improvised flag made signals that his intentions were pacific.
Then a committee of dwarfs came out to talk matters over with them,
making themselves understood by signs, and at last agreed to let the
shipwrecked men enter the town, but blindfolded.
They submitted to this condition, and immediately were surrounded by a
good number of guards, who manacled them and presently imprisoned them
in some very small cells, so small that the new-comers were obliged to
cower down almost all day because they touched the roof with their
heads.
On the following day they were taken into the presence of the chief of
the dwarfs, who was the youngest of all, but who must have been the most
learned, because, after having asked them in several languages what
their nationality was, spoke to them in Spanish as follows:
"What brought you to this island? Do you not know that he who comes to
it never returns? Perhaps the desire for wealth has moved you? If so,
you were much mistaken, because the riches which exist here are for us.
So that now you know what your fate must be--either to die or to be our
slaves."
And at this a crowd of dwarfs approached the surprised sailors, and
without giving them time to defend themselves, tied them up and led them
back again to their prisons.
All this while the bark _Esperanza_ was going along abandoned to the
mercy of the elements, and our Aragonese, fearing nothing, sat
tranquilly in the bows, saying to the ship:
"I must go to Manila; so now you know what to do."
The wind and the waves were driving the ship forward, until one morning,
the tempest now being over, Antonio found himself in a sort of natural
harbour where the ship ran on to the sand.
"Well, this must be Manila!" he exclaimed, and throwing himself over the
side into the water, he reached dry land in two strides, not without
having previously taken, as a measure of precaution, a revolver, a gun,
a cutlass, and a pouch full of cartridges.
"They won't throw me out of Manila for want of arms!" he said, and going
on and on, our good Antonio with his gun on his shoulder commenced to
look for people to ask the way to the capital of the archipelago, now
lost to the Spaniards.
After several hours' walk he met two dwarfs who, seated on the ground,
were playing marbles with some stones whose brilliance was dazzling.
[Illustration: He met two Dwarfs who were playing Marbles.]
The Aragonese approached the players and bade them good afternoon; the
dwarfs raised their heads and looked at him contemptuously and continued
to play.
"Look here, I said 'Good afternoon' to you," shouted the Aragonese, "and
in my country when an insult is offered one knows what happens."
The dwarfs turned to look at him without having understood, and then
Antonio, with two superb punches, knocked the presumptuous dwarfs to the
ground. One remained stunned and could not move himself; but the other
began to run away, uttering cries, and disappeared.
The Aragonese brought round the dwarf and detained him.
For several days they went about the mountain, and during this time
Antonio succeeded in learning a few phrases of the strange language
which the dwarf spoke, and the latter learned several others in Spanish,
with which they came to understand each other perfectly. The two
friends related their respective histories to one another. That of the
dwarf was short; he was called Fu-fei, and he was a captain of the
Cuirassiers of the Guard; and as they had no real horses they rode some
made of cane so prettily that they attracted attention. He narrated,
moreover, that some days before, some giants who had arrived then were
made prisoners, and were to be killed or made slaves. As soon as he gave
these details of the prisoners Antonio cried, "These are my people. I
will not go to Manila until they are out of trouble."
"While you are here," said Fu-fei, "don't run any risks; because my
companions never go up the mountains, as it makes them tired, and they
are under the care of the doctor who prevents them from tiring
themselves; but if you go down to the plain they will attack you, and
they are more than three thousand."
"I don't care; I shall know how to defend myself."
"Then let me recommend you to do one thing. When you begin to fight I
will signal to you which is the company of archers who use poisoned
arrows. Shoot at them, and you can laugh at the rest."
And so it was. At the moment when he went down the mountain, Antonio
found himself attacked by the outposts of the dwarfs' army. Fu-fei
pointed out the company of the terrible arrows, and the Aragonese
destroyed it by shots from his gun and blows with his cutlass.
"There is our king!" cried Fu-fei, pointing to a little dwarf who was
scarcely sixteen inches in height.
"Then I will talk things over with your king immediately."
