AT THE FAIRY'S
The Fairy Bérylune's Palace stood at the top of a very high mountain,
on the way to the moon. It was so near that, on summer nights, when
the sky was clear, you could plainly see the moon's mountains and
valleys, lakes and seas from the terrace of the palace. Here the Fairy
studied the stars and read their secrets, for it was long since the
Earth had had anything to teach her.
"This old planet no longer interests me!" she used to say to her
friends, the giants of the mountain. "The men upon it still live with
their eyes shut! Poor things, I pity them! I go down among them now
and then, but it is out of charity, to try and save the little
children from the fatal misfortune that awaits them in the darkness."
This explains why she had come and knocked at the door of Daddy Tyl's
cottage on Christmas Eve.
And now to return to our travellers. They had hardly reached the
high-road, when the Fairy remembered that they could not walk like
that through the village, which was still lit up because of the
feast. But her store of knowledge was so great that all her wishes
were fulfilled at once. She pressed lightly on Tyltyl's head and
willed that they should all be carried by magic to her palace. Then
and there, a cloud of fireflies surrounded our companions and wafted
them gently towards the sky. They were at the Fairy's palace before
they had recovered from their surprise.
"Follow me," she said and led them through chambers and passages all
in gold and silver.
They stopped in a large room surrounded with mirrors on every side and
containing an enormous wardrobe with light creeping through its
chinks. The Fairy Bérylune took a diamond key from her pocket and
opened the wardrobe. One cry of amazement burst from every throat.
Precious stuffs were seen piled one on the top of the other: mantles
covered with gems, dresses of every sort and every country, pearl
coronets, emerald necklaces, ruby bracelets.... Never had the Children
beheld such riches! As for the Things, their state was rather one of
utter bewilderment; and this was only natural, when you think that
they were seeing the world for the first time and that it showed
itself to them in such a queer way.
The Fairy helped them make their choice. Fire, Sugar and the Cat
displayed a certain decision of taste. Fire, who only cared for red,
at once chose a splendid bright red dress, with gold spangles. He put
nothing on his head, for his head was always very hot. Sugar could not
stand anything except white and pale blue: bright colors jarred on his
sweet nature. The long blue and white dress which he selected and the
pointed hat, like a candle extinguisher, which he wore on his head
made him look perfectly ridiculous; but he was too silly to notice it
and kept spinning before the glass like a top and admiring himself in
blissful ignorance.
The Cat, who was always a lady and who was used to her dusky garments,
reflected that black always looks well, in any circumstance,
particularly now, when they were travelling without luggage. She
therefore put on a suit of black tights, with jet embroidery, hung a
long velvet cloak from her shoulders and perched a large cavalier hat,
with a long feather, on her neat little head. She next asked for a
pair of soft kid boots, in memory of Puss-in-Boots, her distinguished
ancestor, and put a pair of gloves on her fore-paws, to protect them
from the dust of the roads.
Thus attired, she took a satisfied glance at the mirror. Then, a
little nervously, with an anxious eye and a quivering pink nose, she
hastily invited Sugar and Fire to take the air with her. So they all
three walked out, while the others went on dressing. Let us follow
them for a moment, for we have already grown to like our brave little
Tyltyl and we shall want to hear anything that is likely to help or
delay his undertaking.
After passing through several splendid galleries, hung like balconies
in the sky, our three cronies stopped in the hall; and the Cat at once
addressed the meeting in a hushed voice:
"I have brought you here," she said, "in order to discuss the position
in which we are placed. Let us make the most of our last moment of
liberty...."
But she was interrupted by a furious uproar:
"Bow, wow, wow!"
"There now!" cried the Cat. "There's that idiot of a Dog! He has
scented us out! We can't get a minute's peace. Let us hide behind the
balustrade. He had better not hear what I have to say to you."
"It's too late," said Sugar, who was standing by the door.
And, sure enough, Tylô was coming up, jumping, barking, panting and
delighted.
The Cat, when she saw him, turned away in disgust:
"He has put on the livery of one of the footmen of Cinderella's
coach.... It is just the thing for him: he has the soul of a
flunkey!"
She ended these words with a "Fft! Fft!" and, stroking her whiskers,
took up her stand, with a defiant air, between Sugar and Fire. The
good Dog did not see her little game. He was wholly wrapped up in the
pleasure of being gorgeously arrayed; and he danced round and round.
It was really funny to see his velvet coat whirling like a
merry-go-round, with the skirts opening every now and then and showing
his little stumpy tail, which was all the more expressive as it had to
express itself very briefly. For I need hardly tell you that Tylô,
like every well-bred bull-dog, had had his tail and his ears cropped
as a puppy.
Poor fellow, he had long envied the tails of his brother dogs, which
allowed them to use a much larger and more varied vocabulary. But
physical deficiencies and the hardships of fortune strengthen our
innermost qualities. Tylô's soul, having no outward means of
expressing itself, had only gained through silence; and his look,
which was always filled with love, had become very eloquent.
To-day his big dark eyes glistened with delight; he had suddenly
changed into a man! He was all over magnificent clothes; and he was
about to perform a grand errand across the world in company with the
gods!
