the grape-vine in the greatest hurry, and begged me to scrabble and
scratch with all my might and main to a certain part of the hollow,
and spin three ropes, knee high, just as quickly as possible across
it, as some of the court had taken a prodigious fancy to tight-rope
dancing, and meant to give an exhibition before the evening was over;
and he was to give me, for doing it, just the fattest little fly I
ever beheld, which he had fast by the legs; it made my mouth water
only to look at it; so, your Majesty may believe, I rushed down and
worked at the ropes for dear life, and finished them to Slyboots'
satisfaction, for he gave me the delicious fly, and I've just
finished eating it up; and that is all I know about it, please your
beautiful Majesty."
It was all as plain as moonlight; and after one moment passed in
vainly endeavoring to suppress their merriment, the whole court burst
into such a scream of laughter, that the very leaves rustled, as if
some musical wind had stirred them. Of course not a fairy had ever
heard that anybody had taken up the profession of tight-rope dancing,
and Slyboots was at once convicted of having told a dreadful fib, and
had the ropes erected for the express purpose of tripping up the prime
minister, to prevent his boring the Queen on the great gala night with
his sick bumble-bee memorial.
There the naughty sprite stood with a penitent look out of one eye,
and winking ridiculously with the other; and the fairies having
laughed till they were tired, now waited in breathless silence to hear
his sentence pronounced.
Charley was really sorry for Slyboots; he was distressed that the
fairy had told a falsehood; but, as to the mischief, it was so like
the capers his own brothers and sisters were always cutting, that he
felt very certain the comical little imp had not one grain of malice
in his heart, so he softly touched the Queen's knee, and as she kindly
bent down to him, whispered--"Oh, beautiful lady! he has a good heart,
and he is very sorry; please to forgive him."
"Slyboots," began the Queen, in a tone which she tried to make very
severe, "you have passed all reasonable bounds in this last prank; you
have outraged and insulted my faithful servant--and, worse than all,
you have told an untruth. If it had not been for this last, I might
have forgiven you after you had made fitting apologies to the prime
minister; even now I shall lighten your punishment, because this pure
and lovely mortal has interceded for you. Listen to your sentence. My
power tells me that the great wasp, Spiteful, has just entered the
chamber where little Minnie, Charley's sister, is lying peacefully
asleep, and within the hour he will thrust his poisonous cruel sting
into the tender arm of the little child. With your wings to dart here
and there, you might easily conquer him; but these must be fastened
together by your friend Brownie, and within the hour you must bring me
the dead body of the wasp. You have heard; Brownie, to your work!"
In the midst of a deep silence, the poor little trembling spider began
to spin thread after thread round and round the beautiful gauzy wings
of the disgraced and now sorrowful fay; one after the other the
beautiful tints of blue, and gold, and purple, first faded, then were
hidden under the misty cloud-color of network.
The court looked on in sorrow, for the elfin was beloved by many, but
not a fay dared murmur or question the justice of the sentence. At
last his wings, of a dead dull gray, were prisoned fast; and the
Queen, waving her sceptre, said--"Go, Slyboots; if you carry a right
spirit to your work, you will win the fight."
The fairy said not a word, but bowed him low, and turned sadly away.
The time was short, and he must hasten and don his stoutest armor, for
the foe was deadly. A friendly grasshopper offered to take him to the
foot of the window where he must enter. With a gleeful spring he
mounted, and away with great leaps they went through the ferns and
over the grass, scrambling painfully in and out of bramble bushes, and
pricking themselves with the sharp nettles that lay in their path. But
the grasshopper (that friend in need) carried him bravely through
them all, and came at last to a little house under a great mushroom,
where Slyboots kept bachelor's hall.
Here he alighted, and hastily fastened on his acorn helmet, with its
beautiful plume from the humming bird's breast; then he donned his
close-fitting vest, made of the skin of the prickly-pear--the sharp
points bristling terror to invaders. On his left arm he carried his
trusty shield, made of the back of the golden beetle, and his right
hand grasped his sharp blade, fashioned out of the blue sword-grass.
Swiftly he bestrode his grasshopper steed again, and in a few moments
they were beneath the open window of the room where lay the sleeping
child.
Alighting, and thanking his friendly courser, Slyboots clambered up by
the luxuriant rose-vine fastened against the cottage wall, and in a
moment had dropped noiselessly into the room.
