diff options
Diffstat (limited to '75624-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/75624-h.htm | 5596 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 0 -> 660496 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/dropcap-a.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9882 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/dropcap-b.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9716 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/dropcap-l.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9941 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/dropcap-n.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9835 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/dropcap-p.jpg | bin | 0 -> 10017 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus01.jpg | bin | 0 -> 161089 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus02.jpg | bin | 0 -> 125638 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus03.jpg | bin | 0 -> 128021 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus04.jpg | bin | 0 -> 128748 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus05.jpg | bin | 0 -> 116334 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus06.jpg | bin | 0 -> 125906 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus07.jpg | bin | 0 -> 107743 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus08.jpg | bin | 0 -> 127253 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/illus09.jpg | bin | 0 -> 114444 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 75624-h/images/titlepage.jpg | bin | 0 -> 165018 bytes |
17 files changed, 5596 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/75624-h/75624-h.htm b/75624-h/75624-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a74c4d8 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/75624-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5596 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="UTF-8"> + <title> + The House of Joy | Project Gutenberg + </title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> + +a { + text-decoration: none; +} + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +h1,h2,h3 { + text-align: center; + clear: both; +} + +h2.nobreak { + page-break-before: avoid; +} + +hr.chap { + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + clear: both; + width: 65%; + margin-left: 17.5%; + margin-right: 17.5%; +} + +img.w100 { + width: 100%; +} + +div.chapter { + page-break-before: always; +} + +p { + margin-top: 0.5em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: 0.5em; + text-indent: 1em; +} + +p.dropcap { + text-indent: 0em; +} + +img.dropcap { + float: left; + margin: 0 0.5em 0 0; +} + +p.dropcap:first-letter { + color: transparent; + visibility: hidden; + margin-left: -0.9em; +} + +table { + margin: 1em auto 1em auto; + max-width: 40em; + border-collapse: collapse; +} + +td { + padding-left: 2.25em; + padding-right: 0.25em; + vertical-align: top; + text-indent: -2em; +} + +.tdpg { + vertical-align: bottom; + text-align: right; + white-space: nowrap; +} + +.center { + text-align: center; + text-indent: 0em; +} + +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.larger { + font-size: 125%; + margin-bottom: 1em; +} + +.pagenum { + position: absolute; + right: 4%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + font-style: normal; +} + +.poetry-container { + text-align: center; + font-size: 90%; +} + +.poetry { + display: inline-block; + text-align: left; +} + +.poetry .stanza { + margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em; +} + +.poetry .verse { + padding-left: 3em; +} + +.poetry .indent0 { + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poetry .indent2 { + text-indent: -2em; +} + +.smaller { + font-size: 80%; +} + +.smcap { + font-variant: small-caps; + font-style: normal; +} + +.titlepage { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 3em; + text-indent: 0em; +} + +.x-ebookmaker img { + max-width: 100%; + width: auto; + height: auto; +} + +.x-ebookmaker .poetry { + display: block; + margin-left: 1.5em; +} + +.x-ebookmaker img.dropcap { + display: none; +} + +.x-ebookmaker p.dropcap:first-letter { + color: inherit; + visibility: visible; + margin-left: 0; +} + +.illowp50 {width: 50%;} +.x-ebookmaker .illowp50 {width: 100%;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75624 ***</div> + +<h1>THE HOUSE<br> +OF JOY</h1> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus01" style="max-width: 31.25em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus01.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="titlepage" style="max-width: 31.25em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/titlepage.jpg" alt="THE HOUSE OF JOY / By + LAURENCE HOUSEMAN / London: Kegan Paul / Trench Trübner & Co."> +</figure> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</h2> + +</div> + +<table> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">The Prince with the Nine Sorrows</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_PRINCE_WITH_THE_NINE_SORROWS"><i>Page</i> 1</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">The Luck of the Roses</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_LUCK_OF_THE_ROSES">23</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">The White King</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_WHITE_KING">35</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">The Story of the Herons</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_STORY_OF_THE_HERONS">51</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">Syringa</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#SYRINGA">85</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">The Traveller’s Shoes</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_TRAVELLERS_SHOES">101</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">The Moon-Flower</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#THE_MOON_FLOWER">135</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td><span class="smcap">Happy Returns</span></td> + <td class="tdpg"><a href="#HAPPY_RETURNS">169</a></td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1"></a>[1]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_PRINCE_WITH_THE_NINE_SORROWS">THE PRINCE WITH THE NINE SORROWS</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +CLARE AND IDA</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus02" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus02.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_2"></a>[2]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3"></a>[3]</span></p> + +<h3>THE PRINCE WITH THE NINE SORROWS</h3> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0"><i>Eight-white peahens went down to the gate:</i></div> + <div class="verse indent0"><i>“Wait!” they said, “little sister, wait!”</i></div> + <div class="verse indent0"><i>They covered her up with feathers so fine;</i></div> + <div class="verse indent0"><i>And none went out, when there went back nine.</i></div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-a.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">A long time ago there lived +a King and a Queen, who +had an only son. As soon +as he was born his mother +gave him to the forester’s +wife to be nursed; for she +herself had to wear her crown all day and +had no time for nursing. The forester’s +wife had just given birth to a little daughter +of her own; but she loved both children +equally and nursed them together like twins.</p> + +<p>One night the Queen had a dream that +made the half of her hair turn grey. She +dreamed that she saw the Prince her son at +the age of twenty lying dead with a wound<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4"></a>[4]</span> +over the place of his heart; and near him his +foster-sister was standing, with a royal crown +on her head, and his heart bleeding between +her hands.</p> + +<p>The next morning the Queen sent in great +haste for the family Fairy, and told her of +the dream. The Fairy said, “This can +have but one meaning, and it is an evil one. +There is some danger that threatens your +son’s life in his twentieth year, and his +foster-sister is to be the cause of it; also, +it seems she is to make herself Queen. But +leave her to me, and I will avert the evil +chance; for the dream coming beforehand +shows that the Fates mean that he should +be saved.”</p> + +<p>The Queen said, “Do anything; only +do not destroy the forester’s wife’s child, for +as yet at least, she has done no wrong. Let +her only be carried away to a safe place +and made secure and treated well. I will +not have my son’s happiness grow out of +another one’s grave.”</p> + +<p>The Fairy said, “Nothing is so safe as a +grave when the Fates are awake. Still, I +think I can make everything quite safe +within reason, and leave you a clean as well +as a quiet conscience.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5"></a>[5]</span></p> + +<p>The little Prince and the forester’s +daughter grew up together till they were a +year old; then, one day, when their nurse +came to look for them, the Prince was found, +but his foster-sister was lost; and though +the search for her was long, she was never +seen again, nor could any trace of her be +found.</p> + +<p>The baby Prince pined and pined, and +was so sorrowful over her loss that they +feared for a time that he was going to die. +But his foster-mother, in spite of her grief +over her own child’s disappearance, nursed +him so well and loved him so much that +after a while he recovered his strength.</p> + +<p>Then the forester’s wife gave birth to +another daughter, as if to console herself +for the loss of the first. But the same +night that the child was born the Queen +had just the same dream over again. She +dreamed that she saw her son lying dead at +the age of twenty; and there was the wound +in his breast, and the forester’s daughter was +standing by with his heart in her hand and +a royal crown upon her head.</p> + +<p>The poor Queen’s hair had gone quite +white when she sent again for the family +Fairy, and told her how the dream had<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6"></a>[6]</span> +repeated itself. The Fairy gave her the +same advice as before, quieting her fears, +and assuring her that however persistent the +Fates might be in threatening the Prince’s +life, all in the end should be well.</p> + +<p>Before another year was passed the second +of the forester’s daughters had disappeared; +and the Prince and his foster-mother cried +themselves ill over a loss that had been so +cruelly renewed. The Queen, seeing how +great were the sorrow and the love that the +Prince bore for his foster-sisters, began to +doubt in her heart and say, “What have I +done? Have I saved my son’s life by taking +away his heart?”</p> + +<p>Now every year the same thing took +place, the forester’s wife giving birth to a +daughter, and the Queen on the same night +having the same fearful dream of the fate +that threatened her son in his twentieth +year; and afterwards the family Fairy would +come, and then one day the forester’s wife’s +child would disappear, and be heard of no +more.</p> + +<p>At last when nine daughters in all had +been born to the forester’s wife and lost to +her when they were but a year old, the +Queen fell very ill. Every day she grew<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7"></a>[7]</span> +weaker and weaker, and the little Prince +came and sat by her, holding her hand and +looking at her with a sorrowful face. At +last one night (it was just a year after the +last of the forester’s children had disappeared) +she woke suddenly, stretching out +her arms and crying. “Oh, Fairy,” she +cried, “the dream, the dream!” And +covering her face with her hands, she died.</p> + +<p>The little Prince was now more than ten +years old, and the very saddest of mortals. +He said that there were nine sorrows hidden +in his heart, of which it could not get rid; +and that at night, when all the birds went +home to roost, he heard cries of lamentation +and pain; but whether these came from +very far away, or out of his own heart he +could not tell.</p> + +<p>Yet he grew slenderly and well, and had +such grace and tenderness in his nature +that all who saw him loved him. His +foster-mother, when he spoke to her of his +nine sorrows, tried to comfort him, calling +him her own nine joys; and, indeed, he +was all the joy left in life for her.</p> + +<p>When the Prince neared his twentieth +year, the King his father felt that he himself +was becoming old and weary of life.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8"></a>[8]</span> +“I shall not live much longer,” he thought: +“very soon my son will be left alone in the +world. It is right, therefore, now that he +should know what is the danger that +threatens his life.” For till then the Prince +had not known anything; all had been +kept a secret between the Queen and the +King and the family Fairy.</p> + +<p>The old King knew of the Prince’s nine +sorrows, and often he tried to believe that +they came by chance, and had nothing to +do with the secret that sat at the root of +his son’s life. But now he feared more and +more to tell the Prince the story of those +nine dreams, lest the knowledge should +indeed serve but as the crowning point of +his sorrows, and altogether break his heart +for him.</p> + +<p>Yet there was so much danger in leaving +the thing untold that at last he summoned +the Prince to his bedside, meaning to tell +him all. The King had worn himself so +ill with anxiety and grief in thinking over +the matter, that now to tell all was the only +means of saving his life.</p> + +<p>The Prince came and knelt down, and +leaned his head on his father’s pillow; and +the King whispered into his ear the story<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9"></a>[9]</span> +of the dreams, and of how for his sake all +the Prince’s foster-sisters had been spirited +away.</p> + +<p>Before his tale was done he could no +longer bear to look into his son’s face, but +closed his eyes, and, with long silences +between, spoke as one who prayed.</p> + +<p>When he had ended he lay quite still, +and the Prince kissed his closed eyelids and +went softly out of the room.</p> + +<p>“Now I know,” he said to himself; +“now at last!” And he came through +the wood and knocked at his foster-mother’s +door. “Other mother,” he said +to her, “give me a kiss for each of my +sisters, for now I am going out into the +world to find them, to be rid of the sorrows +in my heart.”</p> + +<p>“They can never be found!” she cried, +but she kissed him nine times. “And +this,” she said, “was Monica, and this was +Ponica, and this was Veronica,” and so +she went over every name. “But now +they are only names!” she wept, as she let +him go.</p> + +<p>He went along, and he went along, and +he went along. “Where may you be +going to, fair sir?” asked an old peasant<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10"></a>[10]</span> +at whose cabin the Prince sought shelter +when night came to the first day of his +wanderings. “Truly,” answered the Prince, +“I do not know how far or whither I need +to go; but I have a finger-post in my heart +that keeps pointing me.”</p> + +<p>So that night he stayed there, and the +next day he went on.</p> + +<p>“Where to so fast?” asked a wood-cutter +when the second night found him in +the thickest and loneliest parts of the forest. +“Here the night is so dark and the way so +dangerous, one like you should not go +alone.”</p> + +<p>“Nay, I know nothing,” said the Prince, +“only I feel like a weather-cock in a wind +that keeps turning me to its will!”</p> + +<p>After many days he came to a small +long valley rich in woods and water-courses, +but no road ran through it. More and +more it seemed like the world’s end, a +place unknown, or forgotten of its old +inhabitants. Just at the end of the valley, +where the woods opened into clear slopes +and hollows toward the west, he saw before +him, low and overgrown, the walls of a +little tumble-down grange. “There,” he +said to himself when he saw it, “I can find<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11"></a>[11]</span> +shelter for to-night. Never have I felt +so tired before, or such a pain at my +heart!”</p> + +<p>Before long he came to a little gate and +a winding path that led in among lawns +and trees to the door of an old house. +The house seemed as if it had been once +lived in, but there was no sign of any life +about it now. He pushed open the door, +and suddenly there was a sharp rustling of +feathers, and nine white peahens rose up +from the ground and flew out of the +window into the garden.</p> + +<p>The Prince searched the whole house +over, and found it a mere ruin; the only +signs of life to be seen were the white +feathers that lifted and blew about over +the floors.</p> + +<p>Outside, the garden was gathering itself +together in the dusk, and the peahens were +stepping daintily about the lawns, picking +here and there between the blades of grass. +They seemed to suit the gentle sadness of +the place, which had an air of grief that +has grown at ease with itself.</p> + +<p>The Prince went out into the garden, +and walked about among the quietly +stepping birds; but they took no heed of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12"></a>[12]</span> +him. They came picking up their food +between his very feet, as though he were +not there. Silence held all the air, and in +the cleft of the valley the day drooped to +its end.</p> + +<p>Just before it grew dark, the nine white +peahens gathered together at the foot of a +great elm, and lifting up their throats they +wailed in chorus. Their lamentable cry +touched the Prince’s heart; “where,” he +asked himself, “have I heard such sorrow +before?” Then all with one accord the +birds sprang rustling up to the lowest +boughs of the elm, and settled themselves +to roost.</p> + +<p>The Prince went back to the house, to +find some corner amid its half-ruined rooms +to sleep in. But there the air was close, +and an unpleasant smell of moisture came +from the floor and walls: so, the night +being warm, he returned to the garden, and +folding himself in his cloak lay down under +the tree where the nine peahens were at +roost.</p> + +<p>For a long time he tried to sleep, but +could not, there was so much pain and +sorrow in his heart.</p> + +<p>Presently when it was close upon midnight,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13"></a>[13]</span> +over his head one of the birds stirred +and ruffled through all its feathers; and he +heard a soft voice say:</p> + +<p>“Sisters, are you awake?”</p> + +<p>All the other peahens lifted their heads, +and turned toward the one that spoke, saying, +“Yes, sister, we are awake.”</p> + +<p>Then the first one said again, “Our +brother is here.”</p> + +<p>They all said, “He is our enemy; it is +for him that we endure this sorrow.”</p> + +<p>“To-night,” said the first, “we may all +be free.”</p> + +<p>They answered, “Yes, we may all be +free! Who will go down and peck out +his heart? Then we shall be free.”</p> + +<p>And the first who had spoken said, “I +will go down!”</p> + +<p>“Do not fail, sister!” said all the others. +“For if you fail you can speak to us no +more.”</p> + +<p>The first peahen answered, “Do not +fear that I shall fail!” And she began +stepping down the long boughs of the +elm.</p> + +<p>The Prince lying below heard all that +was said. “Ah! poor sisters,” he thought, +“have I found you at last; and are all<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14"></a>[14]</span> +these sorrows brought upon you for me?” +And he unloosed his doublet, and opened +his vest, making his breast bare for the peahen +to come and peck out his heart.</p> + +<p>He lay quite still with his eyes shut, and +when she reached the ground the peahen +found him lying there, as it seemed to her +fast asleep, with his white breast bare for +the stroke of her beak.</p> + +<p>Then so fair he looked to her, and so +gentle in his youth, that she had pity on +him, and stood weeping by his side, and +laying her head against his, whispered, “O, +brother, once we lay as babes together and +were nursed at the same breast! How can +I peck out your heart?”</p> + +<p>Then she stole softly back into the tree, +and crouched down again by her companions. +They said to her, “Our minute +of midnight is nearly gone. Is there blood +on your beak! Have you our brother’s +heart for us?” But the other answered +never a word.</p> + +<p>In the morning the peahens came rustling +down out of the elm, and went searching +for fat carnation buds and anemone seeds +among the flower-beds in the garden. To +the Prince they showed no sign either of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15"></a>[15]</span> +hatred or fear, but went to and fro carelessly, +pecking at the ground about his feet. +Only one came with drooping head and +wings, and sleeked itself to his caress, and +the Prince, stooping down, whispered in +her ear, “O, sister, why did you not peck +out my heart.”</p> + +<p>At night, as before, the peahens all cried +in chorus as they went up into the elm; +and the Prince came and wrapped himself +in his cloak, and lay down at the foot of it +to watch.</p> + +<p>At midnight the eight peahens lifted their +heads, and said, “Sister, why did you fail +last night?” But their sister gave them +not a word.</p> + +<p>“Alas!” they said, “now she has failed, +unless one of us succeed we shall never +hear her speak with her human voice again. +Why is it that you weep so,” they said +again, “now when deliverance is so near?” +For the poor peahen was shaken with weeping, +and her tears fell down in loud drops +upon the ground.</p> + +<p>Then the next sister said, “I will go +down! He is asleep. Be certain, I will +not fail!” So she climbed softly down the +tree, and the Prince opened his shirt and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16"></a>[16]</span> +laid his breast bare for her to come and +take out his heart.</p> + +<p>Presently she stood by his side, and when +she saw him, she too had pity on him for +the youth and kindness of his face. And +once she shut her eyes, and lifted her head +for the stroke; but then weakness seized +her, and she laid her head softly upon his +heart and said, “Once the breast that gave +me milk gave milk also to you. You +were my sister’s brother, and she spared +you: so how can I peck out your heart?” +And having said this she went softly back +into the tree, and crouched down again +among her sisters.</p> + +<p>They said to her, “Have you blood +upon your beak? Is his heart ours?” But +she answered them no word.</p> + +<p>The next day the two sisters, who because +their hearts betrayed them had become mute, +followed the Prince wherever he went, and +stretched up their heads to his caress. But +the others went and came indifferently, +careless except for food; for until midnight +their human hearts were asleep; only +now the two sisters who had given their +voices away had regained their human hearts +perpetually.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17"></a>[17]</span></p> + +<p>That night the same thing happened as +before. “Sisters,” said the youngest, “to-night +I will go down, since the two eldest +of us have failed. My wrong is fresher in +my heart than theirs! Be sure I shall not +fail!” So the youngest peahen came down +from the tree, and the Prince laid his heart +bare for her beak, but the bird could not find +the will to peck it out. And so it was the +next night, and the next, until eight nights +were gone.</p> + +<p>So at last only one peahen was left. At +midnight she raised her head, saying, +“Sisters, are you awake?”</p> + +<p>They all turned, and gazed at her weeping, +but could say no word.</p> + +<p>Then she said, “You have all failed, +having all tried but me. Now if I fail +we shall remain mute and captive for ever, +more undone by the loss of our last remaining +gift of speech than we were at first. +But I tell you, dear sisters, I will not fail; +for the happiness of you all lies with me +now!”</p> + +<p>Then she went softly down the tree; +and one by one they all went following her, +and weeping, to see what the end would be.</p> + +<p>They stood some way apart, watching<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18"></a>[18]</span> +with upturned heads, and their poor throats +began catching back a wish to cry as the +little peahen, the last of the sisters, came +and stood by the Prince.</p> + +<p>Then she, too, looked in his face, and +saw the white breast made bare for her +beak; and the love of him went deep down +into her heart. And she tried and tried to +shut her eyes and deal the stroke, but could +not.</p> + +<p>She trembled and sighed, and turned to +look at her sisters, where they all stood +weeping silently together. “They have +spared him,” she said to herself: “why +should not I?”</p> + +<p>But the Prince, seeing that she, too, was +about to fail like the rest of them, turned +and said, as if in his sleep, “Come, come, +little peahen, and peck out my heart!”</p> + +<p>At that she turned back again to him, +and laid her head down upon his heart and +cried more sadly than them all.