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diff --git a/old/60923-h/60923-h.htm b/old/60923-h/60923-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index ca95d4f..0000000 --- a/old/60923-h/60923-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4332 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Rainbow Cat, by Rose Fyleman. - </title> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - -div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;} -div.titlepage p {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 2em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - - - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - - .tdl {text-align: left; text-indent: 2em;} - .tdr {text-align: right;} - - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; -} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -.u {text-decoration: underline;} - -.ph1 {text-align: center; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;} -.ph2 {text-align: center; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;} -.ph3 {text-align: center; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold; text-align: left; margin-left: 22%; margin-right: 30%; color: #0000FF;} - -.xxlarge {font-size: 175%;} -.xlarge {font-size: 125%;} - -p.drop-cap { - text-indent: -0.2em; -} -p.drop-cap2 { - text-indent: -0.7em; -} -p.drop-cap:first-letter, p.drop-cap2:first-letter -{ - float: left; - margin: 0.15em 0.1em 0em 0em; - font-size: 250%; - line-height:0.55em; - text-indent: 0em; -} -@media handheld -{ - p.drop-cap, p.drop-cap2 { - text-indent: 0em; - } - p.drop-cap:first-letter, p.drop-cap2:first-letter - { - float: none; - margin: 0; - font-size: 100%; - } -} - - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - - -.poetry-container {text-align: center;} -.poetry {display: inline-block; text-align: left;} -.poetry .verse {text-indent: -2.5em; padding-left: 3em;} -.poetry .stanza {margin: 1em auto;} -.poetry .versefirst {text-indent: -2.5em; padding-left: 2.5em;} -.poetry .indent {text-indent: 1.5em;} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -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: 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 fête 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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