IN WHICH PETER SPILLS THE DEW OUT OF HIS POCKET AND IT CAUSES A GREAT
DEAL OF BOTHER, BUT MR. SMITH, WHO IS THE KING OF FAIRIES, PUTS AN
END TO THE TROUBLE
“Peter sat on a blade of wheat and swung backwards and forwards and
up and down in the wind, till his feet were higher than his head and
all the dewdrops spilled out of his pocket. I don’t suppose you have
ever seen Peter. He is about this big--that is, as big as a red-headed
match--and he has little thin wings made out of the fuzz that grows
on the cowslips. Peter has red hair, too, just like the match, and he
is freckled, but one can never see the freckles because they are so
small. In ways, Peter is a very wonderful boy. You see, he can carry
dewdrops in his pocket (when he doesn’t spill them) and he skips around
the garden just before the stars go to bed putting a dewdrop on every
flower, just as a mother cat would bathe her kitten. Peter likes his
work; he knew that every boy has to do something worth while, so he
chose the work that was the most fun. Of course it is fun to bathe
flowers. They look so bright and sunshiny when they have their drop of
dew, just as your face does when Nurse What-do-you-call-her----”
“Nurse Huggins, please,” said Martha Mary.
“Nurse Huggins rubs soap on it and in your eyes. So on this particular
May morning Peter sat on the piece of wavy wheat and waited for the
biggest and loveliest Mother star, Mrs. Rumdidoodledum, to go away, so
that he could go to work.
“Finally, when Mrs. Rumdidoodledum had gone to bed and the sky grew
pink like the eyes of Fluffytail, the white rabbit, Rosemary, who was
the queen of the flower fairies, came out and clapped her hands to set
all the morning elves to work. First, Mr. James, the butler fairy,
appeared and pulled all of the dark-cloud curtains out of the sky. Then
a hundred and three golden fairies tied daisy ropes to the sun and
pulled him up over the hill. Lastly Nurse Agnes, the fattest fairy you
ever saw, went around and opened all the flowers’ eyes. Then everyone
stood still and waited for Peter to come down and wash them. Of course
the stupid Peter couldn’t, because he had swung too high and spilled
all the dewdrops. At this, Queen Rosemary was terribly angry--which
wasn’t very bad, because the fairies have all been well trained and
never lose their tempers. But she said Peter would have to be punished.
What do you think Queen Rosemary did? She led Peter down to the red
rosebush, tied him to it with a piece of green grass, and left him
there for ever and ever so long. Next morning, when Nurse Agnes had
opened all the flower children’s eyes, they waited for Peter to come
and wash them, but he couldn’t, because he was tied up. The flower
children were glad, because they didn’t very much like to be washed,
either; it was such a nuisance to get the dewdrops in their eyes and
have them burn. You see, flower children are just as silly as other
children when they are silly, and just as pretty and happy when they
are bright. So they went without washing all that day, and when Mr.
James, the butler, pulled the cloud curtains into the sky that night
the children were all tired and in bad humor, just like you when you
are dirty. They didn’t sleep very well and they had queer dreams, and
Midge, the violet baby, woke up and cried three times and kept everyone
else awake. Then, the next morning, when the hundred and three small
wood sprites went to pull up the sun, he came up frowning. He looked at
all the flower children and it spoiled his pleasure to see how dirty
and cross they were. So he simply refused to shine at all, but went
behind a miserable black cloud that Butler James had forgotten. There
he sulked all day. When they had no sun to brighten them, the flower
children all fell sick and faded; even sulphur and molasses would not
help them, for in that way they were different from you. You see,
things were in a very bad way in the flower garden. The flower children
were so sickly that the bees would not come to them for honey, because
it had become too thin. The sun hid away day after day and refused to
shine and there were large black clouds that frightened everyone. The
ground got hard and stiff and squeezed the flowers terribly.
“Then Rosemary became very much worried, because she had to keep the
flower children well and at the same time punish Peter. So she thought
and thought and could not make up her mind what to do. Then along came
Mr. Smith. You know, of course, that Mr. Smith is the king of the
fairies and he rides on the Southeast Wind. He said to his wife:
“‘The flower children look very sickly and the sky is dark. What is the
trouble, my dear?’
“She told him all the confusion she had had, but he laughed, because he
was a man, and such things never bother men. He jumped on the Southeast
Wind again and rushed up, up, right into the clouds and broke them to
small pieces. Of course, when the clouds were all broken, the rain
fell out of them and all over the flower children. And then--it was
just like eating chocolate cake, it was so nice. The flower children
were washed and became bright; the sun came out because he was glad;
the bees came buzzing around again, and all the world was happy. Then
Queen Rosemary, on her throne in the sweetpeas, was pleased, so she
forgave Peter for spilling the dewdrops. She told him, though, that
whenever he was bad in the future she would tie him up, because she
could count on the Southeast Wind to bring rain and do Peter’s work.
“And so you see, whenever the sky grows black and the flowers look
sickly and the sun hides, you may know that Peter has been misbehaving
and cannot wash the children. But you must not mind, because the rain
is sure to come to do his work, and there is always sunshine after the
rain.”
When Flip had finished his story Mother Dear hugged Father and
whispered, “Who in the world is this wonderful boy?”
She did not say it very loud, but Flip heard her and got up, with his
cap in his hand, and almost spilled Liza. He bowed and said:
“It isn’t really wonderful. Stories like that always happen.”
“Ridiculous!” said Father, in a very stern way. “Who are you? Where did
you come from?”
“I’m Flip, Liza says,” was the answer, “and so I must be.”
“Please, Mother Dear,” said Martha Mary. “He is nice, and Liza found
him. Do you think he might stay for tea?”
“And tell more stories before bedtime,” said Walter.
“And he found Hermit,” said Liza.
Mother Dear whispered something to Father that no one else heard. Then
Father said:
“Children, go up to the house and wait for us. We will ask Flip if he
will stay this evening.”
The children went rather slowly, for they were anxious to hear what
was going to happen. It must have been exciting, for ten minutes later
Mother Dear came to the veranda smiling, and Flip’s eyes were all
shiny, and Father was in the best of humor.
“Babes,” said Mother Dear, “would you like Flip to stay here?”
“All evening?” asked Edward Lee.
“No. Much longer. As long as he wishes to. Perhaps always.”
You should have heard the children shout. They hugged Mother Dear and
hugged Father till his hair was all mussed and danced about Flip until
he was all red; but Flip was easily embarrassed. Finally Father said:
“Silence,” in an awesome tone, and added: “Philip is going to stay to
work about the place and do chores and care for the flowers--AND tell
you stories when you are half-way good and he feels like it. So you had
better be good.”
Away went the children to tell the wonderful news to Nurse Huggins, all
excepting Martha Mary, who was rather curious.
“Mother Dear,” she said. “Please, who is Flip and how did you get
Father to let him stay?”
“Flip is a very fine boy,” said Mother, “and he has aspirations.”
“What are aspirations?” asked Martha Mary.
“You explain to her, Father,” said Mother Dear.
“Well, it is this way,” said Father. “Aspirations are like--like--now
let me see--you know---- Oh! You tell her, Mother.”
“Why, it is simple, Dear,” said Mother. “Aspirations---- Flip! Explain
to Martha Mary what aspirations are.”
But Flip had followed the other children, to be introduced to Cook and
Nurse Huggins, so Martha Mary did not find out for ages and ages why
Flip had aspirations or what they were.