</p> + +<p>Then he said, “You have eight sisters, +and a mother who cries for her children to +return!” Yet still she thought he was +dreaming, and speaking only in his sleep. +The other peahens came no nearer, but +stood weeping silently. She looked from<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19"></a>[19]</span> +him to them. “O,” she cried, “I have a +wicked heart, to let one stand in the way of +nine!” Then she threw up her neck and +cried lamentably with her peafowl’s voice, +wishing that the Prince would wake up and +see her, and so escape. And at that all +the other peahens lifted up their heads and +wailed with her: but the Prince never +turned, nor lifted a finger, nor uttered a +sound.</p> + +<p>Then she drew in a deep breath, and +closed her eyes fast. “Let my sisters go, +but let me be as I am!” she cried; and with +that she stooped down, and pecked out his +heart.</p> + +<p>All her sisters shrieked as their human +shapes returned to them. “O, sister! O, +wicked little sister!” they cried, “What +have you done!”</p> + +<p>The little white peahen crouched close +down to the side of the dead Prince. “I +loved him more than you all!” she tried +to say: but she only lifted her head, and +wailed again and again the peafowl’s cry.</p> + +<p>The Prince’s heart lay beating at her +feet, so glad to be rid of its nine sorrows +that mere joy made it live on, though all +the rest of the body lay cold.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20"></a>[20]</span></p> + +<p>The peahen leaned down upon the +Prince’s breast, and there wailed without +ceasing: till suddenly, piercing with her +beak her own breast, she drew out her own +living heart and laid it in the place where +his had been.</p> + +<p>And, as she did so, the wound where she +had pierced him closed and became healed; +and her heart was, as it were, buried in the +Prince’s breast. In her death agony she +could feel it there, her own heart leaping +within his breast for joy.</p> + +<p>The Prince, who had seemed to be dead, +flushed from head to foot as the warmth of +life came back to him; with one deep +breath he woke, and found the little white +peahen lying as if dead between his arms.</p> + +<p>Then he laughed softly and rose (his +goodness making him wise), and taking up +his own still beating heart he laid it into the +place of hers. At the first beat of it within +her breast, the peahen became transformed +as all her sisters had been, and her own +maiden form came back to her. And the +pain and the wound in her breast grew +healed together, so that she stood up alive +and well in the Prince’s arms.</p> + +<p>“Dear heart!” said he: and “Dear,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21"></a>[21]</span> +dear heart!” said she; but whether they +were speaking of their own hearts or of +each other’s, who can tell? for which was +which they themselves did not know.</p> + +<p>Then all round was so much embracing +and happiness that it is out of reach for +tongue or pen to describe. For truly the +Prince and his foster-sisters loved each +other dearly, and could put no bounds upon +their present contentment. As for the +Prince and the one who had plucked out +his heart, of no two was the saying ever +more truly told, that they had lost their +hearts to each other; nor was ever love +in the world known before that carried +with it such harmony as theirs.</p> + +<p>And so it all came about according to +the Queen’s dream that the forester’s +daughter wore the royal crown upon her +head, and held the Prince’s heart in her +hand.</p> + +<p>Long before he died the old King was +made happy because the dream that he had +feared so much had become true: and the +forester’s wife was happy before she died: +and as for the Prince and his wife and his +foster-sisters, they were all rather happy: +and none of them is dead yet.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22"></a>[22]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23"></a>[23]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_LUCK_OF_THE_ROSES">THE LUCK OF THE ROSES</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +CLEMENCE</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus03" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus03.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24"></a>[24]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25"></a>[25]</span></p> + +<h3>THE LUCK OF THE ROSES</h3> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-n.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">Not far from a great town, +in the midst of a well-wooded +valley, lived a rose-gardener +and his wife. All +round the old home green +sleepy hollows lay girdled +by silver streams, long grasses bent softly +in the wind, and the half fabulous murmur +of woods filled the air.</p> + +<p>Up in their rose-garden, on the valley’s +side facing the sun, the gardener and his +wife lived contentedly sharing toil and ease. +They had been young, they were not yet +old; and though they had to be frugal they +did not call themselves poor. A strange +fortune had belonged always to the plot of +ground over which they laboured; whether +because the soil was so rich, or the place so +sheltered from cold, or the gardener so +skilled in the craft, which had come down<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26"></a>[26]</span> +in his family from father to son, could not +be known; but certainly it was true that his +rose-trees gave forth better bloom and bore +earlier and later through the season than +any others that were to be found in those +parts.</p> + +<p>The good couple accepted what came to +them, simply and gladly, thanking God. +Perhaps it was from the kindness of fortune, +or perhaps because the sweet perfume of the +roses had mixed itself in their blood, that her +man and his wife were so sweet-tempered +and gentle in their ways. The colour of +the roses was in their faces, and the colour +of the rose was in their hearts; to her man +she was the most beautiful and dearest of +sweethearts, to his wife he was the best and +kindest of lovers.</p> + +<p>Every morning, before it was light, her +man and his wife would go into the garden +and gather all the roses that were ripe for +sale; then with full baskets on their backs +they would set out, and get to the market +just as the level sunbeams from the east +were striking all the vanes and spires of the +city into gold. There they would dispose +of their flowers to the florists and salesmen +of the town, and after that trudge home<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27"></a>[27]</span> +again to hoe, and dig, and weed, and water, +and prune, and plant for the rest of the day. +No man ever saw them the one without the +other, and the thought that such a thing +might some day happen was the only fear +and sorrow of their lives.</p> + +<p>That they had no children of their own +was scarcely a sorrow to them. “It seems +to me,” said her man after they had been +married for some years, “that God means +that our roses are to be our children since +He has made us love them so much. They +will last when we are grown grey, and will +support and comfort us in our old age.”</p> + +<p>All the roses they had were red, and +varied little in kind, yet her man and his +wife had a name for each of them; to every +tree they had given a name, until it almost +seemed that the trees knew, and tried to +answer when they heard the voices which +spoke to them.</p> + +<p>“Jane Janet, and you ought to blossom +more freely at your age!” his wife might +say to one some evening as she went round +and watered the flowers; and the next day, +when the two came to their dark morning’s +gathering, Jane Janet would show ten or +twelve great blooms under the light of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28"></a>[28]</span> +lantern, every one of them the birth of a +single night.</p> + +<p>“Mary Maudlin,” the gardener would +say, as he washed the blight off a favourite +rose, “to be sure, you are very beautiful, +but did I not love you so, you were more +trouble than all your sisters put together.” +And then all at once great dew-drops +would come tumbling down out of Mary +Maudlin’s eyes at the tender words of his +reproach. So day by day the companionable +feet of the happy couple moved to and fro, +always intent on the tender nurturing of +their children.</p> + +<p>In their garden they had bees too, who +drew all their honey from the roses, and +lived in a cone-thatched hive close under +the porch; and that honey was famous +through all the country-side, for its flavour +was like no other honey made in the world.</p> + +<p>Sometimes his wife said to her man, “I +think our garden is looked after for us by +some good Spirit; perhaps it is the Saints +after whom we have named our rose-children.”</p> + +<p>Her man made answer, “It is rich in +years, which, like an old wine, have made +it gain in flavour; it has been with us from<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29"></a>[29]</span> +father to son for three hundred years, and +that is a great while.”</p> + +<p>“A full fairy’s lifetime!” said his wife. +“’Tis a pity we shall not hand it on, being +childless.”</p> + +<p>“When we two die,” said her man, “the +roses will make us a grave and watch over +us.” As he spoke a whole shower of petals +fell from the trees.</p> + +<p>“Did no one pass, just then?” said his +wife.</p> + +<p>Now one morning, soon after this, in +the late season of roses, her man had gone +before his wife into the garden, gathering +for the market in the grey dusk before +dawn; and wherever he went moths and +beetles came flocking to the light of his +lantern, beating against its horn shutters +and crying to get in. Out of each rose, as +the light fell on it, winged things sprang +up into the darkness; but all the roses were +bowed and heavy as if with grief. As he +picked them from the stem great showers +of dew fell out of them, making pools in +the hollow of his palm.</p> + +<p>There was such a sound of tears that he +stopped to listen, and, surely, from all +round the garden came the “drip, drip” of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30"></a>[30]</span> +falling dew. Yet the pathways under foot +were all dry: there had been no rain and +but little dew. Whence was it, then, that +the roses so shook and sobbed? For under +the stems, surely, there was something that +sobbed; and suddenly the light of the +lantern took hold of a beautiful small figure, +about three feet high, dressed in old rose +and green, that went languidly from flower +to flower. She lifted up such tired hands +to draw their heads down to hers; and to +each one she kissed she made a weary little +sound of farewell, her beautiful face broken +up with grief; and now and then out of +her lips ran soft chuckling laughter, as if +she still meant to be glad, but could not.</p> + +<p>The gardener broke into tears to behold +a sight so pitiful; and his wife had +stolen out silently to his side, and was +weeping too.</p> + +<p>“Drip, drip” went the roses: wherever +she came and kissed, they all began weeping. +The gardener and his wife knelt +down and watched her; in and out, in +and out, not a rose-blossom did she miss. +She came nearer and nearer, and at last +was standing before them. She seemed +hardly able to draw limb after limb, so<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31"></a>[31]</span> +weak was she; and her filmy garments +hung heavy as chains.</p> + +<p>A little voice said in their ears, “Kiss +me, I am dying!”</p> + +<p>They tasted her breath of rose.</p> + +<p>“Do not die!” they said simply.</p> + +<p>“I have lived three hundred years,” she +answered. “Now I must die. I am the +Luck of the Roses, but I must leave them +and die.”</p> + +<p>“When must you die?” said her man +and his wife.</p> + +<p>The little lady said: “Before the last +roses are over; the chills of night take me, +the first frost will kill me. Soon I must +die. Now I must dwindle and dwindle, +for little life is left to me, and only so can +I keep warm. As life and heat grow less, +so must I, till presently I am no more.”</p> + +<p>She was a little thing already—not old, +she did not seem old, but delicate as a snowflake, +and so weary. She laid her head in +the hand of the gardener’s wife and sobbed +hard.</p> + +<p>“You dear people, who belong so much +to me too, I have watched over you.”</p> + +<p>“Let us watch over you!” said they. +They lifted her like a feather-weight, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32"></a>[32]</span> +carried her into the house. There, in the +ingle-nook, she sat and shivered, while they +brought rose-leaves and piled round her; +but every hour she grew less and less.</p> + +<p>Presently the sun shone full upon her +from the doorway: its light went through +her as through coloured glass; and her man +and his wife saw, over the ingle behind her, +shadows fluttering as of falling rose-petals: +it was the dying rose of her life, falling +without end.</p> + +<p>All day long she dwindled and grew +more weak and frail. Before sunset she +was smaller than a small child when it first +comes into the world. They set honey +before her to taste, but she was too weary +to uncurl her tiny hands: they lay like +two white petals in the green lap of her +dress. The half-filled panniers of roses +stood where they had been set down in the +porch: the good couple had taken nothing +to the market that day. The luck of the +house lay dying, for all their care; they +could but sit and watch.</p> + +<p>When the sun had set, she faded away +fast: now she was as small as a young +wren. The gardener’s wife took her and +held her for warmth in the hollow of her<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33"></a>[33]</span> +hand. Presently she seemed no more than +a grasshopper: the tiny chirrup of her +voice was heard, about the middle of the +night, asking them to take her and lay her +among the roses, in the heart of one of the +red roses, that there at last she might die +and pass into nothing.</p> + +<p>They went together into the dark night, +and felt their way among the roses; presently +they quite lost her tiny form: she +had slipped away into the heart of a Jane +Janet rose.</p> + +<p>The gardener and his wife went back +into the house and sat waiting; they did +not know for what, but they were too sad +at heart to think just then of sleep.</p> + +<p>Soon the first greys of morning began to +steal over the world; pale shivers ran across +the sky, and one bird chirped in its sleep +among the trees.</p> + +<p>All at once there rang a soft sound of +lamentation among the roses in the rose-garden; +again and again, like the cry of +many gentle wounded things in pain. The +gardener and his wife went and opened the +door: they had to tell the bees of the +fairy’s death. They looked out under +the twilight, into the garden they loved.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34"></a>[34]</span> +“Drip,” “drip,” “drip” came the sound +of steady weeping under the leaves. Peering +out through the shadows they saw all +the rose-trees rocking themselves softly for +grief.</p> + +<p>“Snow?” said his wife to her man.</p> + +<p>But it was not snow.</p> + +<p>Under the dawn all the roses in the +garden had turned white; for they knew +that the fairy was dead.</p> + +<p>The gardener and his wife woke the bees, +and told them of the fairy’s death; then +they looked in each other’s faces, and saw +that they, too, had become white and grey.</p> + +<p>With gentle eyes the old couple took +hands, and went down into the garden to +gather white roses for the market.</p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35"></a>[35]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_WHITE_KING">THE WHITE KING</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +KATE</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus04" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus04.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36"></a>[36]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37"></a>[37]</span></p> + +<h3>THE WHITE KING</h3> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-l.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">Long years ago there was +living a Queen who could +not keep count of the +countries over which she +ruled. Her wealth and +her wonderful beauty made +her an apple of discord to all the kings +who lived round about her borders. For +love of her they waged perpetual war upon +one another, and every king who proved +victorious made a gift to the Queen of +the country of the one whom he had conquered, +in the hopes of thereby strengthening +his claim to her favour. Thus it came +about that she could no longer keep count +of the lands which had fallen under her +rule; yet still of all her suitors she chose +none.</p> + +<p>Now at this time there was one King, +and only one, who had not succeeded in +losing his heart to the Queen’s majesty, in<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38"></a>[38]</span> +spite of her wealth and power, and all her +wonderful beauty. And so, during a long +time, since his fancy was thus free, he was +left in undisturbed peace and prosperity, +while other kings fought out their jealous +battles, and stole away each other’s lands. +And because his reign was so quiet and his +country in such rest, his people, for a pet-name +and for their pride in him, named him +“the White King.”</p> + +<p>Now after a time the Queen took it as an +insult that any one should be so indifferent +to the power of her charms, and she began +to threaten him with war for this reason +and for that, wishing thereby to cajole him +into becoming her suitor. But the White +King saw through all the disguises with +which she covered her meaning, and understood +the arrogance of her claim; so one +day he sent to her as a gift a statue of +himself with his sword sheathed, and all his +armour covered over with the cloak of peace. +Round the base of it was written</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0">“When a heart in stone doth move,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Then your lover I may prove;</div> + <div class="verse indent0">But until the marvel’s done,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Fruitlessly your wars are won.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>The Queen looked once at the statue,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39"></a>[39]</span> +and for a long time after never looked +away; and when at last she did her heart +had been taken captive. Then she looked +at the words beneath, and the red flush +that rose to her face was not gone when +the last of her army passed out of the +city gates to carry war into the country of +the man who had dared thus to speak scorn +of her.</p> + +<p>For a whole year the White King fought +with the forces she sent against him; but +when all the other kings came to her aid, +then, stronghold by stronghold, all his cities +were taken, and his lands were laid waste +and their villages burnt, and nothing but +defeat and ruin remained.</p> + +<p>Yet in the last battle, when his enemies +thought to have him a safe prisoner, all of +a sudden they found that the White King +had disappeared.</p> + +<p>Back came the Queen’s armies in triumph +with their allies, and the conquered territory +was added as one more to the many that +formed her realm. But the Queen sighed +as she looked at the White King’s statue, +and her triumph grew bitter to her. Day +by day, as she looked at the calm marble +face, her love for it increased, and she<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40"></a>[40]</span> +owned sadly to herself, “He whom I have +conquered has conquered me!”</p> + +<p>Of the lost King himself no tidings could +be learned, though search was made far and +wide. Minstrels came to the court, and +sang of his great deeds in fighting against +odds, but of his end they sang variously. +Some sang that he lay buried beneath the +thickest of the slain; others that from his +last battle he had been carried by good +fairies, and that after he had been healed of +his wounds, he would return in a hundred +years and recover his kingdom.</p> + +<p>One minstrel came to stay at the court, +who sang of ruined homes and wasted +fields, and a happy land laid desolate, and +how its King wandered friendless and unknown +through the world, hiding himself +in disguise, sometimes in the cottages of +the poor, and sometimes in the dwellings +of the rich. But from no one could the +Queen learn any news that satisfied her, or +gave hope that he would at last bend down +his pride, and come and sue to her for forgiveness.</p> + +<p>Wishing to have a hiding place for her +grief, she caused the statue to be set up in +a green glade in the most lonely part of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41"></a>[41]</span> +gardens; and there often she would go and +gaze on the calm noble face (whose closed +eyes seemed even now to disdain her love), +and would wonder how long a queen’s heart +took to break.</p> + +<p>But after a time she thought, “Though +I may never win the love of the White +King for my own, is there no way by which +my passion can assuage itself, when by lifting +my finger I can summon half fairyland +to my aid?”</p> + +<p>So she called to her the most powerful +Fairy she knew, and taking her into the +green glade, began sighing and weeping in +front of the White King’s statue. “This,” +she said, “is the image of the only man on +earth I can love! But the man himself is +lost, gone I know not where; and my +heart is breaking for grief! Give this +statue a life and a heart, and teach it to +love me, else soon I shall surely be dead!”</p> + +<p>The Fairy said to her, “All the might of +fairyland could not do so much; but a +little of it I can do; and if Fate is kind to +you, Fate may bring the rest of it to pass.”</p> + +<p>“How much can you do?” asked the +Queen.</p> + +<p>“This only,” said the Fairy, “but even<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42"></a>[42]</span> +that you must do for yourself: I can but +show you the way. Stone is stone, and +out of stone I cannot make a heart; but a +heart may grow into it, and this is the way +to compass it.</p> + +<p>“You must find first a man who is +loved, but does not love (for if he loves, +the statue’s heart when it wakes will turn +from you); and him you must kill with +your own hand, and take out his heart and +bury it beneath the feet of the statue. +Then I will work my charms, and gradually, +as a flower draws its life out of the ground, +so the statue will draw life out of the +human heart buried below. And after a +little time you will see it move, and in a +little time more its senses will come, and it +will be able to hear, and see, and speak. +But full life will not come to it until it has +learned to love. Then, so soon as it learns +to love, it will become no longer stone, but +a human being.”</p> + +<p>But the Queen said, “Supposing its love +were to turn from me to another, where +should I be then?”</p> + +<p>“Surely,” said the Fairy, “the secret will +be your own, and the watching of its life +as it grows will be yours. Your voice it<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43"></a>[43]</span> +will hear, your face it will see; whom, +then, will it learn to love more than +you?”</p> + +<p>“Wait, then, till I have found the man,” +said the Queen, “and we will do this thing +between us!”</p> + +<p>She searched long among her court for +some man whose heart was whole, but who +was himself loved. Generally, however, +she found it was all the other way. There +was not a man at the court who was not in +love, or did not think himself so; and if +there were one who had no thought of +love, he was too poor and mean for the +love of any woman to be his.</p> + +<p>But one day the Queen heard a minstrel +in the palace court-yard singing and making +merry against love. It was that same +minstrel who sang only sad songs of the +White King’s lands laid waste and himself +a wanderer: a fellow with a dark sunburnt +face, and thick hair hanging over his eyes. +And as he sang and rattled his jests at the +courtiers who stood by to listen, the Queen +noticed one of her waiting-women looking +out of a small lattice, who, as she watched +the singer’s face, and listened to his words, +had tears running fast down out of her eyes.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44"></a>[44]</span></p> + +<p>“Is this a case,” thought the Queen, “of +a man who is loved but who does not love?”</p> + +<p>She sent for the minstrel, and said to +him, when he stood bending his head before +her, “Is this pretty scorn that you cast on +love earnest or jest?”</p> + +<p>“Nay,” he answered, “I jest in good +earnest; for to speak of love in earnest is +to jest about it.”</p> + +<p>“So,” said the Queen, “you are heart-whole?”</p> + +<p>“Why,” said the minstrel, “I doubt if a +mouse could find its way in; and if I am +heart-whole in your presence, I ought to +be safe from all the world!”</p> + +<p>“Now,” thought the Queen, “if only my +waiting-woman answers the test, here is the +heart I will have out!”</p> + +<p>Then she bade the minstrel follow her +to where stood the White King’s statue, +bidding him sit down under it and sing her +more of his rhymes about love.</p> + +<p>So the minstrel crossed his legs in the +long grass and sang. His song became +bitter to the Queen’s ears, for he took the +words that were round the statue, and +rhymed them and chimed them, and threw +them laughing in the Queen’s face. She<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45"></a>[45]</span> +hated him so that she could have poisoned +him; but she remembered that his life was +necessary for her experiment to reach its +end. So she sent instead for a sleepy wine, +which she gave him to drink, and presently +his voice grew thick and his head dropped +down upon his breast, and his legs slid out +and brought him down level with the grass. +When night came on she left him soundly +sleeping with his head between the feet of +the White King’s statue.