The three daughters of the Prisoner are installed in their
gardens.
So Smaly and Redy found themselves on the frontier of the Wigs' country.
They were so tired from having seen and done so many things during the
day that hardly had they arrived than they fell sound asleep amid the
myrtle-bushes which grew between the rocks.
When they awoke they perceived just within the frontier (which was
indicated by boundary stones made of sugar-candy) the three gardens that
had been prepared for the daughters of the Prisoner.
"The Wigs keep their word anyway," said Smaly and Redy to each other, as
they rubbed their eyes; then they looked at each other and saw that
their beaks had disappeared.
You may imagine how happy this made them! Never would they have dared to
return to their own village with those enormous beaks stuck in the
middle of their faces, even though they were invisible to all save the
birds and each other.
They stood up and held hands, and to attract the attention of the Wigs
began to chant:
We wish to have three girls,
Fine, sweet, pink, and good----
But a sentinel who looked like a dragon-fly, and carried a lantern and
a megaphone, shouted to them to be silent.
The Confectioner, who was busy giving the final directions to the
gardeners, struck an attitude and recited:
"Here plays the grasshoppers' band,
Here for days together shines the sun,
Here the birds wear hats and spurs,
And the worms spectacles and swords.
Here we don't know bricks,
Or wood, or stone, or steel,
Here we eat plates and saucers,
Here we----"
"We know all about that," said Smaly and Redy together.
"What do you know?" asked the Confectioner suspiciously.
"How funny you all are," answered Smaly.
"At least we are not made of grease and suet," retorted the Confectioner
in a tone of mingled pride and disgust.
* * * * *
The gardens were arranged after the same principle as the windows in the
house of the Historian. They were not really separated by walls; but
since one speaks with one's mouth and sees with one's eyes, there was at
about the height where the young girls' faces would be a plank of nougat
separating the gardens, and since it was certain that sometimes the
girls would sit down, there was another plank a little lower.
There were altogether four planks, for as the three girls were of
different ages and heights, the planks which would have prevented one
girl from seeing her neighbour would not have prevented the next.
How ingenious this was! It was as well thought out as the two openings
for the Flying-Fish in the ceiling of the Historian's house, a big one
for the big fish, and a smaller one for the smaller fish!
In these gardens the lawns were made of angelica, and the flower-beds of
jam tarts, and at the end of each garden there was a little house to
sleep in at night, or in the heat of the afternoon.
[Illustration: A SENTINEL WHO LOOKED LIKE A DRAGON-FLY]
When all was ready the three daughters of the Prisoner were led in. The
ceremony was extremely simple. Mistigris was the first to arrive, and
touching his lips with his ring, he thus addressed the two little people
perched upon their rock.
[Illustration: THE GARDENS WERE ARRANGED AFTER THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS THE
WINDOWS IN THE HOUSE OF THE HISTORIAN]
"You are now about to see the three girls; but whatever you do don't
forget they are ignorant of the history of their father, our prisoner.
They were sent here by a certain Black Toad, the same creature who blew
Djorak into our country. This Toad made out that it was doing a very
charitable action, and upon a label round the neck of each young girl
he had written their names and tastes. On the first label was: 'Number
I, Kisika Djorak. Blue eyes, amiable disposition, fond of marrowfat peas
and of getting up late.' On the second label was: 'Number II, Laptitza
Djorak. Brown eyes, devoted to cherry tartlets and cheese souffle. Gazes
at the stars and dreams about a Prince Charming.' And on the third
label: 'Number III, Fritilla Djorak. Green eyes, adores fruit,
particularly tangerine oranges and nectarines. Dreams as much as Number
II; but has very modern notions as well.'"
When Mistigris had finished reading out the labels a large sedan-chair
appeared, carried by several Wigs, among them Papylick and the Young
Stork. The door of the chair opened and Kisika stepped into the first
garden.
Kisika certainly had beautiful blue eyes, soft hair, and a
pink-and-white skin. She was so beautiful that one would have taken her
for a picture rather than for a real girl.
* * * * *
The next person to arrive was the Despoiler, who wished to make sure for
himself that the planks were at the right height before he permitted
Papylick to approach with the second sedan-chair.
The young girls had not lived in these chairs, they were simply carried
from place to place in them.
Kisika had lived in the house of the Crow.
Laptitza, who was now brought into the second garden, had lived in the
house of Papylick. Laptitza also was very beautiful, with a pale skin
and eyes like a deer.
[Illustration: A LITTLE RED FEATHER, WHICH SHE HAD PICKED UP IN THE
MARKET-PLACE]
Every one now awaited the arrival of Fritilla, the third daughter; but
when she stepped out of her sedan-chair she beckoned to the Flying-Fish,
who had been pursuing her for some days past, and handed it a little
red feather, which she had picked up in the market-place. This feather
was of great importance to the Flying-Fish, which thanked Fritilla many
times and swore to serve her always. Then Fritilla was led into the
garden. She had yellow hair and green eyes, and her beauty seemed at
first a little sad and cold; but on looking into her eyes you saw that
they were at once tender and ardent.
* * * * *
When the three girls were installed in their gardens of angelica and jam
tarts the Wigs arranged themselves in a long line. Then the little door
that led into Kisika's garden was opened, and the Chief Contractor,
placing over his face the mask called "Stoic Melancholy," approached her
and said:
"Kisika, farewell. I beg you to accept this large pot of Soy in memory
of me. There's enough to last you all your life."
[Illustration: NEXT THE DESPOILER APPROACHED]
Next the Despoiler approached, followed by the Young Stork.
"Farewell, Kisika," he said. "I make you a present of this ring, which
will enable your voice to carry to great distances, and will also stop
all tiresome and needless voices of others."
The Confectioner next came forward and said, "Farewell, Kisika, my
present is two bamboo spoons and two knives. Be happy in your garden;
it's made of the best confectionery."
The Crow, putting on his spectacles, said, "Farewell, Kisika, I beg that
you will accept these spectacle-lenses in memory of me. They are made of
solid ebony, and some day when you have reflected enough on life you
will have them mounted on glass rims and will always put them on before
you speak. Farewell."
The Historian's gift consisted of six hard-boiled eggs, which he handed
to Kisika, saying, "Accept my humble offering, Kisika. These eggs are
home-made. Myself, I never eat anything else."
Mistigris said, "Farewell, Kisika, take this little bow and arrow made
of fish-bones. Perhaps it will amuse you to play with them."
And the Young Stork added quickly, "Adieu, Kisika, take this pair of
pincers to pluck from your heart the darts which may lodge in it."
The wife of the Chief Contractor presented Kisika with a beautiful fan
made of paper lace; and the Healer gave her a little sugar trumpet, of
which the mouthpiece was this time intact.
The Dwarf with the big head gave her a little watering-can to drink out
of during the summer.
All the crews of the marzipan fleet, and the Rats, came in their turn to
offer each a little souvenir.
Presently there was such an immense crowd that it seemed as though the
ceremony must go on for days, since the same things had to be repeated
three times, once before each garden.
Every one was there.
The Grasshoppers.
The Birds with hats.
The Worms with spectacles.
The Sponges with shining eyes.
The Pigs from the great kitchen.
The Flying-Fish and Lizards.
The Dancers who had played at tennis.
The Accordion-Players.
[Illustration: THE WIFE OF THE CHIEF CONTRACTOR PRESENTED KISIKA WITH A
BEAUTIFUL FAN MADE OF PAPER LACE]
In the end it would have needed pantechnicons to move all the presents.
When the ceremony was over the Wigs departed in a long procession,
singing in their sweet voices:
"Here plays the grasshoppers' band,
Here for days together shines the sun...."