THE BUMBLEBEE EXPRESS
The three now sat in a row and were not unhappy, for their hearts felt
very light. At last the Banjo said: "My young friends, it is not true
that I am a Fairy, although I have told you that I was born in
Fairy-land and that my parents were good Fairies as well. Now, I did not
like to say much to you before this time, although the truth is that had
you not taken me with you to the Fairy Valley, I could not have gone
there at all."
"How, then, did you come to leave the Valley of the Fairies?" asked
Lulu.
"Once, long ago," replied the Enchanted Banjo, "I was taken up to earth
by a Black Fairy and left hanging upon a tree, where I was found by the
King of Gee-Whiz, and later given to his Private Secretary, who always
had to make music every day for his Majesty. There was no way in which I
could escape, and, indeed, I was always treated kindly, as you know.
Now, I will try to see whether I have forgotten all the speech of the
Fairy Valley. I need not say that it is fortunate that you brought me
along, because, certainly, if you came through the act of a bad Fairy,
you would not be welcome in the Valley, and there is no telling what
might happen were I not there. But now, if you will put me together once
more and press very lightly upon the strings, I will try to talk in what
is known as the Diamond language, very small and bright and clear and
precious; because that is the way the voice of a Fairy sounds, as nearly
as any one can describe it."
So now they put the two pieces of the Banjo together again very gently
and pressed very lightly upon the strings, and very softly the Banjo
began to play as they had never heard it play before; and, indeed, its
voice did sound like a diamond or some other precious stone, as nearly
as they could describe it.
THE BUMBLEBEE EXPRESS
Ho! The Bumblebee Express!
How it buzzes through the air
Till before you even guess
Where you are, why, you are there!
Stopping at the hollyhocks
For a load of honey freight;
At the sweet pea and the phlox
Where the other shipments wait.
Then away, away it goes!
With a zip and zum and zoom
With a halt beside the rose
And a stop at Clover Bloom.
Hurry, Fred and Tom and Bess
Don't you want to take a ride
On the Bumblebee Express
To the orchard's other side?
Will it hold you? Goodness, yes
But you can not have a seat
In the Bumblebee Express
If you are not good and sweet.
Hardly had the last note of this Fairy summons died away, when there
came a soft, whirring sound below them.
"Look!" cried Lulu. They peered over the edge of the room in the rock
far down along the Golden Ladder; and there, approaching them rapidly,
they saw a bright light. A faint click came along the Ladder, as one
may sometimes hear the rails click when a railway train is far away.
Rapidly this light grew more distinct, and almost at once, with a whizz
and a whir about as loud as ordinarily may be heard across a room, but
which in that place sounded very much louder, there drew up at the edge
of the chamber a strange and wonderful little coach, such as perhaps no
Twins in the world ever saw before.
It was made of a walnut shell for a body, although the shell was traced
with lines of silver and gold. It had a canopy over the top, made of
such gossamer as blows upon the air of evenings. Within it were two
seats, each as large as a silver dime, and there was another seat or
high box for the coachman. The coachman was a small blue grasshopper,
who sat very erect and straight upon his seat and drove with wonderful
skill, holding tight to the lines, which were made of single strands of
silk. The most wonderful of all was the team which drew this little
Fairy coach, for such at once they saw it was. Its horses were nothing
in the world but great golden bumblebees, with black and yellow bodies,
with fuzzy legs and large, bright, dark eyes, which shone so clearly
that no other lamps were needed for the coach. Indeed, it had been
their eyes which the Twins saw as they leaned over the edge; and it was
their strange, steady buzzing which had made the noise they heard--a
very busy and pleasant sound when bumblebees are going as fast as these
had been. They panted a little as the coachman pulled them up and drove
slowly into the little room in the rocky wall where the Twins were
sitting. The latter looked at the Fairy coach with delight, for it was
the most beautiful thing they had ever seen in all their lives. At first
they did not know whether there was any one about the coach but the
driver, but now there stepped down a footman, about as large as a green
house-fly and much resembling one. With a deep bow, he swung open the
door in the side of the coach as though inviting the Twins to enter. As
he did this, the driver tightened up his reins and the golden harness of
the bumblebee horses jingled and jangled and tinkled as they began to
toss their heads and champ at their bits, eager to start.
"Dear me," said Lulu, "isn't this the sweetest little coach in all the
world? How fine it must be to be a Fairy and ride in such a coach as
this!"
"What is this, Banjo," asked Zuzu, "and where has it come from?"
"You must be an extraordinarily ignorant person," said the Enchanted
Banjo, "not to recognize Queen Zulena's own private coach, the Bumblebee
Express. But why do you wait? Why don't you get into the coach? You see
the footman is waiting for you."
"Get in?" said Zuzu. "Why, how could we?"
"Yes, indeed," said Lulu. "It is not big enough for a kitten, let alone
Twins of our age."
"You are quite mistaken," said the Enchanted Banjo. "Her Majesty, the
good Queen Zulena, has sent for you. Do not try to understand everything
in the world, for you are still young and there are many things which
you do not know. So do as I say and step in at once."
To their great surprise, they stepped through the door with perfect ease
and found there was plenty of room and to spare upon the seats.
While they were settling themselves for the ride the Enchanted Banjo
sang:
HOW THE FAIRIES SING
You can hear the Fairies sing
Just as plain as anything,
If you wait
Till the breeze at twilight blows
Breaths of perfume from the rose
At the gate.
Then it is you may hear words
Sweeter than the songs of birds,
Fair and fine,
Soft and sweet and low and clear--
No such words as yours, my dear,
Nor as mine.
But the speech they use is quaint,
Whispery, and very faint,
Yet it swells
As it drifts, now high, now low,
Borne in echoes to and fro
Like to bells.
Once you hear the speech of them
You will know each word a gem
New and bright,
For it seems to sway and shake
As the jewels do that break
Into light.
[Illustration]