe the beautiful lady&rsquo;s rapture in her
+knight&rsquo;s embrace.</p>
+
+<p>The jealous lord was furious with rage, and
+caused, at dead of night, four sharp steel
+spikes to be fixed to the bars of the window
+in the tower. On leaving his love, the goshawk
+flew past these safely, but when he
+returned at dusk the next evening, he overlooked
+them in his eagerness, and was sorely
+hurt. The beautiful lady hung over her
+beloved, distraught with grief; all bleeding
+from his wounds, he sought to comfort her.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw033" id="ibw033"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw033.jpg" width="383" height="504" alt="She hid herself behind a curtain." title="She hid herself behind a curtain." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw034.jpg" width="384" height="504" alt="The jealous lord" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Dear love, I must die!&rsquo; he murmured
+faintly, &lsquo;but thou shalt shortly bear me a son
+who will dispel thy sorrows and avenge my
+fate.&rsquo; Then he gave her a ring from his
+finger, telling her that while she wore it
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span>neither the old lord nor the widow would
+remember aught that she would have them
+forget. He also gave her his jewelled sword,
+and bade her keep it till the day when Fate
+should bring her to his tomb, and she should
+&lsquo;learn the story of the dead.&rsquo; Then, and then
+only, he commanded, was his son to know
+what had befallen him.</p>
+
+<p>The beautiful lady wept anew, and in a
+passion of grief begged him not to leave her;
+but once more bidding her a fond farewell, he
+resumed the form of a goshawk, and flew
+mournfully away.</p>
+
+<p>It happened as the knight foretold. Neither
+the widow nor the old lord remembered his
+coming, and when the beautiful lady&rsquo;s son was
+born, the old lord was proud and happy. His
+satisfaction made him somewhat less cruel to
+the beautiful lady, who lived but for her boy.
+In cherishing him her grief grew less, but
+though she had now her freedom, she never
+ceased to long for the time when her son
+should know the truth about his father.</p>
+
+<p>The boy grew into a lad, and the lad into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span>
+a handsome and gallant knight. He was high
+in favour at court, since none could approach
+him in chivalry or swordmanship, and many
+marvelled that one so brave and pure as he
+could be the son of the old lord, whose advancing
+years were as evil as those of his youth
+had been. One day his mother and he were
+summoned by the King to a great festival,
+and rather than let them out of his sight, the
+old lord rose from his bed to go with them.
+They halted on their way at a rich Abbey,
+where the Abbot feasted them royally and
+before they left desired to show them some of
+the Abbey&rsquo;s splendours. When they had
+duly admired the exquisite carvings in the
+chapels, and the golden chalice on the High
+Altar, he conducted them to a chapter room,
+where, covered with hangings of finely
+wrought tapestry, and gorgeous embroideries
+of blue and silver, was a stately tomb.
+Tapers in golden vessels burned at its head
+and feet, and the clouds of incense that filled
+the air floated from amethyst vessels. It was
+the tomb, the Abbot said, of &lsquo;a noble and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>
+most valiant knight,&rsquo; who had met his death
+for love&rsquo;s sweet sake, slain by certain mysterious
+wounds which he bore on his stricken
+breast.</p>
+
+<p>When the beautiful lady heard this, she
+knew she had found the resting place of her
+own true love, and taking his sword from the
+silken folds of her gown, where she had ever
+carried it concealed from view, she handed it
+to the young knight and told him all.</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0b">&lsquo;Fair son, you now have heard,&rsquo; she said,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0b">&lsquo;That God hath us to this place led.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It is your father who here doth lie,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Whom this old man slew wrongfully.&rsquo;<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>With this she fell dead at her son&rsquo;s feet;
+and forthwith he drew the sword from its
+jewelled scabbard, and with one swift blow
+smote off the old lord&rsquo;s head.</p>
+
+<p>Thus did he avenge the wrongs of his
+parents, whom he vowed to keep in his
+remembrance while life should last.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw035.jpg" width="384" height="504" alt="Smote off the old lord&rsquo;s head" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="l1"/>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw036.jpg" width="386" height="504"
+alt="Chapter V The white Stone of Happiness."
+title="Chapter V The white Stone of Happiness." />
+</div>
+
+<p>The fruit trees were a-glow with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span>
+blossom when we reached Normandy, and
+the pink and white Elves who played hide-and-seek
+in the boughs were as lovely as Titania.
+We spent some time at a big farm, where
+Father had stayed long ago with Mother,
+and we drove all over the country in the
+farmer&rsquo;s gig.</p>
+
+<p>One day I woke quite early, when the birds
+had only just commenced to twitter, and the
+sky was still rosy with dawn. I threw open
+my little casement window as wide as it
+would go, and the air smelt so sweet, and it
+was all so beautiful, that I longed to be out-of-doors.
+In the quiet of the early morning
+the Elves might be abroad, so I slipped on my
+things and stole down to the orchard. And
+there, sure enough, were the Elfin hosts.</p>
+
+<p>But though I told them who I was, they
+were too shy to talk, and scattered the
+blossom on my upturned face, when I tried
+to coax them. A fat brown thrush scolded me
+for disturbing her babies at their breakfast,
+and fluttered round me, beating her wings,
+until I moved away, when the Elves seemed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span>
+to be as pleased as she was, for they wanted
+to be left to themselves.</p>
+
+<p>On the opposite side of the orchard was a
+bank of moss, and I strolled across and sat
+down in a little hollow. The moss was soft as
+velvet, and through the boughs of a pear tree,
+laden with bloom, I could see the gate to the
+farm-yard. A speckled hen was the only
+creature in sight, and it amused me to watch
+how daintily she pecked this side and that.
+All at once there came an excited chorus of
+&ldquo;<em>Cluck-Cluck-Cluck!&rdquo;</em> and it seemed as if
+every fowl in the place were trying to go
+through the gate. They were led by a fine
+young cock, with beautifully bright green head
+feathers. Once he was safely through, he
+perched himself on an empty pail, and crowed
+indignantly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>Cock-adoodle-do-oo!&rdquo;</em> mocked a voice
+behind him, and a little boy in a red cap
+gave him a box on the ears which sent him
+flying.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That bird thinks twice too much of himself,&rdquo;
+he grinned, as he ran to me over the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>
+grass. &ldquo;Who am I? Why, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i> of
+Normandy, first cousin to Puck and Robin
+Goodfellow across the water.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He had twinkling eyes that were never
+still, and a roguish face. I knew I was going
+to like him immensely, so I showed him my
+new knife and said he might whittle his stick
+if he&rsquo;d promise to give it back to me. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain
+Rouge</i> felt both blades with a small brown
+finger, and said they were too blunt for him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Blunt?&rdquo; I cried. &ldquo;Why, they&rsquo;re as sharp
+as sharp can be! Just see!&rdquo; But when I
+tried to show him how sharp they were,
+neither would cut at all. I was so surprised
+that I hadn&rsquo;t a word to say, and <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i>
+doubled himself in two with laughter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; he gasped, when he could
+speak, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll make them all right for you.&rdquo;
+He touched them again, twisting his tongue
+round the corner of his mouth, and screwing
+his eyes up comically.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now cut!&rdquo; he said, and when I found they
+were as sharp as ever, I shut up the blades,
+and put the knife back into my pocket. I was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span>
+glad I had left my watch in the house, for
+<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i> might have tried to play tricks
+with that.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Another name I go by is the &lsquo;Lutin,&rsquo;&rdquo; he
+said, throwing himself on the ground beside
+me. &ldquo;When I have nothing better to do, I
+<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">lutine</i>, or twist, the horses&rsquo; manes. One
+summer afternoon two lazy maids fell fast
+asleep in the hay loft, when they ought to
+have been down with the reapers in the long
+field. I <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">lutined</i> their hair so nicely for them
+that when they woke they could not untwist
+it, and had to cut it off! The House Spirits
+made rather a fuss, for those girls were pets
+of theirs, but Abundia, Queen of the Fées and
+Lutins, said I had done quite right. We
+can&rsquo;t bear laziness, you know, for we&rsquo;re always
+busy ourselves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you do besides mischief?&rdquo; I
+said slyly, as he smoothed the feather in his
+pretty cap. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i> looked quite offended.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If the truth were told,&rdquo; he said in a huff,
+&ldquo;I should fancy I&rsquo;m twice as much use as you
+are. The farmers couldn&rsquo;t get on without<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span>
+me. I look after the horses, and help to rub
+the poor beasts down when they come home
+tired at the end of the day; I stir their food
+so that it agrees with them, and scare off the
+grey goblins who might put it into their heads
+to work no more at the plough. And I&rsquo;m as
+good to the farmers&rsquo; wives as an extra maid,
+even if I do take my pay in a drink of cream.
+I dance my shadow on the wall to amuse the
+children if they are fretful, and tell them
+stories when the wind moans down the
+chimney and would frighten them if it could.
+And I pinch their toes when they are naughty,
+and hide the playthings they leave about.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He looked so much in earnest while he told
+me all this, and so very good, that I was
+beginning to think he was not half so mischievous
+as Puck, when he gave a funny little
+chuckle, and rubbed his hands.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Such fun as I have with the fishermen!&rdquo;
+he cried. &ldquo;If they forget to cross themselves
+with holy water before they go to sea, I fill
+their nets with heavy stones, or entice away
+the fish. When the fancy takes me, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span>
+change myself into the form of a handsome
+young man, and if folks do not then treat
+me with proper respect, and call me &lsquo;<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Bon
+Garçon</i>&rsquo; civilly, I pelt them with stones until
+they run! Their wives and daughters are
+always gentle to poor <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i>, however;
+and when I can, I do them a good turn.
+Shall I tell you how I consoled the fair Marguerite
+when she wept? Then listen well!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw037.jpg" width="375" height="285" alt="Nain Rouge on a rabbit" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw038.jpg" width="372" height="361" alt="The white Stone of Happiness." title="The white Stone of Happiness." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A favourite haunt of mine,&rdquo; began <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain
+Rouge</i>, &ldquo;is a little fishing village, close to
+Dieppe. The maidens there are more to my
+mind than those on any other part of the coast;
+their skin is like clear pale amber, warmed
+into redness where the sun has kissed it, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span>
+their eyes&mdash;ah! you should see them! The
+fairest of all was Marguerite, and often I sat
+for hours on her window-sill to watch her at
+her spinning. Etienne would come and watch
+her too, and he thought, foolish lad, that her
+angel-face meant an angel temper; but I knew
+she had a tongue.</p>
+
+<p>And such a tongue! It was like the brook,
+for it never stopped, and she said such sharp
+and bitter things that the love of her friends
+withered up as they heard them, just as
+spring lilies droop before a cruel East wind.
+Etienne was a stranger, or he would have
+known better than to woo her seriously.
+Strange to relate, the wayward maid was
+different from the day he came. I had never
+known her so soft and sweet, and the neighbours
+said that surely some good fairy had
+laid her under a spell.</p>
+
+<p>Etienne and she were wed one summer
+morning, but the little new moon had not
+shone in the heavens a second time when
+there was trouble between them. Marguerite&rsquo;s
+tongue was sharper than ever from its long<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span>
+rest, and Etienne could not believe it belonged
+to his &lsquo;angel&rsquo; bride. He left the cottage
+without a word, and when he came back his
+mouth was grim, for his mates had hastened to
+make things worse by telling him many tales.
+A foolish man was Etienne, or he would not
+have heeded them; but that is neither here
+nor there.</p>
+
+<p>From this time on he made as though he
+were deaf when Marguerite railed at him, and
+he took her no more to his breast when he
+came back from the sea. And Marguerite
+grieved, for she loved him well in her woman&rsquo;s
+way, and longed for his caresses. The sight
+of his pale set face, and his sombre eyes&mdash;they
+were like the eyes of a dog in pain, when
+the hand he loves best has struck him&mdash;stung
+her to fresh taunts, and there came a day
+when he answered her back in the same way,
+and all but struck her. Ah! a woman&rsquo;s tongue
+can do rare mischief! His mother had never
+heard an ugly word from him.</p>
+
+<p>One eve I met Marguerite on the shore.
+She was sobbing bitterly, for she had just
+come out of a cave in the rocks, where dwelt
+a Witch who could read the future.</p>
+
+<p>I had taken the form of a slim, dark, serious
+looking lad, and laying a gentle hand upon
+her arm, &lsquo;What ails you, Madame Marguerite?&rsquo;
+I said. She glanced at me piteously, as one
+who seeks a refuge and knows not where to
+turn, and wrung her hands.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw039" id="ibw039"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw039.jpg" width="382" height="502" alt="&ldquo;What ails you, Madame Marguerite?&rdquo;" title="&ldquo;What ails you, Madame Marguerite?&rdquo;" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw040.jpg" width="381" height="501" alt="I picked it up and showed it to her." title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span></p>
+<p>&lsquo;I have lost my Etienne&rsquo;s heart for ever,
+for ever,&rsquo; she wailed, &lsquo;unless I can find the
+White Stone of Happiness, which a mermaid
+throws from the depths of the sea once in a
+thousand years. I may search for months,
+and never find it; and Etienne holds aloof
+from me, and grows further away each day.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now just at her feet lay a small white stone,
+smooth and round as a Fairy&rsquo;s plaything. I
+picked it up and showed it to her.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;It shall be yours,&rsquo; I told her gravely, &lsquo;if
+you give me your solemn promise to heed my
+words.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I promise!&rsquo; she answered fervently, and
+the wind tossed her unbound hair until it
+floated round her shoulders like a Kelpie&rsquo;s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span>
+mane. A seventh wave rushed up to her feet,
+and as she moved nearer the breakwater, I
+sang her this little song:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0b">&lsquo;Fairy stone of fairy spell,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Marguerite, O guard it well!<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">When thine anger doth arise<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Elves would rob thee of thy prize.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Press it &rsquo;neath thy tongue so red,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Hold it firm till wrath has sped.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Smile, speak softly, and behold,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Love shall warm thee as of old.&rsquo;<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>Then I gave her the stone, and she clasped it
+against her bosom and sped to her home.</p>
+
+<p>When Etienne returned he was in a bitter
+mood. Luck had been against him; he had
+caught no fish, and his largest net had been
+torn on the rocks. Marguerite set a meal
+before him, but he pushed it angrily away;
+for the broth had burned while she was with
+the Witch, and tasted anything but pleasant.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Such food is not fit for a dog!&rsquo; he cried.
+&lsquo;&rsquo;Twas an ill day for me when I came to <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Le
+Pollet!</i> I had done better to drown myself.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Marguerite stayed her fierce reply that
+she might slip the white stone between her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span>
+lips; and as she held it beneath her tongue
+her anger suddenly melted. She thought
+now of Etienne&rsquo;s hunger and weariness,
+and was sorry that she had nought in the
+house for him to eat. And as he sat in moody
+silence she stole away, and begged some good
+broth from her godmother, who had always
+enough and to spare. This she placed before
+him beside the hearth, and smiled, and spoke
+in a gentle voice that made him turn to her
+with a start&mdash;it was just as if the Marguerite
+he loved had come back to him from the grave.
+Then he drew her to him, hiding his face in
+her dress; and for the first time since many a
+long day there was peace between them.
+Marguerite kept that white stone always, and
+when she was tempted to speak in anger it
+worked like a Fairy spell.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And wasn&rsquo;t it one?&rdquo; I asked, as <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i>
+put on his cap again, and a delicious smell of
+fried eggs and bacon came from the farmhouse
+kitchen on the breeze.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not it,&rdquo; said <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i>, laughing
+heartily, &ldquo;there were thousands like it on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>
+beach, but you see it did just as well. For
+if once a woman can be induced to hold her
+tongue when she is angry, there&rsquo;ll be little
+trouble &rsquo;twixt man and wife. This has been
+so from all time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>Cock-a-doodle doo!&rdquo;</em> cried the black cock,
+strutting grandly in front of us. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i>
+darted after him, and I left them to themselves
+and went in to breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>I did not see <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i> again, but I heard
+a great deal about him from Madame Daudet,
+the farmer&rsquo;s wife; she called him &ldquo;the plague
+of her life.&rdquo; She said he hid her spectacles
+every time that she laid them down, and that
+it was quite impossible to make good butter,
+for he would play tricks with the cream. I
+think she was fond of him, all the same, for
+when I mentioned his name her jolly old face
+crinkled up into smiles, and she looked quite
+pleased and happy.</p>
+
+<p>One day when Father had gone to the village
+to see some sick child whom the peasants
+believed to have been gazed at with &ldquo;an evil
+eye,&rdquo; because it seemed unable to get well,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span>
+Madame came to me as I stood prodding with
+a stick some fat black pigs who would not
+stir.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Since you are so fond of Fairy Folk,&rdquo; she
+said, &ldquo;why not go to the valley, and see if you
+can meet a Fée? I have never seen one myself,
+but my great-great-grandmother came
+across a bevy of them in a forest near Bayeux.
+The loveliest one was their Queen, and my
+great-great-grandmother talked of her beauty
+until her dying day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; I said. And she gave me
+some brown bread and a golden apple, so that
+I need not come home for tea. Perhaps she
+wanted to get me out of the way, for the sick
+child&rsquo;s aunt was coming to pay her a visit,
+and she liked a gossip.</p>
+
+<p>The valley was very still. Even the birds
+seemed to have gone to sleep, and the stream
+that trickled down from the hill tinkled very
+softly, as if it had to be careful not to wake
+the ferns that fringed its banks. As I looked
+up the glade I saw a lovely little lady coming
+slowly towards me, and my heart began to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>
+thump in the queerest way. She wore a
+trailing silvery gown, with a deep band of blue
+at its border. Her shoes were set with tiny
+diamonds, and her dainty feet moved through
+the grass as prettily and as softly as the wind
+does through the corn. She did not see me
+until she had come quite close, for I stood in
+the shade of a blossoming bush. As I took off
+my cap, her fair face flushed deeply, and for a
+moment I feared she would run away. So
+I hastened to tell her that I was a Christmas
+Child, and why I had come to the valley. At
+this she smiled, and I saw that her eyes were
+as blue as the depths of the sea.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are welcome,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;though at
+first I feared you. Such sorrow has come to
+Fées through mortals that we are wont to fly
+at man&rsquo;s approach. But a Christmas Child
+is almost a Fée himself, and I may talk to
+you. My name is Méllisande.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she asked me to walk with her through
+the wood, and I felt quite proud when she
+took my hand. A cheeky little Elf, who overheard
+me say that I would go with her anywhere,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>
+turned a somersault in the air and
+burst out laughing, but I pretended not to hear.
+It wasn&rsquo;t his business, anyhow, and I wished
+that that walk through the valley had been
+twice as long.</p>
+
+<p>At the further end, quite hidden among the
+larches, was a natural grotto of moss-grown
+stones, and just inside it a heap of ferns,
+piled up to make a throne that was fit for a
+queen. Méllisande seated herself on this, and
+I sat down at her feet.</p>
+
+<p>We did not talk for a long while, for she
+seemed to be thinking as she stroked my hair,
+and I only wanted to look at her. After
+awhile I asked her if she had been one of
+the Fées that Madame Daudet&rsquo;s great-great-grandmother
+had met in a forest near Bayeux.
+She smiled and sighed as she told me &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo;
+and a wood dove flew out of the trees and
+perched on her shoulder.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw041.jpg" width="383" height="503" alt="Then she asked me to walk with her" title="" />
+</div>
+<hr class="l1"/>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw042.jpg" width="381" height="500"
+alt="Chapter VI The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou."
+title="Chapter VI The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Once upon a time,&rdquo; said Méllisande,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>
+&ldquo;there dwelt at the Castle of Argouges a noble
+lord who was famous not only for his bravery,
+but for the extreme beauty of his dark features
+and slender form. All women loved him, but
+though he served them with chivalry, as
+became a knight, he sought his pleasure in
+the woods and fields rather than in their
+company. He knew what the brook was
+humming as it gurgled over the stones, and
+the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled
+among the pines. Sometimes he wrote these
+things on a sheet of paper and read them to
+himself aloud as he lay on the green sward.
+The Fées in the forest drew near to listen, for
+the voice of this lord of Argouges was sweet
+as the lute of Orpheus, and their lovely Queen
+lost her heart to him. Day after day she
+hovered by his side, sighing when he was
+sad, and rejoicing when the words he sought
+came quickly to his pen.</p>
+
+<p>Once when he looked up suddenly he saw
+her as in a vision. A silvery veil of misty
+gauze half hid her exquisite form; and out of
+this her face looked down upon him, pure as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>
+an angel&rsquo;s, but with the love of a woman in
+her lustrous eyes. As he sprang to his feet,
+she melted away in a white cloud, and close
+to his ear he heard a mournful sigh, as if her
+spirit grieved to part from his. And he wrote
+no longer of flowing water or whispering wind,
+but of the Lady of the Woods.</p>
+
+<p>For many a day he saw her no more,
+for Henry I of England coveted Normandy,
+the ancient patrimony of his house, and sent
+his armies to take possession of it. When
+the city of Bayeux was besieged, the Lord of
+Argouges was amongst its most gallant
+defenders, and his resource and daring were
+the talk of all. None who crossed swords
+with him lived to tell the tale, for his courage
+was equalled by his skill.</p>
+
+<p>One morn a giant sprang from the enemy&rsquo;s
+ranks&mdash;a lusty German, well over seven feet,
+with the limbs of a prize-fed ox.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I dare you to fight me singly, Lord of
+Argouges!&rsquo; he cried, for he knew with whom
+he had to deal. The soldiers near stayed their
+hands to watch; the hearts of the Normans<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>
+almost stood still, but the English exulted,
+for surely now would the Lord of Argouges
+bite the dust, and his fiery sword no more
+work havoc in their ranks! Their dismay
+was great when he proved himself victor,
+though they would not have wondered had
+they had vision to see how ever beside him
+moved the shadowy form of his Lady of the
+Woods, directing his arm that his aim might
+be swift and sure, and oft-times interposing
+her tender body between him and the German&rsquo;s
+thrusts. Later on, when the gallant knight
+fainted from his wounds and was left for dead,
+she tended him pitifully as he lay on the
+blood-stained earth, moistening his lips with
+the dew of heaven, and whispering such sweet
+thoughts to him that the weary hours were
+eased by blissful dreams. He was still alive
+when morning dawned, and was found by his
+friends and carried into camp. Though
+visible to him alone, the Lady of the Woods
+was there beside his couch, and the terrible
+sights and sounds that accompanied the merciful
+efforts of those who tended the wounded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span>
+could not scare her away from him. When
+his suffering was over, and he could raise
+himself to eat and drink, she came to him no
+more, and as his strength slowly returned he
+was consumed with a passionate desire to
+find her.</p>
+
+<p>At length he was able to go home to his
+castle, and once more he roamed the forest.
+The songs of the birds were hushed by now,
+and the trees under which he used to rest
+were almost bare. It was autumn, for he had
+been long absent, and even yet his step was
+slow and his proud head bent with weakness.
+He was sick with longing for his gentle
+lady; &lsquo;If I do not find her, I shall die!&rsquo; he
+cried.</p>
+
+<p>Presently he came to a glade where the
+naked boughs formed a splendid arch above
+his head, and he saw a troop of horsewomen
+riding toward him on snow-white steeds.
+In their midst was his Lady of the Woods, a
+bridal veil on her star-crowned hair, and
+myrtle at her breast. He awaited her approach
+in a trance of delight; nearer and nearer came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>
+the prancing horses, their skins of satin
+glinting in the sun. The cavalcade reached
+his side; the Queen of the Fées dismounted
+and stood beside him, while the ground at her
+feet became a bed of lilies. The Lord of
+Argouges threw himself on his knees amidst
+their fragrance, gazing up at her with enraptured
+eyes, as softly and shyly she bent
+toward him.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="ic003" id="ic003"></a>
+<img src="images/ic003.jpg" width="368" height="491" alt="&ldquo;The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees&rdquo;" title="&ldquo;The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees&rdquo;" />
+<br /><span class="caption">&ldquo;The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Once more I greet you, dear lord!&rsquo; she said,
+and as she touched his forehead with her lips,
+the birds still lingering in the forest burst into
+joyful song. When the knight found words
+to tell her of his great love, she plighted her
+troth to him, but only he heard her whispered
+promise that she would be his wife.</p>
+
+<p>Once more she mounted her snow-white
+steed; he seated himself behind her, and thus
+they rode to the castle gates, accompanied by
+her maidens. Here the Lord of Argouges
+sprang to the ground; light as a wisp of
+thistledown, she floated into his arms, and to
+the amaze of the household, who had watched
+the approach of the procession from the castle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span>
+windows, her horse, thrice neighing, changed
+into a bird, and fluttered sorrowfully away.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Farewell, sweet Queen!&rsquo; her maidens cried,
+and kissing their hands to her, rode swiftly
+back to the depths of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Lord of the Argouges drew the
+Lady of the Woods across the threshold of
+the castle, and so queenly was her beauty and
+so gracious her demeanour, that even his aged
+mother, jealous of the son for whom she
+would have shed her life-blood, found no word
+to say against his choice.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;My love for him is nought beside thine,&rsquo;
+the Fée Queen pleaded very sweetly, &lsquo;for thou
+didst bring him into the world, and hast
+anguished for him as none else can. But I
+too have suffered on his behalf; I pray thee,
+let me love him too!&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then his mother looked long and deeply
+into the eyes of the woman who had dethroned
+her from her dear son&rsquo;s heart, and what she
+saw there filled her with peace. &lsquo;Be it as
+thou wilt,&rsquo; she said, and that self-same night
+the Lord of Argouges wedded his Lady of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span>
+Woods in the castle chapel, which was decked
+with the fragrant lilies that sprang wherever
+her feet had trod. The rejoicings lasted for
+seven days, and the Lord of Argouges looked
+as one to whom the gates of Paradise had
+opened.</p>
+
+<p>The Queen of the Fées was now to all
+seeming a mortal woman, and so far from
+regretting that she had laid aside her rank,
+each day found her more content in her husband&rsquo;s
+love, and by every womanly art she
+knew she sought to please him. One favour
+only she asked of him&mdash;that never in her
+hearing would he mention the word &lsquo;Death.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;If you do, you will lose me for ever,&rsquo; she told
+him fearfully, and he vowed by all that he
+held most sacred that this dread word should
+not cross his lips.</p>
+
+<p>The years went on. The lovely Lady of
+the Woods bore him fair daughters and gallant
+sons, and all was well with the Lord of
+Argouges. But one thing grieved him; since
+the Fées&rsquo; sweet Queen had linked her lot with
+his, she too was subject to the laws of Time,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>
+and her beauty waned with increasing age.
+The gold of her hair was streaked with silver,
+and her face lost some of its soft pink bloom.
+Her lord spake no word of what was in his
+mind as he looked at her earnestly one bright
+spring morn, but she divined his regretful
+thoughts, and full sorrowful were her own.</p>
+
+<p>The Fées could not help her, since she had
+left her fairy kindred to throw in her lot with
+mortal man, and so, with woman&rsquo;s wit, she
+determined that at the forthcoming festival
+at the Court the splendour of her attire
+should make her lord forget Time&rsquo;s changes.
+She therefore summoned to the castle the most
+skilful workers in silks and broideries, who
+toiled in her service day and night, that she
+might be richly adorned at the Royal Tournament.</p>
+
+<p>Her gown was of azure satin, encrusted with
+many gems, and her long court train glittered
+and shone with gold and silver. Diamonds
+blazed at her breast and neck, while a circlet
+of rubies glowed in her hair. But their rich
+red lustre made her pale sweet face look paler<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span>
+than ever, and she still gazed wistfully at her
+glass though the Lord of Argouges waited
+below, wondering what delayed her. At
+length he sought her himself, and in spite of
+his impatience, he could but admire her
+resplendent attire.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You have robbed the sky of his morning
+glories!&rsquo; he told her gallantly. Then, as she
+lingered still, his impatience returned: &lsquo;Fair
+spouse,&rsquo; he said, &lsquo;it were well if Death should
+send you as his messenger, for you tarry long
+when you are bidden to haste!&mdash;Forgive me,
+Sweet! I should not have said that word!&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>His remorse came too late, for the ominous
+sound had scarcely crossed his lips when with
+a cry of bitter anguish, his lady became once
+more a Fée, and vanished from his sight.
+Long and vainly did he seek her, for though
+her footmarks are still to be seen on the
+battlements of the Castle, and night after night
+she wandered round it clad in a misty robe
+of white, they two met on earth no more. She
+is pictured still in the crest of the house of
+Argouges, over its motto, &lsquo;A la Fe!&rsquo;&rdquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>I liked this story, but I wished that it had
+not ended quite so sadly. When I said so
+to Méllisande she turned her face away from
+me, and I think it was a tear drop that glittered
+on her hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then I will tell you neither of Pressina
+nor Melusina,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;for both these Fées
+lived to rue the day when they put faith in the
+word of man. It was different with the fair
+Norina. She demanded no pledge, for doubt
+and distrust came not nigh her path, and her
+love brought her only gladness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The shadows lengthened; the wood dove
+flew off to rejoin her mate; and Méllisande&rsquo;s
+lips began to smile as she thought of
+another story.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw043.jpg" width="242" height="116" alt="The wood dove flew off" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw044.jpg" width="370" height="360"
+alt="The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou." title="The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Long, long ago,&rdquo; she went on presently,
+&ldquo;when our beautiful Normandy was known
+by another name, and formed part of the
+kingdom of Neustria, which was given to the
+Duke of Paris by Charles the Bald, there lived
+a wise and noble lord who was said to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>
+magic powers. So gentle was he that the very
+birds would perch on his shoulder and twitter
+their joys to him, yet so brave and strong
+that the proudest knight cared not to provoke
+his wrath. He was skilled in the lore of
+plants and herbs, and by means of a slender
+hazel from the woods could tell where crystal
+waters flowed deep in the bowels of the earth.
+Full many a maid would have flown to him
+had he lifted his little finger, but though he
+was often lonely as he wandered beneath the
+stars, his heart went out to none, whether of
+high or low degree, and he preferred his own
+company to that of a mate whom he could
+not love.</p>
+
+<p>One Mayday he was up at dawn, searching
+the fields for a tiny plant which had some
+special gift of healing. The grass was
+spangled with myriad flowers, but he passed
+them all till he came to the one he sought&mdash;a
+small pale blossom of faintest lilac, with
+perfume as sweet as a rose&rsquo;s. While yet he
+held it in his hand he heard a cry; it was that
+of some creature in pain, and forcing his way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span>
+through a prickly hedge, he found a pure
+white dove with a broken wing lying under
+a thornbush.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Poor bird!&rsquo; he exclaimed compassionately.
+&lsquo;Who has dared to injure so fair a thing?&rsquo;
+With tender hands he set the broken wing,
+binding it to her side with three green leaves
+and some long-stemmed grass, and fed her
+with juice from the lilac flower as he soothed
+her with gentle words. When he had stilled
+her flutterings, he laid her on his breast, that
+he might bear her home and tend her until she
+could fly once more under the vault of heaven.</p>
+
+<p>On he strode through the meadow, and high
+in the sky the larks trilled their pćans of joy.
+Never to him had seemed the earth so fair,
+and the morning sun tinged his cheek with
+gladness. Suddenly he felt the burden on his
+breast grow heavy, and stayed his footsteps
+in surprise. No longer did he hold a wounded
+dove against his bosom, but a beauteous
+maiden in pure white garb, with three green
+leaves bound about her arm with stems of
+grass.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>He set her on her feet and stared at her in
+amaze; she met his enraptured gaze with eyes
+that shone like twin blue stars. Then her
+eyelids fell; she drooped beneath his glance
+as a fragile flower beneath the sun&rsquo;s fierce
+wooing.</p>
+
+<p>And as the wind sweeps over a field of
+corn when it is ripe for reaping, love took
+possession of him. Fée or woman, he swore,
+this beauteous maid should be his wife if she
+were willing, and he would guard her through
+good and ill while life should last.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Art thou mine?&rsquo; he asked her presently,
+hoarse for very joy.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I am thine!&rsquo; she said, for she had loved
+him long, and had but taken the form of a
+dove to try him. And taking her home to
+his castle, they were wedded by the holy
+priest.</p>
+
+<p>No longer now was he lonely, no longer did
+he wander solitary beneath the stars, for the
+lovely Fée was as true and tender as mortal
+woman, and made him a faithful wife. Sons
+were denied them, but seven fair daughters<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span>
+came, and he called them after the seven gems
+that graced their mother&rsquo;s diadem.</p>
+
+<p>The maidens were of such supreme loveliness
+that as they grew up to womanhood they
+were known as the Seven Fair Queens; each
+was without rival in her own style of beauty.
+Pearl was fair as day, with a skin like milk;
+Ruby&rsquo;s dark splendour was a gift from the
+Queen of Night, and her red, red mouth the
+bud of a perfect flower. The glorious hair of
+Amber fell round her shoulders in shimmering
+waves of light, and sunbeams lost themselves
+in her lashes. Sweet Turquoise had her
+mother&rsquo;s eyes of blue forget-me-not, while
+Sapphire&rsquo;s were of deeper hue, and Amethyst&rsquo;s
+that of the violet. Chrysolite&rsquo;s were a misty
+green, like the sky in the early morning, and
+no mermaid sang sweeter songs than she as
+she sat on the rocks at low tide.</p>
+
+<p>There came a time when the father of the
+Seven Fair Queens fell very sick, and not all
+his potions could prolong his days. His call
+had come, and so closely were he and Norina
+united, that one eve at sunset her life went out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>
+with his. For awhile their orphaned daughters
+wept with grief as they paced the gardens,
+or sat by the crackling fire in the great hall.
+But youth cannot mourn for ever, and with a
+second spring, glad hopes came back to them,
+and once more they rode in the chase. Since
+they were rich as well as beautiful you may
+be sure they had many wooers, but all preferred
+to reign alone.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;When we wed, it will be with Fées!&rsquo; they
+said disdainfully. This angered their lovers,
+and presently they were left in peace.</p>
+
+<p>Full wisely did they use their parents&rsquo;
+wealth, improving the land and making sure
+provision for all dependant on their bounty.
+On the coast of the Cotentin they built the
+Castle of Pirou, which gave work to the poor
+for several succeeding years, and when it was
+finished they filled it with gorgeous tapestries
+and all the treasures of art they could
+collect. Here they lived in splendour, keeping
+open house; no passing wayfarer, however
+humble, need miss a welcome if he cared to
+claim it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>They were still in the first full bloom of
+their beauty when their fame reached the ears
+of one of the great sea pirates, the dreaded
+Vikings who rode the waves like giant birds
+of prey. North, South, East and West, from
+Norway and Sweden, and little Denmark,
+they sailed in search of plunder, and such
+was their love of fighting that they would, if
+need be, challenge each other rather than allow
+their swords to rust with disuse. Although
+they robbed, they were brave men, and believed
+themselves entitled to all they took. Their
+vessels were small, and light of draught, so
+they could penetrate many rivers, but the
+great chiefs chose the sea for their battle
+ground, and ravaged many a town and village
+on the coast of France.</p>
+
+<p>When the mighty Siegmund heard of the
+Seven Fair Queens of Pirou, he resolved to storm
+their castle and take the loveliest for his bride.
+With this intent he set sail for the coast of
+Cotentin with a gallant fleet. The wind and the
+tide were with him; he reached it one soft spring
+morning when the sea was a sheet of blue.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>As the vessel which bore him neared the
+shore, the Viking espied a bevy of maidens
+in a sheltered cove, where the sand lay in
+golden ripples. Ruby and Pearl, and the
+gentle Turquoise sported in a sun-kissed
+pool; while Sapphire and Amethyst wove
+wreaths of seaweed, and Amber was smoothing
+her shining hair with a slender shell
+of mother-of-pearl that the waves had thrown
+at her feet. Chrysolite sat on a dark rock,
+singing, and her soft clear notes rang
+over the waters, enchanting Siegmund with
+their music.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;By Thor and Odin,&rsquo; he thundered, &lsquo;our
+journey was well planned. Haste thee, my
+men, and get me to that rock! That maiden
+shall be my bride.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>The boat sped swiftly, with Siegmund sitting
+in the stern. His yellow locks streamed over
+his stalwart shoulders, and his face was like
+that of some eager god as he noted Chrysolite&rsquo;s
+beauty. The maiden saw his approach; and
+now the glad notes of her exquisite song
+changed to a mournful rhythm. She was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span>
+chanting the words that her mother had breathed
+to her seven daughters as she lay a&rsquo;dying:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&lsquo;Women ye, my daughters fair<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">(Cloudless spreads the sky);<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But when menace fills the air,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Fées, as once was I.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Slender arm shall change that day<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Into snow-white plume;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Winged as birds, haste swift away<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">From thy threatening doom!&rsquo;<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>As the last words left her sorrowful lips,
+Chrysolite&rsquo;s sisters gathered round her; the
+boat&rsquo;s keel grated on the sand, and Siegmund
+sprang eagerly forward. At the same moment
+the Seven Fair Queens of Pirou raised their
+arms, and instantly these changed, before his
+eyes, to fluttering wings. High in the air
+mounted the maidens, and to the bewildered
+gaze of Siegmund they were nought but a
+line of snow-white birds flying westward in
+single file high up in the sky.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw045" id="ibw045"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw045.jpg" width="382" height="502" alt="&ldquo;They instantly changed into snow-white birds.&rdquo;" title="&ldquo;They instantly changed into snow-white birds.&rdquo;" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw046.jpg" width="381" height="501" alt="The bewildered gaze of Siegmund" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>When Siegmund had somewhat recovered
+from his amazement, he and his followers
+sacked the castle, and pillaged the surrounding
+country; it did them but little good, for a storm
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span>blew up as they sailed back northward, and
+the ships that carried the stolen treasure were
+wrecked on the rocks. As for the Seven Fair
+Queens, they mated with Fées, and were
+glad as the morning. Every year as spring
+comes round, they return to Pirou with their
+numerous descendants, in the form of a flock
+of wild geese, and take possession of the nests
+which they have hollowed out in the crumbling
+walls. They also appear when a child is born
+to the house of Pirou; if it be a daughter, and
+Fate has destined her for a nun, one sits apart
+in a corner of the courtyard, and sighs as if
+in sore distress. If a son is born, the male
+birds display their plumage, and show by
+their mien that they rejoice.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>Méllisande rose from her throne of ferns,
+&ldquo;It will be twilight soon,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and we
+must go. See! the mists are already rising in
+the valley, and the night-birds awake and call.
+Farewell, dear Christmas Child, farewell!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And, stooping down, she kissed my
+forehead.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw047.jpg" width="385" height="505" alt="She kissed my forehead" title="" />
+</div>
+<hr class="l1"/>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw048.jpg" width="382" height="502"
+alt="Chapter VII In the Dwarf&rsquo;s Palace."
+title="Chapter VII In the Dwarf&rsquo;s Palace." />
+</div>
+
+<p>Now I knew that Germany was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>
+very country for Dwarfs and Fairies, and
+when I heard that this was where we
+were going next I determined to be on the
+look out. I did not see them, though, for
+a long time after we arrived, for I was so
+tremendously interested in everything else.
