elves got out their paints and brushes of butterfly-down, and using
large white leaves for paper, learned to imitate the colors of every
flower.
"Why do they do this?" asked Eva, for she saw no pictures anywhere.
"We keep the flowers fresh, for in the world below they have trials with
the hot sun that fades, the mould that spots, grubs that gnaw, and frost
that kills. We melt bits of rainbow in our paint-pots, and when it is
needed we brighten the soft color on Anemone's cheeks, deepen the blue
of Violet's eyes, or polish up the cowslips till they shine like cups of
gold. We redden the autumn leaves, and put the purple bloom on the
grapes. We made the budding birches a soft green, color maple keys, and
hang brown tassels on the alder twigs. We repair the dim spots on
butterflies' wings, paint the blue-bird like the sky, give Robin his red
vest, and turn the yellow bird to a flash of sunshine. Oh, we are
artists, and hereafter you will see our pictures everywhere."
"How lovely!" said Eva. "I often wondered who kept all these delicate
things so beautiful and gay. But where are we going now?" she added, as
the elves led her away from the school.
"Come and see where we learn to ride," they answered, smiling as if they
enjoyed this part of their education.
In a little dell where the ground was covered with the softest moss Eva
found the fairy riding-school and gymnasium. The horses were all kinds
of winged and swift-footed things, and the race-ground was a smooth path
round the highest moss mound. Groups of elves lay on the ground, swung
on the grass-blades, or sat in the wood flowers, that stood all about.
In one place the mothers and fathers were teaching their little ones to
fly. The baby elves sat in a row on the branch of a birch-tree,
fluttering their small wings and nestling close together, timid yet
longing to launch boldly out into the air and float as the others did.
The parents were very patient, and one by one the babies took little
flights, getting braver and braver each time.
One very timid elf would not stir, so the sly papa and mamma put it on a
leaf, and each taking a side, they rode the dear about for a few
minutes, till she was used to the motion; then they dropped the leaf,
and the little elf finding herself falling spread her wings and flew
away to a tall bush, to the great delight of all who saw it.
But the riding was very funny, and Eva soon forgot everything else in
watching the gay creatures mount their various horses and fly or gallop
round the ring while the teacher--a small fellow in a gay cap and green
suit--stood on the moss-mound, cracking a long whip and telling them how
to ride in the best fairy fashion.
Several lady elves learned to mount butterflies gracefully and float
where they liked, sitting firmly when the winged horses alighted on the
flowers. The boy elves preferred field-mice, who went very swiftly
round and round, with saddles of woven grass and reins of yellow
bindweed, which looked well on the little gray creatures, who twinkled
their bright eyes and whisked their long tails as if they liked it.
But the best fun of all was when the leaping began; and Eva quite
trembled lest some sad accident should happen; for grasshoppers were led
out, and the gallant elves leaped over the highest flower-tops without
falling off.
It was very funny to see the queer hoppers skip with their long legs,
and when Puck, the riding-master, mounted, and led a dozen of his pupils
a race round the track, all the rest of the elves laughed aloud and
clapped their hands in great glee; for Puck was a famous fairy, and his
pranks were endless.
Eva was shouting with the rest as the green horses came hopping by, when
Puck caught her up before him, and away they raced so swiftly that her
hair whistled in the wind and her breath was nearly gone. A tremendous
leap took them high over the little hill and landed Eva in a tall
dandelion, where she lay laughing and panting as if on a little yellow
sofa, while Trip and her mates fanned her and smoothed her pretty hair.
"That was splendid!" she cried. "I wish I was a real fairy, and always
lived in this lovely place. Everything will seem so ugly and big and
coarse when I go home I shall never be happy again."
"Oh, yes, you will," answered Trip, "for after this visit you will be
able to hear and see and know what others never do, and that will make
you happy and good. You believed in us, and we reward all who love what
we love, and enjoy the beautiful world they live in as we do."
"Thank you," said Eva. "If I can know what the birds sing and the brook,
and talk with the flowers, and see faces in the sky, and hear music in
the wind, I won't mind being a child, even if people call me queer."
"You shall understand many lovely things and be able to put them into
tales and songs that all will read and sing and thank you for," said
Moonbeam, a sweet, thoughtful elf, who stole quietly about, and was
always singing like a soft wind.
