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diff --git a/38252-h/38252-h.htm b/38252-h/38252-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1a4853b --- /dev/null +++ b/38252-h/38252-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3660 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!-- $Id: header.txt 236 2009-12-07 18:57:00Z vlsimpson $ --> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Fairies I Have Met, by Mrs. Rodolph Stawell. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 20%; + margin-right: 20%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +h1 { + font-weight: normal; + text-align: center; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 3em; +} + +h2 { + font-weight: normal; + text-align: center; +} + + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + font-size: 140% +} + +.tspace { + margin-top: 4em; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +.bspace { + margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: 4em; +} + +p.cap:first-letter { float: left; clear: left; + margin: 0 0.1em 0 0; + padding:0; + line-height: 1em; font-size: 250%; } + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +.notes { + background-color: #eeeeee; + color: #000; + padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 2em; + padding-left: 2em; padding-right: 1em; + margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; + font-size: 80%; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + + +.tdl { + margin-left: 1em; + text-indent: 0em; +} + +.tdr { + text-align: right; +} + +.tdip { + text-align: left; + padding-left: 2em; + text-indent: -1em; + margin-left: 1em; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: 65%; text-indent: 0em; + background-color: inherit; font-weight: normal; + font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; + text-decoration: none; +} /* page numbers */ + + + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + +.bb { + border-bottom: solid 2px; + +} + +.bt { + border-top: solid 2px; + +} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.smaller { + font-size: 70%; +} + +.small { + font-size: 90%; +} + +.big { + font-size: 160%; +} + +.bigger { + font-size: 180%; +} + + +/* Images */ + +img {border: 0;} + +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.caption { + text-align: center; + font-size: 80%; + margin-left: 25%; + margin-right: 25%; + margin-top: .25em; +} + + + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Fairies I Have Met, by Maud Margaret Key Stawell + +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: Fairies I Have Met + +Author: Maud Margaret Key Stawell + +Illustrator: Edmund Dulac + +Release Date: December 9, 2011 [EBook #38252] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRIES I HAVE MET *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Cathy Maxam, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="notes bspace"> +<p>Please note: The reader may click on any of the colored <a href="#ILLUSTRATIONS">illustrations</a> +in order to view an enlarged version of the image.</p> +</div> + + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="icover" name="icover"></a> +<img src="images/icover.jpg" alt="cover" /> + +</div> + + +<h1><i>FAIRIES I HAVE MET</i></h1> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i01" name="i01"></a> +<a href="images/i01_large.jpg"><img src="images/i01.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">"PLEASE," SHE SAID, "I WANT TO BE A NIGHTINGALE"</p> + +</div> + + + + + +<p class="center tspace"><span class="bigger"><i>F A I R I E S</i></span></p> +<p class="center big"><i>I H A V E M E T</i></p> + +<p class="center bspace"><i>BY MRS. RODOLPH STAWELL</i></p> + +<p class="center small tspace"><i>ILLUSTRATED IN COLOUR BY</i></p> +<p class="center bspace"><i>EDMUND DULAC</i></p> + +<p class="center small tspace"><i>HODDER AND STOUGHTON</i></p> +<p class="center smaller bspace"><i>NEW YORK AND LONDON</i></p> + + + + + + + +<p class="bt bb center big tspace"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +<span><i>DEDICATION</i></span> +</p> + +<p class="cap">BEFORE Penelope could toddle she lived far away +among the oleanders. The sunbeams who +came down to see the oleanders saw Penelope +too. She sat on the grass and played with +them, and they loved her very much.</p> + +<p>One day the sunbeams were sad.</p> + +<p>"Penelope is going to England," they said to each +other.</p> + +<p>"I am going to England with her," said Sunbeam +the First.</p> + +<p>"How?" asked the others.</p> + +<p>"I shall hide in her hair," said Sunbeam the First.</p> + +<p>"Then," said Sunbeam the Second, "I shall go too. +I shall hide behind her eyelashes."</p> + +<p>"And I," said Sunbeam the Third, "shall hide in her +heart."</p> + +<p>So Penelope went to England, with one sunbeam in +her hair, and one in her eyes, and one in her heart.</p> + +<p>When she was old enough to talk she spoke to the +sunbeams.</p> + +<p>"Shall you always stay in my hair?" she asked Sunbeam +the First.</p> + +<p>"That<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> + is more than I can say," he answered. "Perhaps +when you are old I shall be obliged to go away."</p> + +<p>Then Penelope asked Sunbeam the Second—</p> + +<p>"Shall you always stay in my eyes?"</p> + +<p>"I hope so," said Sunbeam the Second; "but perhaps +if you are unhappy I shall be obliged to go away."</p> + +<p>Then the corners of Penelope's mouth began to droop +a little.</p> + +<p>"Dear Sunbeam," she said to Sunbeam the Third, +"shall you be always in my heart?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, if you keep me there," said Sunbeam the Third.</p> + +<p>"How can I keep you there?" asked Penelope.</p> + +<p>"You must love the fairies," said the sunbeam, "and +understand them when they speak to you. If you love +the fairies even when you are old, I shall stay in your +heart always."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p><b>T</b>hese stories have been written for Penelope, so that +she may love the fairies, and keep the sunbeam always +in her heart.</p> + + + + +<p class="bt bb center big tspace"><i>CONTENTS</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> + + + + + +<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="contents"> + + +<tr> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr">PAGE</td> +</tr> + + + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_BIRD_OF_SHADOWS">The Bird of Shadows and the Sun-Bird</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">13</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_SEA-FAIRY_AND_THE">The Sea-Fairy and the Land-Fairy, +and how they quarrelled</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">21</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#PRINCESS_ORCHIDS_PARTY">Princess Orchid's Party</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">31</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_CLOUD_THAT">The Cloud that had no Lining</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">41</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_FAIRIES_WHO">The Fairies who changed Places</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">51</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_MAKING_OF_THE_OPAL">The Making of the Opal</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">59</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_BIG_SPIDERS_DIAMONDS">The Big Spider's Diamonds</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">69</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#A_LITTLE_GIRL_IN_A_BOOK">A Little Girl in a Book</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">77</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_FAIRY_WHO_WAS">The Fairy who was looking for a Home</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">85</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_BOX_OF_DREAMS">The Box of Dreams</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">95</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_FAIRY_WHO_HAD">The Fairy who had only One Wing</a></span></td> +<td class="tdr">103</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_LITTLE_BOY_FROM_TOWN">The Little Boy from Town</a></span> </td> +<td class="tdr">111</td> +</tr> + + +</table> + + + + + +<p class="bt bb center big tspace"><i><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>ILLUSTRATIONS</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + + +<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="contents"> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Bird of Shadows and the Sun-Bird</span></td> +<td></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i01">"Please," she said, "I want to be a nightingale"</a></td> +<td class="tdr"><i>Frontispiece</i></td> +</tr> +<tr><td></td></tr> +<tr> +<td></td> +<td class="tdr"><span class="smaller">TO FACE PAGE</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Sea-Fairy and the Land-Fairy</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i02">He held out the little shell in the beam of coloured light</a></td> +<td class="tdr">24</td> +</tr> +<tr><td></td></tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Princess Orchid's Party</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i03">She smiled at him very graciously when he was introduced to her</a></td> +<td class="tdr">36</td> +</tr> +<tr><td></td></tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Cloud that had no Lining</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i04">And because the silver of the moonshine-fairies is very light he was able +to carry a great deal of it</a></td> +<td class="tdr">46</td> +</tr> +<tr><td></td></tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Fairies who changed Places</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i05">Drop-of-Crystal was too busy to speak</a></td> +<td class="tdr">54</td> +</tr> +<tr><td></td></tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Making of the Opal</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i06">Of course the Dear Princess ... wore the great opal +on the day that she was married</a></td> +<td class="tdr">68</td> +</tr> +<tr><td></td></tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Big Spider's Diamonds</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i07">The web and the diamonds and the Big Spider himself all +fell to the ground</a></td> +<td class="tdr">74</td> +</tr> +<tr><td></td></tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Little Girl in a Book</span></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdip"><a href="#i08">The other people in the book looked at her in surprise</a></td> +<td class="tdr">82</td> +</tr> + +</table> + + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_BIRD_OF_SHADOWS" id="THE_BIRD_OF_SHADOWS"></a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> +<i>THE BIRD OF SHADOWS<br /> +AND THE SUN-BIRD</i></h2> + + + +<p class="cap">LITTLE Agatha lived in the days when castles were +as common in the land as cottages are now, +and when there were plenty of magicians always +ready to help people out of difficulties.</p> + +<p>One of the castles was Agatha's home. It stood on +a hill and was surrounded by a dark wood. Agatha was a +lonely little girl: she had no sisters or brothers to play +with. She used to stand at the narrow window in the +castle tower and look out into the wood, and long to run +about with other little girls. If you had seen her you +would have thought her a very funny figure in her long +gown reaching nearly to the ground, and a close cap over +her curls.</p> + +<p>In the evening Agatha could see very little when she +stood at the window, but still she stood there and looked +at the dark wood. It was then that the nightingale, the +Bird of Shadows, sang to her; and this was what she liked +better than anything else. She thought the nightingale's +voice was lovely to hear, and she wondered why it was +so sad.</p> + +<p>Evening after evening the lonely little girl looked out +through the tower window listening to the nightingale, +till she felt that he was her friend. Sometimes she spoke +to him.</p> + +<p>"How much I should like to fly out of the window +and be a nightingale too!" she said. "Then we would +play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +together in the wood, and I should have a voice like +yours—ever so sweet and ever so sad."</p> + +<p>Sometimes she tried to sing, but she found her voice +was not in the least like the nightingale's.</p> + +<p>Every day she became more anxious to be a nightingale, +until at last she thought about it always, and yet seemed +no nearer to her wish. She hoped sometimes that her +curls might turn into feathers; but after several weeks +of wishing she saw that the curls were still made of yellow +hair. She began to be afraid she would never be anything +but a little girl.</p> + +<p>One day she heard some of the maids talking together. +They were speaking of the Wise Man, the Magician, who +lived in the dark cave on the side of the hill, and could do +the most wonderful things. In fact, they said, there was +hardly anything he couldn't do; you had only to tell him +what you wanted most and he could manage it for you.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps he could turn me into a nightingale," thought +Agatha. "I'll go and ask him, anyway."</p> + +<p>So while the maids were still talking she slipped out of +the castle, and through the wood, and down the hill, till +she came to the dark cave. Her long frock caught on the +brambles as she went, and her hands were a good deal +scratched, and once she tripped and fell. But of course +she did not mind anything of that kind, because she was +thinking all the time about the nightingale.</p> + +<p>Agatha walked into the cave without knocking, and +found the Magician at home. I dare say you know that all +good Magicians have kind faces and long white beards. +This one was a good Magician, so he had a kind face and +a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +long white beard. Agatha was not in the least afraid of +him. She told him at once why she had come.</p> + +<p>"Please," she said, "I want to be a nightingale."</p> + +<p>"A nightingale, my dear?" said the Wise Man. +"That is a very strange thing for you to want to be! +Don't you know that the nightingale is the Bird of +Shadows, who sings by night and is very sad?"</p> + +<p>"I shouldn't mind that a bit," said Agatha, "if I could +only fly about and sing with a beautiful voice."</p> + +<p>"Well, then," said the Wise Man, "if you don't mind +being sad, this is what you must do. Every day you must +come here to see me, and each time you must bring me +one of the pearls from your necklace."</p> + +<p>Agatha clasped her hands tightly round her neck, as if +to save her pearls. She wore them in a chain, and the +chain was so long that it passed twice round her neck and +then fell in a loop that reached nearly to her waist.</p> + +<p>"Oh, must it be my pearls?" she asked eagerly. +"Would nothing else do instead? I have some very nice +things at home—really nice things. I have some lovely +toys, and a gold chain, and a pony, and—oh, lots of things. +Wouldn't you like some of those?"</p> + +<p>"No," said the Wise Man, "I must have the pearls if +you want to fly about and sing with a beautiful voice. +Nothing else will do. For every pearl you bring me I +will give you a feather from the nightingale, the Bird of +Shadows."</p> + +<p>Agatha went home slowly, still clasping her pearls +tightly in her hands. She liked them better than anything +she had. She liked to watch the soft lights and shades on +them,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +and to think of the wonderful sea they came from. +She did not feel sure that it was worth while to give them +up, even for the sake of being a bird and learning to sing.