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Title: The Village of Hide and Seek
Author: Wilson, Bingham Thoburn
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.
*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Village of Hide and Seek" ***
THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illustration: _"The now smiling vagabond stood bowing and scraping in
the middle of the sunbaked road."_
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE VILLAGE
OF
HIDE AND SEEK
BY
BINGHAM THOBURN WILSON
AUTHOR OF
"YE MOUNTAINEER," "THE TALE OF THE PHANTOM YACHT," ETC.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
W. HERBERT DUNTON
Illustration: Publisher's logo
NEW YORK
CONSOLIDATED RETAIL BOOKSELLERS
1905
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHTED, 1905, BY
CONSOLIDATED RETAIL BOOKSELLERS
REGISTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON
-------
(_All Rights Reserved_)
-------
PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1905.
{Printed in the United States of America}.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Dedication._
TO THE CHILDREN OF POVERTY AND RAGS. TO THE
HOUSEHOLD OF SORROW AND BURDENSOME CARE.
TO THE LIVES IN THE SHADOW OF THE DARK GAUNT
FORM OF WOE. TO THOSE WHOSE EARS HAVE BEEN
ATTUNED TO THE HOLLOW, MOCKING VOICE OF
GRIEF. TO THE HUMBLEST OF THE HUMBLE, THE
POOR; THE VERY POOR. AND MAY THIS STORY
PROVE TO BE STARLIGHT IF NOT SUNSHINE.
VERY RESPECTFULLY,
THE AUTHOR.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS.
-------
CHAPTER
I. "HIS HIGHNESS," THE VAGABOND
II. AUNT TWADDLES
III. THE PATH UP THE CLIFF
IV. THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN
V. THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
VI. THE QUEEN OF THE DOLLS
VII. KIMBO, THE GIANT
VIII. THE ISLAND OF DREAMS
IX. SODA WATER FOUNTAIN
X. IN THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
-------
"Frontisepiece."
"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to gaze on the
world that lay far beneath them"
"All the odd, ill-fitting garments ... were changed into raiments of
rich lace and gold"
"He seemed to be leaping over great fields fully a mile at a stride"
"The children stopped to look back upon the spot from which they had
just come"
"Looking upward they were amazed to behold the open sky filled with
sweet-voiced angels"
"He gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous fingers that
filled the air with enchanting music"
"Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious demeanor that I
am both a gentleman and a scholar"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
-------
CHAPTER I
"HIS HIGHNESS," THE VAGABOND
On a bright sunny day in the middle of the month of August, a merry
group of gaily dressed children were romping upon the green lawn of a
country place, that, from its well kept and cleanly surroundings, could
not have been mistaken for any other than the home of some prosperous
and perhaps retired gentleman of wealth and refinement.
The old-fashioned stone house, with its wide porch and heavily carved
wooden columns green-coated with climbing ivy, rose amid the stately
trees of the lawn, until it seemed lost in a bower of shadowy foliage.
The low, thatch-roofed out-buildings and long lines of far-reaching
fence, carefully coated with fresh whitewash, stood glistening in the
sunlight, quite in harmony with the polished marble window sills of the
great stone mansion.
Standing in the very centre of the scene, like some still lingering
remnant of the long gone and almost forgotten past, arose the tall,
rustic arm of an old-fashioned well-sweep, that raised or lowered a
moss-covered, old oaken bucket, filled to overflowing and dripping wet
with cool, clear water, not unfrequently visited by this gamboling group
of merry children both during and after their play.
As the children rested for a moment beneath the sheltering arms of an
old oak tree, they were much surprised to behold the form of a wandering
vagabond ambling along the dusty road. His hat was well drawn down over
his eyes to avoid the glaring rays of the mid-day sun. Over his shoulder
and made fast to the end of a crooked stick, that might have answered as
well for a defence as for a staff, hung his sum total of earthly
possessions, tied carefully into a small bundle and as carefully hid
from view within the folds of a red bandanna handkerchief.
A passing glance only was needed to tell that the wanderer was weary;
and as his eyes, glistening with envy, beheld the cool shade of the
trees, and the still more inviting bucket above the well, that,
half-filled and leaking, hung suspended in mid-air, he halted his weary
pace in the road near the gate and beckoned the children to approach.
No second invitation was needed. The boys, more daring and venturesome,
bounded toward him with a merry shout and were soon standing on the edge
of the lawn near the wanderer; but the little girls, like so many timid
fawns of the forest, with a feeling more of fear than of curiosity,
lingered tardily behind; and it was some time before they joined their
less cautious companions.
He was a curious-looking, but quite jolly vagabond indeed; and although
his face was begrimed and smeared with mingled perspiration and dust,
his eyes shone with a merry, good-natured twinkle, as he doffed his well
worn and dusty black hat and bowed with an air of politeness, quite
unknown to the common everyday tramp of the highways of the world.
One of the children laughingly exclaimed:
"Where are you going?"
And another: "Where did you come from?"
And still a third: "Where is your home?"
And so on, until the now smiling vagabond, waiting for a chance to
reply, stood bowing and scraping in the middle of the sunbaked road as
he calmly received volley after volley of almost unanswerable questions.
"Well!" he exclaimed at last, as the children became suddenly silent,
"you ask me where I am from and where I am going, so now let me say:
just at present I am from everywhere in general and bound nowhere in
particular!"
And he began pounding the dust from his body and limbs with his old hat,
as if wishing to make himself look presentable, even if out in the
middle of a hot, dusty roadway; and looking up with a longing glance, he
asked permission to obtain a drink of water from the well on the lawn.
The big gate was still closed to "His Most Royal Highness," and as the
mere thought of his entering the lawn dawned upon the minds of the now
silent children, they drew back in affright and with solemn faces; nor
would they think of granting the stranger's request until finally one
little fellow called his companions together for a moment, as he almost
pleadingly said:
"It is wrong to deny a poor man a drink of water. He is weary and
perhaps far from home, while God gives us the water so freely. Beside,
he cannot take the shade of these trees away with him when he goes, so,
while he rests on the lawn, I will bring him a drink from the well
myself."
And with a light foot, but a much lighter heart, the boy bounded away in
haste, while the weary "Knight of the Road" entered the shadow of a big
maple tree on the lawn and stood waiting for him to return.
As he gulped down the cool, refreshing water in a manner as though
famished, he blinked his bright sparkling eyes in evidence of much
relish; then casting a thankful glance upon the face of his new found
friend, he turned toward him with a smile as he said:
"My little lad, for your kind act to a weary and thirsty man let me say;
if you will gather your little friends about me under the shade of this
tree, I will tell you an interesting story, which, if you will listen
carefully, may give you something of my past wanderings as well as an
answer to some of the questions you asked of me while I was out in the
road."
Without a word of reply, the children, anxious to know what the
stranger's story might be, sank here and there upon the grass, as the
vagabond thus began his strange tale.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER II
"AUNT TWADDLES"
"As I paused in the middle of the road near the gate," began the
vagabond, "this manly little fellow who so kindly brought me a drink
from the well, wanted to know where I came from. In answer to his
question let me say: I am, as you see, a friendless vagabond, wandering
hither and thither over the face of the earth. But think not that I
never had a home; for although I may not look it, I once had a dear
mother, just as each one of you has, who, when I was a baby kissed me
and rocked me to sleep every night with a sweet lullaby. But that was a
long time ago, and it is little wonder that, as you now gaze upon me,
you are anxious to know who I am and whence I came.
