In vain he struggled; the dreadful clasp only grew closer. He knew that
this was a trap the witch had set to catch any one visiting the
forbidden closet, so he made up his mind to die when his mistress should
return. While he was in this sad way, the oldest of the dogs came up and
licked his hands. Tears were running from its eyes, and to Ha'penny's
great surprise the dog spoke.
"My poor friend!" said the oldest of the dogs, "I am afraid your fate is
sealed. Know, then, that there is but one chance left for you to escape
the witch's power. In this closet she keeps the magic slippers and the
magic staff. Wearing the slippers, you may run faster than the wind;
holding the staff, you may discover all the hidden treasures of the
earth."
"But how can I get free of this horrible trap?" said Ha'penny.
The oldest of the dogs looked around to see that no one was listening,
and then whispered:
"You must know that we twelve dogs were once twelve princes, and the
twelve cats were princesses--all of us having turn by turn fallen into
the power of the witch. She is bound to treat us according to our rank,
but there is no hope of ever regaining human shape, I fear. Still, we
may be able to help _you_, who have been so good to us."
He gave a little short bark, and up the stairs came running all the dogs
and cats, who wept when they saw the sad plight of their friend. Up on a
high shelf over the skeleton's head were the magic staff and slippers,
and the thing was to get them down without touching the skeleton, which
held fast every living thing that touched it. One of the cats ran nimbly
up the wall and let herself hang; the next cat hung to her tail, and so
on till a bridge was made, over which the oldest of the dogs scrambled,
and got the coveted treasures. He put the staff in Ha'penny's hand, and
fitted the slippers on his feet. Ha'penny gave a kick, and struck the
ground with his staff. Instantly the arms of the skeleton relaxed their
grip, and he was free. He bade a fond farewell to his dear friends,
promising to come back to help them whenever he could. He set out to run
from the house, and speedily the slippers carried him off at such a
tremendous rate of speed that he was faint for want of breath. Vainly he
tried to stop, but no; on, on he went with a fearful rush. He heard the
cries of the old witch, who pursued him on her broom-stick. On, on, went
poor Ha'penny, more dead than alive, and now the witch seemed gaining on
him. He could hear the gnashing of her teeth. He struck out with his
staff, as he passed by a rock, and instantly the rock became a mountain
as high as the moon. The witch took some time to clamber over this, and
meantime Ha'penny got far ahead of her. Reaching a city, he dashed into
the midst of a funeral procession that was going through the street, and
hid himself under the pall of the coffin, kicking off the slippers as he
did so. Immediately he could walk as other men do, and when the old
witch arrived she saw nothing but the funeral creeping slowly along--no
sign of Ha'penny, who, hidden under the pall, clasped his magic slippers
to his breast, and held tight to his magic staff. The disappointed witch
flew homeward and whipped the cats and dogs soundly--excepting
Felisette, who, of course, had been the tell-tale on poor Ha'penny.
The funeral train reached the cemetery, and Ha'penny thought it his duty
to cry as bitterly as the rest of the mourners; but after the coffin had
been put in the grave, and as they were turning away, he asked a
bystander whose funeral it was.
"The king's messenger, to be sure, you simpleton," said the man.
"Could I get the place?" asked Ha'penny.
"You, the king's messenger!" said the man, scornfully. "Why, he must be
the swiftest runner in the country. Look at your cork-screw legs! Look
at your hump-back and your big head! As well expect a snail to carry
our king's messages."
Nothing daunted, Ha'penny went to the king's chamberlain, and proffered
his request. The chamberlain laughed until his head nearly dropped off,
and then called the first Goldstick-in-waiting, who called the second,
and soon the whole court was roaring over the absurd request of this
poor mannikin to be the king's messenger.
"All I ask is that you try me," said Ha'penny, stoutly holding his
ground.
"Stop! An idea occurs to me," said the jolly chamberlain, holding his
aching sides. "To-morrow we shall have a running-match between this
champion and the swiftest runner of the kingdom. In truth, my lords,
this will be sport worth having," and he looked around at the courtiers,
who all set to laughing anew.