</p> + +<p>But in the evening, when she stood by the tower +window as usual, and listened to the nightingale, she had +no longer any doubts as to what she should do. To be +able to sing like the nightingale was more important than +anything else, she felt. And besides, if she were going +to be turned into a bird, the pearls would not be of much +use to her in any case. She was pretty sure that nightingales +never wore pearl necklaces.</p> + +<p>The next day she slipped one of the pearls off her +chain, and then she ran out of the castle and through the +wood and down the hill, till she came to the dark cave.</p> + +<p>The Wise man smiled when he saw her.</p> + +<p>"Here is——" she began, and then she could say no +more, because of the lump in her throat.</p> + +<p>The Wise Man looked rather sorry for her, but he took +the pearl without speaking. Then he gave her the feather +he had promised her, and she went away again. As she +climbed the hill and ran back through the wood to the +castle, she tried to feel glad that she had the feather instead +of the pearl.</p> + +<p>For a long, long time the same thing happened every +day. Every day Agatha slipped a pearl off her chain, and +then ran out of the castle and through the wood and down +the hill, till she came to the dark cave; and every day she +brought home a little feather instead of her pearl.</p> + +<p>The long loop of the chain grew shorter and shorter. +The time came when it was not a long loop at all, but fitted +closely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +round Agatha's neck as the other loops did. By-and-by +the time came when the chain would only pass +twice round her throat; then the time came when it would +only go round her throat once; then it grew too short +to reach round her throat at all, and she was obliged to +turn it into a bracelet. Then it became too short for +her wrist, and she made it into a ring. And all the time +her store of feathers was growing larger and larger, till it +seemed to her that there were enough to make at least +ten nightingales; but this was because she did not know +how many feathers a nightingale likes to have. When +there were only two pearls left, the Wise Man said to her—</p> + +<p>"When you bring me the last pearl you must bring me +the feathers too; and after that you will be able to sing +with a beautiful voice and to fly wherever you like."</p> + +<p>So when Agatha left the gloomy old castle for the last +time she was not able to run through the wood, because +she was carrying a big bag of feathers as well as the pearl.</p> + +<p>She was feeling very much excited when she gave +the bag of feathers to the Wise Man.</p> + +<p>He put the last pearl carefully away with the others; +and then he took the bag of feathers and emptied it over +Agatha's head. As he did so he said some of the strange +long words that Wise Men use.</p> + +<p>And then——</p> + +<p>Agatha was there no longer. There was nothing to be +seen of her except a little heap of yellow curls, which the +Wise Man kept to give to the next person who asked +him for gold.</p> + +<p>But out of the cave there flew a happy bird. It flew +far,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +far up into the sky, singing with a beautiful voice. +It flew higher up into the sky than any nightingale ever +flew.</p> + +<p>For the Wise Man had done more than he had promised. +The bird's beautiful voice was not the voice of the +nightingale, the Bird of Shadows; but the voice of the +lark, the Sun-Bird, who is never sad.</p> + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_SEA-FAIRY_AND_THE" id="THE_SEA-FAIRY_AND_THE"></a> +<i>THE<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> + SEA-FAIRY AND THE LAND-FAIRY, AND HOW +THEY QUARRELLED</i></h2> + + + +<p class="cap">THE sea-fairy's name was Laughing Sapphire, and +he lived in a nautilus-shell: the land-fairy +was called Sweet-of-the-Mountain, and his +home was a tuft of heather. One day Sweet-of-the-Mountain +went for a stroll on the sea-shore, and +there he met Laughing Sapphire, just at the edge of the +ripples. It was then that the quarrel began.</p> + +<p>"I am really sorry for you," said the sea-fairy. "It +must be very unpleasant to live up on that cliff. It is +so dangerous too. You might be blown down at any +moment!"</p> + +<p>"Ha-ha, how very amusing!" laughed the land-fairy. +"Unpleasant, did you say? Dangerous? Not at all, +not at all. Now, <i>your</i> life is something too horrible to +think of. I am glad it is not my fate to wander for ever +on the sea. And as for danger—well, every one knows +that the sea is full of dangers."</p> + +<p>"I never heard such nonsense," said Laughing Sapphire +indignantly. "The sea is perfectly safe if you know how +to manage your shell."</p> + +<p>"But think of the discomfort of it," said Sweet-of-the-Mountain. +"You never have any peace."</p> + +<p>"And <i>you</i> never have any change," answered Laughing +Sapphire.</p> + +<p>"There's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +not much change in always looking at the +sea—a great dull stretch of water!"</p> + +<p>"Dull!" cried Laughing Sapphire angrily. "Dull, +did you say? Not half so dull as being mewed up on +a rock!"</p> + +<p>"Why," said Sweet-of-the-Mountain, "you've no +flowers, and no bees, and no——"</p> + +<p>"And you," interrupted Laughing Sapphire, "have +no glittering spray, and no forests of seaweed, and no +creamy foam."</p> + +<p>"You've no heather," said the land-fairy, as if that +settled the matter.</p> + +<p>"As for you," cried the sea-fairy, "I can't think of +anything you <i>have</i> got! So there!"</p> + +<p>They went on quarrelling in this way for some time, +getting more and more angry. At last they agreed upon +a very good way of settling the dispute. And this was +their plan. Each of them was to go away for a certain +length of time. On a particular day they were to meet +again on the shore, at the edge of the ripples. Laughing +Sapphire was to bring with him three treasures of the sea; +and Sweet-of-the-Mountain was to bring three treasures of +the land. The fairy whose treasures were the best would +be the winner in the quarrel.</p> + +<p>"But who will decide which are the best treasures?" +asked the land-fairy.</p> + +<p>"My friend the sea-anemone lives near here," said +Laughing Sapphire. "As he is partly on land and partly +in the sea, he will be able to judge fairly between us. +He shall decide."</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i02" name="i02"></a> +<a href="images/i02_large.jpg"><img src="images/i02.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">HE HELD OUT THE LITTLE SHELL IN THE BEAM OF COLOURED LIGHT</p> +</div> + + + +<p>Then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +the sea-fairy sailed away in his nautilus-shell, and +the land-fairy flew home to the heather on the cliff.</p> + +<p>Hardly had Laughing Sapphire left the shore when +he saw a huge curling wave rolling towards him. The +hollow of the wave was like a great green cavern, lit +up with magic light; the top of it was sparkling spray. +A sunbeam was shining straight down through the spray, +and gleaming with every colour you can think of, so that +it seemed as if a piece of rainbow had fallen from the sky.</p> + +<p>The fairy laughed happily, and steered right into the +hollow of the wave, for he knew that his nautilus-boat +was safe. In his hand was a little shell. As his boat +rode smoothly over the crest of the wave and through +the rainbow, he held out the little shell in the beam of +coloured light. There was a wonderful change in the +shell after it had passed through the rainbow; it was lined +with mother-o'-pearl!</p> + +<p>The fairy laughed again for joy when he saw the +rainbow colours of the little shell.</p> + +<p>"They've nothing like that on shore!" he said.</p> + +<p>Then the nautilus-boat sailed on and on across the sea.</p> + +<p>The next thing that Laughing Sapphire found was a +glowing piece of red seaweed. As he pulled it, dripping, +out of the sea, it looked like a bit of broad crimson ribbon; +except that no ribbon ever had so much colour and so +much light in it. It was so transparent that you could +see the sunlight through it, and yet it was as strong as +a rope.</p> + +<p>As the fairy coiled it round and round he smiled.</p> + +<p>"That should please them, I think," he muttered.</p> + +<p>The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +third thing that Laughing Sapphire found was the +best of all. To find it he was obliged to leave his nautilus-boat +and dive down to the bottom of the sea. I must +not tell you now of all the wonders he saw there, for it +would take me too long, and it would be very difficult +for me to stop. But when he came to the surface again +he was clasping a splendid pearl tightly in his hand.</p> + +<p>"If this doesn't persuade them," he said, chuckling, +"that the sea is the best place in the world, <i>nothing</i> will!"</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the land-fairy had been busy too.</p> + +<p>First he flew to a beautiful garden, full of roses and +verbena and everything sweet. It was a garden he often +visited, for many of the flower-fairies there were friends +of his. So he knew exactly where to find the sweetest +lilies. There were great clumps of them—tall, white lilies +with drooping heads and hearts of gold. Sweet-of-the-Mountain +crept into one of them, and came out with a +big, heavy drop of honey. The scent of it was so strong +that all the fairies in the garden sniffed joyfully. Then +Sweet-of-the-Mountain flew over the wall, and away and +away till he came to a wood.</p> + +<p>In the wood there was perfect silence. If you had +walked there your footsteps would have made no sound, +for the ground was soft and springy with moss. There +was moss everywhere: moss on the tree-stems and on the +stones, and carpets and cushions of moss on the ground. +The fairy picked a piece of it—a piece like a soft green +feather—and flew off with it out of the wood.</p> + +<p>Then he went back to his own hills, where the heather +grew right up to the edge of the cliff; for he knew that +the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +best thing of all was to be found there. He saw the +hills far away, purple and blue, with here and there a +streak of crimson where the sun was shining on the heather. +As he came nearer and nearer he grew happier and happier, +for a fairy is always happiest in his own country. He +picked a sprig from his own tuft of heather; and then +he flew down to the shore to meet the sea-fairy at the +edge of the ripples.</p> + +<p>He found the nautilus-boat lying on the sand, and +Laughing Sapphire sitting on a rock talking to the sea-anemone. +The fairies nodded to each other.</p> + +<p>"This," said Laughing Sapphire to the sea-anemone, +"is the fairy I was speaking of. He declares that it is +better to live on land than on the sea. Of course I know +better than that! So we have each brought three treasures +to show you, that you may decide which of us is right."</p> + +<p>The sea-anemone answered in a very sleepy, drawling +voice: for when you spend all your life fastened to the +same rock your mind moves rather slowly.</p> + +<p>"Very well," he said, "go on."</p> + +<p>Then Laughing Sapphire showed them his mother-o'-pearl +shell.</p> + +<p>"This shell," he said, "is lined with a bit of rainbow."</p> + +<p>The sea-anemone waved all his arms about wildly to +show that he was pleased.</p> + +<p>"And this," said Laughing Sapphire, unrolling the +crimson seaweed, "is a bit of the ribbon that mermaids use +for tying their hair."</p> + +<p>"Beautiful!" murmured the land-fairy.</p> + +<p>"And this," went on the sea-fairy, showing them the +pearl,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +"is one of the lanterns that the moonlight-fairies use +when they dance on the sea."</p> + +<p>"Beautiful—beautiful!" said the sea-anemone and the +land-fairy together.</p> + +<p>Then Laughing Sapphire turned to the land-fairy with an +air of triumph.</p> + +<p>"Let us see your treasures now," he said a little +contemptuously.</p> + +<p>Sweet-of-the-Mountain held out a flower-cup with the +drop of honey in it.</p> + +<p>It was so sweet that the sea-fairy could not help +exclaiming: "Oh, how delicious!"</p> + +<p>"That," said the land-fairy, "is the sweetness of the +garden."</p> + +<p>Then he showed them the little green feather of moss.</p> + +<p>"That," he said, "is the quietness of the woods."</p> + +<p>Then he threw down the sprig of heather.</p> + +<p>"That," he said, smiling, "is the glory of the hills."</p> + +<p>The two fairies looked at each other silently. Each felt +certain that his own treasures were the best.</p> + +<p>The sea-anemone's arms were all waving furiously. He +was very much excited, because he knew that the time had +come for him to decide which of the two fairies had +brought the most beautiful things; and as I told you +before, he was not very quick in making up his mind.</p> + +<p>"Well?" said Laughing Sapphire impatiently. "What +do you think? Is it best to live on the sea or on +the land?"</p> + +<p>"I think," said the sea-anemone very slowly, "that the +sea is the best place for a sea-fairy."</p> + +<p>"Yes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +yes," said the sea-fairy, "of course it is!"</p> + +<p>"But then, you know," the sea-anemone went on, +"I can't help thinking that the land is the best place for a +land-fairy."</p> + +<p>Then he drew in all his arms and became a little knob +of red jelly.</p> + +<p>"It is possible," said Sweet-of-the-Mountain thoughtfully, +"that there is some sense in what he says. And +yet"—he sniffed happily at his cup of honey—"and yet +I don't believe you have anything at sea as sweet as this."</p> + +<p>"It is certainly a very nice scent," agreed Laughing +Sapphire, "but I do think it would be improved by a +little salt."</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="PRINCESS_ORCHIDS_PARTY" id="PRINCESS_ORCHIDS_PARTY"></a> +<i>PRINCESS ORCHID'S PARTY</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></h2> + + +<p class="cap">A FAIRY whose name was Hedgeflower once +lived in a wild rose at the corner of a field. +One day he went out to search for adventures, +for most fairies have a great wish for adventures.</p> + +<p>He wandered on for a long time, sometimes walking +and sometimes flying, and sometimes stopping to talk to +friends, for the wild-rose-fairies have a great many friends. +He crossed several fields in this way, and then he came to +a high hedge. He was just thinking of going home when +he heard a great buzzing of voices on the other side of the +hedge, and as the voices were fairy-voices he was interested +at once. Perhaps, he thought, he would find the adventure +he was looking for on the other side of the hedge. So he +spread his pink-and-white wings and flew over.</p> + +<p>It was not surprising that he had heard a great many +fairy-voices, for he found himself in a beautiful garden, +and all beautiful gardens are, as you know, full of fairies. +In this garden there were not only the sorts of fairies that +one meets every day, such as rose-fairies and lily-fairies and +the quiet little ones that live in mignonette, but there were +also all kinds of smartly dressed fairies belonging to strange +and splendid flowers. They all seemed to be getting on +very well together, for they were all talking loudly about +something that interested them very much.</p> + +<p>As Hedgeflower dropped down into the middle of the +group he felt a little shy. But fairies are as a rule kind +and friendly, so a good many voices called out Good-morning +to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +him as he sat down under the shade of a large purple +pansy. Then a butterfly whom he had met once or twice +before came rustling up to him and began to talk.