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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..18c827a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60923 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60923) diff --git a/old/60923-0.txt b/old/60923-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3682253..0000000 --- a/old/60923-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3255 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rainbow Cat, by -Rose Fyleman and Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Rainbow Cat - -Author: Rose Fyleman - Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor - -Release Date: December 14, 2019 [EBook #60923] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RAINBOW CAT *** - - - - -Produced by Tim Lindell, Belk Library (Appalachian State -University), David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -THE RAINBOW CAT - -ROSE FYLEMAN - - - - -BY ROSE FYLEMAN - - -VERSE - - _Fairies and Chimneys_ - _The Fairy Green_ - _The Fairy Flute_ - - -TALES - - _The Rainbow Cat_ - - -[Illustration: TO HIS GREAT ASTONISHMENT, HE SAW NO GIANTESS, BUT A -VERY NASTY-LOOKING OLD WIZARD WITH A LONG GREY BEARD AND AN ENORMOUSLY -TALL HAT, WHO SAT IN A LARGE ROOM IN FRONT OF A GREAT OPEN FIRE.] - - - - - [Illustration] - - _The_ RAINBOW CAT - - BY - ROSE FYLEMAN - - - _Illustrated by_ - THELMA CUDLIPP GROSVENOR - - [Illustration] - - NEW YORK - GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1923, - BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - [Illustration] - - - THE RAINBOW CAT. 1 - - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - ONE: The First Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 11 - - TWO: The Princess Who Could Not Cry 19 - - THREE: The Prince and the Baker’s Daughter 27 - - FOUR: Why Pigs Have Curly Tails 36 - - FIVE: The Second Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 42 - - SIX: Mellidora 49 - - SEVEN: The Clock 55 - - EIGHT: The Moon 60 - - NINE: The Third Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 63 - - TEN: Almond Blossom 76 - - ELEVEN: The Rondel 79 - - TWELVE: Jan and the Magic Pencil 89 - - THIRTEEN: The Lamb That Went to Fairyland 99 - - FOURTEEN: The Magic Umbrella 103 - - FIFTEEN: The Fourth Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 109 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - TO HIS GREAT ASTONISHMENT, HE SAW NO GIANTESS, BUT - A VERY NASTY-LOOKING OLD WIZARD WITH A LONG GREY - BEARD AND AN ENORMOUSLY TALL HAT, WHO SAT IN A - LARGE ROOM IN FRONT OF A GREAT OPEN FIRE _Frontispiece_ - - PAGE - - HE RODE AWAY ON HIS WHITE HORSE AND TURNED TO - WAVE HIS HAND TO HIS MOTHER AND FATHER BEFORE - HE WENT OVER THE HILL-TOP 32 - - SHE PULLED A TINY DANDELION-CLOCK FROM HER POCKET - AND BEGAN TO BLOW AND TO COUNT 58 - - “IF YOU WILL MARRY ME,” HE SAID, “I WILL SPEND MY - DAYS MAKING VERSES ABOUT YOU” 84 - - - - -THE RAINBOW CAT - - - - -THE RAINBOW CAT - - - - -ONE - -The First Adventure of the Rainbow Cat - - -There was once a cat which was not in the least like any cat you have -ever seen, or I either, for the matter of that. It was a fairy cat, you -see, and so you would rather expect it to be different, wouldn’t you? -It had a violet nose, indigo eyes, pale blue ears, green front legs, a -yellow body, orange back legs and a red tail. In fact, it was coloured -with all the colours of the rainbow, and on that account it was known -as the Rainbow Cat. - -It lived, of course, in Fairyland, and it had all sorts of strange -adventures. I am going to tell you some of them, and I think you will -agree with me that it really had a very thrilling time, one way or -another. - -This is the first. - - * * * * * - -The Rainbow Cat was sitting quietly at the door of his house one sunny -day. He felt rather bored. Fairyland had been very quiet lately. “I -think it’s time I set out on a voyage of adventure,” he said suddenly. -“I shall get fat and stupid if I don’t do something of the sort.” So -he shut up his house, put a notice on the door to say that he hoped to -be back some day, if not sooner, and that letters and parcels were to -be thrown down the chimney, and started off on his journey with a nice -little wallet of assorted oddments tied to his tail, together with a -neat parcel containing his party bow and his dancing-slippers. “For -one never knows,” said the Rainbow Cat, “whom one may meet, and it is -always well to be prepared for anything.” - -He went on and on until he came to the edge of Fairyland, where the -clouds begin. - -“I may as well pay the cloud-folk a visit,” thought he, and he began -climbing up the clouds. - -The people who live in the clouds are quite pleasant creatures. They -don’t do very much, but being idle doesn’t seem to make them unhappy. -They live in splendid cloud-palaces that are even more beautiful on the -side which can’t be seen from earth than on the side which can. - -Often one may see them drifting across the sky in companies, or driving -their pearly chariots, or sailing in their light boats. They live on -air, and the only thing they are really afraid of is the Thunder Giant, -who, when he gets angry--which he rather often does--goes stamping -over the sky, shouting and knocking their houses about. - -They greeted the Rainbow Cat kindly and were pleased to see him, for he -was an old friend and they were always glad to welcome visitors from -Fairyland. - -“You have come just at the right moment,” they said. “There is a grand -party at the Weather Clerk’s. His eldest son, the North Wind, is to -be married to-day to Princess Pearl, the daughter of the King of the -Enchanted Isles.” - -[Illustration] - -The Rainbow Cat was pleased that he had brought his party bow and his -best shoes. His bag of oddments might also come in useful, he thought. - -It was a wonderful wedding. - -Everybody went. Among the guests there was even a comet, and comets -attend none but the smartest gatherings. - -The Aurora Borealis looked magnificent, so did the bride’s father, the -King of the Enchanted Isles, who was there with his lovely wife, Mother -o’ Pearl. - -There were one or two Bores present who had to be asked because they -were connected with somebody or other, and another aged relation, -Anti Cyclone, a most disagreeable old lady; but on the whole it was a -charming affair. - -Just as the merriment was at its height and they were all happily -feasting and rejoicing, a friendly swallow came flying in with the news -that the Thunder Giant was tearing across the sky in a terrible rage -because a passing Trade Wind, who was in a hurry, had trodden on his -toe. - -“What shall we do?” said every one. “He’ll spoil the party. He’ll upset -everything.” And they all ran about in great confusion and distress. - -But the Rainbow Cat remained quite calm. He was a very resourceful -creature. - -He retired under a table and opened his little bag and examined its -contents, thinking hard all the time. - -Presently he came out. - -“I think I can manage the Thunder Giant,” he said. “Pray go on with -the party. I will go and meet him and see what can be done.” - -They were all greatly astonished at his courage and coolness, but they -were delighted to think that their party might not be spoiled after -all, and they crowded round to watch him go sailing off to meet the -giant, whose shoutings and mutterings could by this time be clearly -heard in the distance. - -When the Rainbow Cat had gone some way and could already see the giant -from afar, he stopped, opened his bag, and drew out a large black -cloak. This he put on, pulling the hood well over his ears. He then sat -down and appeared to be lost in deep thought. - -When the Thunder Giant came up he stood still for a moment to look at -this strange object all alone in the middle of the sky. - -“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” he roared. - -“I’m the celebrated wizard Mewpus,” replied the cat in a very deep and -impressive voice. “Mind my bag, there’s black magic in it. I have heard -of you, O great Thunder Giant.” And he got up and bowed three times. - -The giant felt rather flattered, but he was still very cross and his -foot hurt. - -“I don’t think much of wizards,” he said. “What can you do?” - -“I can tell your thoughts, O Giant,” was the reply. - -“Oho!” laughed the giant, “and pray what am I thinking at this moment, -Mr. Mewpus?” - -“That is quite easy,” said the Rainbow Cat. “You are thinking how -your foot is hurting you, and how you would like to get hold of the -person who trod on your corns.” For the cat had heard all this from the -swallow. - -The giant was astonished. - -“You’re a rather wonderful fellow,” he said. “It must be useful to be -able to do that. Can’t you teach me?” - -“I dare say I might be able to,” said the Rainbow Cat. “I’ll see if you -show any promise. Sit down, please.” - -The giant sat down and the Rainbow Cat walked three times round him, -muttering to himself. - -“Now, tell me what I am thinking,” said he when he had done. - -The Thunder Giant sat looking at him rather stupidly. He wasn’t a very -clever person. - -“I suppose you’re thinking what a fool I look, sitting here,” he said. - -“Wonderful--wonderful,” said the cat. “You show immense promise, sir. -I have never had such an apt pupil.” - -“May I try again?” said the giant, who began to think himself very -clever. - -“Certainly,” said the Rainbow Cat. “What am I thinking of now?” - -The giant tried to put on a very wise look and stared again at the -Rainbow Cat with his stupid little eyes. - -“Beefsteak and onions,” he said suddenly. - -The Rainbow Cat fell back and pretended to be lost in admiration. - -“Perfectly right,” he said. “How did you guess such a thing?” - -“Oh, it just came into my mind,” said the giant modestly. - -“You know,” said the cat seriously, “you ought to cultivate this gift. -It’s most unusual.” - -“How can I do it?” said the giant eagerly, for he thought it would be -very delightful to be able to read people’s thoughts. Which shows how -stupid he was. - -“Go home,” said the cat, “and lie down for a couple of hours. Then -take these three little pink comfits and lie down for another couple of -hours. After that you may get up and have a cup of tea. But keep very -quiet. Before going to bed eat this other little white comfit, and when -you wake up in the morning you will be able to read people’s thoughts.” - -The giant was all impatience to be gone, but he did not quite forget -his manners. - -“I am very much obliged to you,” he said. “Can’t I do anything for you -in exchange, Professor Mewpus?” - -The Rainbow Cat pondered for a moment. - -“I should like a bit of lightning,” he said, “a nice jumpy bit.” - -The giant put his hand in his pocket. “Here’s a bundle of it,” he said. -“If you cut the string you can have quite a jolly little display at any -moment.” - -The Rainbow Cat thanked him, and they parted most amicably. - -The giant went back to his castle and did as he had been told. Ever -since that day he believes he knows what people are thinking. This -makes him feel very superior and it really doesn’t do any one else any -harm. - -The Rainbow Cat returned to the party with the bundle of lightning -stowed carefully away in his bag. Every one was most grateful for what -he had done, and he was quite overwhelmed with attentions. He enjoyed -himself very much in Cloud-land, and stayed for seven days. At the end -of that time he packed up his little bag and set off once more on his -travels, and you shall presently hear what next befell him. - - - - -TWO - -The Princess Who Could Not Cry - - -There was once a little princess who could not cry. - -That wouldn’t have mattered so very much, but the trouble was that she -laughed at everything, often on the most unsuitable occasions, and this -was an extremely vexing and awkward habit, especially for a princess. - -Her parents were very troubled about it, and they called in a wise old -fairy in order to get her advice. She went into the matter thoroughly, -and finally told them that if the princess could only once be made to -cry, the spell would be broken for ever and she would thenceforward be -just like other people. - -This wasn’t particularly helpful, but it gave them some hope, and they -immediately set about the task of making the princess weep. Of course -it was a rather difficult matter, because naturally they didn’t want -her to be really miserable, and they hardly knew how to begin. Finally -they offered a reward of five hundred crowns to anybody who should -succeed in making their daughter cry without doing her any harm. - -Wise men came from all over the kingdom to see what they could do, and -many things were tried, but all to no purpose. - -One of them suggested that she should be shut up in a room by herself -and fed on bread and water for a whole week. The queen thought this -very cruel, but the king persuaded her to try it. She insisted, -however, that at any rate it should be bread and _milk_. But every time -they came to bring the princess her basin of bread and milk they found -her laughing, and at the end of the week she was still as cheerful as -ever. - -“Look,” she said, “my feet have grown so thin that I can’t keep my -slippers on.” And she kicked her foot into the air and sent her slipper -flying across the room, and laughed to see the scandalised face of the -butler. - -But her mother burst into tears. “My poor starved lamb,” she said, -“they shall not treat you so any longer.” And she rushed into the -kitchen and ordered soup and chicken and pink jelly to be sent up to -the princess for her next meal. - -Another wise man came who said that for six months he had been -practising pulling the most awful faces and making the most terrible -noises imaginable, in order to be able to cure the princess. Children, -he said, were so frightened by him that they had to be carried -shrieking and howling from the room, and even grown-up people were -so terrified that they wept aloud. He requested that he might be left -alone with the princess; but the queen waited outside the door and -listened. - -[Illustration] - -She trembled with anxiety as she stood there, for the noises the wise -man made were so bloodcurdling that she could hardly bear to hear them -herself, and it seemed dreadful that her child should be left alone to -endure such a trial. But in a few minutes she heard peals of laughter -coming from inside the room, and presently the wise man opened the -door. He was quite done up, and blue in the face, with the efforts he -had been making. “It’s no use,” he said rather crossly. “No use at -all,” and went away looking much annoyed. - -The princess came running out to her mother. - -“Oh, he _was_ a funny man,” she said. “Can’t he come and do it again?” - -Another wise man suggested that all her favourite toys should be broken -up. But when he went into the nursery and began smashing her beautiful -dolls and playthings, the princess clapped her hands and jumped about -and laughed more heartily than ever. - -“What fun, what fun,” she said, and she too began throwing the things -about. So that plan had to be given up also. - -Other wise men came, but as many of their suggestions were cruel and -unkind ones, naturally the king and queen would not hear of them, and -at last they began to fear that nothing could be done. - -Now in a small village on the borders of the king’s great park, there -lived a widow with her little daughter Marigold. - -They were very poor, and the mother earned what she could by doing odd -jobs of washing, sewing, or cleaning for her neighbours. But she fell -ill, and poor Marigold was in great trouble, for she had no money to -buy comforts for her mother. - -Their little savings had to go for food to keep them alive, and every -day these grew less and less. - -Marigold knew all about the little princess at the castle. She had -often heard speak of her, and had even seen her sometimes riding about -the roads on her white pony. And one day as she was cooking the midday -meal an idea came into her head. - -As soon as dinner was over, she put on her hat and cloak and told her -mother that she was going up to the king’s palace to see if she could -make the princess cry and so earn the five hundred crowns. - -Her mother did her best to persuade her not to go. - -“How can you hope to succeed,” she said, “when so many clever people -have tried and failed? You are my own dear little Marigold, but it is -useless for you to attempt such a task. Give it up, my child.” - -But Marigold was determined, and when her mother saw this she said no -more, but lay and watched her rather sadly as she set bravely off for -the castle with her little basket over her arm. - -When Marigold came to the castle gates she felt frightened. The gates -were so big and she was so small. But she thought of her mother and of -the five hundred crowns which would buy her everything she needed, and -she stood on tiptoe on the top step and pulled the bell handle so hard -that she was quite frightened at the noise it made. - -A very grand footman opened the door, and when he saw Marigold standing -there in her woollen frock and cloak with her little basket, he said, -“Back entrance!” in a loud, cross voice, and shut the door in her face. - -So she went round to the back entrance. This time the door was opened -by a red-faced kitchen-maid. “We’ve no dripping to give away to-day,” -she said, and she too was about to shut the door. - -But the queen happened to be in the kitchen giving her orders for the -day, and she saw Marigold through the window. She came to the window -and called to her. - -“What is it, my child?” she asked, for Marigold stood there looking the -picture of unhappiness. - -“I’ve come to make the princess cry, please your Majesty,” she said, -and made a curtsey, for the queen looked very magnificent with her -crown on her head and her lovely ermine train held up over her arm to -keep it off the kitchen floor. - -When the queen heard what Marigold had come for, she smiled and shook -her head, for how could a little country girl hope to do what so many -wise men had been unable to accomplish? But Marigold was so earnest and -so sure that she could make the princess cry that at last the queen -promised to let her attempt it. - -“You won’t hurt her?” she said. But she smiled as she said it. Marigold -had such a kind little face; she did not look as if she could hurt any -one. - -She was taken to the princess’s apartments, and the queen went with her -into the nursery and introduced her to the princess and explained why -she had come. - -The princess was delighted to see a nice little rosy-cheeked girl -instead of the dull old men who so often came to visit her. The queen -shut the door and left them alone together. - -By this time the news of the little village girl who had come to make -the princess cry, had spread all over the palace; and presently a whole -crowd of people were standing anxiously waiting outside the nursery -door. - -“It’s such nonsense,” said the Chamberlain to the Prime Minister. “A -village child. I don’t suppose she’s ever been outside the village.” - -“Quite ridiculous,” whispered the ladies-in-waiting to the court pages. -“Do you think she knows how to make a correct curtsey?” - -At last the king and queen could stand the suspense no longer. They -quietly opened the door and peeped in. And what do you think they saw? -The princess, standing at the table in the middle of the room with -Marigold’s basket in front of her, busily peeling onions as hard as she -could go, while the tears streamed down her face all the while. She was -crying at last! - -The king and queen rushed in and clasped her in their arms, onions and -all. The ladies-in-waiting stood with their perfumed handkerchiefs -pressed to their noses, the pages tittered, and the cook, who was -standing at the bottom of the stairs, muttered to himself when he -heard the news, “Well, _I_ could have done that,” while the Prime -Minister rushed about the room with his wig on one side and shook -everybody violently by the hand, exclaiming, “Wonderful, wonderful! -And so simple! We must get out a proclamation at once. Where are my -spectacles? Where is my pen?” - -And so the princess was cured, and from that time she became like -everybody else and cried when she was unhappy and laughed when she was -glad, though I am pleased to say that she always laughed a great deal -more than she cried. - -As for Marigold, she got her five hundred crowns, of course, and was -able to give her mother everything she needed, so that she was soon -quite well. The king and queen were most grateful, and often invited -her up to the palace to play with their little daughter, and loaded her -with presents. - -Because she was sweet and modest she didn’t get spoiled, but grew up -charming, kind and beautiful. I did hear that in the end she married a -king’s son and that they had an onion for their crest, but I’m not at -all sure about that. - - - - -THREE - -The Prince and the Baker’s Daughter - - -There was once a prince who was very brave, good and handsome. He was -quite young, too, and before he settled down to learning how to rule -the kingdom which would one day be his, he was sent by his father out -a-travelling into the world. - -The king gave his son a beautiful white horse and a bagful of big gold -pieces, and told him to come back when the money was all spent. - -His mother made him a blue velvet mantle embroidered with silver, and -she also gave him a hat with a blue feather in it. - -“I want my son to look nice when he goes out riding into the world,” -she said. - -He rode away on his white horse and turned to wave his hand to his -mother and father before he went over the hill-top. - -“How handsome he looks,” said his mother, wiping away a tear or two. - -“Well, that’s nothing to cry about,” said his father, and blew his -nose. Then they went back into the palace and continued ruling. - -The prince rode on and on. - -Wherever he went people were very nice to him, even when he got beyond -the borders of his own kingdom where he was no longer known. - -It is not every day that a handsome prince comes riding along on a -white horse, and moreover with a bagful of fine gold pieces to spend. - -All the girls ran out to look at him as he passed, and when he stayed -anywhere, even for a short time, people seemed to get to know about it -at once and asked him to their houses and gave grand parties in his -honour and made so much of him altogether that he was in some danger of -getting thoroughly spoiled. - -But he had been very well brought up, and he had a naturally amiable -disposition. - -Besides, he had always been told by his mother that if you are a -prince you must try hard to behave as a prince should, and be modest, -considerate, and very polite to every one. - -One morning close on midday, he came to a tiny village which he did not -know at all. - -He was rather hungry after his ride, and as he passed down the narrow -little street he became aware of a delicious smell of new bread. - -It came from the open door of the village baker’s, and as he glanced in -he saw a pile of beautiful, crisp new rolls heaped up in a big white -basket. - -He got down off his horse and went in. - -“I should like to buy one of those nice little rolls,” he said to the -baker’s daughter, who stood behind the counter. - -She was very pretty. She had blue, shining eyes and fair smooth hair, -and when she smiled it was like sunshine on a flowery meadow. - -[Illustration] - -The prince ate up his roll and then another and yet another, and while -he ate he talked to the baker’s daughter. But no one can eat more than -three rolls one after another, and at last he felt that the time had -come to pay for what he had had and ride on his way. - -But, as it happened, he had no small change, nothing but a gold piece -such as those which he had in his bag. - -The baker’s daughter hadn’t enough money in the whole shop to change -such a big gold piece, her father having set off that very morning with -all the money in the till in order to buy a sack of flour from the -miller in the next village. - -She had never even seen so large a gold coin before. She wanted to give -him the rolls for nothing, but of course he wouldn’t hear of that, and -when he said it didn’t matter about the change she wouldn’t hear of -that either. - -“Then there’s nothing for it,” said the prince, “but for me to stay in -the village until I have eaten as much as my gold piece will pay for.” - -As a matter of fact he was really quite glad of an excuse to stay, the -baker’s daughter was so very pretty, and he was getting a little tired -of travelling. - -He pottered about in the bakehouse all the afternoon and watched her -making the dough for her delicious rolls. - -He even offered to help her. - -His blue mantle got rather floury, but he didn’t mind that in the least. - -The baker’s daughter was rather worried that such a fine gentleman -should get in such a mess. - -She didn’t know he was a prince, otherwise she might have been more -worried still. - -In the evening, when the baker returned, the prince asked if he could -put him up for a couple of nights. - -The baker was a kindly and simple old soul. “Gladly, gladly,” he said, -rubbing his hands together and smiling, for the village was a small one -and they were very poor, and he was glad to make a little extra money. - -The prince stayed a whole week at the baker’s house. By that time, what -with the bread he had eaten--though he was careful not to eat much and -always to choose the cheapest--and the price of his lodging, about half -of the gold piece was spent, and the baker’s daughter was able to give -him the change from the money she had taken in the shop. - -So he had no excuse for staying any longer, which grieved him because -he had grown very fond of the baker’s daughter and did not like leaving -her. - -But he had an idea that his mother and father would not think her a -very suitable bride for him, for princes cannot always marry whom they -please, and so he rode sadly away. - -But the farther he went the sadder he became, and at the end of two -months he could bear it no longer, and so one fine morning he turned -his horse’s head round and rode back again the way he had come. - -“She is good and clever and beautiful,” he said. “What more can one -want in a wife? When my mother and father see her they will love her as -much as I do and will be quite willing that I should marry her.” Which -really was very optimistic of him. - -But alas, when he came to the village and sought the baker’s shop, he -was met by strange faces. - -The baker had died a month since, he was told, and his daughter had -left the village and gone out into the world to work for her living, -for she could not manage the bakehouse by herself and there was none to -help her now that her father was gone. - -The prince was very, very troubled and unhappy. He tried to find out -something more about her, but his efforts were fruitless; no one seemed -to know what had become of her. - -“I will search the world over till I find her,” he said, “even if it -take me the whole of my life.” - -He wandered on and on, always making fresh inquiries, always hoping to -hear something of his lost love, but always in vain. - -And at last he got back to his own kingdom. - -When his mother and father saw him they were horrified to find how pale -and thin he had grown. - -[Illustration: HE RODE AWAY ON HIS WHITE HORSE AND TURNED TO WAVE HIS -HAND TO HIS MOTHER AND FATHER BEFORE HE WENT OVER THE HILL-TOP.] - -“Travelling doesn’t seem to suit you, my son,” said his father, looking -at him rather seriously and stroking his beard. - -“The poor boy is tired out,” said his mother. “He’ll look better when -he’s had a good rest and some proper food. I don’t suppose he’s ever -had a really wholesome meal in those foreign parts.” - -But the prince remained thin and sad and listless, and at last he told -his father and mother the cause of his unhappiness. At first they were -a little upset at the idea of his wanting to marry so humble a person -as the daughter of a village baker--“But that of course,” thought the -prince, “is only because they don’t know her.” - -And after a time, when they saw how unhappy he was and that all the -distractions with which they provided him were unavailing, and that his -one idea was to go out into the world again and search for the baker’s -daughter, they were so troubled that they felt they would be only too -glad if he could have the wish of his heart fulfilled. - -And then one day as the prince was sitting quietly at breakfast with -his parents he jumped up suddenly with an expression of the greatest -excitement and joy. - -“What is it, my son?” said his astonished mother. - -The prince couldn’t speak for a moment. For one thing he was too -excited, and for another his mouth was full of bread, and I told you -before how well brought up he was. - -But he pointed to the dish of breakfast rolls and kept on nodding his -head and swallowing as hard as he could. - -The king and queen thought at first that sorrow had affected his brain, -but the prince was able to explain very soon. “The rolls, the rolls,” -he said. “Her rolls, _hers_. No one else could make them so good. She -must be here.” And he rushed off to the kitchen without further ado. - -And there, sure enough, he found the baker’s daughter, peeling potatoes -over the sink. - -By the merest chance she had taken a place as kitchen-maid in the -king’s palace, though she hadn’t the faintest idea, when she did so, -that the king’s son was the same person as the handsome stranger who -had once stayed in her father’s house. - -And though she had been there a month she had never seen him. How -should she? King’s palaces are big places, and the kitchen-maids -stay in the kitchen premises, so that she and the prince might never -have come face to face at all if it had not happened that, owing to -the illness of the royal roll-maker, she had undertaken to make the -breakfast rolls that morning. - -When the king and queen saw how sweet and beautiful she was they made -no objection to her as a bride for their son, and so he asked her at -once to marry him, which she consented to do, for she loved him as much -as he loved her. - -“I don’t know that I should have _chosen_ a baker’s daughter for our -son’s wife,” said the queen to her husband when they talked it over -that evening. “But she’s certainly a charming girl, and quite nice -people go into business nowadays.” - -“She’ll make him an excellent wife,” said the king. “Those rolls were -delicious.” - -So they got married quite soon after. The wedding was a rather quiet -one because the bride was in mourning for her father, whom she had -loved dearly. All the same, it was a very nice affair, and everybody -was most jolly and gay. The prince and his wife had a beautiful house -not very far from the palace, and I think it is extremely likely that -they lived happily ever after. - - - - -FOUR - -Why Pigs Have Curly Tails - - -There was once a fairy who fell into a bramble-bush. It was a very -closely grown bush, and she could not get out. She was sadly scratched, -and the thorns caught her tiny delicate wings and tore her pretty frail -dress into shreds. - -The bramble-bush formed part of a hedge which ran along the side of an -orchard, and presently a horse came sauntering up to the hedge. - -“Oh, please help me, sir,” said the fairy. “I’m caught in a -bramble-bush, and can’t get out.” - -The horse came and looked at her. “That’s a nasty place to be in,” he -said. “What will you give me if I get you out?” - -“I’ll give you a golden halter and a silver bit,” said the fairy. - -The horse shook his head. “It’s not