THE HUMAN OCTOPUS SNOOPS AROUND
[Illustration]
Watched by the admiring eyes of Dragonfel and his followers the Human
Octopus wriggled and squirmed his way out of the enchanter's palace.
And, whether he flew through the air, or swam through the waters, to
Queen Titania's fairy kingdom, using his tentacles as propellers, is
a matter for conjecture. But, at any rate, he got there with all
tentacles. Whenever his suspicions were aroused, or there was the
slightest doubt, he would hastily secrete himself among shrubbery or
weeds, with which his mottled green sides proved a perfect match, so
that as a whole he blended in admirably with the vegetation.
He did not have a heart, a rather sluggish liver performing for him
instead the necessary functions of the other organ, and, as he
approached Queen Titania's palace with due caution, it thumped with
torpid pleasure.
[Illustration]
If there was anything he liked above all others it was sneaking, and
the job which Dragonfel had given him presented most attractive
possibilities.
Noting a gurgling brook in the proximity of the portcullis, he took
great pains to soak the round pad-like ends of his tentacles in water so
that when they were applied to a flat surface they would adhere through
atmospheric pressure sufficiently to bear his weight.
In such a manner, when no one was looking, did the wily rascal climb up
the high garden-wall and down the other side, wriggling and squirming
with ill-concealed chuckles toward the palace.
Only the magic dove that Euphrosyne had left, which was preening itself
on the edge of a fountain's basin, saw him, with the result that it was
strongly tempted to fly back to the Goddess of Mirth forthwith.
At the fountain the Human Octopus took the precaution to again soak his
multifarious pads in water, after which with his goggle eyes he cocked
his head in a professional survey of the palace. Then he began to ascend
one of its towering walls. Higher and higher, and still higher, he went
in perfect safety until at last he gained the roof and squatted on the
top of a chimney.
[Illustration]
There he skillfully compressed himself to fit the dimensions of the
flue, after which he began to let himself gently down like an
elevator-car. A great volume of black, greasy smoke from the kitchen
suddenly belched forth and hid him from sight.
[Illustration]
It was not so long afterward that, all covered with soot, he crawled out
of the big open fireplace in the throne-room. Before he did so he made
sure to satisfy himself that no one was there. But there was no telling
when someone might come, and he knew it behooved him to secrete himself
and instantly.
His goggle eyes oscillated in all directions around the room, and he
craftily selected for his hiding-place a great tall clock that stood up
close against the wall in a corner by itself.
[Illustration]
It was not a grandfather's clock, for there were no grandfathers in
Queen Titania's kingdom. It was what might more properly be termed a
grandmother's clock.
The villain opened the door, and projected himself into the clock's
interior, being obliged in order to accomplish this to make his
proportions squarish and oblong. His queer-looking head showed at the
top instead of the clock's face. Then with one of his tentacles glued to
the door he pulled it back in its place.
"Now we shall see what we shall see," he snorted. "I must be patient and
bide my time."
The big brass pendulum swaying rhythmically to and fro with its measured
tick-tock! tick-tock! kept hitting his stomach, and it tickled him so
that it was all he could do to keep from laughing.
But he knew that he must not do so. If he even snickered he might betray
himself. So he put a number of his tentacles over his mouth and tried
hard to keep a straight face.
Now, though every month was a fair month, a rare month, for the murmur
of the little streams was never hushed, and the fruits and flowers
always were in bloom, with the skies mostly blue above them, and the
winds soft and kind, May to the fairies' way of thinking was the
sweetest of all the happy year, and whenever it came round it was
tendered a becoming ceremony.
The Eve o' May was a holiday, though it might truthfully be said that
every day was a holiday.
But at this particular time when all nature was at its best there were
special observances that sprang from the gladness and exultation in all
hearts, the very joy of existence, and the happiness that was manifested
by every living thing.
Queen Titania and her fairies prepared for the innocent revels and
dances that were to occur on a velvet sward some distance from the
palace grounds, and their hearts were pleasantly thrilled by a notice
with some pictures of Brownies that had been mysteriously tacked up in
the neighborhood.
Marvelous was the flower-texture of the gowns donned for this gala
occasion, and in her robes of blush-pink mossrose petals which swept
away in a long, fragrant train Titania never looked more beautiful and
charming.
Little old Dame Drusilda who resembled a human morning-glory, with hat,
bodice, and dress all like cornucopias, fumed, fretted, and ordered all
the other fairies around.
"As I live," the fussy dame declared, "we've forgotten to wind the big
clock, and it's almost run down. Violet and Daffodil, go to the
throne-room, and attend to this before we start."