"There!" he said. "There! Aren't we fine!... Just look at this lace
and embroidery!... It's real gold and no mistake!"
He did not see that the others were laughing at him, for, to tell the
truth, he did look very comical; but, like all simple creatures, he
had no sense of humour. He was so proud of his natural garment of
yellow hair that he had put on no waistcoat, in order that no one
might have a doubt as to where he sprang from. For the same reason, he
had kept his collar, with his address on it. A big red velvet coat,
heavily braided with gold-lace, reached to his knees; and the large
pockets on either side would enable him, he thought, always to carry a
few provisions; for Tylô was very greedy. On his left ear, he wore a
little round cap with an osprey-feather in it and he kept it on his
big square head by means of an elastic which cut his fat, loose cheeks
in two. His other ear remained free. Cropped close to his head in the
shape of a little paper screw-bag, this ear was the watchful receiver
into which all the sounds of life fell, like pebbles disturbing its
rest.
He had also encased his hind-legs in a pair of patent-leather
riding-boots, with white tops; but his fore-paws he considered of such
use that nothing would have induced him to put them into gloves. Tylô
had too natural a character to change his little ways all in a day;
and, in spite of his new-blown honours, he allowed himself to do
undignified things. He was at the present moment lying on the steps of
the hall, scratching the ground and sniffing at the wall, when
suddenly he gave a start and began to whine and whimper! His lower lip
shook nervously as though he were going to cry.
"What's the matter with the idiot now?" asked the Cat, who was
watching him out of the corner of her eye.
But she at once understood. A very sweet song came from the distance;
and Tylô could not endure music. The song drew nearer, a girl's fresh
voice filled the shadows of the lofty arches and Water appeared. Tall,
slender and white as a pearl, she seemed to glide rather than to walk.
Her movements were so soft and graceful that they were suspected
rather than seen. A beautiful silvery dress waved and floated around
her; and her hair decked with corals flowed below her knees.
When Fire caught sight of her, like the rude and spiteful fellow that
he was, he sneered:
"She's not brought her umbrella!"
But Water, who was really quite witty and who knew that she was the
stronger of the two, chaffed him pleasantly and said, with a glance at
his glowing nose:
"I beg your pardon?... I thought you might be speaking of a great red
nose I saw the other day!..."
The others began to laugh and poke fun at Fire, whose face was always
like a red-hot coal. Fire angrily jumped to the ceiling, keeping his
revenge for later. Meanwhile, the Cat went up to Water, very
cautiously, and paid her ever so many compliments on her dress. I need
hardly tell you that she did not mean a word of it; but she wished to
be friendly with everybody, for she wanted their votes, to carry out
her plan; and she was anxious at not seeing Bread, because she did not
want to speak before the meeting was complete:
"What can he be doing?" she mewed, time after time.
"He was making an endless fuss about choosing his dress," said the
Dog. "At last, he decided in favour of a Turkish robe, with a scimitar
and a turban."
[Illustration: They all looked at her with a bewildered air. They
understood that it was a solemn moment.]
The words were not out of his mouth, when a shapeless and ridiculous
bulk, clad in all the colours of the rainbow, came and blocked the
narrow door of the hall. It was the enormous stomach of Bread, who
filled the whole opening. He kept on knocking himself, without knowing
why; for he was not very clever and, besides, he was not yet used to
moving about in human beings' houses. At last, it occurred to him
to stoop; and, by squeezing through sideways, he managed to make his
way into the hall.
It was certainly not a triumphal entry, but he was pleased with it all
the same:
"Here I am!" he said. "Here I am! I have put on Blue-beard's finest
dress.... What do you think of this?"
The Dog began to frisk around him: he thought Bread magnificent! That
yellow velvet costume, covered all over with silver crescents,
reminded Tylô of the delicious horse-shoe rolls which he loved; and
the huge, gaudy turban on Bread's head was really very like a fairy
bun!
"How nice he looks!" he cried. "How nice he looks!"
Bread was shyly followed by Milk. Her simple mind had made her prefer
her cream dress to all the finery which the Fairy suggested to her.
She was really a model of humility.
Bread was beginning to talk about the dresses of Tyltyl, Light and
Mytyl, when the Cat cut him short in a masterful voice:
"We shall see them in good time," she said. "Stop chattering, listen
to me, time presses: our future is at stake...."
They all looked at her with a bewildered air. They understood that it
was a solemn moment, but the human language was still full of mystery
to them. Sugar wriggled his long fingers as a sign of distress; Bread
patted his huge stomach; Water lay on the floor and seemed to suffer
from the most profound despair; and Milk only had eyes for Bread, who
had been her friend for ages and ages.
The Cat, becoming impatient, continued her speech:
"The Fairy has just said it, the end of this journey will, at the same
time, mark the end of our lives. It is our business, therefore, to
spin the journey out as long as possible and by every means in our
power...."