worth it,” he said. “I should -scratch my face. My master loves me for my beautiful satin skin, and -I really can’t risk spoiling my appearance. Besides, I have some very -nice harness of my own. He sees to that. Sorry I can’t be of any -assistance.” And he ambled away. - -A little later a robin perched on the bramble-bush. “Oh, please, Mr. -Robin, won’t you come and help me?” said the fairy. “I can’t get out.” - -“What will you give me,” said the robin, “if I help you out?” - -[Illustration] - -“I’ll give you a jacket of gold and slippers of silver,” said the fairy. - -“Thank you very much,” said the robin, “but I don’t think that’s quite -my style. I have a nice red waistcoat already and I should hate to look -gaudy. Besides, I’m tremendously busy. I’ve got a young family to look -after, and my wife doesn’t like me to be away long.” And he flew off. - -There were sheep grazing in the field on the other side of the hedge, -and one of them came munching close to the bramble-bush. - -“Oh, please, Mrs. Sheep,” said the fairy, “can you help me out of here?” - -“What will you give me if I do?” said the sheep. - -“I will teach you to sing as the fairies sing,” said the fairy. “I will -also give you wisdom.” For she was getting more and more anxious, and -she thought such lovely gifts would tempt the sheep. - -But the sheep stared stupidly with her glassy eyes. “That’s all very -well,” she replied, “but I happen to have a very nice voice naturally -and can already sing rather well. As for wisdom, I don’t quite know -what that is, but I don’t think it sounds very interesting. I’d help -you gladly, but the thorns would tear my fine woollen coat, and that -would never do. Surely a fine woollen coat is worth much more than -wisdom.” And she moved away. - -The fairy was beginning to despair; she thought she would never, never -be able to get back to Fairyland. But just as she had given up hope, -a pig came wandering past, making ugly noises and staring about with -his little blue eyes. He spied the fairy sitting in the midst of the -bramble-bush with her head down on her knees. - -“What’s the matter?” said the pig. - -The fairy raised her head and saw the pig’s ugly pink snout poking in -between the bramble-twigs. - -“I think I can get you out,” he said, when she had told him her -trouble. “I’m not much to look at, but I’ve got a good tough hide, -and at any rate I shan’t be afraid of a few scratches spoiling my -beauty.” So with a good many snuffles and grunts he pushed his head and -shoulders well into the middle of the bush and made a clear way for the -fairy to get out. - -She gave a sigh of relief when she found herself once more free and in -the clear sunshine, and the pig stood and looked at her admiringly, for -she was a dear little thing. He was so conscious of his ugliness beside -her pretty grace that he turned away and started off down the orchard. - -“Don’t go--oh, don’t go,” said the fairy. - -The pig turned round. - -“You’ve not had your reward,” said the fairy. - -“I don’t want any reward, thank you,” grunted the pig, and moved on. - -But the fairy persisted. She flew after him. “You must have a reward,” -she said. “I shall be most unhappy if you don’t.” - -“But I don’t want anything, thank you,” said the pig. “I have been -very glad to help you.” - -The fairy stood in front of him, anxiously pondering as to what she -could possibly give him that might be of any use. Nobody seemed to want -her fairy gifts. She looked him up and down. - -“Wouldn’t you like something--something to make you more beautiful?” -she said. - -She really meant less ugly, but she was so grateful to the pig that she -was very anxious not to hurt his feelings, and so she put it that way. - -“I’m afraid it’s rather hopeless,” said the pig, with half a smile. -“You see, I’m such an ugly fellow. You’d have to alter me all over.” - -“But surely--a little something ...” said the fairy, and she looked at -him more thoughtfully than ever. - -Now all this happened a very long time ago, when pigs had quite -straight tails like most of the other animals, and suddenly, looking -at his tail, the fairy had an idea. “I know, I know,” she said. “You -shall have a curly tail. It will be an immense improvement, and _so_ -uncommon.” - -The pig looked rather pleased. “Well, have your own way,” he said. “I -can’t see my own tail, in any case, but I dare say it wouldn’t look -bad.” - -So the fairy touched the pig’s tail with her wand, and it instantly -curled up into nice little rings. - -Ever since that day pigs have had curly tails, and now you know how -they came by this beautiful adornment. - - - - -FIVE - -The Second Adventure of the Rainbow Cat - - -The Rainbow Cat went on and on until at last he came to the country of -the Tree-goblins. The Tree-goblins are happy people; they live in the -trees like birds, though they can’t fly. They are indeed very friendly -with the birds, and they understand the bird language, so that they are -able to send one another messages without any need of the post--which -is very convenient! - -When winter comes the goblins go and live in their caves underground. -It is a great change after the trees, and they are always delighted -when spring returns again. - -There are no animals in Tree-goblin-land, but the Rainbow Cat was an -old friend here too, and was received as kindly as in Cloud-land. - -The Tree-goblins are rather funny little creatures; they like to keep -themselves _to_ themselves, as the saying goes, and there are not even -any fairies living in their country. But they are on very friendly -terms with the fairy folk, and their principal occupation is making -fairy clothes. - -These are the tiniest, finest little garments imaginable, and they -are made of all sorts of pretty things. Spider thread, of course, -and moonbeams, and softest silk from silk-worms, and flower-petals -dipped in magic wells so that they cannot fade, and thistledown, and -moss-velvet, and foam, and lichen--oh, there is no end to the things -that are used to make clothes for the fairies. - -[Illustration] - -And when they are finished the birds carry them to the fairies and -bring back orders. Sometimes, when it’s a very special occasion, the -fairies come to be fitted or to choose the stuffs and the styles, but -not often. - -They are easy to fit and easy to suit, and the birds do the ordering -most satisfactorily. - -The Rainbow Cat liked being in Tree-goblin-land very much indeed. - -He lived in a beautiful copper-beech. When the morning sun shone -through the leaves his little house was filled with a lovely rosy -light which was most pleasing and becoming. Every morning a chorus of -little birds sang songs to him for his delight, and every evening they -lulled him to sleep with soft lullabies. - -They thought him a very grand and beautiful person, and so indeed he -was. - -When he had been in Tree-goblin-land for two or three days the Chief of -the Goblins came to see him one morning early. He was in great trouble. - -The Queen of the Fairies had sent an order for rose-coloured shoes, -dozens and dozens of pairs. She wanted all the Court to wear -rose-coloured shoes at her next party, and her next party was to take -place in three days. - -“We could get the work done,” said the Chief Goblin anxiously, “it -isn’t that. But we haven’t got the material. You see, the roses aren’t -out yet. There’s been a great run on pink lately and we’ve used up -all the pink flowers and all our other stuffs of that colour. We’ve -scarcely got an inch of rose-colour of any kind, and we ought to start -at once. It’ll take us all our time to get them made. It would be -dreadful to disappoint the Queen. What are we to do?” - -The Rainbow Cat was more than willing to help, but he felt that it was -a difficult matter. - -“How soon must you have the stuff?” he asked. - -“This afternoon would be the very latest,” said the goblin. - -“I’ll see what I can do,” said the Rainbow Cat. “I have an idea or two. -Don’t worry, it’ll be all right. Meet me here at noon, and I’ll let you -know what I’ve done.” - -The Chief Goblin went away feeling considerably relieved. The Rainbow -Cat seemed so wise, just the kind of person to think of something -helpful in an emergency. - -And sure enough at twelve o’clock he came to meet the Chief of the -Goblins with a cheerful twinkle in his dark blue eye. - -“I’ve been making a few inquiries,” he said. “But I want to make sure -that my information is correct. Sit down, and let us have a little -quiet talk.” - -The Chief of the Goblins sat down and waited eagerly. He felt more and -more hopeful. - -“Is it true,” said the Rainbow Cat, “is it true that the crooked -hawthorn tree in the Weeshy Glen is very bad-tempered?” - -“Quite true,” said the Chief Goblin. “Nobody dares go near him, -he’s such a cross, cantankerous creature. Lots of the hawthorns are -very nice indeed, and we’re very fond of them. But he’s unbearable. -He’ll give any one a nasty scratch if he gets half a chance, he’s so -spiteful.” - -“Is it true,” continued the Rainbow Cat, “that he’s jealous of the -other trees because he can’t grow tall and big like them, and reach up -to the sky?” - -“Quite true,” said the Chief Goblin. “He makes every one round him -miserable with his grumbling and scolding.” - -“H’m,” said the Rainbow Cat, and he folded his arms and sat lost in -thought for a few minutes. - -“Would the petals of the hawthorn tree do to make fairy shoes of?” he -said at last. - -“Beautifully,” said the Chief Goblin. “But they’re white.” (For at that -time all hawthorn blossom was white, both in Fairyland and everywhere -else.) - -“Quite true,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Can you lend me a mandolin?” - -“Yes, I think I can,” said the goblin, and he ran off and came back -very soon with a beautiful mandolin all inlaid with silver and ivory -and mother-of-pearl. - -“Thank you,” said the Rainbow Cat. “I think that in half an hour or so -I shall be able to let you have all the rose-coloured petals you want.” -And he hung the mandolin round his neck and set off into the forest. - -Presently he came to the Weeshy Glen, sat down a little way off from -the hawthorn tree where its thorns could not possibly touch him, tuned -up his mandolin, and began to sing this little song: - - “The oak tree raises his arms on high, - The pine tree reaches up to the sky, - The slender birch is a lady fair, - The poplar has a most elegant air. - But tell, oh tell me now, who is this - Small and stunted and all amiss? - Who can he be? oh, who can he be? - This squat little, odd little, strange little tree?” - -It wasn’t very kind of the Rainbow Cat, but the hawthorn tree was a -very disagreeable fellow, you must remember, and nobody could ever do -anything to punish him because every one was so afraid of his sharp -thorns. - -Anyway, by the time the Rainbow Cat had got to the end of the first -verse, the hawthorn tree was very angry. He could hardly contain -himself, and he trembled all over with the temper he was in. - -The cat hardly looked at him, but went cheerfully on with his song. - -This was the second verse: - - “The elm tree stands like a stately king, - The leaves of the alder dance and sing, - My lady beech is a courtly dame, - The chestnut’s lamps are a shining flame. - But tell me, tell me, who can he be - That scarcely reaches up to their knee? - Hoary of head and crooked of limb, - What on earth is the matter with him?” - -The hawthorn tree had grown more and more furious as the song went on. -The Rainbow Cat finished up with a beautiful trill when he got to “the -matter with him,” but the hawthorn tree was in no mood to admire his -fine singing. So great was his rage that he grew pinker and pinker and -pinker, and he shook so violently that all his petals were shaken down. -They fell all round him like a shower of rosy rain. - -The Rainbow Cat waited no longer. He ran off as hard as he could to the -Chief of the Goblins, still singing as he went, and told him that he -would find all the stuff he wanted in the Weeshy Glen. - -So the Queen got the rose-coloured shoes after all, and the -Tree-goblins were most grateful to the Rainbow Cat, and begged him to -stay with them as long as he liked. - -But he thanked them and said he must continue his travels. - -They wanted to load him with presents, but all he would take was a -little bottle of water from the magic well. This water has fairy -powers. If you rub it on your eyes you can see through stone walls, -which is sometimes very convenient, and the Rainbow Cat was quite -pleased to have some. - -They also insisted that he should keep the mandolin. This he finally -consented to do. And ever since that time there have always been pink -hawthorn trees as well as white. - - - - -SIX - -Mellidora - - -There was once a young prince who wished to take a wife. So he went to -consult his aunt, who was by way of being a Wise Woman. - -“Next week,” he said, “the King of the -Land-on-the-other-side-of-the-Mountains is holding a great festival -in honour of the coming of age of his son, and he has invited me to -stay at the Court. There will be many beautiful ladies there, and I am -hoping that I may be able to find a wife among them. But how shall I -know which to choose?” - -“You shall have my advice and welcome,” said his aunt. “Choose a maiden -who laughs when others cry, and cries when others laugh, and you will -not go far wrong.” - -The prince thanked his aunt for her counsel and went back home. He -thought the advice she had given him rather strange, but he had great -confidence in her wisdom. “And in any case,” he said, “I can but go to -the festival and see what comes of it.” - -There were indeed many lovely ladies at the Court of the King of the -Land-on-the-other-side-of-the-Mountains. The prince was quite dazzled -by their beauty and their wit. Each of them seemed more charming than -the last. - -On the second day of the fête a picnic had been arranged which was to -take place in a woodland glade some little way from the palace. - -The road thither was rough and very muddy, for there had been much rain -the week before. - -The princes and knights rode on horseback; the ladies were conveyed in -carriages gaily decked with flowers and drawn by beautiful prancing -horses. - -But it so happened that the horses of one of the carriages became -unmanageable. It turned over, and the six ladies who rode in it were -all tumbled into the ditch at the side of the road. - -It was a rather deep ditch, and there was water at the bottom of it, so -that it was quite a business getting them all out, though fortunately -none of them was seriously hurt. The prince, who happened to be riding -beside the carriage, helped to rescue them, and escorted them one by -one, weeping, to a seat on the bank, where they presented a sorry -spectacle with their pretty frocks all muddy and bedraggled and their -pretty hats all on one side. - -But when the prince came to the sixth lady he found her, to his great -astonishment, sitting at the bottom of the ditch, laughing. - -Her hat had come off, her hair had come down, she was bedaubed with mud -from head to foot, and her poor little hands were covered with nettle -stings. - -But she laughed all the same. - -“We must have looked so funny all tumbling into the ditch,” she said. -“I wish I could have seen it. We’re still rather a funny sight, aren’t -we?”--and she looked down at herself and up at the weeping ladies on -the bank, and laughed again. - -[Illustration] - -There was so much mud on her face that the prince could not see what -she really looked like, but he remembered the words of his aunt. - -“What is the name of the sixth lady?” he asked, when they had all been -bundled off home. “The one who laughed?” - -“Her name is Mellidora,” he was told. - -So in the evening he sought out Mellidora and found that she was a most -beautiful and charming person, so much so that he lost his heart to her -forthwith. - -“But I must do nothing in a hurry,” he said to himself. “After all, -there is the other half of my aunt’s counsel to be considered. In any -case, it would perhaps seem a little strange if I asked her to marry me -quite so soon. We will see what happens to-morrow.” - -On the next day all the ladies and gentlemen who were staying in the -castle were to go out riding in the early morning. - -The prince had slept late, and he stood for a moment at his window -looking down on the courtyard, where there was a great bustling and -prancing and making ready. - -Through the midst of all this an old peasant woman was making her way. - -She had a basket of eggs on her arm, and carefully laid on the top of -it was a round flat cake, brown and spicy-looking, with a sugar heart -in the middle of it, surrounded by pink and white sugar roses. - -She had made it for a birthday gift for the King’s son. But she was a -little confused by all the bustle in the courtyard, and scurried hither -and thither among the horses and people like a frightened hen. - -Presently one of the King’s servants pushed her out of the way. Her -foot caught on the edge of a stone; she tripped and fell. - -The eggs rolled out of the basket. Plop! Plop! they went on the stones. - -There was a fine mess, and the beautiful cake lay in the midst of it, -in fragments. - -The old woman was so vexed and upset that she forgot everything but the -misfortune that had befallen her, and she stood in the middle of the -courtyard surrounded by her broken eggs, scolding away at the top of -her voice and shaking her old umbrella at the whole gay crowd. - -Everybody laughed; and indeed she was a rather comical sight as she -stood there shouting and storming. Somebody threw her a gold piece, -which was kindly meant. But a gold piece wouldn’t make her beautiful -cake whole again. - -Presently the whole party rode away through the courtyard gates--all -excepting one, and that one no other than Mellidora. - -She slipped down from her horse and went swiftly across to where the -old woman sat upon the stone steps leading up to the big castle doors. -All her anger was gone, but she looked the picture of misery. - -The prince could see how Mellidora stooped to pick up the broken cake -and tried to put it together again, and how kindly she put her arm -round the old woman’s shoulder, coaxing her with friendly words. - -And when presently he came down into the courtyard to see what more -might be done, the sun shone upon Mellidora’s gentle face, and he saw -that her eyes were full of tears. - -Then the prince knew that he had indeed found the one whom he sought, -for here was a maiden who not only laughed when others cried, but who -also cried when others laughed. - -The old woman was taken to the King’s son, where she was so kindly -received that she forgot all her troubles. - -But the prince waited no longer. - -That very same day he asked Mellidora to marry him, and as she loved -him as much as he did her they got married very soon and lived happily -ever after. - - - - -SEVEN - -The Clock - - -There was once a little clock which had gone steadily for years and -years. - -It was a good, conscientious little thing, pretty too, but very modest, -and it had always kept splendid time. - -Then it stopped suddenly one day exactly at eleven. Its works were worn -out, and the clock-maker to whom it was sent for repairs returned it -with the message that it was not possible to make it go again. - -The people to whom it belonged decided to leave it on the mantelshelf -where it had always stood. “It’s such a nice little thing,” they said, -“and some day we can have new works put into it.” So there it stood -without making a movement or uttering the faintest tick. But it was -very unhappy. It felt that it was of no real use in the world. - -The other things in the room weren’t very nice about it. They used to -whisper to one another, and the little clock caught an unkind word now -and then that made it unhappier than ever. - -“I don’t know why they keep it there. What on earth’s the good of it -if it doesn’t go?” said the big grandfather clock. “It never was much -use anyway. No chime, and a very poor tick. Of course it’s got no -constitution to speak of.” And his brazen face grew even shinier than -it had been before, and he gave a self-satisfied little cough and then -sang out his quarters as loudly as ever he could. - -The cuckoo clock, which lived in the hall, and used to join in the talk -when the door was open, actually went so far as to make up a little -rhyme about it. - -“Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo,” it sang. “What’s the use of you? What’s the -use of you? Cuckoo, cuckoo.” - -The chairs, which were Chippendale, and tremendously proud of the fact, -were quite as rude. - -“There’s no doubt about it,” they said, “quality is what tells. You -can’t expect a thing to last unless it is really well made, inside and -out. Perfect workmanship will wear practically for ever.” And they held -up their backs as straight as could be and curved their shapely arms -and legs into the most elegant lines imaginable. - -The little Chelsea flower-seller and flute-player, who stood on each -side of the clock on the mantelshelf, were much kinder, and did their -best to console it. - -They had always been on friendly terms with it, and they used to peep -round it and smile and wave to one another. - -[Illustration] - -“The Fairy Queen is probably coming to see us soon,” said the -flower-seller. “Perhaps she may be able to help you.” - -The little clock felt happier; it would be wonderful to be introduced -to the Fairy Queen, who had often been to see the Chelsea figures but -had so far never taken notice of any of the other things. - -You see, those two were old friends of hers. They came from Fairyland -originally, but the tale went that a wicked witch had cast a spell -over them which was to last for seven hundred and seventy-seven years. -At the end of that time they would be able to go back to Fairyland, -but meanwhile the Queen used to come and visit them now and then in -order to cheer them up. Sure enough, the very next time she came, -the flower-seller remembered about the little clock and told her how -unhappy it was. - -The Queen came and stood in front of it and stroked its face with her -tiny hand and patted its pretty ormolu pillars. - -Finally she sat down on the little green marble slab on which it stood, -and asked it to tell her all its troubles. - -And the little clock opened its heart to her and told her how miserable -it was to think that it would never, never be able to tell the time -again. - -“But you _will_,” said the Queen. “Every day and every night at eleven -o’clock you will be exactly right. None of the other clocks”--she -glanced round almost contemptuously at the grandfather--“can be quite -sure of ever being perfectly right. But you will be. Why, it must be -about eleven now.” She pulled a dandelion-clock from her pocket and -began to blow and to count. “One, two, three, four....” The white -darts floated away and went drifting about the room. At last only one -remained. - -[Illustration: SHE PULLED A TINY DANDELION-CLOCK FROM HER POCKET AND -BEGAN TO BLOW AND TO COUNT] - -At that moment the cuckoo clock was heard striking in the hall. The -Queen stopped blowing to listen. - -“He’s fast,” she said, and waited till he had finished. “Five, six, -seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven,” she went on, and, as she ended, the -last white morsel of down rose in the air. She glanced at the little -clock. “You see, you’re quite right,” she said triumphantly. “And -to-morrow morning you’ll be right again at eleven o’clock.” - -The little clock beamed, and it beamed still more when the Fairy Queen -opened its glass door and gently clasped its hands in hers and said how -much she looked forward to seeing it again. - -Just then the grandfather cleared his throat and went through his -pompous performance of chiming out the quarters and hour. - -“You’re five minutes slow,” said the Queen, and she waved her hand and -vanished through the ventilator. - - - - -EIGHT - -The Moon - - -The moon, of course, is a big golden penny hung up in the sky. Every -month when it is at the full the fairies stand in the fields and gaze -at it and feel in their empty pockets. There are so many things they -want to buy. Rainbow ribbon from the weather clerk for sashes, silken -thread from the spider for weaving into shawls, pearl varnish from the -snail for doing up their wings, and little red feathers from the robin -for wearing in their Sunday bonnets. - -At last they can bear it no longer. They all go flying into the sky and -unhook the moon and carry it off to go marketing with. And when they’re -tired of spending they hang what is left of it up again in the sky and -go home to bed. But the next night they fetch it again and spend a -little more. - -They go on doing this night after night for nearly a fortnight, and the -moon gets smaller and smaller, till at last there’s nothing left of -it at all. And when the fairies realise what they have done, they get -frightened. - -“We’ve spent all the moon,” they say. “Suppose it never grew again! -Wouldn’t it be dreadful?” And they all hide away in the forest and -don’t come out for several nights. - -But at last one of them takes courage and puts his head out, and he -sees a little tiny bit of moon shining in the sky. Whereupon he gives a -shout and claps his hands and goes running round to the houses of all -the other fairies to tell them the good news. - -[Illustration] - -“The moon’s growing again,” he says. “Come quick and look.” And they -all come out to look at it, and caper about and are as pleased as -pleased can be. - -“We’ll never take it again,” they say. “It might not grow next time.” -But at the end of a fortnight they have worn all their pretties a -little shabby, and they want some more. And by that time the moon has -grown so big that they feel that they _must_ spend a little of it. -And--would you believe it?--they end up by doing all over again just -exactly what they did before. - -They’ve been going on like this for ages, and what’s more, they’re -beginning to take it for granted that the moon will grow again, and so -I don’t suppose they’ll ever get cured. But it’s very tiresome of them. - -We could quite well do with all the moon always. Besides, some day it -really might not grow again. And what then...? - - - - -NINE - -The Third Adventure of the Rainbow Cat - - -When the Rainbow Cat left the land of the Tree-goblins he travelled for -some time until he came to a delightful country called the Bountiful -Land. - -It was a marvellous country. - -There were deep forests there, and great meadows full of the loveliest -flowers, such as only grow in gardens in other countries; the sky was -nearly always blue, and the people who lived in that land were happy -and contented. That is to say, they would have been but for one thing. - -In the very middle of the country there was a great castle built high -upon a rock, and in this castle--so the inhabitants of the place told -the Rainbow Cat--there lived a cruel and wicked giantess who tyrannised -over the people and constantly took away their goods, sometimes even -their children. - -The Rainbow Cat did not meet with any one who had actually seen the -giantess face to face, but terrible tales were told of her doings and -of her horrible appearance. She was three times the height of an -ordinary man, it was said. Her hair was like knotted ropes, her eyes -flamed fire; when she blew her nose, the sound was like thunder; when -she sneezed, forests swayed as beneath a hurricane; when she stamped -her foot, whole villages collapsed. - -Besides being a giantess she was reported to be able to work magic, and -that frightened the people more than anything else. - -On dark nights she would come down from her castle, they told him, in -a chariot drawn by six dragons, and when the people heard the noise -of it they fled into their houses and locked the doors and barred the -windows. From within they could hear their barns and granaries being -ransacked, and the opening of the doors of sheds and stables, whence -their best cattle and horses were carried off. - -But sometimes a great voice would be heard shouting in the dark, “Throw -out your treasures or I will take your children.” Then the terrified -people opened their windows and threw out their treasures in fear and -trembling. - -And notices would mysteriously appear in the villages, threatening -that unless certain things were delivered up at the castle gates, the -giantess would come down and take a terrible revenge. - -The things were conveyed up the rocky path by terrified villagers, who -left them in front of the gates as commanded. They always came back -with most alarming stories of what they had observed. - -One man had seen the giantess’s shoes being cleaned by a servant in the -courtyard. They were as big, he said, as a hay waggon. - -[Illustration] - -Another was so frightened by the sight of her washing hanging out on -the line that he ran all the way home and did not get over it for weeks. - -But the worst thing of all was that children who had wandered a little -way from home disappeared and never came back. - -Others who escaped would tell how an enormous cloaked figure had -suddenly sprung out from behind a tree, seized one of their comrades, -and made off into the woods. - -The thing had grown so bad that people dare not let their children out -of their sight for a moment, and they were growing so afraid of the -visits of the giantess that all happiness was rapidly vanishing out of -the land. - -The fame of the Rainbow Cat’s wisdom had already reached this country, -and the people were delighted to see him and implored him to come to -their assistance. The Rainbow Cat felt that this was a very serious -matter indeed, but he was exceedingly sorry for the people and promised -to do all he could to help them. - -So on the evening of the second day after his arrival, he took his -little bag, which contained, among other things, the lightning which -the Thunder Giant had given him and the bottle of fairy water from -Tree-goblin-land, and quietly set off for the castle of the giantess. - -He said nothing of his purpose to the kind folk with whom he was -staying--he knew it would only make them fearfully anxious. - -He just said he was going out for a little walk in order to think the -matter over. - -He climbed lightly and softly up the rocky path until he came right -under the castle walls. - -There were two immense stone towers, one at each end of the castle, -and from the high chimney of one of them great clouds of evil-looking -smoke were pouring forth--green and purple and black. - -“Aha,” said the Rainbow Cat to himself, “that’s where she’s busy at her -horrible tricks, is it?” - -So he sat down outside the tower, opened his bag, and dabbed his eyes -with water from his little bottle, so that he was able to see right -through the wall into the inside of the tower. - -To his great astonishment, he saw no giantess, but a very nasty-looking -old wizard with a long grey beard and an enormously tall hat, who sat -in a large room in front of a great open fire. - -All manner of strange and terrible-looking things hung upon the walls -of the room or were stowed away in cupboards, and the floor and tables -were piled with books of magic. - -A great bunch of keys hung from the girdle of the wizard, who was -busily stirring something which was bubbling over the fire in a big -black pot, from which came the smoke that the Rainbow Cat had noticed -pouring from the chimney. - -The firelight shone on the labels of the keys, so that the Rainbow Cat -was able to read what was written on them. - -“Gold Chest--Silver