"Oh, that is what I always wanted to do," cried Eva, "for I love my
song-books best, and never find new ones enough. Show me more, dear
elves, so that I can have many fine tales to tell when I am old enough
to write."
"Come, then, and see our sweetest sight. We cannot show it to every one,
but your eyes will be able to see through the veil, and you will
understand the meaning of our flower-heaven."
So Moonlight led her away from all the rest, along a little winding path
that went higher and higher till they stood on a hilltop.
"Look up and follow me," said the elf, and touching Eva's shoulders with
her wand, a pair of wings shot out, and away she floated after her guide
toward what looked like a white cloud sailing in the blue sky.
When they alighted a soft mist was round them, and through it Eva saw a
golden glimmer like sunshine.
"Look, but do not speak," said Moonlight, beckoning her along.
Soon the mist passed away and nothing but a thin veil of gossamer like a
silken cobweb hung between them and the world beyond. "Can you see
through it?" whispered the elf anxiously.
Eva nodded, and then forgot everything to look with all her eyes into a
lovely land of flowers; for the walls were of white lilies, the trees
were rose-trees, the ground blue violets, and the birds the little
yellow canary-plant, whose blossoms are like birds on the wing.
Columbines sounded their red horns, and the air was filled with delicate
voices, unlike any ever heard before, because it was the sweet breath of
flowers set to music.
But what surprised Eva most was the sight of a common dandelion, a tuft
of clover, a faded mignonette-plant, with several other humble flowers,
set in a little plot by themselves as if newly come, and about them
gathered a crowd of beautiful spirits, so bright, so small, so perfect
that Eva could hardly see them, and winked as if dazzled by the sunshine
of this garden among the clouds.
"Who are they? and why do they care for those poor flowers?" whispered
Eva, forgetting that she must not speak.
Before Moonlight could answer, all grew dim for a moment, as if a cold
breath had passed beyond the curtain and chilled the delicate world
within.
"Hush! mortal voices must not be heard here," answered the elf with a
warning look.
"These lovely creatures are the spirits of flowers who did some good
deed when they bloomed on earth, and their reward is to live here
forever where there is no frost, no rain, no stormy wind to hurt them.
Those poor plants have just come, for their work is done, and their
souls will soon be set free from the shapes that hold them. You will see
how beautiful they have made themselves when out of the common flowers
come souls like the perfect ones who are welcoming them.
"That dandelion lived in the room of a poor little sick girl who had no
other toy, no other playmate. She watched and loved it as she lay on her
bed, for she was never well, and the good flower, instead of fading
without sunshine in that dreary room, bloomed its best, till it shone
like a little sun. The child died with it in her hand, and when she no
longer needed it, we saved it from being thrown away and brought it here
to live forever.
"The clover grew in a prison-yard, and a bad boy shut up there watched
it as the only green thing that made him think of the fields at home
where his mother was waiting and hoping he would come back to her.
Clover did her best to keep good thoughts in his mind and he loved her,
and tried to repent, and when he was told he might go, he meant to take
his flower with him but forgot it in his hurry to get home. We did not
forget, for the wind that goes everywhere had told us the little story,
and we brought brave Clover out of prison to this flower-heaven.
"Mignonette lived in a splendid garden, but no one minded her, for she
is only a little brown thing and hid in a corner, happy with her share
of sunshine and rain, and her daily task of blossoming green and strong.
People admired the other fine flowers and praised their perfume, never
knowing that the sweetest breath of all came from the nook where
Mignonette modestly hid behind the roses. No one ever praised her, or
came to watch her, and the gardener took no care of her. But the bees
found her out and came every day to sip her sweet honey, the butterflies
loved her better than the proud roses, and the wind always stopped for
a kiss as it flew by. When autumn came and all the other plants were
done blossoming, and stood bare and faded, there was modest Mignonette
still green and fresh, still with a blossom or two, and still smiling
contentedly with a bosom full of ripened seeds,--her summer work well
done, her happy heart ready for the winter sleep.
"But we said, 'No frost shall touch our brave flower; she shall not be
neglected another year, but come to live loved and honored in the
eternal summer that shines here.' Now look."
