The Mifkets uttered cries of rage as they observed the escape of their
intended victims, and rushed forward to follow them. But immediately a
great flood of water began falling just at the place where the children
and John had entered, and as the Mifkets recoiled from this new danger
our friends heard a soft voice say, with a little laugh:
"They will not dare to follow you now. Come with me, and be careful not
to slip."
John looked down, and saw a handsome beaver standing beside him. His
fur was the color of silver, and upon his head was a tiny golden crown
set with jewels so bright and sparkling that the rays lighted the
dim place like so many sunbeams. The Beaver King's face was calm and
dignified, and his eyes kindly and intelligent. Without further speech
he led the way far under the roaring waterfall; and the space between
the dark wall of the dam and the sheet of water was so narrow that the
air was filled with a fine spray, which moistened John's gingerbread
in a way that caused him great uneasiness.
But, lighted by the radiance of the King Beaver's crown, they soon
came to a place directly under the center of the fall, and here their
conductor halted and tapped three times upon the surface of the wall.
It opened instantly, disclosing a broad passage, and through this the
King led them, the wall closing just behind them as they entered.
The noise of the waterfall now sounded but dimly in their ears,
and presently they emerged into a large vaulted room, which was so
beautiful that the little Princess clasped her hands with a long-drawn
sigh of delight, Chick laughed, and John removed from his head the
crumpled and soiled silk hat that he had clung to ever since he had
left the bakery.
[Illustration]
He had seen beautiful rooms in the Island of Romance, but nothing
there could compare with the magnificence and grandeur of this hall
of the Fairy Beaver's palace. The walls were set thick with brilliant
jewels, arranged in a way that formed exquisite pictures, all of
these borrowing color from the natural tints of the gems. The ceiling
was clustered with tiny glass globes, in each of which was a captured
sunbeam; and these lent a charming radiance to the splendid room. Many
cushions were strewn upon the floor, and the floor itself was of gold,
richly engraved with scenes depicting the lives and adventures of
beavers.
While our friends admired the loveliness of the Hall of the Beavers,
the silver-furred King spoke again, in his soft voice:
"You are now underneath the deep water formed by our dam, which was
built by the beavers who were our forefathers many years ago, and
which has endured until now. But in all the years of its existence the
little Princess and the Incubator Baby are the first human beings to
be admitted to our fairy palace. Your companion, my dears, is merely
gingerbread, and lives by means of fairy powers that make him a fit
comrade for fairies the world over."
"It was very good of you to save us from the Mifkets, and we are
grateful," said the girl.
"You're all right!" added Chick, emphatically.
"I am glad to be of service to one so sweet and beautiful," returned
the King, with a dignified bow toward the Princess, "and to one so
merry and frank," he continued, turning to Chick. "And now, if you will
kindly follow me, I will show you the rooms of my palace, and introduce
you to my people. You must be content to remain my guests until I can
find means to restore you to the freedom of the upper world in which
you are accustomed to exist."
He led them through the gorgeous hall and along delightful passages
into various rooms. Some were large and some were small, but all were
extremely beautiful, and Chick wondered greatly at the extent of this
under-water palace, the existence of which no one could suspect who
stood in the forest above, beside the dam of the beavers.
"Are all beavers' homes like this?" asked the child.
"No, indeed!" answered the King, laughing softly. "They are usually
houses composed of mud, mixed with bits of wood and the leaves and
branches of trees. But I am King of the Beaver Fairies, who watch over
the fortunes of all ordinary beavers and take care of them. We are
invisible, even to beavers; and the eyes of mankind can never see us
unless, as in your case, we permit them to do so. These rooms seem
to you deserted, but I assure you they are filled with many beaver
fairies, who are even now watching you with much curiosity."
Both the children started at hearing this, and glanced hastily around;
but nothing but the walls of the palace met their gaze, and the King
smiled upon them indulgently.