It was flooded with sweet clear moonlight. Clusters of roses were
peeping in at the window, but none were half so lovely as the little
human rose-bud lying so quietly in her tiny white bed. She might have
come out of Elfin land--she was so fair and sweet; her merry blue eyes
closed, her little song-voice stilled, and a lovely flush on her soft
cheek from the kissing of the warm and balmy wind, which danced in
and out of its own sweet will.
Hovering over her--a malignant gleam in his eyes--was the wasp.
Already was his body curved to inflict the mean and cruel sting upon
the defenceless child, when, with a bound, Slyboots was upon him, cut
him sharply with his sword, and then scampered out of the window and
took refuge in a great rose, apologizing to the little fairy whose
home it was. With his back against the rose-leaves, and his shield on
guard, Slyboots waited for the fray.
[Illustration: SLYBOOTS FIGHTING THE WASP.]
Out came the wasp, breathing fire and fury; his usual snarling hum
changed into a fiendish roar of rage. Then did begin a most tremendous
battle!! The fairy's blows fell thick and fast upon the horny head
of his enemy, who vainly sought to sting him; but the trusty shield
was never off duty. The wasp kept up a horrid din, as with maddening
ferocity and desperation, he tried to find his foe, for he was now
blinded with the blows. Panting with pain, and roaring with rage, he
flew wildly round and round, returning each time with fourfold fury to
the charge, till at last a well-directed stroke of the elfin's sword
cleft his head asunder, and he fell prone to the earth, with one
prodigious kick of all his feet in the air together.
Down jumped Slyboots from the friendly rose, and making sure of the
death of his enemy by sundry bangs and whacks with the flat of his
sword, quickly made a stout rope of corn silk, and fastening it round
the head of the wasp, began his joyful journey back to the fairy
hollow.
The good grasshopper had been a deeply interested spectator of the
battle; his eyes hanging out like a lobster's with anxiety, and
chirping a perfectly continuous rattle of encouragement to Slyboots,
so that really he was as hoarse as a bull-frog when it was all over.
With cheerful alacrity he helped the breathless fairy tie up the dead
body of the wasp, and willingly allowed the other end of the corn silk
rope to be fastened to one of his long hind legs; and then Slyboots
mounting him once more, he tugged and scrambled along with his double
burthen with so much hearty _will_, that they arrived at the fairy
ground at least one minute and a quarter within the hour.
Meanwhile harmony and order had been restored in the beautiful hollow.
The old prime minister was fast asleep under a fern leaf, with his
precious bumble-bee memorial under his head, and Charley was watching
with delighted interest the many happy groups upon which the moonbeams
lovingly rested. Some were dancing the Fairy Lancers, some eating and
laughing at the little tables, some having a childish game of
cats-cradle with the tendrils of the grape-vine, and all were full of
mirth and gaiety, as noisy and happy as it was possible to be; in
fact, the fairies were marvellously like you, little reader; you are
both full of fun and noise, and have no idea of going through the
world slowly and carefully, as if you were stepping on one
feather-bed, and had your head tied up in another. Not at all! they
and you just jump and tumble about with prodigious talents for frolic,
wearing out your shoes, and tearing your clothes--that is, _you_, for
the fairies' shoes and clothes have a patent trick of always looking
fresh and new. Charley thought his dear brothers and sisters were very
like these little creatures in their fondness for fun, and he did wish
that they were here this Midsummer night to have "a real good time."
Presently the Queen said to him, "Charley, did you ever blow bubbles?"
"Yes, often, beautiful lady."
"And what have you seen in them?" asked the Queen.
"Oh! the most lovely colors! and sometimes a charming tiny picture of
the room where we were."
"Would you like to see some _fairy_ bubbles?"
"Ah, yes! I should like it of all things."
The Queen gently clapped her hands, and instantly a page was kneeling
at her feet.
"Go, Light-wing," said the Queen, "and tell Fancy to come here with
her basin of foam and magic pipe."
