THE STORY OF THE JEWELLED BEACH
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
“Do you wonder that I love the story?” said Princess Ethelda, as the
guide finished.
“Oh,” replied the Moon maidens, almost in one voice, “it is an
enchanting history, indeed.”
“See,” replied the guide messenger, pointing in the distance to a high
mountain, “beyond that mountain lies the Beautiful Valley of which I
have just told you.”
In a little while the merry party had reached the mountain top, and
stood gazing in a bewilderment of pleasure at the wonderful valley
below. Exquisite lakes and shining silver rivers lay beneath; beautiful
hills stretched away in the distance; and the glorious colors in the
rocks, which the fairies had painted so vividly, reflected the pinks and
yellows in a growing radiance that lighted up the whole valley in
splendor. Innumerable rays flashed out in little threadlike flames,
flooding the world below in a blaze of color.
“How magnificent it is!” exclaimed the visitors; and the guide was well
pleased with their admiration.
I could never describe to you properly the entertainments that followed
their arrival, nor the joy of Dorion and Ethelda in meeting the
beautiful Sun Princess. Princess Kuldah was as beautiful as ever, and
spared no pains to make her brother and his bride and their companions
welcome. The Prince, her husband, showed them his wonderful workshop,
and they marvelled over the geysers, and listened with awe to the
description of his great problem.
The days seemed all too short, and the guests were surprised when the
time for their departure arrived. The feasting and dancing and
sight-seeing were at last ended in the valley of enchantment; one
glorious morning they rose with the Sun, and bidding good-bye to
Princess Kuldah and her people, started to meet the black dwarf of the
mountains. The same guide would accompany them to the place where they
were to meet him. The Princess saw none of them felt much desire to go;
Ethelda was particularly downcast, still she bore up bravely, and with a
smiling face she began the journey.
Although Ethelda and her companions were charmed with the splendors of
the deep, they were still more impressed with delight over the new
beauties they discovered upon the land. They had seen the glittering
mountains of the Moon and the fiery craters of the Sun, and had wondered
at such magnificence, but the Earth’s fresh coloring was a revelation.
And the Earth had decked herself right royally to receive them. The
month was April, and the world, rioting in flowers, was aflame with
color. The poppies, yellow and scarlet, burst forth from the meadows’
tenderest green. The white petalled, yellow centred daisies came out in
thousands to greet them, while the roses, pink and white and red,
flashed everywhere. The trees, too, dressed in the earliest Spring
green, nodded and waved their long branches in a glad welcome, and the
tiny wood violet, modest and sweet, sent forth its perfumed breath in
waves of delight, filling the air with sweetness.
“Wonderful—wonderful!” cried Ethelda, throwing herself in an ecstasy of
pleasure upon the soft greensward, and gathering handfuls of the flowers
to weave into garlands. “I should like to live here always,” she said.
The Sun Prince shared his bride’s delight, but he whispered cautiously:
“Take care, sweetheart. Remember a Moon maiden and a Sun Prince can only
visit for a twelvemonth. A longer stay would be dangerous; it would keep
us here for ever.”
“O, yes,” answered Ethelda; “I was hardly in earnest when I spoke, for I
could not leave my beloved mother sorrowing. Yet I am very happy here.”
Days of pleasure passed, on the journey. Days of wonderment too. When
the strangers saw how the small seed planted in the ground—warmed by the
sun and watered by the rain—throve and became a tiny blade of grass, a
delicate flower, or a magnificent tree, this seemed a miracle to them,
for nothing ever grows out of the soil of the Moon or the Sun.
One day as they stood on the top of a high mountain they saw a very
strange sight. A great sea lay shining in the distance, sparkling and
glittering in gold and blue. It washed the shores of magnificent valleys
and rich gardens. Fruits and flowers grew in abundance, but the strange
sight lay in the fact that the valleys and fruit gardens stretching out
so broadly suddenly stopped at a line of yellow sand,—stopped so
abruptly that it seemed almost a straight line, it was so clean cut,—and
the sand covered hundreds and hundreds of miles of the Earth.
“How queer it looks!” they said among themselves; “not a blade of grass,
not a tree, on the barren waste! We have never seen anything like it
before. What is it?”
“It will take two stories to explain that wonderful view lying before
us,” replied the guide.
“Oh, do tell them!” cried the Moon people in chorus; “we love stories”;
and they settled themselves to listen.
“Well,” began the guide, “the first relates to the Princess Ethelda.”
“To me?” asked the Princess in astonishment.
“Yes,” answered the messenger; “look closely at the sea beach and tell
me what you see.”
“Why, great shining jewels seem strewn over the yellow sands,” said the
Princess, perfectly amazed; and in turn each of the Moon people saw the
same.