Next day the match was held in a lovely grassy field. On a green mound
in the centre was pitched a white satin tent, under which sat the king
and queen and their children. An immense crowd assembled. Two bands of
music kept playing all the time; there were free Punch and Judy shows on
the outskirts of the crowd, and booths where lemonade was given away,
with peppermint sticks and molasses taffy, to all who asked for it.
Banners waved, trumpets blew, and then the race began. Side by side with
Ha'penny, little and insignificant and forlorn as he was, started the
king's swiftest runner, a man of beautiful light form and splendid
muscle. Once around the field they ran, the dwarf lagging; but on the
second round Ha'penny settled his feet well in his magic slippers, when,
see! like an arrow he sped past the athlete, and was in at the goal so
easily that the spectators hardly had time to wink their astonished
eyes! Hurrah! hurrah! A mighty cheer went up for the successful
Ha'penny, and the king called him to receive the purse of gold, which
was the prize. Ha'penny knelt at the king's feet, and again asked to be
made his messenger.
"That shall you be, my mannikin!" said the pleased monarch. So Ha'penny
had a gold chain round his neck, a fine velvet coat to wear every day,
and a page to serve his meals. The king grew so fond of his new servant
that the rest of the courtiers became jealous. Soon Ha'penny again had
no friends but the animals around the palace. They, as usual, followed
him everywhere, and caressed him fondly.
Once when the little dwarf was walking in the king's paddock,
accompanied by a train of young deer who loved to be near him, he felt
the staff in his hand give a loud thump on the ground. At the same time
all the deer formed in a circle round the spot, seeming by their eyes to
implore Ha'penny to remain there. At first he could not understand this,
but at length occurred to him what the oldest of the dogs had said about
hidden treasure. Ha'penny had no spade to dig with, but at once the deer
went to work with their hoofs, and soon they had made a deep hole, at
the bottom of which lay a large iron ring fastened to an iron door.
Ha'penny was not strong enough to pull this up; but the magic staff,
when passed through the ring, lifted it easily. Below was a flight of
steps, leading to a gallery. Ha'penny went down the steps, followed the
windings of the gallery, and reached a second door. Touching this with
the magic staff it yielded, and flying open disclosed to view a lovely
garden, where roamed all sorts of strange shapes--men's and women's
bodies bearing the heads of bears, lions, wolves, foxes, dogs, cows,
horses, and cats. Instantly these creatures came flocking around
Ha'penny, calling him their deliverer, and telling him that they too
were victims of the witch, although by an accident she had only had time
to change their heads before her spell expired. To this garden the witch
was in the habit of coming once a week, to see how her victims were
getting on, and to-day was the day of her visit. Ha'penny took the magic
slippers from his pocket and put them on; and keeping firm hold of his
trusty staff he hid behind a lilac-bush.
Soon, in came the witch, riding her broom-stick. Ha'penny had never
before seen her in her true witch dress. It was a black, tight-fitting
gown, made of scaly snake-skin, and she had a necklace of live coals.
Around her high-peaked cap were twined two living serpents, and a toad
formed her brooch. Under one arm she carried her familiar spirit, in the
likeness of a black cat, with a single emerald eye. She wore a mantle,
made of cobwebs and studded with large venomous red spiders. Oh! she was
a terror to look upon, and no mistake! Ha'penny's teeth chattered with
fear, and so would yours at sight of her! She rode sweeping her broom
down the garden path, and instantly all the animals with human bodies
came running to do her homage. She made them kneel before her, and, with
the three-thonged whip of live snakes she carried, whipped them all
cruelly, till they groaned and cried for mercy. Then, feeling tired, she
lay down on a bank to sleep, guarded by her familiar, who kept watch
with its single eye of flame; and on closely observing the horrid
creature Ha'penny made no doubt that it was none other than his enemy,
Felisette, in her rightful shape.
When the witch was fairly snoring, Ha'penny crept up behind, and
summoning all his strength prepared to smite her with his staff.
Suddenly the black cat spit and hunched her back. The serpents around
the witch's hat began to writhe and uncoil. They knew an enemy was near.
