surprised, for they had never seen such construction. Then they began to
show him a little consideration, feeding him well, but not allowing him
to go out of the nest. Five or six fighting men never left his side. But
Tom thought out a clever plan. He began to look for large, heavy
branches, showing them that it was necessary to have strong, heavy
pillars, in place of the thin spines. The Redheads at once sent out the
slaves, but they could not drag such heavy beams into the nest. Then
they sent Tom with a guard into the wood to select his own beams and
bring them back. He purposely went very far and kept looking about, as
if he could not find anything quite suitable.
The guards followed him patiently and did not leave him a moment. There
was no idea of flight on Tom's part. He noticed that the appearance of
nature had changed. Blossoms had disappeared, the grass was dry and
yellow, the heather was rustling and through the wood a mist was
blowing. It was cold, and Little Tom was very uncomfortable in his torn
dress.
[Illustration]
Presently, they came to a little brook where there was a lot of cut
twigs in a pile. There Tom stopped and began to look for hard, straight
small pieces. The ants were biting the dried leaves and the blossoms,
until he had his bundle of beams ready. Then he took one on his shoulder
and carried it back to the nest. Thus, he worked for a few days, sure of
being allowed to go outside. Every day they would go out, Tom preparing
the beams, and hauling them back, while the slaves smoothed the roadway.
One day, Tom saw on a blackberry a red spot that moved. He looked more
closely and recognized his friend, Seven Spot. His throat tightened with
delight, but he did not know how to give him a sign without arousing the
suspicion of the ants. Then he began to sing at his work as loud as he
could. Seven Spot spread his wings and flew away as if he had not seen
him. Then Tom knew that everything was well--and that his friends had
not forgotten him.
He was so happy that he worked hard all day long, and the Redheads were
amazed and delighted with his diligence. Then they began to consider how
fine it would be if Tom would ally himself with them, and go against the
Blacks and help them to victory. But they did not know Tom.
[Illustration]
Tom, at first, had planned to jump in the brook and swim to the other
side, when he should be given an opportunity, but he did not know how he
should get to the Ladybirds' kingdom and was afraid that he would lose
his way and perish. But now he did not mind, for he hoped that Seven
Spot would show him the way. All night long he did not sleep from
excitement, and in the morning hurried early to the brook.
But when they reached it, Seven Spot was not to be seen. Tom looked all
around, but, all day, his friend did not appear. He was quite desperate
when he returned in the evening. The outside work was almost finished.
They had beams enough and were now preparing for the winter.
What if Tom had made a mistake and Seven Spot had appeared only by
chance and had not noticed his King? Tom made up his mind that if Seven
Spot should not come again, he would jump into the brook and swim
across. He preferred to die in the wood rather than to spend the rest of
his life in captivity with the Black Ants.
When, next day, Tom came with his guards to the brook, there was no sign
of Seven Spot. The last beams were prepared and only waiting to be
carried to the nest. Tom stooped to take up one, wondering how he should
reach the brook, when out of the pile he saw two great, bulging eyes
looking straight at him. The pile moved a little, then appeared a pair
of fierce whiskers and two pincer-like feelers and out came a giant
Wood-bug with broad shoulders and a powerful breast.
Tom became frightened and dropped the beam. The Redheads ran towards
him, but the Wood-bug with a few steps met them. One he bit in two, the
second he crushed under his foot and, jumping upon the pile, he caught
Tom carefully in his jaws and ran with him into the forest. The slaves
were horrified and ran away on all sides; the guards stood stupified,
but where was the Wood-bug?
He ran quickly through the blueberries and, when they were far away, he
stopped. Placing Little Tom on the ground, he said, "Now sit on me and
it will be easier for us both". Not another word did he say why he had
come, or who had sent him.
With delight, Tom threw his arms around his neck and could not ask him
enough questions, but the Wood-bug did not say very much and only waved
his foot. "Crawl up, crawl up. You will soon know all. Do not keep them
waiting."
Tom did crawl quickly upon his back and could hardly believe that he was
free. The Wood-bug ran without stopping until they came to the old
beech. Into the corridor he slipped and carried Tom right into his
chamber. As soon as his whiskers appeared in the corridor, Chrysomela
had come running out, caught Tom in her arms and cried from very joy.