The fairy rose from his knee, bowed low, and sped away. In an instant
he returned in company with the daintiest, most ethereal little elf
in fairy-land. Her wings were of air--her golden ringlets danced in
the "tremulous, singing wind," giving out the perfume of the
blossoming lily; her tiny rose-bud of a mouth opened, disclosing the
whitest and smallest seed-pearl teeth, as with a smile beaming with
love and sweetness, she said:
"Beloved Queen, most gladly have I come at your bidding. Deign but to
command, and I will hasten to obey."
"Dear Fancy," said the Queen, placing her hand tenderly upon Charley's
shoulder, "here is a lovely mortal who has suffered from his infancy;
but all his pain has not been sufficient to sour his temper, or
conquer his gratitude and love for the blessings and mercies which
remain to him. As flowers spring from the dust, so have love, and
truth, and every noble quality, sprung from the dark and bitter
suffering of his life. For this I love him, and will strive to make
the few days left to him on earth less sad, less painful; and I will
do this by showing him all our fairy life. I have sent for you to ask
you to exhibit, for his amusement, some magic bubbles; I would like
him to look at them now."
For answer, the little elf bowed gracefully, dipped her pipe in the
foaming dew, and began to breathe softly through the stem.
Soon the thin bubble rose in the twinkling fire-fly light. At first it
was all of a gray-dark color; but out of this dark, like the sun
breaking through the mist, bright golden and ruby tints began to
appear.
It grew in size and splendor, till at last the fairy gently waving the
pipe, the bubble slowly and gracefully floated away, and up a little,
and then poised itself, and rested just before Charley.
It was like a moving picture in an oval frame. Within appeared a large
and handsome parlor; a number of beautiful little children were
grouped about the room, evidently waiting for some event to happen.
Presently a baby-boy entered--a perfect bud of beauty. His fine and
snowy-white garment was daintily embroidered and trimmed after a most
royal fashion, with ivy leaves. Upon his beautiful head, crowned with
light and lovely pale golden curls, was a wreath also of ivy.
With his luminous starry eyes uplifted, and the dimples peeping in and
out of his rose-pink cheeks, he went around and offered a welcoming
kiss to every one in the room. It was his birthday. Two sweet, happy
years, had been unfurled in his little life, and the children were now
gathered together in honor of the event.
Charley gazed with lips apart, intent and eager.
All at once he exclaimed,--
"Why! it is Howard! little Howard! Why, yes! and there is sweet little
Carrie, his sister, with the beautiful wreath of roses, and the roses
on her dress! Oh! what wonders I am seeing!"
As he spoke, a lady entered, Howard's loving and lovely mother, with
an immense paper bag, and proceeded to fasten it to the chandelier in
the centre of the ceiling; then some one else came in, and spread a
large white sheet upon the carpet immediately underneath.
Then one of the little ones was blindfolded, and a cane was put into
his hands. He was to try to strike the bag, but instead, he made a
tremendous whack at nothing half a yard one side of the bag, which
made the children laugh merrily.
Charley laughed, too; you could _hear_ him, but he could only _see_
that the children in the magic bubble were laughing.
"I know them almost all!" he cried, in a voice of delight; "there are
Eva, and Robbie, and Alice, and Hattie, and Minnie, and Eddie, and
sweet little Kitty and Mortie; and oh! how happy they all look! how
perfect! and what a nice time they must be having!"
After two or three had tried to strike the bag, little baby Howard had
the handkerchief tied _above_ his eyes, just for fun, because he was
too little to be _really_ blindfolded; and, armed with the cane, he
grasped it with both tiny hands, his eyes dancing with glee, and a
gladsome smile parting his sweet little mouth, showing the pearly
teeth within. He gave the bag a sounding thump, and instantly it
burst asunder, and a perfect cataract of candies and sugar-plums
poured down upon the carpet. Quick as a flash every child in the room
was clustered together upon the sheet helter-skelter, head-over-heels,
laughing, screaming, dashing after the candies; and then--the bubble
burst, and Charley saw no more.
"Oh! oh! how beautiful! how wonderful!" said the lame boy; "dear, dear
little fairy! I thank you; but I should so like to know what the
children did after that."
Again the pipe was dipped in the foam-dew, and the fairy blew out
another bubble, that floated away and rested as before.
This time a wide hall, with a table in the centre, appeared. Upon the
table the colored waiters were quickly placing large dishes of cakes,
oranges, mottoes, and pyramids of cream. A door, within which shone a
bright light, opened into this hall, and a little dancing form
flitting past now and then, showed that the children were frolicking
inside.