</p> + +<p>Then she sent for the waiting-woman +and said, “Go down to the White King’s +statue, and find for me my handkerchief +which I have dropped there.” But as the +girl went, the Queen stole secretly after her, +and watched her come to where the minstrel +lay asleep.</p> + +<p>And when the waiting-maid saw him +lying so, with his face thrown back, she +knelt down in the grass by his side, and +putting her arms softly about him, kissed +him upon the lips over and over again as +though she could never come to an end, +and her tears dropped down on to his face, +and, as if her mind were gone mad for +love of him, the Queen heard her sighing, +“Oh, White King, my White King, my<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46"></a>[46]</span> +Beloved, whom I love, but who loves me +not!”</p> + +<p>As soon as the waiting-maid was gone, the +Queen came softly to the place, and with a +sharp knife she cut out the minstrel’s heart +and buried it at the base of the statue.</p> + +<p>In the morning the minstrel was found +lying dead, with his heart gone; and when +they washed the dead face and put back the +hair that covered the eyes, they found that +it was the White King himself.</p> + +<p>That day, and for many days after, there +were two women weeping in the palace: +one was the Queen and the other was the +waiting-woman. But the body of the White +King they buried close by the statue in the +green glade.</p> + +<p>Now presently, when the first violence of +her grief was over, the Queen came to look +at the place; and, sure enough, the Fairy +had been there with her spells. When the +wind blew the statue swayed gently like a +tree in the wind.</p> + +<p>The Queen caused gates and barriers to +be put up so that no one should enter the +glade but herself; only Love found a way, +and at night, when all the world was asleep, +the waiting-woman crept through a loose<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47"></a>[47]</span> +pale in the barriers, and came to moan over +the place where her lover had been slain.</p> + +<p>All night she would lie with her arms +round the feet of the White King’s statue, +and dream of the dead minstrel whom she +had loved and known through all his disguise. +And all night long her lips would +murmur his name, and whisper over and +over again the sad story of her love.</p> + +<p>And presently, as the statue drew life +from the heart buried beneath its feet, its +ears were opened and it heard.</p> + +<p>In the daytime the Queen would come +and sit before it and whisper to it of love, +offering it all the gifts of riches and power +that are in the hands of kings to give; but +at night came the waiting-woman and offered +it only love.</p> + +<p>Out of the ground the Queen saw grow +a small plant, that began to creep upwards +and to wind itself round the base of the +statue; and when she saw that its flower +was the deadly nightshade, her heart trembled +and her conscience made her afraid.</p> + +<p>But the waiting-maid, when she saw it, +picked the sad blossoms and made a crown +for the statue’s head as of pale amethyst +and gold: for she said to herself, “Down<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48"></a>[48]</span> +below my dear lies dead, and the roots of +this flower are in his hair.”</p> + +<p>One day as the Queen came into the +glade, she heard the dead minstrel’s voice, +and her heart shook with terror as she saw +the statue open its white lips and sing, and +recognised the tune and the words as those +which had made her heart feel so bitter +against him; for she thought, “What if he +knows that it is I who have slain him?”</p> + +<p>Now that she saw that the stone had its +five senses, and could see and speak and +hear, she pleaded to it all day out of the +greatness of her grief and her love. But +the statue never returned her word.</p> + +<p>At night, lying with her face bowed +between the White King’s statue’s feet, the +waiting-woman knew nothing of all this +change; only the statue heard and saw and +knew. And at last one day as her tears +dropped on them, she felt the feet grow +warm between her hands; and a voice over +her head that she remembered and loved, +said, “Little heart, why are you weeping +so?”</p> + +<p>In the morning the Queen came and +found the statue gone. There on the +pedestal was only the print of his feet, half<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49"></a>[49]</span> +covered by the deadly nightshade which +had climbed up to his knees and fallen. +There it lay heavy and half-withered, clasping +the hollows where his feet had been.</p> + +<p>The Queen knelt down and caught the +bare stone pedestal in her arms. “Oh, Love,” +she cried, “have you left me? Oh, White +King, my White King, have you betrayed +me?” And as she clung there weeping, her +lips touched the deadly nightshade; and the +nightshade thrilled, and felt joy give new +life down into its roots.</p> + +<p>It reached up and laid its arms about the +Queen, about her throat, and about her feet +and about her waist. “Dearly, dearly we +love each other,” said the nightshade, “do +we not?”</p> + +<p>At night the courtiers came, and found +only a dead Queen lying, and the statue +gone.</p> + +<p>But the White King had gone home to +his own land to marry the waiting-woman.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50"></a>[50]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51"></a>[51]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_STORY_OF_THE_HERONS">THE STORY OF THE HERONS</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +AUDREY AND VERONICA</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus05" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus05.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52"></a>[52]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53"></a>[53]</span></p> + +<h3>THE STORY OF THE HERONS</h3> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-a.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">A long time ago there lived +a King and a Queen who +loved each other dearly. +They had both fallen in +love at first sight; and as +their love began so it went +on through all their life. Yet this, which +was the cause of all their happiness, was the +cause also of all their misfortunes.</p> + +<p>In his youth, when he was a beautiful +young bachelor, the King had had the ill-luck +to attract the heart of a jealous and +powerful Fairy; and though he never gave +her the least hope or encouragement, when +she heard that his love had been won at +first sight by a mere mortal, her rage and +resentment knew no bounds. She said +nothing, however, but bided her time.</p> + +<p>After they had been married a year the +Queen presented her husband with a little<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54"></a>[54]</span> +daughter; before she was yet a day old she +was the most beautiful object in the world, +and life seemed to promise her nothing but +fortune and happiness.</p> + +<p>The family Fairy came to the blessing of +the new-born; and she, looking at it as it +lay beautifully asleep in its cradle, and +seeing that it had already as much beauty +and health as the heart could desire, promised +it love as the next best gift it was +within her power to offer. The Queen, who +knew how much happiness her own love +had brought her, was kissing the good Fairy +with all the warmth of gratitude, when a +black kite came and perched upon the +window-sill crying: “And I will give her +love at first sight! The first living thing +that she sets eyes on she shall love to distraction, +whether it be man or monster, +prince or pauper, bird, beast or reptile.” +And as the wicked Fairy spoke she clapped +her wings, and up through the boards of +the floor, and out from under the bed, and +in through the window, came a crowd of all +the ugliest shapes in the world. Thick and +fast they came, gathering about the cradle +and lifting their heads over the edge of it, +waiting for the poor little Princess to wake<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55"></a>[55]</span> +up and fall in love at first sight with one +of them.</p> + +<p>Luckily the child was asleep; and the +good Fairy, after driving away the black +kite and the crowd of beasts it had called +to its aid, wrapped the Princess up in a +shawl and carried her away to a dark +room where no glimmer of light could +get in.</p> + +<p>She said to the Queen: “Till I can devise +a better way, you must keep her in the dark; +and when you take her into the open air +you must blindfold her eyes. Some day, +when she is of a fit age, I will bring a +handsome Prince for her; and only to him +shall you unblindfold her at last, and make +love safe for her.”</p> + +<p>She went, leaving the King and Queen +deeply stricken with grief over the harm +which had befallen their daughter. They +did not dare to present even themselves +before her eyes lest love for them, fatal and +consuming, should drive her to distraction. +In utter darkness the Queen would sit and +cherish her daughter, clasping her to her +breast, and calling her by all sweet names; +but the little face, except by stealth when it +was sound asleep, she never dared to see,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56"></a>[56]</span> +nor did the baby-Princess know the face of +the mother who loved her.</p> + +<p>By and by, however, the family Fairy +came again, saying: “Now, I have a plan +by which your child may enjoy the delights +of seeing, and no ill come of it.” And she +caused to be made a large chamber, the +whole of one side of which was a mirror. +High up in the opposite wall were windows +so screened that from below no one could +look out of them, but across on to the +mirror came all the sweet sights of the +world, glimpses of wood and field, and the +sun and the moon and the stars, and of +every bird as it flew by. So the little +Princess was brought and set in a screened +place looking towards the mirror, and there +her eyes learned gradually all the beautiful +things of the world. Over the screen, in +the glass before her, she learned to know +her mother’s face, and to love it dearly in +a gentle child-like fashion; and when she +could talk she became very wise, understanding +all that was told her about the +danger of looking at anything alive, except +by its reflection in the glass.</p> + +<p>When she went out into the open air for +her health, she always wore a bandage over<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57"></a>[57]</span> +her eyes, lest she should look, and love +something too well: but in the chamber of +the mirror her eyes were free to see whatever +they could. The good Fairy, making +herself invisible, came and taught her to +read and make music, and draw; so that +before she was fifteen she was the most +charming and accomplished, as well as the +most beautiful Princess of her day.</p> + +<p>At last the Fairy said that the time was +come for her world of reflections to be +made real, and she went away to fetch the +ideal Prince that the Princess might at first +sight fall in love with him.</p> + +<p>The very day after she was gone, as the +morning was fine, the Princess went out +with one of her maids for a walk through +the woods. Over her patient eyes she +wore a bandage of green silk, through +which she felt the sunlight fall pleasantly.</p> + +<p>Out of doors the Princess knew most +things by their sounds. She passed under +rustling leaves, and along by the side of +running water; and at last she heard the +silence of the water, and knew that she was +standing by the great fish-pond in the +middle of the wood. Then she said to her +waiting-woman, “Is there not some great<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58"></a>[58]</span> +bird fishing out there, for I hear the +dipping of his bill, and the water falling off +it as he draws out the fish?”</p> + +<p>And just as she was saying that, the +wicked Fairy, who had long bided her time, +coming softly up from behind, pushed the +waiting-woman off the bank into the deep +water of the pond. Then she snatched away +the silk bandage, and before the Princess +had time to think or close her eyes, she had +lost her heart to a great heron, that was +standing half-way up to his feathers fishing +among the reeds.</p> + +<p>The Princess, with her eyes set free, +laughed for joy at the sight of him. She +stretched out her arms from the bank and +cried most musically for the bird to come +to her; and he came in grave stately +fashion, with trailing legs, and slow sobbing +creak of his wings, and settled down on the +bank beside her. She drew his slender +neck against her white throat, and laughed +and cried with her arms round him, loving +him so that she forgot all in the world +beside. And the heron looked gravely at +her with kind eyes, and, bird-like, gave her +all the love he could, but not more; and +so, presently, casting his grey wings abroad,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59"></a>[59]</span> +lifted himself and sailed slowly back to his +fishing among the reeds.</p> + +<p>The waiting-woman had got herself out +of the water, and stood wringing her +clothes and her hands beside the Princess. +“O, sweet mistress,” she cried, with lamentation, +“now is all the evil come about +which it was our whole aim to avoid! And +what, and what will the Queen your +mother say?”</p> + +<p>But the Princess answered, smiling, +“Foolish girl, I had no thought of what +happiness meant till now! See you where +my love is gone? and did you notice the +bend of his neck, and the exceeding length +of his legs, and the stretch of his grey +wings as he flew? This pond is his hall of +mirrors, wherein he sees the reflection of +all his world. Surely I, from my hall of +mirrors, am the true mate for him!”</p> + +<p>Her maid, seeing how far the evil had +gone, and that no worse could now happen, +ran back to the palace and curdled all the +court’s blood with her news. The King +and the Queen and all their nobility rushed +down, and there they found the Princess +with the heron once more in her arms, +kissing and fondling it with all the marks<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60"></a>[60]</span> +of a sweet and maidenly passion. “Dear +mother,” she said, as soon as she saw the +Queen, “the happiness, which you feared +would be sorrow, has come; and it is such +happiness I have no name for it! And the +evil that you so dreaded, see how sweet it +is! And how sweet it is to see all the +world with my own eyes and you also at +last!” And for the first time in her life she +kissed her mother’s face in the full light +of day.</p> + +<p>But her mother hung sobbing upon her +neck, “O, my darling, my beautiful,” she +wept, “does your heart belong for ever to +this grey bird?”</p> + +<p>Her daughter answered, “He is more +than all the world to me! Is he not goodly +to look upon? Have you considered the +bend of his neck, the length of his legs, and +the waving of his wings; his skill also when +he fishes: what imagination, what presence +of mind!”</p> + +<p>“Alas, alas,” sorrowed the Queen, “dear +daughter, is this all true to you?”</p> + +<p>“Mother,” cried the Princess, clinging +to her with entreaty, “is all the world blind +but me?”</p> + +<p>The heron had become quite fond of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61"></a>[61]</span> +Princess; wherever she went it followed +her, and, indeed, without it nowhere would +she go. Whenever it was near her, the +Princess laughed and sang, and when it was +out of her sight she became sad as night. +All the courtiers wept to see her in such +bondage. “Ah,” said she, “your eyes have +been worn out with looking at things so +long; mine have been kept for me in a +mirror.”</p> + +<p>When the good family Fairy came (for +she was at once sent for by the Queen, and +told of all that had happened), she said, +“Dear Madam, there are but two things +you can do: either you can wring the +heron’s neck, and leave the Princess to die +of grief; or you can make the Princess +happy in her own way, by——” Her voice +dropped, and she looked from the King to +the Queen before she went on. “At her +birth I gave your daughter love for my +gift; now it is hers, will you let her keep +it?”</p> + +<p>The King and the Queen looked softly +at each other. “Do not take love from +her,” said they, “let her keep it!”</p> + +<p>“There is but one way,” answered the +Fairy.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62"></a>[62]</span></p> + +<p>“Do not tell me the way,” said the Queen +weeping, “only let the way be!”</p> + +<p>So they went with the Fairy down to the +great pond, and there sat the Princess, with +the grey heron against her heart. She +smiled as she saw them come. “I see good +in your hearts toward me!” she cried. +“Dear godmother, give me the thing that +I want, that my love may be happy!”</p> + +<p>Then the Fairy stroked her but once +with her wand, and two grey herons suddenly +rose up from the bank, and sailed +away to a hiding-place in the reeds.</p> + +<p>The Fairy said to the Queen, “You have +made your daughter happy; and still she +will have her voice and her human heart, +and will remember you with love and gratitude; +but her greatest love will be to the +grey heron, and her home among the reeds.”</p> + +<p>So the changed life of the Princess began; +every day her mother went down to the +pool and called, and the Princess came +rising up out of the reeds, and folded her +grey wings over her mother’s heart. Every +day her mother said, “Daughter of mine, +are you happy?”</p> + +<p>And the Princess answered her, “Yes, +for I love and am loved.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63"></a>[63]</span></p> + +<p>Yet each time the mother heard more +and more of a note of sadness come into +her daughter’s voice; and at last one day +she said, “Answer me truly, as the mother +who brought you into the world, whether +you be happy in your heart of hearts or no?”</p> + +<p>Then the heron-Princess laid her head +on the Queen’s heart, and said, “Mother, +my heart is breaking with love!”</p> + +<p>“For whom, then?” asked the Queen +astonished.</p> + +<p>“For my grey heron, whom I love, and +who loves me so much. And yet it is love +that divides us, for I am still troubled with +a human heart, and often it aches with +sorrow because all the love in it can never +be fully understood or shared by my heron; +and I have my human voice left, and that +gives me a hundred things to say all day, +for which there is no word in herons’ +language, and so he cannot understand them. +Therefore these things only make a gulf +between him and me. For all the other +grey herons in the pools there is happiness, +but not for me who have too big a heart +between my wings.”</p> + +<p>Her mother said softly, “Wait, wait, +little heron-daughter, and it shall be well<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64"></a>[64]</span> +with you!” Then she went to the Fairy +and said, “My daughter’s heart is lonely +among the reeds, for the grey heron’s love +covers but half of it. Give her some companions +of her own kind that her hours +may become merry again!”</p> + +<p>So the Fairy took and turned five of the +Princess’s lady’s-maids into herons, and sent +them down to the pool.</p> + +<p>The five herons stood each on one leg in +the shallows of the pool, and cried all day +long; and their tears fell down into the +water and frightened away the fish that +came their way. For they had human +hearts that cried out to be let go. “O, +cruel, cruel,” they wept, whenever the +heron-Princess approached, “see what we +suffer because of you, and what they have +made of us for your sake!”</p> + +<p>The Princess came to her mother and +said, “Dear mother, take them away, for +their cry wearies me, and the pool is bitter +with their tears! They only awake the +human part of my heart that wants to +sleep; presently, may be, if it is let alone, +it will forget itself.”</p> + +<p>Her mother said, “It is my coming +every day also that keeps it awake.” The<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65"></a>[65]</span> +Princess answered, “This sorrow belongs to +my birthright; you must still come; but for +the others, let the Fairy take them away.”</p> + +<p>So the Fairy came and released the five +lady’s-maids whom she had changed into +herons. And they came up out of the +water, stripping themselves of their grey +feather-skins and throwing them back into +the pool. The Fairy said, “You foolish +maids, you have thrown away a gift that +you should have valued; these skins you +could have kept and held as heirlooms in +your family.”</p> + +<p>The five maids answered, “We want to +forget that there are such things as herons +in the world!”</p> + +<p>After much thought the Queen said to +the Fairy, “You have changed a Princess +into a heron, and five maids into herons and +back again; cannot you change one heron +into a Prince?” But the Fairy answered +sadly, “Our power has limits; we can +bring down, but we cannot bring up, if +there be no heart to answer our call. The +five maids only followed their hearts, that +were human, when I called them back; but +a heron has only a heron’s heart, and unless +his heart become too great for a bird and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66"></a>[66]</span> +he earn a human one, I cannot change him +to a higher form.” “How can he earn a +human one?” asked the Queen. “Only +if he love the Princess so well that his love +for her becomes stronger than his life,” answered +the Fairy. “Then he will have +earned a human body, and then I can give +him the form that his heart suits best. +There may be a chance, if we wait for it and +are patient, for the Princess’s love is great +and may work miracles.”</p> + +<p>A little while after this, the Queen +watching, saw that the two herons were +making a nest among the reeds. “What +have you there?” said the mother to +her daughter. “A little hollow place,” +answered the heron-Princess, “and in it the +moon lies.” A little while after she said +again, “What have you there, now, little +daughter?” And her daughter answered, +“Only a small hollow space; but in it two +moons lie.”</p> + +<p>The Queen told the family Fairy how +in a hollow of the reeds lay two moons. +“Now,” said the Fairy, “we will wait no +longer. If your daughter’s love has touched +the heron’s heart and made it grow larger +than a bird’s, I can help them both to happiness;<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67"></a>[67]</span> +but if not, then birds they must +still remain.”</p> + +<p>Among the reeds the heron said in bird +language to his wife, “Go and stretch your +wings for a little while over the water; it is +weary work to wait here so long in the +reeds.” The heron-Princess looked at him +with her bird’s eyes, and all the human love +in her heart strove, like a fountain that +could not get free, to make itself known +through them; also her tongue was full of +the longing to utter sweet words, but she +kept them back, knowing they were beyond +the heron’s power to understand. So she +answered merely in heron’s language, “Come +with me, and I will come!”</p> + +<p>They rose, wing beating beside wing; +and the reflection of their grey breasts slid +out under them over the mirror of the pool.</p> + +<p>Higher they went and higher, passing +over the tree tops, and keeping time together +as they flew. All at once the wings +of the grey heron flagged, then took a deep +beat; he cried to the heron-Princess, “Turn, +and come home, yonder there is danger +flying to meet us!” Before them hung a +brown blot in the air, that winged and grew +large. The two herons turned and flew<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68"></a>[68]</span> +back. “Rise,” cried the grey heron, “we +must rise!” and the Princess knew what +was behind, and struggled with the whole +strength of her wings for escape.</p> + +<p>The grey heron was bearing ahead on +stronger wing. “With me, with me!” +he cried. “If it gets above us, one of us is +dead!” But the falcon had fixed his eye on +the Princess for his quarry, and flew she +fast, or flew she slow, there was little +chance for her now. Up and up she +strained, but still she was behind her mate, +and still the falcon gained.</p> + +<p>The heron swung back to her side; she +saw the anguish and fear of his downward +glance as his head ranged by hers. Past +her the falcon went, towering for the final +swoop.</p> + +<p>The Princess cried in heron’s language, +“Farewell, dear mate, and farewell, two +little moons among the reeds!” But the +grey heron only kept closer to her side.</p> + +<p>Overhead the falcon closed in its wings +and fell like a dead weight out of the clouds. +“Drop!” cried the grey heron to his mate.</p> + +<p>At his word she dropped; but he stayed, +stretching up his wings, and, passing between +the descending falcon and its prey, caught<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69"></a>[69]</span> +in his own body the death-blow from its +beak. Drops of his blood fell upon the +heron-Princess.