"At our banquet, this evening," said he, "I will permit you to see my
people. But now please come to the music-room, where you may enjoy the
strains of harmony that provide us with one of our chief amusements."
He led the way to another room, the roof of which was dome-shaped. From
different points in this dome projected the ends of many silver tubes,
and near the floor of the room, directly underneath each of the tubes,
was placed a plate of glass or of metal.
The King invited his guests to seat themselves, and then pressed a
diamond button that was placed in the wall. This allowed the water from
the river above them to drip slowly through the silver tubes; and as
it fell, drop by drop, on the plates beneath, it made sounds that were
very sweet and harmonious. The metal plates gave out deep and resonant
sounds, while the smaller glass plates tinkled melodiously as the
drops of water fell upon them.
[Illustration]
Neither Chick nor the Princess recognized the first tune that was
played, for it had been composed by one of the Fairy Beavers; but
afterward the King played "Home, Sweet Home," for them, and "Annie
Laurie"; and the music so exquisitely sweet and soft that the girl
declared she would never have imagined that sounds so delightful could
be produced, and Chick pronounced the entertainment "all right."
The gingerbread man was also pleased; for it was the first real music
he had ever heard, and it soothed and comforted him beyond measure.
The Fairy King seemed glad to give his new friends pleasure; and when
the Princess remarked that she would like to know what the Mifkets
thought of their sudden escape, the beaver led them to what he called
the "Observation Room." In it was a square box, draped with black silk
and having a window in one side.
Seating the girl and her companions before this window, the King said:
"You will now observe what the Mifkets are doing."
Instantly a picture appeared in the box, and it seemed that through
the little window they were gazing upon a section of the forest they
had recently left. There were the Mifkets, indeed, with Black Ooboo
and the Arab among them, and all were quarreling and fighting among
themselves in their usual way, and trying to decide what had become of
the gingerbread man and the children.
"They are drowned and at the bottom of the river, by this time," Black
Ooboo said; and his words came as distinctly to their ears as if they
had been standing beside him.
"I hope not," answered Ali Dubh; "for I've never yet had a single bite
of the gingerbread man, although I bought and paid for him."
[Illustration: IN THE "OBSERVATION ROOM"]
Then the scene changed, and they saw Para Bruin climbing slowly up the
side of the steep hill to his den. He seemed none the worse for his
roll down the mountain and his bath in the river, and they noticed that
he laughed and chuckled to himself as if much amused.
"That was a good fight," John Dough heard him murmur, in the bear
language; "and I'm mighty glad I was in time to save the Princess,
Chick, and the delicatessen man. They're safe enough with the beavers
by this time, the white rabbit says!" Then he laughed again; and,
reaching the top of the hill, entered his cave and lay down to rest.
Again the scene changed, and the Princess beheld the open sea, upon
which floated the boat that bore safely her father and mother. They
seemed to be quite comfortable, and the girl was pleased to see that
they had put enough provisions and fresh water into the boat to last
them during a long voyage. The man, although little, was strong, and
pulled sturdily at the oars; and the woman steered the boat in the
right direction.
Our Princess was very glad to see these sights, and to know Para Bruin
was safe, and that her dear parents had escaped the fierce Mifkets.
In company with her friend Chick and the gingerbread man, she wandered
through the palace during all that afternoon, seeing many wonderful
things that the Fairy Beavers had provided for the comfort and
amusement of their community. It was, indeed, a little world by itself,
placed under land and water, where no mortal could guess its existence.
In the early evening the King escorted them to a splendid banquet
hall, where a long, low table was set in the center of the room. The
dishes were all of sparkling cut-glass, and the eatables proved to
be very delicious foods made from vegetables that grew at the bottom
of the river, together with fish and lobsters and oysters, and many
rare sweetmeats that could only have been created by the magic of the
fairies themselves.
Around the long table were rows of silken cushions; but when the
children and the gingerbread man entered, the room seemed deserted by
all save themselves and the King.
