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diff --git a/43336-0.txt b/43336-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e35f52 --- /dev/null +++ b/43336-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2961 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43336 *** + + [Illustration: THE PIG BROTHER. + [_Frontispiece._] + + + + + THE PIG BROTHER + AND + OTHER FABLES AND STORIES + + A SUPPLEMENTARY READER + FOR THE + FOURTH SCHOOL YEAR + + BY + LAURA E. RICHARDS + AUTHOR OF "THE GOLDEN WINDOWS," "THE SILVER CROWN," + "IN MY NURSERY," "THE JOYOUS STORY + OF TOTO," ETC., ETC. + + ILLUSTRATED + + BOSTON + LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY + 1932 + + + + +_Copyright, 1881, 1885, 1890, by Roberts Brothers._ + +_Copyright, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, by The Century Co._ + +_Copyright, 1895, by Estes and Lauriat._ + +_Copyright, 1903, 1906, 1908, by Little, Brown, and Company_ + + +_All rights reserved_ + + +PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + THE PIG BROTHER 1 + THE GOLDEN WINDOWS 5 + THE COMING OF THE KING 11 + SWING SONG 15 + THE GREAT FEAST 17 + THE OWL AND THE EEL AND THE WARMING-PAN 20 + THE WHEAT FIELD 21 + ABOUT ANGELS 24 + THE APRON STRING 29 + THE SHADOW 32 + THE SAILOR MAN 34 + "GO" AND "COME" 37 + CHILD'S PLAY 39 + LITTLE JOHN BOTTLEJOHN 42 + A FORTUNE 44 + THE STARS 46 + BUTTERCUP GOLD 48 + THE PATIENT CAT 57 + ALICE'S SUPPER 60 + THE QUACKY DUCK 62 + AT THE LITTLE BOY'S HOME 65 + NEW YEAR 67 + JACKY FROST 71 + THE CAKE 72 + "OH, DEAR!" 75 + THE USEFUL COAL 84 + SONG OF THE LITTLE WINDS 92 + THE THREE REMARKS 93 + HOKEY POKEY 106 + THE TANGLED SKEIN 119 + A SONG FOR HAL 122 + FOR YOU AND ME 125 + THE BURNING HOUSE 127 + THE NAUGHTY COMET 129 + DAY DREAMS 141 + + + + +THE PIG BROTHER + + +There was once a child who was untidy. He left his books on the floor, +and his muddy shoes on the table; he put his fingers in the jam-pots, +and spilled ink on his best pinafore; there was really no end to his +untidiness. + +One day the Tidy Angel came into his nursery. + +"This will never do!" said the Angel. "This is really shocking. You +must go out and stay with your brother while I set things to rights +here." + +"I have no brother!" said the child. + +"Yes, you have!" said the Angel. "You may not know him, but he will +know you. Go out in the garden and watch for him, and he will soon +come." + +"I don't know what you mean!" said the child; but he went out into the +garden and waited. + +Presently a squirrel came along, whisking his tail. + +"Are you my brother?" asked the child. + +The squirrel looked him over carefully. + +"Well, I should hope not!" he said. "My fur is neat and smooth, my +nest is handsomely made, and in perfect order, and my young ones are +properly brought up. Why do you insult me by asking such a question?" + +He whisked off, and the child waited. + +Presently a wren came hopping by. + +"Are you my brother?" asked the child. + +"No indeed!" said the wren. "What impertinence! You will find no tidier +person than I in the whole garden. Not a feather is out of place, and +my eggs are the wonder of all for smoothness and beauty. Brother, +indeed!" He hopped off, ruffling his feathers, and the child waited. + +By and by a large Tommy Cat came along. + +"Are you my brother?" asked the child. + +"Go and look at yourself in the glass," said the Tommy Cat haughtily, +"and you will have your answer. I have been washing myself in the sun +all the morning, while it is clear that no water has come near you for +a long time. There are no such creatures as you in my family, I am +humbly thankful to say." + +He walked on, waving his tail, and the child waited. + +Presently a pig came trotting along. + +The child did not wish to ask the pig if he were his brother, but the +pig did not wait to be asked. + +"Hallo, brother!" he grunted. + +"I am not your brother!" said the child. + +"Oh, yes, you are!" said the pig. "I confess I am not proud of you, but +there is no mistaking the members of our family. Come along, and have a +good roll in the barnyard! There is some lovely black mud there." + +"I don't like to roll in mud!" said the child. + +"Tell that to the hens!" said the pig brother. "Look at your hands, +and your shoes, and your pinafore! Come along, I say! You may have +some of the pig-wash for supper, if there is more than I want." + +"I don't want pig-wash!" said the child; and he began to cry. + +Just then the Tidy Angel came out. + +"I have set everything to rights," she said, "and so it must stay. +Now, will you go with the Pig Brother, or will you come back with me, +and be a tidy child?" + +"With you, with you!" cried the child; and he clung to the Angel's +dress. + +The Pig Brother grunted. + +"Small loss!" he said. "There will be all the more wash for me!" and +he trotted on. + + + + +THE GOLDEN WINDOWS + + +All day long the little boy worked hard, in field and barn and shed, +for his people were poor farmers, and could not pay a workman; but at +sunset there came an hour that was all his own, for his father had +given it to him. Then the boy would go up to the top of a hill and +look across at another hill that rose some miles away. On this far +hill stood a house with windows of clear gold and diamonds. They shone +and blazed so that it made the boy wink to look at them: but after a +while the people in the house put up shutters, as it seemed, and then +it looked like any common farmhouse. The boy supposed they did this +because it was supper-time; and then he would go into the house and +have his supper of bread and milk, and so to bed. + +One day the boy's father called him and said: "You have been a good +boy, and have earned a holiday. Take this day for your own; but +remember that God gave it, and try to learn some good thing." + +The boy thanked his father and kissed his mother; then he put a piece +of bread in his pocket, and started off to find the house with the +golden windows. + +It was pleasant walking. His bare feet made marks in the white dust, +and when he looked back, the footprints seemed to be following him, +and making company for him. His shadow, too, kept beside him, and +would dance or run with him as he pleased; so it was very cheerful. + +By and by he felt hungry; and he sat down by a brown brook that ran +through the alder hedge by the roadside, and ate his bread, and drank +the clear water. Then he scattered the crumbs for the birds, as his +mother had taught him to do, and went on his way. + +After a long time he came to a high green hill; and when he had +climbed the hill, there was the house on the top; but it seemed that +the shutters were up, for he could not see the golden windows. He came +up to the house, and then he could well have wept, for the windows +were of clear glass, like any others, and there was no gold anywhere +about them. + +A woman came to the door, and looked kindly at the boy, and asked him +what he wanted. + +"I saw the golden windows from our hilltop," he said, "and I came to +see them, but now they are only glass." + +The woman shook her head and laughed. + +"We are poor farming people," she said, "and are not likely to have +gold about our windows; but glass is better to see through." + +She bade the boy sit down on the broad stone step at the door, and +brought him a cup of milk and a cake, and bade him rest; then she +called her daughter, a child of his own age, and nodded kindly at the +two, and went back to her work. + +The little girl was barefooted like himself, and wore a brown cotton +gown, but her hair was golden like the windows he had seen, and her +eyes were blue like the sky at noon. She led the boy about the farm, +and showed him her black calf with the white star on its forehead, +and he told her about his own at home, which was red like a chestnut, +with four white feet. Then when they had eaten an apple together, and +so had become friends, the boy asked her about the golden windows. +The little girl nodded, and said she knew all about them, only he had +mistaken the house. + +"You have come quite the wrong way!" she said. "Come with me, and I +will show you the house with the golden windows, and then you will see +for yourself." + +They went to a knoll that rose behind the farmhouse, and as they went +the little girl told him that the golden windows could only be seen at +a certain hour, about sunset. + +"Yes, I know that!" said the boy. + +When they reached the top of the knoll, the girl turned and pointed; +and there on a hill far away stood a house with windows of clear gold +and diamond, just as he had seen them. And when they looked again, the +boy saw that it was his own home. + +Then he told the little girl that he must go; and he gave her his best +pebble, the white one with the red band, that he had carried for a +year in his pocket; and she gave him three horse-chestnuts, one red +like satin, one spotted, and one white like milk. He kissed her, and +promised to come again, but he did not tell her what he had learned; +and so he went back down the hill, and the little girl stood in the +sunset light and watched him. + +The way home was long, and it was dark before the boy reached his +father's house; but the lamplight and firelight shone through the +windows, making them almost as bright as he had seen them from the +hilltop; and when he opened the door, his mother came to kiss him, and +his little sister ran to throw her arms about his neck, and his father +looked up and smiled from his seat by the fire. + +"Have you had a good day?" asked his mother. + +Yes, the boy had had a very good day. + +"And have you learned anything?" asked his father. + +"Yes!" said the boy. "I have learned that our house has windows of +gold and diamond." + + + + +THE COMING OF THE KING + + +Some children were at play in their play-ground one day, when a herald +rode through the town, blowing a trumpet, and crying aloud, "The King! +the King passes by this road to-day. Make ready for the King!" + +The children stopped their play, and looked at one another. + +"Did you hear that?" they said. "The King is coming. He may look over +the wall and see our playground; who knows? We must put it in order." + +The playground was sadly dirty, and in the corners were scraps of +paper and broken toys, for these were careless children. But now, +one brought a hoe, and another a rake, and a third ran to fetch the +wheelbarrow from behind the garden gate. They labored hard, till at +length all was clean and tidy. + +"Now it is clean!" they said; "but we must make it pretty, too, +for kings are used to fine things; maybe he would not notice mere +cleanness, for he may have it all the time." + +Then one brought sweet rushes and strewed them on the ground; and +others made garlands of oak leaves and pine tassels and hung them on +the walls; and the littlest one pulled marigold buds and threw them +all about the playground, "to look like gold," he said. + +When all was done the playground was so beautiful that the children +stood and looked at it, and clapped their hands with pleasure. + +"Let us keep it always like this!" said the littlest one; and the +others cried, "Yes! yes! that is what we will do." + +They waited all day for the coming of the King, but he never came; +only, towards sunset, a man with travel-worn clothes, and a kind, +tired face passed along the road, and stopped to look over the wall. + +"What a pleasant place!" said the man. "May I come in and rest, dear +children?" + +The children brought him in gladly, and set him on the seat that they +had made out of an old cask. They had covered it with the old red +cloak to make it look like a throne, and it made a very good one. + +"It is our playground!" they said. "We made it pretty for the King, +but he did not come, and now we mean to keep it so for ourselves." + +"That is good!" said the man. + +"Because we think pretty and clean is nicer than ugly and dirty!" said +another. + +"That is better!" said the man. + +"And for tired people to rest in!" said the littlest one. + +"That is best of all!" said the man. + +He sat and rested, and looked at the children with such kind eyes +that they came about him, and told him all they knew; about the five +puppies in the barn, and the thrush's nest with four blue eggs, +and the shore where the gold shells grew; and the man nodded and +understood all about it. + +By and by he asked for a cup of water, and they brought it to him +in the best cup, with the gold sprigs on it: then he thanked the +children, and rose and went on his way; but before he went he laid his +hand on their heads for a moment, and the touch went warm to their +hearts. + +The children stood by the wall and watched the man as he went slowly +along. The sun was setting, and the light fell in long slanting rays +across the road. + +"He looks so tired!" said one of the children. + +"But he was so kind!" said another. + +"See!" said the littlest one. "How the sun shines on his hair! it +looks like a crown of gold." + + + + +SWING SONG + + + As I swing, as I swing, + Here beneath my mother's wing, + Here beneath my mother's arm, + Never earthly thing can harm. + Up and down, to and fro, + With a steady sweep I go, + Like a swallow on the wing, + As I swing, as I swing. + + As I swing, as I swing, + Honey-bee comes murmuring, + Humming softly in my ear, + "Come away with me, my dear! + In the tiger-lily's cup + Sweetest honey we will sup." + Go away, you velvet thing! + I must swing! I must swing! + + As I swing, as I swing, + Butterfly comes fluttering, + "Little child, now come away + 'Mid the clover-blooms to play; + Clover-blooms are red and white, + Sky is blue and sun is bright. + Why then thus, with folded wing, + Sit and swing, sit and swing?" + + As I swing, as I swing, + Oriole comes hovering. + "See my nest in yonder tree! + Little child, come work with me. + Learn to make a perfect nest, + That of all things is the best. + Come! nor longer loitering + Sit and swing, sit and swing!" + + As I swing, as I swing, + Though I have not any wing, + Still I would not change with you, + Happiest bird that ever flew. + Butterfly and honey-bee, + Sure 't is you must envy me, + Safe beneath my mother's wing + As I swing, as I swing. + + + + +THE GREAT FEAST + + +Once the Play Angel came into a nursery where four little children sat +on the floor with sad and troubled faces. + +"What is the matter, dears?" asked the Play Angel. + +"We wanted to have a grand feast!" said the child whose nursery it was. + +"Yes, that would be delightful!" said the Play Angel. + +"But there is only one cooky!" said the child whose nursery it was. + +"And it is a very small cooky!" said the child who was a cousin, and +therefore felt a right to speak. + +"Not big enough for myself!" said the child whose nursery it was. + +The other two children said nothing, because they were not relations; +but they looked at the cooky with large eyes, and their mouths went +up in the middle and down at the