"Now I might be an earthly prince in disguise for aught that you know,
though I'm not. Yet right here let me say, I _am_ the son of a King, for
we are _all_ the children of God and our earthly end is alike in this
dust that some of you children at first so pretended to scorn as you saw
it all over my clothes. So from this on, remember, we are only of the
dust; and the babies of satins and silks, all humbled at last, shall lie
down and sleep side by side with the children of tatters and rags.
"Be that as it may; I was born in the village of Harpers Ferry on the
banks of the fair Shenandoah River, where lofty mountains rise and
overhang with rugged cliffs that seem about to fall into the deep valley
below; and where, in order to get into the town at all, the trains pass
through a dark tunnel in the mountains, and leaping with shrill whistle
across the long span of a great steel bridge, slow down and stop at a
quaint, stone station, so closely surrounded by tall mountains on all
sides that a traveller might think himself at the very end of the world.
"It is here that the wild Shenandoah empties its foaming waters into the
Potomac River, (for be it remembered that the two streams were joined in
Holy wedlock by the Indians long, long ago), and mingling their currents
in loving embrace, they leap onward through a pass in the mountains and
together journey joyfully eastward toward the sea.
"As the stranger stands upon the platform at the little stone station,
and gazes far across the Shenandoah River, he cannot help noticing a
dark path, or roadway, leading straight up the face of a steep cliff;
and long will he wonder how it could ever be possible to climb that
path, for it stands almost straight up and down.
"Right here let me say there are but three persons on earth who can
truthfully boast of having once included that path as a part of their
journey; while strangest of all is the fact that one of these was an old
woman, so awkward and fat that she looked to be almost helpless, while
the other two, at the time of ascent, were mere children.
"For many years prior to the time of my story, (how long, nobody ever
could tell), there dwelt an old woman somewhere up in these mountains,
and unless something has happened to her recently she is living there
still.
"She was a strange-looking creature and from her jolly, good nature and
laughing, happy way, had grown in weight until she must have tipped the
scales at fully five hundred pounds.
"She did not look in the least like a mountain climber, nor in fact
hardly able to mount a short flight of stairs; yet she was a quite
frequent wanderer up and down the opposite bank of the river, where most
of her time was spent in gathering wild herbs on the rough side of the
mountain, or along the fertile bed of the Shenandoah.
"When the great bag, which she always carried slung over her shoulder,
was filled with herbs almost to bursting, she would start at the bottom
of this high cliff, and, aided by the scrubby bushes that grew from the
dark fissures in the mountain's time scarred face, she would manage in
some mysterious way to drag her full five hundred weight with its load
to the top, and then disappear in the mountain woodland above.
"It was not only a tiresome, but likewise a dangerous journey, for there
were few places where she could catch her toes in the steep rock; and as
she climbed slowly upward, and with much difficulty felt for each
foothold, her great body swayed and staggered upon the face of the
cliff, while she puffed and blew from her toil so loudly that her heavy
breathing could plainly be heard far across in the village of Harpers
Ferry.
"Never did she go up the cliff but that great boulders would break loose
under her ponderous tread, and tumbling headlong with mighty bound,
would dash down the steep mountain-side and land with a roaring crash in
the bed of the river below, where to this day they may be seen choking
the tide of the stream in a great rocky mass.
"In many ways this strange woman was more odd than she looked. She was
not very high, but so terribly spread out that she was equally as tall
when lying down as when standing up; and if, like a turtle, she might
have drawn in her feet and her head, she could have rolled about over
the ground like a great ball—but of course she was not a turtle.
"The garments, too, that she wore, both in make and material, were
strange to look upon. Her skirt, which could never have been made for
another, was fully a foot too long. It entirely concealed her feet,
which could not have been small, and so caused her to stumble and trip
that often indeed have I wondered how she could get along with her big
bag of herbs over a level road, much less up a path on the face of the
cliff, that even the bravest of hunters and mountain-men dared not
attempt to climb. Thus she went stumbling along in her own silent,
industrious way.
"And now comes the strangest thing of all about this wonderful, fat
woman.
"Many are the grown people that have passed her while busy at her labor
of herb gathering, yet not for a moment would she stop work to talk with
any of them. If they smiled, she might look up and smile in reply; but
if they asked her a question she would answer it with such an uncivil
grunt that they were glad to pass rapidly along on their way.
"But should she happen to meet with a group of gay children, this
strange, fat woman was sure to drop her big bag of herbs, and pausing
for a long jolly chat, would unbosom her goodness of heart and draw from
her ponderous pockets handful after handful of candy and pop-corn balls,
taffy and chocolate drops, the like of which for sweetness and flavor,
no mortal man had ever made.
"Nor was she in the least inclined to be stingy for she would give the
children as much of her sweets as they could eat and then bid them
good-bye with a kiss and a parting blessing. For so many years had she
thus kindly treated the children that they watched for her coming and
going day after day and were ever on the lookout to greet her, with
tears of joy in their eyes.
"The name of this fat woman was 'Twaddles;' and as nobody thereabout
knew just whether she was a Miss or a Mrs., the children had nicknamed
her 'Auntie,' although that might have been as big a mistake as either
of the other two names. But it sounded motherly and sweet to her ears,
and, as its mention was sure to bring forth an abundance of bon-bons and
candies, all of the grown people as well as the children called her
'Aunt Twaddles.'
"Where did she come from? you ask. Well, for many years nobody ever
could tell. Some claimed that she lived in a nest with the eagles far
off in the mountains. Others, that she dwelt alone with some half grown
cubs in the heart of a dark bear den, where the foot of a hunter had
never passed; while some even vowed that at night all the humming birds
kept guard while she slept far back in a cave in the rocks.
"Old Nimrod, the hunter, declared, (and he had spent his whole life in
the mountains), that she was 'Queen of the Witches' and lived in the
dark hollow of a great tree, far down in a deep rocky glen, where
panthers and owls with wildcats and rattlesnakes dwell. Once when he saw
her, he said she was leading a pack of fierce wolves along on the side
of the mountain; and again she was holding a live panther close to her
breast and rocking it to sleep in her arms.
"At any rate, wherever she lived, so marvelous indeed was she skilled in
the art of making candy, that her praises were sung by the children far
and near; and strangest of all was the fact that, should you once eat a
little bite of it, the sweetness and flavor it left in your mouth lasted
for over a week, while its memory lasted a lifetime. Years might pass
silently away and the children who had once tasted of 'Aunt Twaddles''
candy grow up and be married, yet they could never forget it, though
they tried; while stranger still was the fact that a mere recollection
was sure to bring tears to the eyes, nor could one cease crying until he
went home and forgot about it.
"In proof of this part of my tale let me say; I remember one day as I
stood quite hidden from view amid the green alder-berry bushes that grew
on the bank of the river, I beheld 'Aunt Twaddles' coming slowly down
the edge of the stream. Her big bag was heavily laden with herbs, and,
as the sun was quite high in the heavens, she paused in the shade of a
tree near the foot of the steep path for a moment of rest before
starting up the dangerous face of the cliff, for she needed all of her
strength to go up.
"Just as she had comfortably seated herself on a log, I noticed a little
old man tottering across the long foot-bridge that led over from the
village. He was hurrying along, rapping his feet and his staff on the
boards as fast as his seventy-odd years would allow. His long,
snow-white hair waved on the midsummer breeze, while the long flaps of
his old-fashioned coat were dangling about his thin, wabbly legs in a
manner too funny for anything.