</p> + +<p>He stricken in body, she in soul, together +they fell down to the margin of the pool. +The falcon still clung fleshing its beak in +the neck of its prey. The heron-Princess +threw back her head, and, darting furiously, +struck her own sharp bill deep into the +falcon’s breast. The bird threw out its +wings with a hoarse cry and fell back dead, +with a little tuft of the grey heron’s feathers +still upon its beak.</p> + +<p>The heron-Princess crouched down, and +covered with her wings the dying form of +her mate; in her sorrow she spoke to him +in her own tongue, forgetting her bird’s +language. The grey heron lifted his head, +and, gazing tenderly, answered her with a +human voice:</p> + +<p>“Dear wife,” he said, “at last I have the +happiness so long denied to me of giving +utterance in the speech that is your own to +the love that you have put into my heart. +Often I have heard you speak and have not +understood; now something has touched +my heart, and changed it, so that I can both +speak and understand.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70"></a>[70]</span></p> + +<p>“O, beloved!” She laid her head down +by his. “The ends of the world belong to +us now. Lie down, and die gently by my +side, and I will die with you, breaking my +heart with happiness.”</p> + +<p>“No,” said the grey heron, “do not +die yet! Remember the two little moons +that lie in the hollow among the reeds.” +Then he laid his head down by hers, being +too weak to say more.</p> + +<p>They folded their wings over each other, +and closed their eyes; nor did they know +that the Fairy was standing by them, till +she stroked them both softly with her wand, +saying to each of them the same words:</p> + +<p>“Human heart, and human form, come +out of the grey heron!”</p> + +<p>And out of the grey heron-skins came +two human forms; the one was the Princess +restored again to her own shape, but the +other was a beautiful youth, with a bird-like +look about the eyes, and long slender +limbs. The Princess, as she gazed on him, +found hardly any change, for love remained +the same, binding him close to her heart; +and, grey heron or beautiful youth, he was +all one to her now.</p> + +<p>Then came the Queen, weeping for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71"></a>[71]</span> +joy, and embracing them both, and after +them, the Fairy. “O, how good an ending,” +she cried, “has come to that terrible dream! +Let it never be remembered or mentioned +between us more!” And she began to lead +the way back to the palace.</p> + +<p>But the youth, to whom the Fairy gave +the name of Prince Heron, turned and took +up the two heron-skins which he and his +wife had let fall, and followed, carrying +them upon his arm. And as they came +past the bed of reeds, the Princess went +aside, and, stooping down in a certain place +drew out from thence something which she +came carrying, softly wrapped in the folds +of her gown.</p> + +<p>With what rejoicing the Princess and +her husband were welcomed by the King +and all the Court needs not to be told. +For a whole month the festivities continued; +and whenever she showed herself, +there was the Princess sitting with two +eggs in her lap, and her hands over +them to keep them warm. The King was +impatient. “Why cannot you send them +down to the poultry yard to be hatched?” +he said.</p> + +<p>But the Princess replied smiling, “My<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72"></a>[72]</span> +moons are my own, and I will keep them +to myself.”</p> + +<p>“Do you hear?” she said one day, at +last; and everybody who listened could +hear something going “tap, tap,” inside the +shells. Presently the eggs cracked, and out +of each, at the same moment, came a little +grey heron.</p> + +<p>When she saw that they were herons, +the Queen wrung her hands. “O, Fairy,” +she cried, “what a disappointment is this! +I had hoped two beautiful babies would +have come out of those shells.”</p> + +<p>But the Fairy said, “It is no matter. +Half of their hearts are human already; +birds’ hearts do not beat so. If you wish +it, I can change them.” So she stroked +them softly with her wand, saying to each, +“Human heart, and human form, come out +of the grey heron!”</p> + +<p>Yet she had to stroke them three times +before they would turn; and she said to +the Princess, “My dear, you were too +satisfied with your lot when you laid these +eggs. I doubt if more than a quarter of +them is human.”</p> + +<p>“I was very satisfied,” said the Princess, +and she laughed across to her husband.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73"></a>[73]</span></p> + +<p>At last, however, on the third stroke of +the wand, the heron’s skins dropped off, +and they changed into a pair of very small +babies, a boy and a girl. But the difference +between them and other children was, +that instead of hair, their heads were +covered with a fluff of downy grey feathers; +also they had queer, round, bird-like eyes, +and were able to sleep standing.</p> + +<p>Now, after this the happiness of the +Princess was great; but the Fairy said to +her, “Do not let your husband see the +heron-skins again for some while, lest with +the memory a longing for his old life +should return to him and take him away +from you. Only by exchange with another +can he ever get back his human form again, +if he surrenders it of his own free will. +And who is there so poor that he would +willingly give up his human form to +become a bird?”</p> + +<p>So the Princess took the four coats of +feather—her own and her husband’s and +her two children’s—and hid them away in +a closet of which she alone kept the key. +It was a little gold key, and to make it +safe she hung it about her neck, and wore +it night and day.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74"></a>[74]</span></p> + +<p>The Prince said to her, “What is that +little key that you wear always hung round +your neck?”</p> + +<p>She answered him, “It is the key to +your happiness and mine. Do not ask +more than that!” At that there was a +look in his face that made her say, “You +<i>are</i> happy, are you not?”</p> + +<p>He kissed her, saying, “Happy indeed! +Have I not you to make me so?” Yet +though, indeed, he told no untruth, and +was happy whenever she was with him, +there were times when a restlessness and a +longing for wings took hold of him; for, +as yet, the life of a man was new and half +strange to him, and a taint of his old life +still mixed itself with his blood. But to +her he was ashamed to say what might seem +a complaint against his great fortune; so +when she said “happiness,” he thought, “Is +it just the turning of that key that I want +before my happiness can be perfect?”</p> + +<p>Therefore, one night when the early +season of spring made his longing strong +in him, he took the key from the Princess +while she slept, and opened the little closet +in which hung the four feather coats. And +when he saw his own, all at once he remembered<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75"></a>[75]</span> +the great pools of water, and +how they lay in the shine and shadow of +the moonlight, while the fish rose in rings +upon their surface. And at that so great a +longing came into him to revisit his old +haunts that he reached out his hand and +took down the heron-skin from its nail and +put it over himself; so that immediately his +old life took hold of him, and he flew out +of the window in the form of a grey heron.</p> + +<p>In the morning the Princess found the +key gone from her neck, and her husband’s +place empty. She went in haste to the +closet, and there stood the door wide with +the key in it, and only three heron-skins +hanging where four had used to be.</p> + +<p>Then she came crying to the family +Fairy, “My husband has taken his heron-skin +and is gone! Tell me what I can do!”</p> + +<p>The Fairy pitied her with all her heart, +but could do nothing. “Only by exchange,” +said she, “can he get back his +human shape; and who is there so poor +that he would willingly lose his own form +to become a bird? Only your children, +who are but half human, can put their +heron-skins on and off as they like and +when they like.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76"></a>[76]</span></p> + +<p>In deep grief the Princess went to look +for her husband down by the pools in the +wood. But now his shame and sorrow at +having deceived her were so great that as +soon as he heard her voice he hid himself +among the reeds, for he knew now that, +having put on his heron-skin again, he +could not take it off unless some one gave +him a human form in exchange.</p> + +<p>At last, however, so pitiful was the cry +of the Princess for him, that he could bear +to hear it no more; but rising up from +the reeds came trailing to her sadly over +the water. “Ah, dear love!” she said +when he was come to her, “if I had not distrusted +you, you would not have deceived +me: thus, for my fault we are punished.” +So she sorrowed, and he answered her:</p> + +<p>“Nay, dear love, for if I had not deceived +you, you would not have distrusted me. I +thought I was not happy, yet I feared to +tell it you.” Thus they sorrowed together, +both laying on themselves the blame and +the burden.</p> + +<p>Then she said to him: “Be here for me +to-night, for now I must go; but then I +shall return.”</p> + +<p>She went back to the palace, and told<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77"></a>[77]</span> +her mother of all that had happened. +“And now,” she said, “you who know +where my happiness lies will not forbid me +from following it; for my heart is again +with the grey heron.” And the Queen +wept, but would not say her no.</p> + +<p>So that night the Princess went and +kissed her children as they slept standing +up in their beds, with their funny feather-pates +to one side; and then she took down +her skin of feathers and put it on, and +became changed once more into a grey +heron. And again she went up to the two +in their cots, and kissed their birdish heads +saying: “They who can change at will, being +but half human, they will come and visit +us in the great pool by the wood, and bring +back word of us here.”</p> + +<p>In the morning the Princess was gone, +and the two children when they woke +looked at each other and said: “Did we +dream last night?”</p> + +<p>They both answered each other “Yes, +first we dreamed that our mother came and +kissed us; and we liked that. And then +we dreamed that a grey heron came and +kissed us, and we liked that better still!” +They waved their arms up and down.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78"></a>[78]</span> +“Why have we not wings?” they kept +asking. All day long they did this, playing +that they were birds. If a window +were opened, it was with the greatest difficulty +that they were kept from trying to +fly through.</p> + +<p>In the Court they were known as the +“Feather-pates”; nothing could they be +taught at all. When they were rebuked +they would stand on one leg and sigh with +their heads on one side; but no one ever +saw tears come out of their birdish eyes.</p> + +<p>Now at night they would dream that +two grey herons came and stood by their +bedsides, kissing them; “And where in the +world,” they said when they woke, “<i>are</i> +our wings?”</p> + +<p>One day, wandering about in the palace, +they came upon the closet in which hung +the two little feather coats. “O!!!” +they cried, and opened hard bright eyes at +each other, nodding, for now they knew +what they would do. “If we told, they +would be taken off us,” they said; and +they waited till it was night. Then they +crept back and took the two little coats +from their pegs, and, putting them on, were +turned into two young herons.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79"></a>[79]</span></p> + +<p>Through the window they flew, away +down to the great fish-pond in the wood. +Their father and mother saw them coming, +and clapped their wings for joy. “See,” +they said, “our children come to visit us, +and our hearts are left to us to love with. +What further happiness can we want?” +But when they were not looking at each +other they sighed.</p> + +<p>All night long the two young herons +stayed with their parents; they bathed, and +fished, and flew, till they were weary. Then +the Princess showed them the nest among +the reeds, and told them all the story of +their lives.</p> + +<p>“But it is much nicer to be herons than +to be real people,” said the young ones, +sadly, and became very sorrowful when +dawn drew on, and their mother told them +to go back to the palace and hang up the +feather coats again, and be as they had been +the day before.</p> + +<p>Long, long the day now seemed to them; +they hardly waited till it was night before +they took down their feather-skins, and, +putting them on, flew out and away to the +fish-pond in the wood.</p> + +<p>So every night they went, when all in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80"></a>[80]</span> +palace were asleep; and in the morning +came back before anyone was astir, and +were found by their nurses lying demurely +between the sheets, just as they had been +left the night before.</p> + +<p>One day the Queen when she went to see +her daughter said to her, “My child, your +two children are growing less like human +beings and more like birds every day. +Nothing will they learn or do, but stand +all day flapping their arms up and down, +and saying, ‘Where are our wings, where +are our wings?’ The idea of one of them +ever coming to the throne makes your +father’s hair stand on end under his +crown.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, mother,” said the heron-Princess, +“I have made a sad bed for you and my +father to lie on!”</p> + +<p>One day the two children said to each +other, “Our father and mother are sad, +because they want to be real persons again, +instead of having wings and catching fish +the way we like to do. Let us give up +being real persons, which is all so much +trouble, and such a want of exercise, and +make them exchange with us!” But when +the two young herons went down to the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81"></a>[81]</span> +pond and proposed it to them, their parents +said, “You are young; you do not know +what you would be giving up.” Nor would +they consent to it at all.</p> + +<p>Now one morning it happened that the +Feather-pates were so late in returning to +the palace that the Queen, coming into +their chamber, found the two beds empty; +and just as she had turned away to search +for them elsewhere, she heard a noise of +wings and saw the two young herons come +flying in through the window. Then she +saw them take off their feather-skins and +hang them up in the closet, and after that +go and lie down in their beds so as to look +as if they had been there all night.</p> + +<p>The Queen struck her hands together +with horror at the sight, but she crept away +softly, so that they did not know they had +been found out. But as soon as they were +out of their beds and at play in another +part of the palace, the Queen went to the +closet, and setting fire to the two heron-skins +where they hung, burnt them till not +a feather of them was left, and only a heap +of grey ashes remained to tell what had +become of them.</p> + +<p>At night, when the Feather-pates went to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82"></a>[82]</span> +their cupboards and found their skins gone, +and saw what had become of them, their +grief knew no bounds. They trembled +with fear and rage, and tears rained out of +their eyes as they beheld themselves deprived +of their bird bodies and made into +real persons for good and all.</p> + +<p>“We won’t be real persons!” they +cried. But for all their crying they knew no +way out of it. They made themselves +quite ill with grief; and that night, for the +first time since they had found their way to +the closet, they stayed where their nurses +had put them, and did not even stand up in +their beds to go to sleep. There they lay +with gasping mouth, and big bird-like eyes +all languid with grief, and hollow grey +cheeks.</p> + +<p>Presently their father and mother came +seeking for them, wondering why they had +not come down to the fish-pond as they +were wont. “Where are you, my children?” +cried the heron-Princess, putting her +head in through the window.</p> + +<p>“Here we are, both at death’s door!” +they cried. “Come and see us die! Our +wicked granddam has burnt our feather-skins +and made us into real persons for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83"></a>[83]</span> +ever and ever, Amen. But we will die +rather!”</p> + +<p>The parent herons, when they heard +that, flew in through the window and bent +down over the little ones’ beds.</p> + +<p>The two children reached up their arms. +“Give us your feathers!” they cried. +“We shall die if you don’t! We <i>will</i> +die if you don’t! O, do!” But still the +parent birds hesitated, nor knew what to +do.</p> + +<p>“Bend down, and let me whisper something!” +said the boy to his father: and +“Bend down, and whisper!” cried the girl +to her mother. And father and mother +bent down over the faces of their sick children. +Then these, both together, caught +hold of them, and crying, “Human heart, +and human form, exchange with the grey +heron!” pulled off their parents’ feather-skins, +and put them upon themselves.</p> + +<p>And there once more stood Prince Heron +and the Princess in human shape, while the +two children had turned into herons in their +place.</p> + +<p>The young herons laughed and shouted +and clapped their wings for joy. “Are you +not happy now?” cried they. And when<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84"></a>[84]</span> +their parents saw the joy, not only in their +children’s eyes, but in each other’s, and felt +their hearts growing glad in the bodies they +had regained, then they owned that the +Feather-pates had been wise in their generation, +and done well according to their +lights.</p> + +<p>So it came about that the Prince and the +Princess lived happily ever after, and the +two young herons lived happily also, and +were the best-hearted birds the world ever +saw.</p> + +<p>In course of time the Prince and Princess +had other children, who pleased the old +King better than the first had done. But +the parents loved none better than the two +who lived as herons by the great fish-pond +in the wood; nor could there be greater love +than was found between these and their +younger brothers and sisters, whose nature +it was to be real persons.</p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85"></a>[85]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="SYRINGA">SYRINGA</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +DORA</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus06" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus06.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86"></a>[86]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87"></a>[87]</span></p> + +<h3>SYRINGA</h3> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-a.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">A great many years ago +there lived a King who +spent his days in travelling +about to find the woman +he could love and take to +be his wife. Though the +richest and most beautiful princesses offered +him their hands in marriage, for none of +them could he entertain the smallest affection. +“It seems that I have had a dream,” +he said. “Somewhere my Love is, but I +have not found her yet!”</p> + +<p>In those days the country over which he +was lord had two Kings, one reigned and +the other ruled; and as long as this was +so, since his brother-King who ruled was +married, his councillors allowed him who +merely reigned to wander about at will in +pursuit of his strange fancy.</p> + +<p>When, however, the King who ruled died<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88"></a>[88]</span> +without leaving an heir, then those same +councillors said, “This will not do; the +State can wait no longer. Princes are +born, and Kings die; love or no love, for +your people’s sake you must marry!”</p> + +<p>“Then why does he not marry me?” +said the Queen-widow of the King that +ruled.</p> + +<p>The King that reigned said, “Rather +than marry her I would marry my scullery-maid!” +He became so terrified at the +thought of her proposal that he took horse +secretly by night, and rode away into the +most secluded and uninhabited parts of his +dominion.</p> + +<p>Now here, as he rode along over many +miles of barren moor and hill, one day, +crossing a high ridge, he met the wind +coming softly up out of the valley below +him, and its breath upon his face was full +of the perfume of some sweet flower. At +that his heart, which had been so long +listless and sad, seemed to awake within +him. “Flower of my dream!” he cried; +and soon saw below him, nestling in a +corner of the valley, a small garden half +hidden in the embrace of tall girdling +trees.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89"></a>[89]</span></p> + +<p>Down he went joyfully, following the +fragrant call till he came to the entrance of +the place; and there, dismounting from his +horse, he entered its green ways. A natural +lawn mounted and hollowed before him in +glossy sweeps, flowering shrubs dotted its +heights, for the summer of the year was +begun; but the scent which had taken hold +of his heart came from a great bush of +white bloom in the centre of all.</p> + +<p>Under the bush lay a young and beautiful +girl, and the blossoms were sprinkling +down, one by one, like dropped kisses +upon her dear face. So soon as the King +saw her he knew that his search was at an +end, and that his dream of years had come +true.</p> + +<p>Their glad eyes met softly through the +flowers; and he said, “You had but to +breathe for me, and I came!” For all her +face and breath smelt to him of the +blossoms she lay under.</p> + +<p>She answered, “Three years I have lain +with my ear upon the ground, and heard +you going and coming, searching the world +through; and now at last you are come!” +She rose up to the King’s embrace, and +they were to each other like old lovers long<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90"></a>[90]</span> +parted and at last met, so long had they +known of love in their dreams.</p> + +<p>Twilight was beginning as they turned +and went out of the garden. The King +said, “What is your name all these years?”</p> + +<p>And she answered him with a voice like +a bird singing, “Syringa my name was, +Syringa my name is, and will be while life +lasts.”</p> + +<p>When they left the valley and went +mounting the side of the hill, a sweet wind +rose and rose, and came following them. +All the way, as they rode, white blossoms +came showering behind them, falling upon +their faces and their hair, and whitening +the track at their feet. Up to the city +gates, where all the King’s court and his +councillors stood watching and waiting for +his return, the blossoms kept following +them, like little scented moths fluttering +round them in the darkness.</p> + +<p>When the gates were opened, the whole +city became full of the scent of the bride’s +name.</p> + +<p>So the marriage of the King who reigned +was celebrated with all the joy and noise +imaginable; for all the people laughed and +shouted and clapped their hands when their<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91"></a>[91]</span> +eyes saw the beauty of the new Queen. But +the dowager Queen, the widow of the King +who ruled, put on yellow weeds, and shut +herself up in a corner of the palace, eating +unleavened bread and bitter herb sandwiches +till all the rejoicings were over.</p> + +<p>In a little while, however, she appeared +to forget her grief, and, concealing her +jealousy, made friends with the King who +reigned, and with his Queen; and the King +was glad in his great happiness to think +that no heart in all the kingdom remained +under a cloud.</p> + +<p>For nearly a year the happiness of the +King and Queen lasted and grew perfect. +Every day that they lived together they +loved each other more and more. But the +Queen-widow waited and watched till an +opportunity for her evil working should +come in.</p> + +<p>Presently people who looked at Syringa’s +beauty began to say, “Is not such beauty +more than human? Where does it come +from, and what keeps it alive?” And +though many in course of time learned to +talk like this, no one ever seemed to know +from whom such talk first came. Later, +folk began to whisper instead of to talk.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92"></a>[92]</span> +“We have heard,” they said, “one way by +which such beauty can be kept alive, yet +only one.” Then others were heard saying, +“Have you heard that this man’s wife lost +her child before it was a week old, and +knows not where it can be gone; and that +that man’s wife lost hers in the same way a +week before? And who will lose hers this +week that’s coming, if we don’t know yet, +we soon shall know!” And shortly, sure +enough, all through the city there were +mothers mourning for the loss of their +children, who had gone, none knew where, +before they were even a week old; and +more and more the crowd was taught to +say, “Look how beautiful the Queen +grows!” whenever she walked or rode.</p> + +<p>The Queen-widow listened to all this, +and laughed. In her own chamber she had +a cage filled with little blue birds, who +cried lamentably all day long.</p> + +<p>Now, just when all the city-talk and the +dark looks of the people had grown to a +head, Queen Syringa gave birth to a little +son; and the King’s joy was beyond all +bounds. “Now,” thought the Queen-widow, +“now or never! Now I will ruin +her or die!”