Chest--Jewel Chest--Giantess’s Room--Prisoners’ -Room--Giantess’s Garden”: these were some of the names he read on the -labels, and he began to understand things a little better. But he -thought he would make a few more investigations. So he picked up his -little bag and walked softly off to the other end of the castle, sat -down on the ground at the foot of the tower there, and again bathed his -eyes with fairy water. - -This time he found himself looking into a big room full of children. - -They were all very busy. - -Some of them were sorting strange-looking herbs, some of them were -grinding queer substances with heavy stones, some of them were -anxiously measuring out liquids drop by drop from one bottle into -another. - -They all looked pale and tired; they did not laugh and talk over their -work as one would expect children to do. - -And then the door of the room opened and in walked--who but the -giantess herself! - -But imagine the surprise of the Rainbow Cat upon discovering that, -although she was indeed immensely tall, she was otherwise by no means a -terrible-looking person, but had, on the contrary, a sweet and charming -face and beautiful golden hair. - -The children all came running up to her as soon as she appeared, and -seemed delighted to see her. She bent down and lifted some of them up -into her arms, and was so gentle and sweet with them all that it was a -joy to see her. - -The Rainbow Cat lost no further time; he took his mandolin, and sitting -there at the foot of the tower, he began playing a little tune. - -He daren’t play very loud for fear the wizard should hear him in the -other tower, but fortunately the wind was in the right direction, and -in any case he felt pretty certain that the wizard was too much taken -up with his enchantments to pay attention to anything else. - -But the giantess heard, for of course giantesses have very much larger -ears than ordinary people and hear much better, and she put her head -out of the window and saw the Rainbow Cat sitting there in the dusk and -asked him who he was and what he was doing. - -“I am a friend,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Help me to come up.” - -So the giantess let down her ribbon waist-belt with the bag she kept -her handkerchief in tied to the bottom of it, and this was so large -that the Rainbow Cat was easily able to get into it together with his -precious bag and mandolin. - -The giantess hauled him up to the window-sill and asked him to come -in and sit down and tell her what he was doing there and all about -himself, for she saw that he was no ordinary creature. And when he -had explained to her why he was there and what he had learnt in the -Bountiful Country, she told him her own tale. - -How the wicked magician had stolen her away from home when she was -quite young and had brought her to this castle, and how he kept her -shut up, while with his magic spells he did all sorts of evil things. - -“I know the people think it is all my doing,” said the poor giantess. -“He can turn an old wash-tub and six beans into a chariot drawn by -flaming dragons, and when he flies out he wears a great cloak over his -tall hat, so that every one takes him for me. - -“He makes these poor children help him in his wicked work, and keeps -them prisoners just as he does me. - -“He does not even give us enough to eat. If we are not soon rescued we -shall all die. He grows worse every day.” - -Big tears fell from the giantess’s eyes. - -Each one made a little pool where it fell. - -“Don’t cry,” said the Rainbow Cat, “all will yet be well. My magic is -stronger than his. When once I get at him I’ll soon finish him off. -Will you take me to him?” - -But the giantess was afraid; she said she dare not disturb him. -“Besides,” she said, “he would never let you in, he is so suspicious.” - -“It’s got to be done somehow,” said the Rainbow Cat, “if you’re to be -set free.” - -He sat softly strumming on his mandolin and thinking, and suddenly the -giantess had an idea. - -“He loves music,” she said. “He says it helps his brain to work. If you -could pretend to be a wandering musician----” - -The Rainbow Cat leapt with joy. - -“The very thing, my dear,” he said. “Have you by any chance got a -peacock’s feather to lend me?” - -This the giantess was able to provide. - -“Thank you very much,” said the Rainbow Cat. “You will see; in an -hour’s time you will all be free. Good-bye for the present.” - -He was so excited that he jumped clean out of the window--mandolin, bag -and all. - -But he was quite all right. - -You know, even ordinary cats are supposed always to fall on their feet, -and of course a fairy cat----! - -When he reached the ground he wrapped himself in his cloak, pulled his -hat well over his eyes and stuck the peacock’s feather in the front of -it. - -“Now I look just like a wandering musician,” he said, and he went -boldly up to the door of the wizard’s tower and pulled the bell. - -The magician himself came to the door, but he opened it only the -tiniest little bit. - -“Who are you, and what do you want?” he said in a very gruff voice. - -“I am a poor wandering musician,” said the cat. “May I come in and give -you a tune?” - -The wizard looked at him suspiciously. “What have you got in that -bag?” he asked, giving it a kick with his foot, so that the bundle of -lightning made a rattling noise. - -“I’ve got all the major and minor keys in there,” said the Rainbow -Cat. “A bunch of them. That’s what makes such a rattle. But I can’t do -without them.” - -“Sing me a song,” said the wizard, “and then I’ll see whether I’ll let -you in or not.” - -So the Rainbow Cat sat down on the doorstep and sang this little song, -and the wizard stood just inside the door and listened. - - THE SONG OF THE GOOSE - - “There once was a goose who lived on a green, - Gold was his beak and his feathers were clean, - A handsomer creature there never was seen, - Heydiddle ho, never was seen; - He lived on a green and he waddled about, - For he said, ‘To be sure I don’t want to get stout, - And, anyway, exercise keeps off the gout; - Heydiddle ho, keeps off the gout.’” - -“I don’t think much of that song,” said the wizard. - -“The next verse is very good,” said the Rainbow Cat. “But I’m not -going to sing it out here in the cold night air. I shall ruin my voice.” - -“Well, come in,” said the wizard, for he wanted to hear the end of the -song, and he let the Rainbow Cat in. - -But no sooner were they inside the wizard’s room than the Rainbow Cat -opened his bag and pulled out the bundle of lightning and let it loose -all over the place. You never heard such a commotion! - -Meanwhile he threw off his cloak, leapt upon the table, and stood -there with his hair all standing on end and his eyes darting green and -blue fire, while the lightning flashed all round him and round the -terrified wizard, who threw himself down on his knees, crying “Mercy, -Mercy!”--for he had never seen anything like it before and he was -anyway but a cowardly creature at heart. - -Presently the wizard’s attendants came running to see what was the -matter. - -They dare not come into the room, but stood trembling in the doorway. - -“Tie him up,” commanded the Rainbow Cat in a great loud voice. - -The attendants were not at all fond of their master, but in any case -they were so frightened of the strange and terrible creature on the -table that they did not dare to disobey. - -So the wizard was tied to the table, and the Rainbow Cat took all -his wicked books and his pots and pans and the rest of his nasty -paraphernalia and threw them out of the window on to the ground below, -where they were burnt later on in a great bonfire. - -By this time the news had spread all over the castle, and presently the -giantess came in, with the children trooping behind her. - -The wizard had grown black in the face with rage; he knew that even if -he were set free he would be utterly powerless. - -For he had lost all his magic books, and he was truly rather a stupid -wizard and could do absolutely nothing without them. - -As a matter of fact the gentle giantess didn’t want him to be punished, -and in the end he was conducted to the borders of the country and -threatened with instant death if ever he returned. But that, of course, -was later. - -You can imagine what excitement there was in the land when the Rainbow -Cat appeared the next day walking down the road from the castle with -the giantess by his side and all the children running in front, and the -wicked magician led behind in chains. - -The Rainbow Cat, having finished his task, soon bade his friends -good-bye and set out once more on his travels. - -The giantess made him a present of the gold ring which she wore on her -little finger. He would take nothing else. He wore it as a collar round -his neck, where it was always greatly admired. - -She herself soon became a great favourite among the people of the -Bountiful Land. They loved her dearly and were very proud of her. But -she always had to be very careful not to sneeze or stamp. - -People even came from other countries to see her, so that in the end it -grew quite embarrassing. - -But, in time, a giant who had heard much of her beauty and gentleness -travelled all the way from Giant-land to visit her, and he married her -and took her away to his own home. - -Her trousseau took some making, I can tell you! - -All the women in the district sewed at it for six months--and even then -she was able to have only six of everything. - - - - -TEN - -Almond Blossom - - -Long ago the leaves and blossoms of the almond-tree came out together -like those on other trees. But now the blossoms come out first. Shall I -tell you why? - -One day in early spring the Fairy Queen was riding about the country. - -“Oh, dear,” she said, “I’m so tired of this wintry weather. I wish the -flowers were out. And next week is my birthday”--the Fairy Queen, you -must know, has birthdays much oftener than ordinary people--“my first -spring birthday this year, and there are still only a few primroses and -violets. How I should love to see some pink flowers! I’m so fond of -pink.” - -The little buds of the almond-tree heard her. - -“Can’t we manage it?” they said to their mother, the tree. “Can’t we be -out in time for the Queen’s birthday next week?” - -“You can try,” said their mother. “But what about your brothers, the -leaves? You know how lazy they are. And you can’t come out without -them. You _would_ look funny.” - -The little pink buds did all they could. They caught every bit of -sunshine, they sucked up every drop of moisture, they grew and grew. -But their lazy brothers would not bestir themselves. They kept tight -folded in their winter jackets. - -[Illustration] - -“It’s too cold,” they said. “Br-r-r. Why should we hurry?” And so, -when the Queen’s birthday came, of course they were not ready, though -the pink blossoms were all waiting to burst into bloom. Presently the -Queen came riding through the forest on her white rabbit. The sun was -shining and the sky was blue. She halted under the almond-tree and -sighed a little. - -“I’ve had some lovely presents,” she said. “A necklace of dewdrops from -the early morning, a blue velvet cloak from the night, and a basketful -of perfumed kisses from the south wind, who came such a long, long way -to bring them. I should be perfectly happy if only I had some pink -flowers.” - -The buds of the almond blossom heard her and quivered with excitement. -They could wait no longer. With one accord they all burst forth into -full bloom. The scent of them was like the smell of honey. - -The Queen looked up. - -“Oh, you darlings,” she said. “You darlings. I’ll have my birthday -party under your tree. It will be the prettiest spring party I have -ever had.” - -And ever since that day the pink blossoms have always come out in time -for the Queen’s first spring birthday without waiting for their lazy -little brothers. And every year the fairies hold their earliest revels -under the blossoming boughs of the almond-tree. - - - - -ELEVEN - -The Rondel - - -There was once a princess who dwelt in a castle in the midst of a great -park. She lived hidden away from the world in her quiet home and was -scarcely ever seen by strangers. - -Rumours of her charm and loveliness, and of her wonderful golden hair, -spread far and wide over the land, and she was always known and spoken -of as Princess Golden-bright. But her real name was Gentle. - -All round the castle were lovely pleasure-gardens in which were -gay flower-beds and slender, dancing fountains. But the princess’s -favourite spot was a circle of ash-trees which stood in the park some -small distance away from the castle on a little grassy hill with a path -leading up to it. - -It was called the Rondel. - -In the middle of the circle of trees stood a table with a seat running -round it; the ground was carpeted with soft moss, and the tree-trunks -stood up straight and tall like marble pillars. - -The princess loved nothing better than to sit in the Rondel in the warm -weather with her books and embroidery. - -It was like being in a little house with a high green roof to it. - -Moreover it was a fairy place, and the ash-trees would often tell her -the most delightful stories of what was going on outside the walls of -the park, for they were so tall that they could see a long way. - -They learnt many things, too, from the birds, who loved to perch -among their branches and to chatter away to one another about their -adventures in the big world. - -The princess very rarely went beyond the walls of the park, for she -was quite happy among the birds and flowers. But because the beauty of -Princess Golden-bright was famed throughout the land, many princes sent -to ask for her hand in marriage. - -Some of them even came in person, but the princess would have nothing -to do with any of them. - -“I am quite happy,” she said; “I do not want a husband.” However, when -she was twenty years old, her fairy god-mother came to pay her a visit, -and talked to her most earnestly upon this very subject of getting -married, telling her that it was exceedingly foolish of her to refuse -to see any of these suitors. “My dear Gentle,” she said, “whoever -heard of a princess who was an old maid? I don’t say you need choose -in a hurry, but I certainly think you ought at least to see these -gentlemen. You may very possibly find one among them whom you like, and -the ash-trees will help you to choose if you should be in doubt.” - -[Illustration] - -So the princess promised to do as her god-mother wished, and after her -departure she made it known by proclamation that Princess Golden-bright -was willing to receive any suitable person who might wish to pay her -his addresses. - -The day after this was done she went as usual to sit in the Rondel, -and while she busied herself with her embroidery she talked over this -matter of the suitors with her beloved ash-trees. - -“How shall I know whom to choose?” said the princess. “I have no -experience at all. If I must have a husband I should like to be sure -that he is the right one.” - -“Do not be afraid, dear princess,” replied the ash-trees. “You know -that whosoever stands beneath our boughs is bound to speak the truth. -You need ask but one question of each of the suitors. According to his -answer you will be able to judge of his suitability as a husband.” - -“What shall I ask him?” said the princess. - -“Ask him,” replied the ash-trees, “what he most desires in a wife. That -will be quite sufficient.” - -So the princess sat and waited. - -Presently she heard a whispering among the leaves over her head. - -“There’s one coming,” they said. “We can see him riding along the high -road.” - -“Oh, what is he like?” said the princess. - -“He is a very fine-looking gentleman indeed,” said the ash-trees. “He -rides on a great black prancing horse, and a company of twenty knights -rides behind him. He wears shining armour. The harness of his horse is -studded with jewels and the hilt of his sword blazes in the sunshine.” - -“It sounds very exciting,” said the princess, and she put down her -stitching and smoothed her golden hair and spread out the folds of her -flower-embroidered gown, for naturally she wanted to look her best. - -Before long the prince arrived at the castle gates, and a messenger -came out into the park to tell the princess that he had come from a -neighbouring kingdom to seek her hand. - -“I will see him here,” said the princess. - -So the prince came riding through the park with his knights all -jingling behind him, each of them bearing a golden casket containing a -present for the princess. - -When the prince reached the foot of the little hill on which the Rondel -stood and saw the princess under the trees, he dismounted from his -horse and came on foot to where she sat. - -The knights waited at the bottom of the hill. - -The princess received him graciously, and he stood before her in the -shadow of the ash-trees and asked if she would marry him. - -“I have a great kingdom,” said he, “great riches and great power, and -my enemies all fear me.” - -“I am much honoured,” said the princess, “but I should like to ask you -one question. What do you most desire in a wife?” - -“Obedience,” said the prince without an instant’s hesitation, for he -was obliged to speak the truth. - -The princess smiled a little. - -“And what would you do if your wife disobeyed you?” she asked. - -“Whip her,” said the prince. - -“I am much obliged to you,” said the princess, “but I am afraid that -I might not always be obedient, and I should not like to be whipped. -Good-day.” - -So the prince rode away home again with his knights, and the princess -went on with her sewing. - -Before long she again heard a whispering among the trees. - -“Another suitor is riding along the road,” they said. - -“Oh, and what is _he_ like?” said the princess. - -“He rides on a white horse,” said the ash-trees, “and he wears a blue -velvet cap with a white feather in it. He carries a bunch of roses in -his hand, and behind him ride six gentlemen in gaily coloured mantles -with guitars slung over their shoulders. He has auburn hair and blue -eyes. They ride at the trot.” - -“He sounds rather pleasing,” said the princess, and she picked a flower -from the syringa bush which grew at the entrance to the Rondel and -stuck it in her hair. - -[Illustration: “IF YOU WILL MARRY ME,” HE SAID, “I WILL SPEND MY DAYS -MAKING VERSES ABOUT YOU.”] - -The blue-eyed prince was also bidden to come out to the Rondel, and -he too dismounted from his horse at the foot of the little hill and -came gaily walking up the path till he stood beneath the branches of -the ash-trees. - -He bowed low before the princess and laid his bunch of roses on the -table in front of her. - -She smiled graciously, for he was a comely young man, and he thereupon -offered her his hand in exceedingly beautiful language. - -“If you will marry me,” he said, “I will spend my days making verses -about you. They will be sung throughout my kingdom. I will make a whole -book of them. It shall be called ‘Songs of Queen Golden-bright.’” The -princess thought this sounded rather attractive. One does not so often -come across a prince who is also a poet. - -But the ash-trees rustled softly above her head, and she remembered the -question that she was to ask. - -“Will you tell me what you most desire in a wife?” she said. - -“Beauty,” said the prince promptly. - -“But supposing,” said the princess, “that your wife fell downstairs and -broke her nose, so that her beauty was spoilt. What then?” - -“Oh, then of course I shouldn’t be able to make up any more verses -about her,” said the prince. “I should get very irritable. How could I -bear to look at a wife with a crooked nose? She would certainly have to -be most careful not to break her nose.” - -The princess laughed. - -“I think you’d better get married to a waxen lady,” she said. “If you -kept her in a glass case out of the sun she would remain beautiful for -ever, and there would be no fear of her nose getting broken. Thank -you very much for coming. I fear that we are not quite suited to one -another. Good-day.” - -The prince bowed low, picked up his bunch of roses, and rode off again -through the park with his white feather streaming behind him in the -wind. - -“I’m sorry,” said the princess. “He looked so very nice, and I’m sure -he must make lovely songs. But I should always have been afraid of -breaking my nose.” And she laughed again and took up her embroidery. - -Several more suitors came during the day to ask for the hand of the -princess, but not one of them gave a satisfactory answer to the -question. - -One of them thought it above all things desirable in a wife that she -should be able to make a good pudding; another required that she should -talk very little--“which I _certainly_ couldn’t promise,” said the -princess; another considered it most important that she should have -twelve bags full of gold pieces! They all had to tell the truth when -they stood under the branches of the ash-trees, and some of them really -had the most curious ideas. - -At last, just as the sun was going down, there came a prince riding on -a chestnut horse and attended only by one squire. He had come a long -way, from a far-off country, and he had ridden hard, for he had heard -much about the lovely Princess Golden-bright and was afraid that he -might be too late. - -In spite of his dusty and travel-stained appearance the princess was -pleased with the look of him, for he was tall and slender and had dark -curling hair and pleasant grey eyes, and she hoped very much that he -would answer the question satisfactorily. - -When he came to the top of the little hill and saw the princess he -fell on his knee and could find no word to say, she was so much more -beautiful than he could ever have imagined. - -But she smiled kindly at him, and he took courage and told her how for -a long time he had wanted to come to see her, and that now he feared he -had come too late. - -The princess asked him many questions, but she hesitated to ask the -most important of all, for she liked him better every minute and was -afraid he might not give the right answer. - -The ash-trees rustled and rustled as if a wind were blowing through -them, and at last she felt she must wait no longer. - -“Will you tell me,” she said softly, “what it is that you most desire -in a wife?” - -The prince was perplexed; truly he had never thought about the matter. -He looked down at the ground and then he looked up at the trees, and as -he did so they all began to whisper softly. “Gentle, Gentle, Gentle,” -they said. - -“Why, of course,” said the prince, and he looked again at the princess -and smiled. “There is one thing I desire above all else in a wife. _She -must be Gentle._” - -And what better answer could he have given? For Gentle indeed she was. - -The princess stood up and held out her hands to him. Her embroidery -fell to the ground. - -“He’ll do, he’ll do,” rustled the ash-trees. - -But the princess didn’t even hear them. She had already made up her -mind. - - - - -TWELVE - -Jan and the Magic Pencil - - -There was once a little boy called Jan, who lived in a country village. -One day he had the good luck to be able to help a fairy out of a ditch, -where she had got stuck in the mud. - -The fairy was very grateful to Jan, and promised him, as a reward for -his kindness, that he should have what he most wished for in the world. - -Jan was not a very clever boy, and at first he couldn’t think of -anything to wish for. His father was a farmer, and Jan had a good home -and plenty to eat and drink; his only real trouble was that he was -always at the bottom of his class at school. His father scolded and his -mother wept, but Jan always stopped at the bottom. He wasn’t so bad at -reading and writing, but he simply could not do arithmetic. His sums -were always wrong, even the quite easy ones. - -So when he had thought for a few minutes and the fairy was beginning to -grow impatient, he decided that the best thing for him to wish for was -that he might be able to get his sums right. The fairy accordingly gave -him a magic slate pencil which possessed the power of being able to do -any kind of arithmetic without ever making any mistake. You simply held -it in your hand and it would write down the answer on your slate almost -before you had time to read over the figures. - -Jan was delighted with his present, which he put carefully away in his -pencil-box. He could hardly believe that it would do such wonderful -things; but, sure enough, he found he could do all his sums without the -slightest effort, and that every one of them was right. - -Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication--it made nothing of them all. -Even those dreadful Long Division sums were no trouble to the magic -pencil: it danced nimbly down the slate without stopping even for a -second, and the answers were always right. Jan’s schoolmaster was -astonished, so were his parents, and delighted too, when by the end of -the week Jan had risen to the top of the school. - -“What a good teacher I am, after all!” said the schoolmaster to -himself. “I have even been able to teach arithmetic to a boy who was -so hopelessly stupid over it that he couldn’t add up two and two -correctly.” - -He was so proud of this that he actually invited the principal people -in the neighbourhood to come in and see his wonderful scholar. - -And so it happened that the doctor, the lawyer, the priest, the mayor -and one or two other important folk from round about arrived at the -schoolhouse one fine day, all agog to see the schoolmaster’s wonderful -pupil. - -[Illustration] - -“Come here, Jan,” said the schoolmaster, “and show these gentlemen what -you can do.” And he wrote out a long sum on the blackboard--an addition -sum in twenty rows, all bristling with eights and nines. Poor Jan came -forward in fear and trembling. - -“I’d rather do it on my slate,” he said. - -But his schoolmaster wouldn’t hear of that. - -So Jan had to stand up in front of the blackboard with a piece of chalk -in his hand. Of course he couldn’t do the sum at all. It took him a -dreadfully long time and not one figure was right. - -“The boy’s nervous,” said the doctor. “You’ve been overtaxing him.” - -The lawyer smiled and took a pinch of snuff. “I had an idea that our -friend the schoolmaster was rather drawing the long bow,” he whispered -to the mayor. The priest came and patted Jan’s head. - -“Try again, my child,” he said. “You’ll do better next time.” - -But Jan did no better the next time. If anything, he did even worse. -The schoolmaster was much annoyed. It made him look so foolish. When -the visitors had gone he gave Jan a good caning and sent him home in -disgrace. - -His father and mother were very disappointed, too, when they heard what -had happened. - -“I always knew the lad was a dullard,” said his father. - -Jan wandered disconsolately out into the sunshine. It’s not nice to be -called a dullard, particularly when you’ve been top of your school for -a whole month. His mother came after him. - -“You shall have a hot apple pasty for your supper,” she said; “it’s in -the oven now.” - -But even apple pasty couldn’t console Jan. - -He went into the lane and sat down near the place where he had seen the -fairy. He rather hoped he might see her again. Sure enough, he hadn’t -been there five minutes when he felt a light touch on his shoulder, and -there she was, perched on a swaying wild-rose spray in the hedge close -beside him. - -“Oh, come,” she said when Jan had told her his trouble, “we can -soon remedy that.” And she gave him a piece of chalk to keep in his -pencil-box together with his fairy slate pencil. “Now you will be able -to do sums on the blackboard as well as on your slate,” she said. - -Jan thanked her and went home feeling quite happy, so that he was able -thoroughly to enjoy his supper and his apple pasty. - -Things went swimmingly for a while. Jan did more wonderful sums than -ever, both on the blackboard and on his slate. The schoolmaster -was more careful this time; but he called in first one person and -then another to see what Jan could do, and now he was no longer -disappointed. Even the lawyer had to acknowledge that the boy was -indeed a marvel. - -But alas and alas! After a little time Jan became so conceited that he -was quite unbearable. He gave himself the most extraordinary airs. He -would hardly condescend to speak to the other boys. He even patronised -his own father and mother. - -“No boy in the whole country is as clever as I,” he said. “The King -ought to see what I can do. I must certainly go to the Court. How they -will open their eyes!” - -And so one fine day he prepared to set off to the Court to show the -King what he could do. - -Now the King of that country was a rather cantankerous old gentleman, -and made short work of any one who displeased him. Jan’s mother didn’t -very much like the idea of his going, but Jan would not be dissuaded. - -“You will see, mother,” he said, “I shall come home with a bagful of -gold, and perhaps the King will want me to stay at his Court. When I -am grown up I shall marry one of the Princesses, and you will be able -to ride in a golden coach and to wear a mantle of blue velvet trimmed -with ermine. All the neighbours will curtsey to you and call you Madam. -Wouldn’t you like that?” - -His mother couldn’t imagine that she would like that very much, but she -thought it was rather sweet of Jan to think so much of his mother, and -she gave him a kiss and one of his father’s best linen shirts, and bade -him be sure not to get his feet wet. - -So Jan set off to the palace, and when he got there he sent in a -message by the beautiful footman who opened the door that Jan, the -Arithmetical Wonder, had come to show the Royal Family what he could -do. It was a dull rainy afternoon, and it so happened that the King, -Queen, and the two Princesses were sitting at home in their State -apartments feeling rather bored. The Lord Chamberlain, who generally -amused them on wet days by asking them riddles, had gone to bed with a -very bad cold in his head, and they had nothing to do. - -“Shall we have him in?” said the King to the Queen. - -“He sounds very dull,” said the younger Princess, who was busy making -pale blue rosettes for her bedroom slippers. - -“Better than nothing,” said her sister, who had just finished reading -all the love-letters that had come by the morning’s post, and was -pasting the prettiest ones into an album which she kept for that -purpose. - -So Jan was ushered into the royal apartments, and he told the King and -Queen of his attainments--how he could do any sum, however difficult, -as quickly as it could be written down, almost more quickly, indeed. He -was a nice-looking lad and he had no end of assurance, and brought with -him, moreover, letters from all manner of important personages who had -tested his wonderful powers. - -An attendant was sent to fetch the great Court account tablets, which -were made of ivory inlaid with silver, and the King offered Jan his own -golden pencil with rubies and diamonds round the top. - -“Thank you very much,” said Jan, “I prefer a plain slate or a -blackboard, and I always use my own pencil.” - -“_Prefer_, indeed,” said the King, with a great black frown. “What -business have you to prefer anything? Slates and blackboards! I’d have -you know that this is the King’s Palace and not a village schoolhouse. -If a gold pencil and ivory tablets are not good enough for you, you can -go and do your sums on the dungeon walls.” - -Jan was very frightened. He didn’t at all like the idea of a dungeon, -so there was nothing for it but to brave it out as best he might. - -One of the