+Even in the big cities where Father spent
+hours and hours in the hospitals, watching the
+wonderful things that the German doctors did,
+most of the children looked plump and rosy,
+and I didn&rsquo;t see any so thin and pale as those
+we had left at home. One of the Herr Professors,
+with whom we stayed, said that this
+was because the State made so kind a Grandmother,
+but when I asked him what he meant,
+he only laughed.</p>
+
+<p>I liked this professor best of all&mdash;he had such
+a nice way of talking, and he loved Fairies as
+much as I do. He said &ldquo;<i lang="de" xml:lang="de">Ach! So!&rdquo;</i> when I
+told him I was a Christmas Child, and smiled all
+over his kind old face. Then he put his hand on
+my shoulder, and told me that I must remember
+to do my part to make my birthday the gladdest
+day in the year for everyone around me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is different in your country,&rdquo; he went
+on, &ldquo;but here, in the Fatherland, there is
+scarcely a cottage home which has not its
+Christmas tree, even if this is only a branch
+of fir stuck in a broken pot, and hung with
+oranges and golden balls. No child is so poor
+but has his Christmas presents of cakes and
+toys, for if his mother cannot provide them, she
+tells his teacher in good time, and the teacher
+sees that he is not forgotten.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I thought this was a ripping plan, for it is
+horrid when Santa Claus forgets you, and your
+stockings hang all limp and flat, like mine did
+last year. And I made up my mind, then
+and there, that next Christmas there should be
+a tree for all the littlest and grubbiest children
+in my old home.</p>
+
+<div class="figright">
+<img src="images/ibw049.jpg" width="242" height="310" alt="Fat little things, with big blue eyes." title="Fat little things, with big blue eyes." />
+</div>
+
+<p>While Father was at the hospitals with the
+Herr Professor, I stayed with Rudolf and
+Gretchen, two of his grandchildren&mdash;fat little
+things with big blue eyes, who stared at me
+as if I had seven heads when I told them about
+the Korrigans. Gretchen believed in Fairies
+of all kinds, but Rudolf only in Dwarfs and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span>
+Giants. He even said that Santa Claus was
+just his own father dressed up, and declared
+he had seen his old brown pipe peeping out
+of Santa Claus&rsquo; pocket the last time he paid
+them a visit. Gretchen said that if so, Santa
+Claus had taken away the old brown pipe to
+bring a lovely new one in its place, and Rudolf
+told her girls knew too much. They were
+both angry by this time, and their faces
+looked very red. So I thought we had better
+talk about Dwarfs and Giants.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Grandfather says there are no Giants
+now,&rdquo; Rudolph said seriously, &ldquo;but there are
+plenty of Dwarfs in the hill which looks down
+on the forest. I saw one there myself last
+summer; he ran away and wouldn&rsquo;t speak to
+me, as if he were afraid.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Without saying anything to Rudolf, who
+might have wanted to come too, I started for
+the hill directly after dinner, while he and
+Gretchen were arguing again over the pipe
+and Santa Claus. The Professor&rsquo;s house was
+just at the end of the town, so I didn&rsquo;t have
+far to go; but the hill took much longer to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span>
+climb than I thought it would, and I was
+quite out of breath when I reached the top
+and sat down on a flat white stone. As I
+looked about me, I swung my foot, and it
+tapped against
+a biggish rock
+that was just
+in front. The
+third time that
+I did this, a
+little brown
+man hopped
+briskly out of
+a crevice and
+stood before
+me. He wore
+a bright red
+coat trimmed
+with green
+buttons, and
+carried in his hand a close-fitting cap of grey.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gently, gently, good child!&rdquo; he cried.
+&ldquo;One knock is enough, if we want to hear it,
+for our ears are as keen as we could wish.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span>
+Why did you call me, and what would you
+have?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would hear of you, and of your kinsmen,
+Master Dwarf!&rdquo; I said. &ldquo;I am a Christmas
+Child, and the Fairies are all my friends.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this he bowed, and said he was glad to
+meet me, nodding his head with a sort of
+grunt as I told him where I had met Titania.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If it be your pleasure,&rdquo; he said, looking
+round to see that no one was near but me, &ldquo;I
+will take you within the hill, and introduce
+you to my wife. The ground whereon you
+stand is hollow, as you will soon perceive,
+and we are less than a stone&rsquo;s throw from my
+palace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I told him that nothing would please me
+more than to pay him a visit, and muttering
+a word in some strange language, he rapped
+his knuckles on a cleft in the rock. It
+widened sufficiently to let us both through,
+and closed again with a thud.</p>
+
+<p>The winding passage in which I found myself
+was lit by a soft red glow, coming
+from hundreds of rubies set deep in the walls,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span>
+which seemed to be of oxidised silver. After
+several twists and turns, it ended in a wide
+hall, where I could just stand upright under
+the jewelled dome! As soon as my eyes grew
+accustomed to the blaze of light which came
+from the diamond stars set round it, I saw a
+sweet little creature in a frock of pale purple
+silk, cut short in the sleeves to show her
+pretty white arms, on which she wore many
+bracelets.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My wife!&rdquo; said the Dwarf proudly, and he
+explained to her who I was and what I wanted,
+and a great deal more about me that I was
+astonished he should know. My surprise
+amused him a good deal, and as his wife led
+the way to her boudoir he chuckled merrily.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There are Kobolds, or House-Spirits in
+most old houses,&rdquo; he remarked, &ldquo;and it is
+more than two hundred years since the first
+stone was laid of the Herr Professor&rsquo;s. I
+knew this noon that you were coming, and
+the Kobold spoke well of you, and said that
+you were not above taking advice from others
+wiser than yourself. Now, sir! What do<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span>
+you think of this?&rdquo; And he opened a door
+with a great flourish, holding it back for me
+to enter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s grand!&rdquo; I said, for so it was. The
+silver floor was inlaid with a gold scroll; the
+walls, of tinted mother-o&rsquo;-pearl, were adorned
+with wreaths of forget-me-nots, each tiny
+turquoise flower having an amber centre.
+The furniture was of filigree silver, so fragile
+to look at that I was afraid to touch it, much
+less to sit down on one of the tiny chairs, even
+if I could have fitted myself in. The Dwarf
+invited me to be seated, and his small wife
+gave me a roguish smile as she brought a
+velvet cushion from an inner room, and placed
+this on the ground. I found afterwards that
+it was the Dwarfs own bed, and that his
+pillow was made of spun spider silk, filled
+with scented roseleaves and wild thyme.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw050" id="ibw050"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw050.jpg" width="384" height="502" alt="The Dwarf invited me to be seated." title="The Dwarf invited me to be seated." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw051.jpg" width="382" height="503" alt="His little spouse offered me a sip of nectar" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When you are rested and refreshed,&rdquo; said
+the Dwarf kindly, as his little spouse offered
+me a sip of nectar from a crystal goblet, &ldquo;I
+will show you my palace. There is not much
+to see, for we are humble folk, and this hill<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span>
+comparatively a small one. The estates of
+some of our nobles extend for miles, and that
+of our Emperor runs through a range of
+mountains. In times gone by we welcomed
+mortals as our guests, for we were anxious
+to be their friends. But they grudged us even
+a handful of peas in return, and met our
+advances with jeers. Now we keep to our
+hills as far as possible, and when we desire
+to walk abroad, we are careful to wear our
+mist caps, which render us quite invisible.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He sighed so deeply that the dainty lace
+cap poised on his wee wife&rsquo;s hair was almost
+blown away, and then, straightening his bent
+shoulders, he took me to see his Banquet Hall.
+The curtains were all of filigree silver, fine as
+lace, and on the walls of the kitchen, where
+silent little men in big white aprons kneaded
+cakes on crystal slabs, shone ruby and sapphire
+butterflies.</p>
+
+<p>But this was nothing to what I saw in the
+long low vault where the Dwarf kept his
+treasures. At one end was a shimmering
+heap of pearls, some larger than pigeons&rsquo; eggs;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span>
+at another, a conical mound of diamonds,
+which threw out marvellous lights as the
+Dwarf stirred them gently with one small hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We know the properties of each stone,&rdquo;
+he said; &ldquo;how some give strength, and some
+wisdom and power to rule, while others still
+stir up strife and envy, and make men merciless
+as beasts of prey. That ruby you see
+has an evil history; a woman gave her soul
+for it, and thousands were slain in her cause.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I picked up the beautiful, glowing gem, and
+fancied I saw the face of an evil demon
+grinning at me from its depths. Dropping it
+quickly, I looked instead at a pile of rings at
+the other side of the vault. One in particular
+drew my attention; it was of beaten gold, with
+a curious stone set deep in its centre. As I
+held it aloof and stared at it, I caught a glimpse
+of a waving meadow, with a tiny path leading
+past a brook.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is the ring which the Queen of
+Lombardy gave to her son, Otnit,&rdquo; said the
+Dwarf. &ldquo;Come with me to the Court of Rest,
+and you shall hear the story.&rdquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>This was the loveliest place which I had
+yet seen in the palace. A circle of orange trees
+in full bloom enclosed a space round a rippling
+fountain, where from the gleaming beak of an
+opal bird a stream of water splashed into an
+emerald basin. The invisible wind that
+stirred the petals of the orange blossom brought
+with it the swish of the sea, and somewhere,
+far off, a nightingale was singing.</p>
+
+<p>The Dwarf seated himself on one of the
+velvet cushions strewn on the ground, and
+motioning me to take another, began his tale.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw052.jpg" width="274" height="154" alt="The Dwarf seated himself" title="" />
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw053.jpg" width="380" height="330"
+alt="Dwarf Elberich and the Emperor." title="Dwarf Elberich and the Emperor." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Otnit, Emperor of Lombardy, was one of
+the greatest kings that ever lived. By force
+of wisdom more than by might, he subdued
+the surrounding nations, and his people looked
+up to him as to a god. When the time came
+for him to wed, no maid in his wide dominions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span>
+pleased his fancy, for the wife he pictured in
+his dreams was sweet and simple, though of
+royal birth, and quite unspoiled by praise and
+flattery. He told his ministers this, and they
+shrugged their shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;His Majesty desires the impossible!&rsquo; they
+whispered amongst themselves, and so it
+seemed until the Emperor&rsquo;s Uncle Elias, the
+wild-bearded King of the Russians, told him
+of a highborn maid who was as good as she was
+beautiful, and had never yet been wooed by man.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;She shines o&rsquo;er other women as bright
+roses do!&rsquo; he cried, and Otnit vowed to win her.</p>
+
+<p>On the eve of his departure for Syria, where
+she dwelt with her father the Soldan, Otnit&rsquo;s
+mother gave him the ring you held, bidding
+him take his horse and ride toward Rome
+while gazing at the gem in the ring, that
+what he saw there might direct his path.
+The Emperor smiled, but wishing to humour
+her, did as she requested, and rode through
+the silver starlight thinking of his fair maid.
+At early dawn, when the welkin rang with
+the song of birds, he saw mirrored in the ring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span>
+a narrow pathway trodden in the green grass.
+Making his way by this fragrant road, he
+reached a linden tree by a lake. Here he
+stayed his courser, and sprang to the ground,
+peering beneath its boughs.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Never yet from tree came so sweet-breathing
+a wind,&rsquo; he laughed; for lo! an infant lay
+on the grass, his fair white frock fringed with
+many gems. Otnit found it all he could
+do to lift him, in spite of his strength, but
+placing the little creature on the saddle,
+declared his intention of taking him to the
+palace, and putting him in his mother&rsquo;s care.</p>
+
+<p>But this did not please Dwarf Elberich,
+who for his own purpose had taken the form
+of an innocent babe. He offered Otnit such
+splendid ransom of sword and shield to set
+him free, that the Emperor laid him down
+again, and even allowed him to hold the
+magic ring, by the wearing of which it had
+been possible for him to see what is usually
+hidden from mortal sight.</p>
+
+<p>Now it was Elberich&rsquo;s turn, and being
+once more invisible, he teased the Emperor to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span>
+his heart&rsquo;s content, dwelling on the anger of
+the Queen-Mother should she find that her
+gift was lost. Not until the Emperor was
+out of patience, and on the point of riding
+away did Elberich restore the ring to him.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;And now, O Otnit,&rsquo; he said, &lsquo;since I see
+you love well your mother, whom I loved long
+ere you saw the light, I will help you to gain
+your bride.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Otnit was glad, for he knew that the
+word of a Dwarf is ever as good as his bond.</p>
+
+<p>In the spring of the year, &lsquo;when all the birds
+were singing,&rsquo; the Emperor called his friends
+together and bade them embark their troops
+with his in the ships at anchor in the harbour.
+The waters of the bay gleamed as a field of
+gold as the stately vessels glided over them,
+and for long the carols of the birds on shore
+went with them on the breeze. Otnit&rsquo;s hopes
+were high as he paced the deck, though he
+grieved that the Dwarf had not come to join him.</p>
+
+<p>At length the fleet reached the Eastern coast
+of the Mediterranean, and there King Otnit
+beheld a haven full of ships, far more in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span>
+number than his own. &lsquo;I would that Elberich
+were here, for he is skilled in warfare,&rsquo; he
+murmured uneasily, for his men looked askance
+at the fleet before them. The words had
+barely left his lips when the sound of a laugh
+came from aloft, and straightway the Dwarf
+displayed himself. He had been in hiding
+amongst the rigging, and was now at hand
+to use his Fairy powers in Otnit&rsquo;s service.</p>
+
+<p>Elberich&rsquo;s gift of a small round stone, which
+he bade him thrust into his cheek, conferred
+upon Otnit the gift of language, and enabled
+him to impersonate a rich merchant with so
+much success that his ship was allowed to
+drop anchor in the harbour. When dusk
+had fallen, and all was quiet, the Emperor
+disembarked, encamping with his troops
+among the rock-hewn burial places of the
+ancient Ph&oelig;nicians, which abounded on that
+coast. Here he abode for three whole days,
+while Elberich sought the King of Syria,
+demanding his daughter&rsquo;s hand in marriage
+for his royal master. It was refused point
+blank, and, more than this, the Soldan ordered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span>
+his unwelcome visitor to be put to death. But
+the flashing blades of the guards cut the
+empty air, and Elberich jeered at them finely.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw054" id="ibw054"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw054.jpg" width="385" height="503" alt="Elberich had jeered him finely." title="Elberich had jeered him finely." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw055.jpg" width="381" height="500" alt="Cut the empty air" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span>
+&lsquo;Your daughter shall go to my lord of her
+own free will,&rsquo; he cried to the Soldan, &lsquo;and
+only so shall your skull be saved!&rsquo; He then
+returned to the Emperor, who bade his troops
+attack the city of Sidon.</p>
+
+<p>A desperate battle with the heathen followed;
+for awhile the enemy&rsquo;s numbers triumphed,
+but not for long. The Emperor&rsquo;s charge
+swept all before him, and the Soldan&rsquo;s soldiers
+fell like corn before the scythe. Then the
+Dwarf led the army to the Syrian capital; and
+red as had been the field of Sidon, it was as
+nothing to that of Muntabur, where men&rsquo;s
+blood flowed as a crimson river.</p>
+
+<p>While yet the battle was at its height,
+Elberich made his way, unseen, to an inner
+chamber of the Royal Palace, and though he
+had come to rate the Princess for her father&rsquo;s
+obstinacy, words forsook him in her presence.
+So fair a maid he had never seen; her mouth
+&lsquo;flamed like the rose,&rsquo; her flowing hair was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span>
+the colour of rich red gold, and her lovely
+eyes had the radiance of the moon. Elberich
+drew her to the window, and by the aid of his
+power over space, showed her King Otnit in
+the thick of the fight. The sun fell full on
+his upturned face, as, seated on his white
+charger, he rallied his men for the final onslaught;
+he looked as brave a knight as the
+Princess had ever seen, and she lowered her
+glance as Elberich told her how she could save
+her father.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Death alone can wean King Otnit&rsquo;s desire
+to wed you,&rsquo; he said. &lsquo;His love for you passes
+the love of man, and is withal as tender as
+that of a woman for her child.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Much more Elberich spake to her to the same
+purpose, and at close of day she allowed him
+to lead her where he would. Together they
+passed through a secret passage beneath the
+Palace, and so through the royal gardens, to
+a path which wound down to the field of battle.</p>
+
+<p>Fighting had ceased for awhile, for the
+heathen had been sore smitten; and since his
+men had neither eaten nor slept for many long
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span>hours, the Emperor must needs let them rest
+until dawn. Full of impatience at the delay
+which kept him from storming the walls that
+held the lady of his love, he paced his tent,
+and turned to find her standing before him.
+Her mouth flamed red as the reddest rose; her
+eyes had the lustre of the harvest moon, and
+her red-gold hair framed a snowy brow that
+was white as the breast of a swan. Bending
+his knee, he touched with his lips the hem of
+her gown, and when the Princess gave him
+her exquisite hand, he could scarce breathe
+for rapture.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="ic004" id="ic004"></a>
+<img src="images/ic004.jpg" width="369" height="484" alt="&ldquo;&lsquo;She is yours, O Otnit!&rsquo; cried the Dwarf&rdquo;" title="" />
+<br /><span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;She is yours, O Otnit!&rsquo; cried the Dwarf&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&lsquo;She is yours, O Otnit!&rsquo; cried the Dwarf;
+and the Emperor lifted her on to his charger,
+speaking to her with such tender and kindly
+words that her fears were stilled. With
+Elberich perched on the horse&rsquo;s mane, they
+straightway rode to the coast, where the sails
+of the Emperor&rsquo;s vessel swelled roundly in
+the wind. On the summer seas of the blue
+Mediterranean, they two were wed; and never
+had mortal man a sweeter wife, or maid a
+more gallant husband.&rdquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw056.jpg" width="387" height="502" alt="Playing soldier" title="" />
+</div>
+<hr class="l1"/>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw057.jpg" width="382" height="501"
+alt="Chapter VIII The Silver Horn." title="Chapter VIII The Silver Horn." />
+</div>
+
+<p>When the Dwarf had come to the end<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span>
+of his story, he very politely bade me goodbye,
+and bowed me out of his Castle. A week or
+two later we went to Saltzburg, and there I
+had a real adventure.</p>
+
+<p>The Professor with whom we were staying
+hadn&rsquo;t a single grandchild, and as all his
+books were old and dusty, to say nothing of
+being written in German, I should have found
+it rather dull if he had not lent me his
+nephew&rsquo;s pony. I had learnt to ride as a
+little chap, when we lived in the country. It
+was lovely there, but no one was ever ill, and
+Father had so few patients that we could
+not stay.</p>
+
+<p>The pony&rsquo;s name was Heinrich. He knew
+his way everywhere, the Professor said, so
+Father didn&rsquo;t mind my riding him alone, and
+I had a ripping time.</p>
+
+<p>One day we went to the Wunderberg, a big
+hill on a wide bleak moor, which was supposed
+to be quite hollow, and the favourite haunt of
+Wild Women.</p>
+
+<p>The ground was extremely bumpy, and
+several times I was almost thrown out of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span>
+saddle. At last I got off, for I thought I
+would rather walk.</p>
+
+<p>It was a splendid morning, and I was glad
+that I wasn&rsquo;t the Professor&rsquo;s nephew, away at
+school, as I lay on my back and looked up at
+the sky.</p>
+
+<p>A small black beetle crawled over my hand,
+but I was so comfortable that I scarcely stirred.
+It crossed my cuff and climbed a blade of
+grass; and as I watched it a shadow fell
+between me and the sunlight.</p>
+
+<p>A slender woman in a white gown was
+standing close to me. Her face was thin,
+and very wistful, and over her shoulders,
+down to her very feet, fell a mantle of glistening
+yellow hair.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Are you hungry, child?&rdquo; she asked gently,
+holding out to me a slice of fine white
+bread.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not yet,&rdquo; I answered, for we had had
+<i lang="de" xml:lang="de">Sauerkraut</i> for breakfast, and I felt that I
+should not want anything more to eat for a
+long time. She looked disappointed, and
+sighed as she threw the bread away. A bird<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span>
+flew down and pecked it, but after a taste or
+two he left it where it was.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then surely you are thirsty, and will
+drink from my horn?&rdquo; she pleaded, showing
+me a silver vessel with curious scrolls and
+writings traced in gold, which had been hidden
+by her beautiful hair. I took a sip from its
+bevelled edge, and had scarcely swallowed
+the first drop when I felt myself sinking
+through the hill, the Wild Woman still beside
+me.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;At last! At last!&rdquo; she cried, clapping her
+shadowy hands as we stood in a wide hall lit
+with amber light. &ldquo;O sisters, rejoice with me!
+I have found a child, and his eyes, his eyes
+are crystal clear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She bent over me as she spoke, half smothering
+me with her silken tresses, and I was so
+afraid that those sisters of hers would hug me
+too, that I scrambled away and I took to my
+heels and <em>ran</em>.</p>
+
+<p>But you couldn&rsquo;t get far in that place. It
+was a miniature town, with silver streets and
+golden houses, and gorgeous palaces in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span>
+between. Every turn I took led to a wide
+square filled with rose trees, where fountains
+of gold and silver water bubbled and sparkled
+in the mysterious pale green light. A flock of
+brilliant humming birds whirred their wings
+in my face so that I could not see where I
+was going, and the Wild Women formed a
+circle round me and began to sing:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0a">&ldquo;Only once did mortal child,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">By our silver horn beguiled,<br /></span>
+<span class="i6">Find a way to leave us;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Though they call us strange and wild,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Thou shalt find us soft and mild.<br /></span>
+<span class="i6">Stay, and do not grieve us.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>Their voices were very sweet, but when
+they had sung that verse twice over, I did
+not want to hear it again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mind staying with you for an hour
+or two,&rdquo; I said, as they stopped singing, &ldquo;but
+I shouldn&rsquo;t care to live here. I am a Christmas
+Child, and there are other Fairy Folk I want
+to see.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they looked at each other, and drew
+away.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Since he is a Christmas Child,&rdquo; said one,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span>
+&ldquo;we cannot keep him. You should have
+known better, Sister Snow-blossom, than to
+bring him here!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How could I tell,&rdquo; wailed Snow-blossom.
+&ldquo;He seemed like any other boy, and would
+just have fitted the green silk suit that I wove
+so long ago.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas, alas!&rdquo; the others sighed. &ldquo;The
+longer he stays, the more it will wring our
+hearts to part with him. Take him back to
+the hill at once, dear Snow-blossom, and bid
+him hasten home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But I didn&rsquo;t want to go just yet, for now
+that they did not wish to hug me, I thought
+they were rather nice. Their faces were like
+pure marble, so still and pale, and their light
+green eyes were very gentle. So I asked if
+Snow-blossom might not show me round, as
+the Professors did Father when he came to a
+strange town. Her sisters still urged her to
+send me away at once, before she had time
+to grow fond of me, but she would not listen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want with a mortal child?&rdquo;
+I said, when I had been all over the empty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span>
+golden houses, and had seen the tiny cathedral,
+the model of the one at Saltzburg, set with
+pearls and rubies, and many other precious
+stones of which I did not know the name.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Because we are lonely,&rdquo; she answered;
+&ldquo;so lonely, child. Our only friends are the
+little people who guard our treasures in the
+centre of the earth, and we would fain have
+mortals to bear us company. Once, long ago, a
+goodly youth of noble birth was almost tempted
+to sip from our silver horn, and had he done so
+his home would have known him no more.
+Sweet Stella, the fairest Wild Woman who
+drew breath between the last faint pulse of
+the night time and the glowing dawn of day,
+waylaid him on the brow of the hill when he
+was heated in the chase, but although he
+craved the cooling draught she offered him,
+he would not drink from her hand; her
+exceeding beauty excited his suspicions, and
+he guessed that she was no mortal maid.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Let me see what your wine is like before I
+taste it!&rsquo; he said warily, taking the silver horn
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span>from her hands. He had no sooner grasped
+it, than he sprang to his horse and rode away.
+For many years the horn was kept amongst
+the treasures of the House of Oldenburg, to
+which he belonged, but at last, after many
+generations, it came back to us. No one but
+you and the little Karl has drunk from it
+since then.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>We were under the rose trees in the great
+square, and I had found a seat in a ruby and
+pearl pavillion, with queer golden faces staring
+down on me from each corner. Snow-blossom
+hid her face in her hands when I asked her
+who was Karl, and rocked herself to and fro;
+then she lifted her head and looked at me, and
+I saw that she was crying.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will tell you,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but first come
+close. For words have wings in the Wunderberg,
+and I would not have my sisters know
+I am grieving still.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I sat down beside her, and then she began,
+speaking very softly and slowly, with deep
+sighs in between. The tears on her cheeks
+seemed to shine like pearls, and her hair
+gleamed more golden than ever.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw058.jpg" width="370" height="356"
+alt="The little Karl and the wild-woman." title="The little Karl and the wild-woman." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There was once a poor man named Henzel
+who should have been well content, for his girl-wife,
+Gretchen, was good and sweet, and the black
+bread he ate when his toil was over was pleasant
+to his taste. His bed was warm, and his sleep
+was sound. What could a man want more?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>But Henzel was ever full of complainings.
+His neighbour, Johann, had married a rich
+woman, and now owned a well stocked farm
+with many herds. Each time that he met
+him, Henzel sighed.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I might have done better than he,&rsquo; he
+grumbled, even when he heard that Johann&rsquo;s
+wife was a great scold, and did not allow her
+husband a moment&rsquo;s peace. He looked askance
+at his gentle Gretchen, who bore with his
+rough moods tenderly, since once he had been
+her lover. But she grieved in secret, for never
+a good word had he for her now, and her
+flaxen hair lost its shimmer of satin, and her
+cheeks their dainty bloom.</p>
+
+<p>She was digging in the cottage garden, for
+Henzel would do no work at home, when a
+very old man toiled slowly up the hill. His
+clothes were dusty, and his staff was bent; he
+looked very weary, and his voice, as he
+bade her &lsquo;Goodmorrow,&rsquo; was faint and low.
+Gretchen&rsquo;s heart was filled with pity; she
+invited him to enter her tidy kitchen, and put
+before him the best she had. It was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span>
+much, but her strange guest thanked her
+gratefully. While he rested, she went to the
+forest, to cut him a strong oak sapling for a
+staff. The old man had vanished when she
+returned, and in his place sat a little Dwarf,
+not more than twelve inches high.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw059" id="ibw059"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw059.jpg" width="381" height="500" alt="In the old man&rsquo;s place sat a little Dwarf." title="In the old man&rsquo;s place sat a little Dwarf." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw060.jpg" width="381" height="499" alt="Henzel" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span></p>
+<p>&lsquo;I perceive that you have a kind disposition,
+Gretchen, which is better than a rich dower,&rsquo;
+he said, waving his hand for her to be seated
+also. &lsquo;You are already sufficiently blessed,&rsquo;
+he went on, &lsquo;in being both virtuous and patient,
+but I am willing to grant you your dearest wish.
+Speak out, and tell me what you most desire.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Gretchen bent her brows, and pondered
+deeply. If she asked the Dwarf for gold,
+Henzel would rejoice, but she had lived with
+him long enough to know that whatever he
+had, he would still want more. Should she
+ask for another husband, then, since the one
+she had, had ceased to love her, and threw
+her but scornful looks? Nay&mdash;that would be
+wrong, for whatever happened she was
+Henzel&rsquo;s wife. And the flush on her girlish
+face became yet deeper, for a very sweet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span>
+thought had fluttered across her mind. She
+would ask for a little child to lie on her breast,
+and bear her company through the long nights
+and days.</p>
+
+<p>When the Dwarf heard her whispered
+request, he smiled on her very kindly.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You are a true woman,&rsquo; he said, and disappeared
+as Henzel crossed the threshold.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Who has been here?&rsquo; he asked, scowling
+at the empty cup and platter.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;An old, old man, who was tired and hungry,&rsquo;
+Gretchen replied, and anxious to escape his
+further questioning, she turned to the newly-kindled
+fire, and put on a saucepan of broth
+for him. But Henzel was very curious, for
+strangers came that way but seldom, and
+before long he had drawn the whole story
+from Gretchen&rsquo;s lips, with the exception of
+the Dwarf&rsquo;s offer to grant her a wish.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Did he not speak of rewarding you for your
+hospitality?&rsquo; her husband persisted, guessing
+that something had been kept back from him.
+And Gretchen shyly told him for what she
+had asked.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Fierce was Henzel&rsquo;s anger at her neglect of
+this opportunity to make him rich. He stormed
+and raved until poor Gretchen longed to hide,
+and when at last his rage had spent itself, he
+was sullen as winter clouds. She would have
+minded this more had it not been for the dear
+new hope that filled her bosom, and early in
+the spring a little son was born to her.</p>
+
+<p>What cared she then for Henzel&rsquo;s anger,
+so long as it did not touch her child? It was
+joy enough to feel the wee thing&rsquo;s fingers straying
+over her face, to see his limbs grow round
+and dimpled, and to hear him laugh as she
+sang to him baby songs. Henzel went in and
+out, taking little notice of either of them; his
+thoughts were all absorbed in schemes for
+growing rich, for the love of money held him
+in its grip.</p>
+
+<p>When little Karl was six years old his
+mother died. Instead of sorrowing for her,
+Henzel was glad, for now he could marry
+the elderly widow in the next town who was
+ready to exchange her wealth for a handsome
+husband.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>So Henzel, too, had now a well-stocked
+farm, but this brought him small satisfaction.
+For his new wife was a greater scold even
+than Johann&rsquo;s, and he dare not so much
+as cross the threshold without taking off his
+boots. As to Karl, he was sent to mind the
+cattle on the Kugelmill close by; the little lad
+was so ill-clad that his ragged tatters blew in
+the winter wind. He was hungry also, for
+his stepmother grudged him the simplest food,
+and but that he shared their berries with the
+birds, he must have starved.</p>
+
+<p>When the hawthorns were white with the
+snows of spring, and the daisies showed their
+golden centres on the grassy slopes, we heard
+him crying for his mother. Stella flew to his
+side, and gathered him in her arms. Her
+lovely hair covered his shivering limbs, and
+the desolate child clung close to her as she
+held the silver horn to his curved red lips.
+His soft embrace set her woman-love on fire,
+and veiling him in her golden tresses, she
+brought him here.</p>
+
+<p>He was happy with us&mdash;as happy as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span>
+days were long. We wove for him garments
+of silken sheen, and taught him to call us by
+the sweet name of &lsquo;Mother.&rsquo; &hellip; One day
+he begged us to let him play on the hill, so
+we took him thither, hiding close by, that we
+might guard him from harm. He was seen
+by some wood-cutters working near, and they
+took word to his father; but before he could
+fetch him, we had spirited him away. Karl
+never asked to play on the hill again, and all
+went well with us for many years, till he
+sprang into a gallant youth, with his mother&rsquo;s
+eyes and a lordly will, unlike her yielding way.</p>
+
+<p>And then? Ah me! His love for our
+beautiful Stella grew fierce and wild&mdash;the love
+of a mortal man for a maid. And since no
+Wild Woman may wed, one night he bore her
+away from our hill to the evening star, which
+is the sanctuary of lovers. Thence she sends
+glad dreams to motherless children, and to
+lonely women who pine for love.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>I did not stay much longer in the Wunderberg,
+for somehow the scented air seemed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span>
+have grown chilly. When I said to Snow-blossom
+that I must leave her, she wept again,
+and gave me a shining strand of hair to guide
+me back to the moor. It turned into gossamer
+when I reached the daylight, and floated softly
+away.</p>
+
+<p>Heinrich was still munching at the short
+grass, and stared at me very hard when I
+caught his bridle. I suppose he thought I
+had been a long while gone.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw061.jpg" width="281" height="153" alt="Wild Women" title="" />
+</div>
+<hr class="l1"/>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw062.jpg" width="381" height="500"
+alt="Chapter IX The Little White Feather." title="Chapter IX The Little White Feather." />
+</div>
+
+<p>If you&rsquo;ve ever tried to count the raindrops,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span>
+you will know how I felt when for three whole
+days it poured in torrents. I was alone in
+the library, watching a hole in the wainscotting
+through which a mouse had just poked her
+head, when some one said &ldquo;<i lang="de" xml:lang="de">Guten Morgen</i>&rdquo;
+in a piping voice, and I knew this must be a
+Kobold. I was rather surprised that I had
+not met one of these House-Spirits before.</p>
+
+<p>He was sitting on the edge of a bookcase&mdash;a
+little brown man with a wrinkled, good-natured
+face, and wearing no clothes. He
+chuckled when I said that I would rather speak
+English if he did not mind, and remarked that
+all languages were the same to him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I believe you have met some cousins of
+mine, the Brownies,&rdquo; he went on affably,
+kissing his hand to the mouse, who popped
+back to her hole as if he had shocked her.
+&ldquo;They are good little chaps, but quiet and
+humdrum. You always know what a Brownie
+will do, but as for us&mdash;mortals can never tell
+what a Kobold will be up to next. We make
+ourselves quite at home in their houses, and
+really own them, if the truth were known.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span>
+But excuse me&mdash;I should not appear before
+you in this undress.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In the twinkling of an eye the Kobold had
+changed himself into a curly haired boy, with
+smooth pink cheeks and a red silk coat, and
+knickerbockers of dark green velvet. &ldquo;This
+is my best suit,&rdquo; he explained proudly, turning
+himself from side to side. &ldquo;I usually wear it
+when I play with children who were born,
+like yourself, at the blessed feast of Christmas-tide.
+It is only one of my many disguises,
+however, though I seldom allow myself to be
+seen at all. I can even hide in the cast-off
+coat of a harmless snake, and woe to him
+who lays stick upon me or seeks to drive me
+away. The Heinzelmänchen, as we are called,
+can be bitter foes as well as powerful friends,
+and &rsquo;twas an evil day for the city of Köln
+when we marched out of it. It has never
+prospered since.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why&mdash;&mdash;&rdquo; I began, and the Kobold held
+up his hand to stop me, puckering his baby
+face into a dreadful frown.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why? Why? Why?&rdquo; he mimicked. &ldquo;How<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span>
+like the child of mortal man! Everything
+has to tell its reason&mdash;you rob the peach
+of its velvet bloom that you may find the
+secret of its ruddy splendour, and the fairy
+gems on the grass at dawn are to you but
+water distilled from earth! You would know
+how the tide finds a way to turn, why the
+light of the stars transcends your rush-lights!
+Elves and Fairies and such-like things are
+driven away by your curiosity, as the Heinzelmänchen
+were by Rosetta.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I was going to ask who Rosetta might be,
+but I remembered just in time that this would
+be another question. The Kobold chose a
+more comfortable seat, and told me of his
+own accord.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw063.jpg" width="173" height="72" alt="Heinzelmänchen" title="" />
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw064.jpg" width="375" height="359"
+alt="The Sin of Rosetta." title="The Sin of Rosetta." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Toward the end of the eighteenth century,&rdquo;
+he began, &ldquo;the Heinzelmänchen, took up
+their abode in the city of Köln, where Johann
+Farina distilled the sweet-scented waters
+now famous all over the world. When
+first he blended the fragrant oils of bergamot,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span>
+citron, orange and rosemary, it was we
+who whispered to him in what proportion
+he should mix them, and how to imprison
+their lasting perfume. Not only him did we
+help, but wherever we came across a worthy
+fellow who was poor but honest, we gave him
+a lift up; such was Rudolph the tailor, whom
+we found when a lad on the steps of the great
+Cathedral, without a <i lang="de" xml:lang="de">pfennig</i> in his pocket, and
+with a wolf inside him big enough to swallow
+a little pig. When we saw how readily he
+returned a <i lang="de" xml:lang="de">thaler</i> that rolled to his feet to the
+feeble old woman who had dropped it, though
+he might well have said he had not seen it
+fall, we took him to our hearts, and swore to
+befriend him.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;So!&rsquo; we said, one to the other. &lsquo;Rudolph
+is worthy to be our comrade. He is a good
+lad, and henceforth we will see that he does
+not want.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>The first thing to be done was to procure
+him decent clothing, for no one would employ
+him while he went in rags. We did this by
+pointing him out to the wife of a rich merchant,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span>
+who fancied she saw in his pinched white face
+a likeness to the son she had lost long since.</p>
+
+<p>Touched by the poor lad&rsquo;s poverty, she gave
+him a suit of clothes which had lain by for
+many a day, and on finding he was an orphan,
+apprenticed him to a tailor. The lad worked
+well. We took it in turns to sit beside him,
+showing him just where to place his needle,
+so that his seams were always neat, and
+guiding his scissors so that he cut the cloth
+to the best advantage. So skilful did he
+become that, when his time was out, his
+master begged him to stay on with him as head
+assistant, and gave him a good wage.</p>
+
+<p>A fine young spright was Rudolph now,
+with jet-black hair and eyes like coals. His
+master&rsquo;s daughters, Euralie and Rosetta, both
+looked on him with favour, and for a time it
+seemed that he knew not which to choose.
+Euralie was small and slight, with eyes like
+a dove&rsquo;s; Rosetta was tall and buxom, and
+had she been free from the vice of curiosity
+would have made him a model wife. She
+was clever and industrious as well as witty,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span>
+and when Dark Rudolph passed by the gentle
+Euralie, and took Rosetta for his betrothed, it
+was only the Heinzelmänchen who shook
+their heads.</p>
+
+<p>Never was grander wedding feast than his.
+While he and Rosetta where still in church,
+we brought to his house the finest drinking
+vessels that we could lay our hands on, and
+pots and pans of beaten copper that were the
+envy of every housewife bidden as a guest.
+There were fairy cakes in the silver dishes,
+and luscious fruits such as grew in no western
+lands; the wine in the ruby goblets was
+honeyed nectar, and though his friends quaffed
+deeply, their heads remained quite clear. A
+proud man was Rudolph as he drank to his
+bride, and she looked so happy and gay and
+bright, that we resolved to take her, too, under
+our protection.</p>
+
+<p>And this we did. When her children
+came, <a href="#frontis">we rocked the cradle</a> and sang them
+lullabies while she baked and brewed, and
+when they slept we scrubbed and polished
+from garret to cellar, until her house was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span>
+pride of the street. Often she would ask to
+be allowed to see us, but we always refused,
+telling her to respect our wish, and be content.
+Still she would not rest, and nothing that
+Dark Rudolph could say to her would induce
+her to hold her peace.</p>
+
+<p>He had now three shops instead of one, and
+counted lords and barons among his customers.
+No one could fit as he could, for we were
+always at hand to nip in here or let out there,
+and many a fine straight figure was the result
+of our cunning skill. His fame spread far
+through the neighbouring towns, and one
+spring a great noble travelled to Köln to order
+some rich apparel for himself and his suite.
+Our busy tailor was at his wit&rsquo;s end how to
+get it finished in time, for all his assistants
+were working their hardest, and still they
+were behind.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Have no fear! Dark Rudolph,&rsquo; we cried,
+when we found him alone. &lsquo;Send your men to
+rest, and leave it to us. When you wake in
+the morning you shall find all done.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>We lost not a moment that livelong<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span>
+night&mdash;it was as if our needles had wings.
+Just before cockcrow, the door of the workroom
+creaked softly open, and there stood Rosetta
+in her white nightgown, with her hair in two
+long plaits, peering round the corner to see if
+she could catch us at work. We were justly
+enraged, but since we heard her in time to
+render ourselves invisible, and also because
+we loved Dark Rudolph, we decided to give
+her one more chance.</p>
+
+<p>It was our custom to leave the lower part
+of the house at the hour of midnight, no
+matter what we might be doing, and climb
+the steep stairs that led to the bedrooms,
+to watch that the ghosts which were free to
+roam till cockcrow might not ruffle the
+children&rsquo;s hair, or wake them with their long-drawn
+sighs. Rosetta knew this, for she had
+often heard us comforting the little Rudolph
+when his sleep was disturbed by a bad dream,
+and with gross ingratitude she tried to be-fool
+us. One night, she strewed dried peas on the
+top steps of the winding staircase, so that when
+we came up we should lose our footing and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span>
+fall to the bottom, and thus she might see us
+struggling on the ground. We knew perfectly
+well, however, why she had bought the peas,
+and stayed below. When she rose next
+morning, she forgot the trap she had laid for
+us, and tumbled headlong down the stairs.
+While she groaned and moaned over her
+broken ankle, the Heinzelmänchen marched
+out of the town to stirring music, which was
+heard by all the citizens. We sailed down the
+Rhine in a phantom boat, which you may yet
+see floating on its waters if you look for it at
+the right time. And Dark Rudolph and his
+Rosetta sighed for our help in vain.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw065.jpg" width="381" height="97" alt="The phantom boat" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>The Kobold was a most entertaining little
+fellow, and stayed with me all the morning,
+telling me of well known House Spirits of
+days gone by. One of these tales was about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw066.jpg" width="374" height="355"
+alt="The Little white Feather." title="The Little white Feather." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hinzelmann,&rdquo; said the Kobold solemnly,
+&ldquo;was a Spirit who haunted the castle of
+Hudemühlen, though it was not until late
+in the sixteenth century that those who lived
+there were aware of his presence. He seemed
+of so friendly a disposition that the servants<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span>
+became quite used to him. They never saw
+him, but he would often talk with them while
+they worked, telling them of what went on in
+the Underworld, and of the mighty Giants of
+bye-gone days who had been created in order
+to protect the Dwarfs from savage beasts, but
+had become themselves so savage in the course
+of the ages that they had to be done away with.