</p> + +<p>"I like this place," said the butterfly. "One meets so +many different kinds of fairies. But don't sit there. Come +and let me introduce you to some of my friends." Then +as they moved away he lowered his voice and went on—</p> + +<p>"Those little pansy-fairies are good little things, but +they are a bit too thoughtful for me. I find them just +a trifle dull, you know. But here is a cousin of yours; +I must introduce you."</p> + +<p>Hedgeflower looked round and saw that a beautiful +rose-fairy was standing near. She wore flowing robes of +two shades of pink, and her appearance was full of dignity.</p> + +<p>"Madame La France," said the butterfly, "may I +introduce to you a cousin of your own?"</p> + +<p>"A very distant cousin, I am afraid, Madame," said +Hedgeflower, bowing low.</p> + +<p>Madame La France smiled kindly and asked Hedgeflower +if he had often been in the garden before. He told +her that this was his first visit.</p> + +<p>"Then," she cried, "you must come to the party—you +must certainly come to Princess Orchid's party. She lives +over there in the glass house, and she has asked all the +fairies in the garden to a party this afternoon. We have +been talking about it all day. You must come with me; +the Princess will be glad to see any cousin of mine."</p> + +<p>Hedgeflower was delighted. He thought it would be +great fun to tell the fairies at home all about it: Meadowsweet, +and that cheeky little Eyebright, and Buttercup who +stared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +at everything one said, and all the honeysuckle-fairies, +who were such friends with the wild-rose-fairies +because their families had lived close together for so long. +Hedgeflower thought that to go to a Princess's party with +his beautiful cousin was a nicer adventure than anything +he had expected when he set out for his walk.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile all the fairies in the garden were making +their way towards the glass house.</p> + +<p>"You must keep close to me," said Madame La France +kindly. "The flower in which the Princess lives is some +way from the door, and you might be lost in the +crowd."</p> + +<p>In another moment Hedgeflower found himself in a +scene of the greatest splendour. The glass house was full +of flowers, and every flower had of course its own special +fairy, and nearly all of them were magnificently dressed and +were quite different to any fairies that Hedgeflower knew. +The greatest crowd was of course round the beautiful flower +in which the Princess Orchid lived, and Hedgeflower and +his cousin found it quite difficult to get near the Princess +without crushing their wings. They were obliged to walk +so slowly that Hedgeflower had plenty of time to look +about him. He saw numbers of his cousins the rose-fairies, +and tall lily-fairies, and fern-fairies dressed all in green. +The pansy-fairies were there too, with their sad little faces +and their splendid purple-and-gold dresses. Quite close to +him there was a fuchsia-fairy, dressed in a stiff white petticoat +with a pointed overskirt of scarlet; and standing beside +her were several fairies whose crimson tunics were so fine +that Hedgeflower asked who they were.</p> + +<p>"They<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +are the young Prince Begonias," said Madame +La France. "The Princess, being a foreigner herself, has a +great many foreign friends. The Begonias think a good +deal of themselves, but I think myself that our own family +has more reason to be proud. But come, we can speak to +the Princess now."</p> + +<p>Princess Orchid was standing on a drooping petal of the +beautiful flower in which she lived. Her long robes of +mauve and white swept over the flower as if they were +themselves petals. Her hair was golden, and her face was +the loveliest that Hedgeflower had ever seen. She smiled +at him very graciously when he was introduced to her, and +after he had seen that smile he took no interest in anything +else that was going on. He never glanced again at any of +the fairies who had seemed to him so splendid a short time +before: he just sat down in a nice shady clump of ferns and +watched Princess Orchid. He had been to a great many +parties in his own hedge where the wild-roses grew, but he +had never seen a fairy or even a butterfly receive her guests +with so much sweetness and graciousness. He sat there +for a long time and wished it could be for ever. Then he +remembered that perhaps he would never see Princess +Orchid again, and that made him sad.</p> + +<p>A fairy party is never dull. Fairies are full of fun and +enjoy everything very much. There was a great deal of +talking and laughing and sipping of dew flavoured with +sunshine, which is the drink fairies like instead of tea. The +fairies of the Canterbury Bells had brought their music too, +and gave a great deal of pleasure. It seemed as if the party +were going to be a great success, when unfortunately a +disaster<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +happened which was talked about for many a day +afterwards.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i03" name="i03"></a> +<a href="images/i03_large.jpg"><img src="images/i03.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">SHE SMILED AT HIM VERY GRACIOUSLY WHEN HE WAS INTRODUCED TO HER</p> +</div> + + +<p>On the roof of the glass house, just above the Princess's +head, there was a large spider who was very busy spinning +his web. He was so busy that he did not look where he +was going, and when people forget to look where they are +going it is a very common thing for accidents to happen. +The spider came lower and lower, spinning all the time, +while Princess Orchid was talking very kindly to a shy +little violet-fairy and was not noticing anything else. Lower +and lower, nearer and nearer, came the spider.</p> + +<p>Suddenly a shrill little voice was heard to cry out—</p> + +<p>"Take care, Princess, take care!" and Hedgeflower, +flying from his clump of ferns, flung himself against the +great spider. He was too late. <i>Flop!</i> The spider fell +with all his weight upon the flower in which the Princess +lived!</p> + +<p>No flower could bear the weight of such a monster, and +to the horror of all the fairies the beautiful mauve orchid +trembled and drooped, and then slowly fell to pieces, petal +by petal. The Princess spread her dainty wings and flew +safely to the ground. Then she turned and looked sadly +at the ruin of her home. It lay bruised and crushed and +shapeless on the earth, and if once a fairy's flower-home +falls to pieces it can never be put together again.</p> + +<p>There was a great commotion in the glass house. All +the fairies flew about in a fuss, chattering angrily and trying +to find the spider who had done the mischief. But he had +quickly climbed up the rope that he had been spinning, and +was hiding behind a leaf, so he was never found.</p> + +<p>Now,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +it is a very uncommon thing to find a fairy who +is not kind and anxious to help other people, so all the +Princess's guests crowded round her and begged her to +come and stay with them. The fuchsia-fairies declared they +knew of the loveliest little fuchsia-bud which was in want +of some one to take care of it: it would really be a charity +if the Princess would live there. Prince Begonia objected +to this, because, he said, a fuchsia-bud was not a fit place for +the Princess to live in; the right home for her was in one +of his magnificent palaces. The lily-fairies cried out that +this was all nonsense, because any one could see that the +Princess would feel more at home in a white flower than in +a red one, after living so long in the pale orchid.</p> + +<p>While all this talking was going on the Princess did +not seem to be paying very much attention to it, though +of course she bowed and smiled and thanked the fairies +very prettily, as was only right. She looked round several +times, as if she wanted some one who was not there. At +last she said—</p> + +<p>"Where is the little fairy with the kind face, who tried +to save my home?"</p> + +<p>Several fairies pushed Hedgeflower forward. He felt +and looked very shy.</p> + +<p>The Princess smiled at him, and then she held out her +hand.</p> + +<p>"I will go with you," she said, "and be a wild-rose-fairy."</p> + +<p>Hedgeflower dropped on one knee before her.</p> + +<p>"My home is in a common hedge," he said, "and there +are thorns round it. But there is no glass between me +and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +the open sky. I think, Princess, that a fairy should +be always under the open sky and the sunshine."</p> + +<p>"That," said the Princess, "is exactly what I think +myself."</p> + +<p>So Hedgeflower and the Princess spread their wings +and took each other's hands and flew away out of the +window of the glass house, and across the garden and over +the hedge. They flew on and on, across field after field, +till they came to the hedge with the wild roses.</p> + +<p>There the Princess Orchid made her home, among the +honeysuckles and the meadowsweet. She was no longer a +princess with sweeping robes, but a quiet little wild-rose-fairy +in a pink-and-white frock. But there was no glass +between her and the sunshine.</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_CLOUD_THAT" id="THE_CLOUD_THAT"></a> +<i>THE CLOUD THAT HAD NO LINING</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +</h2> + + +<p class="cap">THERE was once a cloud that had no lining. +You have often, I dare say, heard grown-up +people say that every cloud has a silver lining, +and so you will understand that a cloud without +a lining is a very uncommon thing.</p> + +<p>The fairies who lived in the cloud found it very +uncomfortable, because, you see, it let the rain come +through.</p> + +<p>"If only our cloud had a lining," they said, "the rain +would not come through, and that would be very nice +for us."</p> + +<p>"We must really have it lined," said one.</p> + +<p>"What with?" asked another.</p> + +<p>"Why, with silver, of course," said a third. "Every +one knows that a cloud ought to be lined with silver."</p> + +<p>"But we have no silver!"</p> + +<p>"Then we must get some. It is ridiculous to go on +living in this state of dampness. Other fairies have comfortable +clouds over their heads, and why should we be +always drenched? And all for want of a simple silver +lining!"</p> + +<p>"Where does one find silver?" asked one of the fairies.</p> + +<p>"There are a good many kinds of silver," said a fairy +who had been about the world a great deal. "There is +the kind that is dug out of the earth,—but that is a +common kind of stuff, and no use for lining clouds with. +Then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +there is the silver stream that you can see far below, +winding through the fields and shining white in the sun. +That is a much better kind of silver than the other. Then, +of course, moonshine makes beautiful silver: you can see +it glittering on the sea whenever the moon shines. But +I really don't know what would be the best kind of silver +to line clouds with."</p> + +<p>"We must try them all, and see which is the best," +said another fairy.</p> + +<p>They went on talking about it for some time, because +such an important matter could not be settled in a hurry. +At last it was arranged that three of them should fly away +and look for some silver to line their cloud with. The +names of the three fairies were Pearlywing, and Skybright, +and Mist-of-the-Morning.</p> + +<p>Now, all the time that the fairies were talking, Pearlywing +was looking down at the silver stream far below, +winding through the meadows. It was so white and +shining that he felt sure the silver of it would make a +beautiful lining for the cloud. So when he was told to +fly away and look for some silver, he lost no time in +wondering where to go. He spread his wings—the soft +grey wings that cloud-fairies have—and he flew down and +down, away from the cloud to the meadows where the +silver stream was shining. The nearer he came to it the +more it sparkled. He felt sure it must be made of the very +best silver.</p> + +<p>But how could he carry it? A fairy's cap is not very +large, and he had nothing else.</p> + +<p>"I must just carry up a capful at a time, and empty +it,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +and come back for another. I must go on till there +is enough silver to line the cloud with," he said to himself.</p> + +<p>So he filled his tiny cap with the silver of the stream, +and flew up again to his cloud, carrying the cap very carefully +for fear of spilling the silver. Then he went round +to the back of the cloud where the lining ought to have +been, and poured the silver out of his cap.</p> + +<p>Now, as I dare say you have guessed, the silver of the +stream was really nothing but water. So when it was +poured out of the cap it fell right through the cloud, and +made the fairies on the other side much wetter than they +had ever been before! I need not say that they were very +much annoyed. They made so much commotion, spluttering +and grumbling and scolding, that Pearlywing heard +them through the cloud, and went round to see what was +the matter.</p> + +<p>"What we want," said one of them angrily, shaking the +water off his wings, "is something to keep us dry, not +something to make us wet!"</p> + +<p>"I am so sorry!" said Pearlywing; "but I thought it +was such good silver! And now, I suppose, you don't +want any more of it."</p> + +<p>"Certainly not!" said all the fairies very quickly.</p> + +<p>"It is most unfortunate," said Pearlywing. "I can't +understand it at all. The silver looked so <i>very</i> nice."</p> + +<p>He was not a very clever fairy, I am afraid.</p> + +<p>"I hope Skybright will have more sense," grumbled +the wet fairies.</p> + +<p>Skybright meanwhile was waiting on the sea-shore, +far below the clouds. He was waiting for the moon to +rise<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +above the sea. He had to wait a long time, but he +did not mind that, because there are always such nice +fairies to talk to on the sea-shore.</p> + +<p>At last the big round moon sailed slowly up into the sky. +At the same moment a hundred thousand moonshine-fairies +rushed out across the sea towards Skybright, flying and +dancing on the water, and turning it into a sheet of silver +as they came. For the moonshine-fairies carry silver with +them wherever they fly, and scatter it as they go.</p> + +<p>This was the moment that Skybright had been waiting +for.</p> + +<p>"Please, pretty moonshine-fairies," he cried, running to +the water's edge and holding out his arms, "give me some +of your silver to line my cloud with, and keep the rain +from coming through!"</p> + +<p>Then the moonshine-fairies danced towards him across +the sea, with their tiny hands full of silver.</p> + +<p>"Take our silver, little cloud-fairy," they said, "and +line your cloud with it, and dip your wings in it, and +scatter it over the earth as you fly, for everything is made +more beautiful by our silver."</p> + +<p>Then they poured the silver out of their hands into +his, and because the silver of the moonshine-fairies is very +light he was able to carry a great deal of it. He filled the +pockets of his pretty grey coat with it, and he filled his +cap, and took a quantity of it in his hands. And he said +Good-bye to the moonshine-fairies, and flew away up to +the clouds.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i04" name="i04"></a> +<a href="images/i04_large.jpg"><img src="images/i04.