And, gently taking hold of him by the neck so as not to hurt him, he put
the king in his pocket. Arriving at an oak-tree which would be about
two yards high, and sitting down in the shade, he took the king out of
his pocket and said:
"Where are the prisoners? Either give them back to me or this is the
moment when you lose your position, your crown, and your life."
The dwarf king answered in Spanish that he would give the prisoners up
and whatever they might wish in exchange for his liberty! And so our
hero with his two dwarfs under his arm walked on to Dwarftown, as the
town was called. Once inside he put the king on the ground in order to
recover all his dignity, and the monarch ordered the Spanish prisoners
to be set free.
When the latter recognised their liberator, they did not know what to do
to show their gratitude.
"Don't you know how?" asked Antonio. "Well, take me to Manila, for I am
in a hurry."
"But," answered the captain, "would you go away from this island without
carrying off any diamonds?"
"Where are they?" asked the Aragonese.
"There, on the top of that mountain," they said to him.
"Good gracious! Just now I was in the midst of them and didn't notice.
The truth is," he added, "that what I wanted was something to eat, and
for half a pound of roasted meat I would have given all the diamonds of
the earth."
Finally they all went to the mountain, gathered the diamonds in
handfuls, and when they could carry no more, they went back towards the
spot where the bark was ashore, and there after several months' work
they succeeded in fixing a new rudder and some masts, which although
small were sufficient to make the boat go. They put out to sea and at
last arrived at Manila, to the great satisfaction of the Aragonese, who
exclaimed:
"Did I not tell you that the ship would bring me to Manila?"
The dwarf Fu-fei had not wished to part with his friend and accompanied
him everywhere, exciting attention by his long beard and tiny stature.
The poor fellow was obliged to go about the streets singing, so that
people should avoid treading on him.
They all soon returned to Spain, where they sold their diamonds and
bought fine farms, founding an agricultural colony, in which they all
lived together like brothers.
*THE JUDGMENT OF THE FLOWERS*
"Is it true that the rose is the queen of the flowers?" asked Richard of
his papa.
And the latter said to him jokingly:
"Ask them themselves, they ought to be better informed."
Richard took what his father told him literally, and going down into the
garden, approached a plum-tree which gallantly waved to and fro in the
wind, and taking off his hat with great respect, asked it:
"Mr. Plum-tree, will you be good enough to tell me if the rose is the
queen of the flowers?"
But the plum-tree continued to move to and fro in the wind without
answering him.
And drawing near to an almond tree, whose white blossoms had just
opened, he repeated his question.
"Mr. Almond-tree, is it true that the rose is the queen of the flowers?"
The almond-tree remained silent, but its blossoms went red with envy.
"The almond-tree is also unprincipled," thought Richard. "All these
trees have a discourteous tone. Let us ask the plants."
A splendid double pink, which raised its splendid corolla with a
gallantry worthy of its nobility, as soon as he heard the question,
graciously bowed upon his stalk and answered:
"Quite so, the rose is our beloved queen, on account of being so
beautiful and because her delicate aroma has no rival. But if you wish
to know more, come back to-night at twelve o'clock and notice what
happens in your garden."
"Thank you, kind pink. I will not miss to-night."
Richard went to bed at the usual time, but he could not sleep. At
half-past eleven he dressed himself again, and slipping secretly down
stairs arrived in the garden and awaited events. On the last stroke of
midnight a bright light appeared from the sky and that ray of light
condensed on the earth, taking the figure of a beautiful woman crowned
with flowers, who carried in her hand a little golden wand which gave
off brilliant reflections. The fairy extended her hand and immediately
an unusual movement was produced among the plants. The pinks turned
into elegant gentlemen in bright costumes of ruby, pink, and green; the
hyacinths and jasmines into gallant little pages with fair hair; the
white lilies were pale ladies of singular beauty, dressed in white; the
dahlias wore long trains and at the neck a ruffle of delicate lace of
colours which recalled the flowers which had preceded; the violet
modestly tried to hide her beautiful countenance of velvety skin and her
eyes of gentle aspect among a group of poppies, who passed arm-in-arm,
attracting attention by their blood red costumes. Finally from amongst
a group of mournful evergreens, who were chatting with some beautiful
pansies, appeared the queen of the fete, the rose. Her presence
produced a murmur of admiration, never had she been so lovely. Her face
held the freshness of the flower, and her pink dress with a long train
was of very fine silk which rustled as the sovereign walked. An
olive-tree turned into a throne and dais, and the rose, without any
other ceremony than a general greeting, took her seat on the throne.