lords-in-waiting was bidden to write down the sums, and poor -miserable Jan wildly scribbled down the answers as fast as he could, -with the eyes of the King, the Queen and of their two lovely daughters -and all the lords- and ladies-in-waiting riveted upon him. - -But as it happened, the only person at the Court who was any good at -arithmetic was the Lord Chamberlain, and he, as you know, was in bed -with a cold. It is much easier to put down sums than to work them out, -and not one member of the Royal Family had the faintest idea as to -whether Jan’s answers were right or wrong. - -The King looked as wise as he could. “Very good, very good,” he kept -saying. The Princesses clapped their hands. _They_ had never been able -to get their sums right; but after all, what does it matter whether a -princess can do arithmetic or not? - -If one or two of the Court ladies and gentlemen had a suspicion that -the figures were not quite correct they daren’t suggest such a thing. -If the King said the answers were right it was as much as their lives -were worth to say they were wrong. But of course Jan knew nothing of -all this. He wrote on and on, and all the time only one thought was in -his mind. - -“How wonderful, how wonderful!” he kept saying to himself. “I have -grown so clever that I can do the sums by myself. I shall never need -to bother again about the stupid old pencil and chalk. I really am the -cleverest boy in the whole kingdom.” - -He did not stay very long at the palace, and he was a little -disappointed to find that no one offered him a post at Court and that -he was not even presented with a bag of gold pieces. - -Every one thanked him politely and he was given a good tea in the -housekeeper’s room, and the King and Queen shook hands with him -and gave him a pretty silver brooch to wear in his cap, while the -Princesses smiled pleasantly and wished him a good journey. - -But he was buoyed up by his wonderful discovery. He went singing along -the road, and when he presently came to a deep pond he threw his slate -pencil and his bit of chalk into the middle of it, and continued gaily -on his way. - -You may imagine how badly he wanted them back again the next day, and -for many, many days after: for of course he was as bad as ever at -arithmetic, and went straight to the bottom of the class, where he -stayed. Many times he went to the place where he had met the fairy, but -she never came again, for if you once throw away fairy gifts you never, -never get them back again. - - - - -THIRTEEN - -The Lamb that Went to Fairyland - - -There was once a fairy who took a great fancy to a tiny white lamb. He -really was a dear little creature, and I don’t wonder she fell in love -with him. She used often to come and visit him in the meadow where he -lived with his mother, and she was very anxious to take him to a fairy -party some evening. - -The little lamb was shy. “What do you do at the parties?” he asked. - -“Oh, dance mostly,” said the fairy. - -But the little lamb explained that he didn’t know how to dance. - -“I will soon teach you,” said the fairy. - -So she came every evening when her day’s work was done and showed the -little lamb how to dance, and he soon learned to skip about quite -nicely. - -At last a day came when the fairy took him off to the party, but his -mother made him promise to come back the next morning. She knew the -ways of the fairies. - -He enjoyed himself tremendously. - -All the fairies admired him very much. They thought his coat so -beautifully white and soft, they loved his little black nose and quaint -woodeny legs. He gave them all rides on his back in turn (even the -Fairy Queen had one), and when the time for dancing came he did very -well indeed and astonished them all with his pretty steps. When he -left, the Fairy Queen presented him with a garland of daisies. “They -are fairy flowers,” she said. “They will never fade, and so long as you -wear them you will remain young.” - -When the lamb got home he had great tales to tell about his happy -adventures, so that he became quite a celebrity, and every one made -such a fuss of him that he got rather proud and silly, and after a very -short time would hardly speak to his friends. - -Of course this vexed them very much, and the wicked old rat who lived -in the mill-pond and was always ready to do any one an ill turn, -suggested a way to pay him out for his pride. “While he is asleep I -will gnaw through his gay garland that he is so proud of,” she said, -“and when he goes out walking he will lose it.” All of which happened -just as she had planned. And so the foolish lamb lost his fairy garland -and grew older like any other lamb. - -His friend the fairy did not come to see him for some time. She -was very busy helping on all the spring things, and had no time -for visiting. When she did come again she was very disappointed to -find that the lamb had grown into quite a good-sized sheep, fat and -comfortable. His wool was no longer downy and white, and he had -entirely forgotten how to dance. - -[Illustration] - -“Where is your magic garland?” said the fairy. And he had to confess -that he had lost it. - -The fairy went back to her friends. She really did not feel that a big -solemn sheep would be very welcome at their revels. But every year -in early spring when the new lambs are born, their mothers tell them -the story of the lamb that was invited to Fairyland, and they all go -skipping about in the meadows practising their dancing steps. - -Each of them hopes that he may one day find the magic garland, and -never grow old and staid, and be able to go a-visiting to Fairyland. -After all, it must be lying about somewhere, so if you find it, you’ll -know what to do with it, won’t you? But be sure to give it to a lamb -with a black nose. They’re so much the prettiest. - - - - -FOURTEEN - -The Magic Umbrella - - -There was once a wizard who possessed a magic umbrella; and, being -rather careless in his habits, he had the misfortune to leave it behind -him in a small country town where he had had an appointment to meet a -friend in the market-place at midnight. He left it standing against one -of the wooden market stalls, and there it was found next morning by a -farmer’s wife who had come into town to sell her butter and eggs. - -“That’s a good, strong-looking umbrella,” she said to herself; “if no -one comes to claim it I shall keep it.” No one made any inquiries, so -she took possession of it, and when she went home in the evening, the -umbrella went with her. - -Now, as I said before, this was no ordinary umbrella, but was possessed -of magic powers. - -If you held it open in your hand and counted three and then stopped, -you found yourself in your own house. - -If you counted five, however, you found yourself where you most desired -to be. - -But if you counted up to seven, you were immediately carried away to -the top of the nearest church spire. - -Now of all this the farmer’s wife was quite unaware, and you shall hear -what befell her in consequence. - -It chanced to be very wet on the next market day, and when presently -the rain began to drip upon her bonnet through the canvas roof of the -stall, she was very glad to be able to put up the umbrella and shelter -beneath it. - -It was about three o’clock in the afternoon and she had sold most of -her eggs and butter. - -A little boy came along and asked for three fresh eggs. - -“There you are, my love,” she said. “The last three.” - -She held the umbrella in one hand and with the other put the eggs into -the boy’s basket. - -“One, two, three,” she said. And instantly she found herself standing -in the middle of her own pleasant kitchen, with her basket on her arm -and the open umbrella still firmly held in her hand. - -You can imagine how surprised and puzzled she was. She hadn’t the -faintest idea how she had got there, but she decided to say nothing -about it to any one. - -When presently her husband came in for his tea he asked why she had -come home so early. - -“I had a bit of a headache,” she said. “I think the sun was too strong -for me.” - -The farmer gave a great guffaw. “Come, come, mother,” he said, “you -must have been dreaming. There’s been no sun to-day, neither in town -nor country.” - -[Illustration] - -“Well, maybe it was the damp that got into my head,” said his wife. “I -think I’ll go to bed and have a basin of hot gruel.” So she went to bed -and had the hot gruel, and by the next morning she had almost forgotten -all about her queer adventure. - -Nothing more happened for some time. The weather was warm and sunny, -and the umbrella stood unused in the corner of the kitchen. - -But one day the farmer’s wife decided to go and see her daughter, who -was married and lived in a village a few miles away. It was a very hot -day and she thought it would be a good plan to take the umbrella with -her to shade her from the sun. - -After dinner she and her daughter went for a walk upon a neighbouring -common, and when they had gone a little way they sat down for a rest -on a warm dry bit of grass by the side of the road that ran across the -heath, for they were hot and rather tired. - -“What a lot of motor-cars there are on this road, to be sure,” said -the farmer’s wife, who held the open umbrella over her head. “One, -two, three, four, five.... I wish I was in one of them.” No sooner -had she uttered these words than she found herself plumped right into -the middle of the nearest car, in which were sitting an old lady and -gentleman and a fat spaniel, all fast asleep. - -You can imagine what a scene there was. The dog barked, the old lady -and gentleman were furious. - -“Stop, stop,” they cried to the chauffeur, who was driving on quite -calmly and taking no notice at all of the noise going on behind him. - -As for the farmer’s wife, she was so astonished that she could not say -anything at all. - -“What next?” stormed the old gentleman, foaming with rage. “What -next, I should like to know? How dare you get into our car? How dare -you, madam? What are we coming to? A pretty state of affairs when -a man can’t go for a ride in his own car without being molested by -impertinent strangers! Scandalous, scandalous! I shall report it to the -police.” - -The farmer’s wife had by this time managed to get out of the car, but -she was so bewildered that she was still unable to speak, and long -after the angry gentleman had driven off with his wife and his dog, she -stood silent and motionless in the middle of the road with the umbrella -in her hand, wide open, and with her mouth wide open too. Her daughter, -who came hurrying up, was also very much astonished. - -“What on earth made you do that, mother?” she said. “I couldn’t believe -my own eyes.” - -But her mother could only shake her head. She couldn’t make it out at -all. Never, never had such an extraordinary thing befallen her. - -“I am afraid I can’t be very well,” she said at last. “I think I’ll -go and see the doctor to-morrow.” So the next day she went to see the -doctor. It was rather showery and she took the umbrella again, for she -had never thought of connecting it with the strange things which had -occurred. The doctor felt her pulse and looked at her tongue. - -“You’ve got a touch of Thingumabobitis,” he said. “You must be very -careful. I’ll write you a few prescriptions. You must take a pill every -three hours, and a pink powder every two hours, and a blue powder half -an hour before every meal, and you must never on any account let your -nose get cold. It’s not dangerous so long as you are careful. Come -again next week.” - -By this time the sun had come out, and as she was much taken up with -wondering how she was going to keep her nose warm, the farmer’s wife -forgot all about the umbrella. Next day, when she went to fetch it, it -was gone. I don’t know what happened to it, nor who has it now. But let -me give you a word of warning. If you come across a stray umbrella, -pray be careful not to do any counting while you have it open in your -hand. It wouldn’t be very pleasant to find yourself suddenly hanging -from the top of the nearest church steeple, now would it? - - - - -FIFTEEN - -The Fourth Adventure of the Rainbow Cat - - -By this time the Rainbow Cat was getting a little tired of travelling -about, and decided that he would go home and have a good rest after his -many exertions. But on the way back he had to pass through the Ever -After country, and the people who lived there were most pressing in -their request that he should spend a little time with them. - -The Ever After country is inhabited by all the Fairy Tale and Nursery -Rhyme people, who go to live there when their adventures are over. - -Cinderella and her prince have a beautiful castle there, where the -glass slipper is kept on a red velvet cushion in a little gilt cabinet, -and shown to distinguished visitors. Cinderella never had another pair; -she said they were very uncomfortable, and of course she was always -afraid some one might tread on her toes. - -Her two disagreeable sisters have a little house of their own. They -have taken to gardening, and keep bees and chickens, and are altogether -immensely improved, so that everybody is quite fond of them. - -They are rather sensitive about their past, and are both, alas! a -little lame, because, as you will remember, they cut pieces off their -feet in order to make them smaller. - -Snow-White, too, lives in a castle with her husband. The seven dwarfs -have a fine carpenter’s shop on the estate, where they are kept very -busy indeed. - -They make the most lovely little chairs and tables for Snow-White’s -children, and do most of the work of that kind required by the dwellers -in the Ever After land. - -Red-Riding-Hood and her grandmother have a pretty cottage close to that -of Cinderella’s sisters. Red-Riding-Hood often runs in to have a chat -with them, and they are very kind about sending in honey and eggs for -the old lady. - -Of course, there are many, many more people. Jack the Giant-Killer, who -has grown rather fat and lazy, but loves to talk about all his great -fights; Little Miss Muffet, who is still a bit afraid of spiders; Boy -Blue, Mother Hubbard, Aladdin--it would take me all day to mention half -of them, but they are all there, not one is missing. - -The Rainbow Cat stayed with Fatima, Bluebeard’s last wife, who lives -with the two brothers who saved her life by their valour. - -Poor Fatima has never quite got over the dreadful shock she had when -she discovered the other wives all hanging up, and she can’t so much as -bear the sight of a bunch of keys. - -As usual, the Rainbow Cat was most kindly welcomed and was introduced -to all the important people in the place. - -[Illustration] - -They are always delighted to see strangers, as sometimes they feel that -things are a little dull after the exciting adventures many of them -have been through. - -On the third day after his arrival he was invited to a great banquet at -the palace of the Queen of Hearts. - -It was a most wonderful banquet. - -The Rainbow Cat wore his best bow, his dancing-shoes, and the gold -collar which the giantess had given him. He took his mandolin with him; -it had been most useful to him on several occasions, and it seemed a -pity to leave it behind. - -He met a number of friends at the party. - -Puss-in-Boots, for instance, and the Pussy-cat who went to London to -visit the Queen. - -Dick Whittington’s cat was there too, but he gave himself great airs. -It seems it wasn’t really quite certain whether he was a fairy-tale cat -at all. Some people thought he was real. - -It was silly of him to be so stuck-up about it, but it only amused the -Rainbow Cat. - -They were about half-way through the banquet when there was a slight -pause. The meat course was finished, and everybody was waiting for the -sweets. At that moment a servant came quietly in and whispered to the -Queen. She became deadly pale, and half rose in her seat. - -“What is the matter, your Majesty?” said the Rainbow Cat, who sat in -the place of honour at her right hand. - -“He’s done it again,” said the Queen in a low, horrified whisper, -sinking weakly down again into her chair. - -“Who has done what?” said the Rainbow Cat. - -“The Knave--stolen the tarts!” said the Queen with an agonised look. -“They’re nowhere to be found. It’s all my fault. He begged so hard to -be taken on again that I gave him another chance. Oh! why did I trust -him?” - -“Isn’t there anything else?” asked the Rainbow Cat. - -“Nothing ready,” replied the Queen. “You see, they’re very special -tarts. I make them myself. Every one thinks so much of them. What shall -I do?” - -“Don’t worry,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Send round to all the -pastry-cooks’ for anything they have ready, and meanwhile I’ll sing a -song to fill up the time.” - -The Queen was much relieved at this suggestion, and gave orders that -messengers should be dispatched immediately to buy up all the available -tarts in the place. - -Meanwhile the Master of Ceremonies was bidden to announce that their -distinguished visitor, the Rainbow Cat, had kindly promised to sing a -song, and wished to know whether the guests would like to hear it at -this moment or later on. - -This was a very clever idea, for of course people were bound in -politeness to say they wished to hear the song immediately. - -Thereupon the Rainbow Cat took his mandolin and prepared to sing, the -whole company being requested to join in the chorus after each verse. - -They were all delighted with this suggestion, and they all sang, -whether they had any voice or not. - -They enjoyed it so much that they quite forgot that they hadn’t -finished the banquet. At least they _almost_ forgot. - -Here is the song: - - THE RHYME OF THE GNOME WITH A SCOLDING WIFE - - Once upon a time, - When guinea-pigs had tails, - And people talked in rhyme, - And rivers ran on rails, - There lived a little gnome - Who’d such a scolding wife, - At last he ran away from home, - He couldn’t stand the life. - - _Chorus._ There lived a little gnome, etc. - - She scolded all day long - From morning until night, - And she was never wrong - And he was never right. - Oh! she could bake and bile, - And she could clean and mend, - But since she scolded all the while, - He left her in the end. - - _Chorus._ Oh! she could bake and bile, etc. - - He thought he’d found a way - At last to be at peace, - But still, to his dismay, - His troubles did not cease. - He didn’t like his meals, - His washing wasn’t right, - His socks were always out at heels, - His shirts a fearful sight. - - _Chorus._ He didn’t like his meals, etc. - -By the end of the third verse the Queen was looking very strained and -anxious, and the Rainbow Cat himself was beginning to feel rather -nervous. His song had only four verses, and he wasn’t at all sure that -he would be asked to sing another. He was afraid that people would -remember their unfinished dinner as soon as he stopped. - -So he began the fourth verse very slowly. But before he had got -half-way through, he saw three servants standing between the curtains -of the great doorway of the banqueting hall with enormous golden dishes -piled up with most magnificent-looking tarts. - -“My tarts,” he heard the Queen murmur in an excited voice, and then he -knew that everything was well. - -So he finished his song at a great pace, and the last chorus was sung -with much enthusiasm, for the other guests had also seen the waiting -tarts, and were eager to begin on them. - -This is the last verse of his song: - - “Assuredly,” thought he, - “Her temper is a curse, - And yet it seems to me - That this is rather worse.” - So home he went once more - In philosophic mood, - And though his wife still vexed him sore, - _He did enjoy his food_. - - _Chorus._ So home he went once more, etc. - -The song was very much applauded, and every one then fell upon the -tarts with an appetite which the slight delay had pleasantly renewed. - -It turned out afterwards that it was all a mistake about the Knave. - -The head cook had put the tarts away on the top shelf of the larder -for safety. But he was a poet as well as a cook, and just before the -moment arrived when the tarts should have been served up, a perfectly -beautiful little verse came into his head, and he rushed off to a quiet -spot to write it down, quite confident that the under-cook would be -able to look after the rest of the banquet. - -And that’s how it came about that suspicion fell upon the poor Knave; -for when the tarts could not be found, every one naturally supposed -that he had stolen them again. - -When the cook had written down his verse and made a few little -improvements in it, he returned to the kitchen and found everything in -an uproar because of the missing tarts. - -He arrived in the nick of time, for the messengers were returning -almost empty-handed from the pastry-cooks’ shops. They had made very -little pastry that day because they knew that every one would be at the -banquet and that they would have no sale for their wares. - -Of course, later on, the cook had to give an explanation of his -carelessness, and he was removed from his position. - -But as his verses were even better than his dishes, he was made Court -Poet instead, and he liked that much better, though he occasionally -lent a hand in the kitchen when they were very busy. - -The Queen was most grateful to the Rainbow Cat for his timely help; and -every year, on his birthday, she sent him a box of tarts made by her -own hands especially for him. - -He stayed only a day or two in the Ever After land after the banquet. -Then he packed up his belongings, bade good-bye to all his kind -friends, and set off for his home. - -He was glad to be back in his own little house, and delighted all his -friends with his account of his travels. - -But he had no intention of settling down for ever, and I hope to be -able some day to tell you more of the adventures that befell him upon -his further journeyings. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rainbow Cat, by -Rose Fyleman and Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RAINBOW CAT *** - -***** This file should be named 60923-0.txt or 60923-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/2/60923/ - -Produced by Tim Lindell, Belk Library (Appalachian State -University), David E. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: The Rainbow Cat - -Author: Rose Fyleman - Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor - -Release Date: December 14, 2019 [EBook #60923] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RAINBOW CAT *** - - - - -Produced by Tim Lindell, Belk Library (Appalachian State -University), David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_endpaper.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h1><span class="u">THE RAINBOW CAT</span></h1> - -<p class="ph1">ROSE FYLEMAN</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<p class="ph1"><span class="u"><span class="smcap">By</span> ROSE FYLEMAN</span></p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="table"> -<tr><td>VERSE</td></tr> - - -<tr><td class="tdl"><i>Fairies and Chimneys</i></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><i>The Fairy Green</i></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl"><i>The Fairy Flute</i></td></tr> - -<tr><td> </td></tr> - -<tr><td>TALES</td></tr> - - -<tr><td class="tdl"><i>The Rainbow Cat</i></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_0" id="Page_0"></a></span></p> -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_frontispiece.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p class="caption">TO HIS GREAT ASTONISHMENT, HE SAW NO -GIANTESS, BUT A VERY NASTY-LOOKING OLD -WIZARD WITH A LONG GREY BEARD AND AN -ENORMOUSLY TALL HAT, WHO SAT IN A LARGE -ROOM IN FRONT OF A GREAT OPEN FIRE.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_title.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_titletop.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge"><i>The</i> RAINBOW CAT</span><br /> -<br /> -BY<br /> -<span class="xlarge">ROSE FYLEMAN</span></p> - -<p><i>Illustrated by</i><br /> -THELMA CUDLIPP GROSVENOR</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_titlebottom.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>NEW YORK<br /> -GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY</p> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p class="center">COPYRIGHT, 1923,<br /> -BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_colophon.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p class="center">THE RAINBOW CAT. 1<br /> -<br /> -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"> -CONTENTS</h2></div> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="table"> - - - -<tr><td> </td><td> </td><td class="tdr"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>ONE</small>:</td><td>The First Adventure of the Rainbow Cat</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>TWO</small>:</td><td>The Princess Who Could Not Cry</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>THREE</small>:</td><td>The Prince and the Baker’s Daughter</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_27">27</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>FOUR</small>:</td><td>Why Pigs Have Curly Tails</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_36">36</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>FIVE</small>:</td><td>The Second Adventure of the Rainbow Cat</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_42">42</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>SIX</small>:</td><td>Mellidora</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>SEVEN</small>:</td><td>The Clock</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_55">55</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>EIGHT</small>:</td><td>The Moon</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_60">60</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>NINE</small>:</td><td>The Third Adventure of the Rainbow Cat</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_63">63</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>TEN</small>:</td><td>Almond Blossom</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_76">76</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>ELEVEN</small>:</td><td>The Rondel</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>TWELVE</small>:</td><td>Jan and the Magic Pencil</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_89">89</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>THIRTEEN</small>:</td><td>The Lamb That Went to Fairyland</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_99">99</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>FOURTEEN</small>:</td><td>The Magic Umbrella</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_103">103</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>FIFTEEN</small>:</td><td>The Fourth Adventure of the Rainbow Cat</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_109">109</a></td></tr> -</table> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak">ILLUSTRATIONS</h2></div> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="table"> - -<tr><td><small>TO HIS GREAT ASTONISHMENT, HE SAW NO GIANTESS, BUT<br /> -A VERY NASTY-LOOKING OLD WIZARD WITH A LONG GREY<br /> -BEARD AND AN ENORMOUSLY TALL HAT, WHO SAT IN A<br /> -LARGE ROOM IN FRONT OF A GREAT OPEN FIRE</small></td><td class="tdr" valign="bottom"><a href="#Page_0"> <i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> - -<tr><td> </td><td class="tdr"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td><small>HE RODE AWAY ON HIS WHITE HORSE AND TURNED TO<br /> -WAVE HIS HAND TO HIS MOTHER AND FATHER BEFORE<br /> -HE WENT OVER THE HILL-TOP</small></td><td class="tdr" valign="bottom"><a href="#Page_32"> 32</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td><small>SHE PULLED A TINY DANDELION-CLOCK FROM HER POCKET<br /> -AND BEGAN TO BLOW AND TO COUNT</small></td><td class="tdr" valign="bottom"><a href="#Page_58"> 58</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td><small>“IF YOU WILL MARRY ME,” HE SAID, “I WILL SPEND MY<br /> -DAYS MAKING VERSES ABOUT YOU”</small></td><td class="tdr" valign="bottom"><a href="#Page_84"> 84</a></td></tr> -</table> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<p class="ph2">THE RAINBOW CAT</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -<p class="ph3">THE RAINBOW CAT</p> - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak"> -<small>ONE</small><br /> - -The First Adventure of the Rainbow Cat</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a cat which was not in the -least like any cat you have ever seen, or I -either, for the matter of that. It was a fairy cat, -you see, and so you would rather expect it to be -different, wouldn’t you? It had a violet nose, -indigo eyes, pale blue ears, green front legs, a -yellow body, orange back legs and a red tail. In -fact, it was coloured with all the colours of the -rainbow, and on that account it was known as -the Rainbow Cat.</p> - -<p>It lived, of course, in Fairyland, and it had all -sorts of strange adventures. I am going to tell -you some of them, and I think you will agree -with me that it really had a very thrilling time, -one way or another.</p> - -<p>This is the first.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat was sitting quietly at the -door of his house one sunny day. He felt rather<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -bored. Fairyland had been very quiet lately. “I -think it’s time I set out on a voyage of adventure,” -he said suddenly. “I shall get fat and -stupid if I don’t do something of the sort.” So -he shut up his house, put a notice on the door to -say that he hoped to be back some day, if not -sooner, and that letters and parcels were to be -thrown down the chimney, and started off on his -journey with a nice little wallet of assorted oddments -tied to his tail, together with a neat parcel -containing his party bow and his dancing-slippers. -“For one never knows,” said the Rainbow -Cat, “whom one may meet, and it is always well -to be prepared for anything.”</p> - -<p>He went on and on until he came to the edge of -Fairyland, where the clouds begin.</p> - -<p>“I may as well pay the cloud-folk a visit,” -thought he, and he began climbing up the clouds.</p> - -<p>The people who live in the clouds are quite -pleasant creatures. They don’t do very much, but -being idle doesn’t seem to make them unhappy. -They live in splendid cloud-palaces that are even -more beautiful on the side which can’t be seen -from earth than on the side which can.</p> - -<p>Often one may see them drifting across the -sky in companies, or driving their pearly chariots, -or sailing in their light boats. They live on air, -and the only thing they are really afraid of is the -Thunder Giant, who, when he gets angry—which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -he rather often does—goes stamping over the sky, -shouting and knocking their houses about.</p> - -<p>They greeted the Rainbow Cat kindly and were -pleased to see him, for he was an old friend and -they were always glad to welcome visitors from -Fairyland.</p> - -<p>“You have come just at the right moment,” -they said. “There is a grand party at the -Weather Clerk’s. His eldest son, the North -Wind, is to be married to-day to Princess Pearl, -the daughter of the King of the Enchanted Isles.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_013.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat was pleased that he had -brought his party bow and his best shoes. His -bag of oddments might also come in useful, he -thought.</p> - -<p>It was a wonderful wedding.