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">AND BECAUSE THE SILVER OF THE MOONSHINE-FAIRIES IS VERY LIGHT HE WAS +ABLE TO CARRY A GREAT DEAL OF IT</p> +</div> + + +<p>When the other cloud-fairies saw the beautiful silver he +had brought with him they were delighted. They all set to +work<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> +to line the cloud with it, spreading it out carefully +and making it nice and tidy at the edges. When the lining +was finished it looked lovely, and the fairies were much +pleased with it. They sat down under the cloud, feeling +quite safe from the rain.</p> + +<p>But unfortunately their satisfaction did not last long. +Presently it began to rain. The fairies smiled and nodded +at each other, and agreed that it was very pleasant to be +safe from a wetting. Then a big heavy drop fell right +through the cloud and lining and all—and another—and +another, and soon the fairies were as wet and uncomfortable +and cross as if the cloud had never been lined. It was +really very annoying.</p> + +<p>The truth is that the silver of the moonshine-fairies is +rather thin—altogether too thin to keep the rain out, and +of very little use for lining clouds with.</p> + +<p>"It is really too bad!" cried the poor cloud-fairies, +wringing the water out of their nice little grey coats. +"What are we to do? Any one would have thought that +such beautiful silver would keep the rain out!"</p> + +<p>"Perhaps," said one of them who liked to be cheerful, +"Mist-of-the-Morning may bring us a better kind of silver +even than this."</p> + +<p>So they decided to grumble no more till Mist-of-the-Morning +came home.</p> + +<p>Now, when Mist-of-the-Morning started out to look for +silver he did not fly down to the earth at all.</p> + +<p>"Every cloud but ours has a silver lining," he said to +himself; "so the best way to find the right kind of silver +will be to ask the fairies who live in the other clouds."</p> + +<p>He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +saw the clouds all about him, each with a bright rim +round it, which was the edge of its lining. He went to the +nearest one and spoke to the fairies that lived in it.</p> + +<p>"Brother fairies," he said, "where can I find silver to +make my cloud a lining as beautiful as yours?"</p> + +<p>And the fairies answered—</p> + +<p>"Go to the sunbeam-fairies. Their silver is the best +for lining clouds with."</p> + +<p>Then Mist-of-the-Morning went to one cloud after +another, and asked all the fairies that lived in them the +same question. And they all answered—</p> + +<p>"Go to the sunbeam-fairies. Their silver is the very +best."</p> + +<p>So Mist-of-the-Morning flew away to the nearest sunbeam. +It was crowded with fairies, who were all hard at +work, for the sunbeam-fairies have more work to do than +any others. As they worked they were laughing and +singing, for the sunbeam-fairies are always happy.</p> + +<p>"Please, kind sunbeam-fairies," said Mist-of-the-Morning, +"I want some silver to line my cloud with. It must +be the very best silver, and every one says that none but +yours is good enough."</p> + +<p>Then all the sunbeam-fairies shouted out—</p> + +<p>"Quite right, little cloud-fairy, quite right! It is waste +of time to line a cloud with any silver but ours. Our silver +is the very best!"</p> + +<p>While they were speaking they all rushed to the end of +the sunbeam, and before Mist-of-the-Morning knew what +they were going to do, they had cut off a great piece of it. +There it lay in a shining heap! Mist-of-the-Morning had +to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +shade his eyes, because its silvery brightness dazzled +him.</p> + +<p>"Sunbeam silver!" sang the fairies. "Sunbeam silver +is the best of all!"</p> + +<p>Then Mist-of-the-Morning spread his wings and flew +home, trailing the sunbeam after him. And all the fairies +in his own cloud welcomed him with shouts and singing, +because they saw at once that sunbeam silver was the best +of all.</p> + +<p>They made their cloud a beautiful thick lining of it, +with the silver shining all round the edge. And the rain +never came through any more.</p> + +<p>Now that I have told you this story I hope you will not +forget that it is waste of time to line a cloud with any kind +of silver except the kind that sunbeams are made of.</p> + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_FAIRIES_WHO" id="THE_FAIRIES_WHO"></a> +<i>THE FAIRIES WHO CHANGED PLACES</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +</h2> + + + +<p class="cap">THIS story is about something that happened +long, long, and ever so long ago, before the +fairies had really settled down to their work.</p> + +<p>There was then a little fairy called Starblossom, +whose business it was to take care of the earliest +Spring flowers; and there was also a fairy called Drop-of-Crystal, +whose work it was to make snowflakes. These +two fairies were great friends.</p> + +<p>One day Starblossom had not very much to do. She +had finished sharpening the little green spikes of her flower-leaves, +and had even made ready one or two white buds. +But when she saw that Drop-of-Crystal was very busy +making heavy drops of snow, she thought to herself that +there was no need for her to be in a hurry about the Spring +flowers. They would be much more comfortable underground +if Drop-of-Crystal were going to fling snowflakes +all over them. So she carefully covered up her buds and +went off to watch the snow-fairy at work.</p> + +<p>Drop-of-Crystal was too busy to speak. He was +making an enormous quantity of snowflakes. Starblossom +was silent for some time, but at last she asked—</p> + +<p>"What are they all for?"</p> + +<p>"For a snow-storm, of course," said Drop-of-Crystal +shortly.</p> + +<p>"Are they all to be used in one storm?" asked Starblossom. +"It will be a very big storm, I'm afraid."</p> + +<p>"It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +will," said Drop-of-Crystal—"very big. You'd +better take care of those flowers of yours, or they'll be +hurt."</p> + +<p>"There are not many of them above ground," Starblossom +answered. "I saw what you were doing. But +in any case my flowers are not likely to be hurt by the +snow-fairies so much as by the frost-fairies."</p> + +<p>Drop-of-Crystal said nothing to this, but went on +working busily.</p> + +<p>Presently Starblossom spoke again.</p> + +<p>"It seems to me that snowflakes are very easy to +make. Your work is really much easier than mine. It is +very difficult to make flowers nicely. One has to be so +particular about the shape of them."</p> + +<p>"I don't agree with you at all," said Drop-of-Crystal +rather crossly. "My work is much harder than yours. I +have to make thousands and thousands of snowflakes for +the very smallest snow-storm. You can take quite a long +time arranging the shape of your flowers, but I have to work +in a hurry, or the storm would run short of snowflakes. +And that would be very serious."</p> + +<p>"Not half so serious as it would be if the Spring were +to run short of flowers," said Starblossom indignantly.</p> + +<p>"Look here," said Drop-of-Crystal, losing his temper, +"if you like my work so much I wish you'd do it! You +can set to work and make a few thousand snowflakes while +I take a rest."</p> + +<p>"I shall be delighted to do such easy work," said Starblossom; +"but of course if I make your snowflakes you +must make my flowers. That is only fair."</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i05" name="i05"></a> +<a href="images/i05_large.jpg"><img src="images/i05.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">DROP-OF-CRYSTAL WAS TOO BUSY TO SPEAK</p> +</div> + + + +<p>"Very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +well," said Drop-of-Crystal, "I don't mind. +After all, work of that kind is just the same as resting."</p> + +<p>So he flew off to the place where Starblossom's flowers +were beginning to show their spiky leaves above ground. +He had never made a flower before, and did not know how +to set about it, but he was much too proud to ask Starblossom +how it ought to be done. So he did the best he +could by himself.</p> + +<p>It was a long time before he had finished a flower-bud. +When the first one was done he thought it looked +rather odd.</p> + +<p>"There is something peculiar about that flower-bud," +he said to himself. "It is really more like a big drop of +snow than a flower! I suppose that comes of making +snowflakes for so long. I must try again."</p> + +<p>So he tried again, and again, and again. But every +time the flower-bud was exactly like a big drop of snow.</p> + +<p>"I can't help it," he said at last. "They <i>will</i> keep on +being like drops of snow. But, after all, there is no reason +why a flower should not be like a drop of snow. They are +dear little flowers, anyway, and I shall go on making them +like this."</p> + +<p>So he went on for a long time making flowers that were +like drops of snow, and dear little flowers they were.</p> + +<p>In the meantime Starblossom was hard at work making +snowflakes. She knew no more about making snowflakes +than Drop-of-Crystal knew about making flowers, but, like +Drop-of-Crystal, she determined to do the best she could +without asking for help. She took a long time to make +the first snowflake, because she was accustomed to finish +her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +flowers very carefully, and she liked everything she +made to be pretty. She laughed to herself as she put down +the first finished snowflake.</p> + +<p>"That is what comes of making nothing but flowers," +she said. "That snowflake is exactly like a flower!"</p> + +<p>She was quite right. The snowflake was like a delicate, +starry flower, light as air, and clear as crystal, and glistening +in the sunshine.</p> + +<p>"I like that kind of snowflake," said Starblossom. "I +shall make some more."</p> + +<p>So she made a great number of snowflakes, and they +were all like feathery flowers, all different in shape, but all +beautiful.</p> + +<p>"I should like to go on making snow-flowers always," +she said to herself.</p> + +<p>At that moment Drop-of-Crystal flew up to her in a +great hurry.</p> + +<p>"Oh, do come and see my nice new flowers," he cried. +"They are quite a new kind, and they are so pretty—just +like drops of snow!"</p> + +<p>"And my drops of snow are just like flowers!" cried +Starblossom. "And I want to go on making them always, +because they are so beautiful."</p> + +<p>"Well then," said Drop-of-Crystal, clapping his +hands, "suppose you and I change places! You shall +go on making snowflakes, and I'll go on making +flowers!"</p> + +<p>So that was the way they settled it.</p> + +<p>And because Drop-of-Crystal was a snow-fairy, the +flowers he made were always like drops of snow; and +because<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +Starblossom was a flower-fairy, the snowflakes she +made were always like flowers.</p> + +<p>That is the reason why, to this day, the first flowers of +Spring are like drops of snow, and the snowflakes are like +beautiful, starry flowers. You must often have noticed it +yourself.</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_MAKING_OF_THE_OPAL" id="THE_MAKING_OF_THE_OPAL"></a> +<i>THE MAKING OF THE OPAL</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +</h2> + + +<p class="cap">THE opal was the last of the precious stones to be +made. And this was how it happened.</p> + +<p>Long, long ago—so long ago that no one +had ever seen a ruby or a sapphire or an +emerald—there was a Princess who had a great many friends +among the fairies. Because they loved her they called her +the Dear Princess, and the country in which she lived was +known as the Crystal Mountain. It was the delight of the +fairies to do her bidding, to fly and fly over hill and dale to +fetch her anything she wished to have. Sometimes she +wished to have very curious things, because all the ordinary +things that Princesses like to have had been brought to her +long ago by the fairies. If she wanted things that no one +had ever heard of before, the fairies would set to work to +make them for her. One day she said—</p> + +<p>"Oh, Fairies dear, I am going to be married. I am +going to marry the Prince of the Far Land over the Hill, +and the wedding is to be the grandest ever seen. My dress +is lovely: it was cut out of a rainbow on purpose for me, +and trimmed with the edge of a sunset cloud. But what +<i>am</i> I to wear in my hair?"</p> + +<p>Now, the Princess's hair hung over her in dark waves, +like a long cloak.</p> + +<p>"Flowers!" cried the fairies. "Quick—quick—let us +fly for flowers to twist in the Dear Princess's hair!"</p> + +<p>So they all flew away, some in one direction and some +in another, while the Dear Princess of the Crystal +Mountain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> +sat and waited, with her cloud of hair hanging +round her.</p> + +<p>Very soon she saw them flying back, some from gardens +and some from orchards, and some from the hills where the +heather grew, and some from country lanes where the flowers +were very sweet, and some from hothouses where the flowers +were very rare. Wherever they came from they were all +laden with flowers. Some brought roses, red and white +and yellow; some brought heavy white lilies; some brought +long trails of honeysuckle. Some were carrying great +bundles of forget-me-nots; others had strange flowers from +distant countries; others had bunches of golden daffodils. +They crowded round the Dear Princess, and laid the flowers +in great heaps beside her.</p> + +<p>"Wear my roses!" cried one. "See how the crimson +of them glows in your dark hair!"</p> + +<p>"Wear my daffodils!" cried another. "See how they +shine like gold!"</p> + +<p>"Wear my lilies!" cried a third, "for they match your +lily-face!"</p> + +<p>Then they all held up the flowers against the Princess's +dark hair, to see which looked the best; red, or yellow, or +white. The Princess herself found it very hard to make +up her mind, because they were all so beautiful that she +would have liked to wear them all. First she chose one, +and then another, and then she thought that, after all, a third +would look the best.</p> + +<p>This went on for so long that at last the flowers died.</p> + +<p>"Ah, look," said the Princess, "the flowers are +dead!"</p> + +<p>"Oh<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> +dear, oh dear!" cried all the fairies together. +"The flowers are dead! What shall we do now?"</p> + +<p>The Princess sat down among the dead flowers, and +thought.</p> + +<p>"I must have something that will not die," she said at +last, "something stronger than flowers. In my dark hair I +must have something that will gleam and sparkle. I must +have colour that will not fade, a dewdrop that will not melt, +a spark of fire that will not go out."</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" said the fairies; and they said no more +for some time, for they were thinking that the Dear Princess +wanted a good deal.</p> + +<p>After a time three of them began talking together all at +once, as if a very good idea had suddenly come into their +heads.</p> + +<p>Then these three spread their wings and flew away. +They flew far away from the Princess and her palace, far +from the other fairies, up and up to the heights of the +Crystal Mountain. Then each of them chipped off a little +piece of the rock at the top of the mountain, and each, as +he did it, laughed aloud gleefully. Then each little fairy +tucked his chip of rock under his arm; and they all nodded +to each other, still laughing, and spread their wings again, +and flew off in different directions.</p> + +<p>The first of the three, with his chip of rock under his +arm, flew straight to the sea-shore. On the shore, close to +the shining blue sea, there lived a very nice mermaid who +was a great friend of the fairy's. So he flew to her with the +bit of crystal rock and said—</p> + +<p>"Mermaid, mermaid, here is a chip from the Crystal +Mountain.