"As he drew near, I noticed that there were real tears in his eyes, and
his withered old cheeks were much stained where they had fallen.
Carefully I watched him as he drew near, and, with a feeling of deepest
respect bowed low as he said in a tremulous, squeaky voice:
"'Good morning, Aunt Twaddles. Would you mind giving an old, life-long
friend another bit of your candy?'
"In a second 'Aunt Twaddles' arose.
"'No sir!' she cried, with a frown, 'I gave you plenty of it, Sir, when
you were a good little boy. Tobacco seems to be your favorite candy now
from the appearance of your stained white beard, so you get none of
mine.'
"And she began to empty her pockets that were filled with sweet, juicy
bon-bons, over the brink and down into the stream; and shouldering her
big bag of herbs, prepared to start up the face of the cliff. The little
old man went tottering back over the foot-bridge to the village; nor is
there any doubt that he went home and cried over the thought of her
candy and kept crying until he forgot about it.
"And now," said the vagabond, "lest the thought of 'Aunt Twaddles''
candy brings tears to my eyes, for I have eaten some of it myself, let
us pause for a moment while we more comfortably seat ourselves before I
proceed with the story."
The almost vertical rays of the mid-day sun were pouring a merciless
fire upon a portion of the charmed circle and the story-teller with his
group of merry children was not slow in selecting a new spot further in
under the protecting branches of the tree. The children had been so
absorbed in the wonderful tale of the wanderer that they had failed to
notice the intense heat until, down the faces of some of the smaller
ones, drops of perspiration were flowing like tears.
Amid a clamorous shout of "Go on! Go on!" uttered in concert by the
delighted children, it was thus the wanderer continued.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER III
THE PATH UP THE CLIFF
"In the Village of Harpers Ferry, there stood for many years an old
Inn;—so old that no one knew its age. It was built in the days before
saw-mills were known, when all the lumber was either split out or sawed
out by hand. The weather-stained boards on its rickety sides were
covered with moss from the eaves down to the ground, while the shingles
of the roof were so twisted and warped out of place that they afforded
little or no protection to the dwellers within.
"Travel was light in Harpers Ferry during the time of which I speak, and
the lack of good business, together with his miserly nature, kept the
old Inn-keeper peevish and cross; so much so that he was despised by
everyone about the village.
"He was a wheezy little old man with a wooden leg, the rough oaken stump
of which, with its shafts and mysterious harness, was a source of much
wonder as well as merriment to the children of the neighborhood; while
the little old man himself seemed to be just withering away and drying
up on his feet, instead of growing weak and infirm, as is the usual
course with most things that are old.
"Two bright little orphan grandchildren answered his cross, squeaky
call, and as their father had been dead ever since they were babies, and
their dear mother had died some two years before, they lived with the
cross old man at the Inn, where they received a scolding or whipping
much oftener than they did a good dinner. Never was he heard to speak a
kind word to either of them.
"Through the early part of every spring this old Inn-keeper would suffer
dreadfully from asthma, which is a kind of disease that chokes people
just as if they were strangling all the time. During these bad spells of
smothering he would drive the poor children off into the mountains to
gather wild pennyroyal, which he burned under a funnel and inhaled the
smoke to relieve his wheezing during the night, for without it he could
not sleep. Many indeed were the whippings they had received at the hands
of the cruel old Inn-keeper just because they failed to find enough of
the herb in the mountain to suit his suffering needs.
"The bright sun was warm on this particular spring morning although the
frost had not yet departed from some of the deep mountain glens. The old
Inn-keeper called the two children from their play in the village street
and bade them hasten away over the river to search for pennyroyal. He
did not forget to threaten them with an angry frown before they left, as
he loudly vowed that he expected to spend a bad night with the asthma,
and solemnly declared that, should they return without a goodly supply
of pennyroyal, he would whip them both soundly, deny them their suppers
and make them sleep without covers on the floor of the attic,—a place
that swarmed with both rats and mice.
"With this terrible threat still ringing in their ears, the two children
hastened away toward the river and with much fear in their hearts
started across the long foot-bridge toward the mountains.
"Arthur, the boy, was eleven years old, while his little sister Maud, a
beautiful but shy little thing, had hardly turned nine. They journeyed
along hand in hand and when midway the stream, they looked back just as
the old Inn-keeper entered the Inn, then paused for a moment to glance
over the wide flowing stream and look down into its clear waters for
bass,—which, I might add, was their principal sport on a hot summer day.
"Far up the tide, a fish-hawk sailed silently round and round over the
foamy water, searching the more shallow places with a keen, piercing
eye, and looking no doubt for its dinner. A long-necked blue heron,
awakened by the loud, clattering footsteps and shouting voices of the
two children, arose from beneath a dark tangle of water-elms that grew
near the farther end of the foot-bridge, and, with lazy wings, and
dragging its slim legs over the water as if it were too much trouble to
lift them up under its body, it went on up the edge of the stream and
disappeared from sight along the dark shore. High over all and circling
with mysterious ease, a bald eagle held stately repose in the sky.
"'Come, Maudie,' exclaimed little Arthur at last. 'Let us make haste,
for the journey may be tiresome and long.' And hand in hand they
hastened across the bridge.
"As they came to the edge of the woods they began their search for
pennyroyal. This herb was not plentiful so early in the spring and the
side of the mountain was steep and rough.
"Bright, fancy-formed ferns were growing here and there from beneath the
edge of the big rocks, and johnny-jump-ups were lifting their tiny blue
heads aloft to the fresh morning breeze, wherever an occasional dead
tree allowed the rays of the sun to fall unshadowed upon the rich soil
below. All through the woodland they noticed the poison-oak vine, as it
slowly began its long summer climb up the trunks of the stately oak
trees.
"'Alas!' thought the two children as they journeyed along, 'there is no
pennyroyal.'
"Then looking up with affright at the sound of a familiar voice, they
were greatly surprised, for there stood 'Aunt Twaddles' before them.
"At once the object of their journey was forgotten and they buried their
grief for a time as the kind-hearted old lady drew forth a handful of
her sweet candy, and all three sank upon a green, moss-covered mound for
a rest and a feast and a chat.
"When they were comfortably seated, 'Aunt Twaddles' glanced carefully
about her, and, as she measured the moss-covered mound with one sweep of
the eye, she suddenly exclaimed:
"'Perhaps this mound is the grave of some long dead but great Indian
chief;' and while the two children sat gazing about, she continued: 'But
he can't scalp us now, children! He can't scalp us now!'
"And with a loud, harsh laugh that rang through the woodland, she leaned
her fat back against the trunk of a tall tree that towered ever so high
above them.
"'And where are you going, my dears?' at last she inquired.
"'After pennyroyal for grandfather,' replied little Arthur, and his
words were followed by a deep sigh.
"'Have you found any?' she asked, as her fat face lighted up with a
broad smile that drove all thoughts of sorrow and care from their minds.
"'Not yet, Ma'am!' exclaimed little Maud. 'I don't think it has come up
out of the ground, for we have searched so far very carefully.'
"'Aunt Twaddles' laughed outright. 'Oh yes, it has, dear,' she replied.
'Pennyroyal is the second flavoring herb of the spring-time.'