She raised her arm, imposing silence, and everybody became silent.
"Gentlemen," said the queen, "once again the good magician Spring has
re-animated our hearts. We have not met since last year and there are
several grave matters to resolve, but the most important is the manner
of defending ourselves from the bees, wasps, and butterflies who
continually sip our honey, accelerating our end. On this point I have
already begged Spring to have the accused appear before me, so that this
gathering is really an oral judgment."
At a signal from the magician the accused appeared in costumes of
etiquette, the butterfly wearing its finest clothes.
It appeared before the queen with its head modestly bent and its face
lighted up by a blush.
"What does your majesty wish?" it asked.
"To inquire the motive why you presume to take away our nectar," said
the rose.
"Ah, madam!" replied the butterfly, touched, "little harm I do you,
because I never take more than is necessary to feed myself, and I have
never abused your hospitality."
"That is well; we will take that into account as an extenuating
circumstance for you. Let the wasp approach."
The wasp entered in a black dress-coat and a yellow necktie striped with
black.
"I," it said, "gather nectar from you because I have proposed to work
like the bee, although I have not yet succeeded in doing so since the
beginning of the world, but still not much time has passed and I hope to
learn."
"How can you hope to learn," interrupted the queen, "if all that you do
is to eat it all without having any to make honeycombs? Your case is a
very bad one. As you have not a good lawyer you are lost. Fetch the
bee."
The latter appeared, her presence awakening a general murmur. It wore
neither a dress-coat nor a frock-coat, nor even a lounge-coat; it was
wearing a blouse covered with stains of honey and wax. All drew away
from the bee for fear of getting soiled.
"Now I know what I am coming to," it said without keeping quiet. "It is
always the same song: that we do take away, that we do not take away the
nectar from the flowers. Good, what about it? We do not do so for
ourselves, but for our master. All the sweet syrup of your corollas we
enclose in the hive, and from there every year it comes out so that Man,
our master, rejoices his palate with it and embalms his breath with your
aroma. After dying in summer and losing your green leaves in autumn,
you still live in us, that we may make your remembrance lasting. And
still you complain! You, it is true, give your blood, but it would be
worth nothing if we did not gather it in order to store it. The work is
ours, and the work is worth as much as your nectar. If you have to
condemn me, do so quickly, I beg of you, as I am losing a great deal of
work time, and we are somewhat behindhand with the work."
The rose called the pink and the violet, discussed the case with them,
and after some minutes' reflection, spoke in this manner:
"The wasp is an unconscientious glutton who, under the pretext of making
honeycombs, which she never succeeds in doing, robs us. Give her five
hundred hard lashes."
On hearing this a deadly nightshade seized the wasp and carried her away
to bestow the correction.
"The butterfly's innocence and moderation favour her," said the queen,
"therefore I declare her absolved with all favourable pronouncements."
The butterfly bowed respectfully and kissed the sovereign's hand. Her
golden feelers glistened, she shook her wings, filling the ambient air
with diamond dust, and took to flight showering cascades of light.
"With regard to the bee," continued the rose, "not only do I find her
without any guilt, but wish that henceforth you do not close your petals
to her, but leave her at liberty to carry away the honey that she
requires. As a reward for her laboriousness, and as a symbol of
perpetual friendship between us, I am going to give her a kiss."
The bee, much moved, advanced, and placing her blushing forehead within
reach of the queen's lips, received a kiss of peace, which made tears of
gratitude gather in her eyes.
A delicious perfume invaded the garden, the fairy raised her wand, and
each flower returned to its post, recovering its original form.
The magician flew into space, wrapped in a moonbeam, and Richard
remained alone, pensive in the recollection of what he had seen.
"What a beautiful lesson!" he said. "Even in the kingdom of flowers
work gains the most precious reward."
*THE THREE QUESTIONS*
In the history of Spain, King Pedro I. of Castile, son of Alfonso XI.
the _Just_, is known by the surname of the _Cruel_.