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +Take it for me, and dip it into the darkest and +deepest deep of the blue sea."</p> + +<p>So the mermaid took the crystal chip and dived down +with it into the darkest and deepest deep of the blue sea.</p> + +<p>Now, it is well known that whatever is touched by the +deepest deep of the sea is changed by it for ever, and +becomes itself a part of the sea. And so, when the mermaid +brought the chip of crystal back to the fairy it had become +like a chip of the sea—shining and gleaming and deep, +deep blue.</p> + +<p>And that was the first sapphire.</p> + +<p>And when the second fairy left the Crystal Mountain +with his little bit of rock under his arm, he flew to the great +forest where the wood-pixies lived.</p> + +<p>"Pixies, pixies," he called to them, "here is a chip from +the Crystal Mountain. Take it for me into the darkest +and deepest deep of the green forest, and do not bring it +back to me till the green of the forest has sunk into its very +heart."</p> + +<p>Of course you must have noticed that the wood-pixies +have the gift of making things green; for every one knows +that in the forest where they live everything is green—the +trees and the grass and the soft moss. And the shade +under the trees is dark, dark green, and here and there +where the sun peeps through, the green is very bright. So +the pixies took the chip of crystal away with them into the +darkest deep of the forest and laid it in the green moss +where the green shadows were darkest under the green +trees. And after a time the magic of the pixies began to +work, and the greenness of the forest sank into the very +heart<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +of the crystal. Then they carried it back to the +fairy, and he saw that the greenness of the deep shadows +had sunk into the heart of the crystal, and because the +sunshine had peeped through the trees there was a glint +of light in it.</p> + +<p>And that was the first emerald.</p> + +<p>When the third fairy left the Crystal Mountain with his +little bit of rock under his arm, he flew away to that other +mountain where the fire-gnomes worked underground. At +the top of the fire-mountain there was a great hole, and when +the fairy stood at the edge and looked in he could see the +gnomes at work, keeping the fire alight that warms the +world. So he called out to them—</p> + +<p>"Fire-gnomes, fire-gnomes, here is a chip from the +Crystal Mountain. Take it for me into the hottest and +deepest deep of the fire, and keep it there until its heart +is glowing red."</p> + +<p>So the fire-gnomes took the chip of crystal and carried +it down, down into the deepest deep of the fire that warms +the world. And the fire sparkled and glowed and wrapped +it round. And before very long the crystal began to glow +too as it lay in the fire, for of course a fire that is hot +enough to warm the world is hot enough to warm a chip +of rock. So the fire-gnomes picked it up again and +carried it back to the fairy who was waiting at the edge +of the great hole; and he saw that the heart of the crystal +chip was crimson and glowing like a fire.</p> + +<p>And that was the first ruby.</p> + +<p>Then he flew away from the fire-mountain with the ruby +safely tucked under his arm, and went back to the Dear +Princess.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +At the same moment the fairy with the emerald +arrived from the forest, and the fairy with the sapphire +came back from the sea. They flew to the feet of the +Dear Princess, and held out the beautiful stones to her.</p> + +<p>The Princess clapped her hands and cried—</p> + +<p>"Oh, how splendid, how splendid they are! The blue is +like a bit of the dark sea, and the green is like the shade of +the forest with the sun peeping in, and the red is like the red +heart of the fire!"</p> + +<p>Then the first fairy laid the sapphire against her +dark hair.</p> + +<p>"You must wear it on your wedding-day," he said.</p> + +<p>But the second fairy held up the emerald and said—</p> + +<p>"No, no, this is what you must wear!"</p> + +<p>And the third fairy laughed and cried—</p> + +<p>"How silly they are! Any one can see that red is the +colour to wear in your dark hair!"</p> + +<p>The Princess looked from one to the other and was +puzzled. She thought all the stones were so beautiful +that she would have liked to wear them all; but she did +not think they would look really nice all together.</p> + +<p>"What am I to do?" she said, puckering up her +forehead. "How can I choose when they are all so +beautiful?"</p> + +<p>Then there was a very long discussion about it. Each +of the three fairies wished his own stone to be worn, and +the Princess could not tell what to do.</p> + +<p>"Each of them is quite beautiful," she said, "but, +dear fairies, I am obliged to say that I do <i>not</i> like the look +of them all together!"</p> + +<p>All<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +this time a very small fairy had been sitting quietly +in the corner, saying nothing, but thinking a great deal. +He came forward now and spoke.</p> + +<p>"Give the stones to me," he said, "and I will settle +the question."</p> + +<p>So he took the three stones and flew away, far up into +the sky, above the Princess's dark head, above the houses +and the trees, above the Crystal Mountain even, into the +misty sunshine behind the clouds.</p> + +<p>Then he called to the sun-fairies—</p> + +<p>"Sun-fairies, sun-fairies, melt me these stones in your +furnace. Melt them, and mix them, and make them into +one stone. And soften their colours with mist of sunshine, +so that my Dear Princess may wear them all together in +her hair."</p> + +<p>So the sun-fairies carried the three stones away, and +melted them all into one, and mixed them with mist of +sunshine, and it lay over the colours like a cloud. And +then there was only one stone, but it was a great big one, +and as beautiful as all the others put together. For, you +see, that was just what it was.</p> + +<p>The small fairy took it carefully into his tiny arms and +flew down again through the clouds, past the Crystal +Mountain and past the tops of the trees, to the feet of the +Dear Princess.</p> + +<p>He held up the great gleaming stone to her, and she +thought she had never seen anything so beautiful. For +the blue of the sea was in it, and the green shade of the +forest, and the red heart of fire. And over the colours the +mist of sunshine lay like a veil.</p> + +<p>And<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +that was the first opal.</p> + +<p>Of course the Dear Princess of the Crystal Mountain +wore the great opal on the day that she was married to the +Prince of the Far Land over the Hill. And when she was +an old, old Princess, with white hair instead of dark, she +often showed the opal to her grandchildren, and told them +how it was made of blue sea, and green shadows, and fire, +melted all together by the fairies and mixed with mist +of sunshine.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i06" name="i06"></a> +<a href="images/i06_large.jpg"><img src="images/i06.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">OF COURSE THE DEAR PRINCESS ... WORE THE GREAT OPAL ON THE +DAY THAT SHE WAS MARRIED</p> +</div> + + + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_BIG_SPIDERS_DIAMONDS" id="THE_BIG_SPIDERS_DIAMONDS"></a> +<i>THE BIG SPIDER'S DIAMONDS</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +</h2> + + +<p class="cap">THE sun-fairies were hiding behind a black cloud; +but in the middle of the cloud there was a +hole, and through this hole the sun-fairies +peeped.</p> + +<p>In this way they were able to see everything that went +on in the garden where the Big Spider lived. If the Big +Spider had looked up at the sky he could have seen the +sun-fairies peeping through the hole in the black cloud; +but he did not look up, because he was thinking of other +things. He was in an excited state of mind.</p> + +<p>Quite lately the Big Spider had spun a most beautiful web +for himself, and had slung it between two tall blades of grass. +He was very proud of it, for it was the nicest web in all +the garden, being of a lovely and difficult pattern, and made +with great skill. And now something had happened in the +night to make it still more beautiful. While the Big Spider +was asleep the dew-fairies had crept up from the grass, and +had hung hundreds of sparkling diamonds on the strings of +his web. He knew it must have been done by the dew-fairies, +because they only keep the very best diamonds.</p> + +<p>"Dear me, this is most kind of them," he said to himself. +"They must have noticed that my web was the best +in the garden; otherwise they would not have done it so +much honour."</p> + +<p>As a matter of fact, the dew-fairies had been hanging +diamonds that night on the webs of all the spiders in the +garden; but the Big Spider was so much occupied in +admiring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +his own web that he had no attention to spare for +the others.</p> + +<p>"Good morning," he said pleasantly to a fly who was +passing. "Have you seen my diamonds? They look +very well there, don't they? They show off the pattern of +the web. Won't you come a little closer? You can hardly +see them properly at that distance. One really sees them +best when one is inside the web. Can't you come in this +morning?"</p> + +<p>"No, thank you," said the fly firmly; for his mother +had told him that the Big Spider was not a nice friend for +little flies.</p> + +<p>Then he flew away, and the Spider went on admiring +his diamonds. He looked at them first from the right, +and then from the left, and then he stepped backwards and +looked at them again. If you have ever seen a person who +paints pictures you will know exactly how he behaved.</p> + +<p>All this time the sun-fairies had been peeping through +the hole in the black cloud and watching the Big Spider. +They could not help laughing at him.</p> + +<p>"Ridiculous creature!" cried one. "Look at him +admiring his web, as if it were the only one that had ever +been hung with diamonds!"</p> + +<p>"If he would look about him a little bit," said another, +"he would see that the whole garden is blazing with +diamonds this morning."</p> + +<p>"The very grass is all twinkly and shiny with them," +said a third, "but the grass-fairies are not behaving in that +absurd way."</p> + +<p>"No fairy would be so silly," said a fourth.</p> + +<p>Suddenly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> +a little sun-fairy began to clap his hands.</p> + +<p>"I've got an idea," he cried.</p> + +<p>As his ideas were generally full of mischief and very +interesting, all the other fairies stopped talking.</p> + +<p>"It's a lovely idea," he went on, chuckling. "This is +what we'll do. We'll wait till that silly old Spider goes to +sleep or is busy, and then we'll rush down—quick as quick—and +<i>steal his diamonds</i>!"</p> + +<p>Then all the sun-fairies laughed and clapped their hands +so loudly that the hole in the black cloud grew a good deal +larger. They thought it was a grand idea.</p> + +<p>They had not long to wait. Presently the Spider +became rather tired of admiring his diamonds all by himself, +so he set to work to send out invitations for a fly-party. +He asked all the flies in the neighbourhood to come and +see how nice his web looked when it was hung with +diamonds. As soon as the sun-fairies saw that he was busy +they took each other's hands, and with a little run and a +big jump they all burst through the hole in the black +cloud. Then they flew softly down to the garden where +the Big Spider lived.</p> + +<p>"How nice and warm it is getting!" thought the +Spider.</p> + +<p>Presently he said to himself—</p> + +<p>"My diamonds must be sparkling beautifully in this +sunshine. I'll just take a look at them."</p> + +<p>He turned round, expecting to see the pattern of his +web delicately outlined in sparks of light. You will not be +surprised to hear that he saw nothing of the kind. He saw +his web, it is true, looking like filmy lace against the green +of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> +the grass; but there was not one single diamond hanging +upon it!</p> + +<p>Then the rage of the Big Spider was terrible to see.</p> + +<p>He stamped with all his legs, and he rolled himself +round and round, and he used all the most dreadful threats +in spider-language.</p> + +<p>"I don't care who the thief is," he said; "I shall think +no more of eating him than if he were a fly!"</p> + +<p>At that moment he heard the sweetest little laugh just +behind him. This made him so angry that he spent a long +time in looking for the person who laughed. While he was +still searching the sun-fairies flew up again to the black +clouds, carrying the diamonds with them.</p> + +<p>"There," they said, as they threw the diamonds down +on the cloud, "he won't find them there!"</p> + +<p>They had forgotten for the moment that, hidden in the +black cloud, there were a great number of rain-fairies. +Now the rain-fairies never enjoy themselves so much as +when they are annoying the sun-fairies: and in the same +way there is nothing that pleases the sun-fairies so much as +a good quarrel with the rain-fairies. This does not prevent +them from being very friendly when they are not +quarrelling.</p> + +<p>The rain-fairies had seen all that had happened. They +pretended to think that the sun-fairies had behaved very +unkindly to the Big Spider.</p> + +<p>"It's too bad," they said, "to steal the poor thing's +diamonds. It's not fair. Let's throw them down to him."</p> + +<p>Then a great fight began between the sun-fairies and +the rain-fairies for the diamonds, and the fight lasted a long +time,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> +and all the time that it lasted the Big Spider was in +a rage.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i07" name="i07"></a> +<a href="images/i07_large.jpg"><img src="images/i07.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">THE WEB AND THE DIAMONDS AND THE BIG SPIDER HIMSELF ALL FELL TO +THE GROUND</p> +</div> + + + +<p>At last the rain-fairies won the fight, and went off with +the diamonds in their arms.</p> + +<p>"Now we'll throw them to the Big Spider," they said, +"and we'll see how glad he is when his web is hung with +diamonds as it was before."</p> + +<p>They forgot that the dew-fairies, when they had trimmed +the web with the diamonds, had crept up softly and touched +the strings with gentle fingers. But the rain-fairies are +rather rough.</p> + +<p>They flung out their little arms and threw the diamonds +down out of the black cloud. Down dropped the diamonds, +and down, and down, till they reached the garden where the +Big Spider lived, and the web that the Big Spider had made. +But instead of hanging on the web in rows, like little lighted +lamps, they dropped into the middle of it with a crash and +a dash and a splash, and broke it into a great many pieces, +so that the web and the diamonds and the Big Spider himself +all fell to the ground.</p> + +<p>And by the time the Big Spider was standing on all his +legs again the diamonds had disappeared into the grass.</p> + +<p>The truth is that the dew-fairies had found them and +had taken them home. I expect they will keep them till +the Big Spider has made a new web.