"And she reached her hand down deep into her herb bag and drew forth
quite a quantity of fresh plucked pennyroyal and laid it before their
envious gaze on the ground.
"'And what is the first flavoring herb, Aunt Twaddles?' inquired little
Arthur, as he glanced up from the pennyroyal.
"'Mint, darling,' she replied with a laugh, and continued: 'On the south
side of the mountain, where the springs moisten and soften the soil, it
lifts its green head out of the earth as soon as the frost leaves the
ground.'
"She lowered her hand to her big pocket as she ceased speaking and drew
from its mighty depth two great, round pop-corn balls, that were
dripping with honey and of the deep crimson color of ripe cherries.
Placing one in the hand of each of the children, she glanced down upon
them with a happy smile, as she exclaimed:
"'There, darlings. These are flavored with mint that I gathered only
yesterday. Taste them and see what you think of the flavor.'
"The two children were delighted with the sweet gift, but though it
pleased them greatly, they could not keep their envious eyes from the
pennyroyal, for they knew that the time thus spent in delay meant a
terrible whipping and a much more-to-be-dreaded night with the rats and
mice in the attic.
"Seeming to notice the troubled look on their little faces, 'Aunt
Twaddles' exclaimed:
"'Now, darlings, I know these mountains as well as you know yonder
streets of the village; and if you will take a short journey with me, I
will gather you enough pennyroyal to last the wheezy, old Inn-keeper for
the rest of his life.' And without waiting for them to reply, she
gathered her big bag of herbs into her arms and arose, as if ready to
start.
"Little Arthur looked up, amazed at her words, while Maud could scarcely
believe her ears, so great was the promise of her dear, old,
kind-hearted friend. Well did they recall the long, sorrowful journeys
they had often made into the mountains in a vain search for the scarce
herb;—journeys that were followed by terrible beatings. The mere thought
of gathering enough pennyroyal to last their cruel old grandfather for
the rest of his life made their little hearts fairly leap with joy."
"'Come, Maudie,' cried Arthur, as he leaped to his feet, 'let us go.'
"In a second the children were standing beside 'Aunt Twaddles' who,
after shouldering her big bag of herbs, led the way.
"They journeyed along down the bank of the river past the end of the
foot-bridge that led from the village, when, pausing at the foot of the
dangerous path on the face of the cliff, 'Aunt Twaddles' rested her
herb-bag on the ground for a moment, and, glancing first at the tall
mountain and then at the children, she exclaimed, with a somewhat
doubtful shake of her head:
"'It's a pretty stiff climb, children! It's a pretty stiff climb! But
come on, let's go up!'
"Had 'Aunt Twaddles' asked the two children to rise like two eagles and
soar high over the tops of the mountains, it would not have seemed to
them more of a task than to walk up the bald face of that cliff; and for
a long time they stood gazing upon 'Aunt Twaddles' as if they thought
she had gone completely out of her head.
"Little Arthur suddenly exclaimed:
"'Why, Aunt Twaddles, we could never go up there.'
"As the children glanced at her face, they noticed a strange look in her
eyes that startled them. Was it the look of an evil one seeking to lure
two innocent children to certain death amid the cruel rocks of the
mountain? Or was it the look of the witch that Old Nimrod, the hunter,
had so often told them about as they sat at his feet by the fire in the
old inn? That look that charmed wildcats and panthers and snakes into
doing her will?
"Without further delay she shouted with a frown.
"'Oh yes, you can, children. You shall go up with me. How often have I
gone up this path with double your weight as a load!'
"And gathering the thick twill of her skirt into a fold, she placed it
tightly within the clasp of Arthur's hands, at the same time saying:
"'Come, Maudie, take hold by the side of your brother and hold fast.'
"And before the two frightened children could realize what they had
done, they were high up on the side of the cliff and did not dare to let
go.
"When they had climbed somewhat higher than the church spire that
towered aloft over the village across the river, a fisherman, going to
raise his nets, beheld them; and raising a shout of alarm, it was not
long before the street in the village was filled with excited people.
Men yelled with hoarse voices, pleading with 'Aunt Twaddles' to come
down, but their voices sounded faintly upon the ears of the children,
who hung dangling from the end of 'Aunt Twaddles'' skirt, high up in the
air.
"The old, one-legged Inn-keeper hastened away, pounding his peg-leg on
the boards of the bridge, in a vain effort to get over to where his
squeaky voice might be heard; but without pausing to heed the tumult
below, 'Aunt Twaddles' continued on up the face of the cliff, constantly
warning the two children to 'Hold fast!'
"Old Jonas, the fisherman, with dripping fish net gathered under his
arms, ran with all his might over the long foot-bridge and down the
opposite bank, where strong men, with pale faces, aided him in
stretching it at the base of the cliff, to catch, as he said, the
lifeless and mangled bodies of the two children in case they should
fall.
"Old Nimrod, the hunter, came tottering out of the bar-room at the inn,
his long trusty rifle in hand, renewing his vow that 'Aunt Twaddles' was
a witch, as he took rest on the rail of the bridge, firmly resolved to
shoot her in case the children should let go. With eagle eye he gazed
along the polished barrel of his gun and covered the sight-sickening
climb with an unfaltering aim.
"Out in the village street, women stood crying and wringing their hands,
while strong men turned white at the sight of the fat woman, swaying and
wabbling from side to side in her effort to get up the face of the
mountain.
"From the loud sound of her puffing and blowing, she seemed almost
exhausted. Now she would stumble and totter as if about to fall, when,
suddenly grasping with desperate hand a stout, scrubby bush, or a ledge
of the broken rock, she would steady herself for a time and by the
merest chance gain a fortunate foothold.
"Even the dogs began howling everywhere throughout the village. Every
house stood wide-open and deserted. Someone entered the old village
church and began slowly tolling the bell, the sound of which seemed to
add a doleful appeal to Heaven for the safety and care of the children.
"Slower and slower, weaker and weaker, yet onward and upward, 'Aunt
Twaddles' toiled on the face of the cliff, when suddenly one loud moan
of horror swept from the parched throats of the multitude as 'Aunt
Twaddles,' by accident, stepped on the end of her long skirt and reeling
from the face of the rock, started to fall. Men turned from the horrible
sight and sank to their knees, while over in the village women fell
helpless into each others arms for support and turned from the sickening
scene.
"The crack of a rifle rang out on the air from the end of the
foot-bridge and a puff of blue dust arose from the face of the cliff
just over 'Aunt Twaddles'' head, where the bullet had shattered the
rock.
"Loud shouted the voice of Old Jonas, the fisherman, 'Stretch the net
tight, men! Stretch the net tight! They are falling!' While strong limbs
steadied themselves and firm hands drew tight on the meshes of stout
twine.
"But Fate favors the brave who have presence of mind. 'Aunt Twaddles'
laid firm hold on the arm of a deep-rooted bush, and, as she drew her
swaying form close to the mountain, the frightened children, swung far
out in mid air, like the pendulum of a clock, and then heavily back
against the cliff. Still they held firmly on to her dress.
"Louder and louder the people now renewed their cries for 'Aunt
Twaddles' to come down; but to attempt to descend in her weary condition
meant certain death to all.
"Onward and upward she continued; and while the people below were
suffering the anguish of suspense, with one last weary reach she laid
firm hold on an overhanging arm of a dogwood tree that hung from above
and, with a deep sigh of relief, drew both herself and the children to
safety on top of the cliff.