When Tom jumped down, the Wood-bug turned and disappeared without
waiting to be thanked. As he looked at Chrysomela, Tom became alarmed to
see how she had changed. She was pale and thin and only her true, violet
eyes were as bright as formerly.
At this moment came Seven Spot, dragging himself sleepily along and
hardly able to keep his feet. He welcomed Little Tom and was pleased
that everything had turned out so well. Tom wanted to thank him, but
Seven Spot disregarded his speech, saying that everything had been done
through Chrysomela and that, without her, nothing would have been
accomplished.
After they had eaten and drunk, they all sat down together and Seven
Spot related how frightened they all were when Mirmex brought the news
that the Redheads had captured Tom and taken him to their town. The
Ladybirds flew everywhere to find their King and made inquiries of the
snails, the ground beetles and the grubs, but none of them had seen him.
This was probably during the time that he was kept a close prisoner in
the Redheads' nest.
They had begun to fear that the Redheads might have killed Tom for
revenge and buried him in some place. Mirmex, also, for a long time, had
been sending out spies and had headed a searching expedition on which he
had captured some of the slaves, from whom he learned that Tom was alive
and well and working inside the town.
Mirmex would have liked to have gone to Tom's rescue, but the Black Town
was very busy in getting ready for the long winter, while the Ladybirds
themselves were beginning to succumb to the coming sleep and were
disappearing one after the other. Even Seven Spot was becoming drowsy as
the winter languor began to steal over him. With difficulty he kept
himself from yielding to the desire for sleep, yawning much in secret,
but Chrysomela encouraged him with praise of his real willingness to
help. Every day he flew to the neighborhood of the Red Town, crawling
all around it, until, one day, he was rewarded by seeing Little Tom come
out of the town with his guards.
Seven Spot did not want to show himself, so he flew high above the
procession, lighting here and there on the bushes, until he discovered
the exact spot where Tom was working. Then he sat hidden near by, on a
wild briar bush, until he discovered the store of beams Tom was
collecting. The next day, he came very early and lighting low down, on a
blackberry, crawled about conspicuously so that Tom would be sure to see
him. When he learned that Tom had seen him, he flew back immediately to
Chrysomela to tell her the good news.
Then they planned how they should help Tom to escape, but no good plan
occurred to them. All that night they could not sleep, and in the
morning they again took counsel with one another, but without result,
until, towards evening, when Seven Spot was again describing how Tom was
working close to the brook, the Wood-bug suddenly thrust his head into
the room and asked just where the spot was. He had been working in the
corridor preparing his winter quarters and had overheard what Chrysomela
and Seven Spot were discussing. When Seven Spot had described the place
to him and just how one could reach it, Chrysomela begged him to help
them with his advice. The Wood-bug listened very carefully, nodding his
head now and then. When Seven Spot had finished, he only said "To-morrow
I will bring him", and at once left the room.
All that night and the next day they waited in the greatest anxiety,
until, finally, the Wood-bug, true to his word, arrived with Little Tom.
When Chrysomela had finished her story, they heard Seven Spot snoring
loudly and they could hardly waken him. Seven Spot looked up, rubbing
his eyes, heavy with sleep.
"Oh, King," he said, speaking with some difficulty, "I am happy that I
again see you, but be good enough to excuse me, for already the winter
sleep is upon me and I hardly know where I stand."
They took leave of each other and Seven Spot disappeared languidly into
the corridor, while Tom was left alone with Chrysomela in their
dwelling. They sat together until late in the evening, as they had much
to talk about. When, finally, they were ready to retire, they told each
other that in the morning they would look over their kingdom.
In the morning, when they had come out of the beech, they could see
nothing around them but a white fog which lay on every object. Through
the mist, they groped their way to the pool; but there was now no sign
of the green arches, the yellow cattails, or the red willow herbs.
Everywhere, were only the ends of bare, brown trunks and dry, rustling
bushes, while the ground was muddy and the moss soaked with water and
even from the pool the beautiful water-lilies had disappeared. All
around them, there was not a single living creature. Empty and sad was
their kingdom, without color, light or perfume.
Nowhere was there a sign of the former life, or its delightful charm.
They sadly returned to their home, wet and cold, where the Wood-bug
awaited them. When he finally espied them, he shuffled about on his six
feet, nodded with his whiskers and aired his wing shells, until he found
courage to speak.
"When are we going to clear up?" he inquired.