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93"></a>[93]</span></p> + +<p>She watched her opportunity, till one day +she found Syringa lying alone upon her +couch with the child asleep between her +arms.</p> + +<p>The wicked Queen saw that Syringa also +was asleep. She stooped down over the +child, whispering a spell, and as she clapped +her hands it started from between its +mother’s arms and flew away in the form of +a little blue bird.</p> + +<p>The Queen-widow did her best to catch +the bird, but could not; then she took +blood, and, smearing the Queen’s hands +and face with it, left her lying there asleep.</p> + +<p>So Syringa was found; and the noise of +it went through the city how she had killed +her own child in order to keep alive her +wondrous beauty. The King tried with +heart and soul not to believe so wicked +a story against the wife he loved, but the +evidence was too strong. When asked, the +Queen could explain nothing. “When I +went to sleep,” she said, “my child was in +my arms, and when I awoke it was gone!”</p> + +<p>Outside the palace all the people were +crying for her to be put to death. “Give +back to their mothers the babies that you +have eaten!” they cried.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94"></a>[94]</span></p> + +<p>The King sent for his foster-brother, +and told him to take the Queen away to +some lonely and desolate place, and there to +make an end of her. “She is too beautiful,” +he said, “and I loved her too much. +Let her be very far away from me when +she dies!”</p> + +<p>So that night the King’s foster-brother +took the Queen, and set out in the direction +of the waste places and the hills. All +the day following they journeyed, till toward +evening they came to the head of a +valley, where a wind came to them carrying +the rich scent of flowers. The Queen lifted +her head and took in a deep breath; then +she said, “If I have to die, let me die under +the scent of those flowers!”</p> + +<p>They went on till they came to a little +garden lying in a curl of the valley. There +in the centre of a lawn stood the great +bush white with bloom, and a sweet fragrance +blew out of it, filling all that +space.</p> + +<p>“If I must die,” said the Queen again, +“let me lie down and drink in the scent of +those flowers; afterwards I shall not complain.” +So the King’s foster-brother gave +her leave to go and lie down under the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95"></a>[95]</span> +tree, and sat down close at hand to keep +watch, so that she should not escape.</p> + +<p>A small blue bird came and perched upon +the bush over her head.</p> + +<p>“Syringa, Syringa!” cried the bird, and +two white blossoms fell off like kisses upon +the Queen’s face. She lifted her hands and +threw kisses up to the flowers, and more +and more they came down and settled upon +her face.</p> + +<p>“Syringa, Syringa!” sang the bird; and, +hearing it, the King’s foster-brother’s heart +became ready to break for grief.</p> + +<p>The twilight deepened in the air around. +All through the hours the bird sang on, +and the flowers dropped down like pale +tired moths in the dusk of the summer’s +night, till where the Queen lay became +white with a mass of blossoms that never +stirred.</p> + +<p>The heart of the King’s foster-brother +grew heavier; “What if, after all, she be +not wicked but good! To-morrow at sunrise +I must kill her.”</p> + +<p>“Syringa, Syringa!” cried the bird.</p> + +<p>Towards dawn he saw the tree all blossomless, +only a great heap of petals, like +a snow-covered grave, showed where the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96"></a>[96]</span> +Queen lay; and the song of the bird had +stopped.</p> + +<p>“If she sleeps now,” thought the King’s +foster-brother, “it will be merciful.” He +drew out his sharp hunting-knife, and went +softly up to the spot to carry out the +King’s command.</p> + +<p>So covered was she with blossoms, he +could not tell which way lay her head; the +heaviness of their dying scent almost made +him swoon. Softly with his hand he +brushed the petals apart to find a place +where he might strike.</p> + +<p>How deeply they lay! They seemed to +be without end here in the centre of all. +Presently his hand came upon green grass +bent with the weight of blossoms, and dank +with dew. He shut his eyes and started +away, for the colour and the touch made a +strange sorrow in his heart, and he knew +that the Queen was not there.</p> + +<p>He went away to the furthest part of +the garden, and returned, and again searched, +and still she was not there; only blossoms +in a pile, and under them green grass.</p> + +<p>“Syringa, Syringa!” sang the bird; and +now there was a sort of triumph in its +note.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97"></a>[97]</span></p> + +<p>The King’s foster-brother turned and +went back to the city. All the way the +blossoms drifted and blew after him along +the track; till at evening he stood at the +palace door in a wind of syringa scent, and +dead flowers blew over his feet as he crossed +the threshold.</p> + +<p>Then he told the King all that he had +seen and heard, and the King knew surely +that his Queen, who had died so gentle and +beloved a death, had been innocent of the +crime laid to her charge. So great was his +grief he could not rest; that very night he +rose and journeyed till he came by day to +the little garden; there he found the tree +blossomless, and in the top of it he heard +the blue bird crying, “Syringa, Syringa,” +sadly and without ceasing.</p> + +<p>But to the King there came no sign or +sound of his love. He laid his head upon +the ground at the foot of the tree, sighing, +“My love, you lay three years with your +ear to the ground listening for my feet; +now I will lie and listen for yours!”</p> + +<p>All the grass became wet with the tears +of sorrow that the King shed; the tree +waved and grew more green. In three +days new blossoms looked out among the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98"></a>[98]</span> +leaves; at night they fell upon his face, +and he dreamed that Syringa’s lips were +laid to his ear, and the tale of her betrayal +whispered to him.</p> + +<p>Then, knowing all, but determined for a +time to let the truth lie buried in his heart, he +caused the tree to be lifted from the ground +and carried back and set secretly in the palace +garden. And of all this, and of what he +knew, he said nothing to the Queen-widow.</p> + +<p>To the little blue bird that had followed +the tree, and perched in its boughs, he +said, “Be silent, little blue bird, and do +not sing that name here.” At his word +the little blue bird became silent as death, +and sat motionless in the heart of the tree, +never once breathing Syringa’s name.</p> + +<p>At night the Prince would come and +press his lips to the leaves of the tree and +whisper, “Ah, love, how long is my heart +to stay broken? And when will forgiveness +blossom?”</p> + +<p>But to the Queen-widow it appeared that +the Prince was recovering from his grief; +and when a year had gone round she began +wooing him by stealth, seeming to pity him +for the sorrow that the wickedness of his +dead Queen had caused him.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99"></a>[99]</span></p> + +<p>Little by little he seemed to listen and +open his heart to her; once he said, “All +my grief would go if one whom I love could +know that my heart, which once turned from +her, has become wholly hers again.”</p> + +<p>When the Queen-widow heard that said, +she thought, “Surely now, in a short time, +all my schemes are to be brought to a good +end.”</p> + +<p>One day as they walked and talked together +in the gardens of the palace, they +came upon a tree white and covered with +blossom. “How I love that flower!” said +the King; but the Queen-widow as soon +as she smelt the scent of it turned pale and +trembled. Up among the branches sat a +little blue bird silently.</p> + +<p>“Come here, and sit under this tree,” +said the King, “and let me speak freely, for +I am in sore want of a wife!” He drew +her close under the leaves of the tree. +“Here,” he thought, “I will make her +speak; she shall confess all!” Over them +a bough leaned down.</p> + +<p>One of its blossoms touched the Queen-widow +on the throat. “It has bitten me!” +she shrieked. The branch sprang away, the +whole tree opened and waved. Out of it<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100"></a>[100]</span> +the blossoms flew like a white swarm of +angry bees.</p> + +<p>“Syringa, Syringa!” cried the bird.</p> + +<p>The Queen-widow caught herself by the +throat and moaned, and lay down upon the +grass to die.</p> + +<p>As soon as her breath was gone, all the +blossoms rose up again like a white column +of cloud; down into their midst flew the blue +bird.</p> + +<p>Then, this way and that, the blossoms +cast themselves loose into the wind, and out +of their midst came Syringa herself, carrying +her child in her arms. At her feet the +Queen-widow lay quite dead, with her hand +upon her throat. The little blue birds in +the palace had broken out of their cage and +were calling for their mothers with childish +voices and laughter.</p> + +<p>But the King knelt down before Syringa’s +feet, pale and trembling, seeking pardon for +having ever believed in her guilt. Swiftly +Queen Syringa bent down, and in token +of forgiveness held her child’s lips to his. +Over them both her face and breath were +fragrant as a garden full of sunshine.</p> + +<p>When the King had kissed the child’s +lips, she gave him her own.</p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101"></a>[101]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_TRAVELLERS_SHOES">THE TRAVELLER’S SHOES</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +MARY AND EMILY</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus07" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus07.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102"></a>[102]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103"></a>[103]</span></p> + +<h3>THE TRAVELLER’S SHOES</h3> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-a.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">A long while ago there +lived a young cobbler named +Lubin, who, when his father +died, was left with only the +shop and the shoe-leather +out of which to make his +fortune. From morning to night he toiled, +making and mending the shoes of the poor +village folk; but his earnings were small, +and he seemed never able to get more than +three days ahead of poverty.</p> + +<p>One day, as he sat working at his window-bench, +the door opened, and in came a +traveller. He had on a pair of long red +shoes with pointed ends; but of one the +seams had split, so that all his toes were +coming out of it.</p> + +<p>The stranger, putting up one foot after +the other, took off both shoes, and giving +that one which wanted cobbling to Lubin,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104"></a>[104]</span> +he said: “To-night I shall be sleeping here +at the inn; have this ready in good time +to-morrow, for I am in haste to go on!” +And having said this he put the other shoe +into his pocket, and went out of the door +barefoot.</p> + +<p>“What a funny fellow,” thought Lubin, +“not to make the most of one shoe when +he has it!” But without stopping to +puzzle himself he took up the to-be-mended +shoe and set to work. When it was finished +he threw it down on the floor behind him, +and went on working at his other jobs. +He meant to work late, for he had not +enough money yet to get himself his Sunday’s +dinner; so when darkness shut in he +lighted a rushlight and cobbled away, thinking +to himself all the while of the roast +meat that was to be his reward.</p> + +<p>It came close on midnight, and he was +just putting on the last heel of the last pair +of shoes when he was aware of a noise on +the floor behind him. He looked round, +and there was the red shoe with the pointed +toe, cutting capers and prancing about by +itself in the middle of the room.</p> + +<p>“Peace on earth!” exclaimed Lubin. +“I never saw a shoe do a thing so tipsy<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105"></a>[105]</span> +before!” He went up and passed his hand +over it and under it, but there was nothing +to account for its caperings; on it went, +up and down, toeing and heeling, skipping +and sliding, as if for a very wager. Lubin +could even tell himself the name of the reel +and the tune that it was dancing to, for all +that the other foot was missing. Presently +the shoe tripped and toppled, falling heel +up upon the floor; nor, although Lubin +watched it for a full hour, did it ever start +upon a fresh jig.</p> + +<p>Soon after daybreak, when Lubin had but +just opened his shutters and sat himself +down to work, in came the traveller, limping +upon bare feet, with the shoe’s fellow +pointing its red toe out of his pocket. +“Oh, so,” he said, seeing the other shoe +ready mended and waiting for him, “how +much am I owing you for the job?”</p> + +<p>“Just a gold piece,” said Lubin, carelessly, +carrying on at his work.</p> + +<p>“A gold piece for the mere mending of +a shoe!” cried the stranger. “You must +be either a rogue or a funny fellow.”</p> + +<p>“Neither!” said Lubin, “and for mending +a shoe my charge is only a penny; but +for mending <i>that</i> shoe, and for all the worry<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106"></a>[106]</span> +and temptation to make it my own and run +off with it—a gold piece!”</p> + +<p>“To be sure, you are an honest fellow,” +said the traveller, “and honesty is a rare +gift; though, had you made off with it, I +should have soon caught you. Still, you +were not so wise as to know that, so here’s +your gold piece for you.” He pulled out +a big bag of gold as he spoke, pouring its +contents out on to the window bench.</p> + +<p>“That is a lot of money for a lonely man +to carry about,” said Lubin. “Are you not +afraid?”</p> + +<p>“Why, no,” answered the man. “I have +a way, so that I can always follow it up +even if I lose it.” He took two of the gold +pieces, and dropped one into the sole of +each shoe as he was putting them on. +“There!” said he, “now, if any man steal +my money, I need only wait till it is midnight; +and then I have but to say to my +shoes ‘Seek!’ and up they jump, with +me in them, and carry me to where my +stolen property is, were it to the world’s +end. It is as if they had the nose and +sagacity of a pair of bloodhounds. Ah, +son of a cobbler, had you run off with the +one I should have very soon caught you<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107"></a>[107]</span> +with the other; for if one walks the other +is bound to follow. But, as you were +honest, we part friends; and I trust God +may bring you to fortune.” Then the +traveller did up his bag of gold, nodded to +the cobbler from the doorway, and was gone.</p> + +<p>Lubin laid down his work, and went off +to the inn. “Did anything happen here +last night?” he asked.</p> + +<p>“Nothing of much note,” answered the +innkeeper. “Three travelling fiddlers +were here, and afterwards a man came +in barefoot, but with a red shoe sticking +out of his pocket. I thought of turning +the fellow away, till he let me see +the colour of his gold. Presently the +fiddlers started to play and the other man +to drink. At first when they called on him +to dance he excused himself for his feet’s +sake; but presently, what with the music +and the liquor, he got so lively in his head +that he pulled on his one shoe and danced +like three ordinary men put together.”</p> + +<p>“What time was that?” asked Lubin.</p> + +<p>“Getting on for midnight,” answered the +innkeeper.</p> + +<p>“Ah!” said Lubin, and went home +thinking much on the way.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108"></a>[108]</span></p> + +<p>Towards evening he found that he had +run out of leather, and must go into the +town, ten miles off, to buy more. “Now +my gold piece comes in handy,” thought +he; so he locked up the house, put the key +in his pocket, and set out.</p> + +<p>Though it was the season of long days +it was growing dark when he came to a part +of the road that led through the wood; but +being so poor a man he had no fear, nor +thought at all about the robbers who were +said to be in those parts. But as he went, +he saw all at once by the side of the road +two red spikes sticking up out of a ditch, +their bright colour making them plain to +the eye. He came quite near and saw that +they were two red shoes with pointed toes; +and then he saw more clearly that along +with them lay the traveller, his wallet empty +and with a dagger stuck through his heart.</p> + +<p>The cobbler’s son was as sorry as he could +be. “Alas, poor soul,” thought he, “what +good are the shoes to you now? Now that +thieves have killed you and taken away your +gold, surely I do no harm if I give an honest +man your shoes!” He stooped down, +and was about taking them off when he saw +the eyes of the dead man open. The eyes<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109"></a>[109]</span> +looked at him as if they would remind him +of something; and at once, when he loosed +hold of the shoes, they seemed satisfied. +Then he remembered, and thought to himself, +“The world has many marvels in it; I +will wait till midnight and see.”</p> + +<p>For over three hours he kept watch by +the dead man’s side. “Only last night,” +he said to himself, “this poor fellow was +dancing as merry a measure as ever I saw, +for the half of it surely I saw; and now!” +Then he judged that midnight must be +come, so he bent over the shoes and whispered +to them but one word.</p> + +<p>The dead man stood up in his shoes and +began running. Lubin followed close, +keeping an eye on him, for the shoes made +no sound on the earth. They ran on for +two hours, till they had come to the thickest +part of the forest; then some way before +them Lubin began to see a light shining. +It came from a small square house in a +court-yard, and round the court-yard lay a +deep moat; only one narrow plank led over +and up to the entrance.</p> + +<p>The red shoes, carrying the dead man, +walked over, and Lubin followed them. +When they were at the other side they<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110"></a>[110]</span> +turned, facing toward the plank that they +had crossed, and Lubin seemed to read in +the dead man’s eye what he was to do.</p> + +<p>Then he turned and lifted the plank +away from over the moat, so that there was +no longer any entrance or exit to the place. +Through the window of the house he could +see the three fiddlers quarrelling over the +dead man’s gold.</p> + +<p>The red shoes went on, carrying their +dead owner, till they got to the threshold, +and there stopped. Then Lubin came and +clicked up the latch, and pushed open the +door, and in walked the dead man with the +dagger sticking out of his heart.</p> + +<p>The three fiddlers, when they saw that +sight, dropped their gold and leapt out of +the window; and as they fled, shrieking, +thinking to cross the moat by the plank-bridge +that was no longer there, one after +the other they fell into the water, and, clutching +each other by the throat, were drowned.</p> + +<p>But the red shoes stayed where they were, +and, tilting up his feet, let the traveller go +gently upon the ground; and when Lubin +held down the lantern to his face, on it lay +a good smile, to tell him that the dead +man thanked him for all he had done.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111"></a>[111]</span></p> + +<p>So in the morning Lubin went and +fetched a priest to pray for the repose of +the traveller’s soul, and to give him good +burial; and to him he gave all the dead +man’s money, but for himself he took the +red shoes with the pointed toes, and set out +to make his fortune in the world.</p> + +<p>Walking along he found that however +far he went he never grew tired. When he +had gone on for more than a hundred miles, +he came to the capital where the King lived +with his Court.</p> + +<p>All the flags of the city were at half-mast, +and all the people were in half mourning. +Lubin asked at the first inn where he stopped +what it all meant.</p> + +<p>“You must indeed be a stranger,” said +his host, “not to know, for ’tis now nearly +a year since this trouble began; and this +very night more cause for mourning becomes +due.”</p> + +<p>“Tell me of it, then,” said Lubin, “for +I know nothing at all.”</p> + +<p>“At least,” returned the innkeeper, “you +will know how, a little more than a year +ago, the Queen, who was the most beautiful +woman in the world, died, leaving the King +with twelve daughters, who, after her, were<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112"></a>[112]</span> +reckoned the fairest women on earth, though +the King says that all their beauty rolled +into one would not equal that of his dead +wife; and, indeed, poor man, there is no +doubt that he loved her devotedly during +her life, and mourns for her continually +now she is dead.”</p> + +<p>“Only a small part of all this have I +known,” said Lubin.</p> + +<p>“Well, but at least,” said the innkeeper, +“you will have heard how the Princesses +were famed for their hair; so beautiful it +was, so golden, and so long! And now, at +every full moon, one of them goes bald in +a night; and bald her head stays as a +stone, for never an inch of hair grows on +it again; and with her hair all her beauty +goes pale, so that she is but the shadow +of her former self—a thin-blooded thing, +as if a vampire had come and sucked +out half her life. Yes; ten months this +has happened, and ten of the Princesses +have lost their looks and their hair as well; +and now only the Princess Royal and +the youngest of all remain untouched; +and doubtless one of them is to lose her +crop to-night.”</p> + +<p>“But how does it happen?” cried Lubin,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113"></a>[113]</span> +“Is no one put to keep watch, to guard +them from the thing being done?”</p> + +<p>“Ah! you talk, you talk!” said the +innkeeper. “How? The King has offered +half his kingdom to anyone who can tell +him how the mischief is done; and the +other half to the man who will put an end +to it. To put it shortly, if you believe +yourself a clever enough man, you may +have the King for your father-in-law, with +the pick of his daughters for your bride, +and be his heir and lord of all when he +dies!”</p> + +<p>“For such a reward,” said Lubin, “has +no man made the attempt?”</p> + +<p>“Aye, one a month; every time there +has been some man fool enough to think +himself so clever; and he has been turned +out of the palace next day with his ears +cropped.”</p> + +<p>“I will risk having my ears cropped,” +said Lubin; for his heart was sorry for +the young Princesses, and the vanishing of +their beauty. So he went up and knocked +at the gates of the palace.</p> + +<p>They went and told the King that a new +man had come willing and wanting to have +his ears cropped on the morrow. “Well,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114"></a>[114]</span> +well,” said the King, “let the poor fool +in!” for indeed he had given up all hope. +From the King Lubin heard the whole +story over again. The old man sighed so, +it took him whole hours to tell it.</p> + +<p>“I would be glad to be your son,” said +Lubin, when the King had ended; “but I +would like better to make you rid of your +sorrow.”</p> + +<p>“That is kind of you,” said the King. +“Perhaps I will only crop one of your ears +to-morrow.”</p> + +<p>“When may one see the Princesses?” +asked Lubin.</p> + +<p>“They will be down to supper, presently,” +answered the King; “then you +shall see them, what there is left of them.”</p> + +<p>Though it was reckoned that the next +day Lubin would have to be drummed out +of the palace with his ears cropped short, +on this day he was to be treated like an +honoured guest. When they went in to +supper the King made him sit upon his +right hand.</p> + +<p>The twelve Princesses came in, their +heads bowed down with weeping; all were +fair, but ten of them were thin and pale, +and wore white wimples over their heads<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115"></a>[115]</span> +like nuns; only the Princess Royal, who +was the eldest, and Princess Lyneth, who +was the youngest, had gold hair down to +their feet, and were both so shiningly beautiful +that the poor cobbler was altogether +dazzled by the sight of them.</p> + +<p>The King looked out of the window and +said: “Heigho! There is the full moon +beginning to rise.” Then they all said +grace, and sat down.</p> + +<p>But when the viands were handed round, +all the Princesses sat weeping into their +plates, and seemed unable to eat anything. +For the pale and thin ones said: “To-night +another of our sisters will lose her +golden hair and her good looks, and be like +us!” Therefore they wept.</p> + +<p>And Lyneth said: “To-night, either my +dear sister or myself will fall under the +spell!” Therefore she wept more than +the other ten. But the Princess Royal sat +trembling, and crying:</p> + +<p>“To-night I know that the curse is to +fall upon me, and me only!” Therefore +she wept more than all.