"A murmur of joy went up from the dry, hoarse throats of the men at the
base of the mountain, while women sank fainting far across in the
streets of the village. Strong men broke down and wept under the spell
of excitement. Old Nimrod, the hunter, ceased ramming the charge in his
gun, and Jonas, the fisherman, shouldered his fish net; but he trembled
so from excitement that he could not carry it home. The slow, solemn
toll of the church bell turned into one long, loud ring of joy.
"A wild shout from high up in the air echoed and re-echoed over the
broad valley below. Far up on the side of the mountain, the people
beheld 'Aunt Twaddles' wildly waving her sun-bonnet and lifting the
children into plain view. In a moment she lowered them again in the
shade of a tree and then sank for a rest at their side.
"As the children sat gazing about on the beautiful scene below, they
could plainly see the bent form of the old inn-keeper. He was rattling
his peg-leg back over the bridge, and as he hobbled along he was shaking
his head with an air of anxiety, thinking no doubt about the safety of
the children, left to the mercy of a witch on the side of the mountain.
"'Mercy!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles' with a deep, weary sigh, 'we will
take a good rest before we go on, for that was a hard climb.'
"And now while 'Aunt Twaddles' and the two children are resting under
the shade of a tree on the side of the mountain, we will rest for a
moment, and I will thank you for a fresh drink of water before I go on
with my story."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER IV
THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN
As the "Prince of the Highway" finished the first part of his story and
asked for a fresh drink of water before continuing, there was a wild,
scampering foot-race between the two largest boys as they hastened away
to the well, straining every muscle and nerve in the struggle to see who
might have the pleasure of honoring the wanderer with a drink.
All the children that were seated upon the grass about the Vagabond,
began working closer and closer toward him, forgetful now of the cool
and almost unkind manner in which they had turned a deaf ear to his
request for a drink when first he paused in the centre of the hot, dusty
road. The little girls took off their bright colored sun-bonnets in
order that they might not lose a single word that fell from the lips of
the dust-covered story-teller.
"Mercy!" exclaimed one of the boys, as if just awakening from the scene
that fancy had painted in his little brain. "Mercy!" again he exclaimed.
"What a terrible climb! Isn't it a wonder that the two children could
hold on so long?"
As the words fell from the lips of the little speaker, the assembled
children seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, for they well remembered
that the two children were safe on the side of the mountain.
Back over the lawn came the two boys bearing the water; and after the
thirsty Vagabond had refreshed himself, he blinked his little black eyes
and smacked his dry lips with evident delight, as thus he continued his
story:
"'Aunt Twaddles' and the children, by this time, were well rested; and
rising from the ground she took them by the hands and went slowly up
through the mountain woodland.
"The effort was not nearly so tiresome as the long struggle on the face
of the cliff had been, and for some time they made rapid progress; for
the mountain rose in a gentle slope and the way was closely shaded by
tall trees, that some weeks before had unfolded their bright foliage to
the blue sky of spring.
"If nothing greater was to be expected, the journey was a delight in
itself; and it was fully an hour before they paused in a merry group on
the very top of the mountain.
"As their feet reached the level soil of the mountain crown, 'Aunt
Twaddles' dropped her big bag of herbs for a moment of rest, and turning
to the children, she exclaimed:
"'There, darlings, at last! Now gaze about you on the great underworld
and see if this isn't worth all the trouble and toil that we had on the
face of the cliff?'
"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to gaze upon the
world that lay far beneath them.
"For some time they stood looking upon familiar scenes, dwarfed now by
the distance. The two children, both seeming to think of this fact, were
wondering in their little minds how they would ever get down the side of
the mountain, for they were really so high that it made them quite dizzy
to look below.
Illustration: _"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to
gaze upon the world that lay far beneath them."_
"Way down in the deep valley, like the houses of so many pygmies,
nestled the village of Harpers Ferry, where the foot-bridge appeared
like a narrow strand of dark tape, stretching across a snow-white
stream.
"Far to the westward, the long winding path of the Potomac River
glistened in the bright sunlight like a spotless streamer of snow-white
ribbon, sweeping with many a graceful curve far away into a narrow
trail.
"Nearer by, dashing with loud, rumbling roar against the foot of the
Blue Ridge mountains on the very top of which they were standing, the
foaming, frolicking Shenandoah could be seen here and there, leaping
between the tall rocky cliffs with merry, gamboling shout that arose
like a song to their ears.
"Green wheat-fields, like so many squares of bright velvet carpet that
good farmers had laid out in the sunlight to air, were plainly in view
up the broad valley; and the blossoming peach-trees on the far distant
hillsides, that stood bathing in the full glory of the day, looked to
them like so many tiny rose bushes just bursting into full bloom.
"Nearer by on the mountain ridge, a stray mocking-bird sat in a tree
top, testing his ruffled throat by bursting forth in a wild, beautiful
chant, but changing the notes every moment or so to mock the sweet song
of some one of his feathered acquaintances.
"Now sweet and low he was singing the song of the linnet and calling
them all about him from their busy labor of nest building. Now he was
causing the blue bird to flutter forth in jealous anger by softly
coaxing away its mate. Then, uttering a loud shrill whistle, he sank
into silence, waiting a reply to his eloquent call from some greatly
deceived 'Bob White' that was eating its dinner far off in a bramble of
mountain shrubs.
"Now sweet and low, he sang a song all his own; so sweet that the linnet
and thrush grew silent; so tremulous and low that it called back his
faithless mate from its wanderings. Then growing bold and defiant, with
frantic effort, he carolled forth music wild and shrill, as if
challenging the rest of the song birds to a relentless vocal war.
"A gray squirrel barked high up in the top of the tall chestnut tree
under which they were standing, and far down in a deep, cool hollow
below, they heard a plumed pheasant drumming his battle tune
unchallenged upon a log.
"'Come, children,' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' 'let us go!'
"They followed the ridge of the mountain for some time; but the journey
was made so delightful and charming by the wonderful scenes beneath them
that the two children did not seem to notice just how far they had
travelled, although they had gone a great distance and everything about
and beneath them seemed new and changed.
"Suddenly they turned to the left from the mountain ridge and passed
down into a dark ravine, the sides of which were so very high that 'Aunt
Twaddles' said the sun never shone anywhere within its dark bounds, not
even during the noon hours of midsummer.
"It was a dark and gloomy place indeed, filled with great pitfalls of
slimy, green liquid, from which arose an unpleasant odor; while there
was barely enough light for them to see that the steep sides of the
ravine were covered with a damp mould.
"With a feeling of relief they emerged from this horrible place to find
themselves entering a beautiful and heavily wooded glen.
"'Aunt Twaddles' informed them that the gloomy ravine through which they
just passed was called 'The Valley of Dry Bones,' for the reason, as she
said, that the bird or animal once entering it scarcely ever came out
alive, and that what few did escape death were mere skeletons.
"'And how is it that we are not skeletons, Aunt Twaddles, now that we
have passed through the valley?' exclaimed Arthur, with an inquiring
glance.
"'Because we have used the power of reason, my dear, which no bird or
animal except man possesses,' she replied. Then, pausing to glance back,
she continued: 'Knowing the dangers of the valley, I used the power of
reason and laid my course. If you do not use the power of reason, my
boy, you will often find yourself in the Valley of Dry Bones as you
journey along through life.'