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>Everybody went. Among the guests there -was even a comet, and comets attend none but -the smartest gatherings.</p> - -<p>The Aurora Borealis looked magnificent, so -did the bride’s father, the King of the Enchanted -Isles, who was there with his lovely wife, -Mother o’ Pearl.</p> - -<p>There were one or two Bores present who had -to be asked because they were connected with -somebody or other, and another aged relation, -Anti Cyclone, a most disagreeable old lady; but -on the whole it was a charming affair.</p> - -<p>Just as the merriment was at its height and -they were all happily feasting and rejoicing, a -friendly swallow came flying in with the news -that the Thunder Giant was tearing across the -sky in a terrible rage because a passing Trade -Wind, who was in a hurry, had trodden on his -toe.</p> - -<p>“What shall we do?” said every one. “He’ll -spoil the party. He’ll upset everything.” And -they all ran about in great confusion and distress.</p> - -<p>But the Rainbow Cat remained quite calm. -He was a very resourceful creature.</p> - -<p>He retired under a table and opened his little -bag and examined its contents, thinking hard all -the time.</p> - -<p>Presently he came out.</p> - -<p>“I think I can manage the Thunder Giant,” he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -said. “Pray go on with the party. I will go and -meet him and see what can be done.”</p> - -<p>They were all greatly astonished at his courage -and coolness, but they were delighted to think that -their party might not be spoiled after all, and they -crowded round to watch him go sailing off to -meet the giant, whose shoutings and mutterings -could by this time be clearly heard in the distance.</p> - -<p>When the Rainbow Cat had gone some way -and could already see the giant from afar, he -stopped, opened his bag, and drew out a large -black cloak. This he put on, pulling the hood -well over his ears. He then sat down and -appeared to be lost in deep thought.</p> - -<p>When the Thunder Giant came up he stood -still for a moment to look at this strange object -all alone in the middle of the sky.</p> - -<p>“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” -he roared.</p> - -<p>“I’m the celebrated wizard Mewpus,” replied -the cat in a very deep and impressive voice. -“Mind my bag, there’s black magic in it. I have -heard of you, O great Thunder Giant.” And he -got up and bowed three times.</p> - -<p>The giant felt rather flattered, but he was still -very cross and his foot hurt.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think much of wizards,” he said. -“What can you do?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>“I can tell your thoughts, O Giant,” was the -reply.</p> - -<p>“Oho!” laughed the giant, “and pray what am -I thinking at this moment, Mr. Mewpus?”</p> - -<p>“That is quite easy,” said the Rainbow Cat. -“You are thinking how your foot is hurting you, -and how you would like to get hold of the person -who trod on your corns.” For the cat had heard -all this from the swallow.</p> - -<p>The giant was astonished.</p> - -<p>“You’re a rather wonderful fellow,” he said. -“It must be useful to be able to do that. Can’t -you teach me?”</p> - -<p>“I dare say I might be able to,” said the Rainbow -Cat. “I’ll see if you show any promise. Sit -down, please.”</p> - -<p>The giant sat down and the Rainbow Cat -walked three times round him, muttering to -himself.</p> - -<p>“Now, tell me what I am thinking,” said he -when he had done.</p> - -<p>The Thunder Giant sat looking at him rather -stupidly. He wasn’t a very clever person.</p> - -<p>“I suppose you’re thinking what a fool I look, -sitting here,” he said.</p> - -<p>“Wonderful—wonderful,” said the cat. “You -show immense promise, sir. I have never had -such an apt pupil.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>“May I try again?” said the giant, who began -to think himself very clever.</p> - -<p>“Certainly,” said the Rainbow Cat. “What -am I thinking of now?”</p> - -<p>The giant tried to put on a very wise look -and stared again at the Rainbow Cat with his -stupid little eyes.</p> - -<p>“Beefsteak and onions,” he said suddenly.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat fell back and pretended to -be lost in admiration.</p> - -<p>“Perfectly right,” he said. “How did you -guess such a thing?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, it just came into my mind,” said the -giant modestly.</p> - -<p>“You know,” said the cat seriously, “you ought -to cultivate this gift. It’s most unusual.”</p> - -<p>“How can I do it?” said the giant eagerly, for -he thought it would be very delightful to be able -to read people’s thoughts. Which shows how -stupid he was.</p> - -<p>“Go home,” said the cat, “and lie down for a -couple of hours. Then take these three little pink -comfits and lie down for another couple of hours. -After that you may get up and have a cup of tea. -But keep very quiet. Before going to bed eat this -other little white comfit, and when you wake up -in the morning you will be able to read people’s -thoughts.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>The giant was all impatience to be gone, but he -did not quite forget his manners.</p> - -<p>“I am very much obliged to you,” he said. -“Can’t I do anything for you in exchange, Professor -Mewpus?”</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat pondered for a moment.</p> - -<p>“I should like a bit of lightning,” he said, “a -nice jumpy bit.”</p> - -<p>The giant put his hand in his pocket. “Here’s -a bundle of it,” he said. “If you cut the string -you can have quite a jolly little display at any -moment.”</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat thanked him, and they -parted most amicably.</p> - -<p>The giant went back to his castle and did as -he had been told. Ever since that day he believes -he knows what people are thinking. This makes -him feel very superior and it really doesn’t do -any one else any harm.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat returned to the party with -the bundle of lightning stowed carefully away in -his bag. Every one was most grateful for what -he had done, and he was quite overwhelmed with -attentions. He enjoyed himself very much in -Cloud-land, and stayed for seven days. At the -end of that time he packed up his little bag and -set off once more on his travels, and you shall -presently hear what next befell him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>TWO</small><br /> - -The Princess Who Could Not Cry</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a little princess who could -not cry.</p> - -<p>That wouldn’t have mattered so very much, but -the trouble was that she laughed at everything, -often on the most unsuitable occasions, and this -was an extremely vexing and awkward habit, -especially for a princess.</p> - -<p>Her parents were very troubled about it, and -they called in a wise old fairy in order to get her -advice. She went into the matter thoroughly, and -finally told them that if the princess could only -once be made to cry, the spell would be broken for -ever and she would thenceforward be just like -other people.</p> - -<p>This wasn’t particularly helpful, but it gave -them some hope, and they immediately set about -the task of making the princess weep. Of course -it was a rather difficult matter, because naturally -they didn’t want her to be really miserable, and -they hardly knew how to begin. Finally they -offered a reward of five hundred crowns to -anybody who should succeed in making their -daughter cry without doing her any harm.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>Wise men came from all over the kingdom to -see what they could do, and many things were -tried, but all to no purpose.</p> - -<p>One of them suggested that she should be shut -up in a room by herself and fed on bread and -water for a whole week. The queen thought this -very cruel, but the king persuaded her to try it. -She insisted, however, that at any rate it should -be bread and <i>milk</i>. But every time they came to -bring the princess her basin of bread and milk -they found her laughing, and at the end of the -week she was still as cheerful as ever.</p> - -<p>“Look,” she said, “my feet have grown so thin -that I can’t keep my slippers on.” And she kicked -her foot into the air and sent her slipper flying -across the room, and laughed to see the scandalised -face of the butler.</p> - -<p>But her mother burst into tears. “My poor -starved lamb,” she said, “they shall not treat you -so any longer.” And she rushed into the kitchen -and ordered soup and chicken and pink jelly to be -sent up to the princess for her next meal.</p> - -<p>Another wise man came who said that for six -months he had been practising pulling the most -awful faces and making the most terrible noises -imaginable, in order to be able to cure the princess. -Children, he said, were so frightened by him that -they had to be carried shrieking and howling -from the room, and even grown-up people were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -so terrified that they wept aloud. He requested -that he might be left alone with the princess; but -the queen waited outside the door and listened.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_021.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>She trembled with anxiety as she stood there, -for the noises the wise man made were so bloodcurdling -that she could hardly bear to hear them -herself, and it seemed dreadful that her child -should be left alone to endure such a trial. But -in a few minutes she heard peals of laughter coming -from inside the room, and presently the wise -man opened the door. He was quite done up, and -blue in the face, with the efforts he had been -making. “It’s no use,” he said rather crossly. -“No use at all,” and went away looking much -annoyed.</p> - -<p>The princess came running out to her mother.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>“Oh, he <i>was</i> a funny man,” she said. “Can’t -he come and do it again?”</p> - -<p>Another wise man suggested that all her -favourite toys should be broken up. But when -he went into the nursery and began smashing her -beautiful dolls and playthings, the princess -clapped her hands and jumped about and laughed -more heartily than ever.</p> - -<p>“What fun, what fun,” she said, and she too -began throwing the things about. So that plan -had to be given up also.</p> - -<p>Other wise men came, but as many of their -suggestions were cruel and unkind ones, naturally -the king and queen would not hear of them, -and at last they began to fear that nothing could -be done.</p> - -<p>Now in a small village on the borders of the -king’s great park, there lived a widow with her -little daughter Marigold.</p> - -<p>They were very poor, and the mother earned -what she could by doing odd jobs of washing, -sewing, or cleaning for her neighbours. But -she fell ill, and poor Marigold was in great -trouble, for she had no money to buy comforts -for her mother.</p> - -<p>Their little savings had to go for food to keep -them alive, and every day these grew less and less.</p> - -<p>Marigold knew all about the little princess at -the castle. She had often heard speak of her, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -had even seen her sometimes riding about the -roads on her white pony. And one day as she -was cooking the midday meal an idea came into -her head.</p> - -<p>As soon as dinner was over, she put on her hat -and cloak and told her mother that she was going -up to the king’s palace to see if she could make -the princess cry and so earn the five hundred -crowns.</p> - -<p>Her mother did her best to persuade her not -to go.</p> - -<p>“How can you hope to succeed,” she said, “when -so many clever people have tried and failed? You -are my own dear little Marigold, but it is useless -for you to attempt such a task. Give it up, my -child.”</p> - -<p>But Marigold was determined, and when her -mother saw this she said no more, but lay and -watched her rather sadly as she set bravely off -for the castle with her little basket over her arm.</p> - -<p>When Marigold came to the castle gates she -felt frightened. The gates were so big and she -was so small. But she thought of her mother and -of the five hundred crowns which would buy her -everything she needed, and she stood on tiptoe on -the top step and pulled the bell handle so hard that -she was quite frightened at the noise it made.</p> - -<p>A very grand footman opened the door, and -when he saw Marigold standing there in her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -woollen frock and cloak with her little basket, he -said, “Back entrance!” in a loud, cross voice, and -shut the door in her face.</p> - -<p>So she went round to the back entrance. This -time the door was opened by a red-faced kitchen-maid. -“We’ve no dripping to give away to-day,” -she said, and she too was about to shut the door.</p> - -<p>But the queen happened to be in the kitchen -giving her orders for the day, and she saw Marigold -through the window. She came to the -window and called to her.</p> - -<p>“What is it, my child?” she asked, for Marigold -stood there looking the picture of unhappiness.</p> - -<p>“I’ve come to make the princess cry, please -your Majesty,” she said, and made a curtsey, for -the queen looked very magnificent with her crown -on her head and her lovely ermine train held up -over her arm to keep it off the kitchen floor.</p> - -<p>When the queen heard what Marigold had -come for, she smiled and shook her head, for how -could a little country girl hope to do what so many -wise men had been unable to accomplish? But -Marigold was so earnest and so sure that she -could make the princess cry that at last the queen -promised to let her attempt it.</p> - -<p>“You won’t hurt her?” she said. But she -smiled as she said it. Marigold had such a kind<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -little face; she did not look as if she could hurt -any one.</p> - -<p>She was taken to the princess’s apartments, -and the queen went with her into the nursery -and introduced her to the princess and explained -why she had come.</p> - -<p>The princess was delighted to see a nice little -rosy-cheeked girl instead of the dull old men who -so often came to visit her. The queen shut the -door and left them alone together.</p> - -<p>By this time the news of the little village girl -who had come to make the princess cry, had -spread all over the palace; and presently a whole -crowd of people were standing anxiously waiting -outside the nursery door.</p> - -<p>“It’s such nonsense,” said the Chamberlain to -the Prime Minister. “A village child. I don’t -suppose she’s ever been outside the village.”</p> - -<p>“Quite ridiculous,” whispered the ladies-in-waiting -to the court pages. “Do you think she -knows how to make a correct curtsey?”</p> - -<p>At last the king and queen could stand the suspense -no longer. They quietly opened the door -and peeped in. And what do you think they saw? -The princess, standing at the table in the middle -of the room with Marigold’s basket in front of -her, busily peeling onions as hard as she could go, -while the tears streamed down her face all the -while. She was crying at last!</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>The king and queen rushed in and clasped her -in their arms, onions and all. The ladies-in-waiting -stood with their perfumed handkerchiefs -pressed to their noses, the pages tittered, and the -cook, who was standing at the bottom of the -stairs, muttered to himself when he heard the -news, “Well, <i>I</i> could have done that,” while the -Prime Minister rushed about the room with his wig -on one side and shook everybody violently by the -hand, exclaiming, “Wonderful, wonderful! And -so simple! We must get out a proclamation at once. -Where are my spectacles? Where is my pen?”</p> - -<p>And so the princess was cured, and from that -time she became like everybody else and cried -when she was unhappy and laughed when she -was glad, though I am pleased to say that she -always laughed a great deal more than she cried.</p> - -<p>As for Marigold, she got her five hundred -crowns, of course, and was able to give her -mother everything she needed, so that she was -soon quite well. The king and queen were most -grateful, and often invited her up to the palace to -play with their little daughter, and loaded her -with presents.</p> - -<p>Because she was sweet and modest she didn’t -get spoiled, but grew up charming, kind and -beautiful. I did hear that in the end she married -a king’s son and that they had an onion for their -crest, but I’m not at all sure about that.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>THREE</small><br /> - -The Prince and the Baker’s Daughter</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a prince who was very -brave, good and handsome. He was quite -young, too, and before he settled down to learning -how to rule the kingdom which would one day be -his, he was sent by his father out a-travelling into -the world.</p> - -<p>The king gave his son a beautiful white horse -and a bagful of big gold pieces, and told him to -come back when the money was all spent.</p> - -<p>His mother made him a blue velvet mantle -embroidered with silver, and she also gave him a -hat with a blue feather in it.</p> - -<p>“I want my son to look nice when he goes out -riding into the world,” she said.</p> - -<p>He rode away on his white horse and turned -to wave his hand to his mother and father before -he went over the hill-top.</p> - -<p>“How handsome he looks,” said his mother, -wiping away a tear or two.</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s nothing to cry about,” said his -father, and blew his nose. Then they went back -into the palace and continued ruling.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>The prince rode on and on.</p> - -<p>Wherever he went people were very nice to -him, even when he got beyond the borders of his -own kingdom where he was no longer known.</p> - -<p>It is not every day that a handsome prince -comes riding along on a white horse, and moreover -with a bagful of fine gold pieces to spend.</p> - -<p>All the girls ran out to look at him as he passed, -and when he stayed anywhere, even for a short -time, people seemed to get to know about it at once -and asked him to their houses and gave grand -parties in his honour and made so much of him -altogether that he was in some danger of getting -thoroughly spoiled.</p> - -<p>But he had been very well brought up, and he -had a naturally amiable disposition.</p> - -<p>Besides, he had always been told by his mother -that if you are a prince you must try hard to -behave as a prince should, and be modest, considerate, -and very polite to every one.</p> - -<p>One morning close on midday, he came to a -tiny village which he did not know at all.</p> - -<p>He was rather hungry after his ride, and as -he passed down the narrow little street he became -aware of a delicious smell of new bread.</p> - -<p>It came from the open door of the village -baker’s, and as he glanced in he saw a pile of -beautiful, crisp new rolls heaped up in a big white -basket.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>He got down off his horse and went in.</p> - -<p>“I should like to buy one of those nice little -rolls,” he said to the baker’s daughter, who stood -behind the counter.</p> - -<p>She was very pretty. She had blue, shining -eyes and fair smooth hair, and when she smiled -it was like sunshine on a flowery meadow.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_029.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>The prince ate up his roll and then another and -yet another, and while he ate he talked to the -baker’s daughter. But no one can eat more than -three rolls one after another, and at last he felt -that the time had come to pay for what he had -had and ride on his way.</p> - -<p>But, as it happened, he had no small change, -nothing but a gold piece such as those which he -had in his bag.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>The baker’s daughter hadn’t enough money in -the whole shop to change such a big gold piece, -her father having set off that very morning with -all the money in the till in order to buy a sack of -flour from the miller in the next village.</p> - -<p>She had never even seen so large a gold coin -before. She wanted to give him the rolls for -nothing, but of course he wouldn’t hear of that, -and when he said it didn’t matter about the -change she wouldn’t hear of that either.</p> - -<p>“Then there’s nothing for it,” said the prince, -“but for me to stay in the village until I have -eaten as much as my gold piece will pay for.”</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact he was really quite glad of -an excuse to stay, the baker’s daughter was so -very pretty, and he was getting a little tired of -travelling.</p> - -<p>He pottered about in the bakehouse all the -afternoon and watched her making the dough for -her delicious rolls.</p> - -<p>He even offered to help her.</p> - -<p>His blue mantle got rather floury, but he didn’t -mind that in the least.</p> - -<p>The baker’s daughter was rather worried that -such a fine gentleman should get in such a mess.</p> - -<p>She didn’t know he was a prince, otherwise -she might have been more worried still.</p> - -<p>In the evening, when the baker returned, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -prince asked if he could put him up for a couple -of nights.</p> - -<p>The baker was a kindly and simple old soul. -“Gladly, gladly,” he said, rubbing his hands -together and smiling, for the village was a small -one and they were very poor, and he was glad to -make a little extra money.</p> - -<p>The prince stayed a whole week at the baker’s -house. By that time, what with the bread he had -eaten—though he was careful not to eat much -and always to choose the cheapest—and the price -of his lodging, about half of the gold piece was -spent, and the baker’s daughter was able to give -him the change from the money she had taken in -the shop.</p> - -<p>So he had no excuse for staying any longer, -which grieved him because he had grown very -fond of the baker’s daughter and did not like -leaving her.</p> - -<p>But he had an idea that his mother and father -would not think her a very suitable bride for him, -for princes cannot always marry whom they -please, and so he rode sadly away.</p> - -<p>But the farther he went the sadder he became, -and at the end of two months he could bear it no -longer, and so one fine morning he turned his -horse’s head round and rode back again the way -he had come.</p> - -<p>“She is good and clever and beautiful,” he said.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -“What more can one want in a wife? When my -mother and father see her they will love her as -much as I do and will be quite willing that I -should marry her.” Which really was very -optimistic of him.</p> - -<p>But alas, when he came to the village and -sought the baker’s shop, he was met by strange -faces.</p> - -<p>The baker had died a month since, he was told, -and his daughter had left the village and gone out -into the world to work for her living, for she -could not manage the bakehouse by herself and -there was none to help her now that her father -was gone.</p> - -<p>The prince was very, very troubled and unhappy. -He tried to find out something more -about her, but his efforts were fruitless; no one -seemed to know what had become of her.</p> - -<p>“I will search the world over till I find her,” -he said, “even if it take me the whole of my life.”</p> - -<p>He wandered on and on, always making fresh -inquiries, always hoping to hear something of his -lost love, but always in vain.</p> - -<p>And at last he got back to his own kingdom.</p> - -<p>When his mother and father saw him they -were horrified to find how pale and thin he had -grown.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_032fp.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p class="caption">HE RODE AWAY ON HIS WHITE HORSE AND -TURNED TO WAVE HIS HAND TO HIS MOTHER -AND FATHER BEFORE HE WENT OVER THE HILL-TOP.</p> - - - -<p>“Travelling doesn’t seem to suit you, my son,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -said his father, looking at him rather seriously -and stroking his beard.</p> - -<p>“The poor boy is tired out,” said his mother. -“He’ll look better when he’s had a good rest and -some proper food. I don’t suppose he’s ever had -a really wholesome meal in those foreign parts.”</p> - -<p>But the prince remained thin and sad and listless, -and at last he told his father and mother -the cause of his unhappiness. At first they were -a little upset at the idea of his wanting to marry -so humble a person as the daughter of a village -baker—“But that of course,” thought the prince, -“is only because they don’t know her.”</p> - -<p>And after a time, when they saw how unhappy -he was and that all the distractions with which -they provided him were unavailing, and that his -one idea was to go out into the world again and -search for the baker’s daughter, they were so -troubled that they felt they would be only too -glad if he could have the wish of his heart -fulfilled.</p> - -<p>And then one day as the prince was sitting -quietly at breakfast with his parents he jumped -up suddenly with an expression of the greatest -excitement and joy.</p> - -<p>“What is it, my son?” said his astonished -mother.</p> - -<p>The prince couldn’t speak for a moment. For -one thing he was too excited, and for another<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -his mouth was full of bread, and I told you before -how well brought up he was.</p> - -<p>But he pointed to the dish of breakfast rolls -and kept on nodding his head and swallowing as -hard as he could.</p> - -<p>The king and queen thought at first that sorrow -had affected his brain, but the prince was -able to explain very soon. “The rolls, the rolls,” -he said. “Her rolls, <i>hers</i>. No one else could -make them so good. She must be here.” And -he rushed off to the kitchen without further ado.</p> - -<p>And there, sure enough, he found the baker’s -daughter, peeling potatoes over the sink.</p> - -<p>By the merest chance she had taken a place as -kitchen-maid in the king’s palace, though she -hadn’t the faintest idea, when she did so, that -the king’s son was the same person as the handsome -stranger who had once stayed in her -father’s house.</p> - -<p>And though she had been there a month she -had never seen him. How should she? King’s -palaces are big places, and the kitchen-maids stay -in the kitchen premises, so that she and the prince -might never have come face to face at all if it had -not happened that, owing to the illness of the -royal roll-maker, she had undertaken to make the -breakfast rolls that morning.</p> - -<p>When the king and queen saw how sweet and -beautiful she was they made no objection to her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -as a bride for their son, and so he asked her at -once to marry him, which she consented to do, for -she loved him as much as he loved her.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know that I should have <i>chosen</i> a -baker’s daughter for our son’s wife,” said the -queen to her husband when they talked it over -that evening. “But she’s certainly a charming -girl, and quite nice people go into business nowadays.”</p> - -<p>“She’ll make him an excellent wife,” said the -king. “Those rolls were delicious.”</p> - -<p>So they got married quite soon after. The -wedding was a rather quiet one because the bride -was in mourning for her father, whom she had -loved dearly. All the same, it was a very nice -affair, and everybody was most jolly and gay. -The prince and his wife had a beautiful house not -very far from the palace, and I think it is -extremely likely that they lived happily ever after.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>FOUR</small><br /> - -Why Pigs Have Curly Tails</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a fairy who fell into a -bramble-bush. It was a very closely grown -bush, and she could not get out. She was sadly -scratched, and the thorns caught her tiny delicate -wings and tore her pretty frail dress into shreds.</p> - -<p>The bramble-bush formed part of a hedge -which ran along the side of an orchard, and -presently a horse came sauntering up to the -hedge.</p> - -<p>“Oh, please help me, sir,” said the fairy. “I’m -caught in a bramble-bush, and can’t get out.”</p> - -<p>The horse came and looked at her. “That’s -a nasty place to be in,” he said. “What will you -give me if I get you out?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll give you a golden halter and a silver bit,” -said the fairy.</p> - -<p>The horse shook his head. “It’s not worth it,” -he said. “I should scratch my face. My master -loves me for my beautiful satin skin, and I really -can’t risk spoiling my appearance. Besides, I -have some very nice harness of my own. He sees -to that. Sorry I can’t be of any assistance.” And -he ambled away.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>A little later a robin perched on the bramble-bush. -“Oh, please, Mr. Robin, won’t you come -and help me?” said the fairy. “I can’t get out.”</p> - -<p>“What will you give me,” said the robin, “if I -help you out?”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_037.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>“I’ll give you a jacket of gold and slippers of -silver,” said the fairy.</p> - -<p>“Thank you very much,” said the robin, “but I -don’t think that’s quite my style. I have a nice -red waistcoat already and I should hate to look -gaudy. Besides, I’m tremendously busy. I’ve -got a young family to look after, and my wife -doesn’t like me to be away long.” And he flew off.</p> - -<p>There were sheep grazing in the field on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -other side of the hedge, and one of them came -munching close to the bramble-bush.</p> - -<p>“Oh, please, Mrs. Sheep,” said the fairy, “can -you help me out of here?”</p> - -<p>“What will you give me if I do?” said the -sheep.</p> - -<p>“I will teach you to sing as the fairies sing,” -said the fairy. “I will also give you wisdom.” -For she was getting more and more anxious, and -she thought such lovely gifts would tempt the -sheep.</p> - -<p>But the sheep stared stupidly with her glassy -eyes. “That’s all very well,” she replied, “but I -happen to have a very nice voice naturally and can -already sing rather well. As for wisdom, I don’t -quite know what that is, but I don’t think it -sounds very interesting. I’d help you gladly, but -the thorns would tear my fine woollen coat, and -that would never do. Surely a fine woollen coat -is worth much more than wisdom.” And she -moved away.</p> - -<p>The fairy was beginning to despair; she -thought she would never, never be able to get -back to Fairyland. But just as she had given up -hope, a pig came wandering past, making ugly -noises and staring about with his little blue eyes. -He spied the fairy sitting in the midst of the -bramble-bush with her head down on her knees.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>“What’s the matter?” said the pig.</p> - -<p>The fairy raised her head and saw the pig’s -ugly pink snout poking in between the bramble-twigs.</p> - -<p>“I think I can get you out,” he said, when she -had told him her trouble. “I’m not much to look -at, but I’ve got a good tough hide, and at any rate -I shan’t be afraid of a few scratches spoiling my -beauty.” So with a good many snuffles and -grunts he pushed his head and shoulders well into -the middle of the bush and made a clear way for -the fairy to get out.