Neither understood him and asked what he meant. Wood-bug was puzzled
that his meaning was not plain. "Why, clear up for the winter," he said.
"Where do you wish to sleep?"
They tried to explain to him that they did not sleep during the winter.
Now it was the Wood-bug's turn to be puzzled. Tom did not know what
winter was, but when he saw that the whole Ladybird kingdom had
disappeared and that all the creatures were preparing for a long sleep,
he felt that they must surely perish in the lonely wood. Nothing was
left to do, but to seek his Godmother and take Chrysomela to her, asking
her to forgive them and allow them to stay with her during the winter.
Tom begged the Wood-bug to take them to the Godmother in the little hut
by the field behind the wood, near the brook. The Wood-bug listened
without understanding until he heard the words, "field behind the wood".
Then he said, "I know where that is. It is where there are no trees and
no bark. There we will go. In the meantime, I will clear up here and
close in everything for the spring."
Tom put on a warm suit, belted on his sword and prepared a bundle of
food, while Chrysomela put on a warm cloak of mole's fur lined with the
silk of ants. When they were ready, they stepped out and looked around
over their kingdom for the last time.
The sun shone through the clouds, brightening the dry stumps, while the
cold wind whirled showers of leaves and yellow beech nut shells over the
dark water. The Wood-bug was waiting for them, so at once they sat down
on his back and started to ride through the forest.
For a long time they rode quietly. The Wood-bug walked heavily but
quickly, as the winter sleep was not yet on him. Finally they came to
the edge of the forest where there was a road with deep ruts, in which
stood pools of water. The Wood-bug crossed the road to the stubble
field, where he put them down and said, "This is the field and the path
of human beings. It is not for us for, if we walk along it, before we
are aware, we are crushed. Go along the stubble field. There it is safe
and somewhere down there, you will find the hut."
They wanted to thank him, but the good Wood-bug was already running
back across the path, hurrying to reach his own little den; so the two
travelers started out by themselves to find the human dwelling.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
CHRYSOMELA'S DEATH.
LITTLE TOM AND CHRYSOMELA BETAKE THEMSELVES
TO TOM'S GODMOTHER.
THEY REST UNDER THE DOG-ROSE.
THE WIND SWEEPS THEM INTO A FURROW.
THEY WANDER IN THE DARK AND MEET A HAMSTER.
IN THE HAMSTER'S BURROW.
CHRYSOMELA FALLS ILL AND DIES. THE FUNERAL.
THE HAMSTER TAKES LITTLE TOM THROUGH THE SNOW
TO THE CHAPEL.
LITTLE TOM LEARNS, FROM A MOUSE, ABOUT THE
DEATH OF HIS GODMOTHER AND VISITS HER TOMB.
HE RETURNS WITH THE HAMSTER.
THE SLEDGE OF QUEEN FAIRY.
* * * * *
[Illustration]
Tom walked with Chrysomela along the edge of the stubble field, down the
road; that was all they knew of their direction--that they must always
be going down. They expected that the way would not be long, for they
remembered that, in one day, the ants had brought all their possessions
from the Godmother's house to the wood. They forgot that the ants knew
the direction and therefore walked straight over everything, while they,
not knowing where to go, had to travel the path of the humans and
therefore traveled in a wide circle.
Chrysomela was well wrapped up in her cloak and over her head she had
pulled a cobweb veil, so that her golden hair should not fly around, but
on her feet she had only little, light shoes of birch bark. After she
had gone a little way, she felt how heavily she was walking over the
clods by the stubble field and stumbled so that she had to lean on Tom's
strong arm.
Tom tried to encourage her by telling her that they would soon see the
human dwellings. He decided that if they should see any human being he
would speak and ask that they be carried to the Godmother, so that
Chrysomela should not suffer. She was very weak by the time the sun had
gone down and fogs were coming over the woods. Day after day she had
been sinking. Sorrowing over Tom's captivity had only made her worse,
but she was of a brave heart and therefore went on uncomplaining, not
wishing to trouble Tom. She wondered what she would find at the
Godmother's house.
On the way, they did not meet a single living creature. All the little
animals were already hidden and only tiny spiders were wafted above them
on silvery threads. The cold breeze blowing through the stubble field
was becoming stronger and turning against them. Chrysomela began to
cough. She controlled herself as best she could, but finally she was
obliged to ask Tom if they could rest a bit, as the walking was tiring
her.
