Читать книгу Australian Fairy Tales - Hume Cook - Страница 8

With so many things in his favour, it is thus easy to understand the joy with which Prince Waratah assembled his friends, and, taking them into his confidence, went into the minutest details as to his proposals. But at the same time he strongly counselled them not to mention or discuss his plans with anyone else; for he wanted everything to be kept a close secret until the right time came to disclose it.

The working Fairies were soon selected (about two thousand), but of course they were not told where they were going, nor exactly what they were expected to do. They could guess at things—that was all! And well might they exercise their minds in guessing, for never before had they seen such extensive preparations for work on such a gigantic scale. In the course of a few weeks there were got together hundreds of fairy barrows, picks and shovels. Scores and scores of fairy saws, hammers, chisels, planes and screw-drivers. Great quantities of timber; together with all kinds of machinery for making bricks, tiles, and earthenware pipes. Besides all these things there were any number of pots for holding paints, colours and varnishes, dozens and dozens of packages containing nails, screws, clips and cleats. Others again were filled with catches, cords, pulleys, and all sorts of small fittings. In addition, there were surveyors’ instruments and engineers’ tools. In short, there was every class and kind of thing required, or likely to be needed for the immense amount of work in contemplation.

As to food, that also was carefully preserved and safely stowed in appropriate packages and parcels. But more marvellous than all else, every machine package and parcel was given a set of fairy legs on which to travel. These were most ingeniously made, filled with electrical energy (which the Fairies know how to extract from the air), and then fitted to the particular parcel or package they were to carry!

When they were run down, just in the same way as the storage batteries which give light to tram-cars are replenished, they were recharged with electricity, and off they went again! Thus, when everybody and everything was ready to move out upon the long trek, there was witnessed a sight the like of which can only be imagined; for never before or since has such a thing been done.

First and foremost rode the Prince, mounted on a dainty milk-white pony not any larger than a sheep. Close behind, riding chestnut ponies with silver manes and tails, all about the same size as the Prince’s pony, came his chosen friends. It is said that the horses from which these ponies were bred came originally from Spain. A boat load of them was on its way to that part of Western America which is called California; but, driven by storms and stress of weather, the ship was thrown out of its course, and eventually wrecked on the East Coast of Australia. The Fairies rescued the horses, fed and cared for them; and during the long years that followed, slowly bred them down in size. Unfortunately they are all dead now; but at the time that the Prince set out to build his Fairy City, they were at their prime. Other animals landed in Australia have met with better luck, and have not died out. For instance, the Indian buffaloes that were long ago placed on Melville Island have increased in number until to-day there are thousands of them.

But to continue! After the Prince’s personal friends, there followed on in proper order, the Fairy workmen, all astride of dappled greys. Then came the surveyors’ instruments and all the machinery, tools, packages and materials; the longest, strangest procession that ever sallied forth from anywhere. At the extreme rear came the fairy cooks, with all their pots and pans, and fairy fireplaces; everything spotlessly clean and shining in the sunlight! The cooks all rode in fairy waggons, each about the size of a butter-box, and as white as snow! The waggons were drawn by coal-black ponies, whose highly polished coats rippled and shimmered whenever the sunbeams fell upon them. Surely never before had there been seen so uncommon a sight in all the world!

There is perhaps no need to mention that all the fairy folk not going with the Prince turned out to see him and his retinue depart. Great was the cheering as each particular section passed along; and many a one openly speculated as to where they were all journeying, and what they were going to do. But the secret had been well kept, and all the guesses were wide of the mark.

When the Prince and his party were fairly on their way, everything seemed somewhat quiet after the noisy send-off that had been given them. He, therefore, sent word along the line that he would like them to sing their new marching song. This particular song he had himself written, composed, and taught them during the time when they were preparing for the task upon which they had now set out. This is it:—

Left! Right! Left! Right!

On we go from morn till night;

Heads up! Shoulders back!

Stepping straightly on the track!

Step strong! Move along!

Cheer the journey with a song!

Let the chorus roll and ring,

As we all together sing:

Step right! Keep bright!

Soon will come the cooler night!

Then shall all our marching cease,

While we rest and take our ease,

No one but ourselves to please,

Till the morning light!

Left! Right! Left! Right!

Forward march to meet the night!

Stride out! Sing and shout!

Put your cares to right about!

Step strong! Tramp along!

Singing still the same old song!

Send the words on aery wing,

As we once again them sing!

Step right! Keep bright!

Soon will come the cooler night!

Then shall all our marchings cease,

While we rest and take our ease,

No one but ourselves to please,

Till the morning light.

Nothing loath to comply with the Prince’s desire, they were soon heartily singing the song, and much enjoyment they got from it. The fact is, that marching songs, as a rule, have a very brightening effect upon the singers. Words and music are alike intended to bring this about. Knowing this to be the case, and realising that as the long day stretched itself out, many of his followers were certain to get very tired, he deliberately chose such words and sentiments for his song as would tend to keep their spirits up till night time, when they could rest!