His Majesty the King of the Fairy Beavers sat upon a cushion at the
head of the table and graciously placed the Princess and Chick close to
his right hand and John Dough at his left. Then he blew softly upon a
silver whistle, and at once before the eyes of his guests appeared rows
of Fairy Beavers, occupying the cushions beside the low table.
[Illustration]
They were all pretty to look upon, having silvery fur as soft as satin,
and large dark eyes that regarded the strangers pleasantly and without
fear. From the neck of each was suspended, by means of silken cords, a
richly embroidered cloak, exquisitely woven from a material unknown to
the Princess, and blazoned with an emblem denoting the rank or degree
of the wearer. Also each of the Fairy Beavers wore a jeweled circlet
upon the brow; but none of these was so magnificent as the diadem of
their King.
While our friends gazed wonderingly upon the Fairy Beavers, the King
introduced them, saying:
"This is a little mortal Princess named Jacquelin, whom I have
protected because her heart is as fresh and innocent as the daisies
that grow in the fields. This is Chick, known also as the Cherub, an
Incubator Baby without relatives, but who is not lacking in friends.
And this is John Dough, a strange creature, having the form of a man,
made out of gingerbread. He is not exactly a fairy, but lives through
the magic of a fairy compound known as the 'Great Elixir,' and is
therefore not responsible for being alive and is liable to perish
before he has grown very old. Each of these guests is, I believe,
worthy of our friendship and protection, and I trust that my people
will join me in welcoming them to our palace."
Answering the King's speech, all the Beaver Fairies gracefully arose
from their cushions and bowed thrice--once to the Princess and once to
Chick and once to John Dough. Then they all reseated themselves and
drank to the health of their guests from dainty tumblers no bigger than
harebells, which contained water as pure as crystal.
[Illustration]
Then, while the feast began, a chorus of black beavers entered and
chanted a pretty song; and afterward other beavers, so small that the
Princess thought that they were quite young, entered and danced a
minuet for the amusement of the entire company.
Chick and the Princess Jacquelin were really hungry, and although the
children at first feared the food placed before them was not such as
they could enjoy, they tasted some of the dishes and found them so
delicious that both ended by eating heartily, and afterward decided
they had never enjoyed a meal so much.
Of course John Dough missed the pleasure of eating, but he had a good
time listening to the music and watching the dancers; so he was quite
content. Later he amused the company by telling the story of his
adventures since he had come to life in the bake-shop. He spoke in the
beaver language, so that all understood him; and even the Princess
could understand most of his speech, for the portion of gingerbread she
had eaten had conveyed to her some share of the powers of the Great
Elixir. The Fairy Beavers were much interested, and loudly applauded
the recital.
After dinner the girl was escorted by six pretty Beaver Fairies to
a cosy little room decorated with pink and white shells, which were
polished smooth as glass. There was no regular bed in the room, but the
beavers heaped many of the soft cushions into a corner, and upon these
the Princess lay down and slept very peacefully until the next morning.
Chick had a room of blue and gold, in the four corners of which
perfumed fountains shot their sprays into the air. The tinkling sounds
of these fountains might have soothed any child to sleep, yet Chick
could have slept as soundly in the open forest as within this luxurious
room.
John Dough also was supplied with a room in the palace; but as he did
not sleep he had no need to lie down, and so amused himself during the
night by looking at the beautiful pictures that decorated the walls and
ceiling. Most of these depicted the work of beavers engaged in building
dams and houses; John found them very interesting, and therefore passed
a pleasant night.
Soon after daybreak the Beaver King came to John and escorted him to
the Observation Room, where he found Chick and the Princess--who had
already risen and finished their breakfasts--gazing earnestly through
the window of the black box. He also approached the box to gaze at the
shifting pictures, and discovered that the forest had become as quiet
as usual, the Arab and Black Ooboo having returned to the village
in the clearing, and only a few of the Mifkets being left to wander
along the sides of the brook and watch the waterfall at the dam of the
beavers.