And his fame as a heartless man was such that his subjects, on whom he
satisfied his terrible thirst for blood and violence, held him in great
terror.
One day while hunting, of which sport he was very fond, King Pedro lost
his way in the wood, and came to rest himself--the night being well
advanced--in an hospitable convent, where without being known he was
offered food, bed, and shelter.
Hardly returning thanks, he passed into the refectory, and on entering
was recognised by a lay brother, who knew that the king suffered from a
certain illness called synovitis, the principal effect of which was that
the malady produced, when he was walking, a strange sound of bones
knocking together.
By this noise he was recognised by the lay brother.
Instantly informing the community, due homage was hastily rendered to
the monarch; but King Pedro was in a bad temper, and facing one of the
reverend fathers, said to him in a disconcerting tone:
"How fat you are, Father Prior! Study makes no hollows in you, from
which I gather that you cannot be so wise as the people hereabout say."
The community was so taken aback, that no one dared to say a word to
that monster of a king.
"Well, if you wish to please me," he continued, "I summon you to come to
my palace within ten days, and to answer satisfactorily the following
questions: First, what is the distance between the earth and the sun?
Second, how much am I worth? And third, what do I believe which is
false? If you do not answer me to my taste I will have you beheaded at
once."
And saying this, he went away.
Needless to say the poor friar was frightened, for he knew only too well
that King Pedro was quite capable of doing what he threatened.
And he devoted himself to thinking day and night about the questions,
without hitting upon any answers.
At the time when King Pedro reigned the distance between the planets had
not been discovered, so there were many discussions between the brethren
over the questions of the king. They were still disputing when the day
arrived on which the prior was summoned to the palace. And even yet he
did not know what to answer. In his distress he invoked the Holy Virgin,
certain that She would not refuse to help him.
After which he was about to set out for Seville when one of the lay
brothers, a sharp and daring lad, said to him:
"Father Prior, your reverence and I are about the same height, and even
look somewhat alike. Why not let me go in your place, father, and
answer the king?"
On seeing him so resolved he did not doubt for a moment that the lay
brother had been inspired by God to save him, and after hearing him,
allowed him to go to Seville.
At the moment in which he arrived at the palace and announced himself,
the king gave orders for him to be allowed to enter.
"Have you thought out the answers to the questions that I asked you?"
asked King Pedro.
"Yes, sire."
"Well, begin then. What is the distance between the earth and the sun?"
"Eight hundred and forty-seven thousand leagues. Not one more, nor one
less. And if your majesty does not believe me, have it measured."
As this was impossible, the king was obliged to say that he was
satisfied.
"Not bad," he said. "Now the second: How much am I worth?"
"Twenty-nine pieces of silver."
"And why twenty-nine pieces?"
"Because your majesty is not worth so much as our Saviour, Jesus Christ,
and He was sold for thirty."
"And what do I think which is not true?" exclaimed King Pedro, somewhat
piqued.
"Well, your majesty thinks that I am the prior, and I am not."
The king was surprised at the ingenuity of the lay brother and pardoned
the substitution, and heaped both with favours.
This proves that the fiercest men are overcome and appeased by the
forces of ingenuity.
[Illustration: headpiece to The Captain's Exploit]
*THE CAPTAIN'S EXPLOIT*
"What ruins are those which are to be seen on the top of that ridge?"
asked a genteel captain of the policeman of a village.
"The accursed ruins!" answered the first authority of the village with
extreme terror. "Many years ago," he said, "there used to be a fine
castle there, inhabited by a feudal lord who was more avaricious than
anybody in the world before. There stands his statue amidst the
rubbish, and terrible stories are told about it which frighten all the
neighbours.
"In the archives of the town several curious documents are kept, and if
your worship, Sir Captain, wishes to read them, I will lend them to you
with great pleasure."
The soldier smiled disdainfully on hearing the policeman, and begged him
to let him see those curious documents, because he had the idea of
visiting the ruins and removing for ever the superstitious fear that
they inspired.
That night he received a bundle of yellowed papers falling to pieces
through age and dampness, and shut up in his room he read them from
beginning to end.
