Her sparkling jewels:"
for the sweet loving expression that beamed from her eyes, and the
smile that played about the corners of her beautiful mouth, mirrored
the pure, unselfish, spotless nature of the Queen.
Softly she floated towards the couch, and gently touched the boy with
her sceptre.
Charley opened his blue eyes. In a sweet amaze he slowly raised
himself and leaned upon his arm, gazing in bewildered delight upon the
radiant stranger. The little mother still slept on; but in the room
was a young kitten--a daughter of Crocus, of whom you read in "New
Nightcaps," and whom Charley so loved, that he brought her away with
him. She was lying at the foot of his bed; in a moment she bristled up
her coat and tail, and darted out her sharp claws in terror at the
sight; but at a touch of the Queen's sceptre she drew them into their
velvety sheath again, and laid quietly down.
"Dear Charley," said the Queen in a low, sweet voice, "we do so love
your innocent and guileless nature, that while the pulses beat, and
the blood flows in your frail and fading form, we will do our utmost
to drive the demon of pain far away; tender and beautiful influences
shall surround you; you shall be a most favored mortal, for you shall
behold the happiest scenes in fairy life; you shall dream the
sweetest dreams of fairy-land; this night is our great midsummer
festival; even now our subjects are hastening to the beautiful hollow,
where the fairy revels are kept. Hark to the fairy call! they are
inviting the fays from the beautiful green island that is sleeping in
the moonlight opposite to us."
Charley with all his senses quickened, his lips slightly apart, his
eyes dilated, one hand raised in an attitude of intense listening,
caught the delicious harmony of fairy voices singing these words:
"Hasten fairies--haste away;
Hasten through the golden spray;
Hasten to the frolic play.
"Fly o'er water--fly o'er vale;
Ply the oar, and spread the sail;
Hie ye to the moon-lit dale.
"Silver sweet the music swells
Of the snow-white lily-bells,
And the sounding pink sea-shells.
"Hither--hither, haste away
To the fairies' frolic play;
'Tis the festive fairy-day."
Brighter grew the eyes of the sick boy, and his cheek flushed with
excitement as he listened.
"Oh, how beautiful!" he murmured; "what dainty little rippling notes!"
"Listen again," said the Queen, with a gratified smile, for she liked
to hear her people praised; "listen! the island fairies are
answering."
Was it magic that brought those tiny voices so far over the water?
Surely it was, for there rose on the air a clear tinkling sound like
the ringing of little glass bells; and Charley heard these words:
"Beaming moon--shimmering fountain--
Light, and deck the fairy dell;
We are coming to the mountain,
From the isle we love so well:
To the fairy ball we hie;
Thought-swift through the purple sky
We are hastening at the call;
'Tis the great midsummer ball.
"Open lily--blossom rose,
Shed around thy perfume light;
Heliotrope--thy sweets disclose
To the fragrant dews of night.
Dogwood grim we fairies banish;
Purple nightshade! fly! evanish!
We are hastening at the call;
'Tis the great midsummer ball.
"Chime hare-bells! clearly, sweetly,
Joy our hearts with blithe accord,
As we fairies neatly, featly,
Trip it o'er the dainty sward.
Velvet sod thy carpet spread,
With small buds enamelled,
We are hastening at the call;
'Tis the great midsummer ball.
"Oh!" exclaimed the entranced boy, "how I should like to see the
beautiful fairies dancing in the moonlight. May I, sweet lady?"
With a loving smile the Queen bent over and lightly tapped him thrice
upon each shoulder-blade with her jewelled sceptre. Immediately a pair
of gauzy wings started from his back. With an involuntary motion he
gently waved them back and forth, and felt himself rising--_rising_
--RISING--till he had floated out of the window into the moonbeams.
The poor little kitten set up a piteous cry, but a fairy spell was
upon the mother, for she slept quietly on.
Oh! with what delight was the enchanted boy now welcomed by the
waiting train outside! They pressed lovingly around him; they played
with his golden curls; they fanned him with their delicate wings; they
looked down into the lambent depths of his clear blue eyes, and saw
his pure spirit within so free from guile; they touched with their
tender fingers his poor little thin white neck and breast, and felt
his heart beating fast and faster with delight.