"Now," said the Fairy Beaver to the girl, "I can do one more thing to
please you. Make a wish, Princess, and I will grant it."
[Illustration: THE PRINCESS EMBARKS IN THE SUBMARINE]
"Thank you!" she cried, eagerly. "I wish to rejoin my dear father and
mother, wherever they may be."
"Very well," returned the King; "come with me."
He led them through many passages, until they reached a sort of tunnel
that brought them to a rocky cave under the river bank, some distance
below the waterfall. The water of the river covered half the floor of
the cave, and upon the sandy beach at its edge rested a large glass
cylinder, which was pointed at both ends and had a door in the top.
Harnessed to one end of the glass tube were twenty-four strong beavers,
who sat motionless beside it.
"The boat in which your father and mother are still riding is far out
in the ocean," said the King to the Princess; "but in this submarine
boat you will be drawn by my swimming beavers so swiftly that the
journey will not seem long to you."
"Are we not to go with the Princess?" asked the gingerbread man.
"There is room for only one more in the boat," replied the King, "so
the Cherub and you must bid farewell to your friend, in order that she
may safely rejoin the parents she so dearly loves."
"I'm sorry," said John, sadly.
"I'm sorry, too," declared the little Princess, "for you have been very
good to me, John Dough. Yet my parents need me more than you do, and it
is my duty to rejoin them."
"That is true," said John. "Good bye, little friend, and may your life
be long and happy."
Chick said nothing, but hugged the little girl in a long and warm
embrace and kissed both her pretty cheeks.
[Illustration]
The King now opened the door in the top of the cylinder and the girl
stepped inside. The space was just big enough to permit her to lie down
comfortably, and the bottom of the cylinder had been thickly covered
with soft cushions brought from the palace.
When the King had closed and fastened the door, he gave a signal to
the four-and-twenty beavers, and at once they dashed into the water,
drawing the glass submarine after them, and began swimming with
powerful strokes down the river. They swam well under the surface of
the water, and the glass boat followed them without either touching the
bottom or rising to the top.
At first the Princess was much bewildered by her strange journey, for
it seemed as if the water was pressing upon her from all sides. But
presently she realized that she was quite safe in the glass tube, and
began watching curiously the pretty weeds and water-flowers that grew
at the bottom of the river, and the queer fishes that swam around her.
The speed of the swimming beavers was surprising. It was not long,
indeed, before they reached the mouth of the river and swam boldly out
into the sea. Jacquelin had no idea of the direction they took, but she
trusted to the wisdom of her friend the Fairy Beaver, and was not at
all frightened.
And now the sights that she saw were very strange indeed; for the
seaweeds were of most gorgeous hues, and there were not only big and
little fishes of every description, but brilliant sea-anemones and
jelly-fish floating gracefully on all sides of her.
The journey was long, but not at all tiresome, and the girl had not
realized how far she had been drawn through the waters of the ocean
when a dark gray object appeared just overhead, and the beavers came to
a halt.
[Illustration]
Slowly the glass cylinder rose to the surface of the waves, and Jac saw
just beside her the boat containing her parents. The girl's mother also
saw, to her great surprise and joy, the form of her daughter lying in
the glass case, and at once unfastened the door and assisted the child
to crawl out and scramble into the boat.
The first act of the little Princess was to kiss her father and
mother delightedly, and then she leaned over the side of the boat and
refastened the door of the cylinder.
"Tell your King that I thank him!" she called to the beavers, trying
to speak their own language; and the intelligent little creatures must
have understood, for the glass cylinder sank swiftly beneath the water,
and she saw it no more.
Many days the Princess and her parents rode in the boat, until one
morning they came to another small island and ventured to land upon it.
They found it to be a beautiful place, inhabited by no savage beasts of
any sort, and containing a grove of trees that bore figs and bananas
and dates and many other delicious fruits.
So they built themselves a cottage on this island, and lived there in
peace and happiness for many years.
[Illustration]