</p> - -<p>She gave a sigh of relief when she found herself -once more free and in the clear sunshine, and -the pig stood and looked at her admiringly, for -she was a dear little thing. He was so conscious -of his ugliness beside her pretty grace that he -turned away and started off down the orchard.</p> - -<p>“Don’t go—oh, don’t go,” said the fairy.</p> - -<p>The pig turned round.</p> - -<p>“You’ve not had your reward,” said the fairy.</p> - -<p>“I don’t want any reward, thank you,” grunted -the pig, and moved on.</p> - -<p>But the fairy persisted. She flew after him. -“You must have a reward,” she said. “I shall be -most unhappy if you don’t.”</p> - -<p>“But I don’t want anything, thank you,” said -the pig. “I have been very glad to help you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>The fairy stood in front of him, anxiously -pondering as to what she could possibly give him -that might be of any use. Nobody seemed to -want her fairy gifts. She looked him up and -down.</p> - -<p>“Wouldn’t you like something—something to -make you more beautiful?” she said.</p> - -<p>She really meant less ugly, but she was so -grateful to the pig that she was very anxious not -to hurt his feelings, and so she put it that way.</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid it’s rather hopeless,” said the pig, -with half a smile. “You see, I’m such an ugly -fellow. You’d have to alter me all over.”</p> - -<p>“But surely—a little something ...” said the -fairy, and she looked at him more thoughtfully -than ever.</p> - -<p>Now all this happened a very long time -ago, when pigs had quite straight tails like most -of the other animals, and suddenly, looking at -his tail, the fairy had an idea. “I know, I -know,” she said. “You shall have a curly tail. -It will be an immense improvement, and <i>so</i> -uncommon.”</p> - -<p>The pig looked rather pleased. “Well, have -your own way,” he said. “I can’t see my own -tail, in any case, but I dare say it wouldn’t look -bad.”</p> - -<p>So the fairy touched the pig’s tail with her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -wand, and it instantly curled up into nice little -rings.</p> - -<p>Ever since that day pigs have had curly tails, -and now you know how they came by this beautiful -adornment.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>FIVE</small><br /> - -The Second Adventure of the Rainbow -Cat</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THE Rainbow Cat went on and on until at -last he came to the country of the Tree-goblins. -The Tree-goblins are happy people; -they live in the trees like birds, though they can’t -fly. They are indeed very friendly with the -birds, and they understand the bird language, so -that they are able to send one another messages -without any need of the post—which is very -convenient!</p> - -<p>When winter comes the goblins go and live in -their caves underground. It is a great change -after the trees, and they are always delighted -when spring returns again.</p> - -<p>There are no animals in Tree-goblin-land, but -the Rainbow Cat was an old friend here too, and -was received as kindly as in Cloud-land.</p> - -<p>The Tree-goblins are rather funny little -creatures; they like to keep themselves <i>to</i> themselves, -as the saying goes, and there are not even -any fairies living in their country. But they are -on very friendly terms with the fairy folk, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -their principal occupation is making fairy clothes.</p> - -<p>These are the tiniest, finest little garments -imaginable, and they are made of all sorts of -pretty things. Spider thread, of course, and -moonbeams, and softest silk from silk-worms, -and flower-petals dipped in magic wells so that -they cannot fade, and thistledown, and moss-velvet, -and foam, and lichen—oh, there is no end -to the things that are used to make clothes for -the fairies.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_043.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>And when they are finished the birds carry -them to the fairies and bring back orders. Sometimes, -when it’s a very special occasion, the fairies -come to be fitted or to choose the stuffs and the -styles, but not often.</p> - -<p>They are easy to fit and easy to suit, and the -birds do the ordering most satisfactorily.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat liked being in Tree-goblin-land -very much indeed.</p> - -<p>He lived in a beautiful copper-beech. When -the morning sun shone through the leaves his -little house was filled with a lovely rosy light<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -which was most pleasing and becoming. Every -morning a chorus of little birds sang songs to -him for his delight, and every evening they lulled -him to sleep with soft lullabies.</p> - -<p>They thought him a very grand and beautiful -person, and so indeed he was.</p> - -<p>When he had been in Tree-goblin-land for two -or three days the Chief of the Goblins came to see -him one morning early. He was in great trouble.</p> - -<p>The Queen of the Fairies had sent an order for -rose-coloured shoes, dozens and dozens of pairs. -She wanted all the Court to wear rose-coloured -shoes at her next party, and her next party was -to take place in three days.</p> - -<p>“We could get the work done,” said the Chief -Goblin anxiously, “it isn’t that. But we haven’t -got the material. You see, the roses aren’t out -yet. There’s been a great run on pink lately and -we’ve used up all the pink flowers and all our -other stuffs of that colour. We’ve scarcely got -an inch of rose-colour of any kind, and we ought -to start at once. It’ll take us all our time to get -them made. It would be dreadful to disappoint -the Queen. What are we to do?”</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat was more than willing to -help, but he felt that it was a difficult matter.</p> - -<p>“How soon must you have the stuff?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“This afternoon would be the very latest,” said -the goblin.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>“I’ll see what I can do,” said the Rainbow Cat. -“I have an idea or two. Don’t worry, it’ll be all -right. Meet me here at noon, and I’ll let you -know what I’ve done.”</p> - -<p>The Chief Goblin went away feeling considerably -relieved. The Rainbow Cat seemed so wise, -just the kind of person to think of something -helpful in an emergency.</p> - -<p>And sure enough at twelve o’clock he came to -meet the Chief of the Goblins with a cheerful -twinkle in his dark blue eye.</p> - -<p>“I’ve been making a few inquiries,” he said. -“But I want to make sure that my information is -correct. Sit down, and let us have a little quiet -talk.”</p> - -<p>The Chief of the Goblins sat down and waited -eagerly. He felt more and more hopeful.</p> - -<p>“Is it true,” said the Rainbow Cat, “is it true -that the crooked hawthorn tree in the Weeshy -Glen is very bad-tempered?”</p> - -<p>“Quite true,” said the Chief Goblin. “Nobody -dares go near him, he’s such a cross, cantankerous -creature. Lots of the hawthorns are very nice -indeed, and we’re very fond of them. But he’s -unbearable. He’ll give any one a nasty scratch if -he gets half a chance, he’s so spiteful.”</p> - -<p>“Is it true,” continued the Rainbow Cat, “that -he’s jealous of the other trees because he can’t<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -grow tall and big like them, and reach up to the -sky?”</p> - -<p>“Quite true,” said the Chief Goblin. “He -makes every one round him miserable with his -grumbling and scolding.”</p> - -<p>“H’m,” said the Rainbow Cat, and he folded -his arms and sat lost in thought for a few -minutes.</p> - -<p>“Would the petals of the hawthorn tree do to -make fairy shoes of?” he said at last.</p> - -<p>“Beautifully,” said the Chief Goblin. “But -they’re white.” (For at that time all hawthorn -blossom was white, both in Fairyland and everywhere -else.)</p> - -<p>“Quite true,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Can you -lend me a mandolin?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I think I can,” said the goblin, and he ran -off and came back very soon with a beautiful -mandolin all inlaid with silver and ivory and -mother-of-pearl.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said the Rainbow Cat. “I think -that in half an hour or so I shall be able to let you -have all the rose-coloured petals you want.” And -he hung the mandolin round his neck and set off -into the forest.</p> - -<p>Presently he came to the Weeshy Glen, sat -down a little way off from the hawthorn tree -where its thorns could not possibly touch him,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -tuned up his mandolin, and began to sing this -little song:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="versefirst">“The oak tree raises his arms on high,</div> -<div class="verse">The pine tree reaches up to the sky,</div> -<div class="verse">The slender birch is a lady fair,</div> -<div class="verse">The poplar has a most elegant air.</div> -<div class="verse">But tell, oh tell me now, who is this</div> -<div class="verse">Small and stunted and all amiss?</div> -<div class="verse">Who can he be? oh, who can he be?</div> -<div class="verse">This squat little, odd little, strange little tree?”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>It wasn’t very kind of the Rainbow Cat, but -the hawthorn tree was a very disagreeable fellow, -you must remember, and nobody could ever do -anything to punish him because every one was so -afraid of his sharp thorns.</p> - -<p>Anyway, by the time the Rainbow Cat had got -to the end of the first verse, the hawthorn tree -was very angry. He could hardly contain himself, -and he trembled all over with the temper -he was in.</p> - -<p>The cat hardly looked at him, but went cheerfully -on with his song.</p> - -<p>This was the second verse:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="versefirst">“The elm tree stands like a stately king,</div> -<div class="verse">The leaves of the alder dance and sing,</div> -<div class="verse">My lady beech is a courtly dame,</div> -<div class="verse">The chestnut’s lamps are a shining flame.</div> -<div class="verse">But tell me, tell me, who can he be</div> -<div class="verse">That scarcely reaches up to their knee?</div> -<div class="verse">Hoary of head and crooked of limb,</div> -<div class="verse">What on earth is the matter with him?”</div> -</div></div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>The hawthorn tree had grown more and more -furious as the song went on. The Rainbow Cat -finished up with a beautiful trill when he got to -“the matter with him,” but the hawthorn tree was -in no mood to admire his fine singing. So great -was his rage that he grew pinker and pinker and -pinker, and he shook so violently that all his petals -were shaken down. They fell all round him like -a shower of rosy rain.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat waited no longer. He ran off -as hard as he could to the Chief of the Goblins, -still singing as he went, and told him that he would -find all the stuff he wanted in the Weeshy Glen.</p> - -<p>So the Queen got the rose-coloured shoes after -all, and the Tree-goblins were most grateful to -the Rainbow Cat, and begged him to stay with -them as long as he liked.</p> - -<p>But he thanked them and said he must continue -his travels.</p> - -<p>They wanted to load him with presents, but all -he would take was a little bottle of water from the -magic well. This water has fairy powers. If you -rub it on your eyes you can see through stone -walls, which is sometimes very convenient, and -the Rainbow Cat was quite pleased to have some.</p> - -<p>They also insisted that he should keep the mandolin. -This he finally consented to do. And ever -since that time there have always been pink -hawthorn trees as well as white.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>SIX</small><br /> - -Mellidora</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a young prince who wished -to take a wife. So he went to consult his -aunt, who was by way of being a Wise Woman.</p> - -<p>“Next week,” he said, “the King of the Land-on-the-other-side-of-the-Mountains -is holding a -great festival in honour of the coming of age of -his son, and he has invited me to stay at the Court. -There will be many beautiful ladies there, and I -am hoping that I may be able to find a wife among -them. But how shall I know which to choose?”</p> - -<p>“You shall have my advice and welcome,” said -his aunt. “Choose a maiden who laughs when -others cry, and cries when others laugh, and you -will not go far wrong.”</p> - -<p>The prince thanked his aunt for her counsel -and went back home. He thought the advice she -had given him rather strange, but he had great -confidence in her wisdom. “And in any case,” he -said, “I can but go to the festival and see what -comes of it.”</p> - -<p>There were indeed many lovely ladies at the -Court of the King of the Land-on-the-other-side-of-the-Mountains.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -The prince was quite dazzled -by their beauty and their wit. Each of them -seemed more charming than the last.</p> - -<p>On the second day of the fte a picnic had been -arranged which was to take place in a woodland -glade some little way from the palace.</p> - -<p>The road thither was rough and very muddy, -for there had been much rain the week before.</p> - -<p>The princes and knights rode on horseback; -the ladies were conveyed in carriages gaily decked -with flowers and drawn by beautiful prancing -horses.</p> - -<p>But it so happened that the horses of one of the -carriages became unmanageable. It turned over, -and the six ladies who rode in it were all tumbled -into the ditch at the side of the road.</p> - -<p>It was a rather deep ditch, and there was water -at the bottom of it, so that it was quite a business -getting them all out, though fortunately none of -them was seriously hurt. The prince, who happened -to be riding beside the carriage, helped to -rescue them, and escorted them one by one, weeping, -to a seat on the bank, where they presented -a sorry spectacle with their pretty frocks all -muddy and bedraggled and their pretty hats all -on one side.</p> - -<p>But when the prince came to the sixth lady he -found her, to his great astonishment, sitting at -the bottom of the ditch, laughing.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>Her hat had come off, her hair had come down, -she was bedaubed with mud from head to foot, -and her poor little hands were covered with nettle -stings.</p> - -<p>But she laughed all the same.</p> - -<p>“We must have looked so funny all tumbling -into the ditch,” she said. “I wish I could have -seen it. We’re still rather a funny sight, aren’t -we?”—and she looked down at herself and up at -the weeping ladies on the bank, and laughed -again.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_051.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>There was so much mud on her face that the -prince could not see what she really looked like, -but he remembered the words of his aunt.</p> - -<p>“What is the name of the sixth lady?” he -asked, when they had all been bundled off home. -“The one who laughed?”</p> - -<p>“Her name is Mellidora,” he was told.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>So in the evening he sought out Mellidora and -found that she was a most beautiful and charming -person, so much so that he lost his heart to -her forthwith.</p> - -<p>“But I must do nothing in a hurry,” he said to -himself. “After all, there is the other half of -my aunt’s counsel to be considered. In any case, -it would perhaps seem a little strange if I asked -her to marry me quite so soon. We will see what -happens to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>On the next day all the ladies and gentlemen -who were staying in the castle were to go out -riding in the early morning.</p> - -<p>The prince had slept late, and he stood for a -moment at his window looking down on the courtyard, -where there was a great bustling and -prancing and making ready.</p> - -<p>Through the midst of all this an old peasant -woman was making her way.</p> - -<p>She had a basket of eggs on her arm, and carefully -laid on the top of it was a round flat cake, -brown and spicy-looking, with a sugar heart in -the middle of it, surrounded by pink and white -sugar roses.</p> - -<p>She had made it for a birthday gift for the -King’s son. But she was a little confused by all -the bustle in the courtyard, and scurried hither -and thither among the horses and people like a -frightened hen.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>Presently one of the King’s servants pushed -her out of the way. Her foot caught on the edge -of a stone; she tripped and fell.</p> - -<p>The eggs rolled out of the basket. Plop! -Plop! they went on the stones.</p> - -<p>There was a fine mess, and the beautiful cake -lay in the midst of it, in fragments.</p> - -<p>The old woman was so vexed and upset that -she forgot everything but the misfortune that -had befallen her, and she stood in the middle of -the courtyard surrounded by her broken eggs, -scolding away at the top of her voice and shaking -her old umbrella at the whole gay crowd.</p> - -<p>Everybody laughed; and indeed she was a -rather comical sight as she stood there shouting -and storming. Somebody threw her a gold piece, -which was kindly meant. But a gold piece -wouldn’t make her beautiful cake whole again.</p> - -<p>Presently the whole party rode away through -the courtyard gates—all excepting one, and that -one no other than Mellidora.</p> - -<p>She slipped down from her horse and went -swiftly across to where the old woman sat upon -the stone steps leading up to the big castle doors. -All her anger was gone, but she looked the picture -of misery.</p> - -<p>The prince could see how Mellidora stooped to -pick up the broken cake and tried to put it -together again, and how kindly she put her arm<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -round the old woman’s shoulder, coaxing her with -friendly words.</p> - -<p>And when presently he came down into the -courtyard to see what more might be done, the -sun shone upon Mellidora’s gentle face, and he -saw that her eyes were full of tears.</p> - -<p>Then the prince knew that he had indeed found -the one whom he sought, for here was a maiden -who not only laughed when others cried, but who -also cried when others laughed.</p> - -<p>The old woman was taken to the King’s son, -where she was so kindly received that she forgot -all her troubles.</p> - -<p>But the prince waited no longer.</p> - -<p>That very same day he asked Mellidora to -marry him, and as she loved him as much as he -did her they got married very soon and lived -happily ever after.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>SEVEN</small><br /> - -The Clock</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a little clock which had -gone steadily for years and years.</p> - -<p>It was a good, conscientious little thing, pretty -too, but very modest, and it had always kept -splendid time.</p> - -<p>Then it stopped suddenly one day exactly at -eleven. Its works were worn out, and the clock-maker -to whom it was sent for repairs returned -it with the message that it was not possible to -make it go again.</p> - -<p>The people to whom it belonged decided to -leave it on the mantelshelf where it had always -stood. “It’s such a nice little thing,” they said, -“and some day we can have new works put into -it.” So there it stood without making a movement -or uttering the faintest tick. But it was -very unhappy. It felt that it was of no real use -in the world.</p> - -<p>The other things in the room weren’t very nice -about it. They used to whisper to one another, -and the little clock caught an unkind word now -and then that made it unhappier than ever.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span>“I don’t know why they keep it there. What -on earth’s the good of it if it doesn’t go?” said -the big grandfather clock. “It never was much -use anyway. No chime, and a very poor tick. Of -course it’s got no constitution to speak of.” And -his brazen face grew even shinier than it had -been before, and he gave a self-satisfied little -cough and then sang out his quarters as loudly -as ever he could.</p> - -<p>The cuckoo clock, which lived in the hall, and -used to join in the talk when the door was open, -actually went so far as to make up a little rhyme -about it.</p> - -<p>“Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo,” it sang. “What’s -the use of you? What’s the use of you? Cuckoo, -cuckoo.”</p> - -<p>The chairs, which were Chippendale, and -tremendously proud of the fact, were quite as -rude.</p> - -<p>“There’s no doubt about it,” they said, “quality -is what tells. You can’t expect a thing to last -unless it is really well made, inside and out. Perfect -workmanship will wear practically for ever.” -And they held up their backs as straight as could -be and curved their shapely arms and legs into the -most elegant lines imaginable.</p> - -<p>The little Chelsea flower-seller and flute-player, -who stood on each side of the clock on the mantelshelf,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -were much kinder, and did their best to -console it.</p> - -<p>They had always been on friendly terms with -it, and they used to peep round it and smile and -wave to one another.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_057.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>“The Fairy Queen is probably coming to see us -soon,” said the flower-seller. “Perhaps she may -be able to help you.”</p> - -<p>The little clock felt happier; it would be wonderful -to be introduced to the Fairy Queen, who -had often been to see the Chelsea figures but had -so far never taken notice of any of the other -things.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span>You see, those two were old friends of hers. -They came from Fairyland originally, but the tale -went that a wicked witch had cast a spell over -them which was to last for seven hundred and -seventy-seven years. At the end of that time they -would be able to go back to Fairyland, but meanwhile -the Queen used to come and visit them now -and then in order to cheer them up. Sure enough, -the very next time she came, the flower-seller -remembered about the little clock and told her -how unhappy it was.</p> - - - -<p>The Queen came and stood in front of it and -stroked its face with her tiny hand and patted its -pretty ormolu pillars.</p> - -<p>Finally she sat down on the little green marble -slab on which it stood, and asked it to tell her all -its troubles.</p> - -<p>And the little clock opened its heart to her and -told her how miserable it was to think that it -would never, never be able to tell the time again.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_058fp.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p class="caption">SHE PULLED A TINY DANDELION-CLOCK FROM -HER POCKET AND BEGAN TO BLOW AND TO -COUNT</p> - -<p>“But you <i>will</i>,” said the Queen. “Every day -and every night at eleven o’clock you will be -exactly right. None of the other clocks”—she -glanced round almost contemptuously at the -grandfather—“can be quite sure of ever being -perfectly right. But you will be. Why, it must -be about eleven now.” She pulled a dandelion-clock -from her pocket and began to blow and -to count. “One, two, three, four....” The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -white darts floated away and went drifting about -the room. At last only one remained.</p> - - - -<p>At that moment the cuckoo clock was heard -striking in the hall. The Queen stopped blowing -to listen.</p> - -<p>“He’s fast,” she said, and waited till he had -finished. “Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, -eleven,” she went on, and, as she ended, the last -white morsel of down rose in the air. She -glanced at the little clock. “You see, you’re quite -right,” she said triumphantly. “And to-morrow -morning you’ll be right again at eleven o’clock.”</p> - -<p>The little clock beamed, and it beamed still -more when the Fairy Queen opened its glass door -and gently clasped its hands in hers and said how -much she looked forward to seeing it again.</p> - -<p>Just then the grandfather cleared his throat -and went through his pompous performance of -chiming out the quarters and hour.</p> - -<p>“You’re five minutes slow,” said the Queen, -and she waved her hand and vanished through -the ventilator.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>EIGHT</small><br /> - -The Moon</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THE moon, of course, is a big golden penny -hung up in the sky. Every month when it -is at the full the fairies stand in the fields and -gaze at it and feel in their empty pockets. There -are so many things they want to buy. Rainbow -ribbon from the weather clerk for sashes, silken -thread from the spider for weaving into shawls, -pearl varnish from the snail for doing up their -wings, and little red feathers from the robin for -wearing in their Sunday bonnets.</p> - -<p>At last they can bear it no longer. They all -go flying into the sky and unhook the moon and -carry it off to go marketing with. And when -they’re tired of spending they hang what is left -of it up again in the sky and go home to bed. But -the next night they fetch it again and spend a -little more.</p> - -<p>They go on doing this night after night for -nearly a fortnight, and the moon gets smaller -and smaller, till at last there’s nothing left of it -at all. And when the fairies realise what they -have done, they get frightened.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>“We’ve spent all the moon,” they say. “Suppose -it never grew again! Wouldn’t it be dreadful?” -And they all hide away in the forest and -don’t come out for several nights.</p> - -<p>But at last one of them takes courage and puts -his head out, and he sees a little tiny bit of moon -shining in the sky. Whereupon he gives a shout -and claps his hands and goes running round to -the houses of all the other fairies to tell them the -good news.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_061.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>“The moon’s growing again,” he says. “Come -quick and look.” And they all come out to look -at it, and caper about and are as pleased as pleased -can be.</p> - -<p>“We’ll never take it again,” they say. “It -might not grow next time.” But at the end of a -fortnight they have worn all their pretties a little -shabby, and they want some more. And by that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -time the moon has grown so big that they feel -that they <i>must</i> spend a little of it. And—would -you believe it?—they end up by doing all over -again just exactly what they did before.</p> - -<p>They’ve been going on like this for ages, and -what’s more, they’re beginning to take it for -granted that the moon will grow again, and so I -don’t suppose they’ll ever get cured. But it’s very -tiresome of them.</p> - -<p>We could quite well do with all the moon -always. Besides, some day it really might not -grow again. And what then...?</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>NINE</small><br /> - -The Third Adventure of the Rainbow Cat</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">WHEN the Rainbow Cat left the land of -the Tree-goblins he travelled for some -time until he came to a delightful country called -the Bountiful Land.</p> - -<p>It was a marvellous country.</p> - -<p>There were deep forests there, and great -meadows full of the loveliest flowers, such as -only grow in gardens in other countries; the -sky was nearly always blue, and the people who -lived in that land were happy and contented. -That is to say, they would have been but for one -thing.</p> - -<p>In the very middle of the country there was -a great castle built high upon a rock, and in this -castle—so the inhabitants of the place told the -Rainbow Cat—there lived a cruel and wicked -giantess who tyrannised over the people and constantly -took away their goods, sometimes even -their children.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat did not meet with any one -who had actually seen the giantess face to face, -but terrible tales were told of her doings and of -her horrible appearance. She was three times the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -height of an ordinary man, it was said. Her hair -was like knotted ropes, her eyes flamed fire; -when she blew her nose, the sound was like thunder; -when she sneezed, forests swayed as beneath -a hurricane; when she stamped her foot, whole -villages collapsed.</p> - -<p>Besides being a giantess she was reported to -be able to work magic, and that frightened the -people more than anything else.</p> - -<p>On dark nights she would come down from -her castle, they told him, in a chariot drawn by -six dragons, and when the people heard the noise -of it they fled into their houses and locked the -doors and barred the windows. From within -they could hear their barns and granaries being -ransacked, and the opening of the doors of sheds -and stables, whence their best cattle and horses -were carried off.</p> - -<p>But sometimes a great voice would be heard -shouting in the dark, “Throw out your treasures -or I will take your children.” Then the terrified -people opened their windows and threw out their -treasures in fear and trembling.</p> - -<p>And notices would mysteriously appear in the -villages, threatening that unless certain things -were delivered up at the castle gates, the giantess -would come down and take a terrible revenge.</p> - -<p>The things were conveyed up the rocky path -by terrified villagers, who left them in front of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -the gates as commanded. They always came back -with most alarming stories of what they had -observed.</p> - -<p>One man had seen the giantess’s shoes being -cleaned by a servant in the courtyard. They were -as big, he said, as a hay waggon.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_065.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>Another was so frightened by the sight of her -washing hanging out on the line that he ran all -the way home and did not get over it for weeks.</p> - -<p>But the worst thing of all was that children -who had wandered a little way from home disappeared -and never came back.</p> - -<p>Others who escaped would tell how an enormous -cloaked figure had suddenly sprung out -from behind a tree, seized one of their comrades, -and made off into the woods.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>The thing had grown so bad that people dare -not let their children out of their sight for a -moment, and they were growing so afraid of the -visits of the giantess that all happiness was -rapidly vanishing out of the land.</p> - -<p>The fame of the Rainbow Cat’s wisdom had -already reached this country, and the people were -delighted to see him and implored him to come to -their assistance. The Rainbow Cat felt that this -was a very serious matter indeed, but he was -exceedingly sorry for the people and promised to -do all he could to help them.</p> - -<p>So on the evening of the second day after his -arrival, he took his little bag, which contained, -among other things, the lightning which the -Thunder Giant had given him and the bottle of -fairy water from Tree-goblin-land, and quietly -set off for the castle of the giantess.