+In time the lord of the castle heard of his
+strange visitor, and sent him a message saying
+he desired his presence at a certain hour.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;No need to wait until then, good Sir!&rsquo;
+laughed Hinzelmann over his shoulder. &lsquo;I
+assist each morning at your lordship&rsquo;s toilet,
+though you do not perceive me, and I blunt
+your razors when you are out of temper.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>This displeased the lord of the castle, for
+he thought it unseemly to be on terms of such
+familiar intimacy with a bodiless House-Spirit.
+When he rebuked him for his presumption,
+Hinzelmann laughed more loudly still. &lsquo;Better
+men than you have to put up with my company,
+if I will!&rsquo; he cried, &lsquo;and, believe me, I do not
+intend to leave you!&rsquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The nobleman grew more and more uneasy,
+for it disturbed him to feel that he was never
+alone. Hinzelmann whistled and sang through
+the State rooms, and when his lordship
+expressed irritation this was the House-Spirit&rsquo;s
+favourite song:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0b">&lsquo;If thou here wilt let me stay,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Good luck shalt thou have alway.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But if hence thou dost me chase,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Luck will ne&rsquo;er come near the place.&rsquo;<a name="FNanchor_1" id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a><br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>He hummed this morning, noon, and night,
+until the lord of the castle was sick of it.
+&lsquo;Since I cannot drive this fellow away,&rsquo; he
+said at last, &lsquo;I must e&rsquo;en go myself;&rsquo; and telling
+no one of his intentions, he summoned his
+coach and set out for Hanover. On the way
+he noticed that no matter how fast his horses
+went, a little white feather danced above their
+heads. Although he wondered at this, he did
+not connect it with the House-Spirit, and when
+he arrived at his chosen Inn, sought his couch
+with a mind at ease.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Thank heaven,&rsquo; he muttered, as he turned
+him over and went to sleep, &lsquo;I am free at last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span>
+of this troublesome Hinzelmann. By the time
+I see fit to return home, he may have gone
+elsewhere.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw066" id="ibw066"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw067.jpg" width="384" height="501" alt="A little white Feather danced above their heads." title="A little white Feather danced above their heads." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw068.jpg" width="384" height="503" alt="Hinzelmann" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span></p>
+<p>Next morning he missed his fine gold chain,
+which was an heirloom, and, greatly distressed,
+he haughtily demanded of the Innkeeper that
+his servants should be searched.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;They have robbed me,&rsquo; he cried, &lsquo;and they
+shall suffer for it! Cannot one sleep at your
+house without meeting with knaves and
+thieves?&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this the Innkeeper was very angry.
+Instead of condoling with the nobleman on his
+loss, and offering to make it good, he roundly
+rebuked him for taking away the character of
+honest men without due proof. The noble
+was leaving the Inn in much haste when a
+soft voice asked him why he was troubled.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;If it be on account of the bauble upon
+which you set such store,&rsquo; it continued, &lsquo;look
+under your pillow and you will find it. You
+cannot get on without Hinzelmann after all!&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I would I had never known you, base
+spirit!&rsquo; stormed the nobleman. &lsquo;You have put<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span>
+me greatly in the wrong with all these men, and
+my journey has been for nought, since you are
+here. If you do not quit me I will leave this
+country; it is not wide enough to hold us both.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Hinzelmann spoke to him with much
+reason, pointing out that he wished him no
+harm, and that it was impossible to shake
+him off, since wherever the lord went, he
+could follow.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;It was I who flew as a little white feather
+in front of your coach,&rsquo; he concluded. &lsquo;You
+played the part of a poltroon when you fled
+from what you believed to be evil, instead of
+fighting it on your own ground. Come back
+with me, and if you give me your friendship,
+I will work but good to you and yours.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the nobleman went back to his castle,
+and Hinzelmann lived there with him. A
+little room was set aside for his use in an
+upper story, and here they placed, by the
+nobleman&rsquo;s orders, a small round table, and a
+tiny bed. No one could ever make out if he
+slept on this, but once when the cook entered
+very quickly, to take him the dish of new<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span>
+milk and wheaten crumbs which was placed
+each morn on his table, she saw a shallow
+depression on the down pillow, as if something
+very small and soft had rested there.</p>
+
+<p>When the time came for Hinzelmann to leave
+the castle, he presented its lord with three fairy
+gifts, the last of these being a leather glove
+richly wrought with pearls in a curious pattern
+of snails and scrolls. So long as this glove
+was in possession of his house, he told him, so
+long would his race flourish. And thus he
+requited the kindness which had been shown
+him. There is nothing that we like better
+than to help our friends.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I know,&rdquo; I said, nodding my head. And
+the House Spirit smiled as if this pleased him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We need take no credit for this,&rdquo; he
+remarked, &ldquo;since the Dwarf King himself sets
+us the example. His rescue of the poor old
+couple at Schillingsdorf is but one of many
+instances of the way in which he gladly helps
+those who show hospitality to him or his.</p>
+
+<p>Caught in a storm, he wandered from door
+to door, entreating each person who answered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span>
+his knock to let him enter and warm himself.
+One and all they refused, for his green velvet
+garments were stained and draggled, and they
+had not the wit to see that in spite of his
+dripping clothes and dishevelled beard he was
+still every whit a king. At last he came to
+the hut of an ancient shepherd, whose little
+old wife was as thin as he, for food had been
+very scarce. The moment she saw the wanderer,
+her heart went out to him.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Come in and welcome, you poor little fellow!&rsquo;
+she said, setting wide her door. &lsquo;Our fire
+is not much to boast of, but &rsquo;tis better than
+none on a night like this.&rsquo; And the shepherd
+hobbled to the inner room that he might bring
+his Sunday coat, and place this round their
+visitor&rsquo;s shoulders while his own lay drying
+on the hearth. Then the old woman spread
+a white cloth on the table, and gave the Dwarf
+her share of the coarse black bread which was
+all her cupboard contained.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I thank you, my friends,&rsquo; he said, breaking
+the bread into two fragments. As he did so,
+one became a fine white loaf, and the other a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span>
+noble cheese. The Dwarf laughed at the old
+couple&rsquo;s amazement, and bade them feast to
+their heart&rsquo;s content.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;So long as you leave on the platter a crust
+of bread and an inch of cheese,&rsquo; he said, &lsquo;so
+long will a fresh loaf and a fresh cheese spring
+from these fragments during the night; but
+if ever a beggar entreats your help, and you
+refuse him, they will turn to dust and ashes.
+Now I bid you farewell, but ere long we shall
+meet again.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>So saying, he went out in the rain, despite
+their entreaties that he would at least stay with
+them until the storm was over.</p>
+
+<p>Little sleep did they have that night, for
+wind and rain swept through the valley.
+Torrents roared down the mountain side,
+flooding the wooden houses, and even worse
+befell at daybreak. An enormous rock snapped
+off from a topmost peak, and carrying with it
+great masses of stones and uprooted firs,
+crashed down on the little village. All living
+things were buried beneath its weight except
+the shepherd and his wife, whose cottage yet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span>
+was spared. Tremblingly they stood on the
+threshold, for they thought their last hour had
+come.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Thou hast been a good wife, my dear one,&rsquo;
+breathed the shepherd, as he drew her frail
+form close to him.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;It is well that we should go together, since
+thou hast lain by my side for nigh sixty years,&rsquo;
+she whispered, hiding her face against his
+breast.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;How now?&rsquo; cried a reassuring voice. &lsquo;Dost
+despair so easily?&rsquo; And looking up they saw
+their friend the Dwarf riding on a rough raft
+in the centre of the stream, and steering before
+him the trunk of an immense pine. This he
+proceeded to fix crosswise in front of their little
+garden, so as to form a dam. The torrent now
+passed by the cottage, leaving it undisturbed,
+and the voice of the wind was hushed. The
+sun came out, and the birds sang; but the only
+people alive in Schillingsdorf were the shepherd
+and his old wife.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="ic005" id="ic005"></a>
+<img src="images/ic005.jpg" width="363" height="484" alt="&ldquo;&lsquo;How now?&rsquo; cried a reassuring voice.&rdquo;" title="" />
+<br /><span class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;How now?&rsquo; cried a reassuring voice.&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="l1"/>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw069.jpg" width="381" height="499"
+alt="Chapter X The Wild Huntsman." title="Chapter X The Wild Huntsman." />
+</div>
+
+<p>The forest paths were dappled with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>
+sunlight as Father and I strolled down its
+winding glades, and all the wood things were
+chirping and chattering with joy. Now and then
+something brown and furry scuttled across our
+path, and once I all but trod on a tiny mouse,
+who had hidden herself under last year&rsquo;s leaves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You clumsy boy!&rdquo; said a tiny voice, and I
+turned in time to catch sight of a wee pink Elf
+as she sprang from the flower Father wore
+in his button hole upon a bright blue butterfly
+which had been hovering above her for
+some time, and now darted swiftly away.</p>
+
+<p>After a while we came to an open space
+where the woodmen had been felling timber.
+Several great trees still lay on the ground;
+one was particularly straight and round,
+and I noticed three wide crosses cut deep into
+the bark. I thought I would like to carve my
+name there too, for my knife had been most
+beautifully sharp since the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Nain Rouge</i> touched
+it, so when Father sat down soon afterward
+to read his letters, I went straight back to the
+spot. As I reached it I heard the distant baying
+of hounds; the sound came nearer and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span>
+nearer, and mingling with it were shouts in
+a strange deep voice, which almost frightened
+me. As I looked up, my knife was jerked
+out of my hand by a little woman dressed in
+green, who pushed me breathlessly aside and
+sat down, sobbing bitterly, on the middle
+cross. I was still staring at her when there
+flashed through the air a huntsman on a fiery
+horse, followed by many hounds. Their
+hurrying feet knocked off my cap and rumpled
+all my hair. They had passed in a second,
+and next moment I heard their baying far away.</p>
+
+<p>The little woman in green sobbed still, but
+she seemed to be growing calmer. Her hair
+and eyes were a soft light grey, and her frock
+was most prettily trimmed with tufts of moss.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Aha!&rdquo; I thought when I noticed this,
+&ldquo;you are one of the Moss-women, I&rsquo;ve no
+doubt.&rdquo; For I knew that these were supposed
+to haunt the forests of Southern Germany.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That was the Wild Huntsman,&rdquo; said the
+little thing, looking at me trustfully. &ldquo;But for
+the kindness of the woodcutters who make
+these marks in the trees they fell, I should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span>
+have fallen to his bow and spear. When we
+can find three crosses we are safe, for he dare
+not touch us then.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I waited to hear what else she would say,
+for I thought of the Kobold&rsquo;s &ldquo;<em>Why? Why?
+Why?&rdquo;</em> and did not like to ask her questions.
+In a little while her lips were smiling, and
+swaying to and fro, as a tree sways in the
+wind, she began to sing. I knew I had heard
+that song before, but I could not think where
+until I remembered that the pines which
+rustled against the windows of my night
+nursery had often sung it when I was small.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the song of the wind,&rdquo; she told me,
+&ldquo;and the very first sound we hear. We are
+born in the roots of the tree which is to be our
+home, and when this dies, we must die too.
+So long as the sap runs through its branches,
+and the bark is not cut or injured, we are
+safe and sound in our snug recess, but at
+certain times we are bound to leave it, to seek
+for food, or to attend our lords. It is then that
+we are in such grave danger&mdash;and all because
+Elfrida tried her witcheries on a stranger.&rdquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What did she do?&rdquo; I could not help asking.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will tell you,&rdquo; said the Moss-woman sadly,
+&ldquo;and then you will understand why even the
+youngest of us has now grey hair.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw070.jpg" width="373" height="358"
+alt="The Wild Huntsman." title="The Wild Huntsman." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Elfrida was the fairest of our race,&rdquo;
+she sighed, &ldquo;and her palace the tallest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span>
+and straightest pine that ever raised its
+boughs to Heaven. When she left its
+shelter at early dawn to bathe in some
+sparkling stream, or seek for sweet berries in
+the thickets, the Flower-Elves flocked to greet
+her; wild roses gave her their bloom for her
+oval cheeks, and the violets scented her sunny
+hair. Wherever she passed, the moss grew
+a brighter green, and she had but to breathe
+on a gnarled old trunk, and the softest
+feathery fronds came to hide its ugliness.
+The creatures of the forest were all her friends,
+and took pride, as we did, in her loveliness.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Have a care, Elfrida&mdash;a stranger comes!&rsquo;
+cried a squirrel one summer morning, staying
+his dancing feet to warn her. His up-cocked
+ears had caught the thud of some well-shod
+charger&rsquo;s swift approach, and he guessed he
+would not be riderless.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Go back to thy palace, dear child!&rsquo; cooed
+a motherly pigeon who had reared many
+broods of snowy fledglings, and misdoubted
+the sparkle in Elfrida&rsquo;s pale green eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Haste thee home, Elfrida!&rsquo; cried the stream<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span>
+as it gurgled over the stones; &lsquo;haste thee home,
+and hide thy face from the sunlight.&rsquo; But
+Elfrida pretended not to hear as she shook
+out the crystal drops from her gorgeous hair.</p>
+
+<p>The horse and his rider were close to her
+now; the huntsman blew his golden horn,
+and in the excitement of the chase might have
+passed her by, unseeing, but for his hounds.
+In a moment they had surrounded her, baying
+like hungry wolves, and Elfrida sprang to a
+branch that overhung the water, where her
+white limbs gleamed against its green. The
+huntsman sent the dogs to heel, and dismounting
+from his horse, entreated the
+maiden to come down to him. Nothing loth,
+Elfrida coyly descended, and the huntsman
+was amazed anew at her perfect form. He
+sat at her feet through the hush of noonday,
+and at even he was there still. When the
+moon turned the glades to silver, Elfrida left
+him, but she promised to meet him again
+next day, and he could not sleep for thinking
+of her.</p>
+
+<p>But although she smiled on him sweetly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span>
+as she lay on the banks of the stream, and
+listened with languid pleasure to his fond
+fierce wooing, which passed for her many an
+idle hour, she would not consent to be his wife.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I like best the gems that I find on the lilies
+at daybreak,&rsquo; she said, when he vowed that
+the richest jewels that the earth could give
+should deck her fair white arms. &lsquo;You must
+offer me something rarer than these if I am
+to forsake my kindred to go with you.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the huntsman swore that he would
+give her all he had; only his honour would
+he hold back, for he was sick with love
+and longing.</p>
+
+<p>Now behind Elfrida&rsquo;s loveliness dwelt a
+spirit of malice and wanton cruelty, and
+though she loved not this wild Huntsman,
+and had no intention of being his bride, she
+wished to see how far her power over him
+could go. So she asked of him these three
+things: the crest of his House cut in the
+stone over his castle gates, where it had
+stood for centuries; the leaf from his dead
+mother&rsquo;s Bible, whereon she had written the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span>
+date of her marriage day, with the names of
+the children born to her; and his father&rsquo;s sword.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw071" id="ibw071"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw071.jpg" width="381" height="501" alt="He entreated the Maiden to come down." title="He entreated the Maiden to come down." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw072.jpg" width="380" height="500" alt="Elfrida" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p>
+<p>&lsquo;Nay, Sweetheart!&rsquo; cried the Huntsman.
+&lsquo;Ask me for aught else in the world, but not
+for these things, since they touch my honour!&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;These will I have, and nothing less,&rsquo; said
+Elfrida wilfully, looking at him through her
+long gold lashes until his soul went out from
+him. His face was white as milk as he rode
+away, and the creatures of the forest cringed
+with shame. For they knew she had asked
+what was unseemly; and they ceased to attend
+her when she went to the stream at dawn.</p>
+
+<p>When the moon was at her full the
+Huntsman returned with the three gifts, and
+now he thought to take Elfrida in his arms.
+But she thrust him from her with bitter
+words, tearing the leaf from the sacred Book
+into a thousand shreds, and tossing the crest
+and sword into the running stream.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;What!&rsquo; she cried, and her scornful laugh
+rang through the woodland, &lsquo;shall I, Elfrida,
+be the sport of a man who holds the honour
+of his house as something less than a maiden&rsquo;s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span>
+whim? I will have none of you&mdash;get you
+gone!&rsquo; And she flung out her arms to the
+strong North Wind, who caught her to him
+and bore her off. But not to her high pine
+palace did he take her, for he was angry
+because of her cruelty; and far away at the
+grim North Pole, she shivers yet under the
+thickest ice. Her green eyes shine through
+the frost-bound floes, and light the depths of
+the Northern seas.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And the Huntsman?&rdquo; I questioned.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He died in his rage, where Elfrida left
+him!&rdquo; said the Moss-woman mournfully, &ldquo;and
+his spirit seeks still to avenge his wrongs.
+To the last of our race it will pursue us, until
+none of our kindred lives.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Chris! Chris! where are you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was Father&rsquo;s voice, and the Moss-woman
+vanished. Father wanted to read me a funny
+letter from the Locust, who complained a lot
+of being called up at night by patients who
+had no money, and wouldn&rsquo;t have paid him
+even if they had. This was the way they often
+treated Father, but he said &ldquo;Poor beggars!&rdquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span>
+and then forgot it, while the Locust was very
+cross.</p>
+
+<p>Next day I went back to the forest, hoping
+to find the Moss-woman again, but she was
+not there. I found instead an Elf who was
+almost too small to be seen. She told me that
+she and her sisters lived in the cells which
+make leaves so green, and mixed things they
+drew in from the air and sunlight with the
+water that came through the roots, turning
+these into sugar to feed the tree. It sounded
+like magic, and I was so much interested that
+I almost forgot to ask about the Moss-women.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Poor little things!&rdquo; said the Leaf-Elf
+kindly, when I said I had seen one. &ldquo;It is
+well that the woodcutters are their friends,
+or they would fare badly. Many a meal did
+they have from them in past times, and even
+Hans the Unlucky never grudged them what
+he gave. They paid him back for it, never
+fear, for they do not forget a kindness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who was he?&rdquo; I asked. And this is what
+she told me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw073.jpg" width="371" height="355"
+alt="The Luck of Hans." title="The Luck of Hans." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of all the unlucky mortals, Hans was
+surely the most to be pitied, for though
+he was honest and frugal, nothing he
+touched seemed to prosper. The farm had
+done well in his father&rsquo;s lifetime, but after he
+died there was not one good season for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span>
+three bad ones. Far from being idle, Hans
+was up before dawn, and still hard at work
+at sundown. His mother sent away her maids,
+since she could not pay them their wages, and
+kept the house straight herself; where could
+you find a worthier pair? But Hans&rsquo; affairs
+went from bad to worse, and when (at the
+busiest time of the year) his mother lost her
+sight and became quite blind it was clear he
+was born to be unlucky.</p>
+
+<p>The farm went to rack and ruin, and there
+came a time when Hans was forced to go off
+to the forest to fell a tree that his poor old
+mother might have fuel to warm her. When
+the sun was high, he drew out his lunch, and
+a poor little Moss-woman stole out from the
+undergrowth to beg a few crumbs for her
+hungry children.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Take it all!&rsquo; he cried, thrusting his bread
+into her tiny hands. &lsquo;It is waste of good food
+for a man to eat who is as unlucky as I.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I cannot repay you in kind, friend Hans,&rsquo;
+said the Moss-woman, &lsquo;but I will give you
+some good advice. In the house by the mill<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span>
+lives a sweet young girl, with a face tinged
+with pink like a daisy&rsquo;s. She has loved you
+long, for you are her mate. Take her to wife,
+and your luck will turn.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hans flushed deep crimson beneath his tan,
+and the veins on his forehead grew tense and
+hard.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You&mdash;you&mdash;&rsquo; he stammered; &lsquo;you must
+mean Elsa? And Elsa, you say, Elsa cares
+for <em>me?</em> It can&rsquo;t&mdash;it can&rsquo;t&mdash;be true.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;A woman&rsquo;s heart goes where it will,&rsquo;
+answered the Moss-woman. &lsquo;Try your luck,
+friend Hans, and lose no time. Life is short,
+and the days are flying.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hans went at once to the house by the mill,
+for had he not gazed at it time and again as
+the casket which held his treasure?</p>
+
+<p>When Elsa saw him coming with that look
+upon his face, she twisted a ribbon, blue as
+her eyes, in the pale gold plait that crowned
+her head, and went shyly down to meet him.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="ic006" id="ic006"></a>
+<img src="images/ic006.jpg" width="360" height="473" alt="&ldquo;Went shyly down to meet him&rdquo;" title="" />
+<br /><span class="caption">&ldquo;Went shyly down to meet him&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Hans said not a word, but he found a way
+to make her understand, and his eyes spoke,
+though his lips were dumb.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>They were betrothed and married within
+the month, and little cared sweet Elsa that her
+friends marvelled at her choice. She comforted
+the sad blind dame, whose son was now her
+husband, as a happy woman comforts one
+who fears she has lost all, and behold! the
+old woman smiled again. As to Hans, the
+neighbours scarcely recognised him when they
+met him in the markets; she trimmed his
+beard, did Elsa, with her own hands, and
+mothered him as if he were a child of seven.
+His fields grew green, and then golden with
+harvest; his scanty flocks increased and
+multiplied.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Hans&rsquo; luck has changed!&rsquo; the neighbours
+said, and they scoffed at him no more.</p>
+
+<p>But good luck itself does not last for ever,
+and after three years of plenty came a bad
+one for all in those parts. There was a long
+and unusual drought, followed by so much
+rain that the roots rotted in the ground, and
+sickness spread amongst sheep and oxen.
+Hans lost all that he had re-gained, and to
+add to his misfortunes, he chopped his hand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span>
+instead of a log of wood, and could do no
+work for weeks. He was in despair, and the
+old blind woman beside his hearth wept and
+wailed from morn till eve.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I would I were dead,&rsquo; she moaned. &lsquo;I am
+a useless burden, for I cannot even knit. My
+store of wool is exhausted, and we have no
+money to buy more.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Dear Mother,&rsquo; said Elsa tenderly, &lsquo;who
+has a greater right than you to the last penny
+that Hans possesses? You carried him on
+your breast when he was small and helpless,
+and have loved him faithfully all these years!&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the mother turned her face to the wall
+and wrung her idle hands.</p>
+
+<p>Then Elsa sold the ring that had been her
+lover&rsquo;s gift in order to buy for her soft
+white bread and warming cordials, and wool
+wherewith to ply her needles. As she returned
+home with her basket, grieving to think of
+the pain of those she loved, a Moss-woman
+accosted her in the forest.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I have nought for my children to eat,&rsquo;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span>she said. And Elsa, pitying her the more
+that she herself was hungry, gave her a
+share of what she had, even to a skein of the
+wool, that she might weave a coat for her
+crying babe.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Wait for me here!&rsquo; cried the Moss-woman
+earnestly, and Elsa leaned sadly
+against a tree, too weary to be surprised. In
+a moment or two the Moss-woman returned,
+carrying a grey ball of wool and some chips
+of wood.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Give the wool to the old crone who weeps
+by your hearth,&rsquo; said the little thing, &lsquo;and
+the chips to Hans. He is lucky in his wife,
+if in nought else!&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>So saying, she disappeared, and Elsa went
+quickly home. Thinking to win a laugh
+from her husband, she opened her apron to
+show him the Moss-woman&rsquo;s gifts, and, to her
+amazement, found that the chips had turned
+to yellow gold, and the little grey ball of wool
+into a large one of fleecy whiteness, so soft
+and thick that it felt like velvet! The golden
+chips stocked the farm again, for they were of
+pure metal, and weighty, and the ball of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span>
+white wool was never exhausted during the
+old woman&rsquo;s life time. She knitted away
+until her hundredth year, and when, long
+afterward, the summons came also for Hans
+and Elsa, in their turn, their children had
+good cause to bless the name of the Moss-woman.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw074.jpg" width="383" height="339" alt="She knitted away until her hundredth year" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="l1"/>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw075.jpg" width="386" height="503"
+alt="Chapter XI The White Princess." title="Chapter XI The White Princess." />
+</div>
+
+<p>It was to Italy we travelled next,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span>
+to stay with the Signor, who had lived in
+England once, and was a patient of Father&rsquo;s.</p>
+
+<p>It was fearfully hot when we arrived, and
+most English people had gone away; but
+Father and I could bear a lot of sunshine,
+and we did not go out in the middle of the day.</p>
+
+<p>In the early mornings I went off to explore
+while Father was still asleep. Sometimes I
+made for the hills, but often I chose the city,
+for I liked to wander through the streets and
+make friends with the chattering children.
+They were jolly little beggars, with bare
+brown feet and thick dark hair that fell over
+their faces. My favourites were Giovanni
+and Mariannina; their mother worked for a
+grand Contessa who lived not far from the
+Signor. Giovanni was thin as a reed, but
+Mariannina, whose curly head did not reach
+her brother&rsquo;s shoulders, was as plump as a
+partridge, and her cheeks were red instead of
+brown. Adelina, the Signor&rsquo;s housekeeper, told
+me their names, and that Mariannina was the
+pride and torment of Giovanni&rsquo;s life.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He adores her,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but she is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span>
+surely bewitched. She runs from him like a
+squirrel, and is an imp for mischief. Ah,
+the poor Giovanni&mdash;he has his hands full!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After this I often met them, and if
+Mariannina were in a good humour she
+would smile at me through her lashes, while
+if she were cross she would frown like a
+Witch, and even shake her tiny fist. At this,
+Giovanni would look quite shocked, and
+would beg me in broken English not to be
+hurt at &lsquo;<i lang="it" xml:lang="it">la sorellina&rsquo;s</i>&rsquo; unkindness.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She so ver&rsquo; small!&rdquo; he pleaded wistfully,
+and this was always his excuse for her.</p>
+
+<p>One day she took it into her head to run
+away from him, and darted into the middle
+of the road, almost under the heels of some
+prancing horses. I happened to be close by,
+and seized her red skirt just in time to drag
+her back. Panting with terror, Giovanni took
+her from me, and when he found she was not
+hurt, for the first time in his life he shook her.
+And then he tried to kiss my hands; I almost
+wished I had left Mariannina to be run over.
+Before I could get away from him, he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span>
+thrust upon me the small gilt cage he always
+carried about with him, and had but just now
+tossed on the ground. It held his cherished
+&lsquo;<i lang="it" xml:lang="it">grillo</i>,&rsquo; or cricket, a curious pet of which all
+his playmates seemed very fond.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is yours, it is yours!&rdquo; he cried, and
+seemed so grieved when I tried to give it back
+to him that I was obliged to keep it.</p>
+
+<p>The cricket was a merry little creature,
+with a very loud voice for his size. &ldquo;<em>Cree-cree-cree!&rdquo;</em>
+he chirped, as I carried him to
+the villa, and he never once stopped all day.
+I believe that he sang the whole night
+through, for I heard him in my dreams; and
+when I woke I determined to set him free.</p>
+
+<p>I carried the little gilt cage up the slope
+of a hill before I opened the door. No sooner
+had he hopped on the grass, when his &ldquo;<em>Cree-cree-cree</em>&rdquo;
+was taken up by hundreds of other
+crickets, who gathered round him in great
+excitement, chirping with all their might. As
+I put my fingers into my ears, a little old
+woman appeared from nowhere, and with a
+wave of her hand sent them all away.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Many mouths make a small noise great,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;and you are not the first to be
+wearied by the crickets&rsquo; song. The Sorcerer
+of the Seven Heads<a name="FNanchor_2" id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> liked it as little as you
+did, and the White Princess owes her happiness
+to this. I say what I know, for I am
+her Fairy Godmother.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, they told me there were no Fairies
+in Italy!&rdquo; I cried. And then I was sorry
+that I had spoken, for the little old woman
+grew pale with rage.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No Fairies?&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;Ah, foolish
+ones, worse than blind! Had you not believed
+them you had seen countless Witches and
+Fays ere this, for Ascension Day has come
+and gone, and they are all set free. Besides
+these, there are Goblins and Spirits, and
+fearsome Incubas, and shadowy Fates who
+sway men&rsquo;s destinies. All these abound in
+our sunny Italy for those who have eyes to
+see; and there are also Fairy Godmothers,
+such as I. The maidens for whom I stand
+sponsor comb jewels out of their hair;
+diamonds and pearls, rubies, and shining
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span>turquoise. But the White Princess&rsquo; were
+always pearls; and pearls often turn to tears.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then, drawing close to me, as I sat in the
+long grass, she told me of</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw076.jpg" width="371" height="358"
+alt="The White Princess." title="The White Princess." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The fates had dowered Queen Catherine
+with gifts; but though her husband was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span>
+devoted to her, and the kingdom was blessed
+by a long spell of peace, she sighed unceasingly.
+One boon alone had been denied her,
+and without this she did not care to live.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Let her have her way!&rsquo; cried the Fates at
+last, weary of her complainings. So one
+summer dawn a babe was found in the bed
+of lilies beneath her window, and now her
+mourning was turned into joy. For a daughter
+had been her heart&rsquo;s desire.</p>
+
+<p>The little Princess was christened Fiorita,
+but from the day of her birth she was known
+as the White Princess. Her skin was as
+purely pale as the petals of her guardian
+flowers, and the yellow gold of their stamens
+was the colour of her hair. But out of her
+eyes looked a spirit that boded sorrow&mdash;the
+spirit that would fain know all.</p>
+
+<p>The White Princess grew lovelier day by
+day, smiling but seldom, and staring for
+hours at the distant line of the far horizon,
+where the hills kept watch for ever over the
+land Beyond. The Queen looked on with
+delight at the unfolding of this tender blossom,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span>
+but her happiness did not bring strength, and
+when in due time the sweet coral lips lisped
+the soft word &lsquo;Mother,&rsquo; her soul broke the
+bonds which held it, and sped away.</p>
+
+<p>Fiorita was now twice orphaned, for her
+father, the King, would scarcely look at her,
+since he connected her coming with the death
+of his beloved wife. In order that the sight
+of her might not continually remind him of
+his sorrow, he built a fine tower of gold and
+crystal, and here, surrounded by all her ladies,
+the White Princess grew into womanhood.
+Lovely as snow crystals, and cold as the
+arctic wastes, Fiorita made few friends, and
+spoke to none of her inmost thoughts. The
+Kings of the Earth who came to woo her were
+abashed by her strange white beauty, and
+only the Prince Fiola remained to ask her hand.</p>
+
+<p>He was brave as a lion, and gentle as a
+woman, as true knights are to this very day.
+The sound of his voice as he spake of his love
+stirred the Princess&rsquo; heart to a secret joy; but
+him, too, she sent away with but a glance from
+her blue-grey eyes. And though I, her Fairy
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span>Godmother, scolded her well and entreated her
+to say him yea, she would not be persuaded.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter2"><a name="ic007" id="ic007"></a>
+<img src="images/ic007.jpg" width="350" height="464" alt="&ldquo;Lowered herself from her window by means of a rope of pearls&rdquo;" title="" />
+<br /><span class="caption">&ldquo;Lowered herself from her window by means of a rope of
+pearls&rdquo;</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&lsquo;First I must see what lies hid in the land
+Beyond,&rsquo; she said, and that very night, when
+the Crystal Tower shone wanly in the moon-light,
+and all her ladies were sleeping, the
+Princess covered her snow-white robe with a
+gossamer cloak of clouded grey, and lowered
+herself from her window by means of a rope
+of pearls, passing through her gardens and
+into the forest, which lay between her and
+the land Beyond. All fearless in her virgin
+purity, she listened neither to the Goblins who
+eyed her hungrily from the shapeless trees
+and besought her to show them favour, nor
+to the warnings of compassionate Fays who
+bade her return to the Crystal Tower.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I seek the land Beyond,&rsquo; she cried, not
+knowing that she could never reach it except
+on spirit wings.</p>
+
+<p>Now the Prince Fiola could not sleep for
+love of her, and this night he stayed his
+restless wanderings in the Palace grounds by
+the waters of a placid lake, for the fancy came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span>
+to him that therein dwelt some kindly Sprite
+who, perchance, would give him counsel and
+further his suit. Clear shone the moon above,
+making the smooth surface into a fairy mirror
+which reflected the swaying trees and the
+mysteries of forest depths; and as he looked,
+the Prince descried the shape of a slim white
+form which seemed to be hurrying onward
+amidst a forest. The poise of the head was
+Fiorita&rsquo;s; hers, too, was the queenly gait.
+But thinking her to be safely sleeping, the
+Prince believed that his eyes were cheating
+him, and moodily resumed his walk. When
+morning came, however, he hastened to the
+Crystal Tower. He found it in great commotion.
+Doors were opened and shut in rapid
+succession, and scared attendants ran in and
+out like ants.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;The Princess is not in her chamber!&rsquo; her
+ladies told him, wringing their hands. &lsquo;Her
+bed has not been slept on, and her silken
+wrapper is still in its broidered case.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>As the Prince stood bewildered, the King
+came up. The remembrance of his lack of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span>
+love was heavy upon him, and he strove to
+stifle his remorse by loud threatenings of dire
+punishment to all if his daughter were not
+speedily recovered.</p>
+
+<p>As he stood quietly aside in the midst of
+the commotion, Prince Fiola remembered the
+vision of the lake, and bidding a groom go
+fetch him a horse, he mounted and rode
+straightway to the forest. Two paths stretched
+out before him; his horse would have taken
+that on the right, but the Prince urged it along
+the other, for he thought that he caught a
+glimpse of his love&rsquo;s white gown at the end
+of a woodland glade.</p>
+
+<p>It was only the feather of a dove, however,
+and he pressed on, barely slackening his
+pace for hours. Darkness fell, but there was
+still no sign of Fiorita, and when he reached
+the borders of the forest, and yet had found
+no trace of her, his heart was sick at the
+thought of her peril. He could not stop, so
+with only the stars to guide him, he essayed
+to cross the waste that lay beyond, and at
+dawn was still riding wearily on. By the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span>
+following noon both horse and rider were
+exhausted. The burning sun blazed down on
+their heads, smiting them as a sword, and
+though the Prince had no pity on himself, he
+grieved that his horse should suffer. Dismounting,
+he led it on until he came to a great
+rock, down the side of which flowed a stream
+of water. When he and his dumb companion
+had quenched their thirst, he took off its
+bridle and set it free, for he knew that the
+faithful creature could carry him no further.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Make your way home, good friend,&rsquo; he said,
+as he patted its glossy mane. &lsquo;I cannot return
+without my Princess, though I fear me &rsquo;twill
+be many a day before I find her.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>And now began the most toilsome part of
+his journey. With the land Beyond always
+before him, he trudged on and on, turning
+aside for nothing; and so passed another day
+and night. Now the long road wound uphill;
+stones blocked his way, and thorns tore his
+hands and face; still he pressed on, for his
+love was stronger than hunger and thirst, and
+pain had no terrors for him. Nevertheless,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span>
+he had lost all hope, when a turn in the path
+disclosed a sight which made him for the
+moment forget his trouble.</p>
+
+<p>A bent old woman, crooked and frail,
+staggered beneath a load of sticks, and dancing
+along at either side of her, were two rough boys,
+who mocked at her lameness, calling her a
+Witch. The Prince overtook them with rapid
+strides, and knowing that the power of gentleness
+is more lasting than that of anger, he
+suppressed his wrath as he spoke to them,
+though withal he reproved them sternly.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Know you not,&rsquo; he said, &lsquo;that only cowards
+persecute those who are weaker than themselves?
+&rsquo;Tis a woman whom you call
+&lsquo;mother,&rsquo; and if only for this, you should hold
+all women in reverence. Now go&mdash;and
+remember what I have said. Here is something
+to purchase a gift for your parents.
+See that you are more worthy of their care.&rsquo;
+And with other words to the same effect, he
+gave each a silver coin.</p>
+
+<p>Won alike by his kindness and the justice
+of his rebuke, the boys asked pardon for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span>
+their rudeness, and scampered off with glowing
+faces, while the old woman blessed the Prince
+for thus befriending her. Disclaiming her
+thanks, he lifted her load to his own shoulders,
+when it immediately became as light as air.
+The next moment it fell from him altogether;
+and he turned in great astonishment to meet
+her serious gaze.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;<i lang="it" xml:lang="it">Bel giavone!</i>&rsquo; she exclaimed, &lsquo;I pray you
+think me not intrusive, but I know by your
+voice that your heart is heavy as the load I
+carried awhile ago. Tell me your grief, that
+if the Fates so will, I may in my turn help you.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;In truth, good mother,&rsquo; said the Prince,
+&lsquo;no mortal can aid me now except by telling
+me where I may find the White Princess,
+whom I seek day and night in anguish, since
+she is my dear love.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Even that can I do!&rsquo; cried the old woman,
+straightening her bent figure until she stood
+before him tall and queenly, her squalid rags
+changing into flowing robes of purple velvet.
+&lsquo;I am the Witch Lucretia, and my spells are
+a match for those of the Sorcerer with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span>
+Seven Heads. You have travelled far from
+your White Princess, for the Sorcerer lurks
+in the forest through which you passed, and
+Fiorita is his prisoner. No man yet has
+entered his castle to leave it alive, but I will
+show you how this may be done, if you are
+willing to change your shape and become one
+of Earth&rsquo;s humblest creatures.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Prince feared nothing so that he might
+once reach the side of Fiorita, and gladly
+submitted himself to the enchantments of the
+Witch. Lucretia lifted the silver wand that
+was hid in the fold of her gown, and at its
+touch the Prince became a cricket, just such
+another as the one which you lately restored
+to liberty.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You will find no difficulty now,&rsquo; she said,
+&lsquo;in entering the Sorcerer&rsquo;s castle, for the pitfalls
+he has prepared for man are as nought
+to they who traverse the air. And that you
+may be one of many, and so a match for his
+spells, I will summon my Witches and Fairies
+to protect you.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Having muttered an incantation, she blew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span>
+thrice on an opalescent shell which dangled
+from her waist upon a ruby chain; and troops
+of Fays and Witches came hurrying down
+the road. Some were slender and stately, with
+faces as fair as dreamland; some were twisted
+and bent, and some so small that a dozen
+could hide in the cup of a flower. With a
+second wave of her silver wand, Lucretia
+transformed them into a myriad crickets.
+Hailing Fiola as their king, she placed him
+at their head, and reminding him solemnly
+that persistence conquers where force must
+fail, bade him lead them back to the forest.</p>
+
+<p>In an incredibly short time this aerial army
+arrived at the castle of the Sorcerer with the
+Seven heads. It stood in the midst of a dense
+thicket, surrounded by a moat, the lurking
+place of demons with long forked tongues,
+and eyes that shot evil fires. Undaunted by
+their snarls, the crickets flew over the draw-bridge,
+and finding a way into the castle
+through the close-barred windows, swarmed
+round the Sorcerer&rsquo;s head. A cauldron swung
+from the domed ceiling, over a quenchless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span>
+fire, and in this the wretch was even then
+concocting a potion by which he should
+overcome Fiorita. Her purity had hitherto
+protected her, and though he had bound her
+body with chains, he could not fetter her
+spirit.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw077" id="ibw077"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw077.jpg" width="382" height="500" alt="He tickled the Monster&rsquo;s Nose." title="He tickled the Monster&rsquo;s Nose." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw078.jpg" width="382" height="501" alt="Fiorita" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span></p>
+<p>&lsquo;How dare you disturb me?&rsquo; he roared,
+lunging at the crickets vainly with a long and
+glittering knife.</p>
+
+<p>Fiola would fain have slain him where he
+stood, but when, forgetting his impotence, he
+hurled himself forward at the monster, he
+only tickled his nose.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Leave him to us!&rsquo; cried his cricket friends;
+and then they began their witch-song of
+&lsquo;<em>Cree-cree-cree</em>.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now the Sorcerer having seven heads&mdash;Greed,
+Envy, Spite, Malice, Passion, Jealousy,
+and Despair, each of which would have
+instantly sprung forth again had Fiola been
+able to chop it off&mdash;he had naturally fourteen
+ears, and these were so extraordinarily
+sensitive to noise that he had destroyed all the
+woodpeckers in the forest that he might not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span>
+hear their tap-tap on the trees as they searched
+the bark for insects. You can judge, then, of
+his disgust when on his refusal to obey
+Lucretia&rsquo;s command, and break the bonds
+which held Fiorita, this host of crickets
+swarmed round his head, and filled the air
+with discord. Each pitched his voice in a
+different key, and the din of battle was as
+nothing to that which now pervaded the castle.</p>
+
+<p>These were the words of the witch-song:</p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0b">&lsquo;<em>Cree-cree-cree-cree</em><br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Set Fiola&rsquo;s Princess free.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Sorcerer thou, but Witches we&mdash;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Cricket-Witches, from grass and ditches.<br /></span>
+<span class="i4"><em>Cree-cree-cree-cree!</em><br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Peace thine ears no more shall know<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Till thou bidst the lady go.<br /></span>
+<span class="i4"><em>Cree-cree-cree-cree!</em><br /></span>
+<span class="i4">Sorcerer, set the lady free!&rsquo;<a name="FNanchor_3" id="FNanchor_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a><br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>Over and over again they chanted this lay,
+and every cricket, far and near, joined in the
+maddening chorus. They sang until the
+Sorcerer with the Seven Heads felt that his
+senses were leaving him; pallid with rage,
+he severed the White Princess&rsquo;s chains. By
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span>the power of Lucretia, who had clearly foreseen
+his discomforture, the moment that the
+chains fell from her Fiorita immediately
+became a cricket also, and gladly did she fly
+to the side of the Prince, who greeted her
+with rapture.</p>
+
+<p>All would now have been well had they
+straightway left the castle, for Lucretia
+waited outside to restore to them their human
+form. As Fiorita passed the great cauldron
+which still swung over the lamp, she could
+not resist the temptation to lean over and
+peep inside, and the fumes from the potion
+being very strong, she straightway fainted,
+falling into the midst of the blood-red liquid.
