THE PICNIC.
IN a few minutes the lake was in sight. It was a very pretty sheet of
water. A tiny boat rocked to and fro close to the shore, for Ramon and
Maria often came here to row about the quiet lake.
Ramon soon had two hammocks swinging between the trees for his father
and mother. The lunch was spread out on the ground, as it was already
past the time for the noonday meal.
"What did they have to eat?" you ask. There were some delicate white
rolls, that Paulina knew how to make so nicely. There was guava jelly
to eat on the rolls; fresh lemons and newly made sugar from which to
make a refreshing drink. Besides these, there was plenty of cold fried
chicken. Could any children have a nicer picnic lunch than this, even
if a long time had been spent in getting ready for it?
The guava jelly looked just as clear and beautiful as that which is
brought to America, and sold here at such a high price. Did you ever
see it in the stores of Boston or New York, and think how nice it must
taste? Perhaps your mother has bought it for you when you were getting
well after a long illness, and wished to tempt your appetite by some
new dainty. Maria has several guava-trees near her home. Paulina makes
so much jelly from the ripe fruit that perhaps the little girl does not
realise how nice it is.
After the lunch, Señor Diaz stretched himself in one of the hammocks
for a quiet rest. He was very tired after his walk through the woods.
He was also troubled over the sad state of things in his country, and
was worried that he was not strong enough to take a more active part
against the enemy. His wife lay down in the other hammock for a noonday
nap, after which she promised to help Maria in her sewing.
Paulina gathered the remains of the lunch and put things in order,
while the three children rowed around the lake.
"Won't you hear me read out of my primer, Maria?" said Isabella.
"Ramon, dear, give your oars a rest, and float for a little while. You
can listen, too, and I know you'll like my lesson to-day."
The little girl was just learning to read, and she had a book printed
by the insurgents. No one had to urge her to study, for even her own
little primer was made up of stories about the war. She had tucked her
loved book in the loose waist of her dress when she left the house. No
one had noticed it before.
[Illustration: "'I COUNTED THREE DIFFERENT FORTS OF THE ENEMY'"]
"Why, yes, my darling sister, certainly I will listen, and help you
with the big words, too," answered Maria, while Ramon drew in his oars,
and lay back in the boat with a pleasant smile. Of course the words
were all Spanish, because that was the only language the children had
ever learned. Isabella read:
"My papa is in the army of the Cubans. He fights to make us free. Do
you hear the cannon roar? Our men will bring victory. Long live Cuba!"
When Isabella came to the word "victory," Maria had to help her. It was
such a big word for the six-year-old child to pronounce. She looked at
it again and again, repeating it slowly to herself. Then she said:
"I'll never fail on that word again, Maria, no matter where it is. How
I would like to see it in great big letters on a silk banner! I'd wave
it all day long."
This was a good deal for such a little girl to say, but then, you
know, she was living in the midst of war.
"Good for you," said her brother; "we'll all live yet to see the words
of your primer come true. Long live free Cuba! I say. But come, let's
go on shore, and play war. You and Maria can be the Spaniards, and
I'll be the insurgent army. You just see how I will make short work of
taking you prisoners."
The children landed under a big cotton-tree. They made a fort out of
dead branches which they gathered. This fort was to belong to the
Spanish troops. The two girls placed themselves behind it, and stood
ready to defend themselves. It was not many minutes before Ramon took
them by surprise, and dragged them to the boat, which stood for the
Cuban headquarters.
"Do you know," said the boy, when they stopped to rest a few minutes
from their sport, "I counted three different forts of the enemy during
my tramp this morning. The cowardly Spaniards don't dare to march very
far away from those forts. They really don't give our men a chance to
have a good fair battle. They think by having plenty of forts they can
keep our soldiers from getting into the cities. Then they will scare
the rest of us who live in the country from feeding them. In that way
we will be starved into giving in. We'll see, that's all."
By this time Maria could see that her mother had waked up and left the
hammock.
"She will be ready to help me with my work now," said Maria. "Don't you
want to come and watch me embroider, Isabella?"