</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="A_LITTLE_GIRL_IN_A_BOOK" id="A_LITTLE_GIRL_IN_A_BOOK"></a> +<i>A LITTLE GIRL IN A BOOK</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +</h2> + + +<p class="cap">CHRISTABEL was a little girl who read a great +many books. She noticed that the girls and +boys in the books were not altogether like the +girls and boys who played with her in the Square +and came to tea with her. The children in the books were +wonderfully brave and clever; and when they were having +their magnificent adventures they always did exactly the +right thing at the right moment. They never had a dull +minute, and they never said anything silly. The girls and +boys who came to tea with Christabel were not like this, +and Christabel knew that she herself was not like this. She +never had any adventures, and she knew that even if she +ever did have one she would not behave at all bravely or +cleverly. And she was often so dull that she drummed +with her fingers on the window and said—</p> + +<p>"What on earth shall I do?"</p> + +<p>Now, Christabel had a Big Sister who wrote books.</p> + +<p>One day she said to her Big Sister—</p> + +<p>"How I do wish I were a little girl in a book! Nothing +ever happens to little girls in real life. It is so dull!"</p> + +<p>The Big Sister went on writing, and said nothing.</p> + +<p>"It's no use talking to her," thought Christabel, +"because she always goes on writing."</p> + +<p>A few days after this Christabel began to feel rather +strange. A kind of stiffness came into all her limbs, so that +they would not do what she told them. And sometimes +she found herself saying things that she had not intended to +say<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +at all. This puzzled her and made her very uncomfortable. +She wondered if other people noticed that there +was something wrong with her. She even thought of +speaking to her Big Sister about it, but the Big Sister was +so busy writing that it was no use to try and make her hear.</p> + +<p>This went on for some time. Christabel grew stiffer +and stiffer, and more and more uncomfortable; and her Big +Sister went on writing busily.</p> + +<p>At last one day Christabel understood what had +happened. She woke up and found that everything round +her had changed; the people and the place and everything. +She was frightened at first, and then the truth suddenly +flashed into her mind. A most remarkable and unusual +and unexpected thing had happened: her Big Sister had +put her into a book!</p> + +<p>"So I really am a little girl in a book, after all!" she +said to herself.</p> + +<p>She tried to say it aloud, but she found she couldn't. +The words were not in the book, you see.</p> + +<p>"Now I am going to enjoy myself," she thought, "and +never be dull any more."</p> + +<p>There was not much chance of her being dull, for the +book was full of adventures and narrow escapes, and other +delightful things.</p> + +<p>First she was captured by pirates; and after having a +terrible time with them she was saved from them by a shipwreck. +The shipwreck did not do her much good, however, +for she at once fell into the hands of the most dreadful +savages. So you will understand that she was not at all +likely to be dull.</p> + +<p>Christabel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> +was delighted to find that she behaved, like +other little girls in books, with the greatest courage and +cleverness. Whenever an adventure was going on she +always managed to get out of every difficulty, and she saved +the lives of several of the other people in the book by her +bravery. The strange thing was that she found it quite +easy to be brave; while she was a little girl in real life she +had not found it easy at all.</p> + +<p>"I do hope the book has a happy ending," she thought +sometimes.</p> + +<p>She wished very much that she could peep into the end +of the book, as she used to do when she was a little girl in +real life. Meantime every chapter was more exciting than +the last. Of course Christabel did not know whether she +would escape from the savages at all. Perhaps they were +going to eat her. That would not be a happy ending to the +book, she felt.</p> + +<p>After a great many terrible dangers, she managed to +escape; for a ship sailed into the bay at the right moment, +and took her home to England. This was the end of the +book. The person who was reading it shut it up with a +bang—and Christabel went to sleep.</p> + +<p>By-and-by, some one else took up the book and began +to read it. Then Christabel woke up and found herself at +the beginning of the story. After so many adventures she +was rather tired, and did not feel inclined to begin them all +over again. But that was just what she had to do. Being +captured by pirates is not nearly so exciting when you know +you can only escape from them by a cold, wet shipwreck; +and when you are shipwrecked you are not very anxious to +scramble<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +ashore when you know there are a large number of +fierce savages waiting for you!</p> + +<p>"This is rather tiresome," thought Christabel.</p> + +<p>She was very glad when the person who was reading the +book shut it up again, and she was allowed to go quietly to +sleep.</p> + +<p>But her sleep was not long. Every time any one began +to read the book poor Christabel was obliged to wake up +and go through all her troubles again. She soon became +horribly tired of being shipwrecked.</p> + +<p>"Have I got to spend the rest of my life with pirates +and savages?" she asked herself in despair.</p> + +<p>It was especially annoying that they were always the +same pirates and savages, who said always exactly the same +things. Christabel soon knew the whole book by heart. +She wished sometimes she could be one of the pirates for a +change, instead of being always a little girl.</p> + +<p>"I suppose I shall never even be grown up," she +thought sadly.</p> + +<p>The most unpleasant thing of all was that she was never +able to say what she wished to say: she was always obliged +to say what was in the book. Sometimes she opened her +mouth to say what was in her mind, and then found herself +speaking words that had nothing to do with her thoughts.</p> + +<p>"It is simply hateful not to be able to say and do what +one likes," she thought.</p> + +<p>She made up her mind to try and be drowned at the +very next shipwreck. Of course it was useless for her to +try, for the book said she was saved by a big wave which +flung her up on a rock. It was uncomfortable for her to +be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +saved in this way, but she could not avoid it. The +shipwreck happened in the usual way, in spite of her efforts +to be drowned; and then, as usual, she met the savages on +the Island, and soon afterwards came the end of the +book.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a id="i08" name="i08"></a> +<a href="images/i08_large.jpg"><img src="images/i08.jpg" alt="" title="Click here +to see enlarged image" /></a> +<p class="caption">THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE BOOK LOOKED AT HER IN SURPRISE</p> +</div> + + + +<p>Now, it happened this time that the person who was +reading the book did not shut it up at all, but handed it +at once to some one else who wished to read it. This was +really too much for Christabel's temper. She had had no +sleep, and she was determined not to begin all over again +without a rest. It suddenly struck her that this was her +only chance—now, before the beginning of the first +chapter.</p> + +<p>She lost no time. She knew she ought to be standing +up—the book said she was standing up. Finding to her +great joy that she was able to move of her own accord, +she calmly sat down and folded her arms. The other +people in the book looked at her in surprise.</p> + +<p>"It's no use looking at me like that," she said; "I'm +tired of this. I'm not going on any more saying the same +things over and over again. If there's any pirate who +would like to change places with me I don't mind being +a pirate for a bit. But I'm not going on being the little +girl."</p> + +<p>Then there was indeed an outcry. All the people in +the book began speaking at once. Just at that moment—before +the beginning of the first chapter—they were all +able to say what they chose.</p> + +<p>"Make her stand up!" cried one.</p> + +<p>"I never heard such nonsense!" said another.</p> + +<p>"Why<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> +can't she behave as we do?" asked a third +angrily.</p> + +<p>"The idea of wanting a change!"</p> + +<p>"She'll have to behave like other people in the end."</p> + +<p>"So discontented!"</p> + +<p>"So very odd!"</p> + +<p>So they went on, while Christabel still sat calmly, with +her arms crossed.</p> + +<p>"I'm not going to begin all over again," she repeated +firmly.</p> + +<p>"But that poor boy is waiting to begin the book," said +some one; "and we can't go on while you are behaving in +this silly way."</p> + +<p>"I can't help that," said Christabel; "I'm tired of +saying things I don't a bit mean."</p> + +<p>Before she knew what was going to happen Christabel +found herself in the middle of a terrible turmoil. All the +people in the book seemed to be rushing at her.</p> + +<p>Far away she heard a voice saying—</p> + +<p>"There's something very queer about this book. It +seems all in a muddle, somehow!"</p> + +<p>Then there was silence, and Christabel realized that the +people in the book had turned her out! She was no +longer a little girl in a book, but a little girl in real life. +She looked round and saw her Big Sister, still writing.</p> + +<p>"I don't want to be in a book any more," said +Christabel. "Real life is nicer. In real life one can +at least say what one thinks one's self, instead of always +saying what other people think."</p> + +<p>"Don't be too sure of that," said her Big Sister.</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_FAIRY_WHO_WAS" id="THE_FAIRY_WHO_WAS"></a> +<i>THE FAIRY WHO WAS<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span><br /> +LOOKING FOR A HOME</i></h2> + + +<p class="cap">LITTLE Fairy Flitterwing had no home. Whenever +he settled down in a place something +happened to turn him out. If he found a +comfortable rosebud some one would come +and pick it, and then it died and he was homeless again. +If he chose a pink-edged daisy to live in, the gardener +would mow the lawn at once. He grew very tired of +wandering about the garden, and he determined at last to +go out into the world in search of a home.</p> + +<p>It was quite a small garden, in the middle of a town. +Flitterwing felt rather afraid of venturing into the streets, +because he knew there would not be many fairies there, and +not many nice places for a fairy to live in. So he was a +little sad and anxious as he flew over the high brick wall of +the garden and looked about him. He found himself in a +queer little yard, not nearly as nice as the garden, with a +pavement of round stones and an ugly brick house at one +end of it. There never was a more unlikely place for a +fairy to find a comfortable home. Flitterwing was on the +point of flying back again over the garden wall, when he +caught sight of something green at the further end of the +courtyard. Some grass had grown up among the stones.</p> + +<p>"The very place for me!" said Flitterwing to himself. +"No one is likely to disturb me here, and I can fly across +to the garden whenever I feel lonely."</p> + +<p>So he found a cosy corner between two stones, where +the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +grass was thick and soft, and there he made up his mind +to stay. It was not, of course, the very best kind of place +for a fairy, but, after all, it was quiet and near his friends, +and he was terribly tired of moving about from rose to rose +and from daisy to daisy. So he thought he would make +the best of it.</p> + +<p>Very soon he felt quite at home in the grass-patch at +the end of the yard. Every morning, of course, he had to +attend to the grass and see that it was always fresh and +green, for it is the business of every fairy to take care of +the place he lives in. He does it instead of paying rent. +Then, after polishing his wings nicely and making them +shine like opals, he would fly across the brick wall and have +a chat with the grass-fairies and flower-fairies in the garden.</p> + +<p>His life went on in this quiet and comfortable way for +some time.</p> + +<p>But one morning poor Flitterwing received a great +shock. He was very busy cleaning the grass with a +dewdrop, and thinking how strong and tall the blades had +grown since he first began to take care of them. They +were a good deal taller than himself now, and he was not +able to see over them. So, when he heard a heavy footstep +clattering across the yard, he peered between the blades of +grass to see who was coming.</p> + +<p>"Oh dear, oh dear," he cried, "here's that dreadful +gardener! I'm sure he's going to turn me out!"</p> + +<p>He quickly dropped the crumpled cobweb soaked in +dewdrop with which he was rubbing the green blades, and +folding his wings closely round him he hid himself in the +grass, and waited to see what was going to happen.</p> + +<p>The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +gardener was carrying a basket in one hand, and +in the other a tool with dreadful prongs. He was going +to pull up the grass that had grown among the stones! +Poor Flitterwing's nice new home was going to be +spoilt!</p> + +<p>One by one the tufts were dragged up by the roots, +while the sharp prongs clinked against the stones and the +gardener's fingers crumpled up the blades of grass that had +looked so green and fresh a few minutes before. Flitterwing +was terribly frightened.</p> + +<p>"The sooner I get out of this the better," he said to +himself, skipping away from the gardener's big fingers. +Then he spread his wings and flew up and away, over the +wall and over the garden and on and on. He went on +flying, flying, till all his friends were left far behind and he +came to strange streets such as he had never seen before. +Still he went on flying, flying. You see he was extremely +anxious to be very far away from the gardener with the big +fingers and the terrible, sharp prongs.</p> + +<p>At last he became dreadfully tired. It would be impossible, +he felt, to go on flying much longer, so he looked +about him for shelter. He saw an open window, and +beyond it a large cool room. Here was shelter at all +events, so he flew straight in. There were a number of +tables and chairs in the room, and at each table a man sat +writing; but Flitterwing was too much frightened to see +anything. He only wanted to find a place where he could +hide and rest. A large ink-pot stood on a table, and just +inside the ink-pot was a little ledge where a fairy might rest +comfortably. Flitterwing lost no time; he darted into the +ink-pot<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +and sat down on the ledge. In a few moments he +folded his tired wings about him and fell fast asleep.</p> + +<p>Now, the room into which Flitterwing had flown was a +place where a great deal of business was done. Every day +a number of men sat there adding up figures and writing +letters about dull things that neither you nor I could +understand. If you have done many sums, you will agree +with me that no sensible man could really like spending all +his time in adding up pounds, shillings, and pence. Very +few of the men in this big room really liked it. Some of +them wanted to be playing cricket or golf, some would +rather have been reading books or listening to beautiful +music; and every one of them was longing to be in the +country among the flowers and the fairies. And there was +one among them—a little man with a pale face and a thin +coat—who wished above all things to be making poetry. +There were two good reasons against his doing this. In +the first place, he was obliged to earn money, and this is +more easily done by adding up figures than by making +poetry; and in the second place, he did not in the least +know how poetry ought to be made.