+Before it could wholly cover her, the Cricket
+King seized her wings in his mouth; he
+carried her thus into the open air, where she
+speedily revived. Great was Lucretia&rsquo;s concern,
+however, when she heard from Fiola
+what had happened.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Alas,&rsquo; she sighed, &lsquo;not even I, who am
+mistress of spells and enchantments, can
+avert from Fiorita the consequences of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span>
+delay. Since the Sorcerer&rsquo;s potion touched her,
+for six months each year she must be a cricket,
+even as now; for the rest, she will be the
+White Princess, to dwell with you where you
+will.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Fiorita was sad indeed, for she had
+lost her longing to see the land Beyond, and
+desired nothing better than to wed the Prince.
+But now that he knew she loved him, no
+spell could dampen Fiola&rsquo;s joy.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;While you are a cricket,&rsquo; he said, &lsquo;I will
+be one too, for so long as you are beside me&mdash;what
+matters else?&rsquo; And the Fays and
+Witches, who reverence all true love, elected
+to share their banishment.</p>
+
+<p>And so it was, and is to this present time.
+For half the year Fiola is the Cricket King,
+and Fiorita, more than content, his Queen.
+But as Ascension day comes round, the spell
+is broken, and they take their accustomed
+places at the Court. It is hard to say when
+they are the happier; for love is as much at
+home in the humblest corner of Mother Earth
+as it is in a lordly Palace.&rdquo;</p>
+<hr class="l1"/>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw079.jpg" width="382" height="499"
+alt="Chapter XII The Favourite of the Fates."
+title="Chapter XII The Favourite of the Fates." />
+</div>
+
+<p>One night there was not a breath of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span>
+air, and I could not sleep. I tossed this way
+and that for hours, and directly the birds began
+to twitter, I put on my things and slipped back
+the bolt of the grand hall door. Once outside,
+it was beautifully fresh and cool, and the clouds
+in the sky were like wreaths of pink flowers
+on a turquoise sea, arched over with gleaming
+gold. They changed every moment, and while
+I watched them I forgot to look where I was
+going. When I stopped at last I found myself
+in the middle of the market place, where
+I had been with Father the day before.</p>
+
+<p>It was empty now, for no one was yet
+awake but me.</p>
+
+<p>Among the quaint old wooden houses I
+noticed one that I had not seen before; at first
+it seemed to be indistinct, but the longer I
+stared at it, the clearer it grew. Over the door
+of the tiny shop was the figure of a hen cut into
+the stone, and while I was wondering who had
+carved it, the wings fluttered gently toward me.
+The bird moved its head, and its wings were
+lifted; it flew to the ground, and a lovely white
+hen was at my feet. It looked at me wistfully,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span>
+and flew away; when I turned to the little
+house once again, it was not there. But beside
+me stood the Fairy Godmother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come and sit in the shade,&rdquo; she said, when
+I asked her what had become of the hen, &ldquo;and
+I will tell you all about her. She is seeking
+Furicchia, whom she served so well, not
+knowing that she is a shadow too.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw080.jpg" width="227" height="211" alt="Furicchia and her hen" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw081.jpg" width="373" height="357" alt="The Enchanted Hen" title="The Enchanted Hen" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Furicchia,&rdquo; said the Fairy Godmother,
+&ldquo;was a very poor woman who owned a hen
+which an innkeeper greatly coveted. The
+shape of the bird was perfect; it had a
+most melodious voice, and its feathers were
+glossy and white as snow.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Come now, good dame,&rsquo; the man cried,
+persuasively, &lsquo;I will give you double the
+market value of your little hen, for I wish
+to make a present of her to the widow Ursula,
+whom I intend to espouse.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;But the widow might kill and eat her!&rsquo;
+said Furicchia, looking lovingly at the little
+hen, which she had brought up by hand from
+a tiny chick. It had slept beneath her best
+silk &rsquo;kerchief, and taken its food from her lips.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;That is as may be,&rsquo; he replied. &lsquo;Come,
+Furicchia, I make you a handsome offer. Give
+me the hen, and you shall fare well next feast
+day.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Furicchia would not listen, in spite of
+the sad fact that her cupboard was as empty
+as her netted purse. The little hen was dear
+to her, though as yet it had lain no eggs, and
+she would not sacrifice her to her needs.</p>
+
+<p>Ere evening came, Coccodé was clucking
+gaily under the kitchen table, and Furicchia
+found, not one egg, but three, all a rich coffee
+brown, and polished like porcelain. Having
+joyfully exchanged one with a neighbour for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span>
+a dish of broth, she broke the second into it,
+and prudently saving the third for next day,
+thankfully made a good meal. When morning
+came, she found eggs to the number of a round
+dozen strewn about her tiny room, and from
+being almost on the verge of starvation, she
+had plenty now and to spare. For Coccodé,
+the grateful creature, laid eggs by the score,
+and not only were they of exquisite flavour
+and very large, but it was noticed that if sick
+folk ate them, they straightway returned to
+health.</p>
+
+<p>Furicchia was now a famous egg-wife, and
+the more eggs she sold, the more eggs Coccodé
+laid. The little hen was both willing and
+industrious, and loved her kind mistress so
+dearly that she was never so happy as when
+helping to make her fortune. Her pride in
+Furicchia&rsquo;s first silk gown was comical to
+witness; she rustled her wings against its
+handsome folds, and clucked so loudly that
+the neighbours heard, and came to see what
+was the matter.</p>
+
+<p>This silken gown it was that roused the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span>
+anger of the Signora, a wealthy woman who
+had much, and knew no better than to want
+more. Hearing of the prodigious number of
+eggs which Furicchia supplied, though no one
+had ever seen her with other than a single
+hen, she set afoot much scandal concerning
+her, ending by declaring her to be an evil
+Witch. At this, Furicchia&rsquo;s neighbours began
+to look askance at her; but the eggs were so
+good, and so moderate in price, that on second
+thoughts they decided to treat the Signora&rsquo;s
+hints with the contempt which they deserved.</p>
+
+<p>This made the lady still more angry; she
+resolved to find out Furicchia&rsquo;s secret, and
+ruin her if she could, so that she might obtain
+her customers for her own eggs. Coccodé was
+quite aware of what was going on, and before
+her mistress went out one morning she bade
+her fetch certain herbs that grew on a corner
+of barren land, and put these on the fire in a
+pot of wine.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;And now, dear mistress,&rsquo; she continued,
+when all had been done as she said, &lsquo;do you
+go out and trust your luck to Coccodé.&rsquo;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Furicchia had not long been gone, when
+the Signora&rsquo;s crafty face peeped slyly round
+the door. Finding the room apparently empty,
+she hurried in, delighted at such an opportunity
+for prying. First she peered here, and then
+she peered there, ransacking Furicchia&rsquo;s chests,
+and even turning over the leaves of her holy
+books, that she might see if an incantation to
+Witches had been written therein. Finally,
+she raised the latch of the inner chamber,
+where she had heard Coccodé clucking.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I have found out Furicchia&rsquo;s secret now,&rsquo;
+she thought with glee. &lsquo;Her little white hen
+is under a spell, and she and it shall be
+burnt as Witches.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Coccodé was sitting on a pile of eggs that
+reached almost up to the ceiling, and even as
+she clucked she was laying more. The
+Signora drew close to her, and listened with
+all her ears, for she had distinguished words
+amidst her cluckings, and immediately jumped
+to the conclusion that Coccodé believed herself
+to be addressing her mistress. This is what
+she heard:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0b">&lsquo;Coccodé! now there are nine!<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Bring me quickly the warm red wine.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Coccodé! take them away<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Many more for thee will I lay.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And thou shalt be a lady grand,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">As fine as any in the land,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And should it happen that any one<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Drinks of the wine as I have done,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Eggs like me she shall surely lay;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">This is the secret, this is the way,<br /></span>
+<span class="i4">Coccodé! Coccodé!&rsquo;<a name="FNanchor_4" id="FNanchor_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a><br /></span>
+</div></div></div>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Aha!&rsquo; said the Signora joyfully, &lsquo;now I
+have it!&rsquo; And running back to the outer room,
+she lifted the wine off the fire and drank it,
+every drop, though it scalded her throat and
+made her choke. As it coursed through her
+veins she felt a most extraordinary sensation,
+and hurried home as quickly as she could.
+A meal was laid on the table, but she found
+great difficulty in taking her usual place, and
+could eat nothing but some brown bread,
+which she pecked at in a most curious manner.
+As the charm began to work, her legs grew
+thinner and thinner, and her feet so large that
+she had to cut off her boots. Next, her brown
+silk dress became a bundle of draggled feathers,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span>while her nose turned into a beak, and her voice
+into a discordant cluck; in short, she was just
+a scraggy brown hen, and her friends held up
+their hands in horror. Eggs she laid by the
+score, but before she could sit on them they turned
+to mice and ran away. So she had nothing for
+all her trouble; and though she possessed a
+handsome house, she could only perch in a barn.</p>
+
+<p>This is what comes of greed and envy, and
+of meddling with other people&rsquo;s business.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Just at this moment a girl darted out of a
+doorway opposite, followed by an elderly woman
+who loudly reproved her for refusing to do her
+share in some household task. Shrugging
+her shoulders, she came to a sudden end, as
+if she knew that her breath was wasted, and
+the girl disappeared with a peal of laughter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She is off to gossip instead of work,&rdquo; said
+the Fairy Godmother disapprovingly. &ldquo;She
+will pay for it later, will pretty Ursula, for
+the Fates are not likely to interfere on her
+behalf as they did for Pepita.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I had to coax her to tell me this story, for she
+said she had much to do, and could not stay.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span>
+But when she heard that the very next day
+Father and I were leaving Italy, she refused
+no more. We sat down on the step of a
+splendid church, and no one seemed to notice us.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter1">
+<img src="images/ibw082.jpg" width="375" height="359"
+alt="The Favourite of the Fates." title="The Favourite of the Fates." />
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Troubles rolled off Pepita as water from
+a duck&rsquo;s back. So lighthearted and full of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span>
+good humour was she that nought ever seemed
+to vex her, and no one living had ever heard
+an unkind word fall from her rosy lips. Even
+the three grim Fates, who rule over mortal
+destinies, relaxed their stern brows as they
+looked down on her, and smiled indulgently.</p>
+
+<p>Pepita was slender as a swallow, with a
+warm red flush on her olive cheeks, and dainty
+hands that looked far too delicate and small
+for even the lighter household tasks. These,
+indeed, Pepita seldom attempted, singing
+instead from morn to eve, and charming her
+mother with soft caresses when she hardened
+her heart and tried to scold her.</p>
+
+<p>But Pepita could spin. Ah yes, she could
+spin, and as no other maiden had ever been
+known to do since Arachne was changed
+into a spider. The snowy flax flew from
+under her fingers as though her distaff were
+enchanted; which, indeed, was the case, for
+the wayward Fates had bestowed upon her a
+magic gift, and having given her this, not
+even they could take it away from her.</p>
+
+<p>Pepita&rsquo;s mother was often wroth with her,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span>
+for the dame had much work on her hands,
+and sighed that her only daughter should give
+her so little help. Were the maiden sent to
+wash clothes in the stream, ten chances to one
+they would go floating down the current while
+she twisted flowers in her hair. Were she
+set to make sweet little chestnut cakes, she
+would forget to put a cool green leaf at the
+bottom of each round baking dish, and when
+they were taken out of the ashes, behold, they
+would be all burnt!</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You are a good-for-nothing!&rsquo; her mother
+would cry angrily; but this was not true, for
+Pepita could spin.</p>
+
+<p>One feast day, while her mother went to the
+fair, she was told to watch the <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">pentola</i>, and
+to stir it carefully if it boiled too fast. It was
+made of rice and good fresh meat, with
+vegetables from the little garden; and it smelt
+so delicious that Pepita&rsquo;s small nostrils quivered
+like the petals of a rose on a windy day.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I will taste it to see that all is well,&rsquo; she
+murmured, and drawing back the iron pot,
+she helped herself to a liberal portion.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">pentola</i> was good; Pepita tasted it yet
+again, for she had been up early to go to
+Mass, and had sung herself hungry on the
+way home. Soon there was no meat left.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Ah, what shall I do?&rsquo; she sighed, &lsquo;My
+mother will scold me terribly, and will tell
+the Padre that I am greedy.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>She was sighing still when her eyes fell on
+an old leather shoe which had been cast away
+behind the door. Her face all dimpled with
+mischief, Pepita soused this under a tap, and
+threw it into the soup.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;They will but think that the meat is
+tough!&rsquo; she cried with a burst of laughter;
+but as the shoe fell into the boiling liquid her
+mother crossed the threshold.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;What have you done?&rsquo; demanded she,
+peering into the pot. &rsquo;<i lang="it" xml:lang="it">Madonnamia!</i> Was
+ever an honest woman cursed with such a
+daughter?&rsquo; And breathing out angry hopes
+that an Ogre would come and take her, she
+drove Pepita out of the house.</p>
+
+<p>At that moment a rich young merchant
+was strolling by, and Pepita unwittingly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span>
+rushed into his arms. A thing such as this
+had never happened to him before, and since
+he scarce knew what to do, he clasped her
+tightly while he considered. By the time he
+released her, Pepita&rsquo;s face was pink as apple
+blossom, and the tears that sparkled on it
+were for all the world like dewdrops on the
+petals of a flower. Something stirred in his
+breast, and he blushed even more than she;
+for when a man falls suddenly in love he
+knows not where he stands. Looking from
+one to the other, the wrath of Pepita&rsquo;s mother
+suddenly cooled.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a name="ibw083" id="ibw083"></a>
+<img src="images/ibw083.jpg" width="382" height="503" alt="Pepita rushed into his Arms." title="Pepita rushed into his Arms." />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw084.jpg" width="382" height="500" alt="The broth" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span></p>
+<p>&lsquo;Take her to wife,&rsquo; she said, &lsquo;and you&rsquo;ll not
+get a bad bargain. True, she is nought in
+the house, but she can spin. And with all
+her faults she is not a scold.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;One wants more in a wife than that!&rsquo; said
+the merchant shrewdly, though the last of her
+statements went far with him, since his mother
+had a tongue. Looking into Pepita&rsquo;s eyes,
+which were heavenly blue, and sweet as an
+angel&rsquo;s, he lost his last qualm of doubt, and
+lifted her hand to his lips. Then he turned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span>
+once more to the elder woman. &lsquo;I have
+vowed to my mother I will not wed without
+her free consent, but if your daughter meets
+with her approval, I will gladly do as you say.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guido&rsquo;s mother was in her seventieth year,
+and though she had never beheld a face more
+winning than merry Pepita&rsquo;s, it did not please
+her, and she gave her mind to finding a task
+which would prove beyond her powers.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;The garden paths are green with weeds,&rsquo;
+she quavered; &lsquo;they have been sadly neglected
+since Pietro fell ill. Take the hoe, and root
+them up; leave not a single one.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Nay, mother! I seek not a gardener for
+my wife!&rsquo; her son protested hotly, for Pepita&rsquo;s
+small hands could barely lift the hoe, and he
+had set his heart on her.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Unless the paths be clear of weeds ere the
+sun sets, I will not give thee my consent,&rsquo;
+said the old woman obstinately; and there
+was nothing left for Pepita to do but to hoe up
+the weeds as best she could.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had Guido&rsquo;s mother ceased
+watching her from the window, than Pepita<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span>
+whistled gently, and swift at her call came the
+birds she had fed with crumbs when the
+fields were bare. Pointing to the weeds, she
+made signs to them to destroy them, and by
+the time the old mother awoke from her nap,
+not one was left behind. This vexed her
+instead of giving her pleasure, for she did not
+wish her son to marry, and telling her maids
+they might have a holiday, she commanded
+Pepita to prepare the evening meal.</p>
+
+<p>The maiden was now in much perplexity,
+for she knew not how to cook, and her
+experience that morning with the <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">pentola</i> had
+taught her little. But the Brownies who
+dwelt behind the hearth, and love to see a fair
+young face bending over the pots and pans,
+bade her be not discouraged, for they would
+stand her friends.</p>
+
+<p>Then the nimble little men flew hither and
+thither, fetching garlic and oil and meat and
+rice in just the proportions that Guido loved,
+and adding certain secret flavours of their own
+until the smell of the broth made the old
+woman&rsquo;s mouth water, and she could not but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span>
+praise Pepita&rsquo;s cooking. When it came to
+the time to test her skill at spinning, she was
+completely reconciled to her son&rsquo;s choice, and
+put no obstacles in the way of the wedding.</p>
+
+<p>And now Pepita sang more blithely than
+ever, for though he was less well favoured,
+and slower of speech than many a young
+man who had wooed her, she adored her
+husband. She was as happy as the day was
+long until, wishing to have the biggest bank
+account as well as the prettiest wife in the
+neighbourhood, he took it into his head to
+turn her talent for spinning to account, and
+kept her beside her distaff from morn till eve.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I shall soon, at this rate, be richer even
+than the notary,&rsquo; he thought, as he looked
+delighted at his stores of flax; and Pepita
+besought him in vain to give her a little rest,
+for he could be as obstinate as his mother.</p>
+
+<p>It was now that the Fates interfered on her
+behalf, though many more worthy than she
+are left to shift for themselves.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;She has lost her bloom!&rsquo; sighed one grim
+sister.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Her cheeks are hollow!&rsquo; observed the
+second.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Her songs are sad ones!&rsquo; said the third
+with a dreadful frown. And then they put
+their heads together, and formed a plan whereby
+Guido might be outwitted.</p>
+
+<p>As he sat in the doorway that evening while
+Pepita span, denying himself the sight of her
+in order that her work might not be disturbed,
+there came up the garden path a hideous old
+hag, who besought him to give her alms.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;Look at me, Signor!&rsquo; she groaned, lifting
+her head so that he saw the wrinkled folds
+that lapped her chin. &lsquo;Once I was fair as
+your Pepita, but I sat so long at my spinning
+wheel, that all my comeliness left me.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guido hastily gave her a coin, and urged
+her to begone; for he did not want Pepita to
+see her, or to hear what she had to say.</p>
+
+<p>Next eve came a second old woman, uglier,
+if possible, than the last, and bent like some
+brutish beast. She had the same story to tell
+him of bygone loveliness, and Guido sped her
+down the hill with even more haste than before.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The next night a third old woman appeared,
+so dread of aspect that he was obliged to avert
+his gaze. Against his wish, he felt himself
+constrained to enquire the cause of her terrible
+affliction.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;I sat at my wheel, good master,&rsquo; was the
+reply, &lsquo;until beauty and sight both left me,
+and my skin became even as you see.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now thoroughly alarmed, he dismissed her
+quickly with a handful of coins, and calling
+Pepita to him, gazed at her long and
+searchingly. When the flush that his now
+unaccustomed touch had brought to her sweet
+face faded, he saw she was pale and thin.
+Her mouth drooped sadly, and purple shadows
+brooded round her eyes. With a cry of
+remorse he drew her to his breast, and kissed
+her tenderly.</p>
+
+<p>&lsquo;You shall spin no longer, my Pepita,&rsquo; he
+said, &lsquo;for I would rather have you as you are
+than be rich as Satan himself!&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p>And this was the very last story I heard.
+We started for home next morning, and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span>
+went to school at the half term&mdash;a ripping
+school where there was any amount of
+cricket, and so many other games that I had
+no time to think of Fairies.</p>
+
+<p>But some day I&rsquo;m going to find the Peri,
+and those other wonderful Sprites and
+Goblins of which Titania told me when I
+met her in the wood that Christmas day.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw085.jpg" width="203" height="202" alt="Goblin playing cricket" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center f7">Printed by W. W. Curtis, Ltd., Cheylesmore Press, Coventry.</p>
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<img src="images/ibw086.jpg" width="384" height="501" alt="Woman with baby" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> The Fairy Mythology</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Crane&rsquo;s Italian Fairy Tales</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3" id="Footnote_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Crane&rsquo;s Italian Fairy Tales</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4" id="Footnote_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> Leyland&rsquo;s &lsquo;Legends of Florence&rsquo;</p></div>
+</div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="tnote">
+<p>Transcriber&rsquo;s note: A few obvious printer&rsquo;s errors were corrected.
+Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were preserved.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Fairies and the Christmas Child, by Lilian Gask
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@@ -0,0 +1,4493 @@
+Project Gutenberg's The Fairies and the Christmas Child, by Lilian Gask
+
+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: The Fairies and the Christmas Child
+
+Author: Lilian Gask
+
+Illustrator: Willy Pogany
+
+Release Date: September 27, 2011 [EBook #37547]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FAIRIES AND THE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, eagkw and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: Cover]
+
+  [Illustration: The Fairies
+                 and the Christmas
+                 Child]
+
+  [Illustration]
+
+  [Illustration: _Fr._               "We rocked the cradle"
+                                         (_Page 182_)]
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: Title Page]
+
+  The
+  Fairies and
+  the Christmas Child
+  By Lilian Gask
+
+  The Illustrations are by
+  Willy Pogany
+
+  T. Y. Crowell & Co
+  New York
+
+  [Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Contents
+
+
+  Chapter                                    Page
+     I.  The Fairy Ring                         1
+
+    II.  The Princess with the Sea-Green Hair  25
+
+   III.  Rose-Marie and the Poupican           45
+
+    IV.  The Bird at the Window                67
+
+     V.  The White Stone of Happiness          89
+
+    VI.  The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou       109
+
+   VII.  In the Dwarf's Palace                133
+
+  VIII.  The Silver Horn                      157
+
+    IX.  The Little White Feather             175
+
+     X.  The Wild Huntsman                    197
+
+    XI.  The White Princess                   217
+
+   XII.  The Favourite of the Fates           239
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+List of Illustrations
+
+
+  "We rocked the cradle"                    _Frontispiece_
+                                                      Page
+  "I fancied that I had seen those wee brown men"       11
+
+  "The Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves"      20
+
+  "Here a Fairy Princess awaited him"                   33
+
+  Rose-Marie and the Poupican                           54
+
+  "They tossed him three times in the air"              63
+
+  "She hid herself behind a curtain"                    83
+
+  "What ails you, Madame Marguerite?"                   99
+
+  "The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees"    114
+
+  "They instantly changed into snow-white birds"       129
+
+  "The Dwarf invited me to be seated"                  141
+
+  "Elberich had jeered him finely"                     151
+
+  "'She is yours, O Otnit!' cried the Dwarf"           154
+
+  "In the old man's place sat a little Dwarf"          167
+
+  "A little white feather danced above their heads"    189
+
+  "'How now?' cried a reassuring voice"                196
+
+  "He entreated the maiden to come down"               205
+
+  "Went shyly down to meet him"                        212
+
+  "Lowered herself from her window by means of a rope
+      of pearls"                                       224
+
+  "He tickled the monster's nose"                      233
+
+  "Pepita rushed into his arms"                        253
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: _To
+                 "The Doctor"
+                 and
+                 Mrs. Macnaughton-Jones
+                 my "Good Fairies"
+                 and best of
+                 Friends_]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter I
+
+The Fairy Ring
+
+
+The worst of being a Christmas Child is that you don't get birthday
+presents, but only Christmas ones. Old Naylor, who was Father's
+coachman, and had a great gruff voice that came from his boots and was
+rather frightening, used to ask how I expected to grow up without proper
+birthdays, and I thought I might have to stay little always. When I told
+Father this he laughed, but a moment later he grew quite grave.
+
+"Listen, Chris," he said. And then he took me on his knee--I was a small
+chap then--and told me things that made me forget old Naylor, and wish
+and wish that Mother could have stayed with us. The angels had wanted
+her, Father explained; well, we wanted her too, and there were plenty
+of angels in heaven, anyway. When I said this Father gave me a great
+squeeze and put me down, and I tried to be glad that I was a Christmas
+child. But I wasn't really until a long time afterwards, when I had
+found the Fairy Ring, and met the Queen of the Fairies.
+
+This was how it happened. Father and I lived at one end of a big town,
+in a funny old house with an orchard behind it, where the sparrows ate
+the cherries and the apple trees didn't flower. Once upon a time, said
+Father, there had been country all round it, but the streets and the
+roads had grown and grown until they drove the country away, and now
+there were trams outside the door, and not a field to be seen. I often
+thought that our garden must be sorry to be so crowded up, and that this
+was why it wouldn't grow anything but weedy nasturtiums and evening
+primroses.
+
+Father is a doctor, and most awfully clever. If you cut off the top of
+your finger, he'd pop it on again in no time, and he used to cure all
+sorts of illnesses with different coloured medicines he made himself
+behind a screen.
+
+But though he had lots and lots of patients--sometimes the surgery was
+full of them, 'specially on cold nights when there was a fire--they
+didn't seem to have much money to give him, and sometimes they ran
+away with their furniture in the night so's not to pay their bills.
+This worried Father dreadfully, and even Santa Claus was scared away
+by the things he said. On Christmas Eve the old fellow quite forgot
+to fill my stocking. It was all limp and empty when I woke in the
+morning, and if I hadn't remembered that when I grew up I was going to
+be a Commander-in-Chief, I should never have swallowed that lump in my
+throat.
+
+Father couldn't even take me to hear "Hark The Herald Angels" at the big
+church down the road that day, for someone sent for him in a hurry, and
+when he didn't come in for dinner, I wished it wasn't Christmas at all.
+Nancy Blake, who kept house for us and was most stingy over raisins,
+banged the kitchen door when I said I would make her some toffee, and
+I couldn't find anything else to do. I looked at all my books and
+pretended I was a soldier in a lonely fort; then I thought I would make
+up medicine myself, so's to save Father trouble when he came home. But I
+burnt my fingers with some nasty stuff in a green bottle, and it hurt a
+good deal. So I determined to go to meet him, and tell him what I'd
+done.
+
+[Illustration: "Nancy Blake."]
+
+The trams were running as usual, and as I had a penny left out of my
+pocket money--I hadn't spent it before as it had got stuck in some
+bulls' eyes--I took the car to the corner; then I jumped out and walked.
+There wasn't a sign of Father all down the road, and I remembered at
+last that he had said he must look in at the Hospital, which was in
+quite a different direction. I should have gone home then, if it hadn't
+been so dull with no one but Nancy Blake.
+
+"He won't be back until tea time anyhow," I thought, and I made up my
+mind to be a boy scout, and go and explore.
+
+It was a splendid day, and the roofs of the shops and houses glittered
+from millions of tiny points, just as you see on Christmas cards. I
+walked on and on, feeling gladder every moment, for my fingers had left
+off hurting me and I knew that I couldn't be far from the woods, which
+were just outside the town. I had been there once with Father, and it
+was lovely; so I hurried on as quickly as I could.
+
+When I got there they made me think of Fairyland. The trees were
+sparkling with the same frost-diamonds I had noticed on the roofs, and
+through the criss-cross branches above my head the sky was as blue as
+blue. A jolly little robin was twittering in a bush, enjoying himself no
+end; his bright red breast reminded me of the holly I had stuck over
+Father's mantelpiece, and I began to feel sad again. For it did seem
+hard lines that though Christmas was my birthday, no one, not even
+Father, had thought of it.
+
+"I wish that I hadn't been born on Christmas Day!" I said aloud, when I
+had reached the very heart of the wood, and I sat down to rest on the
+stump of a tree close to a little circle of bright green. It was here
+I had come that day with Father, and he had told me that though it was
+called a "Fairy Ring," it was really made by the spread of a very small
+fungus, or mushroom. I liked the idea of the fairy ring much better, and
+as I touched it with my foot I wished again that I wasn't a Christmas
+child. And then I heard a sigh.
+
+It wasn't the robin, for he was still twittering on his bush, and it
+wasn't the wind, for the air was quite sheltered behind the bank, which
+was sweet with wild thyme in summer. The next moment I heard another
+sigh, and this seemed to come from a frond of bracken just outside the
+fairy ring. It was brown and withered, but the frost had silvered it all
+over, and as I looked at it I saw the loveliest little creature you can
+imagine clinging to the stem. She was only about three inches high, but
+her tiny form was full of grace, and her eyes so bright and beautiful
+that they shone like stars. Her hair was the palest silver-gold, and
+she had a crown of diamonds and an amethyst wand that sparkled when she
+moved it. The scarf wreathed round her shoulders flashed all the colours
+of mother-of-pearl, and throwing it from her she hummed to herself a
+little song about violets and eglantine, and sweet musk roses. Her notes
+were as clear as the lark's, and as if she had called them, more Fairies
+showed amidst the bracken.
+
+They were lovely too, though not so lovely as she. One was dressed in
+pink, like a pink pea; another had a long grey coat, spangled with drops
+of dew, while the third had wings like a big grey moth, and the smallest
+Elf was all in brown.
+
+"It is Titania who sings," chirped the robin in my left ear; "Titania,
+the Queen of the Fairies, though some call her the fair Queen Mab!" And
+he hopped to the foot of the frond of bracken and made a funny little
+duck with his head.
+
+"Good bird!" cried Titania, breaking off her song. "You, too, sing
+through the winter gloom, and are here to welcome the sweet o' the
+year." Then she pointed her gleaming wand at me, and shook her head.
+
+"O Christmas child," she said reproachfully, "it is well that it was I
+who heard you, and not my brave lord Oberon, who has less patience with
+mortal folly. So you wish you had not been born on Christmas Day? Why,
+'tis the day most blessed in all the year--the day when the King of
+Kings sent peace and goodwill to Man in the form of the Christ Child. It
+is His birthday as well as yours, and in memory of Him the Fairies show
+themselves to Christmas children, if they are pure in heart and word and
+deed. Your Mother knew this, and she was glad. She called you 'Chris' to
+remind you always which day you came."
+
+And then I was sure that I hadn't been dreaming after all, though Nancy
+said, "Stuff and Nonsense," when I fancied that I had seen those wee
+brown men busy about the house on winter mornings, or flitting in
+shadowy corners at night, before she lit the gas. I had never spoken to
+them, for I thought if I did they might run away; but I was pleased to
+know they had been real.
+
+"You would have seen us before," said Titania, "but you live in a big
+town, and your eyes were dimmed with smoke and fog. My dainty Elves love
+dales and streams, and the depths of forests; in spring they throng
+the meadows, decking the cowslips' coats of gold at early dawn with
+splotches of ruby, my choicest favours, and hanging pearls in their
+dainty ears. In summer they sleep in the roseleaves, and ride behind
+the wings of butterflies, while in winter they hush the babble of the
+brooks, and powder the branches of the trees with frost to hide their
+nakedness. Away with you, Peas-blossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustard-seed!
+Go, freeze the fingers of Father Time into glassy icicles, and forget
+not to seek for crimson berries on which our friends the birds may feed
+at morn!"
+
+[Illustration: I fancied that I had seen those wee brown men]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+She clapped her hands, and the Fairies fled. I wondered why she did not
+fall, since she no longer clung to the frond of bracken; but her tiny
+feet were firmly planted in the fork of a leaf, and behind her glinted a
+pair of wings which had been invisible before. As I watched her I
+thought of a question I had often wanted to ask.
+
+"Where do Fairies come from?" I said, hoping she would not be offended.
+
+"Ah," she replied, "that is more than I may tell you. But we were here,
+in these very islands, long before the people of the woods, and the
+white-haired Druids who worshipped the God of the Oak. There were
+spirits then, as now, in streams and rivers, and sweet-voiced Sirens in
+the deep blue sea. Some Fairies rode on magic horses, and some were even
+smaller than I, and lived in the ears of the yellow corn. Dagda then was
+the King of the Fairies, a mighty spirit whose cauldron was supposed
+to be the vast grey dome of the sky. Those were the days of Witches,
+Dwarfs, and Giants, and little people who lived in the hills, and many
+other Fairies known by different names.
+
+We are found in various guises all over the world, but our home is said
+first to have been in Persia. There dwelt the ancient Jinn who haunted
+the mountain recesses and the forest wilds ages before the first man
+trod the earth. Here, too, were Deevs, malicious creatures of terrible
+strength who warred with our sisters, the Peries. These exquisite
+creatures abode at Kaf, in the deep green mountains of Chrysolite, the
+realm of Pleasure and Delight, wherein was the beauteous Amber City.
+Some day you may go to Persia, and then, if you meet a Peri, she will
+tell you how a mortal man once came to her sisters' rescue, and
+conquered the wicked Deevs."
+
+The thought of meeting a Peri took my breath away, for I had read about
+them on winter evenings.
+
+"Do you mean that wherever I go I shall see the Fairies, just as I see
+you now?" I cried.
+
+"Wherever you go!" she said, nodding her head, "and soon I believe you
+will cross the sea and travel through other lands. But you must not
+think," she went on earnestly, "that the Fairies in your own country are
+less worth knowing, for you might spend your life in making friends with
+them, and yet have much to learn."
+
+I can't remember half of all that Titania told me after this, but she
+spoke of fair White Elves who live among the trees, and are ruled by a
+King who rides abroad in a beautiful little coach with trappings of gold
+and silver; of mischievous Black Elves who live underground, and haunt
+people with nasty tempers; of Nymphs and Gnomes and sad-faced Trolls,
+and of Brownies and Portunes and Pixies. I should have liked to hear
+more about the Brownies and Portunes, but it was fun to learn how the
+Brownies play tricks on lazy people who lie in bed and won't get up,
+pulling the clothes right off them, and throwing these on the floor,
+and of how they help the farmers' wives to bake and brew if they are
+clean and neat. Titania said that Fairies dislike people who are untidy,
+and I hoped that she hadn't seen my playbox or my chest of drawers. I
+made up my mind that directly I got home I would put them straight, and
+so that she might not notice how red I had grown, I asked her to tell me
+what Portunes were.
+
+[Illustration: The "Portunes" were queer creatures.]
+
+"Queer little wrinkled creatures with faces like old men," she said.
+"They wear long green coats covered with darns and patches, and are only
+found now in the depths of the country. They like to live on prosperous
+farms, and though some of them are barely an inch high, they can lift
+heavier weights than the strongest labourer. Like the Brownies, they can
+be mischievous as well as helpful. A farmer once offended a Portune by
+speaking disrespectfully of his kindred, and the next time that the good
+man rode home from market in the dusk, the little fellow sprang on to
+the horse's reins, and guided him into the bog. Both horse and man had
+to flounder out as best they could, and the farmer was careful
+henceforth to mind his tongue."
+
+"And what are Pixies like?" I asked. She had said that I reminded her of
+one of these, so of course I was curious about them.
+
+"They are much taller than we are, and very fair," answered Titania,
+"with blue-grey eyes like yours. If you want to meet them, you must go
+to Devonshire, for it is there that they make their home. They love the
+ferns and the heather, and the rich red earth, and live in a Pixy-house
+in a rock. They, also, are ruled by a King, who commands them as I do
+my Elves and Fays, despatching them hither and thither to do his will.
+Sometimes he sends them down to the mines, to show the men who work
+there where the richest lode is to be found; and if the miners grumble,
+or are discontented, the Pixies lead them astray by lighting false
+fires. On other occasions they are told off to help the villagers with
+their housework, and their attentions are warmly welcomed by the Devon
+folk. One good dame was so pleased with the help a ragged little Pixie
+who had torn her frock on a sweet-briar bush gave her with her spinning,
+that she made her a new set of clothes of bright green cloth, and laid
+these by the spinning wheel. The Pixy put them on at once, and singing
+
+    "Pixy fine, Pixy gay,
+    Pixy now will run away!"
+
+sped out of the house in broad daylight, and, alas! she never came back
+again."
+
+"Ho! ho! ho!" laughed a merry voice, and a shock-headed little fellow
+swung himself down from a bough just behind me, and turned a somersault
+on the ground.
+
+"Welcome, gay Puck!" Titania cried. "Whence do you come, and what do you
+do this night?"
+
+"I come from the court of King Oberon, sweet Titania," answered the Elf,
+"and to-night I plait the manes and tails of Farmer Best's grey horses.
+At early dawn I shall skim the cream off the milk in his good wife's
+dairy, since yester-e'en she grudged a drink of it to an orphan child.
+'Robin Goodfellow has been here!' she will cry when she sees what I have
+been after, and her greedy old eyes will fill with tears. That is one
+of my pet names, Wide-eyes," he added, hopping on to my shoulder and
+pinching my ear. "I am also Pouke, Hobgoblin, and Robin Hood. But where
+are the Urchins, my merry play-fellows? It is high time that they were
+here, for the lady moon has hung her lamp i' the sky."
+
+[Illustration: "The Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves"]
+
+The clouds were all tinted a deep rose pink, and behind the trees, just
+where the moon had risen, was a haze of purple. I knew by this that it
+must be nearly tea-time, and I was just going to say that I must go,
+when Titania left the frond of bracken, and alighted in the centre of
+the Fairy Ring. Waving her wand, she summoned her "gladsome sprites,"
+and next moment the Fairy Ring was thronged with dancing Elves who wore
+red caps and silver shoes, with bright green mantles buttoned with bobs
+of silk. Puck flew to join them, but Peas-blossom, Cobweb, Moth, and
+Mustard-seed, who sprang from nowhere, danced in an inner circle round
+the Fairy Queen. They sang as they danced, and this is their song. I
+found it afterwards in a book of Father's, which he said had in it more
+wonderful things than all books in the world but one:
+
+    "By the moon we sport and play,
+    With the night begins our day.
+    As we frisk the dew doth fall,
+    Trip it, little urchins all.
+    Lightly as the little bee,
+    Two by two and three by three,
+    And about goe wee, goe wee."
+
+"And about goe wee, goe wee!" echoed down the glade, and then the
+Elves suddenly disappeared, with Puck and Titania and her attendants.
+
+The wood was growing darker every minute, but the sparkles of frost were
+glittering still, and lit my way. At the end of the scrub I saw Father
+coming to meet me, swinging down the road with such long steps that he
+looked like a kindly big giant. He had guessed where I had gone, and he
+was so pleased to find me that he forgot to say I mustn't explore any
+more without him, as I was afraid he would. He took my hand, and we both
+ran; it was lovely at home by the fire.
+
+I meant to have told him about Queen Titania while we were having tea,
+but Nancy had made such scrumptious cakes that there wasn't time at
+first, and before I had finished he began to open the letters that had
+come just after he left that morning. They seemed to be all bills, and
+Father sighed as he looked them over, his forehead puckered into rucks
+and lines. Presently he came to a big blue envelope, and he turned
+this round and round as if he thought there might be something horrid
+inside. The paper crackled like anything as he drew it out, and when it
+was unfolded he sat looking at it for a long time, though there didn't
+seem to be much writing. At last he gave an odd kind of gasp, and took
+my face between his hands. He pressed it so hard that he made me say
+"O!" though I didn't want to do this, and I wondered what had happened.
+
+"Your great-aunt Helen is dead, Chris," he said at last, as he let me
+go. "I haven't seen her for years and years.... She was not over kind to
+me when I was a lad, though I believe she meant well.... And now she's
+left us all her money. We shan't be poor any more."