“Well,” continued the messenger, turning to the Princess, “when her
Imperial Majesty of the Moon consented to your coming to visit the Earth
on your bridal trip, she ordered many wedding presents for you, and in
finishing the loveliest that she gave you, it came about that that beach
was formed. But I will begin the story of the Jewelled Beach.
“The Moon was shining through a turquoise-blue sky. Now and then a baby
cloud passed before her face, but it was so white and airy that it did
not even hide the dazzling lights of her silver palace. One could see
them perfectly well, shining through the handsome windows.
“Serenely beautiful the Moon Queen moved through her star-studded
pathway. She was calm and majestic. As she swung around the celestial
circle that night she leaned down lower to watch the golden gleam of a
small star shining far in the distance. For many reasons that particular
star had occupied her mind of late, and that evening she seemed even
more intent upon it than ever. How beautiful it was! Of all the millions
of glittering points embroidered on the sky, that small one stood out
the brightest. In bold relief its dancing lights sped out over the
heavens in friendly twinkle toward the Moon.
“The Moon Queen smiled to herself as she watched, and then out from the
jewelled windows of her home suddenly leaped a brilliant crystal light
to meet the star rays. From that moment her Imperial Majesty made up her
mind on a subject she had long thought of. Turning to one of her
handmaidens who stood near, she bade her summon the master mechanic of
her empire; when this had been done, and the man stood before her, she
asked, in liquid tones, ‘How many workmen do I employ in the silver
mountains?’
“‘Ah, your Majesty,’ was the reply, ‘you have so many thousands employed
there, that it is almost impossible to say.’
“‘Good,’ replied the Queen thoughtfully, ‘I have sore need of thousands
now. Bid them all meet me to-morrow. Call them together at the
foot-hills of the mountains. Let no man be missing; from the greatest
artist in your shops to the humblest workman, let not a sprite dare to
forget my command!’
“The master mechanic promised obedience, and bowing low left her
presence.
“When the hour arrived that the Queen had named, there gathered at the
foot-hills of the mountains all her little workmen. Thousands and
thousands of tiny sprites were there, and they glittered from head to
toe in shining silver garments; silver dust powdered them until their
clothes looked white as frost, and when they moved their sheen was like
costly jewels. Talking together, they were wondering why the Queen
should have commanded them to meet her at their busiest hour. Except
that she was not fond of idlers, and required prompt and vigorous work
from her people, she was a gentle mistress; but now, when they were
rushing with the wedding presents for the marriage of her favorite
daughter (which was soon to occur), she had called them from their
shops. It surely seemed unwise. All work had ceased, for not a sprite in
all Moonland was missing. What could it mean?
“At last her Majesty appeared. Her great retinue of nobles and
gorgeously dressed maidens accompanied her, and with music and gay
laughter they came nearer. Presently the sprites saw the Queen bid her
attendants stop where they stood, and unaccompanied she approached the
gallant army of her little workmen. She was well worthy the cheers of
admiration that broke from their lips as she neared them. Tall and
magnificent in form, she looked every inch a Queen, yet her bright blue
eyes glowed with a tender light of love, showing a gentle nature, as she
bowed her thanks for their affectionate greetings. Her long, fair hair
floated softly about her, sometimes clinging to her white dress like
threads of gold, and at her slender waist was gathered a graceful silver
girdle, caught with a diamond crescent. At last, in all her splendor,
she stood among them, and as she raised her hand asking for silence,
absolute silence fell upon them.
“‘My good and loyal subjects,’ she began, ‘I have come to-day to intrust
you with an important but secret work. No one in all the kingdom save
yourselves must know of it. When all is completed, I myself will divulge
the secret to my people, and I believe it will gladden them. But until
then will you faithfully promise to help me and to keep my counsel?’
“‘Beloved Queen,’ they answered in one loud voice, ‘your will is ours;
we will obey you gladly.’
“‘Then listen, friends and subjects,’ the Queen continued with smiling
face, ‘for this is my command: That you make me a splendid silver
ladder! Step by step must it be wrought, and with greatest care, for it
must stretch out miles and miles in length. Strong as bands of steel
each round must be, but finer in its texture than the gossamer web of
the spider. Weave it with the fairies’ touch, making it exquisitely
light, yet so bright withal that it can easily be seen for thousands of
miles. Spare neither care nor labor, beloved subjects, for the ladder
must be mine within the week.’
“Days and nights the hammers of the little workmen rang out clearly,
like notes of merry music, and the Moon people said among themselves,
‘What gorgeous wedding presents our little Princess will receive!’ But
they never dreamed of the mysterious ladder of glistening silver steps.
And the Queen Mother kept her counsel. Only, each night as she sailed
across the jewel-laden heavens, she leaned closer to the Earth Star and
studied it.
