Stories of Enchantment 5

Stories of Enchantment 5

“We must go through a bit of rough country just here, so perhaps you had

better hold tight to one of my ears.”

 

Mateel, in some alarm, grasped the friendly ear, and felt herself lifted

along in tremendous jumps and leaps, over great gnarled roots, over

rocks and briers, until her strength and patience were all but

exhausted. Finally, they dived down what seemed the bed of a dead

streamlet, came to a deep pool of water, which the rabbit took at one

flying leap with Mateel clasped in his forepaws, and they found

themselves in a wondrous world.

 

It was Fairyland. Where is it? and how shall we find it? Ah, that is the

mystery; but of this you may be sure,—wherever children are, close to

their homes lies Fairyland; and if only the small wild things of the

wood could talk to you, perhaps you might visit it, as Mateel did.

 

She found herself in a court or pleasance, beautifully carpeted with the

rarest moss. The richest, softest shades of brown, of fawn color, of old

rose, and of tenderest green, mingled and blended in its coloring.

Mateel sank down on her knees and gazed around. A soft green tint was

over everything. It came through the leaves that closely roofed it over.

These were supported by straight trunks, that arose to a great height,

where they separated into two stems; and each stem bore a leaf that

overlapped its neighbor; at the point where the stems separated, an

immense creamy white blossom with a golden centre hung down like a bell.

 

“Why, they are May apple blossoms,” cried Mateel, clapping her hands in

ecstasy, “Oh, how lovely! how lovely! May apple plants as large as

trees.”

 

Not a ray of sunlight filtered through the large leaves; a delicious

sense of peace pervaded the perfumed twilight, and Mateel, who was

always tired lately, felt that she could rest here, and gave a happy

sigh.

 

And while she rested and waited for something lovely to happen, she

heard the rain falling on the leaves of trees somewhere at a great

distance above her.

 

“It’s raining, Mateel, but you needn’t worry; the rain never reaches

here,” said the rabbit.

 

“I am not worrying,” said Mateel, contentedly.

 

“The rain is almost over, the sun is setting clear. It will be starlight

soon, and then will come the fairies. But now I must leave you; try to

sleep and rest, and when the fairy queen comes, I shall be in her train,

and will present you.”

 

So Mateel contentedly sank back into the soft moss, and let her tired

little body rest, while the rain played her a soothing lullaby. The soft

light grew more dim, and a sweet sleep came to her eyes.

 

When she awoke it was growing very dark in the fairies’ court. Mateel

sat straight up and looked about her. From far distant depths of the

wood tiny men were coming, bearing little lamps, which Mateel saw were

fireflies and glowworms; these they placed in the cups of the great

flowers, and swung in festoons between the trunks of the fairy trees.

The little men disappeared, and she was again alone; but now the court

was flooded with light soft and radiant, just the kind of light in which

fairies look their best.

 

And while she sat enfolded in this soft light, from a distance came the

sweetest music that mortal ear ever listened to. Indeed, but few mortals

have heard its exquisite cadence. There was one man, who lived long ago,

when people knew that there were fairies and shuddered at real ghosts

and witches, who not only heard the fairy music, but heard and

remembered their songs, and has written them down in a beautiful poem,

and named it “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” So Mateel sat and listened,

while the music grew clearer and louder; and presently a wonderful

procession came into view. First came the musicians; and will you

believe it?—they were crickets and cicadas. But they were playing in

Fairyland, for the king and queen of the fairies; and the music they

give to fairies is different from that which they give to mortals. Close

after the musicians marched a regiment of fairy guards to their

majesties; and then came grandly dressed noblemen, stepping backward and

bowing at each step; and then, under a canopy of richest velvet made

from pansy blossoms, came Oberon and Titania! The queen was all in

white; her dress of lily petals was trimmed with dewdrops; back of her

shoulders two gauzy white wings shimmered and glowed with each graceful

motion; on her dainty head sparkled a crown of gleaming points of light;

her arms were bare, and in her hand she carried a shining wand.