When at last night did arrive, Prince Waratah and all his company found themselves in a very lovely wooded valley. It was an ideal place for camping. A little silver stream supplied them with plenty of water. The dry leaves that had fallen from the trees, and the smaller broken branches that lay around supplied them with kindling and firewood; an extra supply of leaves also making very good bedding on which to spread their sleeping rugs.

After supper, feeling very comfortable and happy, they fell to humming the most delightful tunes imaginable, crooning tunes, such as mothers sing to their babies; soft and low and sweet. The effect was truly remarkable! In the course of fifteen or twenty minutes— just as the stars began to peep at them through the gently swaying tree tops—they were all sound asleep; or, to be quite accurate, all were asleep except the few guards posted at fairly distant intervals along the outer edges of the camp. Their duty was to watch out for any attack by possible enemies, such as the Mountain Fairies, who, although not really wicked, sometimes take it into their heads to throw down huge pieces of rock, or to send a giant tree hurtling over a cliff, to the great danger of those who may be camped or passing below.

Next morning everybody was stirring bright and early; and, after breakfast and packing up, the march began again. So day followed day for many a day. Sometimes they travelled up hill; sometimes down. Occasionally they had to make their way through timbered country; and now and again a stream had to be crossed. But, like soldiers, they made very light of such a passing difficulty, for they carried a certain number of pontoons with them, and, throwing them down as bridges, over the river they went in perfect safety. “Pont,” as you probably know, is the French word for bridge; and “pontoons” are usually made of empty barrels strung together to make a bridge. It was thus they crossed over waterways through which they could not wade.

But the time came when they left forest and stream behind them, and had to travel over great stretches of land covered with coarse and stubbly grasses. It was not pleasant by any means. Yet worse conditions were ahead; for when the rough grass lands were finally crossed, they came to the great sandy desert. Sand, and yet more sand—nothing but sand! Luckily they were not far from their destination. In two more days, the Prince told them, they would be there. As a consequence they began the desert march with a certain amount of light-heartedness, buoyed up by the thought that within a very little while their wanderings would cease. Unhappily, however, before that time arrived, they found themselves engaged in a terrific struggle with the Desert Fairies.

These nomadic Fairies, possibly resentful of the coming of the others, or, maybe, just because they are naturally nasty, viciously and vigorously attacked them in force.

Following their usual tactics, they first brought up an extremely hot wind, and, driving this before them full into the face of the wayfarers, sought to make them beat an inglorious retreat. But in spite of the fearful discomfort which the scorching wind brought to them, they kept steadily on; absolutely determined not to be turned from their purpose by a hot wind, however fierce!

Seeing, therefore, that this attack was a failure, the Desert Fairies resorted to their dreadful second line of attack. Picking up vast quantities of sand—(which by this time was doubly hot from the rays of the sun and the blistering wind that had passed over it)— they flung it before them, seeking to choke, blind and burn the intrepid adventurers. Eyes, ears and noses became partly filled with it. Under the strain, lips blackened and cracked, and parched throats ached with a pain almost unendurable as the onslaught developed in intensity! Yet, still undaunted, on they went! Their courage and steadfastness were marvellous! Well might the Prince be proud of them! As a matter of fact, foreseeing such a fight, he had repeatedly urged them, should it occur, not to be dismayed and fall back, but to stand firm, and at the right moment, effective help would certainly be forthcoming.

And so it chanced! For, just when the contest seemed no longer possible of endurance, and despair was about to bring panic to their midst, the Shower Fairies arrived, and, with their pellet-like raindrops beat the sand particles down, cleared and cooled the air, and with refreshing waters restored the faint and famished Fairies. More remarkable than all, their late attackers, finding themselves thus bereft of their weapons, turned tail and fled, leaving the Prince and his faithful followers masters of the field.

This was a wonderful victory, and serves to show how very wise the Prince was, and with what profit he had reflected upon the things he had seen in his previous travels. In particular, he had noted that the only thing the Desert Fairies fear is water, especially in the form of raindrops. With great foresight he had, therefore, arranged that there should follow on behind his company a tribe of Shower Fairies, ready to act should the need arise. True, they were a little late, but this is accounted for by the fact that each of them had to bring along a full supply of raindrops, and as these are very heavy for such wee folk to carry—especially in the teeth of a hot driving wind—they were somewhat longer in coming up than they should have been. Nevertheless they were not too late, and, when they did come, their work was splendidly done.

The way to the Magic Well was now clear! So, after bathing in the pools which the Shower Fairies had created—(soon, alas! to disappear!)—they rested until the next day. Then, in the highest possible spirits, they set about their final march, singing with the greatest gusto as they went their famous marching chorus:—

Left! Right! Left! Right!

Soon will come the cooler night!

Then shall all our marchings cease,

While we rest and take our ease,

No one but ourselves to please,

Till the morning light!