"Arthur would have questioned 'Aunt Twaddles' further, but they were now
in a beautiful glen; and as they journeyed along he turned about to
behold the lovely creations of nature that lay on every hand.
"The glen was not very wide, and the leafy branches of the tall,
overhanging trees were so mingled together that the bright sunlight
could not break through, while the beautiful wild flowers seemed
striving to outdo each other in spreading their perfume about on the
balmy air. Yet search as they might, there was not a spray of pennyroyal
anywhere to be seen.
"A second glance over the glen proved it to be a most picturesque spot
indeed; for the rocks that arose here and there from the flower-covered
soil were not dark and weather-stained like those along the Shenandoah
River, and the wild ferns and perfumed flowers tempted the observing
children to stay their steps.
"'Now,' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' as they walked slowly along, 'this
beautiful glen, my darlings, is called Temporary Delight, which means
short pleasures; for, as you see, we are near its end.'
"Looking up, the children were surprised to behold in front of them a
mountain of solid stone.
"They had not met with a greater surprise during their entire journey
than this towering cliff of rock that now barred their way; and little
Maud, suddenly hushed, dropped her flowers upon the ground and turned
with a troubled look to 'Aunt Twaddles' as she said in a trembling
voice:
"'Aunt Twaddles, the flowers are beautiful, but, see, they fade as
quickly as they are plucked, and are not worth carrying. Besides, I do
not see any pennyroyal. How shall we ever get beyond this great
mountain?'
"'Aunt Twaddles' was standing on the top of a rock, the summit of which
she had reached with a mighty bound; and as she noticed the troubled
look on the faces of the children, she laughed until her fat sides
fairly shook, when she said to little Maud in reply:
"'The pleasures of life, like these flowers, are never very lasting, my
dear. Never mind, you shall have your pennyroyal. Just learn to wait and
be patient, for all things require time.'
"She made an effort to whistle, but her fat cheeks refused to make other
than a low hissing sound.
"It was enough. There was an answering warble from far off in the
woodland, then a sudden flutter of swift crimson wings among the near-by
branches. In another second a beautiful Red Bird came sailing down the
dark glen and, greatly to the surprise of the two children, lighted upon
one of 'Aunt Twaddles'' shoulders where it began to sing a most
beautiful song.
"In the excitement of the moment, Arthur dropped the handful of withered
flowers he had gathered for his little sister, and with hands half
raised, shouted for her to turn quickly that she might behold the
wonderful bird; but the startling cry of the boy was hushed as he beheld
the Red Bird drop from its slender claw a bright golden key into the
outstretched hand of 'Aunt Twaddles', and then sail away into the
woodland.
"'Aunt Twaddles' stepped toward the cliff and, turning to the surprised
children, she waved the golden key in the air, as she said in her
usually kind way.
"'Now, children, listen. I know the old one-legged miser who keeps the
Inn at the Ferry and have known him ever since he was an ill-tempered
boy who respected not the will of his parents. I knew your brave father,
too, let me say, many years before he marched gallantly away to the war
from which he never returned. Often have I given your sweet mother a
bite of my candy, long, long before she went to live with the angels.
And now, for the love of yourselves, as well as for the memory and
respect that I bear your dear, dead parents, I am going to give you that
moment of peace and joy that the cross old miser so begrudges you down
at the Inn.'
"With that she faced the mountain and placed the golden key in a deep
crevice of the rock, at the same time repeating some strange and
mysterious words.
"There was a deep, rumbling roar within, that sounded like the angry
roll of distant thunder and greatly frightened the children; when, with
a tearing crash, the tall mountain parted at the centre.
"Pieces of bursting rock went flying through the air in every direction.
"Great columns of smoke rose upward and spread over the entire sky like
a mighty cloud.
"The severed cliff rolled away to the side and there before them stood
the entrance to a deep, dark cave that looked gloomy and filled with
danger.
"At first, little Arthur and Maud drew back in affright and stood ready
to fly up the glen for their lives; but 'Aunt Twaddles,' turning toward
them, exclaimed in calm, easy tones:
"'Fear not, my children! Fear not, for I am your friend!'
"Then without another word she entered the mouth of the dark cave and at
the chiming sound of a deep-toned bell, the cavern became filled in a
second with a million bright and glowing lights, the like of which no
mortal eye had ever beheld.
"The two little children, now overcome with amazement, stood for the
moment speechless and motionless in the presence of the strange scene
that lay before them.
"The great flood of light that poured from the cavern illumined the
scene with a strange beauty, that, falling upon the clear, crystal-like
rocks of the glen, seemed to make them glow with sparkling radiance like
so many diamonds; and the wild flowers of the woodland and the foliage
of the trees hung trembling beneath the magic glare that the flood of
fire cast upon them from the mouth of the enchanted cave.
"Both Arthur and Maud seemed enchanted too. They could have remained
upon the spot perfectly contented, for a long time, had not 'Aunt
Twaddles' broken the spell by calling them. Taking each by the hand, she
led them into the cavern.
"Instead of the rough, rude, unpolished walls of dark stone that the two
children had expected to find, they were surprised to see the beautiful
crystallized formations that hung everywhere from the roof of the
cavern. The whole place seemed to be one living blaze of light. The
floor was as smooth as a piece of glass and so polished that it might
have answered the purpose of a mirror.
"They stood gazing about the great cave for some time, when 'Aunt
Twaddles' hurried them on their journey, exclaiming:
"'Come, children, for we have far to go!'
"They walked rapidly on through the cavern for some distance, not
failing, however, to take time to explore its most interesting parts.
"It was not long before they came to a broad river that, with its swift
current, dashed through the great cave with mighty roar. 'Aunt
Twaddles,' realizing that in order to proceed upon their journey they
had to cross this stream in some manner, paused with the two children on
the shore. They stood at the edge of the water, gazing far out over the
tide and wondering what they were going to do, when, at a wave of
command from 'Aunt Twaddles,' a water sprite rose slowly from the tide
and in another instant stood bowing and scraping before them.
"He was a most curious-looking creature indeed; and, although bearing
little or no resemblance to the people of the earth, he was not at all
bad to look upon.
"His face beamed constantly with a broad smile, that spread his wide
mouth with its thin lips almost from ear to ear; while, in addition to a
good pair of arms, and hands with long, bony but webbed fingers, he had,
on either side of his shoulder blades, broad fins like a fish, which, no
doubt, he used in his progress through the water.
"His head ran up to a very sharp point on the top—not a bad feature at
all for diving, as it was sharp like a boat. His eyes, instead of
setting crosswise in his head, as the eyes of most everything do, set
straight up and down with an eyebrow running along on either side of his
nose, the sight of which caused little Arthur almost to laugh in his
face.
"As he thus stood smiling and bowing before them, 'Aunt Twaddles' turned
to the two children and said:
"'I left a boat here on this side of the river but this mischievous
creature has taken it away. We had him sent to this underground river
because one night he cut off the beautiful hair of a mermaid and made it
into a wig for himself. I wish you could have seen him when he appeared
the next day with his false golden locks and dark skin. He really looked
as ridiculous as some of those women who have yellow hair and black
eyebrows.'
"With that she made a movement of the hand and the sprite leaped
straight upward into the air, almost as high as the roof of the cavern;
then, turning a somersault in mid air, he landed head first in the water
with a splash and was gone.