sides. + +"Well," said the Play Angel, "suppose we have the feast just the same! +I think we can manage it." + +She broke the cooky into four pieces, and gave one piece to the +littlest child. + +"See!" she said. "This is a roast chicken, a Brown Bantam. It is just +as brown and crispy as it can be, and there is cranberry sauce on one +side, and on the other a little mountain of mashed potato; it must be +a volcano, it smokes so. Do you see?" + +"Yes!" said the littlest one; and his mouth went down in the middle +and up at the corners. + +The Play Angel gave a piece to the next child. + +"Here," she said, "is a little pie! Outside, as you see, it is brown +and crusty, with a wreath of pastry leaves round the edge and 'For +You' in the middle; but inside it is all chicken and ham and jelly and +hard-boiled eggs. Did ever you see such a pie?" + +"Never I did!" said the child. + +"Now here," said the Angel to the third child, "is a round cake. +_Look_ at it! the frosting is half an inch thick, with candied +rose-leaves and angelica laid on in true-lovers' knots; and inside +there are chopped-up almonds, and raisins, and great slices of citron. +It is the prettiest cake I ever saw, and the best." + +"So it is I did!" said the third child. + +Then the Angel gave the last piece to the child whose nursery it was. + +"My dear!" she said. "Just look! Here is an ice-cream rabbit. He is +snow-white outside, with eyes of red barley sugar; see his ears, and +his little snubby tail! but inside, I _think_ you will find him pink. +Now, when I clap my hands and count one, two, three, you must eat the +feast all up. One--two--three!" + +So the children ate the feast all up. + +"There!" said the Angel. "Did ever you see such a grand feast?" + +"No, never we did!" said all the four children together. + +"And there are some crumbs left over," said the Angel. "Come, and we +will give them to the brother birds!" + +"But you didn't have any!" said the child whose nursery it was. + +"Oh, yes!" said the Angel. "I had it all!" + + + + +THE OWL AND THE EEL AND THE WARMING-PAN + + + The owl and the eel and the warming-pan, + They went to call on the soap-fat man. + The soap-fat man he was not within: + He'd gone for a ride on his rolling-pin. + So they all came back by the way of the town, + And turned the meeting-house upside down. + + + + +THE WHEAT-FIELD + + +Some children were set to reap in a wheat-field. The wheat was yellow +as gold, the sun shone gloriously, and the butterflies flew hither and +thither. Some of the children worked better, and some worse; but there +was one who ran here and there after the butterflies that fluttered +about his head, and sang as he ran. + +By and by evening came, and the Angel of the wheat-field called to the +children and said, "Come now to the gate, and bring your sheaves with +you." + +So the children came, bringing their sheaves. Some had great piles, +laid close and even, so that they might carry more; some had theirs +laid large and loose, so that they looked more than they were; but +one, the child that had run to and fro after the butterflies, came +empty-handed. + +The Angel said to this child, "Where are your sheaves?" + +The child hung his head. "I do not know!" he said. "I had some, but I +have lost them, I know not how." + +"None enter here without sheaves," said the Angel. + +"I know that," said the child. "But I thought I would like to see the +place where the others were going; besides, they would not let me +leave them." + +Then all the other children cried out together. One said, "Dear Angel, +let him in! In the morning I was sick, and this child came and played +with me, and showed me the butterflies, and I forgot my pain. Also, he +gave me one of his sheaves, and I would give it to him again, but I +cannot tell it now from my own." + + [Illustration: THE WHEAT FIELD. + [_Page 22._] + +Another said, "Dear Angel, let him in! At noon the sun beat on my head +so fiercely that I fainted and fell down like one dead; and this child +came running by, and when he saw me he brought water to revive me, +and then he showed me the butterflies, and was so glad and merry that +my strength returned; to me also he gave one of his sheaves, and +I would give it to him again, but it is so like my own that I cannot +tell it." + +And a third said, "Just now, as evening was coming, I was weary and +sad, and had so few sheaves that it seemed hardly worth my while +to go on working; but this child comforted me, and showed me the +butterflies, and gave me of his sheaves. Look! it may be that this was +his; and yet I cannot tell, it is so like my own." + +And all the children said, "We also had sheaves of him, dear Angel; +let him in, we pray you!" + +The Angel smiled, and reached his hand inside the gate and brought out +a pile of sheaves; it was not large, but the glory of the sun was on +it, so that it seemed to lighten the whole field. + +"Here are his sheaves!" said the Angel. "They are known and counted, +every one." And he said to the child, "Lead the way in!" + + + + +ABOUT ANGELS + + +"Mother," said the child; "are there really angels?" + +"The Good Book says so," said the mother. + +"Yes," said the child; "I have seen the picture. But did you ever see +one, mother?" + +"I think I have," said the mother; "but she was not dressed like the +picture." + +"I am going to find one!" said the child. "I am going to run along the +road, miles, and miles, and miles, until I find an angel." + +"That will be a good plan!" said the mother. "And I will go with you, +for you are too little to run far alone." + +"I am not little any more!" said the child. "I have trousers; I am big." + +"So you are!" said the mother. "I forgot. But it is a fine day, and I +should like the walk." + +"But you walk so slowly, with your lame foot." + +"I can walk faster than you think!" said the mother. + +So they started, the child leaping and running, and the mother +stepping out so bravely with her lame foot that the child soon forgot +about it. + +The child danced on ahead, and presently he saw a chariot coming +towards him, drawn by prancing white horses. In the chariot sat a +splendid lady in velvet and furs, with white plumes waving above her +dark hair. As she moved in her seat, she flashed with jewels and gold, +but her eyes were brighter than her diamonds. + +"Are you an angel?" asked the child, running up beside the chariot. + +The lady made no reply, but stared coldly at the child: then she spoke +a word to her coachman, and he flicked his whip, and the chariot +rolled away swiftly in a cloud of dust, and disappeared. + +The dust filled the child's eyes and mouth, and made him choke and +sneeze. He gasped for breath, and rubbed his eyes; but presently his +mother came up, and wiped away the dust with her blue gingham apron. + +"That was not an angel!" said the child. + +"No, indeed!" said the mother. "Nothing like one!" + +The child danced on again, leaping and running from side to side of +the road, and the mother followed as best she might. + +By and by the child met a most beautiful maiden, clad in a white +dress. Her eyes were like blue stars, and the blushes came and went in +her face like roses looking through snow. + +"I am sure you must be an angel!" cried the child. + +The maiden blushed more sweetly than before. "You dear little child!" +she cried. "Some one else said that, only last evening. Do I really +look like an angel?" + +"You _are_ an angel!" said the child. + +The maiden took him up in her arms and kissed him, and held him +tenderly. + +"You are the dearest little thing I ever saw!" she said. "Tell me what +makes you think so!" But suddenly her face changed. + +"Oh!" she cried. "There he is, coming to meet me! And you have soiled +my white dress with your dusty shoes, and pulled my hair all awry. Run +away, child, and go home to your mother!" + +She set the child down, not unkindly, but so hastily that he stumbled +and fell; but she did not see that, for she was hastening forward to +meet her lover, who was coming along the road. (Now if the maiden had +only known, he thought her twice as lovely with the child in her arms; +but she did not know.) + +The child lay in the dusty road and sobbed, till his mother came along +and picked him up, and wiped away the tears with her blue gingham apron. + +"I don't believe that was an angel, after all," he said. + +"No!" said the mother. "But she may be one some day. She is young yet." + +"I am tired!" said the child. "Will you carry me home, mother?" + +"Why, yes!" said the mother. "That is what I came for." + +The child put his arms round his mother's neck, and she held him tight +and trudged along the road, singing the song he liked best. + +Suddenly he looked up in her face. + +"Mother," he said; "I don't suppose _you_ could be an angel, could you?" + +"Oh, what a foolish child!" said the mother. "Who ever heard of an +angel in a blue gingham apron?" and she went on singing, and stepped +out so bravely on her lame foot that no one would ever have known she +was lame. + + + + +THE APRON-STRING + + +Once upon a time a boy played about the house, running by his mother's +side; and as he was very little, his mother tied him to the string of +her apron. + +"Now," she said, "when you stumble, you can pull yourself up by the +apron-string, and so you will not fall." + +The boy did that, and all went well, and the mother sang at her work. + +By and by the boy grew so tall that his head came above the +window-sill; and looking through the window, he saw far away green +trees waving, and a flowing river that flashed in the sun, and rising +above all, blue peaks of mountains. + +"Oh, mother," he said; "untie the apron-string and let me go!" + +But the mother said, "Not yet, my child! only yesterday you stumbled, +and would have fallen but for the apron-string. Wait yet a little, +till you are stronger." + +So the boy waited, and all went as before; and the mother sang at her +work. + +But one day the boy found the door of the house standing open, for it +was spring weather; and he stood on the threshold and looked across +the valley, and saw the green trees waving, and the swift-flowing +river with the sun flashing on it, and the blue mountains rising +beyond; and this time he heard the voice of the river calling, and it +said "Come!" + +Then the boy started forward, and as he started, the string of the +apron broke. + +"Oh! how weak my mother's apron-string is!" cried the boy; and he ran +out into the world, with the broken string hanging beside him. + +The mother gathered up the other end of the string and put it in her +bosom, and went about her work again; but she sang no more. + +The boy ran on and on, rejoicing in his freedom, and in the fresh +air and the morning sun. He crossed the valley, and began to climb +the foothills among which the river flowed swiftly, among rocks and +cliffs. Now it was easy climbing, and again it was steep and craggy, +but always he looked upward at the blue peaks beyond, and always the +voice of the river was in his ears, saying "Come!" + +By and by he came to the brink of a precipice, over which the river +dashed in a cataract, foaming and flashing, and sending up clouds of +silver spray. The spray filled his eyes, so that he did not see his +footing clearly; he grew dizzy, stumbled, and fell. But as he fell, +something about him caught on a point of rock at the precipice-edge, +and held him, so that he hung dangling over the abyss; and when he +put up his hand to see what held him, he found that it was the broken +string of the apron, which still hung by his side. + +"Oh! how strong my mother's apron-string is!" said the boy: and +he drew himself up by it, and stood firm on his feet, and went on +climbing toward the blue peaks of the mountains. + + + + +THE SHADOW + + +An Angel heard a child crying one day, and came to see what ailed it. +He found the little one sitting on the ground, with the sun at its +back (for the day was young), looking at its own shadow, which lay on +the ground before it, and weeping bitterly. + +"What ails you, little one?" asked the Angel. + +"The world is so dark!" said the child. "See, it is all dusky gray, +and there is no beauty in it. Why must I stay in this sad, gray world?" + +"Do you not hear the birds singing, and the other children calling at +their play?" asked the Angel. + +"Yes," said the child; "I hear them, but I do not know where they are. +I cannot see them, I see only the shadow. Moreover, if they saw it, +they would not sing and call, but would weep as I do." + +The Angel lifted the child, and set it on its feet, with its face to +the early sun. + +"Look!" said the Angel. + +The child brushed away the tears from its eyes and looked. Before them +lay the fields all green and gold, shining with dewdrops, and the +other children were running to and fro, laughing and shouting, and +crowning one another with blossoms. + +"Why, there are the children!" said the little one. + +"Yes," said the Angel; "there they are." + +"And the sun is shining!" cried the child. + +"Yes," said the Angel; "it was shining all the time." + +"And the shadow is gone!" + +"Oh, no!" said the Angel; "the shadow is behind you, where it belongs. +Run, now, and gather flowers for the littlest one, who sits in the +grass there!" + + + + +THE SAILOR MAN + + +Once upon a time two children came to the house of a sailor man, who +lived beside the salt sea; and they found the sailor man sitting in +his doorway knotting ropes. + +"How do you do?" asked the sailor man. + +"We are very well, thank you," said the children, who had learned +manners, "and we hope you are the same. We heard that you had a boat, +and we thought that perhaps you would take us out in her, and teach us +how to sail, for that is what we wish most to know." + + [Illustration: THE SAILOR MAN. + [_Page 34._] + +"All in good time," said the sailor man. "I am busy now, but by and +by, when my work is done, I may perhaps take one of you if you are +ready to learn. Meantime here are some ropes that need knotting; you +might be doing that, since it has to be done." And he showed them +how the knots should be tied, and went away and left them. + +When he was gone the first child ran to the window and looked out. + +"There is the sea," he said. "The waves come up on the beach, almost +to the door of the house. They run up all white, like prancing horses, +and then they go dragging back. Come and look!" + +"I cannot," said the second child. "I am tying a knot." + +"Oh!" cried the first child, "I see the boat. She is dancing like a +lady at a ball; I never saw such a beauty. Come and look!" + +"I cannot," said the second child. "I am tying a knot." + +"I shall have a delightful sail in that boat," said the first child. +"I expect that the sailor man will take me, because I am the eldest +and I know more about it. There was no need of my watching when he +showed you the knots, because I knew how already." + +Just then the sailor man came in. + +"Well," he