Eva brushed away the tears that had filled her eyes as she listened to
these little histories, and looking eagerly, saw how from the dandelion,
set free by the spells the spirits sang, there rose, light as down, a
little golden soul, in the delicate shape the others wore. One in pale
rose came from the clover, and a third in soft green with dusky wings;
but a bright face flew out of the mignonette. Then the others took hands
and floated round the new-comers in an airy dance, singing so joyfully
that Eva clapped her hands crying, "Happy souls! I will go home and try
to be as good as they were; then I may be as happy when I go away to my
heaven."
The sound of her voice made all dark, and she would have been frightened
if the elf had not taken her hand and led her back to the edge of the
cloud, saying as they flew down to Fairyland--"See, the sun is setting;
we must take you home before this midsummer day ends, and with it our
power to make ourselves known."
Eva had so much to tell that she was ready to go; but a new surprise
waited for her, and she saw a fairy spectacle as she came again before
the palace.
Banners of gay tulip-leaves were blowing in the wind from the lances of
reeds held by a troop of elves mounted on mice; a car made of a curled
green leaf with checkerberry wheels and cushions of pink mushrooms stood
ready for her, and Trip as maid of honor helped her in. Lady elves on
butterflies flew behind, and the Queen's trumpeters marched before
making music on their horns. All the people of Elfland lined the way,
throwing flowers, waving their hands, and calling, "Farewell, little
Eva! Come again! Do not forget us!" till she was out of sight.
"How sweet and kind you are to me. What can I do to thank you?" said Eva
to Trip, who sat beside her as they rolled along,--a gay and lovely
sight, if any but fairy eyes could have seen it.
"Remember all you have seen and heard. Love the good and beautiful
things you will find everywhere, and be always a happy child at heart,"
answered Trip with a kiss.
Before Eva could speak the sun set and in a moment every elf was
invisible, all the pretty show was gone, and the child stood alone by
the brook. But she never forgot her visit to Fairyland, and as she grew
up she seemed to be a sort of elf herself, happy, gay, and good, with
the power of making every one love her as she went singing and smiling
through the world. She wrote songs that people loved to sing, told tales
children delighted to read, and found so much wisdom, beauty, and music
everywhere, that it was very plain she understood the sweet language of
bird and flower, wind and water, and remembered all the lessons the
elves taught her.
V.
SUNSHINE, AND HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
[Illustration: Sunshine was a sweet creature, and a great comfort to her
mother.--PAGE 92.]
Once upon a time there was a very wise old spirit called Mother Nature,
who lived in a beautiful place, and had a large family of children, whom
she found it rather hard to manage. When they obeyed her, all went well;
but when they played pranks or quarrelled, everything was in confusion,
and all sorts of trouble came.
Sunshine, the eldest girl, was a sweet creature, always good, and a
great comfort to her mother at all seasons. So were South and West Winds
nice little girls; but Lightning, Thunder's twin sister, was very
naughty, and liked to do mischief. Snow, the fourth daughter, was a
cold, quiet spirit, fond of covering up the world with the nice white
sheets she kept folded away in the sky. Rain was always crying, East
Wind sulking, Thunder and Hail scolding and growling, and North Wind,
the biggest of the boys, went roaring and blustering about so fiercely
that every one ran before him, though his wholesome breath freshened the
world, and blew away much rubbish, which his gentle sisters could not
manage as they kept house.
"Now, my dears, I'm very tired and going to take a nap, so be good
children; do your tasks nicely, and wake me in March," said Mother
Nature, one November day, when her summer work was over, and her time
for rest had come.
"Yes, mamma," said Sunshine, as she tucked her up with a kiss. "I will
do my best to keep the girls busy and the boys in order. Have a good
sleep, and I'll call you in time for the spring work."
Then the old lady tied her night-cap over her ears, and dozed off quite
comfortably, while her good daughter, after a last smile at the frosty
world, went to her spinning, that there might be plenty of sunshine for
the next summer.
"It's my turn now, and I'll cry as much as I like, for mother isn't here
to stop me, and Sunny can't," said Rain; and down came floods of tears,
while his brother, East Wind, began to blow till every one shivered, and
coughs and colds and fog and mud made the world a dismal place. Sunny
begged them to stop and give her a chance now and then, but they would
not; and everybody said what a dreadful month November was that year.