Up, up they mounted, and a joyous thrill, like a sweet and sudden
wind, shook the leaves of the trees as they passed swiftly by them.
And now they approached the beautiful hollow; they heard the stirring
sound of the fairy kettle-drums (which you know are chestnut shells,
divided in half, with mouse-skin drawn tightly over). Quickly they
floated over the last tree-tops; the frisky young fairies folding
their wings and sliding down the moonbeams for fun, just as you slide
down the bannisters.
They are there, directly over the beautiful hollow, floating slowly
downward with a graceful waving motion; and Charley looked on a most
enchanting sight. Crowds of fairies were assembled within an immense
circle of sparkling dew-drops, tricked out in all their holiday
attire. More were coming in on every side; some in their nut-shells
and four--others flying through the soft air. In the centre of the
hollow the mossy throne was this night surmounted by a magnificent
canopy of scarlet geraniums, looped up at the sides by splendid
clasps, formed of the backs of the scarlet lady-bug, dotted with spots
of jet. The canopy was heavily fringed with small scarlet fuchsias, or
lady's ear-drops. At the foot of the throne there appeared to be a
low seat of heaped-up rose-leaves, and in a circle round it a double
row of glow-worms shed a soft clear light. Small mushroom tables,
filled with plates of dew-drop ices, were already laid out; and the
fairies only waited for the presence of their beloved Queen to open
the ball.
Suddenly the music quickened; the fire-flies sparkled and danced, and
all rose respectfully as the Queen touched the green velvety floor.
Bowing and smiling, she gracefully seated herself upon the throne, and
tenderly placed the spell-bound Charley upon the rose-leaf couch at
her feet. The rich color of the beautiful canopy threw a rosy blush
over the boy's sweet face; and the glancing fairies thought they had
never seen a lovelier mortal. Although the soft rose-leaves pressed
caressingly around him and hid his poor deformed limbs, it would have
made no difference if they had been plainly seen, for the fairies only
looked in his _face_, where so much purity and goodness shone; and,
seeing this, they loved him, and were glad he had come.
"Where is Slyboots?" said the Queen.
"At your feet, most gracious Majesty," answered the sprite, dropping
down all at once from somewhere.
"And what is the last piece of mischief, you comical imp?"
"Your Majesty! Mischief! I disapprove of it! but I have just been
tying Peas-cod and Bean-pod together by their long green coat-tails,
because they are such grumbling, discontented chaps."
"How do you know?" asked the Queen.
"Please your Majesty," answered Slyboots, "I heard Peas-cod say that
he hated the sight of every thing and everybody; that all other
fairies could wear different colors, while he had to be green all his
days; then he opened his mouth so wide, and gave such a fearful yawn,
I thought all his round bones would roll out; _I_ think, your Majesty,
he is not only green--he is '_jolly_' green."
"Don't talk slang to me," said the Queen, though she laughed a little;
"but go on and tell me about Bean-pod."
"Oh! Bean-pod is miserable because of his shape; he says he is bigger
round his waist than anywhere else, and that is _so_ ungenteel; all
your Majesty's maids of honor laugh and make faces at him."
"Ah! I cannot have that," said the Queen; "all must be happy here,
especially on midsummer night. Go, Slyboots, and command them to come
into my presence."
Off started the sprite, and presently returned with the naughty
fairies looking very much ashamed of themselves, with their
coat-tails all curled round from having been tied in a hard knot.
Lilliebelle and Dewdrop laughed behind their butterfly wing-fans,
while Ripple and Firefly curled their mustaches, and looked on with
dandified airs.
The Queen began with a severe aspect: "I regret to learn, Peas-cod and
Bean-pod, that you are indulging in discontent; it is very wicked in
any one to murmur or repine at his lot in this world. Learn from this
mortal," she continued, placing her hand tenderly on Charley's head;
"almost since his birth he has led a life of suffering, yet no
repining falls from his patient lips; he is willing to live, and he
will be resigned to die. I think my story-teller, Charm-ear, has
written down something that happened to some neighbors of ours in the
little brook near by, which will serve as a warning to you. Would you
like to hear this story, Charley?"
"Oh, beautiful lady!" cried Charley; for, being an American boy, he
did not know he must say 'your Majesty.' "Oh, beautiful lady! a story
would be so--so _fairy_ nice!"