said, "my work is over. What have you been doing in the +meantime?" + +"I have been looking at the boat," said the first child. "What a beauty +she is! I shall have the best time in her that ever I had in my life." + +"I have been tying knots," said the second child. + +"Come, then," said the sailor man, and he held out his hand to the +second child. "I will take you out in the boat, and teach you to sail +her." + +"But I am the eldest," cried the first child, "and I know a great deal +more than she does." + +"That may be," said the sailor man; "but a person must learn to tie a +knot before he can learn to sail a boat." + +"But I have learned to tie a knot," cried the child. "I know all about +it!" + +"How can I tell that?" asked the sailor man. + + + + +"GO" AND "COME" + + +"Little boy," said the nurse one day, "you would be far better at work. +Your garden needs weeding sadly; go now and weed it, like a good child!" + +But the little boy did not feel like weeding that day. + +"I can't do it," he said. + +"Oh! yes, you can," said the nurse. + +"Well, I don't want to," said the little boy. + +"But you must!" said the nurse. "Don't be naughty, but go at once and +do your work as I bid you!" + +She went away about her own work, for she was very industrious; but +the little boy sat still, and thought himself ill-used. + +By and by his mother came into the room and saw him. + +"What is the matter, little boy?" she asked; for he looked like a +three-days' rain. + +"Nurse told me to weed my garden," said the little boy. + +"Oh," said his mother, "what fun that will be! I love to weed, and it +is such a fine day! Mayn't I come and help?" + +"Why, yes," said the little boy. "You may." And they weeded the garden +beautifully, and had a glorious time. + + + + +CHILD'S PLAY + + +Once a child was sitting on a great log that lay by the roadside, +playing; and another child came along, and stopped to speak to him. + +"What are you doing?" asked the second child. + +"I am sailing to the Southern Seas," replied the first, "to get a +cargo of monkeys, and elephant tusks, and crystal balls as large as +oranges. Come up here, and you may sail with me if you like." + +So the second child climbed upon the log. + +"Look!" said the first child. "See how the foam bubbles up before the +ship, and trails and floats away behind! Look! the water is so clear +that we can see the fishes swimming about, blue and red and green. +There goes a parrot-fish; my father told me about them. I should not +wonder if we saw a whale in about a minute." + +"What are you talking about?" asked the second child, peevishly. +"There is no water here, only grass; and anyhow this is nothing but a +log. You cannot get to islands in this way." + +"But we _have_ got to them," cried the first child. "We are at them +now. I see the palm-trees waving, and the white sand glittering. Look! +there are the natives gathering to welcome us on the beach. They have +feather cloaks, and necklaces, and anklets of copper as red as gold. +Oh! and there is an elephant coming straight toward us." + +"I should think you would be ashamed," said the second child. "That is +Widow Slocum." + +"It's all the same," said the first child. + +Presently the second child got down from the log. + +"I am going to play stick-knife," he said. "I don't see any sense in +this. I think you are pretty dull to play things that aren't really +there." And he walked slowly away. + +The first child looked after him a moment. + +"I think _you_ are pretty dull," he said to himself, "to see nothing +but what is under your nose." + +But he was too well-mannered to say this aloud; and having taken in +his cargo, he sailed for another port. + + + + +LITTLE JOHN BOTTLEJOHN + + + Little John Bottlejohn lived on the hill, + And a blithe little man was he. + And he won the heart of a pretty mermaid + Who lived in the deep blue sea. + And every evening she used to sit + And sing on the rocks by the sea, + "Oh! little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, + Won't you come out to me?" + + Little John Bottlejohn heard her song, + And he opened his little door. + And he hopped and he skipped, and he skipped and he hopped, + Until he came down to the shore. + And there on the rocks sat the little mermaid, + And still she was singing so free, + "Oh! little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, + Won't you come out to me?" + + Little John Bottlejohn made a bow, + And the mermaid, she made one too, + And she said, "Oh! I never saw any one half + So perfectly sweet as you! + In my lovely home 'neath the ocean foam, + How happy we both might be! + Oh! little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, + Won't you come down with me?" + + Little John Bottlejohn said, "Oh yes! + I'll willingly go with you. + And I never shall quail at the sight of your tail, + For perhaps I may grow one too." + So he took her hand, and he left the land, + And plunged in the foaming main. + And little John Bottlejohn, pretty John Bottlejohn, + Never was seen again. + + + + +A FORTUNE + + +One day a man was walking along the street, and he was sad at heart. +Business was dull; he had set his desire upon a horse that cost a +thousand dollars, and he had only eight hundred to buy it with. There +were other things, to be sure, that might be bought with eight hundred +dollars, but he did not want those; so he was sorrowful, and thought +the world a bad place. + +As he walked, he saw a child running toward him; it was a strange +child, but when he looked at it, its face lightened like sunshine, and +broke into smiles. The child held out its closed hand. + +"Guess what I have!" it cried gleefully. + +"Something fine, I am sure!" said the man. + +The child nodded and drew nearer; then opened its hand. + +"Look!" it said; and the street rang with its happy laughter. The man +looked, and in the child's hand lay a penny. + +"Hurrah!" said the child. + +"Hurrah!" said the man. + +Then they parted, and the child went and bought a stick of candy, and +saw all the world red and white in stripes. + +The man went and put his eight hundred dollars in the savings-bank, +all but fifty cents, and with the fifty cents he bought a hobby-horse +for his own little boy, and the little boy saw all the world brown, +with white spots. + +"Is this the horse you wanted so to buy, father?" asked the little boy. + +"It is the horse I have bought!" said the man. + +"Hurrah!" said the little boy. + +"Hurrah!" said the man. And he saw that the world was a good place +after all. + + + + +THE STARS + + +A little dear child lay in its crib and sobbed, because it was afraid +of the dark. And its father, in the room below, heard the sobs, and +came up, and said, + +"What ails you, my dearie, and why do you cry?" + +And the child said, "Oh, father, I am afraid of the dark. Nurse says I +am too big to have a taper; but all the corners are full of dreadful +blackness, and I think there are Things in them with eyes, that would +look at me if I looked at them; and if they looked at me I should die. +Oh, father, why is it dark? why is there such a terrible thing as +darkness? why cannot it be always day?" + +The father took the child in his arms and carried it downstairs and +out into the summer night. + +"Look up, dearie!" he said, in his strong, kind voice. "Look up, and +see God's little lights!" + +The little one looked up, and saw the stars, spangling the blue veil +of the sky; bright as candles they burned, and yellow as gold. + +"Oh, father," cried the child; "what are those lovely things?" + +"Those are stars," said the father. "Those are God's little lights." + +"But why have I never seen them before?" + +"Because you are a very little child, and have never been out in the +night before." + +"Can I see the stars only at night, father?" + +"Only at night, my child!" + +"Do they only come then, father?" + +"No; they are always there, but we cannot see them when the sun is +shining." + +"But, father, the darkness is not terrible here, it is beautiful!" + +"Yes, dearie; the darkness is always beautiful, if we will only look +up at the stars, instead of into the corners." + + + + +BUTTERCUP GOLD + + +Oh! the cupperty-buts! and oh! the cupperty-buts! out in the meadow, +shining under the trees, and sparkling over the lawn, millions and +millions of them, each one a bit of purest gold from Mother Nature's +mint. Jessy stood at the window, looking out at them, and thinking, as +she often had thought before, that there were no flowers so beautiful. +"Cupperty-buts," she had been used to call them, when she was a wee +baby-girl and could not speak without tumbling over her words and +mixing them up in the queerest fashion; and now that she was a very +great girl, actually six years old, they were still cupperty-buts to +her, and would never be anything else, she said. There was nothing +she liked better than to watch the lovely golden things, and nod to +them as they nodded to her; but this morning her little face looked +anxious and troubled, and she gazed at the flowers with an intent and +inquiring look, as if she had expected them to reply to her unspoken +thoughts. What these thoughts were I am going to tell you. + +Half an hour before, she had called to her mother, who was just going +out, and begged her to come and look at the cupperty-buts. + +"They are brighter than ever, Mamma! Do just come and look at them! +golden, golden, golden! There must be fifteen thousand million +dollars' worth of gold just on the lawn, I should think." + +And her mother, pausing to look out, said, very sadly,-- + +"Ah, my darling! if I only had this day a little of that gold, what a +happy woman I should be!" + +And then the good mother went out, and there little Jessy stood, +gazing at the flowers, and repeating the words to herself, over and +over again,-- + +"If I only had a little of that gold!" + +She knew that her mother was very, very poor, and had to go out to +work every day to earn food and clothes for herself and her little +daughter; and the child's tender heart ached to think of the sadness +in the dear mother's look and tone. Suddenly Jessy started, and the +sunshine flashed into her face. + +"Why!" she exclaimed, "why shouldn't I get some of the gold from +the cupperty-buts? I believe I could get some, perfectly well. When +Mamma wants to get the juice out of anything, meat, or fruit, or +anything of that sort, she just boils it. And so, if I should boil the +cupperty-buts, wouldn't all the gold come out? Of course it would! Oh, +joy! how pleased Mamma will be!" + +Jessy's actions always followed her thoughts with great rapidity. In +five minutes she was out on the lawn, with a huge basket beside her, +pulling away at the buttercups with might and main. Oh! how small they +were, and how long it took even to cover the bottom of the basket. But +Jessy worked with a will, and at the end of an hour she had picked +enough to make at least a thousand dollars, as she calculated. That +would do for one day, she thought; and now for the grand experiment! +Before going out she had with much labor filled the great kettle with +water, so now the water was boiling, and she had only to put the +buttercups in and put the cover on. When this was done, she sat as +patiently as she could, trying to pay attention to her knitting, and +not to look at the clock oftener than every two minutes. + +"They must boil for an hour," she said; "and by that time all the gold +will have come out." + +Well, the hour did pass, somehow or other, though it was a very long +one; and at eleven o'clock, Jessy, with a mighty effort, lifted the +kettle from the stove and carried it to the open door, that the fresh +air might cool the boiling water. At first, when she lifted the cover, +such a cloud of steam came out that she could see nothing; but in a +moment the wind blew the steam aside, and then she saw,--oh, poor +little Jessy!--she saw a mass of weeds floating about in a quantity +of dirty, greenish water, and that was all. Not the smallest trace of +gold, even in the buttercups themselves, was to be seen. Poor little +Jessy! she tried hard not to cry, but it was a bitter disappointment; +the tears came rolling down her cheeks faster and faster, till at +length she sat down by the kettle, and, burying her face in her apron, +sobbed as if her heart would break. + +Presently, through her sobs, she heard a kind voice saying, "What +is the matter, little one? Why do you cry so bitterly?" She looked +up and saw an old gentleman with white hair and a bright, cheery +face, standing by her. At first, Jessy could say nothing but "Oh! +the cupperty-buts! oh! the cupperty-buts!" but, of course, the old +gentleman didn't know what she meant by that, so, as he urged her +to tell him about her trouble, she dried her eyes, and told him the +melancholy little story: how her mother was very poor, and said she +wished she had some gold; and how she herself had tried to get the gold +out of the buttercups by boiling them. "I was so sure I could get it +out," she said, "and I thought Mamma would be so pleased! And now--" + +Here she was very near breaking down again; but the gentleman patted +her head and said, cheerfully, "Wait a bit, little woman! Don't give +up the ship yet. You know that gold is heavy, very heavy indeed, and +if there were any it would be at the very bottom of the kettle, all +covered with the weeds, so that you could not see it. I should not be +at all surprised if you found some, after all. Run into the house and +bring me a spoon with a long handle, and we will fish in the kettle, +and see what we can find." + +Jessy's face brightened, and she ran into the house. If any one had +been standing near just at that moment, I think it is possible that +he might have seen the old gentleman's hand go into his pocket and +out again very quickly, and might have heard a little splash in the +kettle; but nobody was near, so, of course, I cannot say anything +about it. At any rate, when Jessy came out with the spoon, he was +standing with both hands in his pockets, looking in the opposite +direction. He took the great iron spoon and fished about in the kettle +for some time. At last there was a little clinking noise, and the old +gentleman lifted the spoon. Oh, wonder and delight! In it lay three +great, broad, shining pieces of gold! Jessy could hardly believe her +eyes. She stared and stared; and when the old gentleman put the gold +into her hand, she still stood as if in a happy dream, gazing at it. +Suddenly she started, and remembered that she had not thanked her +kindly helper. She looked up, and began, "Thank you, sir;" but the old +gentleman was gone. + +Well, the next question was, How could Jessy possibly wait till twelve +o'clock for her mother to come home? Knitting was out of the question. +She could do nothing but dance and look out of window, and look out +of window and dance, holding the precious coins tight in her hand. At +last, a well-known footstep was heard