+
+This was the beginning of ever so many surprises. First, Father and I
+had warm new overcoats, with woolly stuff inside them that felt like
+blankets, only much more soft and fluffy, and Nancy had the blue silk
+dress she always vowed that she should buy when her ship came home.
+There was a fire every night in Father's study, and I had one in my
+bedroom. More patients came up for soup than they did for medicine, and
+they said "God bless you, Sir!" to Father so often that he wanted to run
+away. The children in the hospital had the biggest tree that the ward
+would hold, and all the old men and women in the workhouse had a big
+tea, and shawls and mufflers.
+
+A few weeks later a strange young man with a very shiny collar and a new
+brown bag came to stay with us. Father said he was a "locum," but Nancy
+said it ought to be "locust," for his appetite was enormous, and she
+couldn't make enough buttered toast to please him. He had come to take
+care of Father's patients until someone bought all the medicines and
+things in the surgery, and I was awfully glad to hear we were going
+away.
+
+"We'll go straight to the sunshine, Chris," said Father, "where there
+are trees and flowers instead of long rows of houses, and the air isn't
+full of smoke."
+
+And that night I dreamt all about fairies, and of what I was going to
+see and hear in foreign lands.
+
+[Illustration: The "Locust."]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter II
+
+The Princess with the Sea-Green hair.
+
+
+The cliffs were hidden in the mist when we left Dover, and the sky was
+dull and grey. But very soon it began to clear; a silvery light shone
+behind the clouds, and then the sun came out, and the rolling waves
+turned emerald green. They tossed our steamer up and down as if it were
+a cork, and Father soon went below, but I begged so hard to be allowed
+to stay on deck that he said I might if I would promise, "honour
+bright," not to get into mischief.
+
+When he had gone I put my cap into my pocket, so that it might not blow
+off, and leaned over the rails to watch the swell of the sea. I wasn't
+thinking of Fairies then, nor of being a Christmas child, but of how it
+must feel to be shipwrecked. So when the spray blew in my face and made
+me blink, I was surprised to see a merry red face grinning up at me from
+the foam. It had curls of seaweed upon its forehead, and a mouth like a
+big round "O".
+
+"I'm Father Neptune," it roared, so loudly that I could hear it quite
+distinctly above the noise of the wind. "Why not take a header, and
+come and ride one of my fine sea horses? 'Father wouldn't like it?'
+Ho! ho! ho! What a molly-coddle of a boy!"
+
+A big wave tossed him on one side, and on its crest was a beautiful girl
+with a shining tail, and hair like a stream of gold. Of course I knew
+she was a mermaid, and would want me to go to her coral caves.
+
+"Won't you come with me and play with my sheeny pearls?" she cried.
+"They gleam like the dawn on a summer morning, and you shall choose the
+loveliest for your very own."
+
+She held out her arms and I nearly sprang into them, for I thought that
+a pearl would be splendid for Father's pin. But just behind her I saw
+two ugly mermen, with horrid green teeth and bright red eyes, and ropes
+of seaweed in their long thin hands. Then I remembered that mermaids
+were dangerous, and I ran straight over to the other side of the steamer
+and put my fingers into my ears, so that I might not hear her call. She
+spoke so sweetly that it was difficult to resist, but I did not trust
+her.
+
+The water was calmer on this side, and I wondered why until I saw some
+funny brown men, rather like Brownies, but ever so much bigger and
+stronger, stretched out at full length on the tops of the waves.
+They were blowing on conchs as hard as they could, and wherever
+they blew, the waves grew quieter. I guessed at once that they were
+Tritons--seafolk who live with Neptune in his crystal palace under the
+sea. I was still watching them when Father came up behind me, and told
+me that we were really in.
+
+We stayed the night at a big hotel where almost everyone spoke in a
+language which I did not understand, and I had a grown-up dinner with
+Father, with heaps of different dishes, most of them tasting much alike.
+Next day we went on for hours in the train, and the air grew warmer and
+warmer, and the grass more green, until at last we were in the south of
+France. There were palms and orange groves and heaps of flowers, and it
+would have been just splendid if Father had been all right. He hadn't
+had time to be ill at home you see, and now there were no sick people
+to worry him, he was so tired that he couldn't do anything. But he told
+me not to worry, for once he was really rested, he would soon get well.
+
+And so he did, though it took a long time to rest him, and we couldn't
+explore a bit. In the mornings we strolled through the gardens, or down
+to the sea, and most afternoons we did nothing at all. Very often, as I
+sat beside him on the verandah, with the sun shining full on the green
+awning, and the roses nodding to us over the balcony, he would fall
+asleep; and then a Flower-Fairy would peep through the ferns, and tell
+me the loveliest stories. The Rose-Fairy came, and the Queen of the
+Lilies, with a lovely gold crown upon her head; but my favourite Fairy
+lived in a bed of violets. Her frock was purple, and I knew when she was
+coming because the air all round grew sweet. Her stories were the best
+of all. She had heard them from the wind, she said, as he played with
+her leaves at dawn. My favourite was one that she said he had brought
+from Provence.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Princess with the Sea-Green Hair.
+
+"A worthy couple at Marseilles," she began, "had longed for a child
+for years in vain, and great was their joy when they knew at last that
+their wish was about to be granted. The boy was born during a fearful
+storm, and the first sound he heard was the crash of the sea as it broke
+on the shore. He was christened Paul, and grew up into a handsome lad
+with a quantity of thick fair hair which curled like the tips of the
+waves, and piercing blue eyes which were always twinkling with fun and
+mischief.
+
+There was not any question as to what calling he should follow, for the
+sea claimed him as a son of her own, and he was never content on dry
+land. When his ship came home and the crew was dismissed, he could not
+rest, and every evening at sunset he would row himself out in a little
+boat as far as he could go. One summer night, when a thousand ripples
+danced on the waves, he leaned over the side of his boat, gazing
+down--down--down. He did not know why, but he felt quite sure that
+someone was calling him, and with all his heart he longed to obey the
+summons. Presently he felt himself lifted gently, and drawn through
+the gleaming water by hands which he could not see. It was black as
+night before they released him, for neither sun nor moon pierce the
+depths of the ocean. He would have been in total darkness but for the
+strange-shaped fish who carried lanterns on their heads, and guided
+him to the gates of a palace, formed of millions of barnacles. These
+were piled one on the top of the other until they reached an enormous
+height, and were decorated with what looked like a row of human eyes.
+
+The gates flew open as Paul approached them, and through a passage of
+mother-of-pearl he reached a chamber that flashed with opal lights. Here
+a Fairy Princess awaited him--a Princess so exquisitely beautiful in
+spite of her sea-green hair, that though his heart did not go out to
+her, he was not repelled by the love she showed him.
+
+She kept him with her for many hours, and at dawn of day she bade him
+return to his home, giving him two golden fish which he was to show
+to all who asked him where he had spent the night, telling them he
+had been a'fishing. The invisible hands which had brought him thither
+bore him back to his boat, and he landed just at sunrise. His golden
+fish were a source of awe and wonder to his neighbours, who had never
+seen their like before; but the priest shook his head, and warned him to
+have no dealings with the powers of darkness.
+
+[Illustration: Here a Fairy Princess awaited him--]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+But Paul could not resist rowing out to the edge of the sunset. Evening
+after evening he plied his oars, and always at twilight he was drawn
+down--down, to the palace of the strange Princess with the sea-green
+hair. When he went on a voyage all was well with him, for his vessel
+bore him to other seas, where no one called him when the sky grew red;
+but he was no sooner at home with his parents than something within him
+made him row out to the west.
+
+At last it seemed as if he had forgotten the Princess, for he fell in
+love with sweet Lucile, who was as good and gentle as she was fair, and
+willingly gave him her troth. Their wedding was fixed for Easter Day,
+and the night before, Paul wandered down to the sea-shore, thinking
+of the bliss in store for him on the morrow. His love-lit eyes fell
+dreamily on his boat, which had lain for months in the shallow cove
+where he had moored her, and without thinking what he was doing, he
+stepped inside and took the oars in his hands. Alas! No sooner did he
+feel the boat moving under him, than he was seized by the old wild
+longing to sail towards the west.
+
+All happened as before, until he reached the Princess's palace; but now,
+instead of smiling sweetly, she received him with threatening looks
+which showed an array of cruel teeth behind her rose-red lips.
+
+'So! you have been unfaithful to me!' she cried. 'I will not slay you,
+since I have greater punishments in store than death.... You shall stay
+in the depths of the sea until your yellow hair is bleached and white,
+and your face a mask of hideous wrinkles. Then, and then only, shall you
+return to land, and those who have loved you best shall spurn you from
+them as something loathsome. Scorn for scorn, and pain for pain. Thus
+will I take my revenge.'
+
+So for seven long years Paul was a prisoner in the darkness of the deep,
+his bed the black and slimy ooze, and his companions fearsome monsters
+who would fain have devoured him. At last, when his hair was white
+as snow, and his face so wrinkled and ugly that the children of the
+mer-folk shuddered as they passed, he was seized by a sprawling octopus,
+and dragged up through the water. The loathsome creature held him fast
+until they reached a spot not far from the little brown cottage where
+Lucile had lived with her old father, and here it loosened its coils;
+and a great wave cast Paul on shore. The cottage was empty and deserted,
+and the winding path he had trodden so often was covered with moss.
+Close by, however, was another cottage, far more spacious, and through
+the open door of this Paul saw his old sweetheart sitting beside a
+cradle. She sang as she rocked it gently with her foot, and her shining
+needles flew in and out of a fisherman's coarse blue sock.
+
+As the shadow fell across the threshold she looked up brightly,
+expecting to see her husband. Meeting Paul's gaze instead, her own
+grew strained with horror, and snatching her baby from the cradle she
+fled to the inner room. Without a word Paul hastened away. He knew his
+doom, and hastened to throw himself back to the sea.
+
+In his headlong flight he stumbled against an old, old woman, gathering
+drift-wood on the wreck-strewn coast. She would have fallen if he had
+not caught her in his arms, and as he held her she saw his eyes. They
+alone were unchanged, and his mother knew them.
+
+'My boy--my dear boy!' she cried with a sob of joy. And she drew his
+seared face down to her bosom, murmuring over it the same fond words she
+had used when he was a child. She kissed him, and the spell was broken;
+once more he was good to look upon.... The Princess had not known, you
+see, that a mother's love is immortal."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Father was still asleep when the story came to an end, so I implored the
+Fairy to tell me another.
+
+"This comes from Provence, too," she said in answer to my pleading, "and
+will show you that sea-folk can sometimes be merciful."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Sailor and the Porpoise.
+
+"Among the crew of the good ship _L'Oiseau_, was a sailor named Antoine,
+who kept all on board alive with his merry wit. One day, while sailing
+the waters of the Mediterranean, the sea only faintly ruffled by the
+breeze that helped them on their way, they espied what at first appeared
+to be a huge sea-serpent making its way towards them. For a few moments
+the mariners watched it in much alarm; then, to their immense relief,
+they found that their 'sea-serpent' was a string of harmless porpoises,
+swimming in a row, with their shining black backs just appearing above
+the surface of the water. As they neared the ship they broke their
+ranks, and evidently regarding the sailors as their friends, gambolled
+upon the waves like boisterous children. No man dreamt of interfering
+with them until Antoine thoughtlessly picked up a rusty spear and threw
+it at one of those farthest away. He did not do this from any desire to
+kill, but only to show how excellent was his aim, and when he saw his
+shaft strike home, tinging the sea with red as his victim sank with a
+convulsive shudder, he was seized with self-reproach and a nameless
+dread.
+
+And behold! a great storm shook the sea, as if the gods themselves were
+angry. Thunder and lightning rolled and flashed, and raindrops heavy as
+leaden balls fell in swift torrents. So fearful was the tempest that it
+threatened to overwhelm the ship, and the Captain was in despair.
+
+In this dire extremity a knight on a magnificent black charger came
+riding over the waves.
+
+'Surrender him who threw the spear!' he cried, and the sea stayed its
+turmoil to listen. 'Do this, and I will save the ship. Else shall it
+perish, with all on board, and sea creatures shall gnaw your bones.'
+
+The sailors were exceedingly afraid, but they would not betray their
+comrade. Seeing this, Antoine stepped forth of his own accord, for he
+would not let his shipmates suffer for his fault. Leaping from the deck,
+he landed upon the haunches of the charger, behind the knight, and that
+moment the sea became smooth as glass, and the strange steed disappeared
+with his two riders.
+
+The ship made good way, and his shipmates never expected to see poor
+Antoine again, but to the amazement and joy of all, he rejoined
+the vessel a few days later as though it had stood by for him. The
+excitement of the men was great as they gathered round him to hear of
+his adventures.
+
+And truly he had a marvellous story to relate. He had ridden, he told
+them, to a distant island, where in a castle of shimmering gold, on a
+bed of the softest eiderdown, he found a knight stretched in agony. It
+was he whom he had wounded, while in the form of a porpoise, and the
+spear he had thrown so thoughtlessly was still sticking in his side.
+He drew this out, with tears of shame, and then, with his guilty right
+hand, he cleansed and bathed the wound. When this was done, the knight
+fell into a deep sleep, and woke at dawn well as ever. Taking Antoine's
+hand, he led him through many corridors lit with gems to a resplendent
+banquet hall, where the walls were encrusted with star-shaped sapphires,
+and the floor was of beaten gold. Many other knights were assembled
+here, and maidens so fair that Antoine sighed to think of them. When he
+had feasted on curious dishes of rich fruits, the same knight who had
+brought him thither took him back to the sea-shore, where the same black
+horse awaited their coming. Mounting as before, the charger sped like
+the wind over the sea until the ship hove in sight. When they came to
+within one hundred yards of the vessel, the black steed and his rider
+disappeared as mysteriously as they had come, and Antoine was left
+struggling in the water. However, he was an excellent swimmer, and soon
+reached the ship's side, up which he easily clambered by the aid of a
+rope which fortunately happened to be trailing in the water.
+
+This was the tale that Antoine told his shipmates, and in memory of the
+clemency of the porpoise-knight, the sailors vowed that never again
+would they injure a porpoise. Not only were they as good as their word,
+but the vow is kept to this day by their children's children."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter III
+
+Rose Marie and the Poupican.
+
+
+It was spring time when we left for Brittany. Father had been there
+once with Mother, and thought he would like to go again. So I said
+goodbye to my Flower-Fairy, and promised that if I could I would come
+back one day to see her.
+
+The sunny air of the south had done Father good, and now he was almost
+well. While we were in the train he read from the guide book, and told
+me about curious "dolmens," or mounds of stone, which are supposed
+to have been built to mark the ancients' burying places. There were
+hundreds of these in Brittany, he said, and I was glad, for I knew they
+were haunted by "Gorics" and "Courils"--strange Fairies of olden times.
+
+That very first evening, while Father was writing letters, I slipped
+away by myself instead of going to bed, for I wanted to see a Poupican.
+A Poupican, you must know, is the dwarf-child of a Korrigan--a Fairy who
+looks lovely by night and horrible by day, and cares for nothing so that
+she gets what she wants. Korrigans are said to have been princesses in
+days gone by, but they were so cruel and selfish that someone laid them
+under a spell, which lasts for thousands of years unless a mortal breaks
+it. On account of the wicked things they said their mouths are always
+dry, and they are consumed by thirst; so they chose their homes by
+streams and fountains, of which there are many in Brittany.
+
+Father had been telling me that there was a famous fountain in a wood
+not far from our hotel, and I thought I might find them here. The
+fountain was hidden behind a grove of fir-trees, but the moon shone
+down on its rough grey stones, and turned the square pond of water in
+front of it into a silver mirror.
+
+At first there seemed to be no one there, but when my eyes had grown
+used to the gloom I saw a number of Elves about two feet in height, with
+misty white veils wound round their bodies. A cloth was spread beside
+the fountain. It was covered with the loveliest things to eat--honey and
+fruit, and queer-shaped cakes sprinkled with sugar comfits--while in
+the centre stood a crystal goblet, from which the moon drew flashes of
+soft fairy light. As I crouched in the ferns, a wee green Wood-Elf stole
+up behind me; her tiny face was good and kind, and although she was so
+small that I could almost have held her in my hand, I felt she was there
+to protect me.
+
+Then I turned my eyes to the crystal goblet and I grew thirsty all at
+once; and I wondered what the Korrigans would do if I took a sip of the
+amber wine which filled it to the brim.
+
+"One drop would make you wise for ever," whispered the Wood-Elf, just as
+if I had spoken, "but you would be silent for ever, also. No mortal can
+drink that wine and live. The Korrigans pass it round to each other in a
+golden cup at the end of their feast, which takes place but once in the
+year. It gives them power to work many charms, and to take the form of
+animals at will."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Hunter who shot the white Doe.
+
+"Once, in these very woods, a hunter shot a fair white doe, when to
+his amazement, she spoke to him in a human voice. He was so touched by
+her reproaches that he tore his fine linen shirt into strips to bind
+up her wound, and then hurried off to the spring for water to quench
+her thirst. It was dusk by the time he could get back to her, for the
+first spring he reached was dry, and instead of the milk-white doe, he
+found a beauteous maiden, who threw herself on his bosom and entreated
+him not to leave her. For a year and a day he was under her spells,
+but he escaped in the end by making the sign of the cross with his two
+forefingers. This sign puts a Korrigan to instant flight, for things
+which are holy fill them with terror.... Ah! they have been at their
+mischief again. Poor Annette will weep for this."
+
+The Wood-Elf stopped speaking, for running lightly over the grass,
+holding each other's long white veils so as to form a swinging cradle,
+came a group of nine smooth-limbed Korrigans, their red-gold hair
+tossing on the wind behind them. In the midst of the hanging cradle lay
+a tiny baby, with widely opened eyes and a solemn pink face, sucking a
+fat round thumb.
+
+"They have stolen him from his mother, while she dreamt of fairy gold,"
+the Wood-Elf sighed. "She should not have left her door on the latch;
+it was a sad mistake. In her little one's place there is now a Poupican.
+At first she will not know, but will fondle and kiss the changeling as
+if he were her own. After a while she will grieve to find that he gives
+her no love in return for hers, and plays as readily with strangers as
+with his mother. But her husband, who is a hard man, will rejoice at the
+wee child's cleverness. For he will have an old head on young shoulders,
+and be wise beyond his years."
+
+While the Wood-Elf was speaking, poor Annette's baby lay contentedly
+beside the crystal goblet, sucking his thumb and looking up at the
+stars. The Korrigans had left off singing now, and they were passing
+round the golden cup when there came on the wind the sound of a church
+bell. Flinging the cup and the goblet into the pond, and staying only
+to wind the baby in their clinging veils, the Korrigans fled into the
+darkness with cries of anguish. Some spell seemed to hold me, or I
+should have tried to rescue the little thing; for it was dreadful to
+think what might happen to him with the Korrigans.
+
+But the Wood-Elf was quite comforting. "He will be well taken care of,"
+she said, "and someday Annette may break the spell, with the help of the
+Cure. Rose-Marie got back her child by her own wit, but then she has the
+name of the blessed Mother. 'You would like to know how?' Then I must
+speak softly, lest a Korrigan should hear."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Rose Marie and the Poupican.
+
+"Rose-Marie was very young when she married Pierre," began the Elf, "and
+nothing his mother or hers could say would induce her to beware of
+Korrigans when her baby came.
+
+'They would not hurt him even if they could,' she cried. 'Who could harm
+anything so small and sweet?' And she actually set his cradle under
+the cherry trees, so that his round pink face was covered with fallen
+petals. Then she went to fetch Pierre from his sowing that he might see
+how his little son was hidden under the spring snow, and lingered on her
+way to gather a cluster of purple violets.
+
+When she had disappeared, the Korrigans stole her baby, leaving a
+Poupican in the fragrant nest. The sun had gone in when she came back,
+and the little creature was wailing fretfully, Rose-Marie snatched him
+to her bosom and tried to soothe him, but from that day forward she had
+no rest. Her milk was sweet and plentiful, and the cradle was soft and
+warm, but he gave neither her nor her good man Pierre a moment's peace.
+All through the hours of the night he wailed, and tore at her hair when
+she held him close to her, scratching her face like an angry kitten.
+
+[Illustration: Rose-Marie and the Poupican]
+
+When he grew older, he was just as bad, for there was no end to his
+mischief. He shut the cat in a bin of flour, and opened the oven door
+when Rose-Marie was baking, so that the bread was spoilt. He drove the
+hens into the brook, and cut the cord which tethered Pierre's white cow,
+so that she roamed for miles. And with all he did, he never uttered a
+word. It was this which first roused Rose-Marie's suspicions, and after
+that she watched him carefully.
+
+One morning she made up her mind to surprise him into speaking, and as
+he sat beside the hearth, peering at her through his half-closed eyes,
+she set an egg shell on the fire, and placing in this a spoonful of
+broth, stirred it carefully with a silver pin. The Poupican was amazed,
+for it was nearing the dinner hour, and there would be ten to feed. At
+last he could contain himself no longer.
+
+'What are you doing, Mother?' he asked in a strange cracked voice.
+
+'I am preparing a meal for ten,' returned Rose-Marie, without looking
+round.
+
+'For ten--in an eggshell?' he cried. 'I have seen an egg before a hen;
+I have seen the acorn before the oak; but never yet saw I folly such as
+this!' And he fell to cackling like a full farmyard, rocking himself
+from side to side, and repeating, 'Such folly I never saw!' until even
+gentle Rose-Marie was moved to anger.
+
+'You have seen too much, my son,' she said, and lifting him up by the
+scruff of his neck in spite of his struggles, she carried him out of
+the house. Then, sitting down on a heap of stones beside the brook,
+she proceeded to whip him soundly. At his first cry of pain a Korrigan
+appeared, in the shape of an ugly old woman with bleared red eyes and
+straggling tresses. She was leading a curly-haired boy by the hand,
+the living image of Pierre. As she released him he flew across the
+grass to Rose-Marie and hid his face in her skirts.
+
+'Here is thy son!' croaked the Korrigan. 'I have fed him on meal and
+honey, and he has learnt no evil. Give me my Poupican, and I will go.'
+
+So Rose-Marie gave up the Poupican, and with a thankful heart took her
+own son home."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+"Do you know any more stories?" I asked when the Elf stopped for breath.
+I didn't want to go back just yet, for it was jolly in the wood, and I
+could smell violets close by.
+
+"More than I can tell," replied the Elf, "but you shall hear what
+happened to Peric and Jean."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Story of Peric and Jean.
+
+"In a beautiful valley not far from here a number of Korrigans were
+accustomed to gather on summer nights, for the grass was soft as velvet,
+and the mountains sheltered it from the breeze. None of the peasants
+dare cross the valley after dark, lest they might be forced to join
+their revels; for it was known by all that the Korrigans must dance
+whether they would or not, until some mortal should break the charm that
+had been laid upon them.
+
+One evening, when the west was aglow with fire, a farmer was sent for
+to attend the sick bed of his mother, who lived on the other side of
+the valley. His wife and he had been at work all day in the fields,
+since labour was scarce and they were poor, and as both loved the old
+woman dearly, they hurried off without stopping to lay aside their
+_fourches_--little sticks which are still used in some parts of
+Brittany as 'plough paddles.' By the time they were half-way across
+the valley, the dusk had fallen, and they found themselves encircled
+by angry Korrigans, who shrieked with rage and made as if they would
+tear them to pieces. Before they had touched them, however, they all
+fell back, and a moment later broke into singing. This was their
+song:--
+
+    'Lez y, Lez hon,
+      (_Let him go, let him go_,)
+    Bas an arer zo gant hook;
+      (_For he has the wand of the plough_;)
+    Lez on, Lez y,
+      (_Let her go, let her go_,)
+    Bas an arer zo gant y!'
+      (_For she has the wand of the plough_!)
+
+Then the dancers made way for the farmer and his wife, who reached the
+old mother safely, and comforted her last hours.
+
+When they returned to their own homes they told what they had seen and
+heard. Some of the villagers were still too much afraid of the Korrigans
+to venture, but others armed themselves with _fourches_, and hastened to
+the valley when night had fallen. All of these witnessed the famous
+dance, but none felt inclined to join it.
+
+In a neighbouring village two tailors dwelt, and they were as anxious as
+the rest to see the Korrigans. The elder was a tall and handsome fellow
+named Jean, but in spite of his inches he had no pluck, and was idle as
+well as vain. The other was Peric, a red-haired hunchback, so kind and
+lovable in spite of his looks that if ever a neighbour were in trouble,
+it was to Peric he went first. Though the hunchback and Jean shared the
+same business, the latter was always gibing at Peric, and left him to do
+most of the work.
+
+'Since you're so courageous,' he sneered, one fine warm night when
+he and Peric had stayed behind in the valley to watch the Korrigans,
+'suppose you ask them to let you join their dance. Your hump should make
+you safe with them, for they are not likely to fall in love with you.'
+
+'All right,' said Peric cheerfully, though at this unkind reference to
+his deformity his face had flushed. And taking off his cap he approached
+the whirling Elves.
+
+'May I dance with you?' he asked politely, dropping his _fourche_ to
+show he trusted them.
+
+'You're more brave than good looking,' they replied, their feet still
+moving to the same quick measure. 'Are you not afraid that we shall work
+you ill?'
+
+'Not a bit!' answered Peric, joining hands with them; and he started to
+sing as lustily as they:--
+
+    '_Dilun, Dimeurs, Dimerc'her_,'
+
+which means 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.' After a while he grew tired of
+singing these three words so often, and went on of his own accord:--
+
+    '_Ha Diriaou, ha Digwener_,'
+      (And Thursday and Friday!)
+
+'_Mat! Mat!_' (Good! Good!) cried the Korrigans in chorus, and though he
+could not tell why they were so delighted, he was glad to have given
+them pleasure. When they offered him the choice of wealth or power in
+return for some mysterious service which he seemed to have rendered
+them, he only laughed, for he thought that they were poking fun at him.
+
+'Take away my hump, then,' he cried at last, 'and make me as handsome as
+my friend Jean. A little maid whom I love dearly will not look at me
+when he is near, though she likes well enough to talk to me by the
+fountain if he is out of the way.'
+
+[Illustration: They tossed him three times in the air.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Is that all?' exclaimed the Korrigans. 'That will not give us the
+slightest trouble!' and catching him in their veils, they tossed him
+three times in the air. The third time he alighted on his feet. He was
+now as tall and straight as he could wish to be, with fine soft hair as
+black as the raven's wing.
+
+Instead of rejoicing at his friend's good fortune, Jean was full of
+envy. Forgetting his fears in his greed for gain, he pushed himself into
+the midst of the Korrigans, who had once more begun to dance, and joined
+them in their singing. His voice was less melodious than Peric's, and he
+did not keep time so well, but they suffered him amongst them out of
+curiosity.
+
+Presently he, like Peric, grew tired of the monotonous chant, and
+shouted:
+
+    '_Ha Disadarn, ha Disul_'
+      (And Saturday and Sunday)
+
+'What else? what else?' cried the Korrigans in great excitement, but
+he only looked as stupid as an owl, and repeated these words over and
+over. Catching him in their veils, they tossed him up as they had done
+Peric, and when he came down again he found he had red hair and a hump.
+They were angry you see, that he had come so near to breaking the spell
+and had then disappointed them, for if he had only had the sense to add:
+
+      '_Ha cetu chu er sizun_,'
+    (And now the week is ended)
+
+he would have broken the spell and set them free, since Peric had
+already sung 'And Saturday and Sunday.'"
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter IV
+
+The Bird at the Window.
+
+
+There were so many things in Brittany that Father wanted to show
+me--places he had seen with Mother, and curious monuments, and lovely
+views,--that I could not get out alone again until the day before we
+went on to Normandy. No Fairy would ever speak to me unless I was quite
+by myself, and the quaint little men who peered out from the old ruins
+when I ran on in front, scampered away at once when Father came in
+sight.
+
+On that last morning a funny old postman in a blue cap brought him some
+letters from home. They were about the practice, and Father said that he
+must stay indoors to answer them. The patients did not seem to like the
+"locust" at all, according to Nancy. I don't suppose he gave them such
+nice-tasting medicines as Father did.
+
+The moment he took up his pen I was off to the wood. The paths were
+carpeted with velvet moss, and starry flowers peeped through the green.
+Some bees were buzzing round a clump of violets that grew by the side of
+the fountain, and sitting on the steps were two hideous old women, with
+bleared red eyes and wisps of faded hair. As I drew near they scowled
+most horribly, and vanished in the spray. I was delighted to find my
+Wood-Elf by the violets, for somehow the sight of those two old crones
+had made me shiver.
+
+"They were Korrigans!" the Wood-Elf whispered. "That is how they look by
+daylight, so it is no wonder that they hate to be seen by mortals! I
+shouldn't advise you to come here to-night, for they will bear you a
+grudge, and might tempt you to dance with them!"
+
+I thought of what had befallen Jean, and shook my head. It must be
+dreadful to have a hump, though I read of one once that turned into
+wings. But Jean's didn't seem that kind.
+
+"I know better than to put myself in their power," I cried, and the
+Wood-Elf laughed.
+
+"You think you are very wise," she said, pausing the next moment to coax
+a bee to give her a sip of honey, "but mortal men are not a match for
+Fairy Folk. The Dwarfs, or Courils, who haunt the stone tables and
+curious mounds you find throughout this country, compel all travellers
+by night who come their way to dance with them, whether they will or no.
+They don't let them stop dancing until they drop to the ground, worn
+out with fatigue, and sometimes the poor creatures never regain their
+strength. Mere Gautier's husband danced with the Dwarfs when he was but
+eight-and-twenty, and he has not done a stroke of work from that day
+to this, though now he is eighty-five. Mere Gautier keeps the home
+together, and he sits by the fireside and tells the neighbours how the
+Dwarfs looked and what they said. The Cure declares that such idleness
+is sinful, and that he might work if he would; but one cannot be sure,
+and he makes himself out to be a very poor creature.
+
+The Gorics--tiny men but three feet high, though they have the strength
+of giants--are little better than Courils. Near Quiberon, by the sea
+shore, is a heap of huge stones, some say no less than four thousand in
+number, known as 'The House of the Gorics,' and every night the Dwarfs
+come out and dance round it till break of day. If they spy a belated
+traveller, even in the distance, they compel him to join them, just as
+the Courils do; and when he faints from sheer exhaustion they vanish in
+peals of laughter."
+
+"The Fairy I met in the South spoke of little men who gave away fairy
+gold," I said, trying not to let my voice sound sleepy. The sun was hot,
+though it was early spring, and there was a grasshopper just at my elbow
+who had been chirping a lullaby to her babies for the last half-hour.
+
+"If you shut your eyes you will see nothing!" the Wood-Elf pouted; and
+I knew that she had noticed my yawn. I sat up then, and told her how
+pretty I thought her frock, all brown and green, with a dainty girdle of
+silver. She laughed at this, and I coaxed her to tell me another story.
+It was one, she said, that had been sung in verse on the Welsh hills,
+for in ancient times the people of Wales and those of "Little Britain"
+were the closest friends.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Wee Men of Morlaix
+
+"Long, long ago," she began, "a lordly castle was built at Morlaix,
+in the midst of such pleasant surroundings that some little Dwarfs in
+search of a home thought that they could not do better than build their
+stronghold underneath it. So they set to work immediately, for they
+have a very wise rule that when once they decide that a thing must
+be done, it shall be done at once. By the time that the castle was
+finished, their home was completed too. Far below the ground they had
+fashioned a number of oval chambers, with ceilings encrusted with
+gleaming pearls which they found in the bay, and floors paved with
+precious amber. Beyond these chambers lay their treasure house, where
+they kept rich stores of fairy gold, and the winding passages which led
+to the upper world were only just wide enough to allow them to creep
+through. Their entrances were cunningly contrived to look like rabbit
+holes, so that strangers might think they led to nothing more than some
+sandy warren.
+
+But the country folk knew better, for they often watched the little men
+run in and out, beating a faint tattoo on the silver basins in which
+they collected the morning dew and the evening mist, which served them
+for food and drink. Now and then, when the sky was a vault of blue,
+and the sun shone his brightest, they brought up piles of their golden
+coins, that they might see them glisten in the light of day. So friendly
+were they to mortals, that if they were surprised while thus employed,
+they seldom failed to share their wealth.
+
+One very bleak autumn there was much distress on the countryside, for
+the harvest had failed for the third season, and many of the smaller
+farmers were on the verge of ruin. Jacques Bosquet--_Bon Jacques_--his
+neighbours called him, for he had never refused his help to a friend in
+need--was one of these. His frail old mother was weak and ailing, and he
+did not know how to tell her that she must leave the homestead to which
+she had come as a bride, full fifty years before. In his despair he
+tried to borrow a thousand francs from a rich merchant in the next town;
+but the merchant was a hard man, and his mouth closed like a cruel steel
+trap when he told Jacques roughly that he had no money to lend. As
+Jacques returned home his eyes were so dim with the tears which pride
+forbade him to shed, that in passing the castle of Morlaix he all but
+fell over three little men, who were counting out gold by a deep hole.
+
+'What is wrong with you, friend, that you do not see where you are
+going?' cried the eldest of the three; and when Jacques told them of his
+fruitless errand, they at once invited him to help himself to their
+treasure.
+
+'Take all you can hold in your hand!' they urged, and since Jacques'
+hand had been much broadened with honest toil, this meant a goodly sum.
+The three little men had vanished before Jacques found words to express
+his gratitude, and he hurried away with a thankful heart. The coins were
+of solid gold, and stamped with curious signs; to his great joy he very
+soon sold them for a big price, and had now sufficient not only to pay
+his debts, but to carry him through the winter.
+
+When the merchant who had received his appeal so churlishly heard of his
+good fortune, he was full of envy, and determined to lay in wait for the
+little men himself. Though blessed with ample means, he coveted more,
+and when at last he surprised the Dwarfs as Jacques had done, he made
+so piteous a tale that they generously allowed him to take two handfuls
+instead of one. But this did not content the greedy fellow, and pushing
+the wee men rudely away, he stooped to fill his pockets from the heap.
+As he did so, a shower of blows rained fiercely round his head and face,
+and so heavily did they fall that he had much ado to save his skull.
+When at last the blows ceased, and he dared to open his eyes, the Dwarfs
+had gone, with all their gold, and his pockets were empty of even that
+which they had contained before."
+
+The Wood Elf paused, for a large brown bird had perched himself on a
+branch which overhung the fountain. She waited until he had dipped his
+beak in the sparkling stream and flown away before she spoke again.
+
+"That bird is a stranger to these woods," she said presently under her
+breath, "and I wondered if it were really an Elf or a Fee. One never
+knows in these parts."
+
+"Tell me!" I urged; for I knew by her look that she was thinking of
+another story.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Bird at the Window.
+
+"There was once a most beautiful lady," she began, "whose face was so
+kind and gentle that wherever she went the children flocked round her
+and hung on her gown. No flower in the garden could hold up its head
+beside her, for the roses themselves were not so sweet, and even the
+lilies drooped before her exceeding fairness.
+
+From far and near lovers came to woo her, but she would none of them;
+for ever in her mind was a gallant knight to whom she had plighted
+her troth in the land of dreams. In the presence of a holy man, whose
+features were those of the Cure who confirmed her, he had placed a ring
+upon her finger; and so real did this dream seem, that she held herself
+to to be the knight's true wife. Her songs were all of him as she sat
+at her spinning, and her tender thoughts made warp and weft with the
+shining threads. When she went to the fountain, she heard his voice in
+the splash of the falling water, and when the stars shone through her
+casement, she fancied that they were the adoring eyes of her beloved.
+She prayed each night that she might be patient and faithful until he
+claimed her, for he, and none other, should touch her lips.
+
+But she was very beautiful, and her parents were very poor. And when the
+lord of those parts saw and desired her, they gave her to him, despite
+her prayers, though he was bent and old. He carried her off to his grim
+castle, and that no man but he should gaze on her loveliness, he shut
+her in his tower, with only an aged widow as her attendant. The widow
+was half-blind and wholly deaf, and withal so crabbed in disposition
+that as she passed the very dogs in the street slunk off to a safe
+distance. In vain the beautiful lady pleaded to be allowed to stroll in
+the gardens, or to ply her needle on the balcony; he would not let her
+stir from her gloomy chamber, and for seven long years he kept her in
+durance. His love had by this time turned to hate, for her beauty was
+dimmed with weeping. No longer did her hair make a mesh of gold for
+sunbeams to dance in, and her face was like a sad white pearl from which
+all tints had fled. And the heart of the wicked lord rejoiced, for since
+he could not win her favour, and she no longer delighted his eyes, he
+was glad that she should die.
+
+One morning in May when the dew lay thick upon the meadows and every
+thrush had found a mate, the old lord went off for a long day's
+hunting, and the aged widow fell fast asleep. The beautiful lady sighed
+anew as the sweet spring sunshine flooded her prison, seeming to mock
+her with its splendour. 'Ah, woe is me!' she cried. 'I may not even
+rejoice in the sun as the meanest of God's creatures!' And in her great
+despair she called aloud to her own true knight, bidding him deliver her
+from her misery. Even as she spoke, a shadow fell across the window. A
+bird had stayed his flight beside it; he pressed through the bars and
+was at her feet. His ash-brown plumage and rounded wings told her he
+was a goshawk, and from the jesses on his legs she saw he had been
+a'hunting. While she gazed in surprise at his sudden appearance, she
+beheld a transformation, and in less time than it takes to tell, the
+goshawk had become a gallant knight, with raven locks and flashing eyes.
+It was the knight of her dreams, and with a cry of joy she flew to him.
+
+'I could not come to thee before, my Sweet,' said he, 'since thou didst
+not call for me aloud. Now shall I be with thee at thy lightest wish,
+and no more shalt thou be lonely. But beware of the aged crone who
+guards thy door! Her purblind eyes are not beyond seeing, and should
+she discover me I must die.'
+
+And now the beautiful lady no longer pined to leave her prison, for she
+had only to breathe his name, and her lover reappeared. Her beauty came
+back to her as gladness to the earth when the sun shines after rain, and
+her songs were as joyous as those of the lark when it soars high in the
+heavens. The old lord was greatly puzzled, and bade the ancient widow
+keep a careful watch.
+
+'My beautiful lady is gay!' he said, with an ugly smile. 'We must learn
+why she and sighs are strangers. I had thought ere this to lay her to
+sleep beneath a smooth green coverlet, and it does not please me to see
+her thus content.'
+
+The aged crone bathed her eyes in water that flowed from a sacred
+shrine, so that sight might come back to them, and hid herself behind a
+curtain when the beautiful lady thought that she had left the tower.
+From this place of vantage she beheld, shortly after, the arrival of
+the goshawk, and his transformation into a handsome and tender knight.
+Slipping away unseen, she hastened to her master and told him all, not
+forgetting to describe the beautiful lady's rapture in her knight's
+embrace.
+
+The jealous lord was furious with rage, and caused, at dead of night,
+four sharp steel spikes to be fixed to the bars of the window in the
+tower. On leaving his love, the goshawk flew past these safely, but
+when he returned at dusk the next evening, he overlooked them in his
+eagerness, and was sorely hurt. The beautiful lady hung over her
+beloved, distraught with grief; all bleeding from his wounds, he sought
+to comfort her.
+
+[Illustration: She hid herself behind a curtain.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Dear love, I must die!' he murmured faintly, 'but thou shalt shortly
+bear me a son who will dispel thy sorrows and avenge my fate.' Then he
+gave her a ring from his finger, telling her that while she wore it
+neither the old lord nor the widow would remember aught that she would
+have them forget. He also gave her his jewelled sword, and bade her keep
+it till the day when Fate should bring her to his tomb, and she should
+'learn the story of the dead.' Then, and then only, he commanded, was
+his son to know what had befallen him.
+
+The beautiful lady wept anew, and in a passion of grief begged him not
+to leave her; but once more bidding her a fond farewell, he resumed the
+form of a goshawk, and flew mournfully away.
+
+It happened as the knight foretold. Neither the widow nor the old lord
+remembered his coming, and when the beautiful lady's son was born, the
+old lord was proud and happy. His satisfaction made him somewhat less
+cruel to the beautiful lady, who lived but for her boy. In cherishing
+him her grief grew less, but though she had now her freedom, she never
+ceased to long for the time when her son should know the truth about his
+father.