</p> - -<p>He said nothing of his purpose to the kind folk -with whom he was staying—he knew it would -only make them fearfully anxious.</p> - -<p>He just said he was going out for a little walk -in order to think the matter over.</p> - -<p>He climbed lightly and softly up the rocky path -until he came right under the castle walls.</p> - -<p>There were two immense stone towers, one at -each end of the castle, and from the high chimney -of one of them great clouds of evil-looking smoke<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -were pouring forth—green and purple and -black.</p> - -<p>“Aha,” said the Rainbow Cat to himself, -“that’s where she’s busy at her horrible tricks, -is it?”</p> - -<p>So he sat down outside the tower, opened his -bag, and dabbed his eyes with water from his -little bottle, so that he was able to see right -through the wall into the inside of the tower.</p> - -<p>To his great astonishment, he saw no giantess, -but a very nasty-looking old wizard with a long -grey beard and an enormously tall hat, who sat -in a large room in front of a great open fire.</p> - -<p>All manner of strange and terrible-looking -things hung upon the walls of the room or were -stowed away in cupboards, and the floor and -tables were piled with books of magic.</p> - -<p>A great bunch of keys hung from the girdle of -the wizard, who was busily stirring something -which was bubbling over the fire in a big black -pot, from which came the smoke that the Rainbow -Cat had noticed pouring from the chimney.</p> - -<p>The firelight shone on the labels of the keys, so -that the Rainbow Cat was able to read what was -written on them.</p> - -<p>“Gold Chest—Silver Chest—Jewel Chest—Giantess’s -Room—Prisoners’ Room—Giantess’s -Garden”: these were some of the names he read -on the labels, and he began to understand things<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -a little better. But he thought he would make a -few more investigations. So he picked up his -little bag and walked softly off to the other end -of the castle, sat down on the ground at the foot -of the tower there, and again bathed his eyes with -fairy water.</p> - -<p>This time he found himself looking into a big -room full of children.</p> - -<p>They were all very busy.</p> - -<p>Some of them were sorting strange-looking -herbs, some of them were grinding queer substances -with heavy stones, some of them were -anxiously measuring out liquids drop by drop -from one bottle into another.</p> - -<p>They all looked pale and tired; they did not -laugh and talk over their work as one would -expect children to do.</p> - -<p>And then the door of the room opened and in -walked—who but the giantess herself!</p> - -<p>But imagine the surprise of the Rainbow Cat -upon discovering that, although she was indeed -immensely tall, she was otherwise by no means a -terrible-looking person, but had, on the contrary, -a sweet and charming face and beautiful golden -hair.</p> - -<p>The children all came running up to her as soon -as she appeared, and seemed delighted to see her. -She bent down and lifted some of them up into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -her arms, and was so gentle and sweet with them -all that it was a joy to see her.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat lost no further time; he took -his mandolin, and sitting there at the foot of the -tower, he began playing a little tune.</p> - -<p>He daren’t play very loud for fear the wizard -should hear him in the other tower, but fortunately -the wind was in the right direction, and -in any case he felt pretty certain that the wizard -was too much taken up with his enchantments to -pay attention to anything else.</p> - -<p>But the giantess heard, for of course giantesses -have very much larger ears than ordinary people -and hear much better, and she put her head out of -the window and saw the Rainbow Cat sitting -there in the dusk and asked him who he was and -what he was doing.</p> - -<p>“I am a friend,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Help -me to come up.”</p> - -<p>So the giantess let down her ribbon waist-belt -with the bag she kept her handkerchief in tied to -the bottom of it, and this was so large that the -Rainbow Cat was easily able to get into it -together with his precious bag and mandolin.</p> - -<p>The giantess hauled him up to the window-sill -and asked him to come in and sit down and tell -her what he was doing there and all about himself, -for she saw that he was no ordinary creature.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -And when he had explained to her why he was -there and what he had learnt in the Bountiful -Country, she told him her own tale.</p> - -<p>How the wicked magician had stolen her away -from home when she was quite young and had -brought her to this castle, and how he kept her -shut up, while with his magic spells he did all sorts -of evil things.</p> - -<p>“I know the people think it is all my doing,” -said the poor giantess. “He can turn an old -wash-tub and six beans into a chariot drawn by -flaming dragons, and when he flies out he wears -a great cloak over his tall hat, so that every one -takes him for me.</p> - -<p>“He makes these poor children help him in his -wicked work, and keeps them prisoners just as -he does me.</p> - -<p>“He does not even give us enough to eat. If -we are not soon rescued we shall all die. He -grows worse every day.”</p> - -<p>Big tears fell from the giantess’s eyes.</p> - -<p>Each one made a little pool where it fell.</p> - -<p>“Don’t cry,” said the Rainbow Cat, “all will -yet be well. My magic is stronger than his. -When once I get at him I’ll soon finish him off. -Will you take me to him?”</p> - -<p>But the giantess was afraid; she said she dare -not disturb him. “Besides,” she said, “he would -never let you in, he is so suspicious.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span>“It’s got to be done somehow,” said the Rainbow -Cat, “if you’re to be set free.”</p> - -<p>He sat softly strumming on his mandolin and -thinking, and suddenly the giantess had an idea.</p> - -<p>“He loves music,” she said. “He says it helps -his brain to work. If you could pretend to be a -wandering musician——”</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat leapt with joy.</p> - -<p>“The very thing, my dear,” he said. “Have -you by any chance got a peacock’s feather to -lend me?”</p> - -<p>This the giantess was able to provide.</p> - -<p>“Thank you very much,” said the Rainbow Cat. -“You will see; in an hour’s time you will all be -free. Good-bye for the present.”</p> - -<p>He was so excited that he jumped clean out of -the window—mandolin, bag and all.</p> - -<p>But he was quite all right.</p> - -<p>You know, even ordinary cats are supposed -always to fall on their feet, and of course a fairy -cat——!</p> - -<p>When he reached the ground he wrapped himself -in his cloak, pulled his hat well over his eyes -and stuck the peacock’s feather in the front of it.</p> - -<p>“Now I look just like a wandering musician,” -he said, and he went boldly up to the door of the -wizard’s tower and pulled the bell.</p> - -<p>The magician himself came to the door, but he -opened it only the tiniest little bit.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>“Who are you, and what do you want?” he -said in a very gruff voice.</p> - -<p>“I am a poor wandering musician,” said the -cat. “May I come in and give you a tune?”</p> - -<p>The wizard looked at him suspiciously. “What -have you got in that bag?” he asked, giving it a -kick with his foot, so that the bundle of lightning -made a rattling noise.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got all the major and minor keys in -there,” said the Rainbow Cat. “A bunch of them. -That’s what makes such a rattle. But I can’t do -without them.”</p> - -<p>“Sing me a song,” said the wizard, “and then -I’ll see whether I’ll let you in or not.”</p> - -<p>So the Rainbow Cat sat down on the doorstep -and sang this little song, and the wizard stood -just inside the door and listened.</p> - -<p class="center">THE SONG OF THE GOOSE</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="versefirst">“There once was a goose who lived on a green,</div> -<div class="verse">Gold was his beak and his feathers were clean,</div> -<div class="verse">A handsomer creature there never was seen,</div> -<div class="verse">Heydiddle ho, never was seen;</div> -<div class="verse">He lived on a green and he waddled about,</div> -<div class="verse">For he said, ‘To be sure I don’t want to get stout,</div> -<div class="verse">And, anyway, exercise keeps off the gout;</div> -<div class="verse">Heydiddle ho, keeps off the gout.’”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>“I don’t think much of that song,” said the -wizard.</p> - -<p>“The next verse is very good,” said the Rainbow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -Cat. “But I’m not going to sing it out here -in the cold night air. I shall ruin my voice.”</p> - -<p>“Well, come in,” said the wizard, for he -wanted to hear the end of the song, and he let the -Rainbow Cat in.</p> - -<p>But no sooner were they inside the wizard’s -room than the Rainbow Cat opened his bag and -pulled out the bundle of lightning and let it loose -all over the place. You never heard such a -commotion!</p> - -<p>Meanwhile he threw off his cloak, leapt upon -the table, and stood there with his hair all standing -on end and his eyes darting green and blue -fire, while the lightning flashed all round him and -round the terrified wizard, who threw himself -down on his knees, crying “Mercy, Mercy!”—for -he had never seen anything like it before and he -was anyway but a cowardly creature at heart.</p> - -<p>Presently the wizard’s attendants came running -to see what was the matter.</p> - -<p>They dare not come into the room, but stood -trembling in the doorway.</p> - -<p>“Tie him up,” commanded the Rainbow Cat in -a great loud voice.</p> - -<p>The attendants were not at all fond of their -master, but in any case they were so frightened -of the strange and terrible creature on the table -that they did not dare to disobey.</p> - -<p>So the wizard was tied to the table, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -Rainbow Cat took all his wicked books and his -pots and pans and the rest of his nasty paraphernalia -and threw them out of the window on to the -ground below, where they were burnt later on -in a great bonfire.</p> - -<p>By this time the news had spread all over the -castle, and presently the giantess came in, with -the children trooping behind her.</p> - -<p>The wizard had grown black in the face with -rage; he knew that even if he were set free he -would be utterly powerless.</p> - -<p>For he had lost all his magic books, and he was -truly rather a stupid wizard and could do absolutely -nothing without them.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact the gentle giantess didn’t -want him to be punished, and in the end he was -conducted to the borders of the country and -threatened with instant death if ever he returned. -But that, of course, was later.</p> - -<p>You can imagine what excitement there was -in the land when the Rainbow Cat appeared the -next day walking down the road from the castle -with the giantess by his side and all the children -running in front, and the wicked magician led -behind in chains.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat, having finished his task, -soon bade his friends good-bye and set out once -more on his travels.</p> - -<p>The giantess made him a present of the gold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -ring which she wore on her little finger. He -would take nothing else. He wore it as a collar -round his neck, where it was always greatly -admired.</p> - -<p>She herself soon became a great favourite -among the people of the Bountiful Land. They -loved her dearly and were very proud of her. -But she always had to be very careful not to -sneeze or stamp.</p> - -<p>People even came from other countries to see -her, so that in the end it grew quite embarrassing.</p> - -<p>But, in time, a giant who had heard much of -her beauty and gentleness travelled all the way -from Giant-land to visit her, and he married her -and took her away to his own home.</p> - -<p>Her trousseau took some making, I can tell you!</p> - -<p>All the women in the district sewed at it for -six months—and even then she was able to have -only six of everything.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>TEN</small><br /> - -Almond Blossom</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap2">LONG ago the leaves and blossoms of the -almond-tree came out together like those on -other trees. But now the blossoms come out first. -Shall I tell you why?</p> - -<p>One day in early spring the Fairy Queen was -riding about the country.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear,” she said, “I’m so tired of this -wintry weather. I wish the flowers were out. -And next week is my birthday”—the Fairy -Queen, you must know, has birthdays much -oftener than ordinary people—“my first spring -birthday this year, and there are still only a few -primroses and violets. How I should love to see -some pink flowers! I’m so fond of pink.”</p> - -<p>The little buds of the almond-tree heard her.</p> - -<p>“Can’t we manage it?” they said to their -mother, the tree. “Can’t we be out in time for -the Queen’s birthday next week?”</p> - -<p>“You can try,” said their mother. “But what -about your brothers, the leaves? You know how -lazy they are. And you can’t come out without -them. You <i>would</i> look funny.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span>The little pink buds did all they could. They -caught every bit of sunshine, they sucked up -every drop of moisture, they grew and grew. But -their lazy brothers would not bestir themselves. -They kept tight folded in their winter jackets.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_077.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>“It’s too cold,” they said. “Br-r-r. Why -should we hurry?” And so, when the Queen’s -birthday came, of course they were not ready, -though the pink blossoms were all waiting to burst -into bloom. Presently the Queen came riding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -through the forest on her white rabbit. The sun -was shining and the sky was blue. She halted -under the almond-tree and sighed a little.</p> - -<p>“I’ve had some lovely presents,” she said. “A -necklace of dewdrops from the early morning, a -blue velvet cloak from the night, and a basketful -of perfumed kisses from the south wind, who -came such a long, long way to bring them. I -should be perfectly happy if only I had some pink -flowers.”</p> - -<p>The buds of the almond blossom heard her and -quivered with excitement. They could wait no -longer. With one accord they all burst forth into -full bloom. The scent of them was like the smell -of honey.</p> - -<p>The Queen looked up.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you darlings,” she said. “You darlings. -I’ll have my birthday party under your tree. It -will be the prettiest spring party I have ever had.”</p> - -<p>And ever since that day the pink blossoms have -always come out in time for the Queen’s first -spring birthday without waiting for their lazy -little brothers. And every year the fairies hold -their earliest revels under the blossoming boughs -of the almond-tree.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>ELEVEN</small><br /> - -The Rondel</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a princess who dwelt in a -castle in the midst of a great park. She -lived hidden away from the world in her quiet -home and was scarcely ever seen by strangers.</p> - -<p>Rumours of her charm and loveliness, and of -her wonderful golden hair, spread far and wide -over the land, and she was always known and -spoken of as Princess Golden-bright. But her -real name was Gentle.</p> - -<p>All round the castle were lovely pleasure-gardens -in which were gay flower-beds and slender, -dancing fountains. But the princess’s favourite -spot was a circle of ash-trees which stood in the -park some small distance away from the castle on -a little grassy hill with a path leading up to it.</p> - -<p>It was called the Rondel.</p> - -<p>In the middle of the circle of trees stood a -table with a seat running round it; the ground was -carpeted with soft moss, and the tree-trunks stood -up straight and tall like marble pillars.</p> - -<p>The princess loved nothing better than to sit in -the Rondel in the warm weather with her books -and embroidery.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span>It was like being in a little house with a high -green roof to it.</p> - -<p>Moreover it was a fairy place, and the ash-trees -would often tell her the most delightful stories -of what was going on outside the walls of the -park, for they were so tall that they could see a -long way.</p> - -<p>They learnt many things, too, from the birds, -who loved to perch among their branches and to -chatter away to one another about their adventures -in the big world.</p> - -<p>The princess very rarely went beyond the walls -of the park, for she was quite happy among the -birds and flowers. But because the beauty of -Princess Golden-bright was famed throughout -the land, many princes sent to ask for her hand in -marriage.</p> - -<p>Some of them even came in person, but the -princess would have nothing to do with any of -them.</p> - -<p>“I am quite happy,” she said; “I do not want -a husband.” However, when she was twenty -years old, her fairy god-mother came to pay her -a visit, and talked to her most earnestly upon this -very subject of getting married, telling her that -it was exceedingly foolish of her to refuse to see -any of these suitors. “My dear Gentle,” she said, -“whoever heard of a princess who was an old -maid? I don’t say you need choose in a hurry,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -but I certainly think you ought at least to see these -gentlemen. You may very possibly find one -among them whom you like, and the ash-trees -will help you to choose if you should be in doubt.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_081.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>So the princess promised to do as her god-mother -wished, and after her departure she made -it known by proclamation that Princess Golden-bright -was willing to receive any suitable person -who might wish to pay her his addresses.</p> - -<p>The day after this was done she went as usual -to sit in the Rondel, and while she busied herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -with her embroidery she talked over this matter -of the suitors with her beloved ash-trees.</p> - -<p>“How shall I know whom to choose?” said the -princess. “I have no experience at all. If I must -have a husband I should like to be sure that he is -the right one.”</p> - -<p>“Do not be afraid, dear princess,” replied the -ash-trees. “You know that whosoever stands beneath -our boughs is bound to speak the truth. -You need ask but one question of each of the -suitors. According to his answer you will be able -to judge of his suitability as a husband.”</p> - -<p>“What shall I ask him?” said the princess.</p> - -<p>“Ask him,” replied the ash-trees, “what he -most desires in a wife. That will be quite -sufficient.”</p> - -<p>So the princess sat and waited.</p> - -<p>Presently she heard a whispering among the -leaves over her head.</p> - -<p>“There’s one coming,” they said. “We can see -him riding along the high road.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, what is he like?” said the princess.</p> - -<p>“He is a very fine-looking gentleman indeed,” -said the ash-trees. “He rides on a great black -prancing horse, and a company of twenty knights -rides behind him. He wears shining armour. -The harness of his horse is studded with jewels -and the hilt of his sword blazes in the sunshine.”</p> - -<p>“It sounds very exciting,” said the princess,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -and she put down her stitching and smoothed her -golden hair and spread out the folds of her flower-embroidered -gown, for naturally she wanted to -look her best.</p> - -<p>Before long the prince arrived at the castle -gates, and a messenger came out into the park -to tell the princess that he had come from a -neighbouring kingdom to seek her hand.</p> - -<p>“I will see him here,” said the princess.</p> - -<p>So the prince came riding through the park -with his knights all jingling behind him, each of -them bearing a golden casket containing a present -for the princess.</p> - -<p>When the prince reached the foot of the little -hill on which the Rondel stood and saw the -princess under the trees, he dismounted from his -horse and came on foot to where she sat.</p> - -<p>The knights waited at the bottom of the hill.</p> - -<p>The princess received him graciously, and he -stood before her in the shadow of the ash-trees -and asked if she would marry him.</p> - -<p>“I have a great kingdom,” said he, “great -riches and great power, and my enemies all -fear me.”</p> - -<p>“I am much honoured,” said the princess, “but -I should like to ask you one question. What do -you most desire in a wife?”</p> - -<p>“Obedience,” said the prince without an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -instant’s hesitation, for he was obliged to speak -the truth.</p> - -<p>The princess smiled a little.</p> - -<p>“And what would you do if your wife disobeyed -you?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Whip her,” said the prince.</p> - -<p>“I am much obliged to you,” said the princess, -“but I am afraid that I might not always be -obedient, and I should not like to be whipped. -Good-day.”</p> - -<p>So the prince rode away home again with his -knights, and the princess went on with her sewing.</p> - -<p>Before long she again heard a whispering -among the trees.</p> - -<p>“Another suitor is riding along the road,” they -said.</p> - -<p>“Oh, and what is <i>he</i> like?” said the princess.</p> - -<p>“He rides on a white horse,” said the ash-trees, -“and he wears a blue velvet cap with a white -feather in it. He carries a bunch of roses in his -hand, and behind him ride six gentlemen in gaily -coloured mantles with guitars slung over their -shoulders. He has auburn hair and blue eyes. -They ride at the trot.”</p> - -<p>“He sounds rather pleasing,” said the princess, -and she picked a flower from the syringa bush -which grew at the entrance to the Rondel and -stuck it in her hair.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_084fp.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p class="caption">“IF YOU WILL MARRY ME,” HE SAID, “I WILL -SPEND MY DAYS MAKING VERSES ABOUT YOU.”</p> - -<p>The blue-eyed prince was also bidden to come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -out to the Rondel, and he too dismounted from -his horse at the foot of the little hill and came -gaily walking up the path till he stood beneath -the branches of the ash-trees.</p> - -<p>He bowed low before the princess and laid his -bunch of roses on the table in front of her.</p> - -<p>She smiled graciously, for he was a comely -young man, and he thereupon offered her his hand -in exceedingly beautiful language.</p> - -<p>“If you will marry me,” he said, “I will spend -my days making verses about you. They will -be sung throughout my kingdom. I will make a -whole book of them. It shall be called ‘Songs of -Queen Golden-bright.’” The princess thought -this sounded rather attractive. One does not so -often come across a prince who is also a poet.</p> - -<p>But the ash-trees rustled softly above her head, -and she remembered the question that she was -to ask.</p> - -<p>“Will you tell me what you most desire in a -wife?” she said.</p> - -<p>“Beauty,” said the prince promptly.</p> - -<p>“But supposing,” said the princess, “that your -wife fell downstairs and broke her nose, so that -her beauty was spoilt. What then?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, then of course I shouldn’t be able to make -up any more verses about her,” said the prince. -“I should get very irritable. How could I bear -to look at a wife with a crooked nose? She would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -certainly have to be most careful not to break -her nose.”</p> - -<p>The princess laughed.</p> - -<p>“I think you’d better get married to a waxen -lady,” she said. “If you kept her in a glass case -out of the sun she would remain beautiful for -ever, and there would be no fear of her nose -getting broken. Thank you very much for -coming. I fear that we are not quite suited to -one another. Good-day.”</p> - -<p>The prince bowed low, picked up his bunch of -roses, and rode off again through the park with -his white feather streaming behind him in the -wind.</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry,” said the princess. “He looked so -very nice, and I’m sure he must make lovely songs. -But I should always have been afraid of breaking -my nose.” And she laughed again and took up -her embroidery.</p> - -<p>Several more suitors came during the day to -ask for the hand of the princess, but not one of -them gave a satisfactory answer to the question.</p> - -<p>One of them thought it above all things desirable -in a wife that she should be able to make a -good pudding; another required that she should -talk very little—“which I <i>certainly</i> couldn’t promise,” -said the princess; another considered it most -important that she should have twelve bags full -of gold pieces! They all had to tell the truth when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -they stood under the branches of the ash-trees, -and some of them really had the most curious -ideas.</p> - -<p>At last, just as the sun was going down, there -came a prince riding on a chestnut horse and -attended only by one squire. He had come a long -way, from a far-off country, and he had ridden -hard, for he had heard much about the lovely -Princess Golden-bright and was afraid that he -might be too late.</p> - -<p>In spite of his dusty and travel-stained appearance -the princess was pleased with the look of -him, for he was tall and slender and had dark -curling hair and pleasant grey eyes, and she hoped -very much that he would answer the question -satisfactorily.</p> - -<p>When he came to the top of the little hill and -saw the princess he fell on his knee and could find -no word to say, she was so much more beautiful -than he could ever have imagined.</p> - -<p>But she smiled kindly at him, and he took -courage and told her how for a long time he had -wanted to come to see her, and that now he feared -he had come too late.</p> - -<p>The princess asked him many questions, but -she hesitated to ask the most important of all, -for she liked him better every minute and was -afraid he might not give the right answer.</p> - -<p>The ash-trees rustled and rustled as if a wind<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -were blowing through them, and at last she felt -she must wait no longer.</p> - -<p>“Will you tell me,” she said softly, “what it is -that you most desire in a wife?”</p> - -<p>The prince was perplexed; truly he had never -thought about the matter. He looked down at -the ground and then he looked up at the trees, -and as he did so they all began to whisper softly. -“Gentle, Gentle, Gentle,” they said.</p> - -<p>“Why, of course,” said the prince, and he -looked again at the princess and smiled. “There -is one thing I desire above all else in a wife. -<i>She must be Gentle.</i>”</p> - -<p>And what better answer could he have given? -For Gentle indeed she was.</p> - -<p>The princess stood up and held out her hands -to him. Her embroidery fell to the ground.</p> - -<p>“He’ll do, he’ll do,” rustled the ash-trees.</p> - -<p>But the princess didn’t even hear them. She -had already made up her mind.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>TWELVE</small><br /> - -Jan and the Magic Pencil</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a little boy called Jan, who -lived in a country village. One day he had -the good luck to be able to help a fairy out of a -ditch, where she had got stuck in the mud.</p> - -<p>The fairy was very grateful to Jan, and -promised him, as a reward for his kindness, that -he should have what he most wished for in the -world.</p> - -<p>Jan was not a very clever boy, and at first he -couldn’t think of anything to wish for. His -father was a farmer, and Jan had a good home -and plenty to eat and drink; his only real trouble -was that he was always at the bottom of his class -at school. His father scolded and his mother -wept, but Jan always stopped at the bottom. He -wasn’t so bad at reading and writing, but he -simply could not do arithmetic. His sums were -always wrong, even the quite easy ones.</p> - -<p>So when he had thought for a few minutes and -the fairy was beginning to grow impatient, he -decided that the best thing for him to wish for -was that he might be able to get his sums right. -The fairy accordingly gave him a magic slate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -pencil which possessed the power of being able -to do any kind of arithmetic without ever making -any mistake. You simply held it in your hand -and it would write down the answer on your slate -almost before you had time to read over the -figures.</p> - -<p>Jan was delighted with his present, which he -put carefully away in his pencil-box. He could -hardly believe that it would do such wonderful -things; but, sure enough, he found he could do -all his sums without the slightest effort, and -that every one of them was right.</p> - -<p>Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication—it made -nothing of them all. Even those dreadful Long -Division sums were no trouble to the magic -pencil: it danced nimbly down the slate without -stopping even for a second, and the answers were -always right. Jan’s schoolmaster was astonished, -so were his parents, and delighted too, when by -the end of the week Jan had risen to the top of -the school.</p> - -<p>“What a good teacher I am, after all!” said -the schoolmaster to himself. “I have even been -able to teach arithmetic to a boy who was so -hopelessly stupid over it that he couldn’t add up -two and two correctly.”</p> - -<p>He was so proud of this that he actually invited -the principal people in the neighbourhood to come -in and see his wonderful scholar.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span>And so it happened that the doctor, the lawyer, -the priest, the mayor and one or two other important -folk from round about arrived at the -schoolhouse one fine day, all agog to see the -schoolmaster’s wonderful pupil.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_091.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>“Come here, Jan,” said the schoolmaster, “and -show these gentlemen what you can do.” And -he wrote out a long sum on the blackboard—an -addition sum in twenty rows, all bristling with -eights and nines. Poor Jan came forward in fear -and trembling.</p> - -<p>“I’d rather do it on my slate,” he said.</p> - -<p>But his schoolmaster wouldn’t hear of that.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>So Jan had to stand up in front of the blackboard -with a piece of chalk in his hand. Of course -he couldn’t do the sum at all. It took him a -dreadfully long time and not one figure was right.</p> - -<p>“The boy’s nervous,” said the doctor. “You’ve -been overtaxing him.”</p> - -<p>The lawyer smiled and took a pinch of snuff. -“I had an idea that our friend the schoolmaster -was rather drawing the long bow,” he whispered -to the mayor. The priest came and patted Jan’s -head.