</p> + +<p>Lubin sat, and watched, and listened, +with his head bent down over his golden +plate. “Which of these two shall I try<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116"></a>[116]</span> +most to save?” he thought. “How shall +I test them, so as to know? If I could +only tell which of them was to lose her hair +to-night, then I might do something.”</p> + +<p>He saw that the youngest sister cried so +much that she could eat nothing; but the +Princess Royal, between her bursts of grief, +picked up a morsel now and again from +her plate, and ate it as though courage or +despair reminded her that she must yet +strive to live.</p> + +<p>When the meat-courses were over, the +King said to the Princesses: “I wish you +would try to eat a little pudding! Here +is a very promising youth, who is determined +by all that is in him that harm shall +happen to none of you to-night.”</p> + +<p>“To-morrow he will be sent away with +his ears cut short!” said Princess Lyneth; +and her tears, as she spoke, ran down over +the edge of her plate on to the cloth.</p> + +<p>When supper was over the Princess +Royal came up to Lubin, and said: “Do +not be angry with my sister for what she +said! It has only been too true of many +who came before; to-night, unless you do +better than them all, I shall lose my hair. +It has been a wonder to me how I have<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117"></a>[117]</span> +been spared so long, seeing that I am the +eldest, and, as some will have it, the fairest. +Will you keep a good guard over me to-night, +as though you knew for certain that +I am to be the one this time to suffer?”</p> + +<p>“I will guard you as my own life,” said +Lubin, “if you will but do as I ask you.”</p> + +<p>“Pledge yourself to me, then, in this +cup!” said she, and lifted to his lips a +bowl of red wine. Over the edge of it her +eyes shone beautifully; he drank, gazing +into their clear depth.</p> + +<p>“Where am I to be for the night,” he +asked of the King, “so that I may watch +over the two Princesses?”</p> + +<p>The King took him to a chamber with +two further doors that opened out of it. +“Here,” said the King, “you are to sleep, +and in the inner rooms sleep the Princess +Royal and the Princess Lyneth. There is +no entrance or exit to them but through +this; therefore, when you are here with +your door bolted, one would suppose that +you had them safe. Alas! ten other men +have tried like you to ward off the harm, +and have failed; and so to-day I have ten +daughters with no looks left to them, and +no hair upon their heads.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118"></a>[118]</span></p> + +<p>As they were speaking, the two Princesses, +with their sisters, came up to bed. And +the pale ones, wearing their white wimples, +came and kissed the golden hair of the +other two, crying over it, and saying, “To +one of you we are saying good-bye; to-morrow +one of you will be like us!” +Then they went away to their sleeping-place, +and the Princess Royal and Lyneth +kissed each other, and parted weeping, each +into her own chamber.</p> + +<p>“Watch well over us!” said Lyneth to +Lubin, as she passed through. “Watch +over me!” said the Princess Royal. And +then the two doors were closed.</p> + +<p>Lubin said to the King, “Could I now +see the two Princesses, without being seen +by them, it would help me to know what +to do.”</p> + +<p>“Come down to my cabinet,” said the +King. “I have an invisible cap there, that +I can lend you if you think you can do any +good with it.” So they went; and the +King reached down the cap from the wall +and gave it to Lubin.</p> + +<p>“Now, good-night, your Majesty,” said +Lubin; “I will do for you all I can.”</p> + +<p>The King answered, “Either you shall<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119"></a>[119]</span> +be my son-in-law to-morrow, or you shall +have no ears. My wishes are with you +that the former state may be yours.”</p> + +<p>Lubin went into his chamber and closed +and bolted the door; then he put the bed +up against it. “Now, at least,” he thought, +“there are three of us, and no more!” +He put on his invisible cap, and going +softly to the Princess Royal’s door, opened +it and peeped in.</p> + +<p>She stood up before her glass, combing +out her long gold hair, and smiling proudly +because of its beauty. She gathered it up +by all its ends and kissed it; then, letting it +fall, she went on combing as before.</p> + +<p>Lubin went out, closing the door again; +then he took off his cap and knocked, and +presently he heard the Princess Royal +saying, “Come in!” She was lying down +upon the bed, squeezing her eyes with her +hands.</p> + +<p>“Princess,” he said, “I will watch over +you like my own life, if you will do what I +bid you. I am but a poor man, and the +best that I can do is but poor; but I think, +if you will, I can save your head from +becoming as bare as a billiard ball.”</p> + +<p>The Princess asked him how.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120"></a>[120]</span></p> + +<p>“You know,” said he, “that to-night +something is to happen to one of you” +(“To me?” said the Princess), “and all +your hair will be stolen in such a way that +nothing will ever make it grow again. See, +here I have a pair of common scissors; let +me but cut your hair close off all over your +head, and then who can steal it? For a +few months you will be a fright, but it can +grow again.”</p> + +<p>“I think you are a silly fellow!” said +the Princess. “Better for you to get to +bed, and have your ears cropped quietly in +the morning! After all, it may be my +sister’s turn to lose her hair, not mine. I +shall not make myself a fright for a year of +my life in order to save you.”</p> + +<p>“If you think so poorly of my offer,” +said Lubin, “I had better go to bed and +sleep, and not trouble the Princess Lyneth +at all with it.”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed!” said the Princess Royal. +“Go to bed and sleep, poor fool!” And, +in truth, Lubin was feeling so sleepy that +he could hardly keep open his eyes.</p> + +<p>Then he left her, and, pulling the invisible +cap once more over his head, crept +softly into Princess Lyneth’s chamber.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121"></a>[121]</span></p> + +<p>She was standing before her glass with all +her beautiful hair flowing down from +shoulders to feet; and tears were falling +fast out of her eyes as she kept drawing +her hair together in her hands, kissing and +moaning over it.</p> + +<p>Then Lubin went out again, and, taking +off his cap, knocked softly at the door.</p> + +<p>“Come in!” said the Princess; and +when he went in she was still standing +before the glass weeping and moaning for +her beautiful hair, that might never see +another day. On the bed was lying a +white wimple, ready for her to put on +when her head was become bald.</p> + +<p>“Princess,” said Lubin, very humbly, +“will you help me to save your beautiful +hair, by doing what I ask?”</p> + +<p>“What is it that you ask?” said she.</p> + +<p>“Only this,” he answered; “I am a poor +man, and cannot do much for you, but only +my best. To-night you or your sister must +lose your hair; and we know that afterwards, +if that happen, it can never grow +again. Now, come, here I have a common +pair of scissors; if I could cut your hair +quite short, in a few months it will grow +again, and there will be nothing to-night<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122"></a>[122]</span> +that the Fates can steal. Will you let me +do this for you in true service?”</p> + +<p>The Princess looked at him, and looked +at her glass. “Oh, my hair, my hair!” +she moaned. Then she said, “What +matters it? You mean to be good to me, +and a month is the most that my fortune +can last. If I do not lose it to-night, I +lose it at the next full moon!” Then she +shut her eyes and bade him take off all he +wished. When he had finished, she picked +up the wimple and covered her head with +it; but Lubin took up the long coil of +gold hair and wound it round his heart.</p> + +<p>He knelt down at her feet. “Princess,” +he said, “be sure now that I can save you! +Only I have one other request to make.”</p> + +<p>“What is that?” asked the Princess.</p> + +<p>He took off one of his red shoes with +the pointed toes. “Will you, for a strange +thing, put on this shoe and wear it all +to-night in your sleep? And in the morning +I will ask you for it again.”</p> + +<p>The Princess promised faithfully that +she would do so. Even before he had left +the room she had put foot in it, promising +that only he should take it off again.</p> + +<p>Lubin’s eyes were shut down with sleep<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123"></a>[123]</span> +as he groped his way to bed; he lay down +with the other red shoe upon his foot. +“Watch for your fellow!” he said to it; +and then his senses left him and he was fast +asleep.</p> + +<p>In the middle of the night, while he was +deep in slumber, the red shoe caught him +by the foot and yanked him out of bed; +he woke up to find himself standing in the +middle of the room, and there before him +stood the two doors of the inner chambers +open; through that of the Princess Royal +came a light. He heard the Princess +Lyneth getting very softly out of her bed, +and presently she stood in the doorway, +with her hands out and her eyes fast shut; +and the red shoe was on one foot, and the +white wimple on her head. Little tears were +running down from under her closed lids; +and she sighed continually in her sleep. +“Have pity on me!” she said.</p> + +<p>She crossed slowly from one door to the +other; and Lubin, putting on his invisible +cap, crept softly after her. The Princess +Royal’s chamber was empty, but her glass +was opened away from the wall like a door, +and beyond lay a passage and steps. At +the top of the steps was another door, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124"></a>[124]</span> +through it light came, and the sound of a +soft voice singing.</p> + +<p>Princess Lyneth, knowing nothing in her +sleep, passed along the passage and up the +steps till she came to the further doorway. +Looking over her shoulder Lubin saw the +Princess Royal sitting before a loom. In it +lay a great cloth of gold, like a bride’s +mantle, into which she was weaving the last +threads of her skein. Close to her side lay +a pair of great shears that shone like blue +fire; and while she sang they opened and +snapped, keeping time to the music she +made.</p> + +<p>Without ever turning her head the Princess +Royal sat passing her fingers along the +woof and crying:</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0">“Sister, sister, bring me your hair,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Of our Mother’s beauty give me your share.</div> + <div class="verse indent0">You must grow pale, while I must grow fair!”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>And while she was so singing, Lyneth +drew nearer and nearer, with her eyes fast +shut, and the white wimple over her head. +“Have pity on me!” she said, speaking in +her sleep.</p> + +<p>As soon as the Princess Royal heard that +she laughed for joy, and catching up the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125"></a>[125]</span> +great flaming shears, turned herself round +to where Lyneth was standing. Then she +opened the shears, and took hold of the +wimple, and pulled it down.</p> + +<p>All in a moment she was choking with +rage, for horrible was the sight that met her +eye. “Ah! cobbler’s son,” cried she, “you +shall die for this! To-morrow not only +shall you have your two ears cropped, but +you shall die: do not be afraid!”</p> + +<p>Lubin looked at her and smiled, knowing +how little she thought that he heard her +words. “Ah! Princess Royal,” he said to +himself, “there is another who should now +be afraid, but is not.”</p> + +<p>Then for very spite the Princess began +slapping her sister’s face. “Ah! wicked +little sister,” she cried, “you have cheated +me this time! But go back and wait till +your hair has grown, and then my gown of +gold shall be finished, although this once +you have been too sly!” She threw down +the shears, and drove her sister back by +stair and passage, and through the looking-glass +door at the other end.</p> + +<p>Lubin following, stayed first to watch +how by a secret spring the Princess Royal +closed the mirror back into the wall; then<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126"></a>[126]</span> +he slipped on before, and taking off his cap, +lay down on his bed pretending to be fast +asleep. He heard Princess Lyneth return to +her couch, and then came the Princess Royal +and ground her teeth at him in the darkness.</p> + +<p>Presently she, too, returned to her bed +and lay down; and an hour after Lubin got +up very softly and went into her chamber. +There she lay asleep, with her beautiful hair +all spread out upon the pillow; but Lubin +had Princess Lyneth’s hair wound round +his heart. He touched the secret spring, so +that the mirror opened to him, and he +passed through toward the little chamber +where stood the loom.</p> + +<p>There hung the cloth of gold, all but +finished; beside it the shears opened and +snapped, giving out a blue light. He took +up the shears in his hand, and pulled down +the gold web from the loom, and back he +went, closing the mirror behind him.</p> + +<p>Then he came to the Princess Royal as +she lay asleep; and first he laid the cloth of +gold over her, and saw how at once she +became ten times more fair than she was by +rights, as fair almost as her dead mother, +lacking one part only. But her beauty did +not win him to have pity on her.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127"></a>[127]</span></p> + +<p>“There can be thieves, it seems, in high +places!” he said; and with that he opened +the shears over her head and let them snap: +then all her long hair came out by the roots, +and she lay white and withered before his +eyes, and as bald as a stone.</p> + +<p>He gathered up all her hair with one +hand, and the cloth of gold with the other, +and went quietly away. Then, hiding the +shears in a safe place, first he burnt the +Princess Royal’s hair, till it became only a +little heap of frizzled cinders; and after that +he went to the chamber of the ten Princesses, +whose hair and whose sweet youth +had been stolen from them. There they +lay all in a row in ten beds, with pale, gentle +faces, asleep under their white wimples.</p> + +<p>He went to the first, and, laying the cloth +of hair over her, cried:</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0">“Sister, sister, I bring you your hair,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Of your Mother’s beauty I give you your share.</div> + <div class="verse indent0">One must grow pale, but you must grow fair!”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>And as he said the words one part of the +cloth unwove itself from the rest, and ran +in ripples up the coverlet, and on to the +pillow where the Princess’s head lay. There +it coiled itself under the wimple, a great<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128"></a>[128]</span> +mass of shining gold, and the face of the +Princess flushed warm and lovely in her +sleep.</p> + +<p>Lubin passed on to the next bed, and +there uttered the same words; and again one +part of the web came loose, and wound +itself about the sleeper’s face, that grew +warm and lovely at its touch. So he went +from bed to bed, and when he came to the +end there was no more of the web left.</p> + +<p>He went back into his own chamber, +laughing in his heart for joy, and there he +dropped himself between the sheets and fell +into a sound slumber.</p> + +<p>He was wakened in the morning by the +King knocking and trying to get into the +room. Lubin pulled back the bed, and in +came the King with a mournful countenance.</p> + +<p>“Which of them is it?” said he.</p> + +<p>“Go and ask them!” said Lubin.</p> + +<p>The King went over and knocked at the +Princess Royal’s door; the knocking opened +her eyes. Lubin heard her suddenly utter a +yell. “Ah! now she has looked at herself +in the glass,” thought he.</p> + +<p>“What is the matter?” called the King. +“Come out and let me look at you!” But<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129"></a>[129]</span> +the Princess Royal would not come out. +She ran quick to her mirror, and touched +the secret spring. “At least,” she thought, +“though fiends have robbed me of all my +beauty, I can get it back by wearing the +cloth woven from my sisters’ hair!” She +skipped along the passage and up the steps +to the little chamber where the loom was.</p> + +<p>The King, getting no answer, went across +and knocked at Lyneth’s door; she came +out, all fresh in her beauty, but wearing +upon her head the wimple. “Ah!” said +the King dolorously; and he snipped his +fingers at Lubin.</p> + +<p>Lubin laughed out. “But look at her +face!” he said. “Surely she is beautiful +enough?”</p> + +<p>The Princess lifted up her wimple, and +showed the King her hair all short beneath. +“That was my doing,” said Lubin; “’twas +the way of saving it.”</p> + +<p>“What a Dutchman’s remedy!” cried the +King; and just then the Princess Royal’s +door flew open.</p> + +<p>She came out tearing herself to pieces +with rage; her face was pale and thin, and +her head was as bare as a billiard ball. +“Have that clown of a cobbler killed!”<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130"></a>[130]</span> +she cried in a passion. “That fool, that +numbskull, that cheat! Have him beheaded, +I say!”</p> + +<p>“No, no, I am only to have one of my +ears cropped off!” said Lubin, looking hard +at her all the time.</p> + +<p>“I am not at all sure,” said the King. +“You have done foolishly and badly, for +not only have you let the disease go on, but +your very remedy is as bad. Two heads +of hair gone in one night! You had better +have kept away. If the Princesses wish it, +certainly I will have you put to death.”</p> + +<p>“Will you not see the other Princesses +too?” asked Lubin. “Let them decide between +them whether I am to live or die!”</p> + +<p>The King was just going to call for them, +when suddenly the ten Princesses opened +the door of their chamber, and stood before +him shining like stars, with all their golden +hair running down to their feet.</p> + +<p>“Now put me to death!” said Lubin; +and all the time he kept his eye upon the +Princess Royal, who turned flame-coloured +with rage.</p> + +<p>“No, indeed!” cried the King. “Now +you must be more than pardoned! You +see, my dears,” he said to Lyneth and the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131"></a>[131]</span> +Princess Royal, “though you have suffered, +your sisters have recovered all that they +lost. They are ten to two; and I can’t go +back on arithmetic; I am bound to do +even more than pardon him for this.”</p> + +<p>“Indeed and indeed yes!” replied the +Princess Lyneth. “He has done ten times +more than we thought of asking him!” +And she went from one to another of her +recovered sisters, kissing their beautiful +long hair for pure gladness of heart. But +when she came to the Princess Royal, she +kissed her many times, and stooped down +her face upon her shoulder, and cried over +her.</p> + +<p>“Tell me now,” said the King to Lubin, +“for you are a very wonderful fellow, how +did it all happen?”</p> + +<p>Lubin looked at the Princess Royal; +after all he could not betray a lady’s secret. +“I cannot tell you,” he said; “if I did, +there would be a death in the family.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” said the King, “however you +may have done it, I own that you have +earned your reward. You have only to +choose now with which of my daughters +you will become my son-in-law. From this +day you shall be known as my heir.” He<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132"></a>[132]</span> +ranged all the Princesses in line, according +to their ages. “Now choose,” said the +King, “and choose well!”</p> + +<p>Lubin went up to the Princess Royal. +“I won’t have you!” he said, looking very +hard at her; and the Princess Royal dropped +her eyes. Then he went on to the next. +“Sweet lady,” he said, “I dare not ask +one with such beautiful hair as yours to +marry me, who am a poor cobbler’s son.” +But all the while he had the Princess +Lyneth’s hair bound round his heart.</p> + +<p>He went on from one to another, and of +each he kissed the hand, saying that she +was too fair to marry him.</p> + +<p>He came to Lyneth, and knelt down at +her feet. “Lyneth,” he said, “will you +give the poor cobbler back his shoe?”</p> + +<p>Lyneth, looking in his eyes, saw all that +he meant. “And myself in it,” she said, +“for you love me dearly!” She put her +arms round his neck, and whispered, “You +marry me because I am a fright, and have +no hair!”</p> + +<p>But Lubin said, “I have your hair all +wound round my heart, making it warm!”</p> + +<p>So they were married, and lived together +more happily than cobbler and princess ever<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133"></a>[133]</span> +lived in the world before. And the cobbler +dropped mending shoes: only his wife’s +shoes he always mended. Very soon Lyneth’s +hair grew again, more shining and beautiful +than before; but the Princess Royal remained +pale, and thin, and was bald to the +day of her death.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134"></a>[134]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135"></a>[135]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_MOON_FLOWER">THE MOON FLOWER</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +EVA AND KATIE</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus08" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus08.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136"></a>[136]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137"></a>[137]</span></p> + +<h3>THE MOON-FLOWER</h3> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-p.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">Princess Berenice sat +by a window of her father’s +palace, looking out of the +Moon. In her hand she +held a great white pearl, +and smiled, for it was her +mother’s birthday gift. The chamber in +which she sat was of pure silver, and in the +floor was a small window by which she +could see out of the Moon and right down +on to the Earth, where the moonbeams were +going. There it lay like a great green +emerald; and wherever the clouds parted +to let the moonbeams go through, she +could see the tops of the trees, and broad +fields with streams running by.</p> + +<p>“Yonder is the land of the coloured +stones,” she said to herself, “that the merchants +go down the moonbeams and bring<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138"></a>[138]</span> +home and sell.” And as she bent lower +and lower and gazed with curious eyes, the +great pearl rolled from her hand and fell +out of the Moon, and went slipping and +sliding down a moonbeam, never stopping +till it got to the Earth.</p> + +<p>“My mother’s pearl!” cried the Princess, +“the most beautiful of all her pearls +that she gave me. I must run down and +bring it back; for if I wait it will be lost. +And as to-night is the full-moon down +there upon Earth, I can return before anyone +finds out that I am gone.”</p> + +<p>The Earth was sparkling a brighter green +under the approach of night. “Oh, land +of the coloured stones!” cried the Princess; +and, slipping through the window, she +stepped out of the Moon, and went running +down the same moonbeam by which the +pearl had fallen.</p> + +<p>Night came; and the Earth and the +Moon lay looking at each other in the +midst of heaven, like an emerald and a +pearl; but through the palace, and within, +over all its gardens and terraces there began +to be callings on the Princess Berenice; +and presently there were heart-searchings +and fear, for they found the empty room<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139"></a>[139]</span> +with its open window: and the Princess +Berenice was not there.</p> + +<p>Now, not long before this, upon our own +Earth there had lived and died a King who +had four sons, but only three kingdoms. +So when he came to die he gave to each of +his three eldest sons a kingdom apiece; +but to the youngest, having nothing else left +to give, he gave only a pair of travelling +shoes, and said: “Wear these, and some day +they will take you to fortune!”</p> + +<p>So, when the King was dead, the young +Prince wore the shoes night and day, hoping +that some time or another they would take +him to fortune. His brothers laughed at +him, and said: “Our father was wise to +play those old shoes off upon you! If it +had been either of us we would have gone +and bought ourselves an army and fought +for a just share in the inheritance. But +you seem pleased, so we ought to be.”</p> + +<p>Now one day the Prince went out hunting +in the forest, and there, having become +separated from all his friends, he thoroughly +lost his way. Wherever he turned the +wood seemed to grow denser, the thickets +higher, and the solitude more than he ever +remembered before. Night came on, and,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140"></a>[140]</span> +there being nothing else that he could do, +he lay down and wrapped himself in his +cloak and slept.