“She saw great valleys and snow-clad mountains, barren deserts and
limpid blue seas. She saw, too, great forests and boundless plains; but
though her searching eye looked upon every inch of that beautiful bright
ball whirling through space, she thought the loveliest spot on the whole
globe was on the borders of the largest ocean. That ocean was so big
that it measured just one half the star itself. All the other oceans and
the land together could be taken up and put upon its broad blue surface.
“This splendid body of water washed the foot of a glorious country. Big
mountains, raising their purple heads among the clouds, crept down to
feel its cooling depths. Or, higher still, they reared their lofty peaks
and held them scornfully aloft; and thus, capped with perpetual snow,
they stood beautiful and glorified. Great plains stretched back from its
curving yellow beach, and all the fruit one could name grew in the rich
valleys. It was the garden spot of the world. Amid its groves of yellow
oranges and lemons birds sang deliciously; flowers bloomed throughout
the year, and the skies were nearly always sunny. In this earthly
paradise palms lazily waved their feathery green arms, and trees grew so
big that houses could be cut out of a single trunk. Here it was that the
Moon Queen’s eye lingered longest, and it was almost with a child’s
delight she saw the big blue waves roll in and break upon the sand in a
fringe of soft white foam.
“The week had passed, and the Queen’s ladder was ready. One by one its
silver steps were tested; ring by ring its loops were firmly fastened
and bound together; for, dainty as it looked, the ladder must be strong
for constant use.
“When all was ready the sprites were cautiously sent with it on a secret
mission to the Earth. None but the Moon Queen knew their errand; but she
smiled to herself, for after all, when completed, it was to be a wedding
present and surprise to her favorite daughter.
“Down from the palace crept the little people, carrying their silver
treasure. The night being dark, they reached the Earth without being
discovered. In a little while they found the ocean beach the Queen so
loved,—for it was here the first jewelled rounds of that sparkling
ladder should be laid. By the soft light of the stars, the sprites saw
that the Earth was very beautiful; but what were those queer, sad sounds
they heard, mingling with the breaking of the waves upon the beach? The
workmen stopped to listen, and caught the strains of music; then,
looking closely at the water, they saw a line of lovely maidens, with
flowing golden hair, which they continually combed as they sang. The
Moon sprites were quite astonished at the sight. The maidens were
surpassingly beautiful, but their song was very sad.
“‘Who are you, and why do you sing so sadly?’ they called.
“‘Alas!’ replied the charming creatures, ‘we are mermaids. Our father is
the Sea King. We have always been as happy as the day is long, until a
few years ago, when a terrible misfortune came upon us. One of the
prettiest of our sisters was about to be married. We were busy with the
preparations for her wedding, gathering the seaweed and the pretty
mother-of-pearl shells that float up on the land, to decorate her
palace. We had searched carefully our large and magnificent sea-gardens
for the finest specimens of weed and shells. But a beautiful shell,
brilliantly tinted in every shade of rose and green and blue combined,
had been thrown high upon the sandy beach, out of our reach. Our dear
sister became too venturesome, and floating on a big wave she grasped
the shell she coveted.
“‘At that moment, the hideous Gnome King sprang suddenly from behind a
rock, and snatching her in his arms ran off. In vain we pleaded with him
to restore our lost darling. The cruel monster only laughed, and swore
she should become his wife. Her bridegroom of the Sea was almost beside
himself with grief when he learned the awful news. He offered his life
in exchange for hers, and we gathered together all our jewels for her
ransom. But nothing would move the hard heart of the wicked Gnome King,
and he still keeps our beloved sister in his power. That is why we sing
so mournfully. The monster, finding she would not marry him, carried her
to the top of a high mountain, where she could see her beloved home, but
never reach it.
“‘She is helpless upon the land, and though she can look down at the
foot of the mountains and see the curling waters of her home, she cannot
reach it. Her lover sits below, encouraging her with words of love, but
he is helpless to reach her. Miserable and longing for home, she watches
all the ships that pass, and with her lute sings the most wonderful
songs, begging the sailors to rescue her. Many have tried, and the
mountain-side is white with the bones of those who have perished in the
attempt. For the Gnome King makes mad those who try to save her; they
lose their way and die.
“‘Alas, kind friends, unless you will help us, we fear she is lost to us
for ever.’
“The kind-hearted Moon sprites were certainly touched by this pathetic
tale, and they determined among themselves that they would form a plan
to outwit the cruel Gnome King, and rescue the sea maid. Of course to do
this they would have to delay a little the planting of the Moon ladder,
but they felt that her Imperial Majesty would certainly have consented
to delay in such a case. So, gathering up their precious burden, they
climbed the mountain to seek the sea maid.