When the table was so perfectly covered, that it very nearly broke
down under the weight of goodies, there was seen issuing from the
parlor-door, first, the beautiful little king of the feast, carried in
his father's arms, his eyes sparkling, and his whole face radiant with
smiles. After him came, two and two, all the lovely little band; they
marched entirely round the table, and you may be sure they all looked
one way--and that way was the table-way, of course, where such a grand
feast was spread out. _That_ was the party, as I once heard a little
girl say, and who added, "Oh! I'm so glad! the party has come--look
what a lot of it!"
And now what a tremendous time the boys had helping the little girls,
and filling their laps with every thing they could lay their hands on,
and then cramming their own pockets till they stuck out all over like
balloons.
Just as they were in the height of eating, and laughing, and
presenting each other with mottoes, on which were printed the most
beautiful poetry, declaring that they would love each other as long as
they lived, and nobody knows how much longer; and Charley was looking
on wild with delight--presto! the bubble suddenly burst, and the
picture was gone.
"Oh! can any thing be more perfect!" cried Charley. "I am so happy!
Dear little fairy! do let me kiss you for making me so happy."
With a loving smile the beautiful elfin fluttered her wings and flew
into his breast, where she lay nestling like a little white dove.
Charley tenderly lifted her up, kissed her soft tiny cheek, touched
her golden ringlets, and felt her breath, fragrant as the perfume of
violets, fanning his face. He was silent with happiness, painting over
in his mind Fancy's magic pictures. The beautiful Queen sat watching
him, and enjoying his delight, when a far-off sound startled them
both--a sound of acclamation. Nearer and nearer it came, till the air
rang with tiny shouts and joyful clapping of hands. The voices were
respectfully hushed as a crowd of fairies advanced into the Queen's
presence; and Charley saw that Slyboots was in their midst, weary and
breathless, his wings still hidden in the spider-net, but exultantly
dragging the dead wasp by the corn-silk cord. His wee face looked
pale; but his eyes shone with the old brightness, as the Queen's
glance fell kindly and approvingly upon him.
"Did you arrive in time to save Minnie from the cruel sting?" she
said.
"I did, please your gracious Majesty," answered Slyboots.
"And did you waken her?"
"No, my Queen; I struck the wasp, and drew him outside of the window,
where I took refuge in a rose, and from thence, with my good sword, I
gave him battle. Long and fiercely we fought in the moonlight. The
little yellow butterflies crept under the leaves affrighted; the
midges in the air trembled, and whispered to each other that an
earthquake was surely at hand; but at last my enemy bit the dust, and
I pounded him till he was as dead as the prime minister's abominable
bumble-bee's mem--"
"Silence!" interrupted the Queen; but she really had to laugh, for
Slyboots looked at her with such a comical twist of his eye, which
changed to a beam of happiness as her Majesty said to him:
"You have done your task aright, and gladly we forgive you; but
remember, Slyboots, never let your love of fun carry you so far again;
and put this piece of advice in your pocket--keep out of the way of
the prime minister the next time you have tight ropes erected for your
friends to dance on."
Slyboots' face grew as red as a scarlet poppy at this allusion, and
the laugh that followed; and the Queen, seeing his confusion, said:
"Quick, Ripple--quick, Firefly--release his wings."
In a moment the fairy knights had cut away the gray network, and
Slyboots joyfully shook his wings, now brighter than ever.
Just at that moment a bugle-call sounded from the sentry at the top of
Crow Nest, and a faint twittering of a little bird was heard in a tree
skirting the hollow. The dawn was coming, lifting the dew-mist from
the lap of the earth; a faint light was streaking the east, as the
Queen, gathering her shining band, with Charley in the midst, rose in
the air, and flitted away to the cottage window. Softly they laid him
down, and the Queen touched his eyes. The white lids drooped heavily,
then closed, as a grateful balmy sleep wrapped his senses like a
mantle.
Then the Queen softly detached the gauzy wings, and handed them to her
page, Lightwing, charging him to guard them carefully. The little
mother lay with her cheek in her hand, never stirring, and the kitten
looked on this time with a friendly purr; and just as the first day
glimpse had gilded the hill-tops, the fairy train had vanished into
the sweet hazy mist of the MIDSUMMER MORN.