</p> + +<p>When he awoke it was day, but the +woods were as still as death; no bird sang, +and not a cricket chirped among the grass. +As he sat up he noticed that the shoe was +gone from his left foot, nor could he see it +anywhere near. “Tis the half of my inheritance +gone!” he said to himself, and +got up to search about him. But still no +shoe could he find. At last he gave up the +search as useless, and set off walking without +it. Then as it seemed to him so ridiculous +to go limping along with only one shoe on, +he took off the remaining one, and threw +it away, saying: “Go, stupid, and find your +fellow!”</p> + +<p>To the Prince’s great astonishment, it set +off at a rapid pace through the wood, all +of its own accord. The Prince, barefoot +except for his stockings, began to run +after it.</p> + +<p>Presently he found that he was losing his +breath. “Hie, hie!” he called out, “not +quite so fast, little leather-skins!” But +the shoe paid him no heed and went on as +before. It skipped through the grass and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141"></a>[141]</span> +brushwood, as if a young girl’s foot were +dancing inside it; and whenever it came to +a fallen tree, or a boulder of rock, it was up +and over with a jump like a grasshopper.</p> + +<p>Before long the Prince’s stockings were +in nothing but holes and tatters; as he ran +they fluttered from his legs like ribbons. +He had lost his hat, and his cloak was torn +into patterns, and he felt from head to foot +like a house all doors and windows. He +was almost on his last gasp when he saw +that the shoe was making straight for a +strange little house of green bronze, shut +in by a high wall, and showing no windows; +and in the middle of the wall was a bronze +door shut fast. As he came near he found +that outside, on the doorstep, stood his other +shoe as if waiting to be let in. “So it was +worth running for!” thought he; and then, +putting on both shoes again, he began +knocking at the door.</p> + +<p>As he knocked the door opened. It +opened in such a curious way, flat down +like a swing-bridge or like the lid of a box. +For some time he was half afraid to walk in +on the top of it. Presently, however, he +summoned up his courage and stepped +across it.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142"></a>[142]</span></p> + +<p>The door closed behind him like a trap, +and he found himself in a beautiful house; +all its walls were hung with gold and precious +stones, but everywhere was the emptiness +and the silence of death.</p> + +<p>He went from room to room seeking for +any that lived there, but could see no one. +In one place he found thrown down a fan +of white feathers and pearl; and in another +flowers, fresh plucked, lying close by a +cushion dinted and hollowed, as though the +weight of a head or arm had rested there. +But beyond these there was no sign of a +living thing to be found.</p> + +<p>Through the windows he saw deep +bowery gardens hemmed in by high walls, +within which grew flowers of the loveliest +kinds. All the paths were of smooth grass, +and everywhere were the traces of gentle +handiwork; but still not a soul was to be +seen.</p> + +<p>It seemed to the Prince now and then +that there was something in the garden +which moved, distinct from the flowers, and +shifting with a will of its own. Though +the sun shone full down, casting clear +shadows across the lawns, this that he saw +was altogether misty and faint. Now it<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143"></a>[143]</span> +seemed like a feather blown to and fro in +the wind, and now like broken gossamer +threads, or like filmy edges of clouds melting +away in the heat. Where it went the +flowers moved as though to make way for +it, swaying apart and falling together again +as it passed.</p> + +<p>The Prince watched and watched. He +tired his eyes with watching, yet he could +see no more; and no way could he find to +the garden, for all the doors leading to it +were locked fast and barred.</p> + +<p>There was another strange thing he +noticed which seemed to him to have no +meaning. All over the garden, between +the trees and the sky, was stretched a silver +net, so fine that it showed only as a faint +film against the blue; but a net for all +that. Here and there, the light of the sun +catching it, hung sparkling in its silver +meshes. It was like the net that a gardener +throws over strawberry beds or currant +bushes to keep off the birds from the fruit. +So was it with this net; through it no bird +could enter the garden, and no bird that +was in the garden could leave it.</p> + +<p>All day the Prince had these two things +before his eyes to wonder about, till the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144"></a>[144]</span> +sun went down and it began to get +dusk.</p> + +<p>At the moment when the sun sank below +the earth there was a sound of opening doors +all over the house. The Prince ran and +found one of the doors leading into the +garden wide open, and through it he could +see the stir of leaves, and the deep colours +of the flowers growing deeper in the dusk; +only the evening primroses were lighting +their soft lamps.</p> + +<p>From a distant part of the garden came +the sound of falling water, and a voice +singing. As he approached he saw something +shining against the dark leaves higher +than the heads of the flowers; and before +he well knew what he saw, he found before +his eyes the most lovely woman that the +mind of man could believe in.</p> + +<p>In her hand hung a watering-can, with +the water falling from it in sprays on to the +flower beds beneath. Her head was bent +far down, yet how she looked slender and +tall! She was very pale, yet a soft light +seemed to grow from her, the light of a +new moon upon a twilight sky. And now +the Prince heard clearly the sweet voice, +and the words that she was singing:</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145"></a>[145]</span></p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0">“Listen, listen, listen,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">O heart of the sea!</div> + <div class="verse indent0">I am the Pearl of pearls,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">I am the Mother of pearls,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">And the Mother of thee.</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Glisten, glisten, glisten,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">O bed of the sea!</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Lost is the Pearl of pearls,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">And all the divers for pearls</div> + <div class="verse indent2">Are drowning for me.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>He stood enchanted to hear her; but the +words of the song ended suddenly in a deep +sigh. The singer lifted her head; her eyes +moved like grey moths in the dusk, amid +the whiteness of her face. At sight of him +they grew still and large, widening with a +quiet wonder. Then the beautiful face +broke into smiles, and the Princess stretched +out her hands to him and laughed.</p> + +<p>“Have you come,” she said, “to set me +free?”</p> + +<p>“To set you free?” asked the Prince.</p> + +<p>“I am a prisoner,” she told him.</p> + +<p>“Alas, then!” answered the Prince, “I +am a prisoner also, and can free no one; +but were I now free to go wherever I +would, I should be a prisoner still, for I +have seen the face of the loveliest heart +on earth!”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146"></a>[146]</span></p> + +<p>“O,” she sighed, “and can you not set +me free?”</p> + +<p>“Tell me,” he said, “what makes you a +prisoner here?”</p> + +<p>She pointed to the net over their heads, +to the walls that stood on all sides of them, +and to the ground beneath their feet. +“That,” she said, “and that, and this.”</p> + +<p>“Who are you?” he asked, “and where +do you come from? and whose power is it +that now holds you captive?”</p> + +<p>She led him on to a terrace, from which +they could see out towards the west; and +there lay the new Moon, low down in the +sky. “Yonder,” she said, pointing to it, +“is my home!” She wept. “Shall I ever +return to it?”</p> + +<p>The Prince, gazing at her in wonder, +cried, “Are you one of a Fairy race?”</p> + +<p>“No, oh, no!” she sighed, “I am but +mortal like yourself; only my home is +there, while yours is here. We, who dwell +in the Moon, are as you are, but the sun +has greater power over us; the light of it +falling on us makes us pale and unsubstantial, +so that we weigh not so much as a +gossamer and become transparent as thin +fleeces of cloud. Then we can go where<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147"></a>[147]</span> +you cannot go, treading the light as it +flies; but at sunset we regain our strength, +and our bodies come to us again; and we +are as you see me now—no different from +yourselves, the inhabitants of the Earth.”</p> + +<p>“Tell me,” said the Prince, “of yourself, +and the dwellers in the Moon! Is it not +cold there, and barren?”</p> + +<p>She answered smiling, for the memory of +her home was sweet to her, “Outside, the +Moon is cold and barren; but within it is +very warm and rich and fertile; more +beautiful than any place I have seen on +Earth. It is there we live; and we have +flocks, and herds, and woods, and rivers, and +harbours, and seas. Also we have great +cities built inside the Moon’s crust, for the +Moon is a great hollow shell, and we walk +upon its inner surface and are warm. The +sunlight comes to us through craters and +clefts in the ground; and the beams of it +are like solid pillars of gold that quiver +and sway as they shoot upwards into the +opal twilight of our world; and the shine +and the warmth of it come to us, and colour +the air above our heads; but we are safe +from its full light falling on us, for the +ground is between us and it. Only when we<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148"></a>[148]</span> +pass through to the outer side do we become +pale and faint, a mere whisper of our former +selves. And then we are so light that if +we step upon a moonbeam it will bear +our weight; and the moonbeam carries us +swiftly as its own light travels, till it reaches +the Earth: so we come. But to return there +is another way.”</p> + +<p>And when the Prince asked her, she told +him of the other way back into the Moon.</p> + +<p>“When we wish to return,” she went on +“(for the falling light of a moonbeam cannot +carry us back), we must go where there is a +pool of still water, and wait for the reflection +of the Moon to fall on it; and when +the Moon is full, and throws its image into +the water, then we dive down, and with our +lips touch the reflection of its face, crying, +‘Open, open to me, for I am a Moon-child!’ +And the Moon will open her face +like a door of pearl, and let us pass in; +and when she draws her reflection out of +the pool, we find ourselves once again +among our own people and in our own land. +Many of us have so come and so returned,” +she sighed deeply, “but I fear that I shall +never again return.”</p> + +<p>Then the Prince asked her further whose<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149"></a>[149]</span> +power it was that held her captive; and she +told him how she had dropped the pearl +that her mother had given her, and had +come down seeking it. Then she said, “In +the Moon we have many jewels, for we have +opals and onyxes, and pearls and moonstones, +but we have no rubies, or emeralds, or +sapphires, or stones of a single colour, such +as you have. Therefore, we have a passion for +these things, and our merchants come down +and bring them back to us at a great price.</p> + +<p>“Now it chanced that in my search I +came upon a gnome who had dealings with +our merchants and had many jewels to sell, +and he, seeming to be kind, helped me until +my pearl was found. Then he took me to +see his own treasures, and, alas, while my +eyes were feasting on the colours of the +stones he showed to me, my poor beauty +inflamed the avarice of his evil heart, and +the desire to have me for his wife became +great. So when I asked him the price of +his jewels, he vowed that the only price at +which he would let them go was that of my +own hand in marriage. Alas, I am young +and innocent, and without subtlety, nor +did I know how great was his power and +wickedness. As I laughed at his request his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150"></a>[150]</span> +face grew dark with rage, and I saw that I +had incurred the undying enmity of his +cruel heart. And now for a whole year he +has held me in his enchantment, striving to +break me to his will by the length and +weariness of my captivity; and lest search +or any help should come for me from my +father’s people, he has covered me in with +a net, and surrounded me with walls; and +here there is no pool into which the full +Moon may fall, and at the mere touch of +my lips upon its face, open and draw me +free from my enchantment, and back into +the heart of my own land. Only yonder, +in the corner of the garden is a deep well, +where the Moon never shines; so there is +no way here left for me by which I may +get free.”</p> + +<p>“Does not the gnome ever come to see +you in your captivity?” asked the Prince. +“If so, I may by some means be able to +entrap him, and force him to let you go.”</p> + +<p>“Twice in the year he has visited me,” +answered the Princess. “He comes up out +of the ground in the form of a Red Mole; +but he looks at me wickedly and cunningly +with the eyes of a man, seeming to say, +‘Will you have me yet?’ And when I<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151"></a>[151]</span> +shake my head he burrows under again, +and is gone till another six months shall be +past.”</p> + +<p>The Prince thought for a while and said, +“I do not know whether I have the power +or the wit to make you free; if love only +were needed for the work, to-morrow would +see you as free as a bird.”</p> + +<p>The Princess, between smiles and sighs, +said, “I have been most lonely here; already +you make my imprisonment seem less.” +Then she led him within doors, from room +to room, showing him the splendours of +her prison. Wherever they went, out of +the floor before them rose burning jewels +that hung hovering over their heads to +light them as they passed; and when she +struck her hands together, up from the +ground rose a table covered with fruit and +dainties of all sorts; and when she and the +Prince had eaten, she clapped her hands +again, and they disappeared by the same +way that they had come.</p> + +<p>The Prince was struck with admiration +at the delicacy of these marvels. “When +I think of the Red Mole, they sicken me!” +said the Moon-Princess. The good youth +used all his arts to cheer her, promising to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152"></a>[152]</span> +devote himself, and if need be his life, to +the task of setting her free. And now and +then she laughed and was almost merry +again, forgetting the walls that still held +her spell-bound from her own people and +her own land.</p> + +<p>She showed the Prince a chamber where +he might sleep; and so soft and warm was +the couch after his last hard night on +the ground, that it was full day before he +awoke. The Princess Berenice appeared +before him misty and faint, for the sunlight +threw a veil upon her beauty; but still as he +looked at her he did not love her less, and +it still seemed to him that hers was the face +of the loveliest heart on earth.</p> + +<p>All day he watched her drifting about +the garden, seeming to feed herself on the +scent of the flowers. In the evening, when +the sun set, her body grew strong and her +face shone out to him like the new Moon +upon a twilight sky.</p> + +<p>Then he drew water for her from the +well, and watched her as she watered the +flowers which were her only delight. Presently +he said, “There is much water in the +well, for the rope goes down into it many +fathoms; and yet I find no bottom.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153"></a>[153]</span></p> + +<p>“Yes,” answered the Princess, “I doubt +not that the well is deep.”</p> + +<p>“Before many days are over,” said the +Prince, “the well shall become a pool.”</p> + +<p>The Princess wondered to hear him. “Is +there,” he went on, “no such thing as a +spade for me to dig with?” Then she led +him to a shed, where lay all the needed +implements for gardening. So his eyes +brightened, while he cried, “O, beautiful +Princess Berenice, as I love you, before +many weeks are over you shall be free!”</p> + +<p>The next morning he arose very early, +and in the centre of the garden, where the +ground hollowed somewhat, he marked out +a space and set to work to dig.</p> + +<p>All day the Princess went to and fro, +faint and pale as a mist, watching him at +his work. At dusk her beauty shone full +upon him, and she said, “What is this that +you are doing?” He answered, “What I +am making shall presently become a pool; +then when the pool is full, and the full +Moon comes and shines on it, you shall go +down into the water, and shall kiss the face +of its reflection with your lips, and be free +from your enchantment.”</p> + +<p>Princess Berenice looked long at him,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154"></a>[154]</span> +and her eyes clung to his like soft moths in +the gloom. “But you?” she said, “You +are no Moon-child, and this will never set +you free.”</p> + +<p>“Ever since I saw you,” said the Prince, +“I have not thought of freedom; my +dearest wish is but to set you free.”</p> + +<p>The Princess gave him her hand. “And +mine,” she said, “my dearest wish henceforth +is to set you free also. Yet I know +but one way, and I cannot name it.” She +smiled tenderly on him, and bowed her face +into the shadow of her hair.</p> + +<p>The Prince caught her in his arms, “One +way is my way!” he cried. “Your way,” +she said, “is my way.” Then, when he +had finished kissing her, she said, “Look, on +my finger is a ring; this ring is for him to +whom I give myself in marriage. Surely, +it opens to him the heart of my own people, +and he becomes one of us, a child of the +Moon.” She showed him an opal ring, full +of fires. “If your way is my way,” she +said, “draw this off my finger, and put it +upon your own, and take me to be your +wife!”</p> + +<p>So the Prince drew off the ring from her +finger, and set it upon his own; and as he<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155"></a>[155]</span> +did so he felt indeed the heart of the Moon-people +become his own, and the love of the +Moon strike root in him. Yet did the love +of the Earth remain his as well, making it +seem as if all the love in his heart had +but doubled itself.</p> + +<p>So he and the most beautiful Berenice +were married there by the light of the new +Moon, and all thought of sorrow or danger +from the encirclement that bound them was +lost in their great joy.</p> + +<p>During the whole of the next day the +Prince went on with his digging, making a +broad shallow in the ground. “Before the +full Moon comes,” he said, “I will make it +deep.” And he worked on, refusing to take +any rest.</p> + +<p>The Princess loved him more and more as +she watched him; and his love for her daily +increased, for every day, while the Moon +grew full, her beauty shone in greater perfection +and splendour. “Here,” she said +to him, “the coming of the full Moon is +like the coming of Spring to me: I feel it +in my blood. After the full Moon my +beauty will wane and grow paler. But in +my own land I do not feel these changes, +for there it is always the full Moon.” The<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156"></a>[156]</span> +Prince answered her, “To me your beauty, +though it grows more, will not ever grow +less.”</p> + +<p>At last, on the day before that of the full +Moon, the pit which he had dug was broad +and deep; then he began to fill it with +water from the well. “To-morrow,” he +said to his wife, when the pool was nearly +full, as she came and stood by his side at +sunset in the full blaze of her beauty, “to-morrow +we shall be free; and you will carry +me away with you into your own land.”</p> + +<p>“I do not know,” said the Princess, “I +begin to be afraid!” and she sighed heavily. +“Any day the Red Mole may come: one +day is not too soon for him to be here.”</p> + +<p>“But why need you fear him now?” +asked the Prince. “Since you are married +to me, you cannot be married to him.”</p> + +<p>“As to that,” said she, “I fear that to have +outwitted him will but make his malice all +the greater against us!” Then she walked +softly among the moonbeams, bathing her +hands in them, and letting them fall upon +the loveliness of her face; and as she stood +in their light, tears rained down out of her +eyes.</p> + +<p>In the morning it seemed as if her happiness<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157"></a>[157]</span> +had returned. The Prince, as he toiled +under the blazing sun, carrying water from +the well to the pool, felt her moving by his +side, and heard her light shadowy laughter +when, just before sunset, the water flowed +level to the pool’s brink. And when dusk +rose out of the grass, there she stood glowing +with the full Moon of her beauty, and +leaning in all the light of her loveliness +towards him.</p> + +<p>The happy night drew round them; +out of the East came the glow of the full +Moon as it rose; soon, soon it would cross +the tops of the trees and rest its face upon +the quiet waters of the pool. They clung +in each other’s arms, entranced. “My +beautiful,” said the Prince, “shall we not +take to your mother some of those jewels +she loves—the green, and the red, and the +blue, and the pearl which was hers, the +quest of which has cost you so much?” He +ran into one of the jewelled chambers where +lay the pearl, and caught from the walls the +largest stones he could find. Quickly he +went and returned, for the Moon was now +fast cresting the avenues of the garden. He +came bearing the jewels in his hands.</p> + +<p>Princess Berenice stood no longer by the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158"></a>[158]</span> +brink of the pool, though therein lay the +image of the Moon’s face, a circle of pale +gold upon the water. “Berenice,” called +the Prince, and ran through the garden, +searching for her. “Berenice!” he cried +by the well; but she was not there. “Berenice!” +His voice grew trembling and weak, +and quick fear took hold of him. “O, my +beautiful, my beloved, where are you?”</p> + +<p>Only the silence stood up to answer him. +Under his feet ran a Red Mole.</p> + +<p>It scampered across the grass, and disappeared +through a burrow in the ground. +Then the Prince knew that the worst had +surely come, and that his Princess had been +taken away from him. Where she was he +could not know; within her former prison +she was nowhere to be seen.</p> + +<p>All night the Prince lay weeping by the +brink of the pool, where she had last stood +before his sight; the print of her dear feet +still lay on the lawn where she had stayed +waiting with him so long. “O, miserable +wretch that I am!” he cried, kissing the +trodden grass. “Now never again may I +hope to behold you, or hear your dear +voice!”</p> + +<p>All the day following he wandered like a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159"></a>[159]</span> +ghost from place to place, filling the empty +garden with memories of her presence, and +sighing over and over again the music of +her name. All the flowers glowed round +him in their accustomed beauty; new buds +came into life, and full blooms broke and +fell; not a thing seemed to sorrow for her +loss except himself. As for the flowers, he +paid them little heed.</p> + +<p>In his sleep that night a dream came to +him, a dream as of something that whispered +and laughed in his ear. Over and over +again it seemed to be saying, “The Red +Mole came, and the full Moon came, and +the Princess jumped down into the water!” +Then his heart knocked so loud for joy +that he started awake, and saw the Red +Mole scuffling away to its burrow in the +ground.</p> + +<p>Then he feared that the dream was but a +thing devised to cheat his fancy, and get rid +of him by making him go away and search +for his Princess in the land of the Moon, by +the way that she had told him. But he +thought to himself, “If the Red Mole wants +so much to get me away, it means that my +beloved is somewhere near at hand. Is she +in the well?” he began wondering; and as<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160"></a>[160]</span> +soon as it was light he went to where lay +the well in its corner under the shadow of +the wall. But though he searched long and +diligently, there was no trace of her that he +could find.</p> + +<p>Yet every time he came near to the well +sorrow seemed to take hold of him, and, +mixed with it, a kind of joy, as though +indeed the heart of his beloved beat in this +place. Near to the well stood a tall flower +with bowed head. It seemed to him the +only one in the whole garden that had any +share in his sorrow: he wondered if the +flower had grown up to mark the sad place +of her burial.</p> + +<p>“O, my beloved Berenice, art thou near +me now?” he murmured, heart-broken, one +day as he passed by: then it seemed to him +that all at once the flower stirred. He turned +to look at it; it was like a sunflower, but +white even to its centre, and its head kept +drooping as if for pure grief. “Berenice, +Berenice!” he wept, passing it.