Bread, who was afraid of being eaten as soon as he was no longer a
man, hastened to express approval; but the Dog, who was standing a
little way off, pretending not to hear, began to growl deep down in
his soul. He well knew what the Cat was driving at; and, when Tylette
ended her speech with the words, "We must at all costs prolong the
journey and prevent Blue Bird from being found, even if it means
endangering the lives of the Children," the good Dog, obeying only the
promptings of his heart, leapt at the Cat to bite her. Sugar, Bread
and Fire flung themselves between them:
"Order! Order!" said Bread pompously. "I'm in the chair at this
meeting."
"Who made you chairman?" stormed Fire.
"Who asked you to interfere?" asked Water, whirling her wet hair over
Fire.
"Excuse me," said Sugar, shaking all over, in conciliatory tones.
"Excuse me.... This is a serious moment.... Let us talk things over in
a friendly way."
"I quite agree with Sugar and the Cat," said Bread, as though that
ended the matter.
"This is ridiculous!" said the Dog, barking and showing his teeth.
"There is Man and that's all!... We have to obey him and do as he
tells us!... I recognise no one but him!... Hurrah for Man!... Man for
ever!... In life or death, all for Man!... Man is everything!..."
But the Cat's shrill voice rose above all the others. She was full of
grudges against Man and she wanted to make use of the short spell of
humanity which she now enjoyed to avenge her whole race:
"All of us here present," she cried, "Animals, Things and Elements,
possess a soul which Man does not yet know. That is why we retain a
remnant of independence; but, if he finds the Blue Bird, he will know
all, he will see all and we shall be completely at his mercy....
Remember the time when we wandered at liberty upon the face of the
earth!..." But, suddenly her face changed, her voice sank to a whisper
and she hissed, "Look out! I hear the Fairy and Light coming. I need
hardly tell you that Light has taken sides with Man and means to stand
by him; she is our worst enemy.... Be careful!"
But our friends had had no practice in trickery and, feeling
themselves in the wrong, took up such ridiculous and uncomfortable
attitudes that the Fairy, the moment she appeared upon the threshold,
exclaimed:
"What are you doing in that corner?... You look like a pack of
conspirators!"
Quite scared and thinking that the Fairy had already guessed their
wicked intentions, they fell upon their knees before her. Luckily for
them, the Fairy hardly gave a thought to what was passing through
their little minds. She had come to explain the first part of the
journey to the Children and to tell each of the others what to do.
Tyltyl and Mytyl stood hand in hand in front of her, looking a little
frightened and a little awkward in their fine clothes. They stared at
each other in childish admiration.
The little girl was wearing a yellow silk frock embroidered with pink
posies and covered with gold spangles. On her head was a lovely orange
velvet cap; and a starched muslin tucker covered her little arms.
Tyltyl was dressed in a red jacket and blue knickerbockers, both of
velvet; and of course he wore the wonderful little hat on his head.
[Illustration: Delighted with the importance of his duty, undid the
top of his robe, drew his scimitar and cut two slices out of his
stomach]
The Fairy said to them:
"It is just possible that the Blue Bird is hiding at your
grandparents' in the Land of Memory; so you will go there first."
"But how shall we see them, if they are dead?" asked Tyltyl.
Then the good Fairy explained that they would not be really dead until
their grandchildren ceased to think of them:
"Men do not know this secret," she added. "But, thanks to the diamond,
you, Tyltyl, will see that the dead whom we remember live as happily
as though they were not dead."
"Are you coming with us?" asked the boy, turning to Light, who stood
in the doorway and lit up all the hall.
"No," said the Fairy. "Light must not look at the past. Her energies
must be devoted to the future!"
The two Children were starting on their way, when they discovered that
they were very hungry. The Fairy at once ordered Bread to give them
something to eat; and that big, fat fellow, delighted with the
importance of his duty, undid the top of his robe, drew his scimitar
and cut two slices out of his stomach. The Children screamed with
laughter. Tylô dropped his gloomy thoughts for a moment and begged
for a bit of bread; and everybody struck up the farewell chorus.
Sugar, who was very full of himself, also wanted to impress the
company and, breaking off two of his fingers, handed them to the
astonished Children.
As they were all moving towards the door, the Fairy Bérylune stopped
them:
"Not to-day," she said. "The children must go alone. It would be
indiscreet to accompany them; they are going to spend the evening with
their late family. Come, be off! Good-bye, dear children, and mind
that you are back in good time: it is extremely important!"
[Illustration: Sugar also wanted to impress the company and, breaking
off two of his fingers, handed them to the astonished Children]
The two Children took each other by the hand and, carrying the big
cage, passed out of the hall; and their companions, at a sign from the
Fairy, filed in front of her to return to the palace. Our friend Tylô
was the only one who did not answer to his name. The moment he heard
the Fairy say that the Children were to go alone, he had made up his
mind to go and look after them, whatever happened; and, while the
others were saying good-bye, he hid behind the door. But the poor
fellow had reckoned without the all-seeing eyes of the Fairy Bérylune.
"Tylô!" she cried. "Tylô! Here!"
And the poor Dog, who had so long been used to obey, dared not resist
the command and came, with his tail between his legs, to take his
place among the others. He howled with despair when he saw his little
master and mistress swallowed up in the great gold staircase.