The Queen smiled, and, waving her hand to Charm-ear, the court
story-teller, he began as follows:
THE THREE LITTLE FISH.
"Not very long ago, in our beautiful brook, there lived three
little silver trouts, who were very great friends. For some time
they were happier than the day was long, playing together, eating
together, and sleeping cosily together in the same little cave
scooped out of a stone under the water, and wanted for nothing
that good little fishes ought to have.
"But after this I am sorry to have to tell that two of the little
trout became very sad and discontented: one wished for this, the
other for that, and neither cared a shrimp for any thing he had,
because they were always foolishly sighing for something else.
"At last Neptune, the King of the Sea, heard of these naughty
little fish, and he resolved to punish them, by granting them all
their desires.
"Accordingly he called them before him, and told them they should
have whatever they wanted.
"Now, the oldest was a very proud little fish, and wanted to be
able to snub up all the other fishes, by being set above them--so
he said,
"'Please your gracious goodness Majesty, I do not like the place
where you have put me. Here I am poked into a mean, narrow river,
where I can neither get down into the ground, or up into the air,
and yet I can see well enough what fine times others have; there
are the little birds that fly about over my head, and sing all
day, because they have wings. Give me wings, gracious goodness
Majesty--only give me wings, and then I shall have something for
which to be thankful; in fact, it will make me perfectly happy.'
"No sooner asked for than granted. In a moment the little fish
felt the wings fluttering, and in another moment he had spread
them wide, and rose joyfully out of the water.
"Ah! what a delicious sensation. He resolved to travel; then a
thought struck him.
"'One favor more, your gracious Majesty.'
"'Well, speak,' answered Neptune.
"'Give me a wife, so that I may not fly alone in the world.'
"'Granted,' said the Sea King; and immediately a beautiful little
silver trout swam the surface, and then flew to his side.
"With joy the silver fish greeted his mate, and forthwith they
fluttered into a tree on the banks of the Hudson River, and
commenced building a nest.
"In the due course of time a brood of little flying fish were
peeping up in the nest, and the papa and mamma had their hands
full (so to speak) in finding food for their young; they were very
happy, and thought this was the perfection of living, and heartily
despised their old companions in the beautiful brook.
"But, alas! in this world it is very often the case that just as
we have attained our wishes, and are perfectly happy--bang! it is
all over. This was literally the case with our poor little trout,
for a party of sportsmen crossing the river in a row-boat seeing
such a queer bird, one of them deliberately took aim and shot the
mother trout, just as she was returning with food for her
children; and the poor papa, who had been keeping watch on the
nest, in the extremity of his terror, opened his mouth, and popped
out his eyes, and took to flight, and left his family to be
captured by the wicked sportsmen.
[Illustration: DEATH OF THE SILVER TROUT.]
"But our little flying fish happened to alight among desert-like
sands and rocks--far, far away from the least thing to eat or
drink. Faint, weary, and unable to rise again, he lay fluttering,
panting, and beating himself against the flinty stones. Oh! how he
longed for one drop of crystal water out of his own little
brook--only one drop.
"Gasping, wounded, and sore, he lay there, wretched and all alone,
till at length, with a sob and a sigh, he breathed his last. He
was dead.
"The second little silver trout was not so high-minded as the
first; still he was dreadfully conceited, and moreover, he was a
narrow-hearted, selfish little fish; for, provided _he_ was safe
and happy, he did not care the flap of a fin, what became of all
the rest of the fishes in the whole universe, or anywhere else.
"'So,' said he to Neptune, 'may it please your worshipful honor; I
do not wish for wings to fly, for I do not care to poke my nose
into strange places; I might get lost or hurt, you know; I was
contented enough until the other day, when I saw a great rope come
down into the water, and fasten itself in some mysterious way
about the gills of a sweet little cousin of mine, and she was
hauled and dragged out of the water before my eyes, wriggling and
struggling with fright and pain. It scared me terribly, your
worshipful honor; for I thought this dreadful rope might some time
fasten upon me. Now, all I desire, is to know the meaning of this
rope, and of every single one of the dangers to which you have
subjected us poor little fishes.'
"No sooner said than done. Neptune opened the eyes of the little
trout in such a marvellous manner, that he understood in a moment
all about snares, nets, hooks, and the lines, which he called a
rope, artificial flies, and every other danger to which little
fishes are exposed.