+
+The boy grew into a lad, and the lad into a handsome and gallant
+knight. He was high in favour at court, since none could approach him in
+chivalry or swordmanship, and many marvelled that one so brave and pure
+as he could be the son of the old lord, whose advancing years were as
+evil as those of his youth had been. One day his mother and he were
+summoned by the King to a great festival, and rather than let them out
+of his sight, the old lord rose from his bed to go with them. They
+halted on their way at a rich Abbey, where the Abbot feasted them
+royally and before they left desired to show them some of the Abbey's
+splendours. When they had duly admired the exquisite carvings in the
+chapels, and the golden chalice on the High Altar, he conducted them to
+a chapter room, where, covered with hangings of finely wrought tapestry,
+and gorgeous embroideries of blue and silver, was a stately tomb. Tapers
+in golden vessels burned at its head and feet, and the clouds of incense
+that filled the air floated from amethyst vessels. It was the tomb, the
+Abbot said, of 'a noble and most valiant knight,' who had met his death
+for love's sweet sake, slain by certain mysterious wounds which he bore
+on his stricken breast.
+
+When the beautiful lady heard this, she knew she had found the resting
+place of her own true love, and taking his sword from the silken folds
+of her gown, where she had ever carried it concealed from view, she
+handed it to the young knight and told him all.
+
+    'Fair son, you now have heard,' she said,
+    'That God hath us to this place led.
+    It is your father who here doth lie,
+    Whom this old man slew wrongfully.'
+
+With this she fell dead at her son's feet; and forthwith he drew the
+sword from its jewelled scabbard, and with one swift blow smote off the
+old lord's head.
+
+Thus did he avenge the wrongs of his parents, whom he vowed to keep in
+his remembrance while life should last."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter V
+
+The white Stone of Happiness.
+
+
+The fruit trees were a-glow with blossom when we reached Normandy, and
+the pink and white Elves who played hide-and-seek in the boughs were as
+lovely as Titania. We spent some time at a big farm, where Father had
+stayed long ago with Mother, and we drove all over the country in the
+farmer's gig.
+
+One day I woke quite early, when the birds had only just commenced to
+twitter, and the sky was still rosy with dawn. I threw open my little
+casement window as wide as it would go, and the air smelt so sweet, and
+it was all so beautiful, that I longed to be out-of-doors. In the quiet
+of the early morning the Elves might be abroad, so I slipped on my
+things and stole down to the orchard. And there, sure enough, were the
+Elfin hosts.
+
+But though I told them who I was, they were too shy to talk, and
+scattered the blossom on my upturned face, when I tried to coax them.
+A fat brown thrush scolded me for disturbing her babies at their
+breakfast, and fluttered round me, beating her wings, until I moved
+away, when the Elves seemed to be as pleased as she was, for they
+wanted to be left to themselves.
+
+On the opposite side of the orchard was a bank of moss, and I strolled
+across and sat down in a little hollow. The moss was soft as velvet, and
+through the boughs of a pear tree, laden with bloom, I could see the
+gate to the farm-yard. A speckled hen was the only creature in sight,
+and it amused me to watch how daintily she pecked this side and that.
+All at once there came an excited chorus of "_Cluck-Cluck-Cluck!_" and
+it seemed as if every fowl in the place were trying to go through the
+gate. They were led by a fine young cock, with beautifully bright green
+head feathers. Once he was safely through, he perched himself on an
+empty pail, and crowed indignantly.
+
+"_Cock-adoodle-do-oo!_" mocked a voice behind him, and a little boy in
+a red cap gave him a box on the ears which sent him flying.
+
+"That bird thinks twice too much of himself," he grinned, as he ran to
+me over the grass. "Who am I? Why, _Nain Rouge_ of Normandy, first
+cousin to Puck and Robin Goodfellow across the water."
+
+He had twinkling eyes that were never still, and a roguish face. I knew
+I was going to like him immensely, so I showed him my new knife and said
+he might whittle his stick if he'd promise to give it back to me. _Nain
+Rouge_ felt both blades with a small brown finger, and said they were
+too blunt for him.
+
+"Blunt?" I cried. "Why, they're as sharp as sharp can be! Just see!" But
+when I tried to show him how sharp they were, neither would cut at all.
+I was so surprised that I hadn't a word to say, and _Nain Rouge_ doubled
+himself in two with laughter.
+
+"Never mind," he gasped, when he could speak, "I'll make them all right
+for you." He touched them again, twisting his tongue round the corner of
+his mouth, and screwing his eyes up comically.
+
+"Now cut!" he said, and when I found they were as sharp as ever, I shut
+up the blades, and put the knife back into my pocket. I was glad I had
+left my watch in the house, for _Nain Rouge_ might have tried to play
+tricks with that.
+
+"Another name I go by is the 'Lutin,'" he said, throwing himself on the
+ground beside me. "When I have nothing better to do, I _lutine_, or
+twist, the horses' manes. One summer afternoon two lazy maids fell fast
+asleep in the hay loft, when they ought to have been down with the
+reapers in the long field. I _lutined_ their hair so nicely for them
+that when they woke they could not untwist it, and had to cut it off!
+The House Spirits made rather a fuss, for those girls were pets of
+theirs, but Abundia, Queen of the Fees and Lutins, said I had done
+quite right. We can't bear laziness, you know, for we're always busy
+ourselves."
+
+"What do you do besides mischief?" I said slyly, as he smoothed the
+feather in his pretty cap. _Nain Rouge_ looked quite offended.
+
+"If the truth were told," he said in a huff, "I should fancy I'm twice
+as much use as you are. The farmers couldn't get on without me. I look
+after the horses, and help to rub the poor beasts down when they come
+home tired at the end of the day; I stir their food so that it agrees
+with them, and scare off the grey goblins who might put it into their
+heads to work no more at the plough. And I'm as good to the farmers'
+wives as an extra maid, even if I do take my pay in a drink of cream. I
+dance my shadow on the wall to amuse the children if they are fretful,
+and tell them stories when the wind moans down the chimney and would
+frighten them if it could. And I pinch their toes when they are naughty,
+and hide the playthings they leave about."
+
+He looked so much in earnest while he told me all this, and so very
+good, that I was beginning to think he was not half so mischievous as
+Puck, when he gave a funny little chuckle, and rubbed his hands.
+
+"Such fun as I have with the fishermen!" he cried. "If they forget to
+cross themselves with holy water before they go to sea, I fill their
+nets with heavy stones, or entice away the fish. When the fancy takes
+me, I change myself into the form of a handsome young man, and if folks
+do not then treat me with proper respect, and call me '_Bon Garcon_'
+civilly, I pelt them with stones until they run! Their wives and
+daughters are always gentle to poor _Nain Rouge_, however; and when I
+can, I do them a good turn. Shall I tell you how I consoled the fair
+Marguerite when she wept? Then listen well!"
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The white Stone of Happiness.
+
+"A favourite haunt of mine," began _Nain Rouge_, "is a little fishing
+village, close to Dieppe. The maidens there are more to my mind than
+those on any other part of the coast; their skin is like clear pale
+amber, warmed into redness where the sun has kissed it, and their
+eyes--ah! you should see them! The fairest of all was Marguerite, and
+often I sat for hours on her window-sill to watch her at her spinning.
+Etienne would come and watch her too, and he thought, foolish lad, that
+her angel-face meant an angel temper; but I knew she had a tongue.
+
+And such a tongue! It was like the brook, for it never stopped, and she
+said such sharp and bitter things that the love of her friends withered
+up as they heard them, just as spring lilies droop before a cruel East
+wind. Etienne was a stranger, or he would have known better than to woo
+her seriously. Strange to relate, the wayward maid was different from
+the day he came. I had never known her so soft and sweet, and the
+neighbours said that surely some good fairy had laid her under a spell.
+
+Etienne and she were wed one summer morning, but the little new moon had
+not shone in the heavens a second time when there was trouble between
+them. Marguerite's tongue was sharper than ever from its long rest, and
+Etienne could not believe it belonged to his 'angel' bride. He left the
+cottage without a word, and when he came back his mouth was grim, for
+his mates had hastened to make things worse by telling him many tales.
+A foolish man was Etienne, or he would not have heeded them; but that is
+neither here nor there.
+
+From this time on he made as though he were deaf when Marguerite railed
+at him, and he took her no more to his breast when he came back from the
+sea. And Marguerite grieved, for she loved him well in her woman's way,
+and longed for his caresses. The sight of his pale set face, and his
+sombre eyes--they were like the eyes of a dog in pain, when the hand he
+loves best has struck him--stung her to fresh taunts, and there came a
+day when he answered her back in the same way, and all but struck her.
+Ah! a woman's tongue can do rare mischief! His mother had never heard an
+ugly word from him.
+
+One eve I met Marguerite on the shore. She was sobbing bitterly, for she
+had just come out of a cave in the rocks, where dwelt a Witch who
+could read the future.
+
+I had taken the form of a slim, dark, serious looking lad, and laying
+a gentle hand upon her arm, 'What ails you, Madame Marguerite?' I said.
+She glanced at me piteously, as one who seeks a refuge and knows not
+where to turn, and wrung her hands.
+
+[Illustration: "What ails you, Madame Marguerite?"]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'I have lost my Etienne's heart for ever, for ever,' she wailed, 'unless
+I can find the White Stone of Happiness, which a mermaid throws from the
+depths of the sea once in a thousand years. I may search for months, and
+never find it; and Etienne holds aloof from me, and grows further away
+each day.'
+
+Now just at her feet lay a small white stone, smooth and round as a
+Fairy's plaything. I picked it up and showed it to her.
+
+'It shall be yours,' I told her gravely, 'if you give me your solemn
+promise to heed my words.'
+
+'I promise!' she answered fervently, and the wind tossed her unbound
+hair until it floated round her shoulders like a Kelpie's mane. A
+seventh wave rushed up to her feet, and as she moved nearer the
+breakwater, I sang her this little song:
+
+    'Fairy stone of fairy spell,
+    Marguerite, O guard it well!
+    When thine anger doth arise
+    Elves would rob thee of thy prize.
+    Press it 'neath thy tongue so red,
+    Hold it firm till wrath has sped.
+    Smile, speak softly, and behold,
+    Love shall warm thee as of old.'
+
+Then I gave her the stone, and she clasped it against her bosom and sped
+to her home.
+
+When Etienne returned he was in a bitter mood. Luck had been against
+him; he had caught no fish, and his largest net had been torn on the
+rocks. Marguerite set a meal before him, but he pushed it angrily away;
+for the broth had burned while she was with the Witch, and tasted
+anything but pleasant.
+
+'Such food is not fit for a dog!' he cried. ''Twas an ill day for me
+when I came to _Le Pollet_! I had done better to drown myself.'
+
+Marguerite stayed her fierce reply that she might slip the white stone
+between her lips; and as she held it beneath her tongue her anger
+suddenly melted. She thought now of Etienne's hunger and weariness, and
+was sorry that she had nought in the house for him to eat. And as he sat
+in moody silence she stole away, and begged some good broth from her
+godmother, who had always enough and to spare. This she placed before
+him beside the hearth, and smiled, and spoke in a gentle voice that made
+him turn to her with a start--it was just as if the Marguerite he loved
+had come back to him from the grave. Then he drew her to him, hiding his
+face in her dress; and for the first time since many a long day there
+was peace between them. Marguerite kept that white stone always, and
+when she was tempted to speak in anger it worked like a Fairy spell."
+
+"And wasn't it one?" I asked, as _Nain Rouge_ put on his cap again, and
+a delicious smell of fried eggs and bacon came from the farmhouse
+kitchen on the breeze.
+
+"Not it," said _Nain Rouge_, laughing heartily, "there were thousands
+like it on the beach, but you see it did just as well. For if once a
+woman can be induced to hold her tongue when she is angry, there'll be
+little trouble 'twixt man and wife. This has been so from all time."
+
+"_Cock-a-doodle doo!_" cried the black cock, strutting grandly in front
+of us. _Nain Rouge_ darted after him, and I left them to themselves and
+went in to breakfast.
+
+I did not see _Nain Rouge_ again, but I heard a great deal about him
+from Madame Daudet, the farmer's wife; she called him "the plague of
+her life." She said he hid her spectacles every time that she laid them
+down, and that it was quite impossible to make good butter, for he would
+play tricks with the cream. I think she was fond of him, all the same,
+for when I mentioned his name her jolly old face crinkled up into
+smiles, and she looked quite pleased and happy.
+
+One day when Father had gone to the village to see some sick child whom
+the peasants believed to have been gazed at with "an evil eye," because
+it seemed unable to get well, Madame came to me as I stood prodding
+with a stick some fat black pigs who would not stir.
+
+"Since you are so fond of Fairy Folk," she said, "why not go to the
+valley, and see if you can meet a Fee? I have never seen one myself,
+but my great-great-grandmother came across a bevy of them in a
+forest near Bayeux. The loveliest one was their Queen, and my
+great-great-grandmother talked of her beauty until her dying day."
+
+"All right," I said. And she gave me some brown bread and a golden
+apple, so that I need not come home for tea. Perhaps she wanted to get
+me out of the way, for the sick child's aunt was coming to pay her a
+visit, and she liked a gossip.
+
+The valley was very still. Even the birds seemed to have gone to sleep,
+and the stream that trickled down from the hill tinkled very softly, as
+if it had to be careful not to wake the ferns that fringed its banks.
+As I looked up the glade I saw a lovely little lady coming slowly
+towards me, and my heart began to thump in the queerest way. She wore a
+trailing silvery gown, with a deep band of blue at its border. Her shoes
+were set with tiny diamonds, and her dainty feet moved through the grass
+as prettily and as softly as the wind does through the corn. She did not
+see me until she had come quite close, for I stood in the shade of a
+blossoming bush. As I took off my cap, her fair face flushed deeply, and
+for a moment I feared she would run away. So I hastened to tell her that
+I was a Christmas Child, and why I had come to the valley. At this she
+smiled, and I saw that her eyes were as blue as the depths of the sea.
+
+"You are welcome," she said, "though at first I feared you. Such sorrow
+has come to Fees through mortals that we are wont to fly at man's
+approach. But a Christmas Child is almost a Fee himself, and I may talk
+to you. My name is Mellisande."
+
+Then she asked me to walk with her through the wood, and I felt quite
+proud when she took my hand. A cheeky little Elf, who overheard me say
+that I would go with her anywhere, turned a somersault in the air and
+burst out laughing, but I pretended not to hear. It wasn't his business,
+anyhow, and I wished that that walk through the valley had been twice as
+long.
+
+At the further end, quite hidden among the larches, was a natural grotto
+of moss-grown stones, and just inside it a heap of ferns, piled up to
+make a throne that was fit for a queen. Mellisande seated herself on
+this, and I sat down at her feet.
+
+We did not talk for a long while, for she seemed to be thinking as
+she stroked my hair, and I only wanted to look at her. After awhile
+I asked her if she had been one of the Fees that Madame Daudet's
+great-great-grandmother had met in a forest near Bayeux. She smiled
+and sighed as she told me "Yes," and a wood dove flew out of the trees
+and perched on her shoulder.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter VI
+
+The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.
+
+
+"Once upon a time," said Mellisande, "there dwelt at the Castle of
+Argouges a noble lord who was famous not only for his bravery, but for
+the extreme beauty of his dark features and slender form. All women
+loved him, but though he served them with chivalry, as became a knight,
+he sought his pleasure in the woods and fields rather than in their
+company. He knew what the brook was humming as it gurgled over the
+stones, and the wind told him all its secrets as it rustled among the
+pines. Sometimes he wrote these things on a sheet of paper and read them
+to himself aloud as he lay on the green sward. The Fees in the forest
+drew near to listen, for the voice of this lord of Argouges was sweet as
+the lute of Orpheus, and their lovely Queen lost her heart to him. Day
+after day she hovered by his side, sighing when he was sad, and
+rejoicing when the words he sought came quickly to his pen.
+
+Once when he looked up suddenly he saw her as in a vision. A silvery
+veil of misty gauze half hid her exquisite form; and out of this her
+face looked down upon him, pure as an angel's, but with the love of a
+woman in her lustrous eyes. As he sprang to his feet, she melted away in
+a white cloud, and close to his ear he heard a mournful sigh, as if her
+spirit grieved to part from his. And he wrote no longer of flowing water
+or whispering wind, but of the Lady of the Woods.
+
+For many a day he saw her no more, for Henry I of England coveted
+Normandy, the ancient patrimony of his house, and sent his armies to
+take possession of it. When the city of Bayeux was besieged, the Lord of
+Argouges was amongst its most gallant defenders, and his resource and
+daring were the talk of all. None who crossed swords with him lived to
+tell the tale, for his courage was equalled by his skill.
+
+One morn a giant sprang from the enemy's ranks--a lusty German, well
+over seven feet, with the limbs of a prize-fed ox.
+
+'I dare you to fight me singly, Lord of Argouges!' he cried, for he
+knew with whom he had to deal. The soldiers near stayed their hands to
+watch; the hearts of the Normans almost stood still, but the English
+exulted, for surely now would the Lord of Argouges bite the dust, and
+his fiery sword no more work havoc in their ranks! Their dismay was
+great when he proved himself victor, though they would not have
+wondered had they had vision to see how ever beside him moved the
+shadowy form of his Lady of the Woods, directing his arm that his aim
+might be swift and sure, and oft-times interposing her tender body
+between him and the German's thrusts. Later on, when the gallant
+knight fainted from his wounds and was left for dead, she tended him
+pitifully as he lay on the blood-stained earth, moistening his lips
+with the dew of heaven, and whispering such sweet thoughts to him that
+the weary hours were eased by blissful dreams. He was still alive when
+morning dawned, and was found by his friends and carried into camp.
+Though visible to him alone, the Lady of the Woods was there beside
+his couch, and the terrible sights and sounds that accompanied the
+merciful efforts of those who tended the wounded could not scare her
+away from him. When his suffering was over, and he could raise himself
+to eat and drink, she came to him no more, and as his strength slowly
+returned he was consumed with a passionate desire to find her.
+
+At length he was able to go home to his castle, and once more he roamed
+the forest. The songs of the birds were hushed by now, and the trees
+under which he used to rest were almost bare. It was autumn, for he had
+been long absent, and even yet his step was slow and his proud head bent
+with weakness. He was sick with longing for his gentle lady; 'If I do
+not find her, I shall die!' he cried.
+
+Presently he came to a glade where the naked boughs formed a splendid
+arch above his head, and he saw a troop of horsewomen riding toward him
+on snow-white steeds. In their midst was his Lady of the Woods, a bridal
+veil on her star-crowned hair, and myrtle at her breast. He awaited her
+approach in a trance of delight; nearer and nearer came the prancing
+horses, their skins of satin glinting in the sun. The cavalcade reached
+his side; the Queen of the Fees dismounted and stood beside him, while
+the ground at her feet became a bed of lilies. The Lord of Argouges
+threw himself on his knees amidst their fragrance, gazing up at her with
+enraptured eyes, as softly and shyly she bent toward him.
+
+'Once more I greet you, dear lord!' she said, and as she touched his
+forehead with her lips, the birds still lingering in the forest burst
+into joyful song. When the knight found words to tell her of his great
+love, she plighted her troth to him, but only he heard her whispered
+promise that she would be his wife.
+
+Once more she mounted her snow-white steed; he seated himself behind
+her, and thus they rode to the castle gates, accompanied by her maidens.
+Here the Lord of Argouges sprang to the ground; light as a wisp of
+thistledown, she floated into his arms, and to the amaze of the
+household, who had watched the approach of the procession from the
+castle windows, her horse, thrice neighing, changed into a bird, and
+fluttered sorrowfully away.
+
+[Illustration: "The Lord of Argouges threw himself on his knees"]
+
+'Farewell, sweet Queen!' her maidens cried, and kissing their hands to
+her, rode swiftly back to the depths of the forest.
+
+Then the Lord of the Argouges drew the Lady of the Woods across the
+threshold of the castle, and so queenly was her beauty and so gracious
+her demeanour, that even his aged mother, jealous of the son for whom
+she would have shed her life-blood, found no word to say against his
+choice.
+
+'My love for him is nought beside thine,' the Fee Queen pleaded very
+sweetly, 'for thou didst bring him into the world, and hast anguished
+for him as none else can. But I too have suffered on his behalf; I pray
+thee, let me love him too!'
+
+Then his mother looked long and deeply into the eyes of the woman who
+had dethroned her from her dear son's heart, and what she saw there
+filled her with peace. 'Be it as thou wilt,' she said, and that
+self-same night the Lord of Argouges wedded his Lady of the Woods in
+the castle chapel, which was decked with the fragrant lilies that sprang
+wherever her feet had trod. The rejoicings lasted for seven days, and
+the Lord of Argouges looked as one to whom the gates of Paradise had
+opened.
+
+The Queen of the Fees was now to all seeming a mortal woman, and so far
+from regretting that she had laid aside her rank, each day found her
+more content in her husband's love, and by every womanly art she knew
+she sought to please him. One favour only she asked of him--that never
+in her hearing would he mention the word 'Death.'
+
+'If you do, you will lose me for ever,' she told him fearfully, and he
+vowed by all that he held most sacred that this dread word should not
+cross his lips.
+
+The years went on. The lovely Lady of the Woods bore him fair daughters
+and gallant sons, and all was well with the Lord of Argouges. But one
+thing grieved him; since the Fees' sweet Queen had linked her lot with
+his, she too was subject to the laws of Time, and her beauty waned with
+increasing age. The gold of her hair was streaked with silver, and her
+face lost some of its soft pink bloom. Her lord spake no word of what
+was in his mind as he looked at her earnestly one bright spring morn,
+but she divined his regretful thoughts, and full sorrowful were her own.
+
+The Fees could not help her, since she had left her fairy kindred
+to throw in her lot with mortal man, and so, with woman's wit, she
+determined that at the forthcoming festival at the Court the splendour
+of her attire should make her lord forget Time's changes. She therefore
+summoned to the castle the most skilful workers in silks and broideries,
+who toiled in her service day and night, that she might be richly
+adorned at the Royal Tournament.
+
+Her gown was of azure satin, encrusted with many gems, and her long
+court train glittered and shone with gold and silver. Diamonds blazed at
+her breast and neck, while a circlet of rubies glowed in her hair. But
+their rich red lustre made her pale sweet face look paler than ever,
+and she still gazed wistfully at her glass though the Lord of Argouges
+waited below, wondering what delayed her. At length he sought her
+himself, and in spite of his impatience, he could but admire her
+resplendent attire.
+
+'You have robbed the sky of his morning glories!' he told her gallantly.
+Then, as she lingered still, his impatience returned: 'Fair spouse,' he
+said, 'it were well if Death should send you as his messenger, for you
+tarry long when you are bidden to haste!--Forgive me, Sweet! I should
+not have said that word!'
+
+His remorse came too late, for the ominous sound had scarcely crossed
+his lips when with a cry of bitter anguish, his lady became once more a
+Fee, and vanished from his sight. Long and vainly did he seek her, for
+though her footmarks are still to be seen on the battlements of the
+Castle, and night after night she wandered round it clad in a misty robe
+of white, they two met on earth no more. She is pictured still in the
+crest of the house of Argouges, over its motto, 'A la Fe!'"
+
+I liked this story, but I wished that it had not ended quite so sadly.
+When I said so to Mellisande she turned her face away from me, and I
+think it was a tear drop that glittered on her hand.
+
+"Then I will tell you neither of Pressina nor Melusina," she said, "for
+both these Fees lived to rue the day when they put faith in the word of
+man. It was different with the fair Norina. She demanded no pledge, for
+doubt and distrust came not nigh her path, and her love brought her only
+gladness."
+
+The shadows lengthened; the wood dove flew off to rejoin her mate; and
+Mellisande's lips began to smile as she thought of another story.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Seven Fair Queens of Pirou.
+
+"Long, long ago," she went on presently, "when our beautiful Normandy
+was known by another name, and formed part of the kingdom of Neustria,
+which was given to the Duke of Paris by Charles the Bald, there lived a
+wise and noble lord who was said to have magic powers. So gentle was he
+that the very birds would perch on his shoulder and twitter their joys
+to him, yet so brave and strong that the proudest knight cared not to
+provoke his wrath. He was skilled in the lore of plants and herbs, and
+by means of a slender hazel from the woods could tell where crystal
+waters flowed deep in the bowels of the earth. Full many a maid would
+have flown to him had he lifted his little finger, but though he was
+often lonely as he wandered beneath the stars, his heart went out to
+none, whether of high or low degree, and he preferred his own company to
+that of a mate whom he could not love.
+
+One Mayday he was up at dawn, searching the fields for a tiny plant
+which had some special gift of healing. The grass was spangled with
+myriad flowers, but he passed them all till he came to the one he
+sought--a small pale blossom of faintest lilac, with perfume as sweet as
+a rose's. While yet he held it in his hand he heard a cry; it was that
+of some creature in pain, and forcing his way through a prickly hedge,
+he found a pure white dove with a broken wing lying under a thornbush.
+
+'Poor bird!' he exclaimed compassionately. 'Who has dared to injure so
+fair a thing?' With tender hands he set the broken wing, binding it to
+her side with three green leaves and some long-stemmed grass, and fed
+her with juice from the lilac flower as he soothed her with gentle
+words. When he had stilled her flutterings, he laid her on his breast,
+that he might bear her home and tend her until she could fly once more
+under the vault of heaven.
+
+On he strode through the meadow, and high in the sky the larks trilled
+their paeans of joy. Never to him had seemed the earth so fair, and the
+morning sun tinged his cheek with gladness. Suddenly he felt the burden
+on his breast grow heavy, and stayed his footsteps in surprise. No
+longer did he hold a wounded dove against his bosom, but a beauteous
+maiden in pure white garb, with three green leaves bound about her arm
+with stems of grass.
+
+He set her on her feet and stared at her in amaze; she met his
+enraptured gaze with eyes that shone like twin blue stars. Then her
+eyelids fell; she drooped beneath his glance as a fragile flower beneath
+the sun's fierce wooing.
+
+And as the wind sweeps over a field of corn when it is ripe for reaping,
+love took possession of him. Fee or woman, he swore, this beauteous maid
+should be his wife if she were willing, and he would guard her through
+good and ill while life should last.
+
+'Art thou mine?' he asked her presently, hoarse for very joy.
+
+'I am thine!' she said, for she had loved him long, and had but taken
+the form of a dove to try him. And taking her home to his castle, they
+were wedded by the holy priest.
+
+No longer now was he lonely, no longer did he wander solitary beneath
+the stars, for the lovely Fee was as true and tender as mortal woman,
+and made him a faithful wife. Sons were denied them, but seven fair
+daughters came, and he called them after the seven gems that graced
+their mother's diadem.
+
+The maidens were of such supreme loveliness that as they grew up to
+womanhood they were known as the Seven Fair Queens; each was without
+rival in her own style of beauty. Pearl was fair as day, with a skin
+like milk; Ruby's dark splendour was a gift from the Queen of Night,
+and her red, red mouth the bud of a perfect flower. The glorious hair
+of Amber fell round her shoulders in shimmering waves of light, and
+sunbeams lost themselves in her lashes. Sweet Turquoise had her mother's
+eyes of blue forget-me-not, while Sapphire's were of deeper hue, and
+Amethyst's that of the violet. Chrysolite's were a misty green, like the
+sky in the early morning, and no mermaid sang sweeter songs than she as
+she sat on the rocks at low tide.
+
+There came a time when the father of the Seven Fair Queens fell very
+sick, and not all his potions could prolong his days. His call had come,
+and so closely were he and Norina united, that one eve at sunset her
+life went out with his. For awhile their orphaned daughters wept with
+grief as they paced the gardens, or sat by the crackling fire in the
+great hall. But youth cannot mourn for ever, and with a second spring,
+glad hopes came back to them, and once more they rode in the chase.
+Since they were rich as well as beautiful you may be sure they had many
+wooers, but all preferred to reign alone.
+
+'When we wed, it will be with Fees!' they said disdainfully. This
+angered their lovers, and presently they were left in peace.
+
+Full wisely did they use their parents' wealth, improving the land and
+making sure provision for all dependant on their bounty. On the coast
+of the Cotentin they built the Castle of Pirou, which gave work to the
+poor for several succeeding years, and when it was finished they filled
+it with gorgeous tapestries and all the treasures of art they could
+collect. Here they lived in splendour, keeping open house; no passing
+wayfarer, however humble, need miss a welcome if he cared to claim it.
+
+They were still in the first full bloom of their beauty when their fame
+reached the ears of one of the great sea pirates, the dreaded Vikings
+who rode the waves like giant birds of prey. North, South, East and
+West, from Norway and Sweden, and little Denmark, they sailed in search
+of plunder, and such was their love of fighting that they would, if
+need be, challenge each other rather than allow their swords to rust
+with disuse. Although they robbed, they were brave men, and believed
+themselves entitled to all they took. Their vessels were small, and
+light of draught, so they could penetrate many rivers, but the great
+chiefs chose the sea for their battle ground, and ravaged many a town
+and village on the coast of France.
+
+When the mighty Siegmund heard of the Seven Fair Queens of Pirou, he
+resolved to storm their castle and take the loveliest for his bride.
+With this intent he set sail for the coast of Cotentin with a gallant
+fleet. The wind and the tide were with him; he reached it one soft
+spring morning when the sea was a sheet of blue.
+
+As the vessel which bore him neared the shore, the Viking espied a bevy
+of maidens in a sheltered cove, where the sand lay in golden ripples.
+Ruby and Pearl, and the gentle Turquoise sported in a sun-kissed pool;
+while Sapphire and Amethyst wove wreaths of seaweed, and Amber was
+smoothing her shining hair with a slender shell of mother-of-pearl
+that the waves had thrown at her feet. Chrysolite sat on a dark rock,
+singing, and her soft clear notes rang over the waters, enchanting
+Siegmund with their music.
+
+'By Thor and Odin,' he thundered, 'our journey was well planned. Haste
+thee, my men, and get me to that rock! That maiden shall be my bride.'
+
+The boat sped swiftly, with Siegmund sitting in the stern. His yellow
+locks streamed over his stalwart shoulders, and his face was like that
+of some eager god as he noted Chrysolite's beauty. The maiden saw his
+approach; and now the glad notes of her exquisite song changed to a
+mournful rhythm. She was chanting the words that her mother had
+breathed to her seven daughters as she lay a'dying:
+
+    'Women ye, my daughters fair
+      (Cloudless spreads the sky);
+    But when menace fills the air,
+      Fees, as once was I.
+    Slender arm shall change that day
+      Into snow-white plume;
+    Winged as birds, haste swift away
+      From thy threatening doom!'
+
+As the last words left her sorrowful lips, Chrysolite's sisters gathered
+round her; the boat's keel grated on the sand, and Siegmund sprang
+eagerly forward. At the same moment the Seven Fair Queens of Pirou
+raised their arms, and instantly these changed, before his eyes, to
+fluttering wings. High in the air mounted the maidens, and to the
+bewildered gaze of Siegmund they were nought but a line of snow-white
+birds flying westward in single file high up in the sky.
+
+[Illustration: "They instantly changed into snow-white birds."]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+When Siegmund had somewhat recovered from his amazement, he and his
+followers sacked the castle, and pillaged the surrounding country;
+it did them but little good, for a storm blew up as they sailed back
+northward, and the ships that carried the stolen treasure were wrecked
+on the rocks. As for the Seven Fair Queens, they mated with Fees, and
+were glad as the morning. Every year as spring comes round, they return
+to Pirou with their numerous descendants, in the form of a flock of wild
+geese, and take possession of the nests which they have hollowed out in
+the crumbling walls. They also appear when a child is born to the house
+of Pirou; if it be a daughter, and Fate has destined her for a nun,
+one sits apart in a corner of the courtyard, and sighs as if in sore
+distress. If a son is born, the male birds display their plumage, and
+show by their mien that they rejoice."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+Mellisande rose from her throne of ferns, "It will be twilight soon,"
+she said, "and we must go. See! the mists are already rising in the
+valley, and the night-birds awake and call. Farewell, dear Christmas
+Child, farewell!"
+
+And, stooping down, she kissed my forehead.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter VII
+
+In the Dwarf's Palace.
+
+
+Now I knew that Germany was the very country for Dwarfs and Fairies,
+and when I heard that this was where we were going next I determined to
+be on the look out. I did not see them, though, for a long time after we
+arrived, for I was so tremendously interested in everything else. Even
+in the big cities where Father spent hours and hours in the hospitals,
+watching the wonderful things that the German doctors did, most of the
+children looked plump and rosy, and I didn't see any so thin and pale
+as those we had left at home. One of the Herr Professors, with whom we
+stayed, said that this was because the State made so kind a Grandmother,
+but when I asked him what he meant, he only laughed.
+
+I liked this professor best of all--he had such a nice way of talking,
+and he loved Fairies as much as I do. He said "_Ach! So!_" when I told
+him I was a Christmas Child, and smiled all over his kind old face. Then
+he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me that I must remember to do
+my part to make my birthday the gladdest day in the year for everyone
+around me.
+
+"It is different in your country," he went on, "but here, in the
+Fatherland, there is scarcely a cottage home which has not its Christmas
+tree, even if this is only a branch of fir stuck in a broken pot, and
+hung with oranges and golden balls. No child is so poor but has his
+Christmas presents of cakes and toys, for if his mother cannot provide
+them, she tells his teacher in good time, and the teacher sees that he
+is not forgotten."
+
+I thought this was a ripping plan, for it is horrid when Santa Claus
+forgets you, and your stockings hang all limp and flat, like mine did
+last year. And I made up my mind, then and there, that next Christmas
+there should be a tree for all the littlest and grubbiest children in my
+old home.
+
+While Father was at the hospitals with the Herr Professor, I stayed with
+Rudolf and Gretchen, two of his grandchildren--fat little things with
+big blue eyes, who stared at me as if I had seven heads when I told them
+about the Korrigans. Gretchen believed in Fairies of all kinds, but
+Rudolf only in Dwarfs and Giants. He even said that Santa Claus was
+just his own father dressed up, and declared he had seen his old brown
+pipe peeping out of Santa Claus' pocket the last time he paid them a
+visit. Gretchen said that if so, Santa Claus had taken away the old
+brown pipe to bring a lovely new one in its place, and Rudolf told her
+girls knew too much. They were both angry by this time, and their faces
+looked very red. So I thought we had better talk about Dwarfs and
+Giants.
+
+"Grandfather says there are no Giants now," Rudolph said seriously, "but
+there are plenty of Dwarfs in the hill which looks down on the forest. I
+saw one there myself last summer; he ran away and wouldn't speak to me,
+as if he were afraid."
+
+Without saying anything to Rudolf, who might have wanted to come too, I
+started for the hill directly after dinner, while he and Gretchen were
+arguing again over the pipe and Santa Claus. The Professor's house was
+just at the end of the town, so I didn't have far to go; but the hill
+took much longer to climb than I thought it would, and I was quite out
+of breath when I reached the top and sat down on a flat white stone. As
+I looked about me, I swung my foot, and it tapped against a biggish rock
+that was just in front. The third time that I did this, a little brown
+man hopped briskly out of a crevice and stood before me. He wore a
+bright red coat trimmed with green buttons, and carried in his hand a
+close-fitting cap of grey.
+
+[Illustration: Fat little things, with big blue eyes.]
+
+"Gently, gently, good child!" he cried. "One knock is enough, if we want
+to hear it, for our ears are as keen as we could wish. Why did you call
+me, and what would you have?"
+
+"I would hear of you, and of your kinsmen, Master Dwarf!" I said. "I am
+a Christmas Child, and the Fairies are all my friends."
+
+At this he bowed, and said he was glad to meet me, nodding his head with
+a sort of grunt as I told him where I had met Titania.
+
+"If it be your pleasure," he said, looking round to see that no one was
+near but me, "I will take you within the hill, and introduce you to my
+wife. The ground whereon you stand is hollow, as you will soon perceive,
+and we are less than a stone's throw from my palace."
+
+I told him that nothing would please me more than to pay him a visit,
+and muttering a word in some strange language, he rapped his knuckles on
+a cleft in the rock. It widened sufficiently to let us both through, and
+closed again with a thud.
+
+The winding passage in which I found myself was lit by a soft red glow,
+coming from hundreds of rubies set deep in the walls, which seemed to
+be of oxidised silver. After several twists and turns, it ended in a
+wide hall, where I could just stand upright under the jewelled dome! As
+soon as my eyes grew accustomed to the blaze of light which came from
+the diamond stars set round it, I saw a sweet little creature in a frock
+of pale purple silk, cut short in the sleeves to show her pretty white
+arms, on which she wore many bracelets.
+
+"My wife!" said the Dwarf proudly, and he explained to her who I was and
+what I wanted, and a great deal more about me that I was astonished he
+should know. My surprise amused him a good deal, and as his wife led the
+way to her boudoir he chuckled merrily.
+
+"There are Kobolds, or House-Spirits in most old houses," he remarked,
+"and it is more than two hundred years since the first stone was laid of
+the Herr Professor's. I knew this noon that you were coming, and the
+Kobold spoke well of you, and said that you were not above taking advice
+from others wiser than yourself. Now, sir! What do you think of this?"
+And he opened a door with a great flourish, holding it back for me to
+enter.
+
+"It's grand!" I said, for so it was. The silver floor was inlaid with
+a gold scroll; the walls, of tinted mother-o'-pearl, were adorned with
+wreaths of forget-me-nots, each tiny turquoise flower having an amber
+centre. The furniture was of filigree silver, so fragile to look at
+that I was afraid to touch it, much less to sit down on one of the tiny
+chairs, even if I could have fitted myself in. The Dwarf invited me to
+be seated, and his small wife gave me a roguish smile as she brought a
+velvet cushion from an inner room, and placed this on the ground. I
+found afterwards that it was the Dwarfs own bed, and that his pillow was
+made of spun spider silk, filled with scented roseleaves and wild thyme.
+
+[Illustration: The Dwarf invited me to be seated.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"When you are rested and refreshed," said the Dwarf kindly, as his
+little spouse offered me a sip of nectar from a crystal goblet, "I will
+show you my palace. There is not much to see, for we are humble folk,
+and this hill comparatively a small one. The estates of some of our
+nobles extend for miles, and that of our Emperor runs through a range
+of mountains. In times gone by we welcomed mortals as our guests, for
+we were anxious to be their friends. But they grudged us even a handful
+of peas in return, and met our advances with jeers. Now we keep to our
+hills as far as possible, and when we desire to walk abroad, we are
+careful to wear our mist caps, which render us quite invisible."
+
+He sighed so deeply that the dainty lace cap poised on his wee wife's
+hair was almost blown away, and then, straightening his bent shoulders,
+he took me to see his Banquet Hall. The curtains were all of filigree
+silver, fine as lace, and on the walls of the kitchen, where silent
+little men in big white aprons kneaded cakes on crystal slabs, shone
+ruby and sapphire butterflies.
+
+But this was nothing to what I saw in the long low vault where the Dwarf
+kept his treasures. At one end was a shimmering heap of pearls, some
+larger than pigeons' eggs; at another, a conical mound of diamonds,
+which threw out marvellous lights as the Dwarf stirred them gently with
+one small hand.
+
+"We know the properties of each stone," he said; "how some give
+strength, and some wisdom and power to rule, while others still stir
+up strife and envy, and make men merciless as beasts of prey. That
+ruby you see has an evil history; a woman gave her soul for it, and
+thousands were slain in her cause."
+
+I picked up the beautiful, glowing gem, and fancied I saw the face of an
+evil demon grinning at me from its depths. Dropping it quickly, I looked
+instead at a pile of rings at the other side of the vault. One in
+particular drew my attention; it was of beaten gold, with a curious
+stone set deep in its centre. As I held it aloof and stared at it, I
+caught a glimpse of a waving meadow, with a tiny path leading past a
+brook.
+
+"That is the ring which the Queen of Lombardy gave to her son, Otnit,"
+said the Dwarf. "Come with me to the Court of Rest, and you shall hear
+the story."
+
+This was the loveliest place which I had yet seen in the palace. A
+circle of orange trees in full bloom enclosed a space round a rippling
+fountain, where from the gleaming beak of an opal bird a stream of water
+splashed into an emerald basin. The invisible wind that stirred the
+petals of the orange blossom brought with it the swish of the sea, and
+somewhere, far off, a nightingale was singing.