</p> + +<p>On the sunny morning when Flitterwing took refuge in +the ink-pot the Man in the Thin Coat was very busy. There +were rows and rows of figures waiting to be added up, so +that there seemed to be no end to them. A large sheet of +paper was before him on which he was doing these sums, +and the figures were arranged in terribly long columns—and +no doubt you know how unpleasant that is. Suddenly +something glittered in the air for a moment and then +disappeared. It was so bright that it caught his eye and +made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> +him lose his place. He thought it was some beautiful +kind of insect with the sunshine caught in its wings.</p> + +<p>"It was like a messenger from the summer!" he said +to himself.</p> + +<p>Then he dipped his pen in the ink-pot and went back +to his sums.</p> + +<p>He had been working busily for some time when he +noticed something very curious. His pen was not writing +figures at all! He was thinking about figures, and he +wished to put figures on the paper, so it was a very strange +thing that his pen was writing words all the time. The +words were arranged in short lines with a capital letter at +the beginning of each line.</p> + +<p>"Dear me, how annoying!" he said to himself. "What +can I have been thinking of? This will never do."</p> + +<p>So he took a fresh sheet and began again.</p> + +<p>He imagined that he was copying all the figures on to +the clean sheet of paper, for that was what he intended to +do. He wrote the figures very quickly, as he thought, +because he wanted to make up for lost time. Then he +glanced at what he had written—and threw down his pen +angrily.</p> + +<p>There were no figures at all on the paper; nothing but +line after line of words. He began to think he must have +got a sunstroke.</p> + +<p>"This is really terrible!" he muttered. "I must +pay more attention to what I am doing."</p> + +<p>So he took another clean sheet of paper and began +again.</p> + +<p>It was no use; the pen refused to make a single figure.</p> + +<p>Then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +the Man in the Thin Coat was in despair. He +pushed the paper away from him and threw himself back in +his chair.</p> + +<p>"There is something very serious the matter with me," +he said to himself. He did not notice that another man +had come up to the table and was gathering together the +sheets of paper that lay on it. This was the person who +paid the Man in the Thin Coat for doing his sums for him. +He had a round face and a big waistcoat.</p> + +<p>"Come, come! what's this?" he said, looking at the +sheets of paper. "Poetry, I declare! So you're a poet, +are you? That's all very well, but I don't pay you to write +poetry."</p> + +<p>The poor Man in the Thin Coat looked very much +disturbed. When you come to think of it, it is a disturbing +thing to find you are writing poetry when you imagine +you are doing sums.</p> + +<p>"I couldn't help it," he said meekly.</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes, that's the excuse they all make," said the +Man with the Big Waistcoat. Then he took up the +papers and began to read. There was silence in the room +while he was reading the poem that the Man in the Thin +Coat had written by mistake; every one left off working, +and watched with great interest to see what would happen. +The silence lasted for some time.</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" said the Man with the Big Waistcoat at +last. "This is a very beautiful poem!"</p> + +<p>Then he began to read aloud.</p> + +<p>The poem was about the summer; about the sunshine +and the blue sky and the singing larks that were far away +from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +that ugly room. It seemed as though the far-off +fields and the glory of the sun had been really brought +there, to the tired men who sat listening. And to each +man as he listened came a dream of the thing he loved best. +To one man the room seemed to have turned into a garden; +the scent of a thousand roses was in the air, and the colours +of a thousand flowers. Another man thought he was in a +field, lying under a tree and looking at the pattern of the +leaves against the sky. And another saw the sunshine +sparkling on the dear sea, and the little ripples running +races on the sand. But the Man in the Thin Coat saw +more things than any of them.</p> + +<p>And while they were all listening to the beautiful poem +about the summer, little Fairy Flitterwing slipped out of +the ink-pot and flew off to play with a sunbeam on the +window-sill. The sunbeam showed him a very comfortable +scarlet geranium that was growing in a window not far off, +so Flitterwing went to live in it, and found a safe home +at last.</p> + +<p>And the Man in the Thin Coat went back to his sums. +He was happier than he had ever been before, because he +had written a beautiful poem. He was never able to write +any more poetry, and he thought this was rather odd +until, years afterwards, his little daughter guessed the truth. +He had just finished reading to her his poem about the +summer.</p> + +<p>"Why, Daddy," she said, "there must have been a fairy +in your ink-pot when you wrote that!"</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_BOX_OF_DREAMS" id="THE_BOX_OF_DREAMS"></a> +<i>THE BOX OF DREAMS</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +</h2> + + +<p class="cap">LONG ago there lived in a far country a little +girl called Gretel, whose mother was dying. +Before she died she said to Gretel—</p> + +<p>"I am very poor, and I have no money +to leave for you after I am gone. I have nothing to give +you but this box. It was given to me when I was a child +by some one who was wise and good. You must be very +careful of it, for it is full of Dreams, and they are hard +to keep safely. You must never open the box except +when you are alone, or the Dreams will fly away. But +keep them safely till your hair is grey, and something +will happen to surprise you."</p> + +<p>Gretel took the box and hid it safely, and said nothing +about it to any one. Her mother died a few days afterwards, +and then Gretel was sent away to be a little servant, +and to work very hard. She had to get up early, and +light the fire, and feed the pigs, and she had to wash the +dishes and scrub the floor, and do a great many other +things, so that there was very little time for anything but +work. All the time her box of Dreams was hidden away +upstairs in her little trunk, underneath her Sunday frock. +Often, when she was working in the kitchen, or in the +farmyard among the hens, she was thinking of her box +of Dreams; and sometimes when she was quite alone she +would open it and look inside. The first time she opened +the box she felt a little bit frightened, for she had never +seen any Dreams before, and she was not sure what they +were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +like; but when she saw them, soft and pink and +downy, like lovely sleeping birds, she was not frightened +any more.</p> + +<p>"Oh, but they are pretty things!" she said to herself. +"How I hope I shall be able to keep them safely till my +hair is grey! They look as if a breath would blow them +away, out of the window and over the hill!"</p> + +<p>For a long time she was very careful not to let any +one see her pretty rosy Dreams. Indeed, she never spoke +of them; and the old farmer's wife, whose servant she +was, little guessed that anything so strange as a box of +Dreams was hidden upstairs in the garret, underneath +Gretel's Sunday frock.</p> + +<p>The farmer and his wife had a son about the same age +as Gretel. His name was Eitel. He was a big, clumsy +sort of boy, and not very clever; but Gretel had very few +friends, so when Eitel was kind to her and talked to her +over the fire in the evenings she was very glad. Sometimes +he carried the big bucket for her when she went out to feed +the pigs, and sometimes in the summer they made hay +together in the field on the hillside. In this way they +became great friends. Gretel told Eitel everything that had +happened to her since she was a little child; and one day +she told him about her box of Dreams.</p> + +<p>"Let me see them, Gretel dear," said Eitel.</p> + +<p>"Oh, but I mustn't!" said Gretel. "No one must see +them till my hair is grey. If any one sees them they will +fly away, out of the window and over the hill."</p> + +<p>"What are they like?" asked Eitel. "And what are +they for?"</p> + +<p>"They<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +are lovely," said Gretel, "but I don't know yet +what they are for."</p> + +<p>"Come, let me see them," said Eitel coaxingly. "I +believe I see a grey hair on your head, Gretel."</p> + +<p>It was really a bit of white thread, but Gretel thought +her hair must be growing grey, so she ran upstairs and +fetched the box of Dreams down to the kitchen. She +opened the box very carefully, and Eitel peeped in.</p> + +<p><i>Pouf! Pouf!</i> Half-a-dozen soft rosy Dreams fluttered +out from under the lid, and hovered in the air for a moment +like wisps of pink mist. Gretel shut the box with a snap, +and tried to catch the floating Dreams with her fingers. +But it was too late. They floated higher and higher, farther +and farther, out of the window and over the hill.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Eitel," cried Gretel, sobbing, "I have lost my +Dreams—so many of them—so many of them!"</p> + +<p>"Well," said Eitel, "I don't see that there's much to +cry about. They were only pink fluff after all! I wouldn't +cry about pink fluff if I were you!"</p> + +<p>So Eitel went out of the house whistling, and thinking +that girls were sometimes very silly; while Gretel carried +her box upstairs, crying, and thinking that boys were often +very unkind. As soon as she was in her room she opened +her box again, and found to her great joy that it was still +half full of beautiful Dreams.</p> + +<p>She soon made friends with Eitel again, but she never +spoke to him any more about her box of Dreams.</p> + +<p>As the years went by Gretel became first a big girl and +then a grown-up woman, and still she had to work for her +living. She lived in a good many different places, sometimes +with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> +nice people and sometimes with people who were +not kind to her; but wherever she lived she had to scrub +and sweep, and get up early and go to bed late. She still +kept her box of Dreams safely in her little trunk, hidden +under her Sunday frock. Since the time that she had lost +so many of her Dreams she had never opened the box +except when she was alone. She was afraid of losing some +more; and, besides, she did not like it when Eitel laughed +at her and called her pretty Dreams "nothing but pink +fluff." So she made up her mind to wait till her hair was +really grey.</p> + +<p>It seemed to her sometimes that this would never +happen! Her hair was browner than other people's, she +thought, and was not going to turn grey at all. But +though the time seemed so long to her, she was as a matter +of fact still a young woman when she discovered that there +were two grey hairs growing among the brown ones. She +was combing her hair at the time, and the moment she saw +the grey hairs she dropped the comb, and clapping her +hands for joy ran quickly to get her box of Dreams out +of her little trunk. She was so much excited that her +trembling fingers could hardly undo the fastenings of +the box.</p> + +<p>When the box was at last open she was still more +excited. Her mother had promised that she should be +surprised, but she had not expected such a strange and +delightful and altogether wonderful surprise as this! You +could never guess what had happened! Her pretty rosy +Dreams had all turned into jewels more splendid than any +you ever saw or heard about! Every kind of precious +stone<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> +was there—emeralds and pearls and fiery opals, +glowing rubies and sea-blue sapphires, besides a great many +strange stones whose names you have never heard.</p> + +<p>Gretel gasped.</p> + +<p>She sat on the floor beside the box, and stared and +stared. She could hardly believe that the glittering things +were real, and she could not believe at all that they +belonged to her. At first she expected every minute that +they would disappear, and she was afraid to touch them; +but presently she took courage and lifted them out of the +box one by one. Then she took them to the light, and +they looked still more beautiful than before.</p> + +<p>As Gretel sat on the floor near the window, with the +many-coloured jewels glimmering and shimmering in her +lap, she came gradually to understand that when her mother +gave her the box of Dreams she gave her great riches.</p> + +<p>Gretel lived to be very old, but she never lost her +jewels. She was able now to show them to all the world +without any danger of their flying away, and as time went +on the people flocked to see her and her jewels. Eitel +admired them as much as any one, but he could never be +persuaded that the fluffy pink things he had once seen had +really turned into these shining and wonderful stones.</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_FAIRY_WHO_HAD" id="THE_FAIRY_WHO_HAD"></a> +<i>THE FAIRY WHO HAD<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span><br /> +ONLY ONE WING</i></h2> + + +<p class="cap">I AM going to tell you now about a fairy who lost +one of his wings. His home was in a white +rosebud, which one would imagine to be a nice, +safe, comfortable home for a fairy to have. And +yet it was while he was in the white rosebud that the +terrible accident happened which left him with only one +wing.</p> + +<p>All would have been well if he had stayed in the +country. But one day a man came with scissors and +snipped the white rosebud off the tree, and packed it in +cotton-wool, and sent it off to London. Of course the +fairy had to go too, and a very uncomfortable journey he +had. There were a number of other flowers packed in the +same box, and in each flower there was a fairy; so they +were all able to grumble together. But you can't grumble +with any real comfort when you are packed very tightly, +and have to talk through a good deal of cotton-wool.</p> + +<p>At last the journey was over, and the rosebud was +taken out of the cotton-wool and put in water. Then the +fairy crept up from the heart of the rosebud, and put his +head over the edge of the petals and looked about him.</p> + +<p>There were flowers all round him: flowers in pots, +flowers in glasses, flowers lying on the table, flowers in +baskets, and great bunches of flowers in the big window. +The truth was that the rosebud was in a flower-shop, but +he did not know this. He only knew that it was very +pleasant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +to be again in a place that was full of flowers and +fairies.</p> + +<p>He thought he was going to enjoy himself; but that +was because he did not know how cruelly fairies are sometimes +treated in flower-shops. The people who arrange +the flowers have a horrible way of trying to kill the fairies; +and this is what they do. They take a dreadful, sharp +piece of wire and poke it through the very heart of the +flower, and then fasten it tightly round the stem! You +will see at once that nothing is more likely to hurt a fairy +than this. Indeed, he would certainly be killed, if it were +not almost impossible to kill a fairy.</p> + +<p>The little rosebud-fairy was lying comfortably curled +up, deep down among the white petals of the rose, when +suddenly he saw coming through the walls of his home a +sharp glittering point!</p> + +<p>"Oh dear!" he cried, trying to scramble out of the +way.</p> + +<p>But that was no use, the glittering point came nearer +and nearer.