</p> + +<p>At dusk he returned again; and now the +flower’s head was lifted up, and shone with +a strange lustre. The Prince, as he went +by on his way to the well, saw the flower +turn its head, bending its face ever towards<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161"></a>[161]</span> +where he was. Then grief and joy stirred +in his heart. “The flower knows where +she is!” he said.</p> + +<p>So he bent, whispering, “Where, then, is +Berenice?” and the flower lifted its head, +and hung quite still, looking at him.</p> + +<p>Then the Prince whispered again, “The +Red Mole came, and the full Moon came, +and the Princess jumped down into the +water?”</p> + +<p>But the flower swayed its head from side +to side, and the Prince found that it had +answered “No.”</p> + +<p>Then he had it in his mind to ask of it +further things; but, as he was about to +speak, he beheld its face all brimming over +with tears, that suddenly broke and fell +down in a shower over its leaves.</p> + +<p>At that his heart leaped, and his voice +choked as he cried, “Art <i>thou</i> my beloved, +my Berenice?” And all at once the flower +swayed down, and leaned, and fell weeping +against his breast.</p> + +<p>So at last he knew! And joy and grief +struggled together in him for mastery.</p> + +<p>All that night he knelt with the flower’s +head upon his heart, stroking its soft +leaves, and letting it rest between his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162"></a>[162]</span> +hands; till, towards dawn, it seemed to him +that peace was upon it and sleep.</p> + +<p>All through the day it hung faint upon +its stem; but when evening came it lifted +its head and shone in moon-like beauty; +and so deep for it was the Prince’s love and +compassion that he could hardly bear to be +absent from its side one moment of the +day or night.</p> + +<p>And, when he was very weary, he lay down +under its shadow to sleep; and the Moon-flower +bent down and rested its head upon +his face.</p> + +<p>All night long in dreams Berenice came +back to him. He seemed to hear how the +Red Mole had come, and changed her to a +rooted shape, lest the full Moon in the water +should carry her away from him back into +her own land. Yet it was only a dream, +and the Prince could learn nothing there of +the way by which he might set her free.</p> + +<p>A month went by, and he said to his +Flower, “To-night is the night of the full +Moon: now, if I drew you from the ground, +and carried you down, and called for the +Moon’s face to open to us, would you not +be free from the enchantment, when you +were come again to your own people?” But<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163"></a>[163]</span> +the Moon-flower shook its head, as if to +bid him still wait and watch patiently.</p> + +<p>Now, as the Prince came and went day by +day, he began to notice that the Moon-flower +had its roots in a small green mound, no +bigger than a mole-hill; and he thought to +himself, “surely that mound was not there +at first: the Red Mole must be down below +at work!” So he watched it from day to +day; and at last he knew for certain that, +as time went on, the mound grew larger.</p> + +<p>Month by month the mound upon which +the Moon-flower had root increased in size; +yet the Flower thrived, and its beauty shone +brighter as each full Moon approached, so +that at last the Prince’s fear lest the Red +Mole were working mischief against its life, +passed away.</p> + +<p>Once, on the night of a full Moon, as the +Prince lay with his head upon Earth, and +the Moon-flower bowed over his face, he +heard under the mound a peal of silvery +laughter; and at the sound of it the Moon-flower +started, and stood erect, and a stir of +delight seemed to take hold of its leaves. +Again the laughter came, and the soft earth +moved at the sound of it.</p> + +<p>The Prince started up, and ran and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164"></a>[164]</span> +fetched a spade, and struck it down under +the loose soil of the mound. When he +lifted up the earth, out sprang a tiny child +like a lobe of quicksilver, laughing merrily +with its first leap into the light. But even +then its laughter changed into a cry; for +out after it darted the Red Mole, with fury +in its whiskers, and wrath flashing out of +its eyes.</p> + +<p>The quicksilver child sprang away, and +went shrilling over the grass toward the +margin of the pool. There lay the full +Moon’s image upon the clear stillness of the +water; and the child leapt down the bank, +and laughed as it sprang safely away. Then +there followed a tiny splash; and the Prince, +amid the rings upon the water’s surface, +saw, like a door of pearl, the Moon’s face +open and close again. And the Red Mole +went down into the earth gnashing its teeth +for rage.</p> + +<p>The Prince ran back to the Moon-flower, +and found it bent forwards and +trembling with fear. Then he drew its +head towards his heart, and whispered +“The Red Mole came, and the full Moon +came, and the silver child jumped down +into the water!” And at that the Flower<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165"></a>[165]</span> +lifted its head and began clapping its leaves +for joy.</p> + +<p>A month went by, and the green mound +had disappeared from beneath the Moon-flower’s +roots; and still every night the +Prince lay down under the shadow of its +leaves; and the Flower bent over him, and +laid its head against his face.</p> + +<p>As he lay so, one night, and watched the +full Moon travelling high overhead, he saw +a shadow begin to cross over it; and he +knew that it was the eclipse, which is the +shadow of the Earth passing over the face +of the Moon; then he rose softly, leaving +the Moon-flower asleep, and went and stood +by the brink of the pool.</p> + +<p>Up in the Moon the silver child felt the +shadow of the Earth fall upon the face of +the Moon; and he came and touched the +Earth’s shadow with his lips, crying, “Open, +open to me, for I am an Earth-child!” +Then the Earth’s shadow that was upon the +Moon opened, and the silver child sprang +through.</p> + +<p>The Prince, watching the veiled image of +the Moon’s face in the water, saw the +Earth’s shadow open like a door, so that +for an instant the brightness of the Moon<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166"></a>[166]</span> +shone through, and out sprang the quicksilver +child, up to the surface of the pool.</p> + +<p>He leapt laughing up the bank, and went +running over the grass to where the Moon-flower +was standing. He reached up his +arms, and caught the Flower by the head:</p> + +<p>“O mother, mother, mother!” he cried +as he kissed it.</p> + +<p>And at the touch of his lips the Moon-flower +opened and changed, growing wondrously +tall and fair; and the flower turned +into a face, and the leaves disappeared, till +it was the beautiful Princess Berenice herself, +who stooped down and took the quicksilver +child up into her arms.</p> + +<p>She cried, fondling him, “Did they give +you your name?”</p> + +<p>And the child laughed. “They call me +Gammelyn,” he said.</p> + +<p>The Prince caught them both together in +his arms. “Come, come!” he shouted and +laughed, “for yonder is the full Moon +waiting for us!” And, lifting them up, he +ran with them to the borders of the pool.</p> + +<p>And the Red Mole came, and the full +Moon came; and the Prince, and the +Princess, and the silver child jumped down +into the water.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167"></a>[167]</span></p> + +<p>Then the Prince laid his lips against the +reflection of the Earth’s shadow, crying, +“Open, open to me, for I am a child of the +Earth!” And the shadow opened like a +door to let them pass through. Then they +pressed their lips against the reflection of +the Moon’s face crying, “Open, open to us, +for we are Moon-children!” And the +Moon opened her face like a door of pearl, +so that they sprang through together, and +were safe.</p> + +<p>And when the Moon drew its reflection +out of the pool, they found themselves in +the land of the Moon, in the silver chamber +with the round window, in the palace of +Princess Berenice’s father.</p> + +<p>Looking out through the window, down +at the end of a long moonbeam they saw +the Red Mole gnashing his whiskers for +rage. Then the Prince took off his shoes, +and threw them with all his might down +the moonbeam at the Mole.</p> + +<p>As the shoes fell, they went faster, and +faster, and faster, till they came to +earth; and they struck the Mole so hard +upon the head that he died.</p> + +<p>Now as for Gammelyn and the shoes we +may hear of them again elsewhere; but as for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168"></a>[168]</span> +the Prince and his beautiful Princess +Berenice, the happiness in which they +lived for the rest of their days is too great +even to be told of.</p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169"></a>[169]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="HAPPY_RETURNS">HAPPY RETURNS</h2> + +</div> + +<p class="center larger"><i class="smaller">TO</i><br> +JEANNIE</p> + +<figure class="figcenter illowp50" id="illus09" style="max-width: 28.125em;"> + <img class="w100" src="images/illus09.jpg" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170"></a>[170]</span></p> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171"></a>[171]</span></p> + +<h3>HAPPY RETURNS</h3> + +<div> +<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-b.jpg" alt=""> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap">By the side of a great river, +whose stream formed the +boundary to two countries, +lived an old ferryman and +his wife. All the day, while +she minded the house, he +sat in his boat by the ferry, waiting to carry +travellers across; or, when no travellers +came, and he had his boat free, he would +cast drag-nets along the bed of the river for +fish. But for the food which he was able +thus to procure at times, he and his wife +might well have starved, for travellers were +often few and far between, and often they +grudged him the few pence he asked for +ferrying them; and now he had grown +so old and feeble that when the river was +in flood he could scarcely ferry the boat +across; and continually he feared lest a +younger and stronger man should come<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172"></a>[172]</span> +and take his place, and the bread from his +mouth.</p> + +<p>But he had trust in Providence. “Will +not God,” he said, “who has given us no +happiness in this life, save in each other’s +help and companionship, allow us to end +our days in peace?”</p> + +<p>And his wife answered, “Yes, surely, if +we trust Him enough He will.”</p> + +<p>One morning, it being the first day of +the year, the ferryman going down to his +boat, found that during the night it had +been loosed from its moorings and taken +across the river, where it now lay fastened +to the further bank.</p> + +<p>“Wife,” said he, “I can remember this +same thing happening a year ago, and the +year before also. Who is this traveller who +comes once a year, like a thief in the night, +and crosses without asking me to ferry him +over?”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps it is the good folk,” said his +wife. “Go over and see if they have left +no coin behind them in the boat.”</p> + +<p>The old man got on to a log and poled +himself across, and found, down in the +keel of the boat, the mark of a man’s bare +foot driven deep into the wood; but there<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173"></a>[173]</span> +was no coin or other trace to show who it +might be.</p> + +<p>Time went on; the old ferryman was all +bowed down with age, and his body was +racked with pains. So slow was he now in +making the passage of the stream, that all +travellers who knew those parts took a road +higher up the bank, where a stronger ferryman +plied.</p> + +<p>Winter came; and hunger and want +pressed hard at the old man’s door. One +day while he drew his net along the stream, +he felt the shock of a great fish striking +against the meshes down below, and presently, +as the net came in, he saw a shape +like living silver, leaping and darting to +and fro to find some way of escape. Up +to the bank he landed it, a great gasping +fish.</p> + +<p>When he was about to kill it, he saw, to +his astonishment, tears running out of its +eyes, that gazed at him and seemed to reproach +him for his cruelty. As he drew +back, the Fish said: “Why should you kill +me, who wish to live?”</p> + +<p>The old man, altogether bewildered at +hearing himself thus addressed, answered: +“Since I and my wife are hungry, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174"></a>[174]</span> +God gave you to be eaten, I have good +reason for killing you.”</p> + +<p>“I could give you something worth +far more than a meal,” said the Fish, “if +you would spare my life.”</p> + +<p>“We are old,” said the ferryman, “and +want only to end our days in peace. To-day +we are hungry; what can be more +good for us than a meal which will give us +strength for the morrow, which is the new +year?”</p> + +<p>The Fish said: “To-night some one will +come and unfasten your boat, and ferry +himself over, and you know nothing of it +till the morning, when you see the craft +moored out yonder by the further bank.”</p> + +<p>The old man remembered how the thing +had happened in previous years, directly +the Fish spoke. “Ah, you know that then! +How is it?” he asked.</p> + +<p>“When you go back to your hut at night +to sleep, I am here in the water,” said the +Fish. “I see what goes on.”</p> + +<p>“What goes on, then?” asked the old +man, very curious to know who the strange +traveller might be.</p> + +<p>“Ah,” said the Fish, “if you could only +catch him in your boat, he could give you<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175"></a>[175]</span> +something you might wish for! I tell you +this: do you and your wife keep watch in +the boat all night, and when he comes, and +you have ferried him into mid-stream, +where he cannot escape, then throw your +net over him and hold him till he pays you +for all your ferryings.”</p> + +<p>“How shall he pay me? All my ferryings +of a lifetime!”</p> + +<p>“Make him take you to the land of +Returning Time. There, at least, you can +end your days in peace.”</p> + +<p>The old man said: “You have told me +a strange thing; and since I mean to act on +it, I suppose I must let you go. If you +have deceived me, I trust you may yet die +a cruel death.”</p> + +<p>The Fish answered: “Do as I tell you, +and you shall die a happy one.” And, +saying this, he slipped down into the water +and disappeared.</p> + +<p>The ferryman went back to his wife +supperless, and said to her: “Wife, bring a +net, and come down into the boat!” And +he told her the story of the Fish and of the +yearly traveller.</p> + +<p>They sat long together under the dark +bank, looking out over the quiet and cold<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176"></a>[176]</span> +moonlit waters, till the midnight hour. +The air was chill, and to keep themselves +warm they covered themselves over with the +net and lay down in the bottom of the boat. +It was the very hour when the old year dies +and the new year is born.</p> + +<p>Before they well knew that they had been +asleep, they started to feel the rocking of +the boat, and found themselves out upon +the broad waters of the river. And there in +the fore-part of the boat, clear and sparkling +in the moonlight, stood a naked man of +shining silver. He was bending upon the +pole of the boat, and his long hair fell over +it right down into the water.</p> + +<p>The old couple rose up quietly, and unwinding +themselves from the net, threw it +over the Silver Man, over his head and +hands and feet, and dragged him down into +the bottom of the boat.</p> + +<p>The old man caught the ferry pole, and +heaved the boat still into the middle of the +stream. As he did so a gentle shock came +to the heart of each; feebly it fluttered and +sank low. “Oh, wife!” sighed the old +man, and reached out his hand for hers.</p> + +<p>The Silver Man lay still in the folds of +the net, and looked at them with a wise<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_177"></a>[177]</span> +and quiet gaze. “What would you have +of me?” he said, and his voice was far off +and low.</p> + +<p>They said, “Bring us into the land of +Returning Time.”</p> + +<p>The Silver Man said: “Only once can +you go there, and once return.”</p> + +<p>They both answered “We wish once to +go there, and once return.”</p> + +<p>So he promised them that they should +have the whole of their request; and they +unloosed him from the net, and landed all +together on the further bank.</p> + +<p>Up the hill they went, following the +track of the Silver Man. Presently they +reached its crest; and there before them +lay all the howling winter of the world.</p> + +<p>The Silver Man turned his face and +looked back; and looking back it became +all young, and ruddy, and bright. The +ferryman and his wife gazed at him, both +speechless at the wonderful change. He +took their hands, making them turn the +way by which they had come; below their +feet was a deep black gulf, and beyond and +away lay nothing but a dark starless hollow +of air.</p> + +<p>“Now,” said their guide, “you have but<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_178"></a>[178]</span> +to step forward one step, and you shall be +in the land of Returning Time.”</p> + +<p>They loosed hold of his hands, joined +clasp, husband with wife, and at one step +upon what seemed gulf beneath their feet, +found themselves in a green and flowery +land. There were perfumed valleys and +grassy hills, whose crops stretched down +before the breeze; thick fleecy clouds +crossed their tops, and overhead, amid a blue +air rang the shrill trilling of birds. Behind +lay, fading mistily as a dream, the bare world +they had left; and fast on his forward road, +growing small to them from a distance, +went the Silver Man, a shining point on the +horizon.</p> + +<p>The ferryman and his wife looked, and +saw youth in each other’s faces beginning to +peep out through the furrows of age; each +step they took made them grow younger +and stronger; years fell from them like worn-out +rags as they went down into the valleys +of the land of Returning Time.</p> + +<p>How fast Time returned! Each step +made the change of a day, and every mile +brought them five years back toward youth. +When they came down to the streams that +ran in the bed of each valley, the ferryman<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_179"></a>[179]</span> +and his wife felt their prime return to them. +He saw the gold come back into her locks, +and she the brown into his. Their lips became +open to laughter and song. “Oh, +how good,” they cried, “to have lived all +our lives poor, to come at last to this!”</p> + +<p>They drank water out of the streams, +and tasted the fruit from the trees that +grew over them; till presently, being tired +for mere joy, they lay down in the grass +to rest. They slept hand within hand and +cheek against cheek, and, when they woke, +found themselves quite young again, just at +the age when they were first married in the +years gone by.</p> + +<p>The ferryman started up and felt the +desire of life strong in his blood. “Come!” +he said to his wife, “or we shall become +too young with lingering here. Now we +have regained our youth, let us go back +into the world once more!”</p> + +<p>His wife hung upon his hand, “Are we +not happy enough,” she asked, “as it is? +Why should we return?”</p> + +<p>“But,” he cried, “we shall grow too +young; now we have youth and life at its +best let us return! Time goes too fast with +us; we are in danger of it carrying us away.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_180"></a>[180]</span></p> + +<p>She said no further word, but followed up +toward the way by which they had entered. +And yet, in spite of her wish to remain, as +she went her young blood frisked. Presently +coming to the top of a hill, they set +off running and racing; at the bottom they +looked at each other, and saw themselves +boy and girl once more.</p> + +<p>“We have stayed here too long!” said +the ferryman, and pressed on.</p> + +<p>“Oh, the birds,” sighed she, “and the +flowers, and the grassy hills to run on, we +are leaving behind!” But still the boy +had the wish for a man’s life again, and +urged her on; and still with every step +they grew younger and younger. At length, +two small children, they came to the border +of that enchanted land, and saw beyond +the world bleak and wintry and without +leaf. Only a further step was wanted to +bring them face to face once more with the +hard battle of life.</p> + +<p>Tears rose in the child-wife’s eyes: “If +we go,” she said, “we can never return!” +Her husband looked long at her wistful face; +he, too, was more of a child now, and was +forgetting his wish to be a man again.</p> + +<p>He took hold of her hand and turned<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_181"></a>[181]</span> +round with her, and together they faced +once more the flowery orchards, and the +happy watered valleys.</p> + +<p>Away down there light streams tinkled, +and birds called. Downwards they went, +slowly at first, then with dancing feet, as +with shoutings and laughter they ran.</p> + +<p>Down into the level fields they ran; their +running was turned to a toddling; their +toddling to a tumbling; their tumbling to +a slow crawl upon hands and feet among +the high grass and flowers; till at last they +were lying side by side, curled up into a +cuddly ball, chuckling and dimpling and +crowing to the insects and birds that passed +over them.</p> + +<p>Then they heard the sweet laughter of +Father Time; and over the hill he came, +young, ruddy, and shining, and gathered +them up sound asleep on the old boat by +the ferry.</p> + +<p class="titlepage">Printed by <span class="smcap">Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.</span><br> +London & Edinburgh</p> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75624 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/75624-h/images/cover.jpg b/75624-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..158f4a3 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/dropcap-a.jpg b/75624-h/images/dropcap-a.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1f68478 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/dropcap-a.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/dropcap-b.jpg b/75624-h/images/dropcap-b.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0686e1f --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/dropcap-b.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/dropcap-l.jpg b/75624-h/images/dropcap-l.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..51acf92 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/dropcap-l.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/dropcap-n.jpg b/75624-h/images/dropcap-n.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..f495514 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/dropcap-n.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/dropcap-p.jpg b/75624-h/images/dropcap-p.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..231fac0 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/dropcap-p.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus01.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus01.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1f8b9f9 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus01.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus02.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus02.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2678eaa --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus02.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus03.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus03.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..f851c44 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus03.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus04.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus04.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..70e574f --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus04.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus05.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus05.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0d5c4c2 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus05.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus06.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus06.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7f18601 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus06.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus07.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus07.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..482aa20 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus07.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus08.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus08.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e950c8a --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus08.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/illus09.jpg b/75624-h/images/illus09.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c8f38ed --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/illus09.jpg diff --git a/75624-h/images/titlepage.jpg b/75624-h/images/titlepage.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e4ca825 --- /dev/null +++ b/75624-h/images/titlepage.jpg |