Fortunately it was soon time for North Wind and his favorite sister Snow
to come back from Iceland; and the moment the older brother's loud voice
was heard, Rain and East ran and hid, for they were rather afraid of
him.
"Ha, what a mess those rascals have made! Never mind, we'll soon have it
all nice and tidy for Christmas," said North, as he dried up the mud,
blew away the fog, and got the world ready for Snow to cover with her
beautiful down quilt. In a day or two it looked like a fairy world, and
Sunshine peeped out to do her part, making the ice on the trees glitter
like diamonds, the snowy drifts shine like silver, and fill the blue sky
full of light.
Then every one rejoiced, bells jingled merrily, children coasted and
snow-balled; Christmas trees began to grow, and all faces to glow as
they never do at any other time.
"The holydays shall be pleasant if I can only keep those bad boys in a
good humor," said Sunny; and to make sure of them she fed Rain and East
Wind on plum-cake with poppy-seeds in it, so they slept like dormice
till the New Year was born.
Snow had her frolics, and no one minded, because she was so pretty; and
North was so amiable just then that the white storms only made fine
sleighing, and the fresh air kept cheeks rosy, eyes sparkling, lips
laughing, and hearts happy as they should be at that blessed season.
Sunshine was so pleased that she came out to see the fun, and smiled so
warmly that a January thaw set in.
"Dear me, I forgot that I must not be too generous at this season, or it
makes trouble; for, though people enjoy my pleasant days, they leave off
their furs and get cold. I'll go back to my spinning and only smile
through the window; then no harm will be done."
Thunder and Lightning had been in Italy all this time, and they too got
into mischief. Their mother had shut the twins up in a volcano to keep
them out of the way till summer, when they were useful. Down there they
found playmates to suit them, and had fine times rumbling and boiling,
and sending out hot lava and showers of ashes to scare the people who
lived near by. Growing tired of this, they at last planned to get up an
earthquake and escape. So they kicked and shook the world like children
tumbling about under the bed-clothes; and the fire roared, and Thunder
growled, and Lightning flew about trying to get the lid of the volcano
off. At last she did, and out they all burst with such a dreadful noise
that the poor people thought the end of the world had come. Towns fell
down, hills moved, the sea came up on the shore, ashes and stones
covered up a whole city, and destruction and despair were everywhere.
"There! wasn't that a fine frolic? Mother won't dare to shut us up
again, I fancy, when she sees what a piece of work we make for her,"
said naughty Lightning, dashing about to peep through the smoke at the
sad scene below.
"Grand fun! but if Sunshine wakes mother we shall wish we had not done
it. Let's run away to Africa and hide till this is all forgotten,"
answered Thunder, rather ashamed of such a dreadful prank.
So they flew off, leaving great sorrow behind them; but Sunshine did not
wake mamma, though West Wind came home from Italy to tell her all about
it. There was trouble here also, for Rain and East Wind had waked up,
and were very angry to find they had been dosed with poppy-seeds.
"Now we'll pay Sunny for that, and turn everything topsy-turvy," they
said; and calling Hail, they went to work.
Rain emptied all his water-buckets till the rivers rose and flooded the
towns; the snow on the hills melted and covered the fields, washed away
the railroads, carried off houses, and drowned many poor animals; Hail
pelted with his stones, and East Wind blew cold and shrill till there
was no comfort anywhere.
Poor Sunny was at her wits' end with all these troubles; but she would
not wake her mother, and tried to manage her unruly brothers alone. West
helped her, for while Sunny shone, and shone so sweetly that Rain had to
stop crying, West tugged at the weather-cocks till she made East give
way, and let her blow for a while. He was out of breath and had to
yield; so the "bad spell of weather" was over, and the poor,
half-drowned people could get dry and fish their furniture out of the
flood, and moor their floating houses at last. Sunny kept on smiling
till she dried up the ground. West sent fresh gales to help her, and by
March things looked much better.
"Now do be good children, and let us get ready for the spring-cleaning
before mother wakes. I don't know what she _will_ say to the boys, but
I've done my best, and I hope she will be pleased with me," said
Sunshine, when at last she sat down to rest a moment, tired out.