outside the door, and Mrs. Gray +came in, looking very tired and worn. She smiled, however, when she +saw Jessy, and said,-- + +"Well, my darling, I am glad to see you looking so bright. How has +the morning gone with my little housekeeper?" + +"Oh, mother!" cried Jessy, hopping about on one foot, "it has gone +very well! oh, very, _very, very_ well! Oh, my mother dear, what do +you think I have got in my hand? _What_ do you think? oh, what _do_ +you think?" and she went dancing round and round, till poor Mrs. Gray +was quite dizzy with watching her. At last she stopped, and holding +out her hand, opened it and showed her mother what was in it. Mrs. +Gray was really frightened. + +"Jessy, my child!" she cried, "where did you get all that money?" + +"Out of the cupperty-buts, Mamma!" said Jessy, "out of the +cupperty-buts! and it's all for you, every bit of it! Dear Mamma, now +you will be happy, will you not?" + +"Jessy," said Mrs. Gray, "have you lost your senses, or are you +playing some trick on me? Tell me all about this at once, dear child, +and don't talk nonsense." + +"But it isn't nonsense, Mamma!" cried Jessy, "and it did come out of +the cupperty-buts!" + +And then she told her mother the whole story. The tears came into Mrs. +Gray's eyes, but they were tears of joy and gratitude. + +"Jessy dear," she said, "when we say our prayers at night, let us +never forget to pray for that good gentleman. May Heaven bless him and +reward him! for if it had not been for him, Jessy dear, I fear you +would never have found the 'Buttercup Gold.'" + + + + +THE PATIENT CAT + + +When the spotted cat first found the nest, there was nothing in it, +for it was only just finished. So she said, "I will wait!" for she was +a patient cat, and the summer was before her. She waited a week, and +then she climbed up again to the top of the tree, and peeped into the +nest. There lay two lovely blue eggs, smooth and shining. + +The spotted cat said, "Eggs may be good, but young birds are better. I +will wait." So she waited; and while she was waiting, she caught mice +and rats, and washed herself and slept, and did all that a spotted cat +should do to pass the time away. + +When another week had passed, she climbed the tree again and peeped +into the nest. This time there were five eggs. But the spotted cat +said again, "Eggs may be good, but young birds are better. I will wait +a little longer!" + +So she waited a little longer and then went up again to look. Ah! +there were five tiny birds, with big eyes and long necks, and yellow +beaks wide open. Then the spotted cat sat down on the branch, and +licked her nose and purred, for she was very happy. "It is worth while +to be patient!" she said. + +But when she looked again at the young birds, to see which one she +should take first, she saw that they were very thin,--oh, very, very +thin they were! The spotted cat had never seen anything so thin in her +life. + +"Now," she said to herself, "if I were to wait only a few days longer, +they would grow fat. Thin birds may be good, but fat birds are much +better. I will wait!" + +So she waited; and she watched the father-bird bringing worms all day +long to the nest, and said, "Aha! they must be fattening fast! they +will soon be as fat as I wish them to be. Aha! what a good thing it +is to be patient." + +At last, one day she thought, "Surely, now they must be fat enough! I +will not wait another day. Aha! how good they will be!" + +So she climbed up the tree, licking her chops all the way and thinking +of the fat young birds. And when she reached the top and looked into +the nest, it was empty!! + +Then the spotted cat sat down on the branch and spoke thus, "Well, +of all the horrid, mean, ungrateful creatures I ever saw, those +birds are the horridest, and the meanest, and the most ungrateful! +Mi-a-u-ow!!!!" + + + + +ALICE'S SUPPER + + + Far down in the meadow the wheat grows green, + And the reapers are whetting their sickles so keen; + And this is the song that I hear them sing, + While cheery and loud their voices ring: + "'Tis the finest wheat that ever did grow! + And it is for Alice's supper, ho! ho!" + + Far down in the valley the old mill stands, + And the miller is rubbing his dusty white hands; + And these are the words of the miller's lay, + As he watches the millstones a-grinding away: + "'Tis the finest flour that money can buy, + And it is for Alice's supper, hi! hi!" + + Downstairs in the kitchen the fire doth glow, + And Maggie is kneading the soft white dough, + And this is the song that she's singing to-day, + While merry and busy she's working away: + "'Tis the finest dough, by near or by far, + And it is for Alice's supper, ha! ha!" + + And now to the nursery comes Nannie at last, + And what in her hand is she bringing so fast? + 'Tis a plate full of something all yellow and white, + And she sings as she comes with her smile so bright: + "'Tis the best bread-and-butter I ever did see! + And it is for Alice's supper, he! he!" + + + + +THE QUACKY DUCK + + +The Quacky Duck stood on the bank of the stream. And the frogs came +and sat on stones and insulted him. Now the words which the frogs used +were these,-- + + "Ya! ha! he hasn't any hind-legs! + Ya! ha! he hasn't any fore-legs! + Oh! what horrid luck + To be a Quacky Duck!" + +These were not pleasant words. And when the Quacky Duck heard them, he +considered within himself whether it would not be best for him to eat +the frogs. + +"Two good things would come of it," he said. "I should have a savoury +meal, and their remarks would no longer be audible." + +So he fell upon the frogs, and they fled before him. And one jumped +into the water, and one jumped on the land, and another jumped into the +reeds; for such is their manner. But one of them, being in fear, saw +not clearly the way he should go, and jumped even upon the back of the +Quacky Duck. Now, this displeased the Quacky Duck, and he said, "If you +will remove yourself from my person, we will speak further of this." + +So the frog, being also willing, strove to remove himself, and the +result was that they two, being on the edge of the bank, fell into the +water. Then the frog departed swiftly, saying, "Solitude is best for +meditation." + +But the Quacky Duck, having hit his head against a stone, sank to the +bottom of the pond, where he found himself in the frogs' kitchen. And +there he spied a fish, which the frogs had caught for their dinner, +intending to share it in a brotherly manner, for it was a savoury +fish. When the Quacky Duck saw it, he was glad; and he said, "Fish is +better than frog" (for he was an English duck)! And, taking the fish, +he swam with speed to the shore. + +Now the frogs lamented when they saw him go, for they said, "He has +our savoury fish!" And they wept, and reviled the Quacky Duck. + +But he said, "Be comforted! for if I had not found the fish, I should +assuredly have eaten you. Therefore, say now, which is the better for +you?" And he ate the fish, and departed joyful. + + + + +AT THE LITTLE BOY'S HOME + + +It was a very hot day, and the little boy was lying on his stomach +under the big linden tree, reading the "Scottish Chiefs." + +"Little Boy," said his mother, "will you please go out in the garden +and bring me a head of lettuce?" + +"Oh, I--can't!" said the little boy. "I'm--too--_hot_!" + +The little boy's father happened to be close by, weeding the geranium +bed; and when he heard this, he lifted the little boy gently by his +waistband, and dipped him in the great tub of water that stood ready +for watering the plants. + +"There, my son!" said the father. "Now you are cool enough to go and +get the lettuce; but remember next time that it will be easier to go +at once when you are told, as then you will not have to change your +clothes." + +The little boy went drip, drip, dripping out into the garden and +brought the lettuce; then he went drip, drip, dripping into the house +and changed his clothes; but he said never a word, for he knew there +was nothing to say. + +That is the way they do things where the little boy lives. Would you +like to live there? Perhaps not; yet he is a happy little boy, and he +is learning the truth of the old saying,-- + + "Come when you're called, do as you're bid, + Shut the door after you, and you'll never be chid." + + + + +NEW YEAR + + +The little sweet Child tied on her hood, and put on her warm cloak and +mittens. "I am going to the wood," she said, "to tell the creatures +all about it. They cannot understand about Christmas, mamma says, and +of course she knows, but I do think they ought to know about New Year!" + +Out in the wood the snow lay light and powdery on the branches, but +under foot it made a firm, smooth floor, over which the Child could +walk lightly without sinking in. She saw other footprints beside +her own, tiny bird-tracks, little hopping marks, which showed where +a rabbit had taken his way, traces of mice and squirrels and other +little wild-wood beasts. + +The child stood under a great hemlock-tree, and looked up toward the +clear blue sky, which shone far away beyond the dark tree-tops. She +spread her hands abroad and called, "Happy New Year! Happy New Year to +everybody in the wood, and all over the world!" + +A rustling was heard in the hemlock branches, and a striped squirrel +peeped down at her. "What do you mean by that, little Child?" he +asked. And then from all around came other squirrels, came little +field-mice, and hares swiftly leaping, and all the winter birds, +titmouse and snow-bird, and many another; and they all wanted to know +what the Child meant by her greeting, for they had never heard the +words before. + +"It means that God is giving us another year!" said the Child. "Four +more seasons, each lovelier than the last, just as it was last year. +Flowers will bud, and then they will blossom, and then the fruit will +hang all red and golden on the branches, for birds and men and little +children to eat." "And squirrels, too!" cried the chipmunk, eagerly. + +"Of course!" said the Child. "Squirrels, too, and every creature that +lives in the good green wood. And this is not all! We can do over +again the things that we tried to do last year, and perhaps failed in +doing. We have another chance to be good and kind, to do little loving +things that help, and to cure ourselves of doing naughty things. Our +hearts can have lovely new seasons, like the flowers and trees and +all the sweet things that grow and bear leaves and fruit. I thought I +would come and tell you all this, because sometimes one does not think +of things till one hears them from another's lips. Are you glad I +came? If you are glad, say Happy New Year! each in his own way! I say +it to you all now in my way. Happy New Year! Happy New Year!" + +Such a noise as broke out then had never been heard in the wood since +the oldest hemlock was a baby, and that was a long time ago. Chirping, +twittering, squeaking, chattering! The wood-doves lit on the Child's +shoulder and cooed in her ear, and she knew just what they said. The +squirrels made a long speech, and meant every word of it, which is +more than people always do; the field-mouse said that she was going to +turn over a new leaf, the very biggest cabbage-leaf she could find; +while the titmouse invited the whole company to dine with him, a thing +he had never done in his life before. + +When the Child turned to leave the wood, the joyful chorus followed +her, and she went, smiling, home and told her mother all about it. +"And, mother," she said, "I should not be surprised if they had got a +little bit of Christmas, after all, along with their New Year!" + + + + +JACKY FROST + + + Jacky Frost, Jacky Frost, + Came in the night; + Left the meadows that he crossed + All gleaming white. + Painted with his silver brush + Every window-pane; + Kissed the leaves and made them blush, + Blush and blush again. + + Jacky Frost, Jacky Frost, + Crept around the house, + Sly as a silver fox, + Still as a mouse. + Out little Jenny came, + Blushing like a rose; + Up jumped Jacky Frost, + And pinched her little nose. + + + + +THE CAKE + + +Once a Cake would go seek his fortune in the world, and he took his +leave of the Pan he was baked in. + +"I know my destiny," said the Cake. "I must be eaten, since to that +end I was made; but I am a good cake, if I say it who should not, and +I would fain choose the persons I am to benefit." + +"I don't see what difference it makes to you!" said the Pan. + +"But imagination is hardly your strong point!" said the Cake. + +"Huh!" said the Pan. + +The Cake went on his way, and soon he passed by a cottage door where +sat a woman spinning, and her ten children playing about her. + +"Oh!" said the woman, "what a beautiful cake!" and she put out her +hand to take him. + +"Be so good as to wait a moment!" said the Cake. "Will you kindly tell +me what you would do with me if I should yield myself up to you?" + +"I shall break you into ten pieces," said the woman, "and give one to +each of my ten children. So you will give ten pleasures, and that is a +good thing." + +"Oh, that would be very nice, I am sure," said the Cake; "but if you +will excuse me for mentioning it, your children seem rather dirty, +especially their hands, and I confess I should like to keep my +frosting unsullied, so I think I will go a little further." + +"As you will!" said the woman. "After all, the brown loaf is better +for the children." + +So the Cake went further, and met a fair child, richly dressed, with +coral lips and eyes like sunlit water. When the child saw the Cake, he +said like the woman, "Oh, what a beautiful Cake!" and put out his hand +to take it. + +"I am sure I should be most happy!" said the Cake. "And you will not +take it amiss, I am confident, if I ask with whom you will share me." + +"I shall not share you with any one!" said the child. "I shall eat you +myself, every crumb. What do you take me for?" + +"Good gracious!" cried the Cake. "This will never do. Consider my +size,--and yours! You would be very ill!" + +"I don't care!" said the child. "I'd rather be ill than give any +away." And he fixed greedy eyes on the Cake, and stretched forth his +hand again. + +"This is really terrible!" cried the Cake. "What is one's frosting to +this? I will go back to the woman with the ten children." + +He turned and ran back, leaving the child screaming with rage and +disappointed greed. But as he ran, a hungry Puppy met him, and swallowed +him at a gulp, and went on licking his chops and wagging his tail. + +"Huh!" said the Pan. + + + + +"OH, DEAR!" + + +Chimborazo was a very unhappy boy. He pouted, and he sulked, and +he said, "Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear!" He said it till +everybody was tired of hearing it. + +"Chimborazo," his mother would say, "please don't say, 'Oh, dear!' any +more. It is very annoying. Say something else." + +"Oh, dear!" the boy would answer, "I can't! I don't know anything else +to say. Oh, dear! Oh, _dear_!! oh, DEAR!!!" + +One day his mother could not bear it any longer, and she sent for his +fairy godmother, and told her all about it. + +"Humph!" said the fairy godmother. "I will see to it. Send the boy to +me!" + +So Chimborazo was sent for, and came, hanging his head as usual. When +he saw his fairy godmother, he said, "Oh, dear!" for he was rather +afraid of her. + +"'Oh, dear!' it is!" said the godmother sharply; and she put on her +spectacles and looked at him. "Do you know what a bell-punch is?" + +"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo. "No, ma'am, I don't!" + +"Well," said the godmother, "I am going to give you one." + +"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo, "I don't want one." + +"Probably not," replied she, "but that doesn't make much difference. +You have it now, in your jacket pocket." + +Chimborazo felt in his pocket, and took out a queer-looking instrument +of shining metal. "Oh, dear!" he said. + +"'Oh, dear!' it is!" said the fairy godmother. "Now," she continued, +"listen to me, Chimborazo! I am going to put you on an allowance +of 'Oh, dears.' This is a self-acting bell-punch, and it will ring +whenever you say 'Oh, dear!' How many times do you generally say it in +the course of the day?" + +"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo, "I don't know. Oh, _dear_!" + +"_Ting! ting!