"It was not long before a big boat came swiftly across the stream. No
one was in it, no one was pushing it, and no one was pulling it, so far
as anyone could see. It came rapidly on and landed with great care
directly in front of 'Aunt Twaddles' and the children, and without
visible aid, bore them swiftly across the stream and landed them safely
on the other side of the river, where they resumed their journey.
"As they walked slowly along under the glaring light, the children
beheld long rows of shelves covering one entire side of the cavern. When
Arthur inquired of 'Aunt Twaddles' what they might be, they paused for a
moment while she informed them that this great cavern was the Store
House for the seeds of all the flowers and fruits that grew in 'Beauty
Valley.'
"Although Arthur wanted to inquire further about 'Beauty Valley,' for he
had never heard its name mentioned before, his inquisitive nature was
silenced; for, scarcely had 'Aunt Twaddles' finished telling about the
wonderful places to be found in the enchanted cave, when they came to
its end and found themselves stopped by the presence of a great stone
door.
"For a moment, 'Aunt Twaddles' stood before this door, waving her fat
arms in a strange, frantic manner, as if she had entirely gone out of
her mind. In a low tone she uttered many strange words, which the
children did not understand; and you can imagine their surprise as they
beheld the stone door move quickly but silently to one side, and a flood
of golden sunlight sweep into the cave.
"They were now very anxious indeed to know what new wonder might lie
before them.
"As the stone door rolled away, the enchanted cavern again became dark
and the children wanted to hasten out into the sunshine at once; but the
voice and hand of 'Aunt Twaddles' caused them to stay their steps, as in
earnest tones she exclaimed:
"'Wait, darlings! We must wait until the Red Bird comes back with a
message before we dare step upon this sacred soil.'
"And before she had finished speaking, a beautiful Red Bird flew into
the mouth of the cavern and lighted upon 'Aunt Twaddles' shoulder. She
whispered some strange words into its ear and it darted rapidly away.
"And now while 'Aunt Twaddles' and the children are waiting the return
of the magical Red Bird in the mouth of the great cave, we will wait
here for a moment of rest while the boys bring some fresh water from the
well, for I know some of you are quite thirsty."
And the Vagabond, wiping the perspiration from his dusty brow, sank into
silence and began fanning himself with his tattered black hat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER V
THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
As the Vagabond ceased speaking, a murmur passed completely around the
party, and it was easily seen that the children were delighted with the
story so far as it had gone.
Three of the boys arose, and bidding their near-by companions hold their
places in the charmed circle, dashed away to the well for water. The
rest of the children closed in about the now smiling wanderer and sat
silently gazing upon him, thinking, no doubt, how fortunate they were in
having given him a drink of water when he first paused in the roadway.
By this time they were almost willing to give him the well itself if he
desired it.
The three boys hastened back with the water, and the Vagabond, having
passed it around to the children, dampened his brow with the remainder,
and wiping it dry on his coat sleeve, waited for the boys to be seated.
A robin came from far across the field and lighted in the top of the
tree under which they were seated, as if it, too, wanted to hear a part
of the story. Turning his eye for a second upon the red-breasted
songster, the Vagabond continued his tale.
"A little time soon passes away like the song of that robin above us;
and it was not long before the Red Bird returned with a noisy flutter of
its crimson wings, while the clang of deep-toned bells sounded within
the cavern. As the great stone door moved slowly into place, 'Aunt
Twaddles' and the children stepped from the mouth of the cave with a
merry bound into the sunlight.
"Before them lay a broad, beautiful, green valley, that, at a first
glance, seemed to be shut in by tall mountains on all sides; while in
the centre of a blue-grass lawn rose a village of tiny play-houses, each
as perfectly and as carefully built as the home of some boasted citizen
of wealth and fame.
"Each house was ornamented with a vine-covered porch and green window
shutters, while through the open windows and doorways floated a balmy,
midsummer atmosphere, laden with mingled perfume of wild honeysuckle,
orange blossoms and roses,—so charming that I, a poor vagabond, am at a
loss for suitable words to describe it.
"The village itself was laid out in wide, well-paved streets with a
great public square in the centre, where arose a most beautiful building
of white marble, ornamented here and there with figures of doll babies
carved from the solid stone.
"The streets stretched away from the public square in every direction
for considerably more than a mile and so charmed and bewildered were the
children by this unexpected sight that, for a long time, they stood
looking at it, fairly trembling with delight.
"From the side of a cliff that formed part of a mountain near where they
were standing, a great rock projected far over their heads like a rugged
shelf, to which a winding staircase of pure onyx gave easy access. A
golden throne stood far out on this rocky shelf from which all parts of
the village, as well as of the valley, could be seen with a sweeping
glance.
"Before the children had time to make any inquiry, 'Aunt Twaddles' took
them by their hands and led them up this glistening stairway to the
golden throne, where they stood looking about over the wonderful
surroundings.
"'Make yourselves at home,' said 'Aunt Twaddles,' as she sank back with
a sigh of relief into a golden chair; but when little Maud turned to
thank her politely, she found her little heart so full of gratitude and
joy she was unable to speak a single word.
"Down in the village of tiny play-houses, bright, happy-faced dolls were
playing upon the clean streets and out on the lawn of the public square;
while hundreds of dolls were streaming in and out of the beautiful
building around which lay the miniature village.
"They were laughing and talking, chatting and romping, until the air
fairly echoed with the sound of their merry voices. Many, separated from
the rest in groups, were playing all sorts of games; and so firmly were
the bright eyes of the children riveted upon the gamboling, playful
beauties that nothing seemed able to draw their attention away.
"Over the village hung an unclouded arch of bright, blue sky, while
scattered everywhere on the green lay toys and playthings of every known
kind that might either amuse or instruct the doll babies.
"Some dolls were busily engaged in running toy steam engines. Others
were spinning their tops on the streets of the village. Still others
were sending up crimson and yellow and blue balloons and watching them
pass out of sight or burst in mid-air.
"Off in a vacant place a number of boy dolls were flying their kites,
and others were playing baseball and tennis; while marbles in millions
lay scattered all over the ground. Little Arthur, eyeing them enviously,
turned to his sister and said:
"'Mercy! Wouldn't I like to have some of those beautiful toys down in
Harpers Ferry.'
"Maud's only reply to her delighted brother was a long-drawn sigh, on
the very breath of which she exclaimed:
"'Oh, Arthur! Look at the beautiful dolls!'
"For a long time the children watched the dolls as they romped upon the
clean streets and green playgrounds. Finally, little Maud looked up at
'Aunt Twaddles' and inquired with a serious air and softened voice:
"'Aunt Twaddles, is this Heaven?'
"A sudden smile spread over 'Aunt Twaddles'' big fat face. Leaning
forward toward the edge of the golden throne, she placed her head
between the two children, and pointing to the village with a clumsy,
awkward hand, she said:
"'This beautiful spot, my dear children, is the Village of Hide and
Seek. You might truthfully call it a heaven for the dolls, for they
never have any trouble or sorrow here.'
"Little Maud breathed a deep sigh as she turned again to her friend and
exclaimed in breathless surprise:
"'The Village of Hide and Seek! What a beautiful place! And I never
heard of it before!'
"She sank into silence when she saw a little doll bowing very politely,
as it introduced one little doll to another whom they happened to meet
on a side street of the village.
"The question asked by his little sister and so beautifully answered by
'Aunt Twaddles,' paved the way for Arthur to ask some questions himself.