All the brothers and sisters except the naughty twins, gathered about
her, and promised to be very good, for they loved her and were sorry for
their pranks. Each tried to help her, and March was a very busy month,
for all the winds blew in turn; even gentle South from far away came
home to do her part. Snow folded up her down quilts and packed them
away; Rain dropped a few quiet showers to swell the buds and green the
grass, and Sunny began to shake out the golden webs of light she had
been spinning all winter. Every one worked so well that April found that
part of the world in fine order; and when South Wind blew open the first
hyacinths, Mother Nature smelt them, began to rub her eyes and wake up.
"Bless me, how I've slept. Why didn't you rouse me sooner, dear? Ah, my
good child, I see you've tried to do my work and get all ready for me,"
said the old lady, throwing away her night-cap, and peeping out of
window at the spring world budding everywhere.
Then sitting in her mother's lap, Sunny told her trials and
tribulations. At some Mamma Nature laughed, at others she frowned; and
when it came to the earthquake and the flood, she looked very sober,
saying, as she stroked her daughter's bright hair,--
"My darling, I can't explain these things to you, and I don't always
understand why they happen; but you know we have only to obey the King's
orders and leave the rest to him. He will punish my naughty children if
he sees fit, and reward my good ones; so I shall leave them to him, and
go cheerfully on with my own work. That is the only way to keep our
lovely world in order and be happy. Now, call your brothers and sisters
and we will have our spring frolic together."
They all came, and had a merry time; for as every one knows, April has
every kind of weather; so each had a turn to show what he or she could
do, and by May-day things were in fine trim, though East would nip the
May queen's little nose, and all Sunny's efforts could only coax out a
few hardy dandelions for the eager hands to pick.
But the children were happy, for spring had come; Mother Nature was
awake again, and now all would be well with the world.
[Illustration]
VI.
THE FAIRY SPRING.
[Illustration: Before her was the spirit, so beautiful and smiling, May
could only clasp her hands and look.--PAGE 116.]
One summer morning a party of little wood-people were talking together
about something which interested them very much. The fruit-fairy was
eating her breakfast as she swung on a long spray of the raspberry-vines
that waved in the wind; a blue-bird was taking his bath in the pool
below, looking as if a bit of the sky had fallen into the water as he
splashed and shook the drops from his wings; Skip, the squirrel, was
resting on the mossy wall, after clearing out his hole of last year's
nuts, to be ready for a new supply; Spin, the spider, was busily
spreading her webs to bleach, and Brownie, the little bear, was warming
his fuzzy back in the sunshine, for his den was rather dark and cold.
"It is such a pity that no one understands what the brook is trying to
tell them. If they only knew about the fairy spring as we do, this is
just the day to set out and find it," said Iris, the elf, as she took
the last sip of raspberry shrub from the pretty red cup, and wiped her
lips on a napkin Spin had made for her.
"Ah, if they only did! how glad I should be to show them the way,"
answered the blue-bird, as he dried his feathers on a mossy stone, while
the caddis-worms all popped their heads out of sight in their little
stone houses for fear he might eat them up.
"I have called every child I see, and done my best to lead them up the
mountain; but they won't come, and I cannot make them understand the
sweet words the brook keeps singing. How dull human creatures are! Even
Brownie knows this song, though he is a dear, clumsy thing, always going
to sleep when he is not eating," said Skip, with a twinkle in his bright
eye; for he and the little bear were good friends, though one was so
brisk and the other so big and awkward.
"Of course I do; I've heard it ever since I was born, and the first long
walk I took was up the mountain to find the wonderful spring. I drank of
it, and have been the happiest creature alive ever since," answered
Brownie, with a comfortable roll on the green grass.
"I am too busy to go, but my cousin Velvetback often comes down and
tells me about the splendid life he leads up there, where no foot ever
treads on him, no hand ever breaks his webs, and everything is so still
and bright that he always is in a hurry to get home again. When my
weaving and bleaching are all done I am going up to see for myself;" and
Spin shook off the tiny drops of dew which shone like diamonds on her
largest web.
"There is one child who comes every day to look at the brook and listen
to its babble as it runs under the little bridge over there. I think
_she_ will soon hear what it says, and then we will lead her along
higher and higher till she finds the spring, and is able to tell every
one the happy secret," said Iris, shaking out her many-colored robe
before she skimmed away to float over the pool, so like a glittering
dragon-fly few guessed that she was a fairy.