"At first he was perfectly delighted with his newly-acquired
knowledge, and he took precious good care from this time forth,
not to go into deep water, for fear a great greedy pike or some
other great fish might be there and swallow him up at a mouthful.
He kept away from the shallow places in hot weather, lest the sun
should dry them up. When he saw a shadow on the water, he said to
himself, 'Halloo! here are the good-for-nothing fishermen with
their nets!' and immediately he sculled away and got under the
banks, where he sat trembling in all his scales; and when he saw a
tempting fly skimming on the water, or a nice fat worm, he did not
dare to bite, although he was half-starved. 'No, no,' said the
little trout, 'I am not such a fool as all that comes to; go and
tempt those _flats_, the flounders; _I_ know better.'
"In this way the poor little silver trout kept himself in a
continual fright and flurry; and, of course, could neither eat,
drink, nor sleep, for fear some mischief might be at hand.
"He grew poorer and poorer, and sighed and frightened himself to
skin and bone, until at last--ah me!--dear me!--alas! he died, for
fear of dying.
"Now when Neptune came to the youngest trout, and asked him what
he wished for, he said: 'Oh, your great big Highness, you know I
am but a very foolish and good-for-nothing little fish; I don't
know what is good for me and what is bad for me; and I wonder how
I came to be thought worth bringing into the world at all. But if
I must wish for any thing, it is that you will please to do
whatever you think best; I shall be happy to live or die, just as
you would have me.'
"When the precious little silver trout had said all this so
sweetly and modestly, Neptune immediately felt an immense liking
for him, and determined to take great care of this sweet little
fish who had such entire trust in his goodness; so he watched
tenderly over him, and was a father and a friend to him. He put a
perfect fountain of contentment into his gills, and, consequently,
happiness into his heart.
"Thus, this dear little trout slept always in peace, and wakened
in gladness; and whether he was full or hungry, or whatever
happened to him, he was still pleased and thankful; and he is now
the happiest of all the little fishes that swim in our beautiful
brook."
A delighted murmur of applause rose on every side as Charm-ear
finished this excellent story; and Charley was, if possible, still
more enchanted to find such a capital moral in a story told by a
fairy. Peas-cod and Bean-pod looked very uncomfortable as the Queen
said, "Thank you, Charm-ear; you have related the story well; and I
hope," she continued, looking kindly at the discontented fays, "it
will have a profitable effect. It is no doubt a great blessing to
possess what one wishes; but it is a greater blessing still, not to
desire that which we can never possess."
Then the Queen, who ruled altogether by LOVE, said: "Go, dear
Peas-cod and Bean-pod--go join the dances; I give you Lilliebelle and
Dewdrop for partners, and let me hear no more of discontent."
The two green fairies brightened up amazingly when they heard their
Queen speaking so kindly; really, their green coats became quite
fashionable-looking--and not such a bad color either; and though
Lilliebelle and Dewdrop pouted a little at their humble partners,
they dared not disobey the Queen; but soon the inspiring music and
the pleasure of dancing, of which, like all fairies and most young
ladies, they were immoderately fond, caused them to forget their
annoyance, especially as Peas-cod and Bean-pod were accomplished
dancers, and hopped about in the most surprising manner.
And Charley looked on in an ecstasy of delight, and the flush deepened
and brightened in his cheek. It seemed as if a million of tiny flowers
of every color had been taken from their stems and had gone on a
pic-nic, and were now at the very height of their fun. Such laughing!
such dancing! such eager rushing for the ices and other goodies, just
as you do at your parties. In one corner a small party of extremely
fashionable belles were promenading, each holding a parasol over her
head made of a small green leaf, to preserve her complexion; for you
must know that moonbeams are very tanning. Among the honeysuckles, the
elderly fairies were playing backgammon, talking, and pretending to
admire each others' dresses, thinking their own handsomer all the
time; while the bachelor fairies were smoking poppy leaf cigars, and
ordering any quantity of buttercups of Maydew.
All at once a tremendous shout of laughter was heard, and Charley and
the Queen looking eagerly in the direction whence it came, saw, to
their unspeakable astonishment, the old prime minister turning a
somerset in the air. He got up, walked a few steps, and went
head-over-heels again; while the fairies, ready for any fun, thought
he had become crack-brained and was doing it on purpose, and screamed
with laughter.