</p> + +<p>"Oh dear—oh dear!" he cried again. "Where is it +coming to? Oh—it's coming this way—the horrible thing. +<i>Oh—oh—oh!</i>"</p> + +<p>It was no wonder that he cried out. The dreadful +wire had caught one of his beautiful gossamer wings, and +dragged it, and torn it, till there was nothing left of it but +some little shreds of fluttering gauze.</p> + +<p>"What shall I do?" he wailed. "How can I fly with +only one wing, and what is the use of a fairy that can't fly? +What shall I do?"</p> + +<p>He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +picked up the torn pieces of his wing and wondered +if he could mend them. But he soon saw that it was +impossible, so he folded them up carefully and laid them +inside the rose-petals; and ever afterwards there was a faint +tinge of pink deep down in the heart of the rosebud.</p> + +<p>For a long time, long after the rosebud had been tied +up with a sprig of fern and put in the window, the poor +little fairy went on moaning and sighing over the loss of +his wing. He was still sighing when a little girl came into +the shop. If the fairy had not been hiding among the +petals of his rosebud he would have seen at once that she +was the kind of little girl that the fairies always love; a +little girl with bright eyes and a laughing face—altogether +a very nice little girl. She pointed to the white rosebud +and said—</p> + +<p>"I want to buy that rosebud, please, for Granny's +birthday."</p> + +<p>In another minute she was walking along the street +with the rosebud in her fat hand.</p> + +<p>Then the fairy crept up from the heart of the rose and +looked over the edge of the petals. The little girl saw +him at once and was not at all surprised.</p> + +<p>"There you are!" she said. "I wondered when you +would look out. Of course I knew there was a fairy in the +rosebud, or I wouldn't have bought it. It would have +been no use, you see."</p> + +<p>"What a very nice little girl!" thought the fairy. +"She seems to have a great deal of sense."</p> + +<p>The little girl went on: "Poor thing, I see your wing +has been torn off. That nearly always happens to the +fairies<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +that come from flower-shops. But I dare say Granny +won't mind. She sees very few fairies. I am going to +leave you at Granny's house because it is her birthday. +Now remember, you're to be very nice to Granny, because +she sees so few fairies."</p> + +<p>By this time they had reached Granny's house. Granny +lived all alone in a very splendid house in a great square. +The house had a great many fine things in it: handsome +furniture and valuable china and grand silks and brocades. +But there was not a single fairy in it, and a house that has +no fairies in it is a very dull place.</p> + +<p>Granny was sitting alone on her birthday. She looked +round the great drawing-room and thought there were +a number of empty chairs and sofas in it. That made her +feel very lonely. No one had been to see her on her +birthday; she had had no presents or letters; no one had +noticed her birthday at all. If there had been any fairies +in the house Granny would not have felt so lonely, because +the fairies are always good company. But poor Granny +had quite forgotten all about the fairies; it was so long +since she had seen any.</p> + +<p>Then a footman brought the white rosebud into the +room, with a message from the little girl with the bright +eyes and the nice laughing face.</p> + +<p>Granny sat for a long time with the white rosebud on +her knee. She felt happier than she had been all day. +She sat so still that the fairy thought he might safely peep +out and see what was going on. To his great surprise +Granny noticed him at once; he had not thought it at all +likely that she would see him, for she was not the kind of +person<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +who often sees fairies. Probably she would not +have seen him if she had not been so sad and lonely.</p> + +<p>"Why," she said, "it's a fairy! It is years since I saw +a fairy. I thought I should never see one again."</p> + +<p>When the fairy saw that Granny was glad to see him, he +crept out of the rosebud and sat on her wrinkled hand, and +talked to her.</p> + +<p>"Poor little thing," said Granny, "you have lost one of +your wings. Well, it was not likely that any but a one-winged +fairy would find his way in here."</p> + +<p>Then she sighed. So the fairy, to cheer her up, told +her all about the lovely garden he had left behind him in +the country—the garden where he had lived before the man +with the scissors came to cut the rosebud. He told her +about the other roses and the fairies that lived in them, +and the tall hollyhocks whose fairies were so prim and old-fashioned, +and the sweet, shy love-in-a-mist whose fairies +always wore veils when they went out, and the sunflower-fairies +who had never been taught that it was rude to stare, +and the dear unselfish verbena fairies who made the world +so sweet for other people and never thought of themselves. +Then Granny remembered all sorts of things that she had +forgotten for years—fairies she used to know when she was +a little girl, and the stories they used to tell her. She told +some of the stories to the rosebud fairy, and they talked +together for a long time. Granny was happier that evening +than she had been for a great many evenings. She said +to herself that her birthday had been a very nice one +after all.</p> + +<p>"Won't you come and live with me?" she said.</p> + +<p>The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +fairy looked round the room.</p> + +<p>"Well," he said, "I should like to stay very much, but +I really don't see any place here for me to live. My rosebud +will soon die and be thrown away."</p> + +<p>"But if I were to keep the rosebud always, even when +it was dead? Would you stay then?"</p> + +<p>The fairy thought for a moment.</p> + +<p>"I tell you plainly," he said, "that I don't like the idea +of living in a dead rosebud. But I know it's done sometimes, +and one mustn't be too particular when one has only +one wing."</p> + +<p>"I'll ask the little girl who brought you here to come +and see you often," said Granny, "and you and I will go +out to-morrow and buy some picture-books for her, and +some chocolates, and then we shall all three enjoy ourselves +together."</p> + +<p>The fairy nodded happily.</p> + +<p>"That settles it," he said. "I'll stay."</p> + + + + + +<h2 class="bt bb tspace"><a name="THE_LITTLE_BOY_FROM_TOWN" id="THE_LITTLE_BOY_FROM_TOWN"></a> +<i>THE LITTLE BOY FROM TOWN</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> +</h2> + + +<p class="cap">IF you spend all the year in a big town it is a fine +thing to have a summer holiday near the sea. +Otherwise you never have a chance of making +friends with the sea-fairies or the mermaids, who +are the most delightful playmates in the world. You may +know all kinds of other fairies, and be quite intimate with +them, but as long as you live nothing can ever make up to +you for not knowing the sea-fairies.</p> + +<p>Little Michael was eight years old, and he had never +met a sea-fairy, for he lived in a great town. Then at last +his father and mother and he went off for a whole month to +the seaside. There were sands there, very hard and yellow +and good to make castles with; and there were lonely caves +with dripping walls; and there were heaps of slimy, green +seaweed, and shells, and rocks for climbing on. Best of +all, there were plenty of fairies. Michael made friends with +all the fairies of the sea and shore; but his greatest and +best friend was a Mermaid who lived in a cave.</p> + +<p>The roof of the cave was wet and green, and its floor +was pebbly, with here and there a rock. Every day Michael +came and sat on one of the rocks and listened to the Mermaid's +stories, and to the soft, lapping sound of the little +waves. The Mermaid told him such stories as he had +never heard before, for she had not always been in that +cave, but had swum in deep seas and lived on many shores. +She told Michael of places where the sea was warm and +green, and the rocks were made of coral, and palm-trees +shaded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +the mermaids when they played upon the sands. +She told him too of bitter seas that were made of ice, so +that no mermaid could swim in them; and of towering +icebergs shining in the sun; and of white mist-fairies, who +turned the hair of mermaids into a shower of icicles. Then +she told him of sailors who had been her friends, and how +some of them were sailing far away, and some of them were +drowned, and how all of them were good playmates.</p> + +<p>While Michael listened to these stories his eyes were +very round and wide open, and often his mouth was open +too. He had never enjoyed anything so much before, and +he thought it would be dreadful when the day came for him +to leave the dancing sea-fairies and the Mermaid's cave, and +go back to the big town where he hardly ever saw any +fairies at all. One day he said—</p> + +<p>"Mermaid dear, I want something to take back to +town with me; something to make me remember the sea-fairies +and you, and to make me think of the sea for ever +and ever."</p> + +<p>"Tell me what you want," said the Mermaid, smiling; +"and if I can get it for you, I will."</p> + +<p>"Well," said Michael, "it's rather a big thing I was +thinking of. Perhaps it's too big to ask for. But you see +the Bay is full of white-horses to-day. Do you think you +could possibly catch one for me? I think if I could take +home a white-horse from the Bay, I should remember the +sea for ever and ever."</p> + +<p>The Mermaid slipped off her rock and dived into the +deep water. A few moments afterwards Michael saw her +far out in the Bay, with her hair floating in the wind, and +her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> +tail glittering under the waves. There were a great +many wind-fairies playing about that morning, and that was +the reason that the Bay was full of white-horses, for when +the wind-fairies are playing on the sea they always ride +white-horses.</p> + +<p>Michael climbed a high rock and stood on the very top +of it, and watched the Mermaid. It was grand to see her +gliding through the water, chasing first one white-horse and +then another, diving and darting and dodging, and enjoying +herself all the time.</p> + +<p>"Quick, quick!" cried Michael. "You nearly had +him that time!"</p> + +<p>But she was not quick enough, for the white-horse was +far out of reach even as she threw out her white arms to +catch his mane.</p> + +<p>The chase lasted a long time, for though mermaids can +swim better than most people, a white-horse on the sea +is one of the hardest things to catch. At last, however, +Michael clapped his hands and shouted—</p> + +<p>"She's got him, she's got him! Hurrah—now I shall +have a white-horse to take home with me, and to make me +think of the sea for ever and ever!"</p> + +<p>If it had been a fine sight to see the Mermaid chasing +the white-horse across the Bay, it was far finer to see them +come prancing back again. The Mermaid was not swimming +this time, but riding on the back of the angry white-horse, +who plunged and galloped across the Bay, tossing his +long mane. And the Mermaid tossed her golden hair and +laughed, because she was enjoying her ride. Michael +laughed aloud too, because when the white mane and the +golden<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> +hair streamed up together upon the wind they were +very beautiful to see.</p> + +<p>And now a very curious and unfortunate thing happened. +The wind-fairies suddenly grew tired and went to sleep, +every one of them. Now when the wind-fairies go to sleep, +the white-horses always dive down below the sea and go to +sleep too. Before the Mermaid had reached the shore she +was swimming again, for her white-horse had suddenly +disappeared and left her with nothing to ride. He had +gone to sleep below the sea until the next time the wind-fairies +wanted to play.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mermaid dear," cried Michael, "what have you +done with my nice new horse?"</p> + +<p>"I am very sorry to tell you," said the Mermaid, lying +down on the sand to rest herself, "that he has gone below +the sea to sleep. It is really most unfortunate, but when a +white-horse wants to sleep you can't stop him."</p> + +<p>"Oh dear, oh dear," said Michael piteously, for it was +a great disappointment. "I did so much want to have a +white-horse to make me think of the sea for ever and ever."</p> + +<p>"Wouldn't anything else do instead?" asked the +Mermaid, who was very kind.</p> + +<p>Then Michael noticed that every time a little wave +reached the shore it broke on the rocks in a shower of +coloured jewels. He pointed to them.</p> + +<p>"Bring me some of those, please, Mermaid dear," he +said.</p> + +<p>So the Mermaid took a large shell, shaped like a saucer, +and waited on a rock till a little wave came in and sprinkled +the rock with jewels. She held out her shell to catch the +jewels,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +but as soon as they touched the shell they changed +into water.</p> + +<p>"Look," she said to Michael, "the jewels have melted."</p> + +<p>"Oh dear," said Michael, "what am I to do? I am +going back to town to-morrow, and I have nothing to +remind me of the sea!"</p> + +<p>"Do you really and truly wish to think of the sea for +ever and ever?" asked the Mermaid.</p> + +<p>"Of course I do," said Michael.</p> + +<p>"Then I will sing you the Sea Song," said the Mermaid, +"and after that there will be nothing that can make +you forget the sea."</p> + +<p>So while Michael sat on the rock and looked at the sea, +the Mermaid sang him the Sea Song, which mermaids have +sung to sailors ever since the first ship was built. It is a +song that no one ever forgets. It is like the voice of the +sea calling, calling; and there are many people who hear it +always, even in their dreams. If they are people who have +to live in towns, or in country places far from the sea, they +are not very happy.</p> + +<p>When the Mermaid had finished singing, she said—</p> + +<p>"Now I have given you something that will make you +think of the sea for ever and ever."</p> + +<p>The next day Michael went back to town. He took +with him the sound of the Sea Song; and for ever afterwards +he heard the voice of the sea calling, calling, even in +his dreams.</p> + +<p class="bspace">That was why he became a sailor when he was old +enough.</p> + + + + +<p class="center tspace small"> +The Gresham Press,<br /> +UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED,<br /> +WOKING AND LONDON.<br /> +</p> + +<div class="notes tspace"> + +<p>TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:</p> + +<p>In the html version of this ebook blank pages have been removed +and full-page illustrations have been moved to the nearest paragraph break. +Some page numbers are missing as a result.</p> + +<p>Two printer errors have been corrected:</p> + +<blockquote><p>1. On page 26 a missing hyphen was added in the phrase: +"Sweet-of-the-Mountain."</p> + +<p>2. On page 48 a missing hyphen was added in the phrase: +"Then all the sunbeam-fairies shouted...."</p></blockquote> + +<p>In all other cases, the author's original spelling and +punctuation have been left intact.</p> + +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Fairies I Have Met, by Maud Margaret Key Stawell + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRIES I HAVE MET *** + +***** This file should be named 38252-h.htm or 38252-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/2/5/38252/ + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Cathy Maxam, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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