+
+The Dwarf seated himself on one of the velvet cushions strewn on the
+ground, and motioning me to take another, began his tale.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Dwarf Elberich and the Emperor.
+
+"Otnit, Emperor of Lombardy, was one of the greatest kings that ever
+lived. By force of wisdom more than by might, he subdued the surrounding
+nations, and his people looked up to him as to a god. When the time came
+for him to wed, no maid in his wide dominions pleased his fancy, for
+the wife he pictured in his dreams was sweet and simple, though of royal
+birth, and quite unspoiled by praise and flattery. He told his ministers
+this, and they shrugged their shoulders.
+
+'His Majesty desires the impossible!' they whispered amongst themselves,
+and so it seemed until the Emperor's Uncle Elias, the wild-bearded King
+of the Russians, told him of a highborn maid who was as good as she was
+beautiful, and had never yet been wooed by man.
+
+'She shines o'er other women as bright roses do!' he cried, and Otnit
+vowed to win her.
+
+On the eve of his departure for Syria, where she dwelt with her father
+the Soldan, Otnit's mother gave him the ring you held, bidding him take
+his horse and ride toward Rome while gazing at the gem in the ring, that
+what he saw there might direct his path. The Emperor smiled, but wishing
+to humour her, did as she requested, and rode through the silver
+starlight thinking of his fair maid. At early dawn, when the welkin rang
+with the song of birds, he saw mirrored in the ring a narrow pathway
+trodden in the green grass. Making his way by this fragrant road, he
+reached a linden tree by a lake. Here he stayed his courser, and sprang
+to the ground, peering beneath its boughs.
+
+'Never yet from tree came so sweet-breathing a wind,' he laughed; for
+lo! an infant lay on the grass, his fair white frock fringed with many
+gems. Otnit found it all he could do to lift him, in spite of his
+strength, but placing the little creature on the saddle, declared his
+intention of taking him to the palace, and putting him in his mother's
+care.
+
+But this did not please Dwarf Elberich, who for his own purpose had
+taken the form of an innocent babe. He offered Otnit such splendid
+ransom of sword and shield to set him free, that the Emperor laid him
+down again, and even allowed him to hold the magic ring, by the wearing
+of which it had been possible for him to see what is usually hidden from
+mortal sight.
+
+Now it was Elberich's turn, and being once more invisible, he teased
+the Emperor to his heart's content, dwelling on the anger of the
+Queen-Mother should she find that her gift was lost. Not until the
+Emperor was out of patience, and on the point of riding away did
+Elberich restore the ring to him.
+
+'And now, O Otnit,' he said, 'since I see you love well your mother,
+whom I loved long ere you saw the light, I will help you to gain your
+bride.'
+
+And Otnit was glad, for he knew that the word of a Dwarf is ever as good
+as his bond.
+
+In the spring of the year, 'when all the birds were singing,' the
+Emperor called his friends together and bade them embark their troops
+with his in the ships at anchor in the harbour. The waters of the bay
+gleamed as a field of gold as the stately vessels glided over them, and
+for long the carols of the birds on shore went with them on the breeze.
+Otnit's hopes were high as he paced the deck, though he grieved that the
+Dwarf had not come to join him.
+
+At length the fleet reached the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean,
+and there King Otnit beheld a haven full of ships, far more in number
+than his own. 'I would that Elberich were here, for he is skilled in
+warfare,' he murmured uneasily, for his men looked askance at the fleet
+before them. The words had barely left his lips when the sound of a
+laugh came from aloft, and straightway the Dwarf displayed himself. He
+had been in hiding amongst the rigging, and was now at hand to use his
+Fairy powers in Otnit's service.
+
+Elberich's gift of a small round stone, which he bade him thrust into
+his cheek, conferred upon Otnit the gift of language, and enabled him
+to impersonate a rich merchant with so much success that his ship was
+allowed to drop anchor in the harbour. When dusk had fallen, and all
+was quiet, the Emperor disembarked, encamping with his troops among the
+rock-hewn burial places of the ancient Phoenicians, which abounded on
+that coast. Here he abode for three whole days, while Elberich sought
+the King of Syria, demanding his daughter's hand in marriage for his
+royal master. It was refused point blank, and, more than this, the
+Soldan ordered his unwelcome visitor to be put to death. But the
+flashing blades of the guards cut the empty air, and Elberich jeered at
+them finely.
+
+[Illustration: Elberich had jeered him finely.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Your daughter shall go to my lord of her own free will,' he cried to
+the Soldan, 'and only so shall your skull be saved!' He then returned to
+the Emperor, who bade his troops attack the city of Sidon.
+
+A desperate battle with the heathen followed; for awhile the enemy's
+numbers triumphed, but not for long. The Emperor's charge swept all
+before him, and the Soldan's soldiers fell like corn before the scythe.
+Then the Dwarf led the army to the Syrian capital; and red as had been
+the field of Sidon, it was as nothing to that of Muntabur, where men's
+blood flowed as a crimson river.
+
+While yet the battle was at its height, Elberich made his way, unseen,
+to an inner chamber of the Royal Palace, and though he had come to
+rate the Princess for her father's obstinacy, words forsook him in her
+presence. So fair a maid he had never seen; her mouth 'flamed like the
+rose,' her flowing hair was the colour of rich red gold, and her lovely
+eyes had the radiance of the moon. Elberich drew her to the window, and
+by the aid of his power over space, showed her King Otnit in the thick
+of the fight. The sun fell full on his upturned face, as, seated on his
+white charger, he rallied his men for the final onslaught; he looked as
+brave a knight as the Princess had ever seen, and she lowered her glance
+as Elberich told her how she could save her father.
+
+'Death alone can wean King Otnit's desire to wed you,' he said. 'His
+love for you passes the love of man, and is withal as tender as that of
+a woman for her child.'
+
+Much more Elberich spake to her to the same purpose, and at close of day
+she allowed him to lead her where he would. Together they passed through
+a secret passage beneath the Palace, and so through the royal gardens,
+to a path which wound down to the field of battle.
+
+Fighting had ceased for awhile, for the heathen had been sore smitten;
+and since his men had neither eaten nor slept for many long hours,
+the Emperor must needs let them rest until dawn. Full of impatience at
+the delay which kept him from storming the walls that held the lady of
+his love, he paced his tent, and turned to find her standing before him.
+Her mouth flamed red as the reddest rose; her eyes had the lustre of the
+harvest moon, and her red-gold hair framed a snowy brow that was white
+as the breast of a swan. Bending his knee, he touched with his lips the
+hem of her gown, and when the Princess gave him her exquisite hand, he
+could scarce breathe for rapture.
+
+[Illustration: "'She is yours, O Otnit!' cried the Dwarf"]
+
+'She is yours, O Otnit!' cried the Dwarf; and the Emperor lifted her on
+to his charger, speaking to her with such tender and kindly words that
+her fears were stilled. With Elberich perched on the horse's mane,
+they straightway rode to the coast, where the sails of the Emperor's
+vessel swelled roundly in the wind. On the summer seas of the blue
+Mediterranean, they two were wed; and never had mortal man a sweeter
+wife, or maid a more gallant husband."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter VIII
+
+The Silver Horn.
+
+
+When the Dwarf had come to the end of his story, he very politely bade
+me goodbye, and bowed me out of his Castle. A week or two later we went
+to Saltzburg, and there I had a real adventure.
+
+The Professor with whom we were staying hadn't a single grandchild, and
+as all his books were old and dusty, to say nothing of being written in
+German, I should have found it rather dull if he had not lent me his
+nephew's pony. I had learnt to ride as a little chap, when we lived in
+the country. It was lovely there, but no one was ever ill, and Father
+had so few patients that we could not stay.
+
+The pony's name was Heinrich. He knew his way everywhere, the Professor
+said, so Father didn't mind my riding him alone, and I had a ripping
+time.
+
+One day we went to the Wunderberg, a big hill on a wide bleak moor,
+which was supposed to be quite hollow, and the favourite haunt of Wild
+Women.
+
+The ground was extremely bumpy, and several times I was almost thrown
+out of the saddle. At last I got off, for I thought I would rather
+walk.
+
+It was a splendid morning, and I was glad that I wasn't the Professor's
+nephew, away at school, as I lay on my back and looked up at the sky.
+
+A small black beetle crawled over my hand, but I was so comfortable that
+I scarcely stirred. It crossed my cuff and climbed a blade of grass; and
+as I watched it a shadow fell between me and the sunlight.
+
+A slender woman in a white gown was standing close to me. Her face was
+thin, and very wistful, and over her shoulders, down to her very feet,
+fell a mantle of glistening yellow hair.
+
+"Are you hungry, child?" she asked gently, holding out to me a slice of
+fine white bread.
+
+"Not yet," I answered, for we had had _Sauerkraut_ for breakfast, and I
+felt that I should not want anything more to eat for a long time. She
+looked disappointed, and sighed as she threw the bread away. A bird
+flew down and pecked it, but after a taste or two he left it where it
+was.
+
+"Then surely you are thirsty, and will drink from my horn?" she pleaded,
+showing me a silver vessel with curious scrolls and writings traced in
+gold, which had been hidden by her beautiful hair. I took a sip from its
+bevelled edge, and had scarcely swallowed the first drop when I felt
+myself sinking through the hill, the Wild Woman still beside me.
+
+"At last! At last!" she cried, clapping her shadowy hands as we stood in
+a wide hall lit with amber light. "O sisters, rejoice with me! I have
+found a child, and his eyes, his eyes are crystal clear."
+
+She bent over me as she spoke, half smothering me with her silken
+tresses, and I was so afraid that those sisters of hers would hug me
+too, that I scrambled away and I took to my heels and _ran_.
+
+But you couldn't get far in that place. It was a miniature town, with
+silver streets and golden houses, and gorgeous palaces in between.
+Every turn I took led to a wide square filled with rose trees, where
+fountains of gold and silver water bubbled and sparkled in the
+mysterious pale green light. A flock of brilliant humming birds whirred
+their wings in my face so that I could not see where I was going, and
+the Wild Women formed a circle round me and began to sing:
+
+    "Only once did mortal child,
+    By our silver horn beguiled,
+            Find a way to leave us;
+    Though they call us strange and wild,
+    Thou shalt find us soft and mild.
+            Stay, and do not grieve us."
+
+Their voices were very sweet, but when they had sung that verse twice
+over, I did not want to hear it again.
+
+"I don't mind staying with you for an hour or two," I said, as they
+stopped singing, "but I shouldn't care to live here. I am a Christmas
+Child, and there are other Fairy Folk I want to see."
+
+Then they looked at each other, and drew away.
+
+"Since he is a Christmas Child," said one, "we cannot keep him. You
+should have known better, Sister Snow-blossom, than to bring him here!"
+
+"How could I tell," wailed Snow-blossom. "He seemed like any other boy,
+and would just have fitted the green silk suit that I wove so long ago."
+
+"Alas, alas!" the others sighed. "The longer he stays, the more it will
+wring our hearts to part with him. Take him back to the hill at once,
+dear Snow-blossom, and bid him hasten home."
+
+But I didn't want to go just yet, for now that they did not wish to hug
+me, I thought they were rather nice. Their faces were like pure marble,
+so still and pale, and their light green eyes were very gentle. So I
+asked if Snow-blossom might not show me round, as the Professors did
+Father when he came to a strange town. Her sisters still urged her to
+send me away at once, before she had time to grow fond of me, but she
+would not listen.
+
+"What do you want with a mortal child?" I said, when I had been all over
+the empty golden houses, and had seen the tiny cathedral, the model of
+the one at Saltzburg, set with pearls and rubies, and many other
+precious stones of which I did not know the name.
+
+"Because we are lonely," she answered; "so lonely, child. Our only
+friends are the little people who guard our treasures in the centre of
+the earth, and we would fain have mortals to bear us company. Once, long
+ago, a goodly youth of noble birth was almost tempted to sip from our
+silver horn, and had he done so his home would have known him no more.
+Sweet Stella, the fairest Wild Woman who drew breath between the last
+faint pulse of the night time and the glowing dawn of day, waylaid him
+on the brow of the hill when he was heated in the chase, but although he
+craved the cooling draught she offered him, he would not drink from her
+hand; her exceeding beauty excited his suspicions, and he guessed that
+she was no mortal maid.
+
+'Let me see what your wine is like before I taste it!' he said warily,
+taking the silver horn from her hands. He had no sooner grasped it,
+than he sprang to his horse and rode away. For many years the horn was
+kept amongst the treasures of the House of Oldenburg, to which he
+belonged, but at last, after many generations, it came back to us. No
+one but you and the little Karl has drunk from it since then."
+
+We were under the rose trees in the great square, and I had found a seat
+in a ruby and pearl pavillion, with queer golden faces staring down on
+me from each corner. Snow-blossom hid her face in her hands when I asked
+her who was Karl, and rocked herself to and fro; then she lifted her
+head and looked at me, and I saw that she was crying.
+
+"I will tell you," she said, "but first come close. For words have wings
+in the Wunderberg, and I would not have my sisters know I am grieving
+still."
+
+I sat down beside her, and then she began, speaking very softly and
+slowly, with deep sighs in between. The tears on her cheeks seemed to
+shine like pearls, and her hair gleamed more golden than ever.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The little Karl and the wild-woman.
+
+"There was once a poor man named Henzel who should have been well
+content, for his girl-wife, Gretchen, was good and sweet, and the black
+bread he ate when his toil was over was pleasant to his taste. His bed
+was warm, and his sleep was sound. What could a man want more?
+
+But Henzel was ever full of complainings. His neighbour, Johann, had
+married a rich woman, and now owned a well stocked farm with many herds.
+Each time that he met him, Henzel sighed.
+
+'I might have done better than he,' he grumbled, even when he heard that
+Johann's wife was a great scold, and did not allow her husband a
+moment's peace. He looked askance at his gentle Gretchen, who bore with
+his rough moods tenderly, since once he had been her lover. But she
+grieved in secret, for never a good word had he for her now, and her
+flaxen hair lost its shimmer of satin, and her cheeks their dainty
+bloom.
+
+She was digging in the cottage garden, for Henzel would do no work at
+home, when a very old man toiled slowly up the hill. His clothes were
+dusty, and his staff was bent; he looked very weary, and his voice, as
+he bade her 'Goodmorrow,' was faint and low. Gretchen's heart was filled
+with pity; she invited him to enter her tidy kitchen, and put before him
+the best she had. It was not much, but her strange guest thanked her
+gratefully. While he rested, she went to the forest, to cut him a strong
+oak sapling for a staff. The old man had vanished when she returned, and
+in his place sat a little Dwarf, not more than twelve inches high.
+
+[Illustration: In the old man's place sat a little Dwarf.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'I perceive that you have a kind disposition, Gretchen, which is better
+than a rich dower,' he said, waving his hand for her to be seated also.
+'You are already sufficiently blessed,' he went on, 'in being both
+virtuous and patient, but I am willing to grant you your dearest wish.
+Speak out, and tell me what you most desire.'
+
+Gretchen bent her brows, and pondered deeply. If she asked the Dwarf for
+gold, Henzel would rejoice, but she had lived with him long enough to
+know that whatever he had, he would still want more. Should she ask for
+another husband, then, since the one she had, had ceased to love her,
+and threw her but scornful looks? Nay--that would be wrong, for whatever
+happened she was Henzel's wife. And the flush on her girlish face became
+yet deeper, for a very sweet thought had fluttered across her mind. She
+would ask for a little child to lie on her breast, and bear her company
+through the long nights and days.
+
+When the Dwarf heard her whispered request, he smiled on her very
+kindly.
+
+'You are a true woman,' he said, and disappeared as Henzel crossed the
+threshold.
+
+'Who has been here?' he asked, scowling at the empty cup and platter.
+
+'An old, old man, who was tired and hungry,' Gretchen replied,
+and anxious to escape his further questioning, she turned to the
+newly-kindled fire, and put on a saucepan of broth for him. But Henzel
+was very curious, for strangers came that way but seldom, and before
+long he had drawn the whole story from Gretchen's lips, with the
+exception of the Dwarf's offer to grant her a wish.
+
+'Did he not speak of rewarding you for your hospitality?' her husband
+persisted, guessing that something had been kept back from him. And
+Gretchen shyly told him for what she had asked.
+
+Fierce was Henzel's anger at her neglect of this opportunity to make him
+rich. He stormed and raved until poor Gretchen longed to hide, and when
+at last his rage had spent itself, he was sullen as winter clouds. She
+would have minded this more had it not been for the dear new hope that
+filled her bosom, and early in the spring a little son was born to her.
+
+What cared she then for Henzel's anger, so long as it did not touch her
+child? It was joy enough to feel the wee thing's fingers straying over
+her face, to see his limbs grow round and dimpled, and to hear him laugh
+as she sang to him baby songs. Henzel went in and out, taking little
+notice of either of them; his thoughts were all absorbed in schemes for
+growing rich, for the love of money held him in its grip.
+
+When little Karl was six years old his mother died. Instead of sorrowing
+for her, Henzel was glad, for now he could marry the elderly widow in
+the next town who was ready to exchange her wealth for a handsome
+husband.
+
+So Henzel, too, had now a well-stocked farm, but this brought him small
+satisfaction. For his new wife was a greater scold even than Johann's,
+and he dare not so much as cross the threshold without taking off his
+boots. As to Karl, he was sent to mind the cattle on the Kugelmill close
+by; the little lad was so ill-clad that his ragged tatters blew in the
+winter wind. He was hungry also, for his stepmother grudged him the
+simplest food, and but that he shared their berries with the birds, he
+must have starved.
+
+When the hawthorns were white with the snows of spring, and the daisies
+showed their golden centres on the grassy slopes, we heard him crying
+for his mother. Stella flew to his side, and gathered him in her arms.
+Her lovely hair covered his shivering limbs, and the desolate child
+clung close to her as she held the silver horn to his curved red lips.
+His soft embrace set her woman-love on fire, and veiling him in her
+golden tresses, she brought him here.
+
+He was happy with us--as happy as the days were long. We wove for him
+garments of silken sheen, and taught him to call us by the sweet name of
+'Mother.' ... One day he begged us to let him play on the hill, so we
+took him thither, hiding close by, that we might guard him from harm. He
+was seen by some wood-cutters working near, and they took word to his
+father; but before he could fetch him, we had spirited him away. Karl
+never asked to play on the hill again, and all went well with us for
+many years, till he sprang into a gallant youth, with his mother's eyes
+and a lordly will, unlike her yielding way.
+
+And then? Ah me! His love for our beautiful Stella grew fierce and
+wild--the love of a mortal man for a maid. And since no Wild Woman may
+wed, one night he bore her away from our hill to the evening star, which
+is the sanctuary of lovers. Thence she sends glad dreams to motherless
+children, and to lonely women who pine for love."
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+I did not stay much longer in the Wunderberg, for somehow the scented
+air seemed to have grown chilly. When I said to Snow-blossom that I
+must leave her, she wept again, and gave me a shining strand of hair to
+guide me back to the moor. It turned into gossamer when I reached the
+daylight, and floated softly away.
+
+Heinrich was still munching at the short grass, and stared at me very
+hard when I caught his bridle. I suppose he thought I had been a long
+while gone.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter IX
+
+The Little White Feather.
+
+
+If you've ever tried to count the raindrops, you will know how I felt
+when for three whole days it poured in torrents. I was alone in the
+library, watching a hole in the wainscotting through which a mouse had
+just poked her head, when some one said "_Guten Morgen_" in a piping
+voice, and I knew this must be a Kobold. I was rather surprised that I
+had not met one of these House-Spirits before.
+
+He was sitting on the edge of a bookcase--a little brown man with a
+wrinkled, good-natured face, and wearing no clothes. He chuckled when I
+said that I would rather speak English if he did not mind, and remarked
+that all languages were the same to him.
+
+"I believe you have met some cousins of mine, the Brownies," he went
+on affably, kissing his hand to the mouse, who popped back to her hole
+as if he had shocked her. "They are good little chaps, but quiet and
+humdrum. You always know what a Brownie will do, but as for us--mortals
+can never tell what a Kobold will be up to next. We make ourselves quite
+at home in their houses, and really own them, if the truth were known.
+But excuse me--I should not appear before you in this undress."
+
+In the twinkling of an eye the Kobold had changed himself into a
+curly haired boy, with smooth pink cheeks and a red silk coat, and
+knickerbockers of dark green velvet. "This is my best suit," he
+explained proudly, turning himself from side to side. "I usually wear
+it when I play with children who were born, like yourself, at the
+blessed feast of Christmas-tide. It is only one of my many disguises,
+however, though I seldom allow myself to be seen at all. I can even
+hide in the cast-off coat of a harmless snake, and woe to him who lays
+stick upon me or seeks to drive me away. The Heinzelmaenchen, as we are
+called, can be bitter foes as well as powerful friends, and 'twas an
+evil day for the city of Koeln when we marched out of it. It has never
+prospered since."
+
+"Why----" I began, and the Kobold held up his hand to stop me, puckering
+his baby face into a dreadful frown.
+
+"Why? Why? Why?" he mimicked. "How like the child of mortal man!
+Everything has to tell its reason--you rob the peach of its velvet bloom
+that you may find the secret of its ruddy splendour, and the fairy gems
+on the grass at dawn are to you but water distilled from earth! You
+would know how the tide finds a way to turn, why the light of the stars
+transcends your rush-lights! Elves and Fairies and such-like things are
+driven away by your curiosity, as the Heinzelmaenchen were by Rosetta."
+
+I was going to ask who Rosetta might be, but I remembered just in time
+that this would be another question. The Kobold chose a more comfortable
+seat, and told me of his own accord.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Sin of Rosetta.
+
+"Toward the end of the eighteenth century," he began, "the
+Heinzelmaenchen, took up their abode in the city of Koeln, where Johann
+Farina distilled the sweet-scented waters now famous all over the world.
+When first he blended the fragrant oils of bergamot, citron, orange and
+rosemary, it was we who whispered to him in what proportion he should
+mix them, and how to imprison their lasting perfume. Not only him did
+we help, but wherever we came across a worthy fellow who was poor
+but honest, we gave him a lift up; such was Rudolph the tailor, whom
+we found when a lad on the steps of the great Cathedral, without a
+_pfennig_ in his pocket, and with a wolf inside him big enough to
+swallow a little pig. When we saw how readily he returned a _thaler_
+that rolled to his feet to the feeble old woman who had dropped it,
+though he might well have said he had not seen it fall, we took him to
+our hearts, and swore to befriend him.
+
+'So!' we said, one to the other. 'Rudolph is worthy to be our comrade.
+He is a good lad, and henceforth we will see that he does not want.'
+
+The first thing to be done was to procure him decent clothing, for no
+one would employ him while he went in rags. We did this by pointing him
+out to the wife of a rich merchant, who fancied she saw in his pinched
+white face a likeness to the son she had lost long since.
+
+Touched by the poor lad's poverty, she gave him a suit of clothes which
+had lain by for many a day, and on finding he was an orphan, apprenticed
+him to a tailor. The lad worked well. We took it in turns to sit beside
+him, showing him just where to place his needle, so that his seams were
+always neat, and guiding his scissors so that he cut the cloth to the
+best advantage. So skilful did he become that, when his time was out,
+his master begged him to stay on with him as head assistant, and gave
+him a good wage.
+
+A fine young spright was Rudolph now, with jet-black hair and eyes like
+coals. His master's daughters, Euralie and Rosetta, both looked on him
+with favour, and for a time it seemed that he knew not which to choose.
+Euralie was small and slight, with eyes like a dove's; Rosetta was tall
+and buxom, and had she been free from the vice of curiosity would have
+made him a model wife. She was clever and industrious as well as witty,
+and when Dark Rudolph passed by the gentle Euralie, and took Rosetta for
+his betrothed, it was only the Heinzelmaenchen who shook their heads.
+
+Never was grander wedding feast than his. While he and Rosetta where
+still in church, we brought to his house the finest drinking vessels
+that we could lay our hands on, and pots and pans of beaten copper that
+were the envy of every housewife bidden as a guest. There were fairy
+cakes in the silver dishes, and luscious fruits such as grew in no
+western lands; the wine in the ruby goblets was honeyed nectar, and
+though his friends quaffed deeply, their heads remained quite clear. A
+proud man was Rudolph as he drank to his bride, and she looked so happy
+and gay and bright, that we resolved to take her, too, under our
+protection.
+
+And this we did. When her children came, we rocked the cradle and sang
+them lullabies while she baked and brewed, and when they slept we
+scrubbed and polished from garret to cellar, until her house was the
+pride of the street. Often she would ask to be allowed to see us, but we
+always refused, telling her to respect our wish, and be content. Still
+she would not rest, and nothing that Dark Rudolph could say to her would
+induce her to hold her peace.
+
+He had now three shops instead of one, and counted lords and barons
+among his customers. No one could fit as he could, for we were always at
+hand to nip in here or let out there, and many a fine straight figure
+was the result of our cunning skill. His fame spread far through the
+neighbouring towns, and one spring a great noble travelled to Koeln to
+order some rich apparel for himself and his suite. Our busy tailor was
+at his wit's end how to get it finished in time, for all his assistants
+were working their hardest, and still they were behind.
+
+'Have no fear! Dark Rudolph,' we cried, when we found him alone. 'Send
+your men to rest, and leave it to us. When you wake in the morning you
+shall find all done.'
+
+We lost not a moment that livelong night--it was as if our needles had
+wings. Just before cockcrow, the door of the workroom creaked softly
+open, and there stood Rosetta in her white nightgown, with her hair in
+two long plaits, peering round the corner to see if she could catch us
+at work. We were justly enraged, but since we heard her in time to
+render ourselves invisible, and also because we loved Dark Rudolph, we
+decided to give her one more chance.
+
+It was our custom to leave the lower part of the house at the hour of
+midnight, no matter what we might be doing, and climb the steep stairs
+that led to the bedrooms, to watch that the ghosts which were free to
+roam till cockcrow might not ruffle the children's hair, or wake them
+with their long-drawn sighs. Rosetta knew this, for she had often heard
+us comforting the little Rudolph when his sleep was disturbed by a bad
+dream, and with gross ingratitude she tried to be-fool us. One night,
+she strewed dried peas on the top steps of the winding staircase, so
+that when we came up we should lose our footing and fall to the bottom,
+and thus she might see us struggling on the ground. We knew perfectly
+well, however, why she had bought the peas, and stayed below. When she
+rose next morning, she forgot the trap she had laid for us, and tumbled
+headlong down the stairs. While she groaned and moaned over her broken
+ankle, the Heinzelmaenchen marched out of the town to stirring music,
+which was heard by all the citizens. We sailed down the Rhine in a
+phantom boat, which you may yet see floating on its waters if you look
+for it at the right time. And Dark Rudolph and his Rosetta sighed for
+our help in vain."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Kobold was a most entertaining little fellow, and stayed with me all
+the morning, telling me of well known House Spirits of days gone by. One
+of these tales was about
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Little white Feather.
+
+"Hinzelmann," said the Kobold solemnly, "was a Spirit who haunted the
+castle of Hudemuehlen, though it was not until late in the sixteenth
+century that those who lived there were aware of his presence. He seemed
+of so friendly a disposition that the servants became quite used to
+him. They never saw him, but he would often talk with them while they
+worked, telling them of what went on in the Underworld, and of the
+mighty Giants of bye-gone days who had been created in order to protect
+the Dwarfs from savage beasts, but had become themselves so savage in
+the course of the ages that they had to be done away with. In time the
+lord of the castle heard of his strange visitor, and sent him a message
+saying he desired his presence at a certain hour.
+
+'No need to wait until then, good Sir!' laughed Hinzelmann over his
+shoulder. 'I assist each morning at your lordship's toilet, though you
+do not perceive me, and I blunt your razors when you are out of temper.'
+
+This displeased the lord of the castle, for he thought it unseemly to be
+on terms of such familiar intimacy with a bodiless House-Spirit. When he
+rebuked him for his presumption, Hinzelmann laughed more loudly still.
+'Better men than you have to put up with my company, if I will!' he
+cried, 'and, believe me, I do not intend to leave you!'
+
+The nobleman grew more and more uneasy, for it disturbed him to feel
+that he was never alone. Hinzelmann whistled and sang through the State
+rooms, and when his lordship expressed irritation this was the
+House-Spirit's favourite song:
+
+    'If thou here wilt let me stay,
+    Good luck shalt thou have alway.
+    But if hence thou dost me chase,
+    Luck will ne'er come near the place.'[1]
+
+         [Footnote 1: The Fairy Mythology]
+
+He hummed this morning, noon, and night, until the lord of the castle
+was sick of it. 'Since I cannot drive this fellow away,' he said at
+last, 'I must e'en go myself;' and telling no one of his intentions, he
+summoned his coach and set out for Hanover. On the way he noticed that
+no matter how fast his horses went, a little white feather danced above
+their heads. Although he wondered at this, he did not connect it with
+the House-Spirit, and when he arrived at his chosen Inn, sought his
+couch with a mind at ease.
+
+'Thank heaven,' he muttered, as he turned him over and went to sleep, 'I
+am free at last of this troublesome Hinzelmann. By the time I see fit
+to return home, he may have gone elsewhere.'
+
+[Illustration: A little white Feather danced above their heads.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Next morning he missed his fine gold chain, which was an heirloom, and,
+greatly distressed, he haughtily demanded of the Innkeeper that his
+servants should be searched.
+
+'They have robbed me,' he cried, 'and they shall suffer for it! Cannot
+one sleep at your house without meeting with knaves and thieves?'
+
+At this the Innkeeper was very angry. Instead of condoling with the
+nobleman on his loss, and offering to make it good, he roundly rebuked
+him for taking away the character of honest men without due proof. The
+noble was leaving the Inn in much haste when a soft voice asked him why
+he was troubled.
+
+'If it be on account of the bauble upon which you set such store,' it
+continued, 'look under your pillow and you will find it. You cannot get
+on without Hinzelmann after all!'
+
+'I would I had never known you, base spirit!' stormed the nobleman. 'You
+have put me greatly in the wrong with all these men, and my journey has
+been for nought, since you are here. If you do not quit me I will leave
+this country; it is not wide enough to hold us both.'
+
+Then Hinzelmann spoke to him with much reason, pointing out that he
+wished him no harm, and that it was impossible to shake him off, since
+wherever the lord went, he could follow.
+
+'It was I who flew as a little white feather in front of your coach,' he
+concluded. 'You played the part of a poltroon when you fled from what
+you believed to be evil, instead of fighting it on your own ground. Come
+back with me, and if you give me your friendship, I will work but good
+to you and yours.'
+
+So the nobleman went back to his castle, and Hinzelmann lived there with
+him. A little room was set aside for his use in an upper story, and here
+they placed, by the nobleman's orders, a small round table, and a tiny
+bed. No one could ever make out if he slept on this, but once when the
+cook entered very quickly, to take him the dish of new milk and wheaten
+crumbs which was placed each morn on his table, she saw a shallow
+depression on the down pillow, as if something very small and soft had
+rested there.
+
+When the time came for Hinzelmann to leave the castle, he presented its
+lord with three fairy gifts, the last of these being a leather glove
+richly wrought with pearls in a curious pattern of snails and scrolls.
+So long as this glove was in possession of his house, he told him, so
+long would his race flourish. And thus he requited the kindness which
+had been shown him. There is nothing that we like better than to help
+our friends."
+
+"I know," I said, nodding my head. And the House Spirit smiled as if
+this pleased him.
+
+"We need take no credit for this," he remarked, "since the Dwarf King
+himself sets us the example. His rescue of the poor old couple at
+Schillingsdorf is but one of many instances of the way in which he
+gladly helps those who show hospitality to him or his.
+
+Caught in a storm, he wandered from door to door, entreating each person
+who answered his knock to let him enter and warm himself. One and all
+they refused, for his green velvet garments were stained and draggled,
+and they had not the wit to see that in spite of his dripping clothes
+and dishevelled beard he was still every whit a king. At last he came to
+the hut of an ancient shepherd, whose little old wife was as thin as he,
+for food had been very scarce. The moment she saw the wanderer, her
+heart went out to him.
+
+'Come in and welcome, you poor little fellow!' she said, setting wide
+her door. 'Our fire is not much to boast of, but 'tis better than none
+on a night like this.' And the shepherd hobbled to the inner room that
+he might bring his Sunday coat, and place this round their visitor's
+shoulders while his own lay drying on the hearth. Then the old woman
+spread a white cloth on the table, and gave the Dwarf her share of the
+coarse black bread which was all her cupboard contained.
+
+'I thank you, my friends,' he said, breaking the bread into two
+fragments. As he did so, one became a fine white loaf, and the other a
+noble cheese. The Dwarf laughed at the old couple's amazement, and bade
+them feast to their heart's content.
+
+'So long as you leave on the platter a crust of bread and an inch of
+cheese,' he said, 'so long will a fresh loaf and a fresh cheese spring
+from these fragments during the night; but if ever a beggar entreats
+your help, and you refuse him, they will turn to dust and ashes. Now I
+bid you farewell, but ere long we shall meet again.'
+
+So saying, he went out in the rain, despite their entreaties that he
+would at least stay with them until the storm was over.
+
+Little sleep did they have that night, for wind and rain swept through
+the valley. Torrents roared down the mountain side, flooding the wooden
+houses, and even worse befell at daybreak. An enormous rock snapped off
+from a topmost peak, and carrying with it great masses of stones and
+uprooted firs, crashed down on the little village. All living things
+were buried beneath its weight except the shepherd and his wife, whose
+cottage yet was spared. Tremblingly they stood on the threshold, for
+they thought their last hour had come.
+
+'Thou hast been a good wife, my dear one,' breathed the shepherd, as he
+drew her frail form close to him.
+
+'It is well that we should go together, since thou hast lain by my side
+for nigh sixty years,' she whispered, hiding her face against his
+breast.
+
+'How now?' cried a reassuring voice. 'Dost despair so easily?' And
+looking up they saw their friend the Dwarf riding on a rough raft in
+the centre of the stream, and steering before him the trunk of an
+immense pine. This he proceeded to fix crosswise in front of their
+little garden, so as to form a dam. The torrent now passed by the
+cottage, leaving it undisturbed, and the voice of the wind was hushed.
+The sun came out, and the birds sang; but the only people alive in
+Schillingsdorf were the shepherd and his old wife."
+
+[Illustration: "'How now?' cried a reassuring voice."]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter X
+
+The Wild Huntsman.
+
+
+The forest paths were dappled with sunlight as Father and I strolled
+down its winding glades, and all the wood things were chirping and
+chattering with joy. Now and then something brown and furry scuttled
+across our path, and once I all but trod on a tiny mouse, who had hidden
+herself under last year's leaves.
+
+"You clumsy boy!" said a tiny voice, and I turned in time to catch sight
+of a wee pink Elf as she sprang from the flower Father wore in his
+button hole upon a bright blue butterfly which had been hovering above
+her for some time, and now darted swiftly away.
+
+After a while we came to an open space where the woodmen had been
+felling timber. Several great trees still lay on the ground; one was
+particularly straight and round, and I noticed three wide crosses cut
+deep into the bark. I thought I would like to carve my name there too,
+for my knife had been most beautifully sharp since the _Nain Rouge_
+touched it, so when Father sat down soon afterward to read his letters,
+I went straight back to the spot. As I reached it I heard the distant
+baying of hounds; the sound came nearer and nearer, and mingling with
+it were shouts in a strange deep voice, which almost frightened me.
+As I looked up, my knife was jerked out of my hand by a little woman
+dressed in green, who pushed me breathlessly aside and sat down,
+sobbing bitterly, on the middle cross. I was still staring at her when
+there flashed through the air a huntsman on a fiery horse, followed by
+many hounds. Their hurrying feet knocked off my cap and rumpled all my
+hair. They had passed in a second, and next moment I heard their
+baying far away.
+
+The little woman in green sobbed still, but she seemed to be growing
+calmer. Her hair and eyes were a soft light grey, and her frock was most
+prettily trimmed with tufts of moss.
+
+"Aha!" I thought when I noticed this, "you are one of the Moss-women,
+I've no doubt." For I knew that these were supposed to haunt the forests
+of Southern Germany.
+
+"That was the Wild Huntsman," said the little thing, looking at me
+trustfully. "But for the kindness of the woodcutters who make these
+marks in the trees they fell, I should have fallen to his bow and
+spear. When we can find three crosses we are safe, for he dare not touch
+us then."
+
+I waited to hear what else she would say, for I thought of the Kobold's
+"_Why? Why? Why?_" and did not like to ask her questions. In a little
+while her lips were smiling, and swaying to and fro, as a tree sways in
+the wind, she began to sing. I knew I had heard that song before, but I
+could not think where until I remembered that the pines which rustled
+against the windows of my night nursery had often sung it when I was
+small.
+
+"It's the song of the wind," she told me, "and the very first sound we
+hear. We are born in the roots of the tree which is to be our home, and
+when this dies, we must die too. So long as the sap runs through its
+branches, and the bark is not cut or injured, we are safe and sound in
+our snug recess, but at certain times we are bound to leave it, to seek
+for food, or to attend our lords. It is then that we are in such grave
+danger--and all because Elfrida tried her witcheries on a stranger."
+
+"What did she do?" I could not help asking.
+
+"I will tell you," said the Moss-woman sadly, "and then you will
+understand why even the youngest of us has now grey hair."
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Wild Huntsman.
+
+"Elfrida was the fairest of our race," she sighed, "and her palace the
+tallest and straightest pine that ever raised its boughs to Heaven.
+When she left its shelter at early dawn to bathe in some sparkling
+stream, or seek for sweet berries in the thickets, the Flower-Elves
+flocked to greet her; wild roses gave her their bloom for her oval
+cheeks, and the violets scented her sunny hair. Wherever she passed, the
+moss grew a brighter green, and she had but to breathe on a gnarled old
+trunk, and the softest feathery fronds came to hide its ugliness. The
+creatures of the forest were all her friends, and took pride, as we did,
+in her loveliness.
+
+'Have a care, Elfrida--a stranger comes!' cried a squirrel one summer
+morning, staying his dancing feet to warn her. His up-cocked ears had
+caught the thud of some well-shod charger's swift approach, and he
+guessed he would not be riderless.
+
+'Go back to thy palace, dear child!' cooed a motherly pigeon who had
+reared many broods of snowy fledglings, and misdoubted the sparkle in
+Elfrida's pale green eyes.
+
+'Haste thee home, Elfrida!' cried the stream as it gurgled over the
+stones; 'haste thee home, and hide thy face from the sunlight.' But
+Elfrida pretended not to hear as she shook out the crystal drops from
+her gorgeous hair.
+
+The horse and his rider were close to her now; the huntsman blew his
+golden horn, and in the excitement of the chase might have passed her
+by, unseeing, but for his hounds. In a moment they had surrounded her,
+baying like hungry wolves, and Elfrida sprang to a branch that overhung
+the water, where her white limbs gleamed against its green. The huntsman
+sent the dogs to heel, and dismounting from his horse, entreated the
+maiden to come down to him. Nothing loth, Elfrida coyly descended, and
+the huntsman was amazed anew at her perfect form. He sat at her feet
+through the hush of noonday, and at even he was there still. When the
+moon turned the glades to silver, Elfrida left him, but she promised to
+meet him again next day, and he could not sleep for thinking of her.
+
+But although she smiled on him sweetly as she lay on the banks of the
+stream, and listened with languid pleasure to his fond fierce wooing,
+which passed for her many an idle hour, she would not consent to be his
+wife.
+
+'I like best the gems that I find on the lilies at daybreak,' she said,
+when he vowed that the richest jewels that the earth could give should
+deck her fair white arms. 'You must offer me something rarer than these
+if I am to forsake my kindred to go with you.'
+
+Then the huntsman swore that he would give her all he had; only his
+honour would he hold back, for he was sick with love and longing.
+
+Now behind Elfrida's loveliness dwelt a spirit of malice and wanton
+cruelty, and though she loved not this wild Huntsman, and had no
+intention of being his bride, she wished to see how far her power over
+him could go. So she asked of him these three things: the crest of his
+House cut in the stone over his castle gates, where it had stood for
+centuries; the leaf from his dead mother's Bible, whereon she had
+written the date of her marriage day, with the names of the children
+born to her; and his father's sword.
+
+[Illustration: He entreated the Maiden to come down.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Nay, Sweetheart!' cried the Huntsman. 'Ask me for aught else in the
+world, but not for these things, since they touch my honour!'