The two girls were soon sitting beside their mother, while Ramon went
with Miguel on a hunt for birds. The insurgent emblems which Maria was
so eager to make were to be given to the Cuban soldiers. They were to
wear beneath their coats. Suppose that an insurgent should stop at any
place, and ask for food and rest; how would the people know that he
was true to his country, and not a friend of the Spaniards? He could
show his little piece of flannel with the watchword of the Cubans
embroidered upon it. That was the only thing needed. The people would
be safe now in giving him help.
Maria did her work very nicely. She made a scalloped edge with red silk
all around the white cloth. A crimson heart on a green cross must then
be made, with underneath these words:
"Be of good cheer. The heart of Jesus is with me."
Two hours went by before Ramon came back. Miguel and he were bringing
a large net full of birds. Of course, they had done no shooting. That
would not have been wise when Spanish soldiers might be near to hear
the noise. No, they had searched through the woods till they found
some sour orange trees. The fruit was ripe now and there were sure to
be numbers of parrots around. They could be caught in the net that
Miguel had brought from the house that morning. They had to creep along
very quietly so as to take the birds by surprise.
They had great success, it seemed; but what would the family do with
a dozen dead parrots? Eat them, to be sure. Paulina would make a fine
stew for dinner that very night. That is, of course, if they were
fortunate enough to find the house still standing when they reached
home. The flesh of this bird is tough, and one wonders that Ramon and
Maria are so fond of parrot stew. In Cuba there are many nicer birds
for eating. But each one has his own tastes. No two people are alike,
we have found out long ago.
"I discovered something in the woods that I want to show you girls,"
said Ramon. "It's only a little ways off. Won't you come, too, mamma?
It's the dearest little nest I ever saw in my life. It must belong to a
humming-bird."
Ramon's mother and the children followed him till the boy stopped in
front of a low bush. Hidden away under the leaves was the tiny nest.
It was no bigger than a large thimble. It was made of cotton, bound
together with two or three horse-hairs.
"I'm sure I couldn't have sewed it as well as that," said Maria. "See
how the threads are woven in and out. It's wonderful what birds can
do. But look at the eggs, mamma dear. See! there are two of them. They
aren't any bigger than peas."
Just then the children heard a fluttering of tiny wings. It was Mrs.
Humming-Bird who had come home. She was troubled at the sight of the
strangers.
"Did you ever before see such a small bird?" whispered Isabella.
"She looks like a butterfly, and a small one, too. Aren't her colours
beautiful?"
"We would best let her go back to her nest, now, my dears," said Señora
Diaz. "You can watch, Ramon, and find out when the baby birds hatch. We
shall all like to see them, I'm sure."
They left the bush and turned back toward the lake. Ramon stopped
again, however, when they came to a small lace-wood tree.
"You know you asked me to get you some of the wood to trim your doll's
dress, Isabella. Here is a good chance to get it. I'll follow you in a
few minutes."
Ramon took out his knife, and soon the young tree was cut away from the
roots. It would take some time to strip off the bark. It must be done
carefully and peeled off in one piece, so as to leave the pith of the
tree quite smooth and whole. Several strips of delicate lace could be
obtained from this pith. Now Isabella would be able to dress her doll
in great elegance. She could ruffle the lace on the waist and flounces
of the doll's skirt and make it look as beautiful as though it cost a
good deal of money. Isabella herself has a dress trimmed with the lace,
but Paulina needs to be very careful when she irons it. It was growing
dark when Ramon arrived at the shore with his tree.
"We will go back now," said Señor Diaz, "and see if the soldiers have
left us our home."
All were soon making their way back to the house, which they found
unharmed. Nothing had been touched by the enemy. Perhaps they had not
thought it worth while to stop. At any rate, there was great joy in the
Diaz family that evening as they sat on the balcony, sipping cups of
hot sweetened water. The times were so hard they could not buy coffee,
and _guaraba_, as they called it, was the next best thing. Maria is
very fond of it.
The children were so tired from the day's excitement that by eight
o'clock they were quite ready to go to dreamland. Isabella started
first. She went up to her father and, placing her tiny hands across her
breast, looked up into his eyes with a sweet, solemn look. He knew at
once what it meant. She was asking an evening blessing before leaving
him for the night. Every one in the room stopped talking; all bowed
their heads while the kind father said:
"May God bless my darling child, and all others of this household."
Maria and Ramon followed Isabella's example, and soon the children were
sound asleep. Isabella dreamed that she taught her loved parrot to say
"Liberty," and was delighted at her success.