“Knowing that she could never reach her sisters alone, and enchanting
all the mortals who tried to rescue her, the Gnome King had no guard to
watch the maiden. She was left entirely alone upon a big rock
overlooking the ocean. The wicked king came at rare intervals to see if
she would consent to marry him, but otherwise she was left undisturbed.
[Illustration: “_A glimmering figure sitting on a high cliff._”
(Page 106)]
“The Moon sprites, however, were not affected by the King’s
enchantments, so they had no difficulty in reaching her. Suddenly the
mermaid saw a gleam of brilliant silver flooding the darkness behind
her, and in a moment she was surrounded by a thousand little
silver-dressed creatures. At the same moment the Moon sprites caught
sight of a glimmering figure of matchless beauty sitting on a high
cliff. The maiden was a vision of loveliness. Long, waving, golden hair
floated about her, and her eyes were the color of the sea. She held a
lute in her hand; as her fingers moved softly across it, it gave forth a
weird but beautiful sound, and to this accompaniment she sang
charmingly. Quickly the Moon sprites told her of the plan for rescuing
her, and joyfully she listened.
“They carefully suspended the silver ladder from her mountain cliff.
Holding it tight between them to steady it, they flung it swiftly down
until its brilliant steps touched the trembling water. At this moment
they heard a faint noise like rumbling thunder, and the affrighted
maiden bade them hurry with their work, as it was the signal that the
Gnome King would soon visit her. In a twinkling they seized the maiden
in their arms, and carried her down the brilliant steps. They were not a
moment too soon, for hardly had they placed the maiden in her
bridegroom’s arms and picked up their ladder, when the Gnome King and
his legion of wicked gnomes were swarming on the mountain-top.
“The rage of the wicked King was fearful to see, but it was useless. He
could not regain the mermaid and he could not harm a Moon sprite; but in
his anger he pelted the beach with stones, venting his fury in
destroying its beauty. Small but ugly, they fell in thousands, covering
the golden yellow of the sand, and hiding its glistening splendor. Thus
he showered his spite upon the beautiful playground of the mermaids.
“But the Sea King’s daughters were too happy over the return of their
beloved sister to fret very much. True, their charmingly beautiful beach
seemed ruined, but their beloved sister was home again. Thousands,
indeed millions, of little stones were piled about in ugly confusion,
and marred the soft, bright sand the sea people so loved, but they were
powerless to prevent it. The Moon sprites went back to their work of
fastening the moon-ladder to the Earth, and the Sea King invited them to
remain for his daughter’s wedding the next night.
“The wedding spectacle was certainly a grand one, for the Ocean Monarch
had ordered the greatest fireworks in his kingdom in honor of the event.
The sea blazed up as though it were burning. Flames seemed to leap and
flare up everywhere, and thousands of brilliant colors mixed and
trembled in its depths. The phosphorescence was wonderful, and wherever
the eye could reach, the brilliant lights shone and sparkled. The Moon
sprites were amazed at such magnificence. The night was as brilliant and
beautiful as day; and they felt that the wonders of the Earth world were
great indeed.
“Just then a messenger arrived from her Imperial Majesty of the Moon,
saying that she had watched her workmen rescuing the maiden, and had
seen the wedding festival and the splendid illumination, and before
recalling her little people to the Moon, she wished to give the bride a
present. The wicked Gnome King had tried to ruin the playground of the
mermaids, but she would restore it, making it more interesting and
fascinating than ever.
“It was a royal gift the Moon Queen gave. She said that henceforth the
beach should be enchanted. The hideous stones the gnomes had thrown
should not ruin it after all, but should make it more precious to the
world, for they should all turn to shining jewels. She chose to make the
white pebbles the loveliest of them all, and so change them that the sea
people could never forget her. These stones shone as clear as crystal,
and in the pure depths of each one there trembled a moon-ray, a memento
of her crystal kingdom. This brilliant ray glistened like a diamond,
caught and held a prisoner, and was from that day called the moonstone.
But it was hard indeed to choose the prettiest of the beach jewels. For
opals clear as water, and with fire from the sea, sparkled beside the
moonstones; sardonyx, chrysoprase, and emerald, jasper, aquamarine, and
topaz, were piled so high that the beach was soon most widely known.
“The Earth people come in hundreds to seek these treasures, making them
into precious necklaces and charms. But though they carry thousands and
thousands away with them each day, the mermaids smile and do not mind at
all, because the Moon-ladder, uncoiling every night in sparkling
brilliancy, reaches down from the silver palace and touches the beach
like a magician’s wand, and the mermaids know that so long as the
shining steps of brilliant silver shall rest upon these sands, just so
long will the beach continue enchanted, and splendid jewels be formed in
such glittering quantities that they will last for ever.”