By this time, they had reached the end of the stubble field and had come
to a wild briar bush, behind which was a freshly ploughed field full of
glistening furrows. Tom placed Chrysomela on a few dried leaves under
the briar and offered her seeds of beech nut and a nice red berry, but
she was not hungry and only drank thirstily the blackberry juice from
his bottle. Her hands were hot, her little forehead burning; she
trembled all over with cold, while her eyes were shining with fever's
brightness.
Tom stroked her hair and soothed her by telling her how comfortable they
would be at Castle Easter Egg with the Godmother. He told her of the
tree with the golden nuts and sweet dates, and the precious little altar
with the kings, shepherds, the Mother and the Baby; but Chrysomela no
longer heard him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her
eyes.
Tom realized that they would not be able to go any farther that day and
dreaded the night under the open sky. He covered Chrysomela with a briar
leaf and seated himself beside her. In a little while, as he was very
tired, he fell asleep.
[Illustration]
Suddenly, he awoke. Already, the darkness was stealing over the county,
the evening wind was whistling through the wild briar and playing with
the leaves. Tom wanted to protect Chrysomela. He put his arm around her
waist and wrapped a rolled up beech leaf around her, but the strong wind
caught it up and, whirling it with many others, carried them through the
air until they fell into a deep furrow.
Here they were sheltered, at least, from the wind and, crawling out from
the leaf, they looked around them, but everywhere they could only see
black earth slippery and soft like high hills with nowhere any sign of
human traces. They did not know where they were, or whither the wind had
carried them.
All about them was only the dark night, while the cold of the evening
pierced them to the bone. Chrysomela pressed close to Little Tom, but
she was so weary, she could hardly stand on her feet. Tom feared to
leave her, lest he might lose her, so, supporting her as best he could,
stumbled on with her along the furrow until they came to a broad hole.
He wanted at once to step in with Chrysomela, not caring who was there,
and to ask for shelter, when, suddenly, out of the darkness, came a
gigantic animal in a fur coat, with bristling whiskers and puffed out
cheeks. It was the Hamster.
[Illustration]
He was about to slide into the hole, when he smelled something strange.
He sniffed about him and peered into the darkness with his close-set
eyes. When he saw the poor little travelers and how they were pressing
together close to the hole, trembling with the cold, he said kindly,
"Hullo there. Where are you going so late, you little travelers?"
Tom advanced and, bowing politely before the Hamster, asked him for
shelter for a weak, ill traveler. When the Hamster saw that there was a
lady with Tom, he acted very courteously, and immediately invited them
to come in. He ran ahead and returned at once with a torch of rotten
wood, with which he lighted them along the corridor, until they came to
his dining-room.
There it was warm and cosy. The torch shone brightly and, when
Chrysomela had removed her cloak and sat on the Hamster's bed, he
wondered at her beauty. Then he ran to the pantry, shook out the grains
which he had hidden in his baggy cheeks and, choosing from his store the
best morsels, placed them before his guests. They were so dainty and
delicate that they just melted in their mouths.
Chrysomela rested. She gathered her golden, wind-blown hair into braids
and thanked the good Hamster for his kindly courtesy with a sweet smile.
For a little while, the fever left her and she seemed to be gaining
strength.
The Hamster outdid himself with attentions and brought out everything
good that he had; but Chrysomela said that she only wanted to rest, so
they prepared a soft bed for her, covered her with a warm coat and said
good night. They then went into the pantry where there was room for both
Tom and the Hamster.
The Hamster had a wonderful store for the winter and showed Tom all his
rooms filled with grain. One held oats, a second, wheat, and the third,
rye. Everything was thoroughly peeled, cleaned and carefully put away in
dry places. Tom praised his fine housekeeping and when the Hamster asked
whence they had come and whither they were going, he told him their
adventures.
They talked late into the night, and when the Hamster learned that Tom
was a prince and king of the Ladybirds' realm, he said that he had never
seen gnomes but had heard very much about them from a mouse family that
lived under the chapel by the forest.
When Tom heard him speak of the chapel, he remembered that his
Godmother had found the treasure in the wall near it and he asked the
Hamster whether he could take them to her. The Hamster laughed. "Why
should I not know her? On her field I am as if at home. She is a good
woman. She does not know how to chase me or throw stones at me. There I
have gathered my very best stores. This year, she did not come at all.