Ha'penny saw that he must lose no time, so aiming a fierce blow at the
witch's back, he broke her spinal column, just as you would break a
stick of sugar-candy. Then the dying witch uttered a shrill command to
her watchers, and instantly Felisette and the two serpents set upon the
audacious Ha'penny. "This time you shall not escape me!" cried
Felisette, spitting fire. The cat's breath was deadly poison, and the
serpents' fangs no man might feel and live. Ha'penny struck, swift and
sure, right into the middle of the cat's single eye, and pierced her
brain. As Felisette fell dead beside the groaning witch, the serpents
reared their full length from the ground, and prepared to strangle the
dwarf. The good staff proved true, and cut them both in two with a
single well-aimed blow. What was his horror to find the mangled remains
of the snakes change into four living ones, stronger than the first.
There was nothing for it but flight, and Ha'penny took to his heels. The
magic slippers carried him on and away, so swiftly that nothing could
catch him. He passed through the gallery and went out at the iron door,
finding himself safe, but a little out of breath, in the paddock with
the king's deer.
Ha'penny told nobody of this exciting adventure, but could not sleep for
thinking of all the poor bewitched people down there in the underground
garden in the power of those dreadful snakes. He now suspected that
these two fighting serpents were of the multiplication variety. (This
means that if they were cut in two they would become four, from four
become eight, from eight sixteen, from sixteen thirty-two, and so on
indefinitely; and this, we are told, is the very worst species of snake
known to travellers!)
Ha'penny got up early, went out again to the paddock, and found the deer
in a great state of excitement and agitation. They seemed to be waiting
for him to come, and led the way to the secret passage in the earth.
Ha'penny went down, staff in hand, and easily passed through the first
iron door. As he neared the second door, he heard a confused noise
beyond it of cries and lamentations. He opened the door softly, and
crept into the garden unobserved. There he saw the dying witch, who, as
witches always require twenty-four hours to die in, was lying on the
ground writhing horribly, groaning, and shrieking to her snakes to
multiply, which they did until almost the whole garden was one seething,
wriggling mass of the horrible creatures. The poor people in the garden
had climbed up the trees, and were every moment expecting to fall to the
ground poisoned by the breath of the serpents, which rose in a thick
vapor.
In this terrible moment Ha'penny's heart almost failed him; but,
mustering all his courage, he sprang upon the witch, and tore from her
the mantle of cobwebs, to which he noticed she was clinging. Instantly
the witch set up a shrill shriek.
"Give me back my mantle," she cried pitifully; "if I die with that
around me, I can be sure of rest in the grave. If you take it away, I
shall have to fly about like a bat forever."
"If you order the snakes to shrivel up and die, and restore all your
victims to their natural shapes, I will give you the mantle," said
Ha'penny firmly.
"Children, come home!" cried the witch, in a failing voice. Immediately
the snakes began rolling and gliding into each other, and in a short
while nothing was left but the two fiery serpents, who wreathed
themselves quietly around the witch's hat again, as if nothing had
occurred.
"Children, be dust!" she said again--this time in a weaker voice--and
the snakes curled up and fell away, leaving behind them only two little
shining skins.
"Be once more men and women, you accursed things!" she said spitefully,
making a sign at the transformed beings who were now flocking around
Ha'penny with delight and gratitude. As the witch spoke, the ugly
deformities melted away, and in their place were seen the heads of
handsome men and beautiful women, who wept for joy when they found
themselves restored.
Ha'penny now threw the cobweb mantle over the witch, who, clutching it
in her arms, gave one long shudder and expired. They made a grave for
her then and there; and Ha'penny led his companions out of the magic
garden, which they were glad to leave, into the long passage-way. There
they showed him caverns filled with gold and silver, which it had been
their business to dig out of the earth and to pack away for the witch.
Ha'penny and his friends divided the spoil, although they told him it
was all his by right. When they got up into the light of day once more,
the bewitched people scattered in all directions to go to their various
homes, and Ha'penny was again alone in the world, although now very
rich. He persuaded the king to discharge him from the royal service, and
his first thought was to journey to the cabin in the woods. This, by aid
of the magic slippers, he did in very quick style, and there he found
the twelve dogs and the twelve cats living as before. This distressed
Ha'penny, as he had hoped that the breaking of the witch's spell would
set them also free. "What did I tell you?" said the oldest of the dogs
sadly. "We are doomed _never_ to regain our shapes; but, now that
Felisette has gone, we are comfortable here and don't repine. Only,
there _should_ be somebody to cook for us, and our hair has not been
decently brushed for a week."