_" the bell-punch rang twice sharply; and looking at it +in dismay, he saw two little round holes punched in a long slip of +pasteboard which was fastened to the instrument. + +"Exactly!" said the fairy. "That is the way it works, and a very +pretty way, too. Now, my boy, I am going to make you a very liberal +allowance. You may say 'Oh, dear!' forty-five times a day. There's +liberality for you!" + +"Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo, "I----" + +"_Ting!_" said the bell-punch. + +"You see!" observed the fairy. "Nothing could be prettier. You have +now had three of this day's allowance. It is still some hours before +noon, so I advise you to be careful. If you exceed the allowance----" +Here she paused, and glowered through her spectacles in a very +dreadful manner. + +"Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo. "What will happen then?" + +"You will see!" said the fairy godmother, with a nod. "_Something_ +will happen, you may be very sure of that. Good-by. Remember, only +forty-five!" And away she flew out of the window. + +"Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo, bursting into tears. "I don't want it! I +won't have it! Oh, _dear_! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, DEAR!!!" + +"Ting! ting! ting-ting-ting-_ting_!" said the bell-punch; and now +there were ten round holes in the strip of pasteboard. Chimborazo +was now really frightened. He was silent for some time; and when +his mother called him to his lessons he tried very hard not to say +the dangerous words. But the habit was so strong that he said them +unconsciously. By dinnertime there were twenty-five holes in the +cardboard strip; by tea-time there were forty! Poor Chimborazo! he was +afraid to open his lips, for whenever he did the words would slip out +in spite of him. + +"Well, Chimbo," said his father after tea, "I hear you have had a +visit from your fairy godmother. What did she say to you, eh?" + +"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo, "she said--oh, dear! I've said it again!" + +"She said, 'Oh, dear! I've said it again!'" repeated his father. "What +do you mean by that?" + +"Oh, dear! I didn't mean that," cried Chimborazo hastily; and again +the inexorable bell rang, and he knew that another hole was punched +in the fatal cardboard. He pressed his lips firmly together, and did +not open them again except to say "Good-night," until he was safe +in his own room. Then he hastily drew the hated bell-punch from his +pocket, and counted the holes in the strip of cardboard; there were +forty-three! "Oh, _dear_!" cried the boy, forgetting himself again in +his alarm, "only two more! Oh, _dear_! oh, DEAR! I've done it again! +oh----" "Ting! ting!" went the bell-punch; and the cardboard was +punched to the end. "Oh, dear!" cried Chimborazo, now beside himself +with terror. "Oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, dear! oh, _dear_!! what will +become of me?" + +A strange whirring noise was heard, then a loud clang; and the next +moment the bell-punch, as if it were alive, flew out of his hand, out +of the window, and was gone! + +Chimborazo stood breathless with terror for a few minutes, momentarily +expecting that the roof would fall in on his head, or the floor blow +up under his feet, or some appalling catastrophe of some kind follow; +but nothing followed. Everything was quiet, and there seemed to be +nothing to do but go to bed; and so to bed he went, and slept, only to +dream that he was shot through the head with a bell-punch, and died +saying, "Oh, dear!" + +The next morning, when Chimborazo came downstairs, his father said, +"My boy, I am going to drive over to your grandfather's farm this +morning; would you like to go with me?" + +A drive to the farm was one of the greatest pleasures Chimborazo had, +so he answered promptly, "Oh, _dear_!" + +"Oh, very well!" said his father, looking much surprised. "You need +not go, my son, if you do not want to. I will take Robert instead." + +Poor Chimborazo! He had opened his lips to say, "Thank you, papa. I +should like to go _very_ much!" and, instead of these words, out had +popped, in his most doleful tone, the now hated "Oh, dear!" He sat +amazed; but was roused by his mother's calling him to breakfast. + +"Come, Chimbo," she said. "Here are sausages and scrambled eggs: and +you are very fond of both of them. Which will you have?" + +Chimborazo hastened to say, "Sausages, please, mamma,"--that is, he +hastened to _try_ to say it; but all his mother heard was, "Oh, _dear_!" + +His father looked much displeased. "Give the boy some bread and water, +wife," he said sternly. "If he cannot answer properly, he must be +taught. I have had enough of this 'oh, dear!' business." + +Poor Chimborazo! He saw plainly enough now what his punishment was +to be; and the thought of it made him tremble. He tried to ask for +some more bread, but only brought out his "Oh, _dear_!" in such a +lamentable tone that his father ordered him to leave the room. He went +out into the garden, and there he met John the gardener, carrying a +basket of rosy apples. Oh! how good they looked! + +"I am bringing some of the finest apples up to the house, little +master," said John. "Will you have one to put in your pocket?" + +"Oh, _dear_!" was all the poor boy could say, though he wanted an +apple, oh, so much! And when John heard that he put the apple back in +his basket, muttering something about ungrateful monkeys. + +Poor Chimborazo! I will not give the whole history of that miserable +day,--a miserable day it was from beginning to end. He fared no better +at dinner than at breakfast; for at the second "Oh, dear!" his father +sent him up to his room, "to stay there until he knew how to take what +was given him, and be thankful for it." He knew well enough by this +time; but he could not tell his father so. He went to his room, and +sat looking out of the window, a hungry and miserable boy. + +In the afternoon his cousin Will came up to see him. "Why, Chimbo!" he +cried. "Why do you sit moping here in the house, when all the boys are +out? Come and play marbles with me on the piazza. Ned and Harry are +out there waiting for you. Come on!" + +"Oh, dear!" said Chimborazo. + +"What's the matter?" asked Will. "Haven't you any marbles? Never mind. +I'll give you half of mine, if you like. Come!" + +"Oh, DEAR!" said Chimborazo. + +"Well," said Will, "if that's all you have to say when I offer you +marbles, I'll keep them myself. I suppose you expected me to give you +all of them, did you? I never saw such a fellow!" and off he went in a +huff. + + * * * * * + +"Well, Chimborazo," said the fairy godmother, "what do you think of +'Oh, dear!' now?" + +Chimborazo looked at her beseechingly, but said nothing. + +"Finding that forty-five times was not enough for you yesterday, I +thought I would let you have all you wanted to-day, you see," said the +fairy wickedly. + +The boy still looked imploringly at her, but did not open his lips. + +"Well, well," she said at last, touching his lips with her wand, "I +think that is enough in the way of punishment, though I am sorry you +broke the bell-punch. Good-by! I don't believe you will say 'Oh, +dear!' any more." + +And he didn't. + + + + +THE USEFUL COAL + + +There was once a king whose name was Sligo. He was noted both for his +riches and his kind heart. One evening, as he sat by his fireside, a +coal fell out on the hearth. The king took up the tongs, intending to +put it back on the fire, but the coal said:-- + +"If you will spare my life, and do as I tell you, I will save your +treasure three times, and tell you the name of the thief who steals it." + +These words gave the king great joy, for much treasure had been stolen +from him of late, and none of his officers could discover the culprit. +So he set the coal on the table, and said:-- + +"Pretty little black and red bird, tell me, what shall I do?" + +"Put me in your waistcoat-pocket," said the coal, "and take no more +thought for to-night." + +Accordingly the king put the coal in his pocket, and then, as he sat +before the warm fire, he grew drowsy, and presently fell fast asleep. + +When he had been asleep some time, the door opened, very softly, +and the High Cellarer peeped cautiously in. This was the one of the +king's officers who had been most eager in searching for the thief. +He now crept softly, softly, toward the king, and seeing that he was +fast asleep, put his hand into his waistcoat-pocket; for in that +waistcoat-pocket King Sligo kept the key of his treasure-chamber, +and the High Cellarer was the thief. He put his hand into the +waistcoat-pocket. S-s-s-s-s! the coal burned it so frightfully that he +gave a loud shriek, and fell on his knees on the hearth. + +"What is the matter?" cried the king, waking with a start. + +"Alas! your Majesty," said the High Cellarer, thrusting his burnt +fingers into his bosom, that the king might not see them. "You were +just on the point of falling forward into the fire, and I cried out, +partly from fright and partly to waken you." + +The king thanked the High Cellarer, and gave him a ruby ring as a +reward. But when he was in his chamber, and making ready for bed, the +coal said to him:-- + +"Once already have I saved your treasure, and to-night I shall save +it again. Only put me on the table beside your bed, and you may sleep +with a quiet heart." + +So the king put the coal on the table, and himself into the bed, and +was soon sound asleep. At midnight the door of the chamber opened very +softly, and the High Cellarer peeped in again. He knew that at night +King Sligo kept the key under his pillow, and he was coming to get it. +He crept softly, softly, toward the bed, but as he drew near it, the +coal cried out:-- + +"One eye sleeps, but the other eye wakes! one eye sleeps, but the +other eye wakes! Who is this comes creeping, while honest men are +sleeping?" + +The High Cellarer looked about him in affright, and saw the coal +burning fiery red in the darkness, and looking for all the world like +a great flaming eye. In an agony of fear he fled from the chamber, +crying,-- + + "Black and red! black and red! + The king has a devil to guard his bed." + +And he spent the rest of the night shivering in the farthest garret he +could find. + +The next morning the coal said to the king:-- + +"Again this night have I saved your treasure, and mayhap your life as +well. Yet a third time I shall do it, and this time you shall learn +the name of the thief. But if I do this, you must promise me one +thing, and that is that you will place me in your royal crown and wear +me as a jewel. Will you do this?" + +"That will I, right gladly!" replied King Sligo, "for a jewel indeed +you are." + +"That is well!" said the coal. "It is true that I am dying; but no +matter. It is a fine thing to be a jewel in a king's crown, even if +one is dead. Now listen, and follow my directions closely. As soon +as I am quite black and dead,--which will be in about ten minutes +from now,--you must take me in your hand and rub me all over and +around the handle of the door of the treasure-chamber. A good part +of me will be rubbed off, but there will be enough left to put in +your crown. When you have thoroughly rubbed the door, lay the key of +the treasure-chamber on your table, as if you had left it there by +mistake. You may then go hunting or riding, but not for more than an +hour; and when you return, you must instantly call all your court +together, as if on business of the greatest importance. Invent some +excuse for asking them to raise their hands, and then arrest the man +whose hands are black. Do you understand?" + +"I do!" replied King Sligo, fervently, "I do, and my warmest thanks, +good Coal, are due to you for this--" + +But here he stopped, for already the coal was quite black, and in +less than ten minutes it was dead and cold. Then the king took it +and rubbed it carefully over the door of the treasure-chamber, and +laying the key of the door in plain sight on his dressing-table, he +called his huntsmen together, and mounting his horse, rode away to the +forest. As soon as he was gone, the High Cellarer, who had pleaded +a headache when asked to join the hunt, crept softly to the king's +room, and to his surprise found the key on the table. Full of joy, he +sought the treasure-chamber at once, and began filling his pockets +with gold and jewels, which he carried to his own apartment, returning +greedily for more. In this way he opened and closed the door many +times. Suddenly, as he was stooping over a silver barrel containing +sapphires, he heard the sound of a trumpet, blown once, twice, thrice. +The wicked thief started, for it was the signal for the entire court +to appear instantly before the king, and the penalty of disobedience +was death. Hastily cramming a handful of sapphires into his pocket, +he stumbled to the door, which he closed and locked, putting the +key also in his pocket, as there was no time to return it. He flew +to the presence-chamber, where the lords of the kingdom were hastily +assembling. + +The king was seated on his throne, still in his hunting-dress, though +he had put on his crown over his hat, which presented a peculiar +appearance. It was with a majestic air, however, that he rose and +said:-- + +"Nobles, and gentlemen of my court! I have called you together to +pray for the soul of my lamented grandmother, who died, as you may +remember, several years ago. In token of respect, I desire you all to +raise your hands to Heaven." + +The astonished courtiers, one and all, lifted their hands high in air. +The king