 

King Oberon was in blue armor that shone like sapphires with every

motion; it was made from the shells of blue beetles. After them came a

multitude of fairies; pretty ladies of the court in brilliant

flower-dresses, with dainty wings at their shoulders. They reminded

Mateel of a great flock of butterflies. The fairy men were, like the

king, in armor.

 

Mateel eagerly looked for the rabbit, and saw him walking with a group

of wise-looking fairies, who were undoubtedly learned judges and

philosophers.

 

The bright procession marched once around the court, and then the queen

and king seated themselves on a green bank spread with violets; a

shining little herald announced that the fairy revels would begin.

 

But waving his hand, the king said gravely, “We will first hear the

arguments, and perhaps the witnesses, in the case of the accused maid,

once lady-in-waiting to our gracious queen.”

 

Here the queen put a lovely cobweb handkerchief to her eyes, and said:—

 

“They may bring all the evidence they want to, but I know that she is

innocent; I am sure that Katie didn’t;” and she stamped her little foot.

 

Then the king said soothingly, “Well, well, dear, don’t be too positive;

perhaps Katie did.”

 

The queen would have answered, but just then the rabbit rose and bowed,

and the king, who seemed slightly nervous, cried,—

 

“Our wise and learned friend the rabbit may speak.”

 

And the rabbit, bowing again, made an eloquent speech, in which he said

that although the evidence was very strong for and against the

defendant, yet he would beg a postponement of a decision until the

learned counsel had found the answer to an unimportant question, which

was, What did Katie do?

 

The king answered that perhaps it might be as well; for although

convinced in his own mind that Katie did, he was anxious to allow her

every chance to re-establish her good character.

 

The queen declared that there was no use in having the trial at all, as,

whatever it was she was accused of, Katie didn’t, didn’t, didn’t; and

Titania was beginning to look vexed, when the rabbit, bowing again,

asked if the queen had chosen any one to fill Katie’s place during her

(he hoped) temporary absence.

 

The queen had not, for she said,—

 

“Katie is a changeling, and where may I find another mortal?”

 

The rabbit, bowing low with his paw on his heart, asked permission to

tell Titania a story, and the queen sighed, and answered,—

 

“Yes, if it’s not very long.”

 

So the rabbit began:—

 

“There was once a boy, a mortal, who was out hunting. He had gone deep

into the woods; night was coming fast; like all boys, he had a fear of

the dark and lonely woods. He was walking very fast, and whistling (as

mortals do to keep up their courage), when he heard a child crying; he

listened, and then, thinking of wild animals, hurried on faster than

ever. But the crying grew louder, and presently, right in his path under

a huge linden tree, he found a little child, just able to walk alone,

and to talk a little. It was unlike any child he had ever seen: brown

hair, brown eyes, and brown skin. It was dressed in some strange silky

material, and round its neck was a necklace of the claws of some wild

animal.

 

“The boy picked the little one up and carried it home. It was handed

over to the old colored woman who has charge of the little colored

children on the plantation. The boy claimed the child as his slave, and

named her Matilde, which usage has changed to Mateel.

 

“She has lived, but not thrived, on the coarse fare and rough usage

accorded the other little ones. She was petted and noticed by the young

master for a day or two, then forgotten for many more. As the years pass

she will have great beauty. She has never had a friend but her young

master.

 

“Your Majesty is generous and kind; would not the little maid take

Katie’s place?”

 

Then the queen, springing to her feet, exclaimed:—

 

“No, she cannot take Katie’s place; no one can do that; but she shall

have her own place in my train, close at my right hand. Where is the

child; have you brought her to Fairyland?” And the rabbit said, “I have

brought her, gracious queen.”

 

So Mateel was brought into the presence of the king and queen and their

court, and the queen, touching her with her shining wand, changed her

into a bonny brown fairy, with shining brown eyes, and a beautiful dress

made of petals of the red rose; for she was among the maids of honor

most dearly loved by Titania. But the question of Katie’s guilt or

innocence is still unsettled; for on summer nights you will hear the

fairy lawyers still declaring that “Katie did” and “Katie didn’t.”

 

 

 

 

V.

BRAN, THE WOLF DOG.

 

 

On a high cliff overlooking the ocean, on the western coast of Ireland,

stand the ruins of an old castle. The short grass grows on the floor of