Ha'penny felt a sudden thrill of joy. Here, at last, was something to
depend on him, something that he might live and care for. He warmed the
water forthwith, and gave all the dogs and cats a bath apiece, and then
he combed and brushed them nicely. He made the fire and heated their
broth, and fetched fresh cream and white bread for their breakfast.
Nothing was heard but little barks and purrs of enjoyment. Ha'penny
waited till all were asleep on their cushions, and then he mounted the
stairs and nailed up the skeleton cupboard, so that it might never again
be opened. He could not take it quite away, you see, as every one must
have a skeleton of some kind in his closet, and this was the only one he
had. Ha'penny had never felt so happy and light-hearted as now. He had
found friends, and might remain alone with them in peace.
So there he continued to live, and I am almost sure that if you would
visit that forest, you might, even now, succeed in finding the cottage,
the cats, and Ha'penny himself!
SYBILLA, MYRTILLO, AND FURIOSO.
A certain king had a beautiful golden-haired daughter named Sybilla,
whose suitors came from every country, though with small success, since
the princess had vowed to remain single until one proving to be the
mightiest hero of the world should appear.
At no great distance from her father's country lived a horrible giant,
every hair of whose head could change, at will, into a fiery serpent. He
had one eye, the size of a mill-wheel, and his teeth looked like rocks
in a mighty cavern. His name was Furioso, and his strength was known to
surpass that of an army of ordinary men. What was the dismay of
Sybilla's father when this monster sent to request the lovely princess
for his wife! The king turned pale, and walked up and down his palace
floor all night, for he knew what it meant to refuse the request of
Furioso, who, up to this time, had lived at peace with his neighbor's
country. The queen-mother, hearing of the giant's offer, took to her
royal bed in kicking hysterics. As to the proud little princess, she
curled her pretty red lips scornfully and tossed her head. "I'd like to
see him do it, the fright!" was what she said.
In a few days what the king feared had come to pass. The giant Furioso,
on receiving the beautiful diplomatic letter the king's secretary had
written him (after consultation with all the lords and lawyers of the
realm), frowned, scratched his head, which instantly bristled all over
with flaming serpents, and opening his mouth sent forth a blood-curdling
yell of defiance that resounded in the farthest part of the king's
dominions. Without a moment's delay he changed himself into a fearful
hurricane, and swept over the country and the palace of the Princess
Sybilla. Fences and iron gates, stone walls and marble palaces fell to
the ground like card-houses. Forests were uprooted, suspension bridges
snapped like cobwebs, villages entire rose up into the clouds and
disappeared, with their inhabitants looking in astonishment out of the
windows! Cows and horses, dogs and elephants were seen whirling about
in the air like Japanese day-fireworks. The king and queen found the
roof lifted from above their heads, and went sailing out the open space
in their nightcaps. They met all the court blowing wildly about up
there, and for some time it was like a mad dance without any bottom to
it. Dizzy and terrified, the royal couple at last fell down to earth
again, the queen lighting on the fat cook, so that she was not seriously
injured--the king falling on a tennis net, which the force of the wind
kept suspended like a hammock without any ropes.
Picking themselves up, the first thought of the royal couple was for
their beloved princess. As fast as different members of the court and
household fell down from the clouds, which they continued to do all the
evening and night, the king sent them in search of the princess. Nobody
remembered having seen Sybilla anywhere in the air, and her
waiting-maid, who dropped somewhere about nine o'clock A.M., next day,
wept as she told how she was combing the princess' golden hair with the
ivory comb she still held in her hand, when the breeze came which
separated them. One thing was certain, the princess had disappeared.
When things settled down a little, and people began taking their
breath, a peasant turned up who reported seeing the princess flying
along at a fearful rate of speed in the arms of a tall, white-haired man
wrapped in a mantle, who hid his face as he passed. "It were just at
that moment, your honors," said the peasant, overwhelmed by the
questions that rained on him, "I were myself tooken, unexpected-like,
and turned upside down by the wind; and when I cum to, there I were
atop a haystack in Farmer Grimes' field, five miles from home as the
crow flies, a-standing on my head."
The king and queen exchanged horrified glances.
Each remembered to have heard that one of the tricks of Giant Furioso,
when he wished to be particularly wicked, was to change to the semblance
of a venerable white-haired man. No doubt about it, the whole calamity
to court and nation was the work of Furioso, and _he_ had got the
princess.
The distracted king set out at the head of his army to visit Furioso's
castle. To his surprise, under the giant's name, upon a visiting card
inserted above the speaking-trumpet at the gate, were pencilled these
words: "Out of town till further notice." The windows were closed, and
green shades hung behind them. No smoke came out of the chimneys, and
the doors were chained. Evidently the giant had retired to some one of
his retreats, where he could not be followed. The king and his army
marched back again in gloomy silence.
For six months nothing was heard of the unfortunate Sybilla, till one
day three young princes, travelling from a distant country in search of
adventure, found a wounded carrier-pigeon on the road. Under its wing
was a note, written in pale red ink, on a bit of torn linen cambric. The
note gave them considerable trouble to read it, but, at last, the
youngest prince, Myrtillo, who had always been the cleverest at school,
managed to decipher these words:
"I write this with blood taken from my finger, on a fragment of
my only pocket-handkerchief. I am the wretched Princess
Sybilla, daughter of the King Rolando, and I pray any kind
mortal who finds this to come to my aid, in the dungeon of
Furioso, under the fifth mountain of the Impassable Range. Once
in twenty-four hours this mountain cleaves asunder to let my
oppressor take the air. Watch, and rescue me, in the name of
humanity."
The Impassable Range was far away, but the princes journeyed thither
without delay. They found the fifth mountain easily, and hid under the
rocks at its base, to await developments. Exactly at sunrise a rumbling
sound was heard, and the cliffs shook. The mountain split apart from
summit to base, and between two yawning jaws of rock issued forth,
first, a head covered with flaming serpents, then a frightful purple
face, and lastly, the gigantic form of Furioso. Following him came the
wails and shrieks of his captives within the mountain, to which Furioso
paid no attention; he only turned his back and shouted:
"Close you, mountain, fierce and grim,
Open but to Banbedrim!"
The princes fancied that this last was the password, and when the giant
had disappeared they tried to make the mountain open by repeating it;
but in his excitement each one forgot how to pronounce the magic
syllables. So there they stayed till sunset, when the giant came home
from his hunting expedition. He had a pouch slung over his shoulder, and
in it were crowded the new men, women, and children he had caught. The
poor creatures were half dead with terror and rough treatment. The
princes watched the giant, and listened with all their ears for the
password. "Banbedrim!" thundered Furioso, and instantly the mountain
yawned to let him and his miserable prisoners pass in, when it closed,
as before.
The three princes laid each his hand on his sword, and swore to be
avenged of the brutal treatment of their fellow-beings. Next morning
when the giant issued forth, hurling the password at the mountain, then
disappeared from sight, the oldest prince declared that he should be the
first to enter the mountain, that his brothers should wait twenty-four
hours for his reappearance, and that should he fail to come back the
second brother might come to his assistance.
Bravely the young man sprang up the mountain-side, and called aloud the
password. Instantly amid thunderings and lightnings the ground split at
his feet and swallowed him from sight. They could see the tip of his
bright sword held aloft, as he sank into the gloomy abyss.
Twenty-four hours passed, and the oldest prince failed to return. Then
the second brother set forth, and he, too, vanished from sight. A long
day and night of waiting had the youngest prince. Then he ascended the
mountain where there was every reason to fear his brothers had found a
horrible fate. Uttering the password, Myrtillo saw, through the opening
earth at his feet, a pit whence came fire and smoke; and he plainly
heard the cries for help of many human voices.
Myrtillo fell a great distance, landing on his feet in a desolate
cavern. The smoke cleared away and he beheld a huge iron door before
which were four trumpets--one of copper, one of silver, one of gold, and
one of brass. Over them these words: "He who would enter here, choose
between us four."