looked, and, behold! the hands of the High Cellarer were as +black as soot! The king caused him to be arrested and searched, and +the sapphires in his pocket, besides the key of the treasure-chamber, +gave ample proof of his guilt. His head was removed at once, and +the king had the useful coal, set in sapphires, placed in the very +front of his crown, where it was much admired and praised as a BLACK +DIAMOND. + + + + +SONG OF THE LITTLE WINDS + + + The birdies may sleep, but the winds must wake + Early and late, for the birdies' sake. + Kissing them, fanning them, soft and sweet, + E'en till the dark and the dawning meet. + + The flowers may sleep, but the winds must wake + Early and late, for the flowers' sake. + Rocking the buds on the rose-mother's breast, + Swinging the hyacinth-bells to rest. + + The children may sleep, but the winds must wake + Early and late, for the children's sake. + Singing so sweet in each little one's ear, + He thinks his mother's own song to hear. + + + + +THE THREE REMARKS + + +There was once a princess, the most beautiful princess that ever was +seen. Her hair was black and soft as the raven's wing; her eyes were +like stars dropped in a pool of clear water, and her speech like the +first tinkling cascade of the baby Nile. She was also wise, graceful, +and gentle, so that one would have thought she must be the happiest +princess in the world. + +But, alas! there was one terrible drawback to her happiness. She could +make only three remarks. No one knew whether it was the fault of her +nurse, or a peculiarity born with her; but the sad fact remained, that +no matter what was said to her, she could only reply in one of three +phrases. The first was,-- + +"What is the price of butter?" + +The second, "Has your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" + +And the third, "With all my heart!" + +You may well imagine what a great misfortune this was to a young and +lively princess. How could she join in the sports and dances of the +noble youths and maidens of the court? She could not always be silent, +neither could she always say, "With all my heart!" though this was her +favorite phrase, and she used it whenever she possibly could; and it +was not at all pleasant, when some gallant knight asked her whether +she would rather play croquet or Aunt Sally, to be obliged to reply, +"What is the price of butter?" + +On certain occasions, however, the princess actually found her +infirmity of service to her. She could always put an end suddenly to +any conversation that did not please her, by interposing with her +first or second remark; and they were also a very great assistance +to her when, as happened nearly every day, she received an offer +of marriage. Emperors, kings, princes, dukes, earls, marquises, +viscounts, baronets, and many other lofty personages knelt at her +feet, and offered her their hands, hearts, and other possessions of +greater or less value. But for all her suitors the princess had but +one answer. Fixing her deep radiant eyes on them, she would reply with +thrilling earnestness, "_Has_ your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" +and this always impressed the suitors so deeply that they retired, +weeping, to a neighboring monastery, where they hung up their armor in +the chapel, and taking the vows, passed the remainder of their lives +mostly in flogging themselves, wearing hair shirts, and putting dry +toast-crumbs in their beds. + +Now, when the king found that all his best nobles were turning into +monks, he was greatly displeased, and said to the princess:-- + +"My daughter, it is high time that all this nonsense came to an end. +The next time a respectable person asks you to marry him, you will +say, 'With all my heart!' or I will know the reason why." + +But this the princess could not endure, for she had never yet seen +a man whom she was willing to marry. Nevertheless, she feared her +father's anger, for she knew that he always kept his word; so that +very night she slipped down the back stairs of the palace, opened the +back door, and ran away out into the wide world. + +She wandered for many days, over mountain and moor, through fen and +through forest, until she came to a fair city. Here all the bells +were ringing, and the people shouting and flinging caps into the air; +for their old king was dead, and they were just about to crown a new +one. The new king was a stranger, who had come to the town only the +day before; but as soon as he heard of the old monarch's death, he +told the people that he was a king himself, and as he happened to be +without a kingdom at that moment, he would be quite willing to rule +over them. The people joyfully assented, for the late king had left no +heir; and now all the preparations had been completed. The crown had +been polished up, and a new tip put on the sceptre, as the old king had +quite spoiled it by poking the fire with it for upwards of forty years. + +When the people saw the beautiful princess, they welcomed her with +many bows, and insisted on leading her before the new king. + +"Who knows but that they may be related?" said everybody. "They both +came from the same direction, and both are strangers." + +Accordingly the princess was led to the market-place, where the king +was sitting in royal state. He had a fat, red, shining face, and did +not look like the kings whom she had been in the habit of seeing; but +nevertheless the princess made a graceful courtesy, and then waited to +hear what he would say. + +The new king seemed rather embarrassed when he saw that it was a +princess who appeared before him; but he smiled graciously, and said, +in a smooth oily voice,-- + +"I trust your 'Ighness is quite well. And 'ow did yer 'Ighness leave +yer pa and ma?" + +At these words the princess raised her head and looked fixedly at the +red-faced king; then she replied, with scornful distinctness,-- + +"What is the price of butter?" + +At these words an alarming change came over the king's face. The red +faded from it, and left it a livid green; his teeth chattered; his +eyes stared, and rolled in their sockets; while the sceptre dropped +from his trembling hand and fell at the princess's feet. For the truth +was, this was no king at all, but a retired butterman, who had laid by +a little money at his trade, and had thought of setting up a public +house; but chancing to pass through this city at the very time when +they were looking for a king, it struck him that he might just as +well fill the vacant place as any one else. No one had thought of his +being an impostor; but when the princess fixed her clear eyes on him +and asked him that familiar question, which he had been in the habit +of hearing many times a day for a great part of his life, the guilty +butterman thought himself detected, and shook in his guilty shoes. +Hastily descending from his throne, he beckoned the princess into a +side-chamber, and closing the door, besought her in moving terms not +to betray him. + +"Here," he said, "is a bag of rubies as big as pigeon's eggs. There +are six thousand of them, and I 'umbly beg your 'Ighness to haccept +them as a slight token hof my hesteem, if your 'Ighness will kindly +consent to spare a respeckable tradesman the disgrace of being +hexposed." + +The princess reflected, and came to the conclusion that, after all, a +butterman might make as good a king as any one else; so she took the +rubies with a gracious little nod, and departed, while all the people +shouted, "Hooray!" and followed her, waving their hats and kerchiefs, +to the gates of the city. + +With her bag of rubies over her shoulder, the fair princess now +pursued her journey, and fared forward over heath and hill, through +brake and through brier. After several days she came to a deep +forest, which she entered without hesitation, for she knew no fear. +She had not gone a hundred paces under the arching limes, when she +was met by a band of robbers, who stopped her and asked what she did +in their forest, and what she carried in her bag. They were fierce, +black-bearded men, armed to the teeth with daggers, cutlasses, +pistols, dirks, hangers, blunderbusses, and other defensive weapons; +but the princess gazed calmly on them, and said haughtily,-- + +"Has your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" + +The effect was magical. The robbers started back in dismay, crying, +"The countersign!" Then they hastily lowered their weapons, and +assuming attitudes of abject humility, besought the princess +graciously to accompany them to their master's presence. With a lofty +gesture she signified assent, and the cringing, trembling bandits led +her on through the forest till they reached an open glade, into which +the sunbeams glanced right merrily. Here, under a broad oak-tree which +stood in the centre of the glade, reclined a man of gigantic stature +and commanding mien, with a whole armory of weapons displayed upon +his person. Hastening to their chief, the robbers conveyed to him, in +agitated whispers, the circumstance of their meeting the princess, +and of her unexpected reply to their questions. Hardly seeming to +credit their statement, the gigantic chieftain sprang to his feet, and +advancing toward the princess with a respectful reverence, begged her +to repeat the remark which had so disturbed his men. With a royal air, +and in clear and ringing tones, the princess repeated,-- + +"_Has_ your grandmother sold her mangle yet?" and gazed steadfastly at +the robber chief. + +He turned deadly pale, and staggered against a tree, which alone +prevented him from falling. + +"It is true!" he gasped. "We are undone! The enemy is without doubt +close at hand, and all is over. Yet," he added with more firmness, and +with an appealing glance at the princess, "yet there may be one chance +left for us. If this gracious lady will consent to go forward, instead +of returning through the wood, we may yet escape with our lives. +Noble princess!" and here he and the whole band assumed attitudes of +supplication, "consider, I pray you, whether it would really add to +your happiness to betray to the advancing army a few poor foresters, +who earn their bread by the sweat of their brow. Here," he continued, +hastily drawing something from a hole in the oak-tree, "is a bag +containing ten thousand sapphires, each as large as a pullet's egg. If +you will graciously deign to accept them, and to pursue your journey +in the direction I shall indicate, the Red Chief of the Rustywhanger +will be your slave forever." + +The princess, who of course knew that there was no army in the +neighborhood, and who moreover did not in the least care which way she +went, assented to the Red Chief's proposition, and taking the bag of +sapphires, bowed her farewell to the grateful robbers, and followed +their leader down a ferny path which led to the farther end of the +forest. When they came to the open country, the robber chieftain took +his leave of the princess, with profound bows and many protestations +of devotion, and returned to his band, who were already preparing to +plunge into the impenetrable thickets of the midforest. + +The princess, meantime, with her two bags of gems on her shoulders, +fared forward with a light heart, by dale and by down, through moss +and through meadow. By-and-by she came to a fair high palace, built +all of marble and shining jasper, with smooth lawns about it, and +sunny gardens of roses and gillyflowers, from which the air blew so +sweet that it was a pleasure to breathe it. The princess stood still +for a moment, to taste the sweetness of this air, and to look her +fill at so fair a spot; and as she stood there, it chanced that the +palace-gates opened, and the young king rode out with his court, to go +a-catching of nighthawks. + +Now when the king saw a right fair princess standing alone at his +palace-gate, her rich garments dusty and travel-stained, and two +heavy sacks hung upon her shoulders, he was filled with amazement; +and leaping from his steed, like the gallant knight that he was, he +besought her to tell him whence she came and whither she was going, +and in what way he might be of service to her. + +But the princess looked down at her little dusty shoes, and answered +never a word; for she had seen at the first glance how fair and goodly +a king this was, and she would not ask him the price of butter, nor +whether his grandmother had sold her mangle yet. But she thought in +her heart, "Now, I have never, in all my life, seen a man to whom I +would so willingly say, 'With all my heart!' if he should ask me to +marry him." + +The king marvelled much at her silence, and presently repeated his +questions, adding, "And what do you carry so carefully in those two +sacks, which seem over-heavy for your delicate shoulders?" + +Still holding her eyes downcast, the princess took a ruby from one +bag, and a sapphire from the other, and in silence handed them to +the king, for she willed that he should know she was no beggar, even +though her shoes were dusty. Thereat all the nobles were filled with +amazement, for no such gems had ever been seen in that country. + +But the king looked steadfastly at the princess, and said, "Rubies are +fine, and sapphires are fair; but, maiden, if I could but see those +eyes of yours, I warrant that the gems would look pale and dull beside +them." + +At that the princess raised her clear dark eyes, and looked at the +king and smiled; and the glance of her eyes pierced straight to his +heart, so that he fell on his knees and cried: + +"Ah! sweet princess, now do I know that thou art the love for whom I +have waited so long, and whom I have sought through so many lands. +Give me thy white hand, and tell me, either by word or by sign, that +thou wilt be my queen and my bride!" + +And the princess, like a right royal maiden as she was, looked him +straight in the eyes, and giving him her little white hand, answered +bravely, "_With all my heart!_" + + + + +HOKEY POKEY + + +Hokey Pokey was the youngest of a large family of children. His elder +brothers, as they grew up, all became either butchers or bakers or +makers of candle-sticks, for such was the custom of the family. But +Hokey Pokey would be none of these things; so when he was grown to be +a tall youth he went to his father and said, "Give me my fortune." + +"'Will you be a butcher?' asked his father. + +"'No,' said Hokey Pokey. + +"'Will you be a baker?' + +"'No, again.' + +"'Will you make candlesticks?' + +"'Nor that either.' + +"'Then,' said his father, 'this is the only fortune I can give +you;' and with that he took up his cudgel and gave the youth a stout +beating. 'Now you cannot complain that I gave you nothing,' said he. + +"'That is true,' said Hokey Pokey. 