All the grain had grown together and I could take what I wanted. Only,
later, strange people came and gathered the grain; but, by that time I
had all mine at home." He promised that he would take Tom to the chapel
with Chrysomela and from there, the mice would show them the way to the
Godmother's hut.
When they had talked enough, they went to bed. Tom fell asleep,
confident that their troubles were at an end and that tomorrow he would
see his Godmother and that she would be greatly pleased with Chrysomela.
He slept soundly. In the morning the Hamster woke him, excitedly; he
said that he should at once look at Chrysomela, for all was not well
with her.
Tom ran to her at once and took her by the hand, but she did not
recognize him. Her blue eyes were veiled and she was calling Seven Spot
and the Wood-bug to save Tom; and then she would sing summer songs. She
was in delirium. Tom did not know what to do. He sat by her bed, while
the Hamster ran around bringing food and, finally, sat down in a corner
by himself, desperate and sad.
Thus they sat through the whole day. From time to time, Chrysomela
became conscious, drank something and stroked Tom's hand. Then she would
hear the music of gnats and the swarm of golden flies above the water,
or would scream with fright.
All night long, Tom and the Hamster did not sleep. They tried to care
for Chrysomela and only towards morning did they themselves fall asleep.
When they awoke, they found her sitting up in bed apparently well, but
very weak.
Tom was very happy that the illness had left her and that she was
herself again. He knelt beside her, while the Hamster came running with
pleasure and asked what she would have to eat; but the sad girl stroked
the Hamster's fur and said to Tom in a thin voice, "My dear Tom, it is
the end. It is not permitted to me to live with you and to be merry at
the Godmother's house. I am growing weaker and weaker and, by evening, I
will not be with you any more. Do not forget me in the world and
remember that I was always your true comrade. You, Hamster, I thank for
your good heart. You are not of us, but you are a good friend and
perhaps I will meet you there, where our little nation has gone
forever."
She lay down and closed her eyes with weariness. Tom fell down on the
bed and wept. The Hamster ran away and hid himself and did not come out
any more. Chrysomela wakened again, soothed Tom and told him that he
should not despair, that they would surely meet in the other world, when
their days would begin again.
Tom did not want to be soothed and only controlled his grief, so that he
could make her last hour easier. He was sitting by her looking into her
dying eyes, when, suddenly he saw that she brightened, looking over him
into the darkness and he heard what she was whispering, "The Queen, our
Queen is coming. I hear her horses neighing. She is nodding to me,
nodding, Little Tom. We will meet." Then she became quiet and her face,
deathly pale. Tom knelt silently by her bed, hearing nothing, knowing
nothing.
He did not know how long he was there, until the Hamster came and said,
as if with an indifferent voice, "Come, now it is time. We will lay her
away so that she can sleep easily".
Tom obeyed blindly, covering her with her cloak, then raised her in his
arms and walked behind the Hamster through a long corridor until they
came to a small niche which the Hamster had dug and lined with daisies
for Chrysomela. When they had laid her there, Tom said good bye to her,
the Hamster closed in the niche, and they went back to the lonely
dining-room.
They sat there for a long time without speaking, until the Hamster
suddenly said, "My dear Tom, I am as fond of you as a brother. Stay here
with me. I have food enough. It will be better for us both. We will
think of your poor Chrysomela until the Spring comes, and then I can
drive you to the Ladybird kingdom."
Tom thought of the Ladybirds, looked at the empty bed and cried
bitterly. He never wanted to go back to the Ladybirds without
Chrysomela, and only wished to get to the Godmother so that he could
hide himself with her for the rest of his life. He asked the Hamster to
take him there at once, for, here, his heart was breaking with grief.
The Hamster said that, outside, there was a terrible snowstorm and they
would have to wait until the next day. Perhaps, over night, Tom would
reconsider.
So they talked together without thinking of sleep. They thought of
Chrysomela's death and Tom remembered how, in her delirium, she seemed
to see a Queen. The Hamster then became thoughtful and said, "I do not
know, but I think that such a Queen exists. She rules over all living
creatures on the earth. All do not know her, only the chosen ones. There
are rumors about her among those who live on the earth, in the air and
in the water. All honor and acknowledge her. Whoever knows anything of
her, does not talk about it."