“We must go through a bit of rough country just here, so perhaps you had
better hold tight to one of my ears.”
Mateel, in some alarm, grasped the friendly ear, and felt herself lifted
along in tremendous jumps and leaps, over great gnarled roots, over
rocks and briers, until her strength and patience were all but
exhausted. Finally, they dived down what seemed the bed of a dead
streamlet, came to a deep pool of water, which the rabbit took at one
flying leap with Mateel clasped in his forepaws, and they found
themselves in a wondrous world.
It was Fairyland. Where is it? and how shall we find it? Ah, that is the
mystery; but of this you may be sure,—wherever children are, close to
their homes lies Fairyland; and if only the small wild things of the
wood could talk to you, perhaps you might visit it, as Mateel did.
She found herself in a court or pleasance, beautifully carpeted with the
rarest moss. The richest, softest shades of brown, of fawn color, of old
rose, and of tenderest green, mingled and blended in its coloring.
Mateel sank down on her knees and gazed around. A soft green tint was
over everything. It came through the leaves that closely roofed it over.
These were supported by straight trunks, that arose to a great height,
where they separated into two stems; and each stem bore a leaf that
overlapped its neighbor; at the point where the stems separated, an
immense creamy white blossom with a golden centre hung down like a bell.
“Why, they are May apple blossoms,” cried Mateel, clapping her hands in
ecstasy, “Oh, how lovely! how lovely! May apple plants as large as
trees.”
Not a ray of sunlight filtered through the large leaves; a delicious
sense of peace pervaded the perfumed twilight, and Mateel, who was
always tired lately, felt that she could rest here, and gave a happy
sigh.
And while she rested and waited for something lovely to happen, she
heard the rain falling on the leaves of trees somewhere at a great
distance above her.
“It’s raining, Mateel, but you needn’t worry; the rain never reaches
here,” said the rabbit.
“I am not worrying,” said Mateel, contentedly.
“The rain is almost over, the sun is setting clear. It will be starlight
soon, and then will come the fairies. But now I must leave you; try to
sleep and rest, and when the fairy queen comes, I shall be in her train,
and will present you.”
So Mateel contentedly sank back into the soft moss, and let her tired
little body rest, while the rain played her a soothing lullaby. The soft
light grew more dim, and a sweet sleep came to her eyes.
When she awoke it was growing very dark in the fairies’ court. Mateel
sat straight up and looked about her. From far distant depths of the
wood tiny men were coming, bearing little lamps, which Mateel saw were
fireflies and glowworms; these they placed in the cups of the great
flowers, and swung in festoons between the trunks of the fairy trees.
The little men disappeared, and she was again alone; but now the court
was flooded with light soft and radiant, just the kind of light in which
fairies look their best.
And while she sat enfolded in this soft light, from a distance came the
sweetest music that mortal ear ever listened to. Indeed, but few mortals
have heard its exquisite cadence. There was one man, who lived long ago,
when people knew that there were fairies and shuddered at real ghosts
and witches, who not only heard the fairy music, but heard and
remembered their songs, and has written them down in a beautiful poem,
and named it “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” So Mateel sat and listened,
while the music grew clearer and louder; and presently a wonderful
procession came into view. First came the musicians; and will you
believe it?—they were crickets and cicadas. But they were playing in
Fairyland, for the king and queen of the fairies; and the music they
give to fairies is different from that which they give to mortals. Close
after the musicians marched a regiment of fairy guards to their
majesties; and then came grandly dressed noblemen, stepping backward and
bowing at each step; and then, under a canopy of richest velvet made
from pansy blossoms, came Oberon and Titania! The queen was all in
white; her dress of lily petals was trimmed with dewdrops; back of her
shoulders two gauzy white wings shimmered and glowed with each graceful
motion; on her dainty head sparkled a crown of gleaming points of light;
her arms were bare, and in her hand she carried a shining wand.
King Oberon was in blue armor that shone like sapphires with every
motion; it was made from the shells of blue beetles. After them came a
multitude of fairies; pretty ladies of the court in brilliant
flower-dresses, with dainty wings at their shoulders. They reminded
Mateel of a great flock of butterflies. The fairy men were, like the
king, in armor.
Mateel eagerly looked for the rabbit, and saw him walking with a group
of wise-looking fairies, who were undoubtedly learned judges and
philosophers.
The bright procession marched once around the court, and then the queen
and king seated themselves on a green bank spread with violets; a
shining little herald announced that the fairy revels would begin.
But waving his hand, the king said gravely, “We will first hear the
arguments, and perhaps the witnesses, in the case of the accused maid,
once lady-in-waiting to our gracious queen.”