'But give me also the wooden mallet +which lies on the shelf, and I will make my way through the world.' + +"His father gave him the mallet, glad to be so easily rid of him, and +Hokey Pokey went out into the world to seek his fortune. He walked +all day, and at nightfall he came to a small village. Feeling hungry, +he went into a baker's shop, intending to buy a loaf of bread for his +supper. There was a great noise and confusion in the back part of the +shop; and on going to see what was the matter, he found the baker on +his knees beside a large box or chest, which he was trying with might +and main to keep shut. But there was something inside the box which +was trying just as hard to get out, and it screamed and kicked, and +pushed the lid up as often as the baker shut it down. + +"'What have you there in the box?' asked Hokey Pokey. + +"'I have my wife,' replied the baker. 'She is so frightfully +ill-tempered that whenever I am going to bake bread I am obliged to +shut her up in this box, lest she push me into the oven and bake me +with the bread, as she has often threatened to do. But to-day she has +broken the lock of the box, and I know not how to keep her down.' + +"'That is easily managed,' said Hokey Pokey. 'Do you but tell her, +when she asks who I am, that I am a giant with three heads, and all +will be well.' So saying, he took his wooden mallet and dealt three +tremendous blows on the box, saying in a loud voice,-- + + 'Hickory Hox! + I sit by the box, + Waiting to give you a few of my knocks.' + +"'Husband, husband! whom have you there?' cried the wife in terror. + +"'Alas!' said the baker; 'it is a frightful giant with three heads. He +is sitting by the box, and if you open it so much as the width of your +little finger, he will pull you out and beat you to powder.' + +"When the wife heard that she crouched down in the box, and said never +a word, for she was afraid of her life. + +"The baker then took Hokey Pokey into the other part of the shop, +thanked him warmly, and gave him a good supper and a bed. The next +morning he gave him for a present the finest loaf of bread in his +shop, which was shaped like a large round ball; and Hokey Pokey, after +knocking once more on the lid of the box, continued his travels. + +"He had not gone far before he came to another village, and wishing +to inquire his way he entered the first shop he came to, which proved +to be that of a confectioner. The shop was full of the most beautiful +sweetmeats imaginable, and everything was bright and gay; but the +confectioner himself sat upon a bench, weeping bitterly. + +"'What ails you, friend?' asked Hokey Pokey; 'and why do you weep, +when you are surrounded by the most delightful things in the world?' + +"'Alas!' replied the confectioner. 'That is just the cause of my +trouble. The sweetmeats that I make are so good that their fame has +spread far and wide, and the Rat King, hearing of them, has taken +up his abode in my cellar. Every night he comes up and eats all the +sweetmeats I have made the day before. There is no comfort in my life, +and I am thinking of becoming a rope-maker and hanging myself with the +first rope I make.' + +"'Why don't you set a trap for him?' asked Hokey Pokey. + +"'I have set fifty-nine traps,' replied the confectioner, 'but he is +so strong that he breaks them all.' + +"'Poison him,' suggested Hokey Pokey. + +"'He dislikes poison,' said the confectioner, 'and will not take it in +any form.' + +"'In that case,' said Hokey Pokey, 'leave him to me. Go away, and hide +yourself for a few minutes, and all will be well.' + +"The confectioner retired behind a large screen, having first showed +Hokey Pokey the hole of the Rat King, which was certainly a very large +one. Hokey Pokey sat down by the hole, with his mallet in his hand, +and said in a squeaking voice,-- + + 'Ratly King! Kingly Rat! + Here your mate comes pit-a-pat. + Come and see; the way is free; + Hear my signal: one! two! three!' + +And he scratched three times on the floor. Almost immediately the head +of a rat popped up through the hole. He was a huge rat, quite as large +as a cat; but his size was no help to him, for as soon as he appeared, +Hokey Pokey dealt him such a blow with his mallet that he fell down +dead without even a squeak. Then Hokey Pokey called the confectioner, +who came out from behind the screen and thanked him warmly; he also +bade him choose anything he liked in the shop, in payment for his +services. + +"'Can you match this?' asked Hokey Pokey, showing his round ball of +bread. + +"'That can I!' said the confectioner; and he brought out a most +beautiful ball, twice as large as the loaf, composed of the finest +sweetmeats in the world, red and yellow and white. Hokey Pokey took +it with many thanks, and then went on his way. + +"The next day he came to a third village in the streets of which the +people were all running to and fro in the wildest confusion. + +"'What is the matter?' asked Hokey Pokey, as one man ran directly into +his arms. + +"'Alas!' replied the man. 'A wild bull has got into the principal +china-shop, and is breaking all the beautiful dishes.' + +"'Why do you not drive him out?' asked Hokey Pokey. + +"'We are afraid to do that,' said the man; 'but we are running up and +down to express our emotion and sympathy, and that is something.' + +"'Show me the china-shop,' said Hokey Pokey. + +"So the man showed him the china-shop; and there, sure enough, was a +furious bull, making most terrible havoc. He was dancing up and down +on a Dresden dinner set, and butting at the Chinese mandarins, and +switching down finger-bowls and teapots with his tail, bellowing +meanwhile in the most outrageous manner. The floor was covered with +broken crockery, and the whole scene was melancholy to behold. + +"Now when Hokey Pokey saw this, he said to the owner of the +china-shop, who was tearing his hair in a frenzy of despair, 'Stop +tearing your hair, which is indeed a senseless occupation, and I will +manage this matter for you. Bring me a red cotton umbrella, and all +will yet be well.' + +"So the china-shop man brought him a red cotton umbrella, and Hokey +Pokey began to open and shut it violently in front of the door. When +the bull saw that, he stopped dancing on the Dresden dinner set and +came charging out of the shop, straight towards the red umbrella. When +he came near enough, Hokey Pokey dropped the umbrella, and raising his +wooden mallet hit the bull such a blow on the muzzle that he fell down +dead, and never bellowed again. + +"The people all flung up their hats, and cheered, and ran up and down +all the more, to express their gratification. As for the china-shop +man, he threw his arms round Hokey Pokey's neck, called him his +cherished preserver, and bade him choose anything that was left in his +shop in payment for his services. + +"'Can you match these?' asked Hokey Pokey, holding up the loaf of +bread and the ball of sweetmeats. + +"'That can I,' said the shop-man; and he brought out a huge ball of +solid ivory, inlaid with gold and silver, and truly lovely to behold. +It was very heavy, being twice as large as the ball of sweetmeats; but +Hokey Pokey took it, and, after thanking the shop-man and receiving +his thanks in return, he proceeded on his way. + +"After walking for several days, he came to a fair, large castle, in +front of which sat a man on horseback. When the man saw Hokey Pokey, +he called out,-- + +"'Who are you, and what do you bring to the mighty Dragon, lord of +this castle?' + +"'Hokey Pokey is my name,' replied the youth, 'and strange things do I +bring. But what does the mighty Dragon want, for example?' + +"'He wants something new to eat,' said the man on horseback. 'He +has eaten of everything that is known in the world, and pines for +something new. He who brings him a new dish, never before tasted by +him, shall have a thousand crowns and a new jacket; but he who fails, +after three trials, shall have his jacket taken away from him, and his +head cut off besides.' + +"'I bring strange food,' said Hokey Pokey. 'Let me pass in, that I may +serve the mighty Dragon.' + +"Then the man on horseback lowered his lance, and let him pass in, and +in short space he came before the mighty Dragon. The Dragon sat on +a silver throne, with a golden knife in one hand, and a golden fork +in the other. Around him were many people, who offered him dishes of +every description; but he would none of them, for he had tasted them +all before; and he howled with hunger on his silver throne. Then came +forward Hokey Pokey, and said boldly,-- + +"'Here come I, Hokey Pokey, bringing strange food for the mighty +Dragon.' + +"The Dragon howled again, and waving his knife and fork, bade Hokey +Pokey give the food to the attendants, that they might serve him. + +"'Not so,' said Hokey Pokey. 'I must serve you myself, most mighty +Dragon, else you shall not taste of my food. Therefore put down your +knife and fork, and open your mouth, and you shall see what you shall +see.' + +"So the Dragon, after summoning the man-with-the-thousand-crowns +and the man-with-the-new-jacket to one side of his throne, and the +man-to-take-away-the old-jacket and the executioner to the other, laid +down his knife and fork and opened his mouth. Hokey Pokey stepped +lightly forward, and dropped the round loaf down the great red throat. +The Dragon shut his jaws together with a snap, and swallowed the loaf +in two gulps. + +"'That is good,' he said; 'but it is not new. I have eaten much bread, +though never before in a round loaf. Have you anything more? Or shall +the man take away your jacket?' + +"'I have this, an it please you,' said Hokey Pokey; and he dropped +the ball of sweetmeats into the Dragon's mouth. + +"When the Dragon tasted this, he rolled his eyes round and round, +and was speechless with delight for some time. At length he said, +'Worthy youth, this is very good; it is extremely good; it is better +than anything I ever tasted. Nevertheless, it is not new; for I have +tasted the same kind of thing before, only not nearly so good. And +now, unless you are positively sure that you have something new for +your third trial, you really might as well take off your jacket; and +the executioner shall take off your head at the same time, as it is +getting rather late. Executioner, do your--' + +"'Craving your pardon, most mighty Dragon,' said Hokey Pokey, 'I will +first make my third trial;' and with that he dropped the ivory ball +into the Dragon's mouth. + +"'Gug-wugg-gllll-grrr!' said the Dragon, for the ball had stuck fast, +being too big for him to swallow. + +"Then Hokey Pokey lifted his mallet and struck one tremendous blow +upon the ball, driving it far down the throat of the monster, and +killing him most fatally dead. He rolled off the throne like a scaly +log, and his crown fell off and rolled to Hokey Pokey's feet. The +youth picked it up and put it on his own head, and then called the +people about him and addressed them. + +"'People,' he said, 'I am Hokey Pokey, and I have come from a far land +to rule over you. Your Dragon have I slain, and now I am your king; +and if you will always do exactly what I tell you to do, you will have +no further trouble.' + +"So the people threw up their caps and cried, 'Long live Hokey Pokey!' +and they always did exactly as he told them, and had no further trouble. + +"And Hokey Pokey sent for his three brothers, and made them Chief +Butcher, Chief Baker, and Chief Candlestick-maker of his kingdom. But +to his father he sent a large cudgel made of pure gold, with these +words engraved on it: 'Now you cannot complain that I have given you +nothing!'" + + + + +THE TANGLED SKEIN + + +"My dear child," said the Angel-who-attends-to things, "why are you +crying so very hard?" + +"Oh dear! oh dear!" said the child. "No one ever had such a dreadful +time before, I do believe, and it all comes of trying to be good. +Oh dear! Oh dear! I wish I was bad; then I should not have all this +trouble." + +"Yes, you would," said the Angel; "a great deal worse. Now tell me +what is the matter!" + +"Look!" said the child. "Mother gave me this skein to wind, and I +promised to do it. But then father sent me on an errand, and it was +almost school-time, and I was studying my lesson and going on the +errand and winding the skein, all at the same time, and now I have got +all tangled up in the wool, and I cannot walk either forward or back, +and oh! dear me, what ever _shall_ I do?" + +"Sit down!" said the Angel. + +"But it is school-time!" said the child. + +"Sit down!" said the Angel. + +"But father sent me on an errand!" said the child. + +"SIT DOWN!" said the Angel; and he took the child by her shoulders and +set her down. + +"Now sit still!" he said, and he began patiently to wind up the skein. +It was wofully tangled, and knotted about the child's hands and feet; +it was a wonder she could move at all; but at last it was all clear, +and the Angel handed her the ball. + +"I thank you so very much!" said the child. "I was not naughty, was I?" + +"Not naughty, only foolish; but that does just as much harm sometimes." + +"But I was doing right things!" said the child. + +"But you were doing them in the wrong way!" said the Angel. "It is +good to do an errand, and it is good to go to school, but when you +have a skein to wind you must sit still." + + + + +A SONG FOR HAL + + + Once I saw a little boat, and a pretty, pretty boat, + When daybreak the hills was adorning, + And into it I jumped, and away I did float, + So very, very early in the morning. + + _Chorus_ + + And every little wave had its nightcap on, + Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on. + And every little wave had its nightcap on, + So very, very early in the morning. + + All the fishes were asleep in their caves cool and deep, + When the ripple round my keel flashed a warning. + Said the minnow to the skate, "We must certainly be late, + Though I thought 't was very early in the morning." + + _Chorus_ + + For every little wave has its nightcap on, + Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on. + For every little wave has its nightcap on, + So very, very early in the morning. + + The lobster darkly green soon appeared upon the scene, + And pearly drops his claws were adorning. + Quoth he, "May I be boiled, if I'll have my slumber spoiled, + So very, very early in the morning!" + + _Chorus_ + + For every little wave has its nightcap on, + Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on, + For every little wave has its nightcap on, + So very, very early in the morning. + + Said the sturgeon to the eel, "Just imagine how I feel, + Thus roused without a syllable of warning. + People ought to let us know when a-sailing they would go, + So very, very early in the morning." + + _Chorus_ + + When every little wave has its nightcap on, + Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap on. + When every little wave has its nightcap on, + So very, very early in the morning. + + Just then up jumped the sun, and the fishes every one + For their laziness at once fell a-mourning. + But I stayed to hear no more, for my boat had reached the shore, + So very, very early in the morning. + + _Chorus_ + + And every little wave took