The following morning when Captain Pero Gil--for such was his name--went
out into the square, the hollows of a night of insomnia and fever were
clearly seen in his face. What had happened to him?
Among the papers which formed the bundle, one above all had attracted
his attention. It ran more or less as follows:
"It is said by neighbour Nuno Perez that in the castle, at the foot of
the tower of Homage, there must be an immense treasure, but it is
guarded by one hundred dwarfs with long beards who strike anybody who
comes near.
"At twelve o'clock in the night a gap opens in the ground which gives
access to enormous riches piled up in the cellar; but exactly at one
o'clock the earth closes up until the following night. If, instead of
one person, two or three go to the place, then the earth does not open
and the treasure remains hidden.
"That is the news which, on the evidence of an eyewitness, has reached
me, and which I certify.--Inigo Lopez, the constable."
The captain remained perplexed for a good while, and at last said to
himself resolutely: "To-morrow night I will go to the tower of Homage at
the foot of the castle."
Indeed, at twelve o'clock in the night he went out of the house where he
lodged and went towards the ruins, first making sure that his sword came
out of the sheath without difficulty, and that the pistols which he wore
in his belt were well loaded.
At eleven o'clock, or a little later, he arrived at the castle. A
splendid moon was shining, which gave the landscape a melancholy
appearance. The captain hid himself behind some stones close to the big
tower, and there waited, twisting his moustache, to see the marvel take
place. The village clock struck twelve, and on the last stroke the
earth opened and a crowd of dwarfs, with beards down to the ground, came
out of the narrow gap. They were armed with thick sticks, and began to
dance round the entrance of the vault, singing:
"Let us defend the treasure,
Let us defend our gold
Against every mortal
Not knowing the signal."
The captain advanced quickly, and taking up his place at the side of the
circle of little men, saluted the dwarfs with great courtesy.
"Good evening, friends,"
"Daring man!" said the tiny men. "Who are you? What have you come here
for?"
And armed with their thick sticks they rushed towards the intruder. But
the latter, without being frightened, unsheathed his sword, and said to
them very calmly:
"Let us be serious, comrades, and leave off making bad-natured jokes,
because I will cut down any one who comes too near me. Are you willing
to let me have the treasures?"
"Never!" they exclaimed. "It is necessary for you to give us the
signal. If you do not know it, we shall kill you."
"That is easier said than done," said Pero Gil, with great deliberation.
"You must grow a little before you can put a man like me in pickle. If
your height had grown as much as your beard, it might have been
different."
"Let us kill him," shouted the dwarfs. "He does not know the signal!"
And they threw themselves upon the captain. But the latter drew out a
pistol, and with one shot the most daring of them fell to the ground,
which checked the rest.
"It seems that I came off best," said the captain, laughing. "What I
have done to this fellow I will do to the remainder if you come near.
Therefore let me pass without hindrance."
"We would let ourselves be killed before permitting you to get to the
treasure, unless you gave us the signal."
"And what signal is that?"
"We cannot tell you."
"It seems to me that I shall not require it for grinding up your ribs."
"Away! Away!" said the little men; and armed with their sticks they
rushed upon Pero Gil. The latter fired off his second pistol, bowling
over another, but they threw themselves upon him, until his back looked
like a snake turning round amidst the crowd of those who were attacking
him. At last he saw that he was surrounded and defenceless, and
therefore was obliged to jump over the wall at the risk of being dashed
to pieces, and so left the place, ashamed of his defeat.
"My goodness! what can the signal be?" he asked himself while on his way
to the village.
The following morning he returned to the ruins, armed with a lever, and
recognised the place where on the previous night he had seen the
opening. There was nothing there! However much he poked about he could
not find the least sign which showed the entrance to the mysterious
vault; and what was still stranger, he could not distinguish the
slightest trace of the past fight.
Then he resolved to try if cunning could succeed where strength had
failed.
The following night he hid himself in the ruins and watched the place
where the marvellous event took place. The dwarfs came out with their
accustomed dance and song:
"Let us defend the treasure,
Let us defend our gold
Against every mortal
Not knowing the signal."
The dance over, one of them said: