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[Illustration:
PROF. V. TILLE
LITTLE TOM
ILLUSTRATED BY
O. [vS]TAFL
PUBLISHER--B. KO[vC]I--PRAGUE.CZECHOSLOVAKIA]
LITTLE TOM
LITTLE TOM
TOLD
BY V. TILLE
AND ILLUSTRATED
BY O. [vS]TAFL.
PUBLISHED BY B. KO[vC]I,
14, MASARYK QUAY, PRAGUE,
CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
1922.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Chapter one: THE CHRISTENING OF LITTLE TOM 5
Chapter two: HOW LITTLE TOM WAS FOUND BY HIS GODMOTHER 17
Chapter three: LITTLE TOM'S TRIP AROUND THE WORLD 29
Chapter four: LITTLE TOM IN THE ENCHANTED CASTLE 41
Chapter five: LITTLE TOM'S ADVENTURES IN THE GARDEN 49
Chapter six: LITTLE TOM'S EXCURSIONS 63
Chapter seven: LITTLE TOM AND CHRYSOMELA 75
Chapter eight: THE ANTS' TOWN 87
Chapter nine: THE WAR OF THE ANTS 99
Chapter ten: LITTLE TOM IN CAPTIVITY AND FREEDOM 109
Chapter eleven: CHRYSOMELA'S DEATH 123
Printed by Jos. B. Zapoto[vc]ny, Rokycany, Czechoslovakia.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER ONE.
THE CHRISTENING OF LITTLE TOM.
THE WIDOW THAT GATHERED HERBS. CHRISTMAS EVE.
THE MESSENGER OF THE KING OF THE GOBLINS.
THE CHRISTENING OF LITTLE TOM.
WHAT LITTLE TOM'S GODMOTHER FOUND IN THE WELL
NEAR THE CHAPEL.
* * * * *
[Illustration]
In a little wooden hut within the shadow of the forest and close to a
noisy brook, a poor widow dwelt alone. She passed her days gathering and
drying plants and herbs, from which she was forever making strange
simples which proved very helpful to the village people and their cattle
when illness came upon them. But the villagers only came to visit her
when they had need of her medicines, and these had such wonderful power
to cure that it was whispered about the lonely old woman to be a witch.
The villagers also told strange stories about her, for no one knew
whence she came or when she had taken up her solitary abode apart from
the village.
Many said that she sprang from the race of knights, who, in an age long
past, lived in their great castle deep in the woods and on the hill
which rose above the little hut. But no knights lived there now, nor had
they for many, many years, and the castle had been in ruins for a longer
time than the oldest people could remember. In fact, all that now
remained of the great place which the old folks liked to tell their
grandchildren about, was a little chapel near the edge of the dark woods
and, beside it, an old, old well, now entirely filled up and overgrown
with weeds.
But the widow was not lonely, nor did she wish anyone to help her care
for her little house and the garden she loved so dearly, or even the
field beyond where grazed her cow, "Speckle". Whenever anyone came to
her in trouble or in illness, she was glad to put aside on the instant
whatever task she was about and to give her advice or administer the
medicine which always brought relief and cure, for she understood all
troubles and illnesses and knew the simples for each.
Inside the little hut, everything was as clean and orderly as one would
find in the castles of the nobility, where many servants toiled and
swept. Over the thatched roof an old lime tree spread its friendly
branches, and all day long there sounded about the fragrant buds and
blossoms sounded the cheerful humming of swarms of grateful bees.
The great beams along the walls of the hut were rubbed clean with red
earth and on the whitewashed spaces, between the little windows and the
door, were painted red and yellow flowers with leaves of green, while in
its bed of earth a blue strip of real flowers ran all around the house.
On the gable ledge blossomed red and pink carnations and from the little
balcony under the peak of the roof, with its carved wooden posts and
railing, peered dried poppy heads, ears of yellow corn, sage and all
manner of herbs and spices with strange odors. All these had been
gathered in the clear, white light of the full moon before the dew had
begun to fall.
Besides all these pleasant things, the garden was full of roses,
mignonette and tall mallow. Close to the fence which ran all about it,
grew gooseberries, currants and raspberries; and in the very middle of
the garden was a bed of luscious red strawberries, flanked by rows of
cabbages, lettuce and peas. Against the walls of the hut, between the
windows, old, gnarled vines ran clear to the eaves, bearing bunches of
delicious grapes.
The hut had one large room, a small chamber and the black kitchen, with
its great fireplace and broad chimney. From the outside, it looked not
unlike the houses of the villagers; but, inside, stood furniture of an
older day. In a corner stood a bed of polished wood, piled high with
white, downy quilts and covers. In the middle of the room was a round
table with smooth, polished chairs set against it. Next to the wall was
a beautifully carved old chest for clothes; on the wall, a clock with
brass weights and a cuckoo that called the hours; and between the
windows through which blossomed fuchsias and other plants, stood a rare
old linen press, ornamented with flowers, birds, and hammered silver
work.
[Illustration]
But, most precious of all her possessions, was a little altar carved in
ivory. In size, it was no larger than an apple; but it had two little
doors, which, opening, showed a little stall, in which sat the Holy
Virgin with the Child on her lap and, behind, a yellow ox and a grey
donkey looking out across the manger and breathing upon the two. On the
left, knelt the shepherds surrounded by their fleecy sheep; and, from
the right, came the three kings with golden crowns on their heads and
dressed in cloaks of violet, red and green. The black one was smiling
and showing his white teeth, as they offered their gifts. All of the
figures were just like life! The Virgin had a beautiful face with blue
eyes and dark eyebrows, and the Babe was all pink and held in His hands
a little golden apple.
It was a rare and precious piece of work, which the herb woman had been
told was a relic of olden times, having come from the castle in the wood
above the hut, to which it had been brought by one of the knights from
the Holy Land.
All day long, the herb woman had much to do in caring for her house,
fetching and drying her herbs and brewing her medicines. From one week's
end to the other, she was never idle. But, on Sunday afternoons, when
her work was done, she would take the little altar and place it on the
press between the windows. Sitting down before it in a comfortable
leather armchair, she would read to herself from a very old book,
ornamented with hammered brass and with colored stones set in the
covers. Her book told all about the patient Griselda, the siege of Troy,
about Siegfried, Brunswick, Blanik, and many other brave heroes. Around
the first letter of each story, were painted knights, princesses,
men-at-arms, magic castles, and scenes from strange, oversea countries.
Looking at the pictures in her book and at the little figures of the
altar, the old woman would think of bygone days when she was a bright
little child, playing with her friends in make-believe weddings and
christenings before this same little altar; and when her grandmother,
sitting in the same old chair, would read to them stories from the old
book and tell them of the former fame of their knightly home; of how the
knights fared forth to the Holy Land, while their wives sat at home in
the great castle, embroidering silks and cambrics, and the little
children played in the castle garden.
Her thoughts travelled back to herself, growing into beautiful girlhood;
then, as a bride and the happy wife of a good husband; later, as the
mother of two beautiful babies; then, sad memories crowded her weary
head. Her husband and the two little children had died and she was left
alone, without any relatives and without money, and with only this
little hut in the shadow of the wood where she might live and earn her
food.
Often she sat like this, until the shadows of night had gathered around
her; and the older she grew, the more heavily these sad thoughts weighed
upon her. Each year, she felt herself growing weaker and began to be
fearful that she could not manage to work at home and to gather the
herbs in the woods and fields. In the winter, when the garden was
covered with snow and the great drifts kept her from the village, she
became even more sad to think how alone she was, the last of her race,
with no one to whom she could tell her troubles and who would be a
companion to her.
Now, one year, it was the day before Christmas. The snow had drifted
against the little house clear to the eaves. As was her custom, she had
brought from the forest a little Christmas tree and, having set it in a
box, in earth carried from the wood, began to trim it. She hung from the
branches gilded nuts and draped the tree with festoons of colored paper.
Then, she fastened tiny, wax candles to the branches and then she peeled
some apples and, finally, lighted the little candles, thinking of the
used to dance and play olden days at home when they danced and played
around the Christmas tree. The fire burned cheerily in the broad hearth
with its green glass tiles. The room was warm and filled with the odor
of mint and of lavender. As she sat thus, alone before the tree,
presently, her head fell forward upon her hands which rested upon the
linen press, and she slept.
The old lady dreamed she was a girl again, in her Sunday dress and with
her braided hair held by a red ribbon, kneeling before the little altar.
Suddenly, she saw the Holy Virgin smiling at her and the little Baby
stretching out its tiny hands and handing the golden apple to her; the
sheep began to bleat, the shepherds were bowing, and the three kings
swung their burning censers and walked toward her over the shining
surface of the linen press. She even heard them call her by name and
speak to her.
The old lady woke with a start, but the voices seemed to call to her
faintly, as if from a great distance. She looked about her, but saw no
one. The same faint sound of voices was still to be heard, and, now,
right under the tree, she perceived a tiny little man in a red coat,
just as if one of the three kings had really come from the altar and
wakened her. Not one whit surprised, she bent toward him. It seemed to
her that she had always known him.
The little man scrambled up to the edge of the old book which still lay
upon the press, bowed, stroked his black beard, and spoke: "Honored
lady, my people send me to ask of you, in the name of our king, a favor.
A prince has been born to us and we should like to celebrate his
christening here before this little altar, which is most precious to us.
Our kingdom lies in the corridors under the old castle and extends to
the well by the little chapel, and even to your hut. Our forefathers
were true servants of your ancestors, the knights of the castle, and
guarded for them their treasure. In this little altar are pictured the
faces of our former kings."
The old lady was pleased that the gnomes wished thus to honor her
little altar and readily gave her consent, that they might come to it in
order to celebrate the christening of their prince. The messenger bowed
and, running quickly down her dress to the floor, disappeared through a
little hole by the hearth. Immediately, from behind the great hearth,
came the most wonderful procession she had ever seen.
[Illustration]
First, came the pipers and the band of musicians, playing on strange,
curved trumpets and beating drums that sounded like the hum of many
flying insects. Behind them walked the old king and the young queen in
long robes of spotted butterfly wings and wearing golden crowns that
glistened with precious stones; then the nurse, bearing a little baby
upon a cushion of silver cobweb, tied with a hair of gold. Following
them were many dignitaries in gorgeous cloaks and, last of all, came men
and women of the people, hurrying across the floor like little insects,
for they were hardly any larger.
When the procession of tiny folk reached the old lady's shoe, they
fearlessly climbed up her skirt to her lap and on across her arms which
rested on the press. She laughed to see the great crowd walk over her
and was careful not to move--indeed, she hardly breathed--lest she might
hurt one of them.
When all had gathered around the tree, one old man took the little
prince in his arms and, as the others knelt before him, he made them a
long speech. The old lady could not understand it at all, for it sounded
to her like a fly buzzing on the window pane; but, when the old man had
finished, all shouted together: "Long live our prince, Tom! May he reign
happily!"
The girls began to dance around the tree and all the little people
jumped and laughed and shouted with merriment. The king and the queen,
followed by the nurse with the little prince, stepped upon the old book,
which made a good platform, and thanked the herb woman for her kindness.
The king then begged her to be a kind godmother to the prince and to
continue to be a good friend to his people, just as her ancestors had
been. The old lady promised this with pleasure, for she felt a great
love for the little folk who brought back so vividly the days when her
people were rich and famous.
The queen started to take the wrappings from the tiny baby, which were
bound round and round about him, and the herb woman and the old king
talked of the golden days gone by. The king told her the tales he had
from his forefathers, of the brilliant life in the great castle; how the
gnomes nestled in the soft tapestries by the great marble hearths; how
they cleaned and polished the gold and precious stones in the
underground chambers; how, on clear moonlight nights, they danced
graceful figures with the fairies; and how, with grasshoppers as horses,
they held noisy tournaments.
Whenever there was a newborn baby in the castle, the gnomes, in the
night, wove beautiful dreams which they spread out in the rays of the
moon under the canopy of the mother's bed and guarded the baby in its
silver cradle.
The old lady listened happily, gazing at the gathering of the gnomes,
lighted by the trembling rays of the candles, now almost burned out.
Many of the young men had clambered into the branches of the tree and
were swinging in the paper chains and sitting astride the golden nuts
and red apples. Little girls were sliding back and forth on the slippery
surface of the press, while serious old men and grayhaired women walked
sedately in groups around the base of the tree. There were so many of
the little people that they could not be counted.
The herb woman looked at the swiftly moving, variegated crowd until her
eyelids drooped. She was already half asleep when the old king came to
bid her good-by and, as in a dream, she heard him say: "Honored lady,
for centuries your race protected us and, today, we would like to reward
you. The great treasures of your family long ago disappeared, but, in
the old, choked-up well, there still remains much gold. This we have
carefully guarded from generation to generation and kept in clean and
good order. In the well casing, in the fifth circle of stones from the
top, you will find one engraved with a horseshoe. Behind this stone, you
will find the money which your forefathers hid there; but be careful to
replace the stone and not to disturb our underground realm."
When the old woman awoke, all was quiet and dark in the room. The
candles on the tree had quite burned out, the cuckoo in the clock called
twelve, and from the village, came the sound of bells, ringing the glad
tidings of Christmas Day. Across the brook, she could see the lanterns
flickering in the village square and the people gathering for church.
But she did not feel strong enough to go to the midnight service. Then
she thought, with a smile, of what she had seen on Christmas Eve, but
she said to herself with a sigh, "It was only a dream", and took herself
off to bed.
In the morning she milked Speckle and, as she drank the good, warm milk,
she laughed to herself over her dream. But it would not leave her mind
and, presently, she went to the hearth to see whence the procession of
gnomes had come. She found nothing but a hole in the floor, large enough
for a cat to pass through; but she thought to herself, "Why should I not
go to the well by the chapel?"
Over her shoulders she threw a warm sheepskin coat, with the wool inside
and flowers embroidered on the outside, such as the country people wear,
and, taking a hoe and a lantern, went to the chapel.
There had been a keen frost and the fields were covered with snow, which
sparkled in the sun. The snow was also away up to the eaves of the
chapel, while from the blackberry stalks over the well, hung transparent
icicles. The herb woman pushed aside the bushes and, crawling into the
well, dug away the rubbish until she had uncovered the fifth circle of
stones with which the well was lined.
She laughed at herself to think that she should believe in dreams; but
her heart was beating rapidly as she lighted her lantern and, digging
away the gravel, looked at one stone after the other. "When I do not
find the stone with the horseshoe," she thought, "I will be convinced
that it was only a dream." But as she touched the damp moss on one
stone, she felt a little depression and, when she had cleaned it, there
was the horseshoe.
The stone was large and heavy and her hands trembled as she set her hoe
into the fissure; but lo! the stone was not cemented like the rest and
was easily loosened. When she had pulled it out, from behind the stone,
came shining gold pieces, as bright and clean as if they had been minted
only the day before. Off came her apron, in which she tied up the money;
but the bundle was so heavy that she could hardly lift it.
She would have liked to look still further into the realm of the gnomes,
for behind the stone was a hole running deep into the ground; but she
thought of the old king's request and, setting the stone in its place,
hurried back home with her treasure.
Now, she was rid of all worry as to how she should keep herself when
she should grow very old. In her heart, she thanked the little gnomes
for their care of her and decided to remain in her little hut as long as
she lived.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER TWO.
HOW LITTLE TOM WAS FOUND BY HIS GODMOTHER.
THE SPRING. THE FLOOD.
HOW THE GODMOTHER FOUND LITTLE TOM
IN A NUTSHELL.
HOW LITTLE TOM TOOK UP HIS ABODE ON CASTLE
EASTER EGG.
HOW THE GODMOTHER BROUGHT LITTLE TOM
HIS OUTFIT.
WHAT LITTLE TOM TOLD HIS GODMOTHER
ABOUT THE REALM OF GOBLINS.
* * * * *
The winter was cruelly cold. Snow covered the paths and drifted high
against the little hut. With difficulty the herb woman made paths to the
stable and to the brook.
In the night, when she could not sleep, she listened to every slight
sound, in the hope that her little friends would appear again. But
nothing ever happened; it was only the hoot of an owl outside, or the
squeak of a mouse. The gnomes never came forth again from their
underground realm.
So, in the day time she read and sewed, pondering how she could go to
the nearest town to change her money and buy many little things for her
comfort and for the improvement of the little hut. Her gold pieces she
had hidden well behind a green tile on the hearth.
Finally, the snow began to melt, the sun became warmer, the fields lost
their coat of white, the meadows became green, and spring had come. When
Easter arrived, she had already planted her garden and stripped the
roses of their winter coverings. The snow drops and gillyflowers were
blossoming by the brook; the cowslips were poking their yellow caps out
of their beds, and over the fields the larks sang joyously.
The herb woman placed her treasure in a covered basket, shut the hens in
their coops, put fresh grass in Speckle's manger, let the dog, Rover,
into the yard, locked the door of the little hut and went on her way to
town. She walked lightly, as if she had grown younger during the winter
and did not at all mind the long journey.
In town she was surprised at what she received for her gold; if she
should live a hundred years, she could not use all her money. So it was
placed in a bank for safe keeping and the people treated her with great
respect. They knew that she had come from a good family, but as she had
lived so modestly, no one knew how wealthy she was.
When she had made her purchases and finished her business, she wished to
rest awhile in town, but word had come that the heavy rain in the
mountains had caused the snow to melt and the water to rush down in
torrents. She knew very well how bad the brook became when it was
swollen and she worried lest the hut might be carried away and something
happen to Speckle. So she hurried home and, on the way, she saw the
swollen brook stretched out over the meadows like a lake.
When she reached the village, it was dark, and already the people were
beginning to light up their houses. Many of the little foot bridges had
been swept away, the water reached nearly to the village square and she
found it impossible to cross the stream. The torrent raged and stormed,
bearing along branches, small trees and cakes of ice.
In vain the old lady peered across the bank to the farther shore in the
attempt to see if her little hut was still standing; but the darkness
was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. There was nothing left
for her to do but to ask the good villagers for shelter over night.
[Illustration]
The next day, when the sun shone out, the torrent had subsided and the
brook was running between its banks in a steady stream. The hut was
still standing, but the bank was undermined and the little bridge
carried away. So the widow had herself taken across in a boat and, in
great anxiety, hurried to the hut to see what changes had been wrought.
The garden was covered with mud and on the meadow were little pools of
glistening water. Out of the yard bounded Rover barking heartily and,
from her stall, Speckle mooed a welcome. The hens came hurrying out of
their coop, flapping their wings and cackling, and straightway began to
scratch in the ground in search of little worms. Inside the hut, the
hall was wet through and in the best room stood little pools of water.
The herb woman took her broom and swept out some of the water and with
a cloth mopped up the little pools. Near the hearth the water was quite
deep and swirling around and running away through the hole behind. On
the water swam a tiny barge formed from a hazel nut, and in this boat
was a very small lad indeed, rowing with his oars of straw and working
with all his might, so that the whirlpool should not carry him back into
the hole.
[Illustration]
The widow lifted up the shell very carefully and placed it on the palm
of her hand. The tiny lad, letting go his oars, clasped his hands and
said, "Dear Godmother, I thank you very much for saving me. I am Little
Tom, but am so very tired that I can hardly sit up." But his weariness
came only from his efforts to keep himself from being swept back into
the hole.
His Godmother placed the little fellow gingerly on the table and next to
him she put a drop of milk and beside it a crumb of bread. Little Tom
gulped the milk eagerly and ate nearly the whole crumb. When she placed
near him a tiny bit of cloth for a pillow, Tom lay down and fell asleep.
She watched the little fellow tenderly as he lay there so quietly and
all worn out with his hard work. He was now a fullgrown lad, finely
built and with black hair. His little hands he had clasped across his
breast. She felt very badly to think of his sufferings through the night
in that terrible flood and she wondered what might have happened to the
underground realm of the gnomes.
While he was sleeping, she started to work. She scrubbed the floor very
clean, then sifted dry sand all over it; cleaned up the garden, and then
put some soup to cook over the fire in the kitchen. When she returned to
the big room, Little Tom was sitting up, rubbing his blue eyes with his
little fists and calling for his mother. As he looked around, he
recognized his Godmother and began to cry bitterly. The old lady tried
to soothe him, begging him not to cry and to tell her all that had
happened. But, for a long time, he could not be quieted. When he had
cried himself out, he told her what misfortunes had come upon the
underground realm.
All the gnomes were quietly sleeping, utterly unconscious of any danger,
when, all of a sudden, great waters came from under the well, flooded
the entire town, tore down the walls and rose to the upper floors. His
mother woke Little Tom and ran with him to the upper corridor, through
which was already running the stream which was their main river.
On this stream stood the great navy of the gnomes, made from walnut
shells. The entire court entered the ships and started rowing to the
east from the underground country; but the stream continued to rise and
the over-crowded ships began to rock, until they sank one after the
other and all the gnomes were lost. Little Tom knew how to swim very
well but he would surely have been drowned, if he had not caught hold of
a hazel-nut boat. This was taken up by a little current and swept
through the hole by the hearth into the Godmother's large room.
Instantly, Little Tom knew where he was, for his parents had often told
him of his christening and how kind the Godmother was to them all; so he
continued to row with all his might, hoping that his Godmother would
return in time to save him.
She was surprised to find him grown up, for at Christmas time, he was
only a tiny baby, wrapped up in his cushions. Little Tom explained, that
with the gnomes each week is counted as a year, so that he was now
fifteen years old. Before that age, no prince may ever leave the
underground realm, but must be studying and learning and, after that, he
may only go into the outside world for experience. They were just
preparing to celebrate his coming of age at his Godmother's and to send
him on his journey into the world, when the great flood came and
destroyed the whole kingdom. Little Tom was the only one of them to be
saved, and that seemed to be through a miracle.
The Godmother did not wish to remind him of his misfortunes, so she told
him that she would take good care of him and that he would find it very
pleasant in her hut; but she was worried how she should find a suitable
place for him to sleep, and how she should clothe him and provide the
things necessary for his comfort.
She placed him on the top of the linen press and opened the altar for
him; and when he saw the faces of the little figures, Tom became very
cheerful, saying that the lady with the Child on her lap was very much
like his mother. While Little Tom was looking at the kings, the
shepherds and the manger, his Godmother found a nice, large Easter egg
that was all hollow and gaily painted in red and yellow. With a pin she
pricked out a door on one side, and on the other, two windows; then she
set the egg firmly in the earth, under the tree and told him this would
be his home and that he should carry some earth inside, and stamp it
into a hard, level floor. She wanted to give him something to keep him
busy, so that he would not think of the misfortunes that had befallen
him.
Little Tom crawled inside and admired the great hall, beautifully arched
from the finest alabaster, standing under the wonderful tree with its
golden fruit. He asked his Godmother to set him in the branches, so that
he might look at the golden nuts and taste of the figs and dates. He was
happy to think that this magic tree from the outside world would shelter
him for many, many years.
Then he climbed down the trunk, lowering himself by the little spines as
if they were the rounds of a ladder. He decided to build a wall all
around Castle Easter Egg and to lay out a garden under the tree.
The herb woman left him busily working and, taking her hoe, went to the
well by the chapel to learn how the kingdom of the gnomes had fared. She
took out the stone engraved with the horseshoe and dug behind in until
she saw a little corridor, in which was a confusion of stones, mud and
water. Everything was torn down and ruined and of the gnomes, she heard
not a sound. She felt very sad to think they all had perished and she
started to cover the hole and replace the stone. But when she took it
up, she was surprised to find how light it seemed. Examining it more
carefully, she noticed at the back a tiny, polished metal door. Upon
pressing this with her finger, it opened and she saw that the inside of
the stone was entirely hollowed out and filled with many little
particles.
It occurred to her that, perhaps after all, some possessions of the
gnomes remained that might prove useful to Tom; so she put the stone on
her shoulder and taking care that nothing should fall out, carried it
home.
[Illustration]
When she came into the big room, she found that Tom had already made the
floor inside his castle and was now engaged in building a wall around it
out of shining, little pebbles. The Godmother laid a cloth on the top of
the press and placed the stone on the cloth.
"Little Tom," she said, "I have brought you something for remembrance.
Your kingdom is all gone; but do not be sorry, for you will stay with me
and we will live happily together. Now, perhaps you will find something
in this stone that will be useful to you."
Tom crawled sadly into the stone, but, at once, shouted with pleasure.
"Dear Godmother," he called, "this is our royal treasury and it contains
furniture, clothes, linen, arms and dishes; all sorts of things. Now, I
have everything I need and you will see how nicely I will arrange my new
home."
At once, he began to carry out of the stone the rich stores he found
there. His Godmother placed a tiny piece of cloth by the stone and when
Tom had piled it high with cupboards, tables and chairs, she raised it
very carefully and placed it under the tree. In spite of all her care,
it happened that she broke the leg of a chair and knocked off a corner
of cupboard. She was very sorry, but Tom soothed her by saying that he
would repair everything. When he began to bring out the dishes, painted
porcelain left by his grandmother, cups, saucers and pitchers, old
silver pieces and other treasures, he was very fearful that she might
break these, too. To her, they seemed like tiny bits of glistening sand;
but she made him a little wooden staircase that she set against the tree
box, and up and down this he climbed, carrying his treasures to his
castle. He worked so hard all day that by night he was completely tired
out.
[Illustration]
In the meantime, the Godmother had gone about her own work; but when, in
the evening, she came back into the room she found that the stone had
been cleaned out. In the door of Castle Easter Egg hung a flowered
carpet for a curtain and at the windows were little shades. Inside, the
furniture had all been set in order, but, outside, there still remained
piles of the precious stores. She was sorry she could not see inside
very well to look at Tom's housekeeping, and was afraid to touch the egg
lest his castle should go to pieces.
In the morning, he was early awake and went carefully over his garden,
measuring out the paths and deciding where he would have lawns, and
where he would start a forest of moss. Then he made a store room for his
surplus supplies, dug a well and completed the wall around the castle.
His Godmother helped him as best she could, cutting tiny pieces of wood
and cloth for his use. The well they made from an old thimble. She left
him busy at work, noting how diligent and orderly he was and how well he
had been educated; for he seemed to understand everything that needed to
be done. She was pleased that he had so much to keep him busy, that he
would have no time for bitter reflections.
During the day, each went about his or her own work; but in the evening
they sat together, the Godmother at the table eating her thick soup and
potatoes. Upon the table Tom had his own little table and chair opposite
her. For his supper, he had a baked grain of wheat, a hash of sunflower
seed, or two or three grains of millet fried in butter. He always ate
with delicacy. His food tasted good to him and after it was eaten, he
drank some milk.
When they had cleared away the things they talked together. The
Godmother wished to know how the gnomes lived in their underground
kingdom and Tom told her all that he could. What they did outside in the
fields, he did not know, for he had been obliged to remain at home and
study in the schools; but he described very well all that happened in
the underground town which had bustled with people. He had seen long
lines of them bringing home food, riding on grasshoppers, making traps
for flies and butterflies, bringing in the captured tree insects and the
spotted bugs which were kept in roomy stalls.
For himself, he had a fine grasshopper, which carried him along the
corridors lighted by torches from dried wood which gave out soft blue
flames. He told how his father and mother used to play with him and
about his little friend Chrysomela, a sweet little girl who had been
educated with him. Together, they used to run and play and watch the
gnomes digging in the mountains or go for a row on the underground
river. Then he spoke of the frequent visits of foreign guests, gold
beetles, and spotted wood bugs who came in stately processions and
brought fine messages of greeting and beautiful presents. He told
especially of a visit, just before the flood, made by many black ants
whom the gnomes feasted and welcomed with great honor. His father, the
king, presented them to him, telling him how diligent and orderly they
were and what good friends they were to him. He promised Tom that when
he should grow up he would send him to them for their teaching, so that
he might learn how to rule over the kingdom.
Tom would often speak of these things he remembered, but, at the end, he
would always become sad, when he thought how all his kingdom had been
destroyed and everything had disappeared, and that he would never again
see his loved ones.
The Godmother listened to his stories with great pleasure, but she
realized that Tom must have some occupation that would keep him busy and
not only prevent him from thinking too much of the past, but also
prepare him for the life he was to lead in the future.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER THREE.
LITTLE TOM'S TRIP
AROUND THE WORLD.
LITTLE TOM'S HOUSEHOLD.
LITTLE TOM WRITES A DIARY.
HE LEARNS TO READ THE BOOKS OF MEN.
HOW LITTLE TOM READ WITH HIS FEET AND HOW HE
TURNED THE LEAVES.
LITTLE TOM LEARNS GEOGRAPHY AND WANTS TO
MAKE A TRIP ROUND THE WORLD.
WHAT HE WROTE IN HIS DIARY ABOUT THIS TRIP.
* * * * *
Little Tom had his day well planned. He rose early and, as his Godmother
placed every night on his castle grounds an earthern-ware plate full of
fresh water he would jump into it the first thing and swim all around in
it. When he had finished his bath he would take his breakfast in the
garden.
Under the tree was his store of provisions: A hazel nut with an end cut
off so that he could take out little bits from time to time, lasting him
a whole month; a beechnut; sunflower seeds; a piece of sugar; and a
wonderful apple, into which he cut a narrow passage so that it would not
dry up from the outside.
When he had breakfasted he would sweep the carpet in his room, clean his
clothes and shoes, exercise with his weapons so that he would not forget
the arts of defence he had learned at his home, and then go into the
garden to plant and weed. Sometimes, he hunted for the ugly worms that
dug great ditches in the vegetable beds.
When the Godmother rose she would come to say good morning to Tom, look
at his work, praise and advise him. When she saw it was necessary to
water the tree, she would tell Tom to take away his tools and would then
pour water over the tree from a fine sprinkler. Tom loved to run about
in this rain and was happy to think that he could so bravely bear the
heavy shower.
After she had gone away, he would write in his diary, describing
everything he had been doing, as well as all those things he could
remember from his former kingdom, so that nothing should be forgotten.
For this purpose, he had a beautiful, smooth parchment, tanned from the
skins of white tree bugs, sharp pens, made from the bills of gnats, and
fine writing sand from the powder of butterflies' wings. He only lacked
ink, but he found a way to get that. On the tree, he discovered the
smoky wicks from the candles; mixing the soot with water he made himself
some excellent ink; but in doing this, he became so black that when his
Godmother saw him she feared that he had turned into a negro.
He took his dinner alone, but always looked forward to the evening meal
when he could sit down and talk with his Godmother.
Thus the days passed happily. He worked about his castle and in the
garden and was kept busy with his housekeeping. Every day he was
becoming more manly and strong and, as he grew up, he thought more and
more of his past, of his birth and what he would have accomplished had
he become a king and ruled over his underground realm.
One evening, when they were sitting together and Little Tom was speaking
of all the things in the world he would like to do, his Godmother said,
"Dear Little Tom, before you can do great things in the world, it is
necessary that you should learn how to read and write as large people
do, so that you can know what they are doing".
But Tom answered, "I know how to read and write very well, Godmother. I
will show you what I have written." And when, at his request, she placed
him on the press, he ran into the castle and brought out a whole armful
of parchments; but it seemed to her that they were only a lot of tiny
petals from cherry blossoms.
[Illustration]
When he had thrown the parchments into her lap she put on her spectacles
and took one of the little sheets in her palm; but she could make
nothing out of it at all.
Tom offered to read some of it to her and taking up the sheet, read it
with much expression. In spite of this, the Godmother shook her head.
"You read very nicely what you yourself have written," she said, "but
you must learn human letters as well, so that you can read and study our
books."
Therefore, she brought her book to the table, and reached for Little Tom
to place him upon it, but he was nowhere to be seen. She looked all
about and finally spied him clinging desperately to the table cloth. The
wind caused by turning the leaves had blown him over to the very edge of
the table and he had barely saved himself. He was calling for help when
his Godmother rescued him from his perilous position. So it nearly
happened that, at the very outset, a misfortune might have prevented the
reading altogether; but, as soon as he had recovered from his fright,
Tom offered at once to begin.
He crawled quickly up the golden edge of the book and surveyed the
broad white plain covered in every direction, with curving black lines.
He ran at once to the upper left hand corner, stepping gingerly on the
first large letter. After he had walked all over it, he stopped and
declared confidently that it was a capital "O". In like manner he went
on to "N" and "C" and "E" and a little further, until he had no longer
to run completely over a letter but could place himself in the middle
and looking all about him could tell at once what it was. One after the
other he spelled and his Godmother was surprised to see how quickly the
reading progressed.
[Illustration]
It was only when he came to the end of the page that he found
difficulty, for then he had to crawl down while she turned the page
over; but he thought of a way to get around this. When he had reached
the end of the next page he procured one of his long spears and crawling
a little way down the sloping edge of the opened book, thrust his spear
between the leaves and raised the sheet high enough to crawl under it.
Then, on his hands and knees, he worked his way to the middle of the
book and exerting all his strength, he was able to turn the page over.
In a short time, he learned to read so rapidly that he could run swiftly
along the lines and in this way could cover five or six pages in a day.
He liked especially to linger by the pictures, looking at the little
knights gazing from the battlements of the castle, or the beautiful
ladies spinning or embroidering in great rooms; for it seemed to him
that these were pictures of his former life and reminded him of his lost
realm. But, after a moment, he would diligently continue his reading.
He was very curious to discover what real people know, so that he also
might learn; but it seemed to him that he would never be able to read
fast enough, and so he began to ask his Godmother to teach him from her
own knowledge. She soon perceived that in some things, like mathematics
and physics, he was much better educated than herself; but of other
subjects, such as history and geography, he knew nothing at all.
So she told him how the earth was shaped and about the sun, moon and
stars. She explained how the sun rose in the East and then there was
day; and after it had crossed the sky and set in the West, then night
came. She told him that in the Far North there is perpetual snow on
great, white plains, so broad that you can not see across them; and in
the South great deserts of sand, without water, where lions and tigers
roam and it is so hot that the people become black like the king in the
altar. Between all the countries stretch seas of salt water, which are
filled with strange monsters and across which travel large ships.
Little Tom listened breathlessly, and then was eager to learn how people
came to know all these things. His Godmother told him that there were
famous travelers who went all over the earth, experiencing many dangers,
and then came home to describe what they had seen.
That night, Little Tom in his excitement could not sleep for a long,
long while and, finally, when he began to doze, he dreamed that he was
walking through the snow, climbing the mountains that reached to the sky
and crossing the primeval forests. Then he wandered in deserts and swam
the sea in the midst of fierce sharks.
Next day, he was all the time thinking of the great wonders of the
world, and his work was not so pleasing to him. He could hardly wait for
the evening to come so that he might learn more from his Godmother. When
she had told him other things that she knew, he asked her where was the
end of the earth. She explained that the world was round and that, if
any one walked on and on, he would come to the place whence he had
started.
Little Tom became quite confused, for with his growing mind he could not
understand how the world could be so great, or how it could be round!
Neither did he know what it meant to travel. There was only one thing
that he remembered and that was, if he started in one direction and kept
on going, in the end he would come back home. His heart was very brave
and he was not afraid of danger. He wanted very much to gain experience
and do heroic deeds, even if he did not know where he was going.
So he decided that he would become a great traveler and go round the
world. He made careful preparations for the trip. In secret, he filled a
bundle with nourishing food, which he put on his back and hung a bottle
of water from his neck. On his feet he put heavy shoes, made from strong
caterpillar leather, belted his sword around his waist and, as soon as
his Godmother had left in the morning, started on his journey round the
world.
He looked forward to his Godmother's surprise on his return, when he
would tell her all that had happened to him and thereby gain great fame.
He walked down from the box that held his castle and crossed the press
straight to his Godmother's bed. He judged that the window through which
the light was streaming, was in the East and that, therefore, he was
going directly to the North.
When the Godmother returned to her room in the evening she was greatly
surprised that Little Tom was not there to welcome her. She called and
looked for him everywhere, but could not find him. She feared that he
had crawled to some place where he had fallen down and died miserably.
She swept the floor most carefully, but in vain. Sadly, she went to the
hearth to get some wood to replenish the fire, for it was a cold Spring
day. As she took out some pieces, there she found Tom asleep with a tiny
bundle upon his back. He was sleeping so soundly, that he did not stir
when she called to him, so she took him up carefully and placed him
under the tree on her handkerchief. She feared that something had
happened to him. Many times during the night she got up to look at him,
but Little Tom slept quietly until the morning.
When he finally awoke, he did not at first know where he was. When he
remembered, he avoided telling his Godmother where he had been the day
before; but he begged her forgiveness and promised that he would never
again crawl down from the linen press. She did not insist on an
explanation, for she thought that he had been curious and had run around
the room and thus become lost. When she went away, he started diligently
to write in his diary. This was what he wrote:
_Castle Easter Egg,
The 114th day of my life._
When I was one hundred and twelve days old, believing it to be the duty
of a man to accomplish great deeds, I decided that I would be a traveler
and go round the earth--Godmother having told me that it is round--so
that I could see for myself the wonders she has described. I made my
preparations in secret. In the morning, when Godmother had gone away, I
started for the hills on the northern horizon, stretching across the
plain on which my castle stands.
I expected that beyond those northern hills would lie the snowy plains
about which she told me; and that, if I kept straight on, I should reach
the deserts of the hot, tropical country and, beyond them, by crossing
the forests, I should come to the great ocean. I had planned, if I could
find a boat by the ocean, to cross to the other side and, by traveling
over the countries there, finally return home.
Godmother had said that the sun, during the day and the night, goes from
the East to the West and clear around the earth until it comes back
again to the East. I judged that if I should hurry my journey, it would
not take any longer than the sun, so I made up my mind to go from the
North to the South.
The hills stretch clear across the plain which is sloping and smooth. At
first, I could not find a suitable place to climb; but, finally, coming
to the end of the plain before a steep precipice, I saw a little fissure
by which I might ascend to the very top. With great difficulty I managed
to make my way by this fissure until I came to the summit, where I could
look over and, as I had expected, I saw before me a vast, white plain
stretching out to infinity.
With great care I crawled upon it at the place where it touches the
hills and, stepping on it, I found that it was elastic and yielding,
like the snow Godmother described. One can really walk on it with ease
and I was surprised to find, moreover, that one can so easily overcome
the difficulties of those desolate countries. Also I did not feel any
cold.
After a time, I came to a place where the white plain began to slope
downwards, until it formed, in front of another hill that appeared in
the distance, a dark and very deep chasm. I made my way at good speed
into this chasm and was already looking forward to the time when I
should come out of this inhospitable place, when, all of a sudden, the
ground began to slip from under my feet. In vain I tried to hold myself
with my hands. Faster and faster I fell, until, head first, I plunged
against the wall of the precipice, where I lay unconscious.
When I came to myself, I found that I was on another broad plain; but,
instead of snow, this one was very rough and covered with coarse sand.
My arms and legs pained me from my fall, so I rested while I refreshed
myself with some food from my bundle and drank a little water from my
bottle. Then I started farther on my way. After this, I proceeded with
great caution. As I did not in the least doubt that I was now on the
dangerous desert of Sahara, which is filled with tigers and lions, I
took care that I should not be pounced upon unawares.
But nothing living appeared; only before me stretched the rocky,
limitless desert. I hoped that I should come to some oasis where I might
find palms and a stream of fresh water, but was disappointed. Finally, I
saw before me a mountain that rose so far into the sky that I could not
even discern its top. As I came nearer, I perceived that it was warm, so
I concluded that I had now come to the tropical country and that behind
this great mountain, lay the deep forests and the ocean of which
Godmother had told me.