The two good-naturedly ran to do her bidding, and when he saw them
coming the Human Octopus had an uneasy qualm.
He hastily tried to distort his ugly face into a resemblance of the
Roman numerals, and stuck up two tentacles for the hour and minute
hands, but the deception was a poor one, and would not work. Violet and
Daffodil set about to wind the clock, but, on looking up to note the
time, they were confronted by a face twisted in an expression that the
Human Octopus very foolishly thought invited confidence, but which
instead sent them scurrying and hurrying with gathered-up flower skirts
and ear-splitting shrieks from the room.
[Illustration]
"I wonder what they're scared of," said the stupid fellow to himself.
"Well, it isn't the first time I've given folks a start in life. And now
it behooves me to remove myself from here forthwith, if not sooner, for
if they come back and catch me the jig is up!"
The tick-tock! tick-tock! of the pendulum reminded him that every
moment was precious, so he scrambled out of the clock, and wig-wagged
his way out of the room.
When he came to a fountain he lumberingly clambered up into the basin,
and puddled around in the water to get the soot off, and once more as
the dove watched him perform his ablutions it found it difficult to
refrain from flying back to Euphrosyne.
[Illustration]
The Human Octopus peered through a lattice, but none of the fairies was
in sight. Then he hustled up the garden-wall, and down the other side,
finally secreting himself in a big floral urn by the portcullis, where
he awaited further developments.
No one would have guessed he was there, for he seemed to be a part
of the luxuriant green growth, and he even let his tentacles droop
gracefully over with the branches and stalks of the palms and ferns to
heighten the illusion.
Meanwhile Violet and Daffodil were telling a most harrowing story to
Queen Titania and the rest of the fairies, but so frightened were they
still that it was hardly intelligible. Finally they were all prevailed
upon to accompany the two to the throne-room to see for themselves.
Nothing was inside the clock, of course, but the brass works.
"It seems to me you both have very vivid imaginations, young ladies,"
chided Dame Drusilda. "After this I would let Welsh rabbits alone."
"It's not there now, but it was there," persisted Violet stoutly, "and
it was the most dreadful looking thing you ever saw."
"It was worse than that," added Daffodil. "It was the most dreadful
looking thing you never saw."
[Illustration]
"Well, even if there was such a horrid creature, it's gone," said Queen
Titania comfortingly, "so why should we trouble ourselves about it any
longer? It's time for our revels to begin, and if we don't hurry up the
ice cream will all melt, and remember there's angel-cake, charlotte
russe, and lemonade besides!"
The tiny Cupids, whose hearts were going pit-a-pat, for they believed
implicitly every word that Violet and Daffodil had said, hastily
gathered up Her Majesty's train.
All started from the palace, the portcullis being raised to let them
pass, and from his hiding-place in the urn the Human Octopus with his
big, gloating, goggle eyes noted every movement that they made. But
they had no suspicion that he lurked among the palms and ferns.
[Illustration]
After they had disappeared from sight he flopped down, and keeping his
eyes close to the earth followed the wee footprints that they made.
His sleuth-like, sneaky search led him straight to where the fairies
sported on the green, and as he drew nearer to them he exercised more
caution.
He compressed himself more closely to the ground, and picking out a
luxuriant clump of peculiar rainbow roses whose leaves afforded a most
effective screen he crawled to it to wait and bide his time.
As he watched the innocent, happy fays garlanded with fragrant,
many-hued flowers pose and pirouette he could not deny to them with
a certain grace that many enthusiasts would have pronounced most
exquisite. But he had never been to dancing school, and he did not trip
the light, fantastic tentacle himself.
He was greatly interested in all he saw, however, and even more so when
at last he noticed Queen Titania, the Cupids, and several of the fairies
leave the lithe, flushed, happy group. For Queen Titania had spied
the rainbow roses, different from all the rest, and ran with eager,
sparkling eyes to fill her arms with them. Little she dreamed of the
danger that lurked in all their perfumed radiance. Swiftly she came,
outdistancing the others, and as she bent over in sweet, innocent
pillage the mean, contemptible nature of the Human Octopus manifested
itself. Forgetful of his diplomatic mission, he wound his tentacles
around her until she looked like a mesh-bag. When she began almost
instantly to scream he grimly increased the pressure. The fairies and
Cupids, horrified beyond measure by what they beheld, and helpless to
aid their beloved queen, fled with wild cries.
The Human Octopus tightened his cruel grip. Titania's head fell back,
her golden hair streamed over her shoulders, her eyes distended, and she
could not get her breath.
Slowly but surely the Human Octopus was strangling her!
[Illustration]