THE CHILDREN'S LIFE.
Midsummer morning broke in gorgeous, glorious brightness. Light fleecy
clouds floated swiftly over the blue heaven; a crisp fresh wind curled
the waters of the Hudson; and the beautiful little island opposite
West Point lay on its bosom like an emerald; its green banks clasped
by the loving tide.
With the first drum-beat, the happy Nightcap children were up and
dressed; and having, with more gratitude than usual, thanked their
Heavenly Father for so many blessings, they went first to inquire how
their dear brother Charley had passed the night.
"Hush!" said the little mother, as they came to the door, "don't
chatter now; Charley is still sleeping; do not make any noise; see how
lovely he looks."
The children crept in on tiptoe, and gazed lovingly at the sleeping
boy. At that moment a warm glow flashed suddenly into his cheek, and
his lips parted in a glad smile.
"Oh! see, see!" whispered the children, "Charley is dreaming; perhaps
he is talking to the fairies the doctor told us about; when he awakes
we will ask him."
Then they went softly down stairs and out into the fresh delicious
air. The birds were chanting their morning hymns; the lawn was golden
green with the sun's rays, and spangled with dew. Bees were dreamily
humming over the wealth of honeysuckles and roses that covered the
cottage-wall, gathering their sweet and fragrant food at their
leisure.
The children felt the blessed influences of all these lovely works of
the great Creator in an increase (if such a thing were possible) of
their happiness and joy.
You would have thought they were made of corks, so lightly did they
skip here and there, running round the trees after each other, the
boys turning somersets on the grass, and the girls declaring that they
could get to the top of Crow Nest with only a hop, skip, and jump.
"Oh, delightful!" cried George, "to get up a mountain with three
steps! you'll have to borrow Jack's seven-leagued boots. I wonder who
lives on the top?"
"Why, the crows, to be sure," said Harry, "and they keep up _such_ a
talking; it is like a hail-storm all the time; you never heard any
thing like the way crows can scold. If one crow is caught stealing,
all the rest caw and croak at him, till he very nearly goes into fits,
and then they all fly at him till he hasn't a feather left; I read all
about it in my Natural History."
"Oh!" cried little Minnie, "how I like to hear stories about fishes!
tell another crow story."
While the children were good-naturedly laughing and explaining to
Minnie that a crow was a bird, their mother appeared at the
cottage-door and said, "Breakfast, children."
In they all rushed, quite ready for the nice corn-bread, boiled eggs,
and _real milk_--not _milkman's_ milk--but they looked round in some
surprise for Charley.
"He is still sleeping," said the little mother, "and smiling in his
sleep; this quiet rest will do him so much good, I hope. Oh, my
precious Charley!" she exclaimed, "if I could only keep you a little
longer;" and her eyes filled with tears.
The children looked sad and grave, and two or three went round and
kissed their mother, and patted her kind cheek, and said they were
sure Charley was better. After breakfast they stole softly up stairs
to look again at their darling brother.
Charley was sitting up in bed as they entered: a strange bewildered
expression was upon his face, and he had his hands behind him, trying
to feel his shoulders.
"Do come here, George," said he, "and see if there are wings upon my
back."
"WINGS!!!" shouted the children in amazement, "what _can_ Charley
mean?"
"Yes, _wings_," replied Charley; "the fairy Queen fastened them upon
my back last night, and I went with her and her beautiful maids of
honor to the Midsummer ball. Oh! how delightful it was, and how I
longed for you!"
"Goodness!" exclaimed the children, "did you really go? How perfect!
Did you ever? Why didn't they take us, too? Oh, Charley! do begin at
the very beginning, and tell us all about it. Won't you? Say! do, come!"
Clustering around the bed, their eyes fastened upon his face,
breathless with wonder and delight, and with no end of exclamations,
they listened to the enchanting account of Charley's adventures. The
little mother came in the room just at the end; upon which they all
rushed at her in a body, and told the amazing story over again, all
talking at the same time; and the little mother said quite as many
"Ahs" and "Ohs" and "did you evers" as they did. But she smiled
lovingly at her lame boy, and parting the golden curls on his white
forehead, and kissing him tenderly, whispered, "My darling knows that
he has been DREAMING."
Was it a dream?