_Of the Strange Adventure in the Woods on the Going-Away Day of
Saint Louis._
Very early on the morning of to-day I did go unto the cathedral, for
this is the going-away day of Saint Louis in 1270. I went there to
sing a thank song for his goodness and to say prayers. I did sing
the song of Saint Louis that Angel Father did teach me to sing. The
little leaves on the bushes growing there under the grand trees--their
little leaves did whisper little whispers. I have thinks those little
whispers were thank songs for the goodness of Saint Louis. Sometimes
I did hear little bird voices in between the singing of the songs. I
have thinks they were singing the same thank song I did sing--only
they were singing it in their way. And when I came again home, the
brook was singing the same song.
After other works was done at the house we live in on this morning,
the mamma did have me to stand on a box on a chair and give to the
windows some washes. Then she did have me to give the steps some
scrubs. While I so did, I looked looks about. On the porch-end was
a little spider. He made moves in a little quick way. A guêpe came
near unto him. She made no stops. She came on to him. She did carry
that spider away.
Pretty soon I did have those steps all clean--nice and clean. Then
the mamma did have me to help her to take the children to the house
of her mamma. She and they stayed there all day. I so did not do.
When they were come to the door of the ranch-house, I did go goes
in the way that goes to the pasture-bars. I so did go to tell the
folks in the pasture what day it was.
It was most warm when I was come to the far end of the pasture. The
folks of the pasture were not out in the sun. They were in shade.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was under a big chêne tree. She did look
gentle looks at me. And I did put my arm around her neck and tell her
all about whose day it was. Then I went on to tell the gentle Jersey
cow. She was near some more chêne trees. I went on. She followed
after. She did come with me as far as the brook. I watched her take
a long drink. The day--it was so warm. Elizabeth Barrett Browning
did come for a drink. I had thinks of Aphrodite in the pig-pen. I
looked looks about for the little bucket I do carry drinks of water
in to my friends. I found it where I did hide it by the willow bush.
Then I did go to take a drink of cold water to Aphrodite in the
pig-pen. These warm days she does have longings for a drink of cold
water. She did grunt grunts of appreciations. Then she did grunt
another grunt. I have thinks that other grunt was to tell me not to
have forgets to take a drink of cold water to Cassiopée. I so did.
Cassiopée is a pig that does belong to the man that our lane does
belong to.
After I did tell them all about it being the going-away day of
Saint Louis, I did go my way to the garden. The golden rod did nod,
“It is good that he is born.” The tall sunflowers in the garden
there did say, “It is his day, it is his day.” I went adown the
carrot-rows. They were all whispering soft whispers. I have thinks
they were saying little thank prayers for the goodness of Saint Louis.
The cabbage-plants were all smiling as I passed them by. I think
they are right glad for the drink of water I gave each one of them
last night.
From the garden I did go to tell other folks. I did sing the little
song of Saint Louis as I did go along. The sun, it was hot down on
my head. I took two big maple leaves and they did some help to keep
its warmness from my head. I went on. Once at the edge of the near
woods I met with my dear Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. We went on
together. I did carry him in one arm, and I did hold a maple leaf
over him with the other hand. A long way we went, in about and out
about, and many little folks we did tell about this day being the
going-away day of Saint Louis.
By-and-by, after it was a very long time, there was no sun. The
warmness did have a different feel. There were gray clouds in the
sky. Some were darkness. I did go in hurry steps. I went not from
the road. I did go the way it went around the bend. More dark
clouds did roll across the sky. More grayness was over all. Thomas
Chatterton Jupiter Zeus in my bonnet did make a move. I did almost
drop him. I made a stop to wrap him more up in the sun-bonnet. Then
I did hurry on. I climbed the lane gate. It was more quick to so
do than to pull the plug out that swings the gate open. I went on.
There was a great noise. Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus poked his
nose out of the sun-bonnet. He cuddled up against me. The great noise
came again. I whispered to him, “Il tonne.” We went on. In-between
times there was fire in the sky. It made moves in a quick way. After
it was the coming of the great noise. Every time I did whisper to
Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus, “Il tonne.” I so did, so he would
not have thinks the great noise was something else.
When we were come near the ending of the lane, there was some very
big pats of rain. One fell on my nose, and it did roll off onto the
back of Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. I cuddled him up more close
as more loud noises did come. When we were at the ending of the lane,
there was Brave Horatius waiting for us. I have thinks he had been
on looks for us. His looks did look like he had.
We went on together. We was just a-going to start down the path that
does lead to our house when we did hear a calling. It was a mournful
sound. I had thinks some little life was much hurt and did have
needs of my help. I felt for the little box of mentholatum in my
pocket. It was there, and some bandages too. The sound came again.
Somewhere in the near woods a voice was calling. I followed it after.
Once I did have thinks it came from a root. And then it was like it
did come from a big tree. It was a pain-voice like someone calling
someone to come. Then it was like a lost voice trying to find its
way among the ferns. It was not a word-voice. It was just a voice
without words.
I did have wonders what voice it was. I followed after its queer
callings. Brave Horatius followed after me. He would stop and look
queer puzzle-looks at nowhere. We did go on. The voice sound came
again. Then it was like a voice lost from the person it did belong
to. It was a clear low cry, like a ripple of gray ribbon. We were
more near to it. We followed it around a big tree. There it was come
from the man on the stump, between that tree and the big tree that
was beyond it. The man, he did throw back his head and the voice
came out his throat and went to nowhere. It came again like little
bits of queer green fire flame, and then it was low and again like
a ripple of gray ribbon. As it was so he did turn his face about.
It was the face of the husband of Sadie McKibben; but the look--the
look in his eyes was a queer wild look that looked looks at nowhere.