+
+'These will I have, and nothing less,' said Elfrida wilfully, looking at
+him through her long gold lashes until his soul went out from him. His
+face was white as milk as he rode away, and the creatures of the forest
+cringed with shame. For they knew she had asked what was unseemly; and
+they ceased to attend her when she went to the stream at dawn.
+
+When the moon was at her full the Huntsman returned with the three
+gifts, and now he thought to take Elfrida in his arms. But she thrust
+him from her with bitter words, tearing the leaf from the sacred Book
+into a thousand shreds, and tossing the crest and sword into the running
+stream.
+
+'What!' she cried, and her scornful laugh rang through the woodland,
+'shall I, Elfrida, be the sport of a man who holds the honour of his
+house as something less than a maiden's whim? I will have none of
+you--get you gone!' And she flung out her arms to the strong North Wind,
+who caught her to him and bore her off. But not to her high pine palace
+did he take her, for he was angry because of her cruelty; and far away
+at the grim North Pole, she shivers yet under the thickest ice. Her
+green eyes shine through the frost-bound floes, and light the depths of
+the Northern seas."
+
+"And the Huntsman?" I questioned.
+
+"He died in his rage, where Elfrida left him!" said the Moss-woman
+mournfully, "and his spirit seeks still to avenge his wrongs. To the
+last of our race it will pursue us, until none of our kindred lives."
+
+"Chris! Chris! where are you?"
+
+It was Father's voice, and the Moss-woman vanished. Father wanted to
+read me a funny letter from the Locust, who complained a lot of being
+called up at night by patients who had no money, and wouldn't have paid
+him even if they had. This was the way they often treated Father, but he
+said "Poor beggars!" and then forgot it, while the Locust was very
+cross.
+
+Next day I went back to the forest, hoping to find the Moss-woman again,
+but she was not there. I found instead an Elf who was almost too small
+to be seen. She told me that she and her sisters lived in the cells
+which make leaves so green, and mixed things they drew in from the air
+and sunlight with the water that came through the roots, turning these
+into sugar to feed the tree. It sounded like magic, and I was so much
+interested that I almost forgot to ask about the Moss-women.
+
+"Poor little things!" said the Leaf-Elf kindly, when I said I had seen
+one. "It is well that the woodcutters are their friends, or they would
+fare badly. Many a meal did they have from them in past times, and even
+Hans the Unlucky never grudged them what he gave. They paid him back for
+it, never fear, for they do not forget a kindness."
+
+"Who was he?" I asked. And this is what she told me.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Luck of Hans.
+
+"Of all the unlucky mortals, Hans was surely the most to be pitied, for
+though he was honest and frugal, nothing he touched seemed to prosper.
+The farm had done well in his father's lifetime, but after he died there
+was not one good season for three bad ones. Far from being idle, Hans
+was up before dawn, and still hard at work at sundown. His mother sent
+away her maids, since she could not pay them their wages, and kept the
+house straight herself; where could you find a worthier pair? But Hans'
+affairs went from bad to worse, and when (at the busiest time of the
+year) his mother lost her sight and became quite blind it was clear he
+was born to be unlucky.
+
+The farm went to rack and ruin, and there came a time when Hans was
+forced to go off to the forest to fell a tree that his poor old mother
+might have fuel to warm her. When the sun was high, he drew out his
+lunch, and a poor little Moss-woman stole out from the undergrowth to
+beg a few crumbs for her hungry children.
+
+'Take it all!' he cried, thrusting his bread into her tiny hands. 'It is
+waste of good food for a man to eat who is as unlucky as I.'
+
+'I cannot repay you in kind, friend Hans,' said the Moss-woman, 'but I
+will give you some good advice. In the house by the mill lives a sweet
+young girl, with a face tinged with pink like a daisy's. She has loved
+you long, for you are her mate. Take her to wife, and your luck will
+turn.'
+
+Hans flushed deep crimson beneath his tan, and the veins on his forehead
+grew tense and hard.
+
+'You--you--' he stammered; 'you must mean Elsa? And Elsa, you say, Elsa
+cares for _me_? It can't--it can't--be true.'
+
+'A woman's heart goes where it will,' answered the Moss-woman. 'Try your
+luck, friend Hans, and lose no time. Life is short, and the days are
+flying.'
+
+Hans went at once to the house by the mill, for had he not gazed at it
+time and again as the casket which held his treasure?
+
+When Elsa saw him coming with that look upon his face, she twisted a
+ribbon, blue as her eyes, in the pale gold plait that crowned her head,
+and went shyly down to meet him.
+
+[Illustration: "Went shyly down to meet him"]
+
+Hans said not a word, but he found a way to make her understand, and his
+eyes spoke, though his lips were dumb.
+
+They were betrothed and married within the month, and little cared sweet
+Elsa that her friends marvelled at her choice. She comforted the sad
+blind dame, whose son was now her husband, as a happy woman comforts one
+who fears she has lost all, and behold! the old woman smiled again. As
+to Hans, the neighbours scarcely recognised him when they met him in
+the markets; she trimmed his beard, did Elsa, with her own hands, and
+mothered him as if he were a child of seven. His fields grew green, and
+then golden with harvest; his scanty flocks increased and multiplied.
+
+'Hans' luck has changed!' the neighbours said, and they scoffed at him
+no more.
+
+But good luck itself does not last for ever, and after three years of
+plenty came a bad one for all in those parts. There was a long and
+unusual drought, followed by so much rain that the roots rotted in the
+ground, and sickness spread amongst sheep and oxen. Hans lost all that
+he had re-gained, and to add to his misfortunes, he chopped his hand
+instead of a log of wood, and could do no work for weeks. He was in
+despair, and the old blind woman beside his hearth wept and wailed from
+morn till eve.
+
+'I would I were dead,' she moaned. 'I am a useless burden, for I cannot
+even knit. My store of wool is exhausted, and we have no money to buy
+more.'
+
+'Dear Mother,' said Elsa tenderly, 'who has a greater right than you to
+the last penny that Hans possesses? You carried him on your breast when
+he was small and helpless, and have loved him faithfully all these
+years!'
+
+But the mother turned her face to the wall and wrung her idle hands.
+
+Then Elsa sold the ring that had been her lover's gift in order to buy
+for her soft white bread and warming cordials, and wool wherewith to ply
+her needles. As she returned home with her basket, grieving to think of
+the pain of those she loved, a Moss-woman accosted her in the forest.
+
+'I have nought for my children to eat,' she said. And Elsa, pitying her
+the more that she herself was hungry, gave her a share of what she had,
+even to a skein of the wool, that she might weave a coat for her crying
+babe.
+
+'Wait for me here!' cried the Moss-woman earnestly, and Elsa leaned
+sadly against a tree, too weary to be surprised. In a moment or two the
+Moss-woman returned, carrying a grey ball of wool and some chips of
+wood.
+
+'Give the wool to the old crone who weeps by your hearth,' said the
+little thing, 'and the chips to Hans. He is lucky in his wife, if in
+nought else!'
+
+So saying, she disappeared, and Elsa went quickly home. Thinking to
+win a laugh from her husband, she opened her apron to show him the
+Moss-woman's gifts, and, to her amazement, found that the chips had
+turned to yellow gold, and the little grey ball of wool into a large one
+of fleecy whiteness, so soft and thick that it felt like velvet! The
+golden chips stocked the farm again, for they were of pure metal, and
+weighty, and the ball of white wool was never exhausted during the old
+woman's life time. She knitted away until her hundredth year, and when,
+long afterward, the summons came also for Hans and Elsa, in their turn,
+their children had good cause to bless the name of the Moss-woman."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter XI
+
+The White Princess.
+
+
+It was to Italy we travelled next, to stay with the Signor, who had
+lived in England once, and was a patient of Father's.
+
+It was fearfully hot when we arrived, and most English people had gone
+away; but Father and I could bear a lot of sunshine, and we did not go
+out in the middle of the day.
+
+In the early mornings I went off to explore while Father was still
+asleep. Sometimes I made for the hills, but often I chose the city,
+for I liked to wander through the streets and make friends with the
+chattering children. They were jolly little beggars, with bare brown
+feet and thick dark hair that fell over their faces. My favourites were
+Giovanni and Mariannina; their mother worked for a grand Contessa
+who lived not far from the Signor. Giovanni was thin as a reed, but
+Mariannina, whose curly head did not reach her brother's shoulders, was
+as plump as a partridge, and her cheeks were red instead of brown.
+Adelina, the Signor's housekeeper, told me their names, and that
+Mariannina was the pride and torment of Giovanni's life.
+
+"He adores her," she said, "but she is surely bewitched. She runs
+from him like a squirrel, and is an imp for mischief. Ah, the poor
+Giovanni--he has his hands full!"
+
+After this I often met them, and if Mariannina were in a good humour she
+would smile at me through her lashes, while if she were cross she would
+frown like a Witch, and even shake her tiny fist. At this, Giovanni
+would look quite shocked, and would beg me in broken English not to be
+hurt at '_la sorellina's_' unkindness.
+
+"She so ver' small!" he pleaded wistfully, and this was always his
+excuse for her.
+
+One day she took it into her head to run away from him, and darted into
+the middle of the road, almost under the heels of some prancing horses.
+I happened to be close by, and seized her red skirt just in time to drag
+her back. Panting with terror, Giovanni took her from me, and when he
+found she was not hurt, for the first time in his life he shook her. And
+then he tried to kiss my hands; I almost wished I had left Mariannina to
+be run over. Before I could get away from him, he had thrust upon me
+the small gilt cage he always carried about with him, and had but just
+now tossed on the ground. It held his cherished '_grillo_,' or cricket,
+a curious pet of which all his playmates seemed very fond.
+
+"It is yours, it is yours!" he cried, and seemed so grieved when I tried
+to give it back to him that I was obliged to keep it.
+
+The cricket was a merry little creature, with a very loud voice for his
+size. "_Cree-cree-cree!_" he chirped, as I carried him to the villa, and
+he never once stopped all day. I believe that he sang the whole night
+through, for I heard him in my dreams; and when I woke I determined to
+set him free.
+
+I carried the little gilt cage up the slope of a hill before I
+opened the door. No sooner had he hopped on the grass, when his
+"_Cree-cree-cree_" was taken up by hundreds of other crickets, who
+gathered round him in great excitement, chirping with all their might.
+As I put my fingers into my ears, a little old woman appeared from
+nowhere, and with a wave of her hand sent them all away.
+
+"Many mouths make a small noise great," she said, "and you are not the
+first to be wearied by the crickets' song. The Sorcerer of the Seven
+Heads[2] liked it as little as you did, and the White Princess owes her
+happiness to this. I say what I know, for I am her Fairy Godmother."
+
+        [Footnote 2: Crane's Italian Fairy Tales]
+
+"Why, they told me there were no Fairies in Italy!" I cried. And then I
+was sorry that I had spoken, for the little old woman grew pale with
+rage.
+
+"No Fairies?" she exclaimed. "Ah, foolish ones, worse than blind! Had
+you not believed them you had seen countless Witches and Fays ere this,
+for Ascension Day has come and gone, and they are all set free. Besides
+these, there are Goblins and Spirits, and fearsome Incubas, and shadowy
+Fates who sway men's destinies. All these abound in our sunny Italy for
+those who have eyes to see; and there are also Fairy Godmothers, such as
+I. The maidens for whom I stand sponsor comb jewels out of their hair;
+diamonds and pearls, rubies, and shining turquoise. But the White
+Princess' were always pearls; and pearls often turn to tears."
+
+Then, drawing close to me, as I sat in the long grass, she told me of
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The White Princess.
+
+"The fates had dowered Queen Catherine with gifts; but though her
+husband was devoted to her, and the kingdom was blessed by a long spell
+of peace, she sighed unceasingly. One boon alone had been denied her,
+and without this she did not care to live.
+
+'Let her have her way!' cried the Fates at last, weary of her
+complainings. So one summer dawn a babe was found in the bed of lilies
+beneath her window, and now her mourning was turned into joy. For a
+daughter had been her heart's desire.
+
+The little Princess was christened Fiorita, but from the day of her
+birth she was known as the White Princess. Her skin was as purely pale
+as the petals of her guardian flowers, and the yellow gold of their
+stamens was the colour of her hair. But out of her eyes looked a spirit
+that boded sorrow--the spirit that would fain know all.
+
+The White Princess grew lovelier day by day, smiling but seldom, and
+staring for hours at the distant line of the far horizon, where the
+hills kept watch for ever over the land Beyond. The Queen looked on with
+delight at the unfolding of this tender blossom, but her happiness did
+not bring strength, and when in due time the sweet coral lips lisped the
+soft word 'Mother,' her soul broke the bonds which held it, and sped
+away.
+
+Fiorita was now twice orphaned, for her father, the King, would scarcely
+look at her, since he connected her coming with the death of his beloved
+wife. In order that the sight of her might not continually remind him
+of his sorrow, he built a fine tower of gold and crystal, and here,
+surrounded by all her ladies, the White Princess grew into womanhood.
+Lovely as snow crystals, and cold as the arctic wastes, Fiorita made
+few friends, and spoke to none of her inmost thoughts. The Kings of the
+Earth who came to woo her were abashed by her strange white beauty, and
+only the Prince Fiola remained to ask her hand.
+
+He was brave as a lion, and gentle as a woman, as true knights are to
+this very day. The sound of his voice as he spake of his love stirred
+the Princess' heart to a secret joy; but him, too, she sent away
+with but a glance from her blue-grey eyes. And though I, her Fairy
+Godmother, scolded her well and entreated her to say him yea, she
+would not be persuaded.
+
+[Illustration: "Lowered herself from her window by means of a rope of
+pearls"]
+
+'First I must see what lies hid in the land Beyond,' she said, and that
+very night, when the Crystal Tower shone wanly in the moon-light, and
+all her ladies were sleeping, the Princess covered her snow-white robe
+with a gossamer cloak of clouded grey, and lowered herself from her
+window by means of a rope of pearls, passing through her gardens and
+into the forest, which lay between her and the land Beyond. All fearless
+in her virgin purity, she listened neither to the Goblins who eyed her
+hungrily from the shapeless trees and besought her to show them favour,
+nor to the warnings of compassionate Fays who bade her return to the
+Crystal Tower.
+
+'I seek the land Beyond,' she cried, not knowing that she could never
+reach it except on spirit wings.
+
+Now the Prince Fiola could not sleep for love of her, and this night he
+stayed his restless wanderings in the Palace grounds by the waters of a
+placid lake, for the fancy came to him that therein dwelt some kindly
+Sprite who, perchance, would give him counsel and further his suit.
+Clear shone the moon above, making the smooth surface into a fairy
+mirror which reflected the swaying trees and the mysteries of forest
+depths; and as he looked, the Prince descried the shape of a slim white
+form which seemed to be hurrying onward amidst a forest. The poise of
+the head was Fiorita's; hers, too, was the queenly gait. But thinking
+her to be safely sleeping, the Prince believed that his eyes were
+cheating him, and moodily resumed his walk. When morning came, however,
+he hastened to the Crystal Tower. He found it in great commotion. Doors
+were opened and shut in rapid succession, and scared attendants ran in
+and out like ants.
+
+'The Princess is not in her chamber!' her ladies told him, wringing
+their hands. 'Her bed has not been slept on, and her silken wrapper is
+still in its broidered case.'
+
+As the Prince stood bewildered, the King came up. The remembrance of his
+lack of love was heavy upon him, and he strove to stifle his remorse by
+loud threatenings of dire punishment to all if his daughter were not
+speedily recovered.
+
+As he stood quietly aside in the midst of the commotion, Prince Fiola
+remembered the vision of the lake, and bidding a groom go fetch him
+a horse, he mounted and rode straightway to the forest. Two paths
+stretched out before him; his horse would have taken that on the right,
+but the Prince urged it along the other, for he thought that he caught a
+glimpse of his love's white gown at the end of a woodland glade.
+
+It was only the feather of a dove, however, and he pressed on, barely
+slackening his pace for hours. Darkness fell, but there was still no
+sign of Fiorita, and when he reached the borders of the forest, and yet
+had found no trace of her, his heart was sick at the thought of her
+peril. He could not stop, so with only the stars to guide him, he
+essayed to cross the waste that lay beyond, and at dawn was still riding
+wearily on. By the following noon both horse and rider were exhausted.
+The burning sun blazed down on their heads, smiting them as a sword, and
+though the Prince had no pity on himself, he grieved that his horse
+should suffer. Dismounting, he led it on until he came to a great rock,
+down the side of which flowed a stream of water. When he and his dumb
+companion had quenched their thirst, he took off its bridle and set it
+free, for he knew that the faithful creature could carry him no further.
+
+'Make your way home, good friend,' he said, as he patted its glossy
+mane. 'I cannot return without my Princess, though I fear me 'twill be
+many a day before I find her.'
+
+And now began the most toilsome part of his journey. With the land
+Beyond always before him, he trudged on and on, turning aside for
+nothing; and so passed another day and night. Now the long road wound
+uphill; stones blocked his way, and thorns tore his hands and face;
+still he pressed on, for his love was stronger than hunger and thirst,
+and pain had no terrors for him. Nevertheless, he had lost all hope,
+when a turn in the path disclosed a sight which made him for the moment
+forget his trouble.
+
+A bent old woman, crooked and frail, staggered beneath a load of sticks,
+and dancing along at either side of her, were two rough boys, who mocked
+at her lameness, calling her a Witch. The Prince overtook them with
+rapid strides, and knowing that the power of gentleness is more lasting
+than that of anger, he suppressed his wrath as he spoke to them, though
+withal he reproved them sternly.
+
+'Know you not,' he said, 'that only cowards persecute those who are
+weaker than themselves? 'Tis a woman whom you call 'mother,' and if only
+for this, you should hold all women in reverence. Now go--and remember
+what I have said. Here is something to purchase a gift for your parents.
+See that you are more worthy of their care.' And with other words to the
+same effect, he gave each a silver coin.
+
+Won alike by his kindness and the justice of his rebuke, the boys asked
+pardon for their rudeness, and scampered off with glowing faces, while
+the old woman blessed the Prince for thus befriending her. Disclaiming
+her thanks, he lifted her load to his own shoulders, when it immediately
+became as light as air. The next moment it fell from him altogether; and
+he turned in great astonishment to meet her serious gaze.
+
+'_Bel giavone!_' she exclaimed, 'I pray you think me not intrusive, but
+I know by your voice that your heart is heavy as the load I carried
+awhile ago. Tell me your grief, that if the Fates so will, I may in my
+turn help you.'
+
+'In truth, good mother,' said the Prince, 'no mortal can aid me now
+except by telling me where I may find the White Princess, whom I seek
+day and night in anguish, since she is my dear love.'
+
+'Even that can I do!' cried the old woman, straightening her bent figure
+until she stood before him tall and queenly, her squalid rags changing
+into flowing robes of purple velvet. 'I am the Witch Lucretia, and my
+spells are a match for those of the Sorcerer with the Seven Heads. You
+have travelled far from your White Princess, for the Sorcerer lurks in
+the forest through which you passed, and Fiorita is his prisoner. No man
+yet has entered his castle to leave it alive, but I will show you how
+this may be done, if you are willing to change your shape and become one
+of Earth's humblest creatures.'
+
+The Prince feared nothing so that he might once reach the side of
+Fiorita, and gladly submitted himself to the enchantments of the Witch.
+Lucretia lifted the silver wand that was hid in the fold of her gown,
+and at its touch the Prince became a cricket, just such another as the
+one which you lately restored to liberty.
+
+'You will find no difficulty now,' she said, 'in entering the Sorcerer's
+castle, for the pitfalls he has prepared for man are as nought to they
+who traverse the air. And that you may be one of many, and so a match
+for his spells, I will summon my Witches and Fairies to protect you.'
+
+Having muttered an incantation, she blew thrice on an opalescent shell
+which dangled from her waist upon a ruby chain; and troops of Fays and
+Witches came hurrying down the road. Some were slender and stately, with
+faces as fair as dreamland; some were twisted and bent, and some so
+small that a dozen could hide in the cup of a flower. With a second wave
+of her silver wand, Lucretia transformed them into a myriad crickets.
+Hailing Fiola as their king, she placed him at their head, and reminding
+him solemnly that persistence conquers where force must fail, bade him
+lead them back to the forest.
+
+In an incredibly short time this aerial army arrived at the castle of
+the Sorcerer with the Seven heads. It stood in the midst of a dense
+thicket, surrounded by a moat, the lurking place of demons with long
+forked tongues, and eyes that shot evil fires. Undaunted by their
+snarls, the crickets flew over the draw-bridge, and finding a way into
+the castle through the close-barred windows, swarmed round the
+Sorcerer's head. A cauldron swung from the domed ceiling, over a
+quenchless fire, and in this the wretch was even then concocting a
+potion by which he should overcome Fiorita. Her purity had hitherto
+protected her, and though he had bound her body with chains, he could
+not fetter her spirit.
+
+[Illustration: He tickled the Monster's Nose.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'How dare you disturb me?' he roared, lunging at the crickets vainly
+with a long and glittering knife.
+
+Fiola would fain have slain him where he stood, but when, forgetting his
+impotence, he hurled himself forward at the monster, he only tickled his
+nose.
+
+'Leave him to us!' cried his cricket friends; and then they began their
+witch-song of '_Cree-cree-cree_.'
+
+Now the Sorcerer having seven heads--Greed, Envy, Spite, Malice,
+Passion, Jealousy, and Despair, each of which would have instantly
+sprung forth again had Fiola been able to chop it off--he had naturally
+fourteen ears, and these were so extraordinarily sensitive to noise that
+he had destroyed all the woodpeckers in the forest that he might not
+hear their tap-tap on the trees as they searched the bark for insects.
+You can judge, then, of his disgust when on his refusal to obey
+Lucretia's command, and break the bonds which held Fiorita, this host of
+crickets swarmed round his head, and filled the air with discord. Each
+pitched his voice in a different key, and the din of battle was as
+nothing to that which now pervaded the castle.
+
+These were the words of the witch-song:
+
+    '_Cree-cree-cree-cree_
+    Set Fiola's Princess free.
+    Sorcerer thou, but Witches we--
+    Cricket-Witches, from grass and ditches.
+        _Cree-cree-cree-cree!_
+    Peace thine ears no more shall know
+    Till thou bidst the lady go.
+        _Cree-cree-cree-cree!_
+        Sorcerer, set the lady free!'[3]
+
+         [Footnote 3: Crane's Italian Fairy Tales]
+
+Over and over again they chanted this lay, and every cricket, far and
+near, joined in the maddening chorus. They sang until the Sorcerer with
+the Seven Heads felt that his senses were leaving him; pallid with rage,
+he severed the White Princess's chains. By the power of Lucretia, who
+had clearly foreseen his discomforture, the moment that the chains fell
+from her Fiorita immediately became a cricket also, and gladly did she
+fly to the side of the Prince, who greeted her with rapture.
+
+All would now have been well had they straightway left the castle, for
+Lucretia waited outside to restore to them their human form. As Fiorita
+passed the great cauldron which still swung over the lamp, she could not
+resist the temptation to lean over and peep inside, and the fumes from
+the potion being very strong, she straightway fainted, falling into the
+midst of the blood-red liquid. Before it could wholly cover her, the
+Cricket King seized her wings in his mouth; he carried her thus into the
+open air, where she speedily revived. Great was Lucretia's concern,
+however, when she heard from Fiola what had happened.
+
+'Alas,' she sighed, 'not even I, who am mistress of spells and
+enchantments, can avert from Fiorita the consequences of her delay.
+Since the Sorcerer's potion touched her, for six months each year she
+must be a cricket, even as now; for the rest, she will be the White
+Princess, to dwell with you where you will.'
+
+Then Fiorita was sad indeed, for she had lost her longing to see the
+land Beyond, and desired nothing better than to wed the Prince. But now
+that he knew she loved him, no spell could dampen Fiola's joy.
+
+'While you are a cricket,' he said, 'I will be one too, for so long as
+you are beside me--what matters else?' And the Fays and Witches, who
+reverence all true love, elected to share their banishment.
+
+And so it was, and is to this present time. For half the year Fiola is
+the Cricket King, and Fiorita, more than content, his Queen. But as
+Ascension day comes round, the spell is broken, and they take their
+accustomed places at the Court. It is hard to say when they are the
+happier; for love is as much at home in the humblest corner of Mother
+Earth as it is in a lordly Palace."
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Chapter XII
+
+The Favourite of the Fates.
+
+
+One night there was not a breath of air, and I could not sleep. I
+tossed this way and that for hours, and directly the birds began to
+twitter, I put on my things and slipped back the bolt of the grand hall
+door. Once outside, it was beautifully fresh and cool, and the clouds in
+the sky were like wreaths of pink flowers on a turquoise sea, arched
+over with gleaming gold. They changed every moment, and while I watched
+them I forgot to look where I was going. When I stopped at last I found
+myself in the middle of the market place, where I had been with Father
+the day before.
+
+It was empty now, for no one was yet awake but me.
+
+Among the quaint old wooden houses I noticed one that I had not seen
+before; at first it seemed to be indistinct, but the longer I stared at
+it, the clearer it grew. Over the door of the tiny shop was the figure
+of a hen cut into the stone, and while I was wondering who had carved
+it, the wings fluttered gently toward me. The bird moved its head, and
+its wings were lifted; it flew to the ground, and a lovely white hen was
+at my feet. It looked at me wistfully, and flew away; when I turned to
+the little house once again, it was not there. But beside me stood the
+Fairy Godmother.
+
+"Come and sit in the shade," she said, when I asked her what had become
+of the hen, "and I will tell you all about her. She is seeking
+Furicchia, whom she served so well, not knowing that she is a shadow
+too."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Enchanted Hen.
+
+"Furicchia," said the Fairy Godmother, "was a very poor woman who owned
+a hen which an innkeeper greatly coveted. The shape of the bird was
+perfect; it had a most melodious voice, and its feathers were glossy and
+white as snow.
+
+'Come now, good dame,' the man cried, persuasively, 'I will give you
+double the market value of your little hen, for I wish to make a present
+of her to the widow Ursula, whom I intend to espouse.'
+
+'But the widow might kill and eat her!' said Furicchia, looking lovingly
+at the little hen, which she had brought up by hand from a tiny chick.
+It had slept beneath her best silk 'kerchief, and taken its food from
+her lips.
+
+'That is as may be,' he replied. 'Come, Furicchia, I make you a handsome
+offer. Give me the hen, and you shall fare well next feast day.'
+
+But Furicchia would not listen, in spite of the sad fact that her
+cupboard was as empty as her netted purse. The little hen was dear to
+her, though as yet it had lain no eggs, and she would not sacrifice her
+to her needs.
+
+Ere evening came, Coccode was clucking gaily under the kitchen table,
+and Furicchia found, not one egg, but three, all a rich coffee brown,
+and polished like porcelain. Having joyfully exchanged one with a
+neighbour for a dish of broth, she broke the second into it, and
+prudently saving the third for next day, thankfully made a good meal.
+When morning came, she found eggs to the number of a round dozen strewn
+about her tiny room, and from being almost on the verge of starvation,
+she had plenty now and to spare. For Coccode, the grateful creature,
+laid eggs by the score, and not only were they of exquisite flavour and
+very large, but it was noticed that if sick folk ate them, they
+straightway returned to health.
+
+Furicchia was now a famous egg-wife, and the more eggs she sold, the
+more eggs Coccode laid. The little hen was both willing and industrious,
+and loved her kind mistress so dearly that she was never so happy as
+when helping to make her fortune. Her pride in Furicchia's first silk
+gown was comical to witness; she rustled her wings against its handsome
+folds, and clucked so loudly that the neighbours heard, and came to see
+what was the matter.
+
+This silken gown it was that roused the anger of the Signora, a wealthy
+woman who had much, and knew no better than to want more. Hearing of the
+prodigious number of eggs which Furicchia supplied, though no one had
+ever seen her with other than a single hen, she set afoot much scandal
+concerning her, ending by declaring her to be an evil Witch. At this,
+Furicchia's neighbours began to look askance at her; but the eggs were
+so good, and so moderate in price, that on second thoughts they decided
+to treat the Signora's hints with the contempt which they deserved.
+
+This made the lady still more angry; she resolved to find out
+Furicchia's secret, and ruin her if she could, so that she might obtain
+her customers for her own eggs. Coccode was quite aware of what was
+going on, and before her mistress went out one morning she bade her
+fetch certain herbs that grew on a corner of barren land, and put these
+on the fire in a pot of wine.
+
+'And now, dear mistress,' she continued, when all had been done as she
+said, 'do you go out and trust your luck to Coccode.'
+
+Furicchia had not long been gone, when the Signora's crafty face peeped
+slyly round the door. Finding the room apparently empty, she hurried in,
+delighted at such an opportunity for prying. First she peered here, and
+then she peered there, ransacking Furicchia's chests, and even turning
+over the leaves of her holy books, that she might see if an incantation
+to Witches had been written therein. Finally, she raised the latch of
+the inner chamber, where she had heard Coccode clucking.
+
+'I have found out Furicchia's secret now,' she thought with glee. 'Her
+little white hen is under a spell, and she and it shall be burnt as
+Witches.'
+
+Coccode was sitting on a pile of eggs that reached almost up to the
+ceiling, and even as she clucked she was laying more. The Signora drew
+close to her, and listened with all her ears, for she had distinguished
+words amidst her cluckings, and immediately jumped to the conclusion
+that Coccode believed herself to be addressing her mistress. This is
+what she heard:
+
+    'Coccode! now there are nine!
+    Bring me quickly the warm red wine.
+    Coccode! take them away
+    Many more for thee will I lay.
+    And thou shalt be a lady grand,
+    As fine as any in the land,
+    And should it happen that any one
+    Drinks of the wine as I have done,
+    Eggs like me she shall surely lay;
+    This is the secret, this is the way,
+        Coccode! Coccode!'[4]
+
+        [Footnote 4: Leyland's 'Legends of Florence']
+
+'Aha!' said the Signora joyfully, 'now I have it!' And running back to
+the outer room, she lifted the wine off the fire and drank it, every
+drop, though it scalded her throat and made her choke. As it coursed
+through her veins she felt a most extraordinary sensation, and hurried
+home as quickly as she could. A meal was laid on the table, but she
+found great difficulty in taking her usual place, and could eat nothing
+but some brown bread, which she pecked at in a most curious manner. As
+the charm began to work, her legs grew thinner and thinner, and her feet
+so large that she had to cut off her boots. Next, her brown silk dress
+became a bundle of draggled feathers, while her nose turned into a
+beak, and her voice into a discordant cluck; in short, she was just a
+scraggy brown hen, and her friends held up their hands in horror. Eggs
+she laid by the score, but before she could sit on them they turned to
+mice and ran away. So she had nothing for all her trouble; and though
+she possessed a handsome house, she could only perch in a barn.
+
+This is what comes of greed and envy, and of meddling with other
+people's business."
+
+Just at this moment a girl darted out of a doorway opposite, followed by
+an elderly woman who loudly reproved her for refusing to do her share in
+some household task. Shrugging her shoulders, she came to a sudden end,
+as if she knew that her breath was wasted, and the girl disappeared with
+a peal of laughter.
+
+"She is off to gossip instead of work," said the Fairy Godmother
+disapprovingly. "She will pay for it later, will pretty Ursula, for the
+Fates are not likely to interfere on her behalf as they did for Pepita."
+
+I had to coax her to tell me this story, for she said she had much to
+do, and could not stay. But when she heard that the very next day
+Father and I were leaving Italy, she refused no more. We sat down on the
+step of a splendid church, and no one seemed to notice us.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Favourite of the Fates.
+
+"Troubles rolled off Pepita as water from a duck's back. So lighthearted
+and full of good humour was she that nought ever seemed to vex her, and
+no one living had ever heard an unkind word fall from her rosy lips.
+Even the three grim Fates, who rule over mortal destinies, relaxed their
+stern brows as they looked down on her, and smiled indulgently.
+
+Pepita was slender as a swallow, with a warm red flush on her olive
+cheeks, and dainty hands that looked far too delicate and small for even
+the lighter household tasks. These, indeed, Pepita seldom attempted,
+singing instead from morn to eve, and charming her mother with soft
+caresses when she hardened her heart and tried to scold her.
+
+But Pepita could spin. Ah yes, she could spin, and as no other maiden
+had ever been known to do since Arachne was changed into a spider.
+The snowy flax flew from under her fingers as though her distaff were
+enchanted; which, indeed, was the case, for the wayward Fates had
+bestowed upon her a magic gift, and having given her this, not even they
+could take it away from her.
+
+Pepita's mother was often wroth with her, for the dame had much work on
+her hands, and sighed that her only daughter should give her so little
+help. Were the maiden sent to wash clothes in the stream, ten chances to
+one they would go floating down the current while she twisted flowers in
+her hair. Were she set to make sweet little chestnut cakes, she would
+forget to put a cool green leaf at the bottom of each round baking dish,
+and when they were taken out of the ashes, behold, they would be all
+burnt!
+
+'You are a good-for-nothing!' her mother would cry angrily; but this was
+not true, for Pepita could spin.
+
+One feast day, while her mother went to the fair, she was told to watch
+the _pentola_, and to stir it carefully if it boiled too fast. It was
+made of rice and good fresh meat, with vegetables from the little
+garden; and it smelt so delicious that Pepita's small nostrils quivered
+like the petals of a rose on a windy day.
+
+'I will taste it to see that all is well,' she murmured, and drawing
+back the iron pot, she helped herself to a liberal portion.
+
+The _pentola_ was good; Pepita tasted it yet again, for she had been up
+early to go to Mass, and had sung herself hungry on the way home. Soon
+there was no meat left.
+
+'Ah, what shall I do?' she sighed, 'My mother will scold me terribly,
+and will tell the Padre that I am greedy.'
+
+She was sighing still when her eyes fell on an old leather shoe which
+had been cast away behind the door. Her face all dimpled with mischief,
+Pepita soused this under a tap, and threw it into the soup.
+
+'They will but think that the meat is tough!' she cried with a burst of
+laughter; but as the shoe fell into the boiling liquid her mother
+crossed the threshold.
+
+'What have you done?' demanded she, peering into the pot. '_Madonnamia!_
+Was ever an honest woman cursed with such a daughter?' And breathing out
+angry hopes that an Ogre would come and take her, she drove Pepita out
+of the house.
+
+At that moment a rich young merchant was strolling by, and Pepita
+unwittingly rushed into his arms. A thing such as this had never
+happened to him before, and since he scarce knew what to do, he clasped
+her tightly while he considered. By the time he released her, Pepita's
+face was pink as apple blossom, and the tears that sparkled on it were
+for all the world like dewdrops on the petals of a flower. Something
+stirred in his breast, and he blushed even more than she; for when a man
+falls suddenly in love he knows not where he stands. Looking from one to
+the other, the wrath of Pepita's mother suddenly cooled.
+
+[Illustration: Pepita rushed into his Arms.]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+'Take her to wife,' she said, 'and you'll not get a bad bargain. True,
+she is nought in the house, but she can spin. And with all her faults
+she is not a scold.'
+
+'One wants more in a wife than that!' said the merchant shrewdly, though
+the last of her statements went far with him, since his mother had a
+tongue. Looking into Pepita's eyes, which were heavenly blue, and sweet
+as an angel's, he lost his last qualm of doubt, and lifted her hand to
+his lips. Then he turned once more to the elder woman. 'I have vowed to
+my mother I will not wed without her free consent, but if your daughter
+meets with her approval, I will gladly do as you say.'
+
+Guido's mother was in her seventieth year, and though she had never
+beheld a face more winning than merry Pepita's, it did not please her,
+and she gave her mind to finding a task which would prove beyond her
+powers.
+
+'The garden paths are green with weeds,' she quavered; 'they have been
+sadly neglected since Pietro fell ill. Take the hoe, and root them up;
+leave not a single one.'
+
+'Nay, mother! I seek not a gardener for my wife!' her son protested
+hotly, for Pepita's small hands could barely lift the hoe, and he had
+set his heart on her.
+
+'Unless the paths be clear of weeds ere the sun sets, I will not give
+thee my consent,' said the old woman obstinately; and there was nothing
+left for Pepita to do but to hoe up the weeds as best she could.
+
+No sooner had Guido's mother ceased watching her from the window, than
+Pepita whistled gently, and swift at her call came the birds she had
+fed with crumbs when the fields were bare. Pointing to the weeds, she
+made signs to them to destroy them, and by the time the old mother awoke
+from her nap, not one was left behind. This vexed her instead of giving
+her pleasure, for she did not wish her son to marry, and telling her
+maids they might have a holiday, she commanded Pepita to prepare the
+evening meal.
+
+The maiden was now in much perplexity, for she knew not how to cook, and
+her experience that morning with the _pentola_ had taught her little.
+But the Brownies who dwelt behind the hearth, and love to see a fair
+young face bending over the pots and pans, bade her be not discouraged,
+for they would stand her friends.
+
+Then the nimble little men flew hither and thither, fetching garlic and
+oil and meat and rice in just the proportions that Guido loved, and
+adding certain secret flavours of their own until the smell of the broth
+made the old woman's mouth water, and she could not but praise Pepita's
+cooking. When it came to the time to test her skill at spinning, she was
+completely reconciled to her son's choice, and put no obstacles in the
+way of the wedding.
+
+And now Pepita sang more blithely than ever, for though he was less well
+favoured, and slower of speech than many a young man who had wooed her,
+she adored her husband. She was as happy as the day was long until,
+wishing to have the biggest bank account as well as the prettiest wife
+in the neighbourhood, he took it into his head to turn her talent for
+spinning to account, and kept her beside her distaff from morn till eve.
+
+'I shall soon, at this rate, be richer even than the notary,' he
+thought, as he looked delighted at his stores of flax; and Pepita
+besought him in vain to give her a little rest, for he could be as
+obstinate as his mother.
+
+It was now that the Fates interfered on her behalf, though many more
+worthy than she are left to shift for themselves.
+
+'She has lost her bloom!' sighed one grim sister.
+
+'Her cheeks are hollow!' observed the second.
+
+'Her songs are sad ones!' said the third with a dreadful frown. And then
+they put their heads together, and formed a plan whereby Guido might be
+outwitted.
+
+As he sat in the doorway that evening while Pepita span, denying himself
+the sight of her in order that her work might not be disturbed, there
+came up the garden path a hideous old hag, who besought him to give her
+alms.
+
+'Look at me, Signor!' she groaned, lifting her head so that he saw the
+wrinkled folds that lapped her chin. 'Once I was fair as your Pepita,
+but I sat so long at my spinning wheel, that all my comeliness left me.'
+
+Guido hastily gave her a coin, and urged her to begone; for he did not
+want Pepita to see her, or to hear what she had to say.
+
+Next eve came a second old woman, uglier, if possible, than the last,
+and bent like some brutish beast. She had the same story to tell him of
+bygone loveliness, and Guido sped her down the hill with even more haste
+than before.
+
+The next night a third old woman appeared, so dread of aspect that he
+was obliged to avert his gaze. Against his wish, he felt himself
+constrained to enquire the cause of her terrible affliction.
+
+'I sat at my wheel, good master,' was the reply, 'until beauty and sight
+both left me, and my skin became even as you see.'
+
+Now thoroughly alarmed, he dismissed her quickly with a handful of
+coins, and calling Pepita to him, gazed at her long and searchingly.
+When the flush that his now unaccustomed touch had brought to her sweet
+face faded, he saw she was pale and thin. Her mouth drooped sadly, and
+purple shadows brooded round her eyes. With a cry of remorse he drew her
+to his breast, and kissed her tenderly.
+
+'You shall spin no longer, my Pepita,' he said, 'for I would rather have
+you as you are than be rich as Satan himself!'"
+
+                  *       *       *       *       *
+
+And this was the very last story I heard. We started for home next
+morning, and I went to school at the half term--a ripping school where
+there was any amount of cricket, and so many other games that I had no
+time to think of Fairies.
+
+But some day I'm going to find the Peri, and those other wonderful
+Sprites and Goblins of which Titania told me when I met her in the wood
+that Christmas day.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+Printed by W. W. Curtis, Ltd., Cheylesmore Press, Coventry.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's note: A few obvious printer's errors were corrected.
+Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were preserved.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Fairies and the Christmas Child, by Lilian Gask
+
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