</p> - -<p>“Try again, my child,” he said. “You’ll do -better next time.”</p> - -<p>But Jan did no better the next time. If anything, -he did even worse. The schoolmaster was -much annoyed. It made him look so foolish. -When the visitors had gone he gave Jan a good -caning and sent him home in disgrace.</p> - -<p>His father and mother were very disappointed, -too, when they heard what had happened.</p> - -<p>“I always knew the lad was a dullard,” said -his father.</p> - -<p>Jan wandered disconsolately out into the sunshine. -It’s not nice to be called a dullard, particularly -when you’ve been top of your school for -a whole month. His mother came after him.</p> - -<p>“You shall have a hot apple pasty for your -supper,” she said; “it’s in the oven now.”</p> - -<p>But even apple pasty couldn’t console Jan.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span>He went into the lane and sat down near the -place where he had seen the fairy. He rather -hoped he might see her again. Sure enough, he -hadn’t been there five minutes when he felt a light -touch on his shoulder, and there she was, perched -on a swaying wild-rose spray in the hedge close -beside him.</p> - -<p>“Oh, come,” she said when Jan had told her -his trouble, “we can soon remedy that.” And -she gave him a piece of chalk to keep in his pencil-box -together with his fairy slate pencil. “Now -you will be able to do sums on the blackboard as -well as on your slate,” she said.</p> - -<p>Jan thanked her and went home feeling quite -happy, so that he was able thoroughly to enjoy -his supper and his apple pasty.</p> - -<p>Things went swimmingly for a while. Jan -did more wonderful sums than ever, both on the -blackboard and on his slate. The schoolmaster -was more careful this time; but he called in first -one person and then another to see what Jan -could do, and now he was no longer disappointed. -Even the lawyer had to acknowledge that the boy -was indeed a marvel.</p> - -<p>But alas and alas! After a little time Jan -became so conceited that he was quite unbearable. -He gave himself the most extraordinary airs. -He would hardly condescend to speak to the other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -boys. He even patronised his own father and -mother.</p> - -<p>“No boy in the whole country is as clever as I,” -he said. “The King ought to see what I can do. -I must certainly go to the Court. How they will -open their eyes!”</p> - -<p>And so one fine day he prepared to set off to -the Court to show the King what he could do.</p> - -<p>Now the King of that country was a rather -cantankerous old gentleman, and made short work -of any one who displeased him. Jan’s mother -didn’t very much like the idea of his going, but -Jan would not be dissuaded.</p> - -<p>“You will see, mother,” he said, “I shall come -home with a bagful of gold, and perhaps the King -will want me to stay at his Court. When I am -grown up I shall marry one of the Princesses, and -you will be able to ride in a golden coach and to -wear a mantle of blue velvet trimmed with ermine. -All the neighbours will curtsey to you and call you -Madam. Wouldn’t you like that?”</p> - -<p>His mother couldn’t imagine that she would -like that very much, but she thought it was rather -sweet of Jan to think so much of his mother, and -she gave him a kiss and one of his father’s best -linen shirts, and bade him be sure not to get his -feet wet.</p> - -<p>So Jan set off to the palace, and when he got -there he sent in a message by the beautiful footman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -who opened the door that Jan, the Arithmetical -Wonder, had come to show the Royal -Family what he could do. It was a dull rainy -afternoon, and it so happened that the King, -Queen, and the two Princesses were sitting at -home in their State apartments feeling rather -bored. The Lord Chamberlain, who generally -amused them on wet days by asking them riddles, -had gone to bed with a very bad cold in his head, -and they had nothing to do.</p> - -<p>“Shall we have him in?” said the King to the -Queen.</p> - -<p>“He sounds very dull,” said the younger -Princess, who was busy making pale blue rosettes -for her bedroom slippers.</p> - -<p>“Better than nothing,” said her sister, who had -just finished reading all the love-letters that had -come by the morning’s post, and was pasting the -prettiest ones into an album which she kept for -that purpose.</p> - -<p>So Jan was ushered into the royal apartments, -and he told the King and Queen of his attainments—how -he could do any sum, however difficult, -as quickly as it could be written down, almost -more quickly, indeed. He was a nice-looking lad -and he had no end of assurance, and brought with -him, moreover, letters from all manner of important -personages who had tested his wonderful -powers.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>An attendant was sent to fetch the great Court -account tablets, which were made of ivory inlaid -with silver, and the King offered Jan his own -golden pencil with rubies and diamonds round -the top.</p> - -<p>“Thank you very much,” said Jan, “I prefer a -plain slate or a blackboard, and I always use my -own pencil.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Prefer</i>, indeed,” said the King, with a great -black frown. “What business have you to prefer -anything? Slates and blackboards! I’d have you -know that this is the King’s Palace and not a village -schoolhouse. If a gold pencil and ivory tablets -are not good enough for you, you can go and -do your sums on the dungeon walls.”</p> - -<p>Jan was very frightened. He didn’t at all like -the idea of a dungeon, so there was nothing for it -but to brave it out as best he might.</p> - -<p>One of the lords-in-waiting was bidden to write -down the sums, and poor miserable Jan wildly -scribbled down the answers as fast as he could, -with the eyes of the King, the Queen and of their -two lovely daughters and all the lords- and ladies-in-waiting -riveted upon him.</p> - -<p>But as it happened, the only person at the Court -who was any good at arithmetic was the Lord -Chamberlain, and he, as you know, was in bed -with a cold. It is much easier to put down sums -than to work them out, and not one member of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -the Royal Family had the faintest idea as to -whether Jan’s answers were right or wrong.</p> - -<p>The King looked as wise as he could. “Very -good, very good,” he kept saying. The Princesses -clapped their hands. <i>They</i> had never been -able to get their sums right; but after all, what -does it matter whether a princess can do arithmetic -or not?</p> - -<p>If one or two of the Court ladies and gentlemen -had a suspicion that the figures were not -quite correct they daren’t suggest such a thing. -If the King said the answers were right it was -as much as their lives were worth to say they -were wrong. But of course Jan knew nothing -of all this. He wrote on and on, and all the time -only one thought was in his mind.</p> - -<p>“How wonderful, how wonderful!” he kept -saying to himself. “I have grown so clever that -I can do the sums by myself. I shall never need -to bother again about the stupid old pencil and -chalk. I really am the cleverest boy in the whole -kingdom.”</p> - -<p>He did not stay very long at the palace, and -he was a little disappointed to find that no one -offered him a post at Court and that he was not -even presented with a bag of gold pieces.</p> - -<p>Every one thanked him politely and he was -given a good tea in the housekeeper’s room, and -the King and Queen shook hands with him and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -gave him a pretty silver brooch to wear in his cap, -while the Princesses smiled pleasantly and wished -him a good journey.</p> - -<p>But he was buoyed up by his wonderful discovery. -He went singing along the road, and -when he presently came to a deep pond he threw -his slate pencil and his bit of chalk into the middle -of it, and continued gaily on his way.</p> - -<p>You may imagine how badly he wanted them -back again the next day, and for many, many -days after: for of course he was as bad as ever -at arithmetic, and went straight to the bottom of -the class, where he stayed. Many times he went -to the place where he had met the fairy, but she -never came again, for if you once throw away -fairy gifts you never, never get them back again.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>THIRTEEN</small><br /> - -The Lamb that Went to Fairyland</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a fairy who took a great -fancy to a tiny white lamb. He really was a -dear little creature, and I don’t wonder she fell in -love with him. She used often to come and visit -him in the meadow where he lived with his -mother, and she was very anxious to take him to -a fairy party some evening.</p> - -<p>The little lamb was shy. “What do you do at -the parties?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dance mostly,” said the fairy.</p> - -<p>But the little lamb explained that he didn’t -know how to dance.</p> - -<p>“I will soon teach you,” said the fairy.</p> - -<p>So she came every evening when her day’s -work was done and showed the little lamb how -to dance, and he soon learned to skip about quite -nicely.</p> - -<p>At last a day came when the fairy took him -off to the party, but his mother made him promise -to come back the next morning. She knew the -ways of the fairies.</p> - -<p>He enjoyed himself tremendously.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span>All the fairies admired him very much. They -thought his coat so beautifully white and soft, -they loved his little black nose and quaint woodeny -legs. He gave them all rides on his back in turn -(even the Fairy Queen had one), and when the -time for dancing came he did very well indeed -and astonished them all with his pretty steps. -When he left, the Fairy Queen presented him -with a garland of daisies. “They are fairy -flowers,” she said. “They will never fade, and -so long as you wear them you will remain young.”</p> - -<p>When the lamb got home he had great tales to -tell about his happy adventures, so that he became -quite a celebrity, and every one made such a fuss -of him that he got rather proud and silly, and -after a very short time would hardly speak to -his friends.</p> - -<p>Of course this vexed them very much, and the -wicked old rat who lived in the mill-pond and was -always ready to do any one an ill turn, suggested -a way to pay him out for his pride. “While he is -asleep I will gnaw through his gay garland that -he is so proud of,” she said, “and when he goes -out walking he will lose it.” All of which happened -just as she had planned. And so the foolish -lamb lost his fairy garland and grew older like -any other lamb.</p> - -<p>His friend the fairy did not come to see him -for some time. She was very busy helping on all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -the spring things, and had no time for visiting. -When she did come again she was very disappointed -to find that the lamb had grown into quite -a good-sized sheep, fat and comfortable. His -wool was no longer downy and white, and he had -entirely forgotten how to dance.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_101.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - -<p>“Where is your magic garland?” said the fairy. -And he had to confess that he had lost it.</p> - -<p>The fairy went back to her friends. She really -did not feel that a big solemn sheep would be very -welcome at their revels. But every year in early -spring when the new lambs are born, their -mothers tell them the story of the lamb that was -invited to Fairyland, and they all go skipping -about in the meadows practising their dancing -steps.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span>Each of them hopes that he may one day find -the magic garland, and never grow old and -staid, and be able to go a-visiting to Fairyland. -After all, it must be lying about somewhere, so if -you find it, you’ll know what to do with it, won’t -you? But be sure to give it to a lamb with a black -nose. They’re so much the prettiest.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>FOURTEEN</small><br /> - -The Magic Umbrella</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">THERE was once a wizard who possessed a -magic umbrella; and, being rather careless -in his habits, he had the misfortune to leave it -behind him in a small country town where he had -had an appointment to meet a friend in the -market-place at midnight. He left it standing -against one of the wooden market stalls, and there -it was found next morning by a farmer’s wife -who had come into town to sell her butter and -eggs.</p> - -<p>“That’s a good, strong-looking umbrella,” she -said to herself; “if no one comes to claim it I -shall keep it.” No one made any inquiries, so she -took possession of it, and when she went home in -the evening, the umbrella went with her.</p> - -<p>Now, as I said before, this was no ordinary -umbrella, but was possessed of magic powers.</p> - -<p>If you held it open in your hand and counted -three and then stopped, you found yourself in -your own house.</p> - -<p>If you counted five, however, you found yourself -where you most desired to be.</p> - -<p>But if you counted up to seven, you were immediately<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -carried away to the top of the nearest -church spire.</p> - -<p>Now of all this the farmer’s wife was quite -unaware, and you shall hear what befell her in -consequence.</p> - -<p>It chanced to be very wet on the next market -day, and when presently the rain began to drip -upon her bonnet through the canvas roof of the -stall, she was very glad to be able to put up the -umbrella and shelter beneath it.</p> - -<p>It was about three o’clock in the afternoon and -she had sold most of her eggs and butter.</p> - -<p>A little boy came along and asked for three -fresh eggs.</p> - -<p>“There you are, my love,” she said. “The last -three.”</p> - -<p>She held the umbrella in one hand and with the -other put the eggs into the boy’s basket.</p> - -<p>“One, two, three,” she said. And instantly she -found herself standing in the middle of her own -pleasant kitchen, with her basket on her arm and -the open umbrella still firmly held in her hand.</p> - -<p>You can imagine how surprised and puzzled -she was. She hadn’t the faintest idea how she -had got there, but she decided to say nothing -about it to any one.</p> - -<p>When presently her husband came in for his -tea he asked why she had come home so early.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span>“I had a bit of a headache,” she said. “I think -the sun was too strong for me.”</p> - -<p>The farmer gave a great guffaw. “Come, -come, mother,” he said, “you must have been -dreaming. There’s been no sun to-day, neither -in town nor country.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_105.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - -<p>“Well, maybe it was the damp that got into my -head,” said his wife. “I think I’ll go to bed and -have a basin of hot gruel.” So she went to bed -and had the hot gruel, and by the next morning -she had almost forgotten all about her queer -adventure.</p> - -<p>Nothing more happened for some time. The -weather was warm and sunny, and the umbrella -stood unused in the corner of the kitchen.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>But one day the farmer’s wife decided to go -and see her daughter, who was married and lived -in a village a few miles away. It was a very hot -day and she thought it would be a good plan to -take the umbrella with her to shade her from -the sun.</p> - -<p>After dinner she and her daughter went for a -walk upon a neighbouring common, and when -they had gone a little way they sat down for a -rest on a warm dry bit of grass by the side of -the road that ran across the heath, for they were -hot and rather tired.</p> - -<p>“What a lot of motor-cars there are on this -road, to be sure,” said the farmer’s wife, who -held the open umbrella over her head. “One, -two, three, four, five.... I wish I was in one -of them.” No sooner had she uttered these words -than she found herself plumped right into the -middle of the nearest car, in which were sitting -an old lady and gentleman and a fat spaniel, all -fast asleep.</p> - -<p>You can imagine what a scene there was. The -dog barked, the old lady and gentleman were -furious.</p> - -<p>“Stop, stop,” they cried to the chauffeur, who -was driving on quite calmly and taking no notice -at all of the noise going on behind him.</p> - -<p>As for the farmer’s wife, she was so astonished -that she could not say anything at all.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>“What next?” stormed the old gentleman, -foaming with rage. “What next, I should like -to know? How dare you get into our car? How -dare you, madam? What are we coming to? A -pretty state of affairs when a man can’t go for a -ride in his own car without being molested by -impertinent strangers! Scandalous, scandalous! -I shall report it to the police.”</p> - -<p>The farmer’s wife had by this time managed -to get out of the car, but she was so bewildered -that she was still unable to speak, and long after -the angry gentleman had driven off with his wife -and his dog, she stood silent and motionless in -the middle of the road with the umbrella in her -hand, wide open, and with her mouth wide open -too. Her daughter, who came hurrying up, was -also very much astonished.</p> - -<p>“What on earth made you do that, mother?” -she said. “I couldn’t believe my own eyes.”</p> - -<p>But her mother could only shake her head. -She couldn’t make it out at all. Never, never -had such an extraordinary thing befallen her.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid I can’t be very well,” she said at -last. “I think I’ll go and see the doctor to-morrow.” -So the next day she went to see the -doctor. It was rather showery and she took the -umbrella again, for she had never thought of connecting -it with the strange things which had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -occurred. The doctor felt her pulse and looked -at her tongue.</p> - -<p>“You’ve got a touch of Thingumabobitis,” he -said. “You must be very careful. I’ll write you -a few prescriptions. You must take a pill every -three hours, and a pink powder every two hours, -and a blue powder half an hour before every -meal, and you must never on any account let your -nose get cold. It’s not dangerous so long as you -are careful. Come again next week.”</p> - -<p>By this time the sun had come out, and as she -was much taken up with wondering how she was -going to keep her nose warm, the farmer’s wife -forgot all about the umbrella. Next day, when -she went to fetch it, it was gone. I don’t know -what happened to it, nor who has it now. But -let me give you a word of warning. If you come -across a stray umbrella, pray be careful not to do -any counting while you have it open in your hand. -It wouldn’t be very pleasant to find yourself suddenly -hanging from the top of the nearest church -steeple, now would it?</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak"><small>FIFTEEN</small><br /> - -The Fourth Adventure of the Rainbow -Cat</h2></div> - - -<p class="drop-cap">BY this time the Rainbow Cat was getting a -little tired of travelling about, and decided -that he would go home and have a good rest after -his many exertions. But on the way back he had -to pass through the Ever After country, and the -people who lived there were most pressing in their -request that he should spend a little time with -them.</p> - -<p>The Ever After country is inhabited by all the -Fairy Tale and Nursery Rhyme people, who go -to live there when their adventures are over.</p> - -<p>Cinderella and her prince have a beautiful -castle there, where the glass slipper is kept on a -red velvet cushion in a little gilt cabinet, and -shown to distinguished visitors. Cinderella never -had another pair; she said they were very uncomfortable, -and of course she was always afraid -some one might tread on her toes.</p> - -<p>Her two disagreeable sisters have a little house -of their own. They have taken to gardening, and -keep bees and chickens, and are altogether immensely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -improved, so that everybody is quite -fond of them.</p> - -<p>They are rather sensitive about their past, and -are both, alas! a little lame, because, as you will -remember, they cut pieces off their feet in order -to make them smaller.</p> - -<p>Snow-White, too, lives in a castle with her -husband. The seven dwarfs have a fine carpenter’s -shop on the estate, where they are kept very -busy indeed.</p> - -<p>They make the most lovely little chairs and -tables for Snow-White’s children, and do most of -the work of that kind required by the dwellers in -the Ever After land.</p> - -<p>Red-Riding-Hood and her grandmother have -a pretty cottage close to that of Cinderella’s sisters. -Red-Riding-Hood often runs in to have a -chat with them, and they are very kind about -sending in honey and eggs for the old lady.</p> - -<p>Of course, there are many, many more people. -Jack the Giant-Killer, who has grown rather fat -and lazy, but loves to talk about all his great -fights; Little Miss Muffet, who is still a bit afraid -of spiders; Boy Blue, Mother Hubbard, Aladdin—it -would take me all day to mention half of -them, but they are all there, not one is missing.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat stayed with Fatima, Bluebeard’s -last wife, who lives with the two brothers -who saved her life by their valour.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>Poor Fatima has never quite got over the -dreadful shock she had when she discovered the -other wives all hanging up, and she can’t so much -as bear the sight of a bunch of keys.</p> - -<p>As usual, the Rainbow Cat was most kindly -welcomed and was introduced to all the important -people in the place.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_111.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>They are always delighted to see strangers, as -sometimes they feel that things are a little dull -after the exciting adventures many of them have -been through.</p> - -<p>On the third day after his arrival he was -invited to a great banquet at the palace of the -Queen of Hearts.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>It was a most wonderful banquet.</p> - -<p>The Rainbow Cat wore his best bow, his dancing-shoes, -and the gold collar which the giantess -had given him. He took his mandolin with him; -it had been most useful to him on several occasions, -and it seemed a pity to leave it behind.</p> - -<p>He met a number of friends at the party.</p> - -<p>Puss-in-Boots, for instance, and the Pussy-cat -who went to London to visit the Queen.</p> - -<p>Dick Whittington’s cat was there too, but he -gave himself great airs. It seems it wasn’t really -quite certain whether he was a fairy-tale cat at -all. Some people thought he was real.</p> - -<p>It was silly of him to be so stuck-up about it, -but it only amused the Rainbow Cat.</p> - -<p>They were about half-way through the banquet -when there was a slight pause. The meat course -was finished, and everybody was waiting for the -sweets. At that moment a servant came quietly -in and whispered to the Queen. She became -deadly pale, and half rose in her seat.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter, your Majesty?” said the -Rainbow Cat, who sat in the place of honour at -her right hand.</p> - -<p>“He’s done it again,” said the Queen in a low, -horrified whisper, sinking weakly down again -into her chair.</p> - -<p>“Who has done what?” said the Rainbow Cat.</p> - -<p>“The Knave—stolen the tarts!” said the Queen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -with an agonised look. “They’re nowhere to be -found. It’s all my fault. He begged so hard to -be taken on again that I gave him another chance. -Oh! why did I trust him?”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t there anything else?” asked the Rainbow -Cat.</p> - -<p>“Nothing ready,” replied the Queen. “You -see, they’re very special tarts. I make them myself. -Every one thinks so much of them. What -shall I do?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t worry,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Send -round to all the pastry-cooks’ for anything they -have ready, and meanwhile I’ll sing a song to fill -up the time.”</p> - -<p>The Queen was much relieved at this suggestion, -and gave orders that messengers should be -dispatched immediately to buy up all the available -tarts in the place.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the Master of Ceremonies was bidden -to announce that their distinguished visitor, -the Rainbow Cat, had kindly promised to sing a -song, and wished to know whether the guests -would like to hear it at this moment or later on.</p> - -<p>This was a very clever idea, for of course -people were bound in politeness to say they wished -to hear the song immediately.</p> - -<p>Thereupon the Rainbow Cat took his mandolin -and prepared to sing, the whole company being -requested to join in the chorus after each verse.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>They were all delighted with this suggestion, -and they all sang, whether they had any voice -or not.</p> - -<p>They enjoyed it so much that they quite forgot -that they hadn’t finished the banquet. At -least they <i>almost</i> forgot.</p> - -<p>Here is the song:</p> - -<p class="center">THE RHYME OF THE GNOME WITH A -SCOLDING WIFE</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Once upon a time,</div> -<div class="verse">When guinea-pigs had tails,</div> -<div class="verse">And people talked in rhyme,</div> -<div class="verse">And rivers ran on rails,</div> -<div class="verse">There lived a little gnome</div> -<div class="verse">Who’d such a scolding wife,</div> -<div class="verse">At last he ran away from home,</div> -<div class="verse">He couldn’t stand the life.</div> -<div class="indent"><i>Chorus.</i> There lived a little gnome, etc.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">She scolded all day long</div> -<div class="verse">From morning until night,</div> -<div class="verse">And she was never wrong</div> -<div class="verse">And he was never right.</div> -<div class="verse">Oh! she could bake and bile,</div> -<div class="verse">And she could clean and mend,</div> -<div class="verse">But since she scolded all the while,</div> -<div class="verse">He left her in the end.</div> - -<div class="indent"><i>Chorus.</i> Oh! she could bake and bile, etc.</div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">He thought he’d found a way</div> -<div class="verse">At last to be at peace,</div> -<div class="verse">But still, to his dismay,</div> -<div class="verse">His troubles did not cease.</div> -<div class="verse">He didn’t like his meals,</div><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -<div class="verse">His washing wasn’t right,</div> -<div class="verse">His socks were always out at heels,</div> -<div class="verse">His shirts a fearful sight.</div> - -<div class="indent"><i>Chorus.</i> He didn’t like his meals, etc.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>By the end of the third verse the Queen was -looking very strained and anxious, and the Rainbow -Cat himself was beginning to feel rather -nervous. His song had only four verses, and he -wasn’t at all sure that he would be asked to sing -another. He was afraid that people would -remember their unfinished dinner as soon as he -stopped.</p> - -<p>So he began the fourth verse very slowly. But -before he had got half-way through, he saw three -servants standing between the curtains of the -great doorway of the banqueting hall with enormous -golden dishes piled up with most magnificent-looking -tarts.</p> - -<p>“My tarts,” he heard the Queen murmur in an -excited voice, and then he knew that everything -was well.</p> - -<p>So he finished his song at a great pace, and the -last chorus was sung with much enthusiasm, for -the other guests had also seen the waiting tarts, -and were eager to begin on them.</p> - -<p>This is the last verse of his song:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Assuredly,” thought he,</div> -<div class="verse">“Her temper is a curse,</div> -<div class="verse">And yet it seems to me</div> -<div class="verse">That this is rather worse.”</div><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -<div class="verse">So home he went once more</div> -<div class="verse">In philosophic mood,</div> -<div class="verse">And though his wife still vexed him sore,</div> -<div class="verse"><i>He did enjoy his food</i>.</div> - -<div class="indent"><i>Chorus.</i> So home he went once more, etc.</div> -</div></div> - -<p>The song was very much applauded, and every -one then fell upon the tarts with an appetite which -the slight delay had pleasantly renewed.</p> - -<p>It turned out afterwards that it was all a mistake -about the Knave.</p> - -<p>The head cook had put the tarts away on the -top shelf of the larder for safety. But he was a -poet as well as a cook, and just before the moment -arrived when the tarts should have been served -up, a perfectly beautiful little verse came into his -head, and he rushed off to a quiet spot to write it -down, quite confident that the under-cook would -be able to look after the rest of the banquet.</p> - -<p>And that’s how it came about that suspicion -fell upon the poor Knave; for when the tarts -could not be found, every one naturally supposed -that he had stolen them again.</p> - -<p>When the cook had written down his verse and -made a few little improvements in it, he returned -to the kitchen and found everything in an uproar -because of the missing tarts.</p> - -<p>He arrived in the nick of time, for the messengers -were returning almost empty-handed -from the pastry-cooks’ shops. They had made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -very little pastry that day because they knew that -every one would be at the banquet and that they -would have no sale for their wares.</p> - -<p>Of course, later on, the cook had to give an -explanation of his carelessness, and he was -removed from his position.</p> - -<p>But as his verses were even better than his -dishes, he was made Court Poet instead, and he -liked that much better, though he occasionally -lent a hand in the kitchen when they were very -busy.</p> - -<p>The Queen was most grateful to the Rainbow -Cat for his timely help; and every year, on his -birthday, she sent him a box of tarts made by her -own hands especially for him.</p> - -<p>He stayed only a day or two in the Ever After -land after the banquet. Then he packed up his -belongings, bade good-bye to all his kind friends, -and set off for his home.</p> - -<p>He was glad to be back in his own little house, -and delighted all his friends with his account of -his travels.</p> - -<p>But he had no intention of settling down for -ever, and I hope to be able some day to tell you -more of the adventures that befell him upon his -further journeyings.</p> - - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rainbow Cat, by -Rose Fyleman and Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RAINBOW CAT *** - -***** This file should be named 60923-h.htm or 60923-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/2/60923/ - -Produced by Tim Lindell, Belk Library (Appalachian State -University), David E. 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