Читать книгу All Among the Fairies - Ethel Jackson Morris - Страница 4

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Oh! how lovely it is,” sighed Anna; “If I could only get into it,” and the little girl clasped the flower closer and sighed again. She was sitting on the garden seat with a large rose in her hand, while the other flowers she had gathered lay unheeded on the ground.

“See,” went on the child, unconsciously speaking aloud, “See how the dew has weighed down its beautiful head; the cup is filled, and its petals are glistening and wet. I am sure,” she murmured, “it is weeping for the dear little buds it has left on the tree where it grew. It is certainly the queen of all flowers,” she added, nodding her little head wisely, “but I wonder how it came to be called the queen.”

“Well, you are ignorant if you don’t know that,” said a voice beside her; “it’s certainly a thing you ought to know.” Anna started, but looking down she saw a tiny elf gazing up at her, with wide open eyes.

“Do you really know?” she asked, with a world of wonder shining in her eyes. “You must be very wise.”

“Oh, well, I know a good deal, because I’m a fairy,” he said, drawing himself up proudly.

“And do fairies know such a lot?”

“Of course,” he said, glancing at her scornfully.

“Well, don’t get cross and horrid, but tell me about it instead,” said Anna.

“Very well, I will tell you the story if you promise me you won’t interrupt and ask questions.”

“Oh, yes, I will promise; do begin at once.” So the elf began:

“Once, many years ago, there was a beautiful garden situated on the borders of a great forest. It was in this garden that the fairies lived. Now, in the garden there grew all kinds of flowers, and the Crown Imperial lily claimed that she was the most beautiful of all. ‘I am the fairest flower,’ the stately blossom would cry, and the rest would repeat, ‘Thou art by far the fairest.’ Now, when the great moon shone over the sleeping world, the fays, fairies and the woodland sprites would come from their mushroom homes and go dancing and singing among the flowers, the Fairy Queen touching them each with her magic wand as they passed, leaving in their hands a glistening dewdrop, which served as a lantern. Then, when they had all received the dewdrops, they would troop along to the great oak tree where they held their councils. One night, when they were all assembled beneath the tree, the Queen stood up to command silence, and then told them she had something important to communicate.

“‘Are all my subjects here?’ she asked.

“‘All,’ came the answer from many throats.

“‘Then call Merlin, the court magician.’

“‘Yes, your Majesty,’ said he, stepping forward, ‘I am here.’

“‘I find,’ said the Queen, ‘that the Crown Imperial lily, of our beautiful garden, considers herself the fairest and the best; therefore I have decided to put all these flowers to a test, and that which passes shall be the queen of flowers henceforth. That is all I have to say, Merlin. Go; deliver my message to the flowers at once.’

“‘Your Majesty is obeyed,’ replied Merlin, as he disappeared.

“‘Now to the dance,’ cried the Queen.

“And, oh! how they danced,” said the little elfman: “up and down, in and out, till they seemed just a whirl of glittering colours. But when the first streak of dawn appeared, the fairies, outspreading their golden wings, flew away. The flowers were greatly excited when they heard about the test, and they waved and danced in the breeze, bowing and bending as though their stalks would break. The next day there came to the garden a beautiful maiden, clad in glistening gold, with large shimmering gold wings. Her eyes were blue and sparkling, and in her hair was fastened a beautiful crown of little pink roses and pearly dewdrops. She walked proudly around the garden surveying the flowers. Then, seeing the Crown Imperial lily she said sweetly: ‘May I shelter under your leaves?’ and her voice was like a song. ‘Most certainly,’ answered the lily, ‘for I am the fairest of all flowers; the whitest and the best.’

“The following day was wet and stormy, and through the garden came a little beggar maid, and her little bare feet were blue with the cold. She went from flower to flower and begged pityingly for shelter which they all refused with the cruel words: ‘We have no shelter for such as you.’ At last she came to a small rose bush, and asked despairingly for shelter, which the humble rose willingly gave.

“In the morning, when the rose awoke, she found that the child was gone, but all the ground around her roots was carefully dug up. That afternoon, the Queen came and told the flowers that the test was over, and had been won by the rose. She then told them that she was the beautiful maiden and also the little beggar child.

“Then the Queen turned to the rose and said that she would grant her any one wish. The rose lifted up her head and said:

“‘Oh, your Majesty, grant that I may become a fairy child, and go forth into the world to help those in trouble.’

“‘Your wish is granted,’ said the Queen, ‘and henceforth you shall be known to the world as Charity; and not only will I grant your wish, but all the rose trees that grow hereafter shall bear beautiful blossoms, and will hold the first place among flowers, and, therefore, the rose will be for evermore the queen of flowers.’” Here the elf-man stopped.

“Oh, is that all?” exclaimed Anna; but strange to relate, there was no sign of the tiny being.

* * * * * * * *

“Yes,” nurse said, “it was all a dream, and Miss Anna must certainly have gone to sleep in the garden.” But Anna did not agree, for the little girl knew better— yes, far, far better—than nurse, for once.