its nightcap off, + Its nightcap, white cap, nightcap off. + And every little wave took its nightcap off, + And courtesied to the sun in the morning. + + + + +FOR YOU AND ME + + +"I have come to speak to you about your work," said the +Angel-who-attends-to-things. "It appears to be unsatisfactory." + +"Indeed!" said the man. "I hardly see how that can be. Perhaps you +will explain." + +"I will!" said the Angel. "To begin with, the work is slovenly." + +"I was born heedless," said the man. "It is a family failing which I +have always regretted." + +"It is ill put together, too;" said the Angel. "The parts do not fit." + +"I never had any eye for proportion," said the man; "I admit it is +unfortunate." + +"The whole thing is a botch," said the Angel. "You have put neither +brains nor heart into it, and the result is ridiculous failure. What +do you propose to do about it?" + +"I credited you with more comprehension," said the man. "My faults, +such as they are, were born with me. I am sorry that you do not +approve of me, but this is the way I was made; do you see?" + +"I see!" said the Angel. He put out a strong white hand, and taking +the man by the collar, tumbled him neck and crop into the ditch. + +"What is the meaning of this?" cried the man, as he scrambled out +breathless and dripping. "I never saw such behavior. Do you see what +you have done? you have ruined my clothes, and nearly drowned me +beside." + +"Oh yes!" said the Angel: "this is the way _I_ was made." + + + + +THE BURNING HOUSE + + +Some neighbours were walking together in the cool of the day, watching +the fall of the twilight, and talking of this and that; and as they +walked, they saw at a little distance a light, as it were a house on +fire. + +"From the direction, that must be our neighbour William's house," said +one. "Ought we not to warn him of the danger?" + +"I see only a little flame," said another; "perchance it may go out of +itself, and no harm done." + +"I should be loth to carry ill news," said a third; "it is always a +painful thing to do." + +"William is not a man who welcomes interference," said a fourth. "I +should not like to be the one to intrude upon his privacy; probably +he knows about the fire, and is managing it in his own way." + +While they were talking, the house burned up. + + + + +THE NAUGHTY COMET + + +The door of the Comet House was open. In the great court-yard stood +hundreds of comets, of all sizes and shapes. Some were puffing and +blowing, and arranging their tails, all ready to start; others +had just come in, and looked shabby and forlorn after their long +journeyings, their tails drooping disconsolately; while others still +were switched off on side-tracks, where the tinker and the tailor were +attending to their wants, and setting them to rights. In the midst +of all stood the Comet Master, with his hands behind him, holding a +very long stick with a very sharp point. The comets knew just how the +point of that stick felt, for they were prodded with it whenever they +misbehaved themselves; accordingly, they all remained very quiet, +while he gave his orders for the day. + +In a distant corner of the court-yard lay an old comet, with his tail +comfortably curled up around him. He was too old to go out, so he +enjoyed himself at home in a quiet way. Beside him stood a very young +comet, with a very short tail. He was quivering with excitement, and +occasionally cast sharp impatient glances at the Comet Master. + +"Will he _never_ call me?" he exclaimed, but in an undertone, so that +only his companion could hear. "He knows I am dying to go out, and +for that very reason he pays no attention to me. I dare not leave my +place, for you know what he is." + +"Ah!" said the old comet, slowly, "if you had been out as often as I +have, you would not be in such a hurry. Hot, tiresome work, _I_ call +it. And what does it all amount to?" + +"Ay, that's the point!" exclaimed the young comet. "What _does_ it +all amount to? That is what I am determined to find out. I cannot +understand your going on, travelling and travelling, and never +finding out why you do it. _I_ shall find out, you may be very sure, +before I have finished my first journey." + +"Better not! better not!" answered the old comet. "You'll only get into +trouble. Nobody knows except the Comet Master and the Sun. The Master +would cut you up into inch pieces if you asked him, and the Sun--" + +"Well, what about the Sun?" asked the young comet, eagerly. + +"Short-tailed Comet No. 73!" rang suddenly, clear and sharp, through +the court-yard. + +The young comet started as if he had been shot, and in three bounds he +stood before the Comet Master, who looked fixedly at him. + +"You have never been out before," said the Master. + +"No, sir!" replied No. 73; and he knew better than to add another word. + +"You will go out now," said the Comet Master. "You will travel for +thirteen weeks and three days, and will then return. You will avoid +the neighborhood of the Sun, the Earth, and the planet Bungo. You +will turn to the left on meeting other comets, and you are not allowed +to speak to meteors. These are your orders. Go!" + +At the word, the comet shot out of the gate and off into space, his +short tail bobbing as he went. + +Ah! here was something worth living for. No longer shut up in that +tiresome court-yard, waiting for one's tail to grow, but out in the +free, open, boundless realm of space, with leave to shoot about here +and there and everywhere--well, _nearly_ everywhere--for thirteen +whole weeks! Ah, what a glorious prospect! How swiftly he moved! How +well his tail looked, even though it was still rather short! What a +fine fellow he was, altogether! + +For two or three weeks our comet was the happiest creature in all +space; too happy to think of anything except the joy of frisking +about. But by-and-by he began to wonder about things, and that is +always dangerous for a comet. + +"I wonder, now," he said, "why I may not go near the planet Bungo. +I have always heard that he was the most interesting of all the +planets. And the Sun! how I _should_ like to know a little more +about the Sun! And, by the way, that reminds me that all this time I +have never found out _why_ I am travelling. It shows how I have been +enjoying myself, that I have forgotten it so long; but now I must +certainly make a point of finding out. Hello! there comes Long-Tail +No. 45. I mean to ask him." + +So he turned out to the left, and waited till No. 45 came along. The +latter was a middle-aged comet, very large, and with an uncommonly +long tail,--quite preposterously long, our little No. 73 thought, as +he shook his own tail and tried to make as much of it as possible. + +"Good morning, Mr. Long-Tail!" he said as soon as the other was within +speaking distance. "Would you be so very good as to tell me what you +are travelling for?" + +"For six months," answered No. 45 with a puff and a snort. "Started a +month ago; five months still to go." + +"Oh, I don't mean that!" exclaimed Short-Tail No. 73. "I mean _why_ +are you travelling at all?" + +"Comet Master sent me!" replied No. 45, briefly. + +"But what for?" persisted the little comet. "What is it all about? +What good does it do? _Why_ do we travel for weeks and months and +years? That's what I want to find out." + +"Don't know, I'm sure!" said the elder, still more shortly. "What's +more, don't care!" + +The little comet fairly shook with amazement and indignation. "You +don't care!" he cried. "Is it possible? And how long, may I ask, have +you been travelling hither and thither through space, without knowing +or caring why?" + +"Long enough to learn not to ask stupid questions!" answered Long-Tail +No. 45. "Good morning to you!" + +And without another word he was off, with his preposterously long tail +spreading itself like a luminous fan behind him. The little comet +looked after him for some time in silence. At last he said:-- + +"Well, _I_ call that simply _disgusting_! An ignorant, narrow-minded +old--" + +"Hello, cousin!" called a clear merry voice just behind him. "How +goes it with you? Shall we travel together? Our roads seem to go in +the same direction." + +The comet turned and saw a bright and sparkling meteor. "I--I--must +not speak to you!" said No. 73, confusedly. + +"Not speak to me!" exclaimed the meteor, laughing. "Why, what's the +matter? What have I done? I never saw you before in my life." + +"N-nothing that I know of," answered No. 73, still more confused. + +"Then why mustn't you speak to me?" persisted the meteor, giving a +little skip and jump. "Eh? tell me that, will you? _Why_ mustn't you?" + +"I--don't--know!" answered the little comet, slowly, for he was +ashamed to say boldly, as he ought to have done, that it was against +the orders of the Comet Master. + +"Oh, gammon!" cried the meteor, with another skip. "_I_ know! Comet +Master, eh? But a fine high-spirited young fellow like you isn't going +to be afraid of that old tyrant. Come along, I say! If there were any +_real reason_ why you should not speak to me--" + +"That's just what I say," interrupted the comet, eagerly. "What IS the +reason? Why don't they tell it to me?" + +"'Cause there isn't any!" rejoined the meteor. "Come along!" + +After a little more hesitation, the comet yielded, and the two frisked +merrily along, side by side. As they went, No. 73 confided all his +vexations to his new friend, who sympathized warmly with him, and +spoke in most disrespectful terms of the Comet Master. + +"A pretty sort of person to dictate to you, when he hasn't the +smallest sign of a tail himself! I wouldn't submit to it!" cried the +meteor. "As to the other orders, some of them are not so bad. Of +course, nobody would want to go near that stupid, poky Earth, if he +could possibly help it; and the planet Bungo is--ah--is not a very +nice planet, I believe." [The fact is, the planet Bungo contains +a large reform-school for unruly meteors, but our friend made no +mention of that.] "But as for the Sun,--the bright, jolly, delightful +Sun,--why, I am going to take a nearer look at him myself. Come on! We +will go together, in spite of the Comet Master." + +Again the little comet hesitated and demurred; but after all, he had +already broken one rule, and why not another? He would be punished +in any case, and he might as well get all the pleasure he could. +Reasoning thus, he yielded once more to the persuasions of the meteor, +and together they shot through the great space-world, taking their way +straight toward the Sun. + +When the Sun saw them coming, he smiled and seemed much pleased. He +stirred his fire, and shook his shining locks, and blazed brighter and +brighter, hotter and hotter. The heat seemed to have a strange effect +on the comet, for he began to go faster and faster. + +"Hold on!" said the meteor. "Why are you hurrying so? I cannot keep up +with you." + +"I cannot stop myself!" cried No. 73. "Something is drawing me +forward, faster and faster!" + +On he went at a terrible rate, the meteor following as best he might. +Several planets that he passed shouted to him in warning tones, but +he could not hear what they said. The Sun stirred his fire again, and +blazed brighter and brighter, hotter and hotter; and onward rushed the +wretched little comet, faster and faster, faster and faster! + +"Catch hold of my tail and stop me!" he shrieked to the meteor. "I am +shrivelling, burning up, in this fearful heat! Stop me, for pity's +sake!" + +But the meteor was already far behind, and had stopped short to watch +his companion's headlong progress. And now,--ah, me!--now the Sun +opened his huge fiery mouth. The comet made one desperate effort to +stop himself, but it was in vain. An awful, headlong plunge through +the intervening space; a hissing and crackling; a shriek,--and the +fiery jaws had closed on Short-Tail No. 73 forever! + +"Dear me!" said the meteor. "How very shocking! I quite forgot that +the Sun ate comets. I must be off, or I shall get an æon in the +Reform School for this. I am really very sorry, for he was a nice +little comet!" + +And away frisked the meteor, and soon forgot all about it. + +But in the great court-yard in front of the Comet House, the Master +took a piece of chalk, and crossed out No. 73 from the list of +short-tailed comets on the slate that hangs on the door. Then he +called out, "No. 1 Express, come forward!" and the swiftest of all the +comets stood before him, brilliant and beautiful, with a bewildering +magnificence of tail. The Comet Master spoke sharply and decidedly, as +usual, but not unkindly. + +"No. 73, Short-Tail," he said, "has disobeyed orders, and has in +consequence been devoured by the Sun." + +Here there was a great sensation among the comets. + +"No. 1," continued the Master, "you will start immediately, and travel +until you find a runaway meteor, with a red face and blue hair. You +are permitted to make inquiries of respectable bodies, such as planets +or satellites. When found, you will arrest him and take him to the +planet Bungo. My compliments to the Meteor Keeper, and I shall be +obliged if he will give this meteor two æons in the Reform School. I +trust," he continued, turning to the assembled comets, "that this will +be a lesson to all of you!" + +And I believe it was. + + + + +DAY DREAMS + + + White wings over the water, + Fluttering, fluttering over the sea, + White wings over the water, + What are you bringing to me? + A fairy prince in a golden boat, + With golden ringlets that fall and float, + A velvet cap, and a taffety cloak, + This you are bringing to me. + + Fairy, fairy princekin, + Sailing, sailing hither to me, + Silk and satin and velvet, + What are you coming to see? + A little girl in a calico gown, + With hair and eyes of dusky brown, + Who sits on the wharf of the fishing-town. + Looking away to sea. + + Golden, golden sunbeams, + Touch me now with your wands of gold; + Make me a beautiful princess, + Radiant to behold. + Blue and silver and ermine fine, + Diamond drops that flash and shine; + So shall I meet this prince of mine, + Fairer than may be told. + + White wings over the water, + Fluttering ever farther away; + Dark clouds shrouding the sunbeams, + Sullen and cold and gray. + Back I go in my calico gown, + Back to the hut in the fishing-town. + And oh, but the night shuts darkly down + After the summer day! + + + + +Transcriber's note + + +The story "Hokey Pokey", starting on page 106 has double quotes with +every paragraph except the first. Although this is probably a printer's +mistake, it has been preserved. + +Spelling and hyphenation may be inconsistent, this has not been +changed. The following corrections have been made, on page + + 12 ' changed to " (and rest, dear children?") + 106 " changed to ' (be a butcher?' asked his father). + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pig Brother and Other Fables and +Stories, by Laura E. Richards + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43336 *** |