But, bless your little heart! what a mistake they made! Rising from
his last leap in the air, with a scowl on his face, breathing forth
fire and fury like a hippogriff or a fiery dragon, he pushed his way
through the crowd and marched straight to the throne, where, kneeling
as well as he could for his bumps and bruises, he demanded of the
Queen in a shrill, gasping, wheezing voice, like the wind whistling
through a broken bellows:
"Your Majesty!! your Majesty!!! that wretch! that Slyboots! confine
him in a nut-shell for a thousand years! tie him fast to a hornet!
cut off his wings! oh! oh! oh! the impertinent little scamp!"
"Why, my lord, calm yourself," said the Queen; while Charley looked on
in bewildered astonishment at the enraged prime minister, and a great
crowd of fairies gathered around.
"Tell me what has happened."
"I need not remind your Majesty that our state affairs are very much
behindhand, and not feeling inclined to mix with coxcombs like Ripple,
(here the Queen frowned, and Ripple, who was just behind him, made a
grimace,) I went to one of the mushroom tables, and sat down to finish
my memorial regarding the loan for the hospital for sick bumble-bees,
when this torment of a Slyboots comes up, and looking over my
shoulder, exclaims, 'What! my lord; surely you are not going to
stupefy the Queen with the odious sick bumble-bee memorial _to-night_,
are you? Say?'"
"'Certainly I am,' I said; 'what would become of all the business in
the Queen's dominions if it were not for me? Go away, you ugly Ouphe!'
At this, Slyboots rushed off in such a haste, and with such a wicked
gleam in his eye, that I smelt mischief immediately. 'After finishing
my memorial on eleven bees-wings closely written, I was hastening with
it to your Majesty, when I fell, with great violence, over three
successive ropes that were stretched across the section of the hollow
where I had been writing, crumpling and soiling my memorial, and
breaking off a corner of my right wing. I know it is Slyboots that has
committed this outrage. Drive him out of your kingdom, your Majesty!
give him up to the water fairies! tell the snails to poke him well
with their horns!' and in a very torrent of passion and anger, the
prime minister was going on, when the Queen interrupted him
with--'Softly, softly, my lord; we will call Slyboots and hear what he
says.'"
And now there was a great call for the culprit; and presently he came
in the ring, riding on a comical-looking bull-frog, and making
tremendous leaps, apparently in great haste, as if he had been on a
long journey, and had just that moment arrived. With an inconceivably
roguish air, he alighted, and hastening up, bent his knee before the
Queen. The foolish young fairies came very near bursting out laughing
when they saw him put on a demure, innocent look of surprise, as he
caught sight of the scowling face of the prime minister; but at that
moment her Majesty said in an angry tone:
"What shocking mischief have you been doing?"
"_I_ have been doing nothing, your Majesty."
"And who helped you to do it, you saucy goblin?"
"Only a little brown spider," said Slyboots, "and he didn't mean to."
"But between you two, the prime minister has had three heavy falls;
and I am afraid not without intention on _your_ part."
"Please your Majesty, if my lord, the prime minister, loads himself
with such a heavy article as that sick humble-cum-tumble-bee
memorial, and then puts his eyes in his pockets, no wonder he can't
see straight before him, and falls down and cracks his crown. Why
don't he be jolly, like the rest of us? Your Majesty had better order
an unlimited quantity of dandelion feather-beds to be put around in
spots for my lord, the prime minister, to turn head over heels in."
"Hush! sauce-box," cried the Queen; while the prime minister gave him
a furious look. "Here, Trip (turning to a page), go bring me the
little brown spider; I must get at the bottom of this business."
The little brown spider came and made her obeisance, all in a fuzz of
fear, for she could not imagine why she was called into the presence
of the Queen. She shook so violently, that her Majesty said, kindly:
"Don't be afraid, Brownie; but tell me, with perfect truth, what did
Slyboots employ you about this evening?"
"Please your beautiful Majesty," began the spider, "Slyboots is my
friend, and I would not like to get him into trouble."
"That is neither here nor there," said the Queen; "I command you to
tell me what you did for him."