Turning to 'Aunt Twaddles' he said:
"'Aunt Twaddles, what is that beautiful white building with the tower of
gold standing in the very centre of the public square? See! The dolls
are hurrying to it from every direction!'
"When the boy had finished speaking, 'Aunt Twaddles' took one sweeping
glance over the village and replied:
"'That fine building, my darlings, is the Temple of Music. When the
clock in its tower strikes twelve all the dolls will come out of the
Temple, and, gathering on the green about the band stand, they will all
begin to sing.'
"Arthur and Maud glanced away toward the clock that stood just beneath
the golden dome in the tower of the Temple of Music. It was five minutes
to the hour; yet the dolls were forsaking their playthings all over the
village and rapidly hastening to the Temple. In a moment more the
streets of the village were deserted.
"There lay their thousands of fine toys with no one to molest them.
There stood their play-houses with wide-open windows and doors and no
one to touch the fine furniture within; while beyond lay the broad,
green, but now idle playground.
"The hands of the clock in the tower closed slowly, one upon the other,
as if in loving embrace.
"One, two, three, came the sound of the chime in the belfry, and thus it
continued until the last stroke of twelve, when, from the wide-open
doors of the Temple of Music, the dolls filed out into the public square
and formed themselves in circling rows around the band stand.
"In glittering raiment of silver and gold lace, the Doll-Baby Brass-Band
of fully five hundred pieces appeared on the scene and took its place in
the band stand.
"A marshall, or music master, climbed to his place on a pedestal.
"There was a loud tap of his gold baton and the instruments went up to
the lips of the happy-faced players. Then came a firm wave of command;
and one grand, wild burst of sweet melody fell upon the ears of the
delighted children, so overcome by the sight and sound they had to lean
upon the side of the golden throne, as all the dolls in the village thus
began to sing:
"'Oh come to the Village of Hide and Seek,
For Little Boy Blue, and Little Bo-Peep,
With Hi-Diddle-Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle,
Are coming to visit us soon.
Old Mother Goose will be sweeping the sky,
And poor Simple Simon will bring us a pie;
While Little Jack Horner will milk on the corner
The Cow that Jumped over the Moon.
_Chorus._
"'We are glad that you came, so please tell us your name
And join us a while in our favorite game.
You should dwell in the Village of Hide and Seek,
For it's Saturday here every Day in the week,—
It is Saturday, Saturday all of the week.
"'Now Jack from his Bean Stalk will jump to the ground.
The Black Birds will leave the King's pie with a bound.
While Old Mother Hubbard will open her cupboard
And search it again for a bone.
The Dish will come back with the Spoon that it stole,
And Dickery Dock bring the mouse from its hole,
While we will go hunting for Bye Baby Bunting,
And bring her poor Daddy back home.
_Chorus._
"'Mary Contrary will pay us a call,
And fat Humpty Dumpty will tumble and fall,
While poor Jack and Jill, who fell down the hill,
Will gambol about on the green.
The Old Woman and children that lived in a Shoe,
With the Piper and Tom and the Pig, will come too—
And bring Mrs. Jack Sprat with a mouth full of fat,
And Jack with a mouth full of lean.'
_Chorus._
"The singing was over; and, as the last notes died on the air, the
children seemed to waken as if from a trance, for their eyes had been
riveted upon the singing dolls in one long, unbroken stare.
"'Such singing!' cried little Maud, as she turned toward her still dazed
brother.
"'Such a band!' he exclaimed, merrily clapping his hands as he glanced
from his sister to 'Aunt Twaddles;' while down in the Village of Hide
and Seek the dolls were filing back into the Temple of Music.
"'Look!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' as she pointed away toward the
village. 'The dolls are going back into the Temple to practise and the
streets of the village will now be deserted for at least an hour.'
"The happy children turned about just in time to see the last of the
great army of dolls as they entered the doors of the Temple. All now
throughout the village lay quiet and still.
"Off in the far end of the valley flowed a golden stream. It was quite
wide indeed and its current, as yellow as any gold that was ever made
into a finger ring, rippled at a surprisingly rapid rate.
"The banks on this side were clear of bushes and nothing grew to hide
any of the swift-flowing river from view. On the opposite side, and
close to the edge of the tide, arose tall buildings surrounded by huge
piles of well-seasoned lumber, from which came a buzzing sound as if
this might be a factory of some kind.
"Farther down on the edge of the stream stood several long sheds filled
with bolts of silk and ribbon, satins and laces in great piles without
number; while standing well up in the sky and high over all, as if
suspended from the arched heavens above, hung a tall, golden sign with
shining letters that glistened in the dazzling sun light.
"For a long time the strange sign greatly puzzled the children, for the
letters seemed to be put up backward and failed to spell anything in
particular; while through the open spaces between them they could just
see the outlines of a herd of reindeer feeding afar in a field of
spotless snow.
"Arthur's inquisitive nature could permit no such puzzle to remain long
unsolved, and turning to 'Aunt Twaddles' he excitedly asked:
"'Aunt Twaddles, what are those tall buildings with the strange sign
over them?'
"'Aunt Twaddles' looked up with a smile and almost shouted with a merry
laugh, 'Strange sign?' But as she glanced in the direction of the golden
stream, she burst forth in an astonished, serious tone and said:
"'Mercy upon us! The wind has turned the sign completely around.'
"She touched a small pearl button inlaid in the arm of her golden chair,
and all at once a gentle breeze swept down the valley, rustling the
leaves and tilting the tops of the trees that stood in its way. Slowly
the great sign turned upon its centre with a loud, squeaking sound.
"Again 'Aunt Twaddles' touched the pearl button. The breeze ceased
blowing; the leaves became silent. Both Arthur and Maud nearly fainted;
for now before their very eyes they read in large letters of pure,
burnished gold.
"'WORK SHOPS AND FACTORIES OF SANTA CLAUS. Established A. D. 1.'
"No wonder that piles of seasoned lumber towered sky high! No wonder
great sheds filled with silk lined the bank of the stream!
"There, surely enough, were his reindeer feeding far off in the
snow-fields; and as the ever good-natured Santa Claus himself appeared
on the roof of his factory and waved them a hearty welcome, the
children, awed by the sight of this great man, sank into the stout arms
of 'Aunt Twaddles' in a spasm of silent joy.
"'Well!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles' after a time. 'I am so glad you saw
Santa, for he seldom allows even the dolls to see him except about
Christmas time; and now if you will be patient for a moment, we shall
see what this button will bring forth.'
"She touched a blue button inlaid among many in the arm of her golden
chair.
"Instantly, far off in the mountain, the children heard singing. Not the
sweet singing of childish voices that had come from the multitude of
dolls in the village, but a wild, musical chant that seemed to set the
very air in motion and to waken a thrill in their hearts such as they
had never known before.
"Closer and closer it came until the merry voices could be heard quite
plainly. Nearer and nearer, until the words fell upon their delighted
ears, as if spoken by someone upon the very throne at their side.
"All the dolls came pouring out of the Temple of Music through every
door of the building, and forming themselves into line behind a
soldierly looking little leader, they separated into companies and
regiments and commenced a marching drill, as thus the voices sang:
"'The Ice Cream is so delicious,
And the Cake so soft and fine.
Come on, Brownies, bring the dishes,
And Doll Babies fall in line;
Tell the boy dolls and the ladies
To give every tot a spoon,
And put bibs upon the babies,
For we're coming with it soon.
'Down the hill, down the hill,
Not at all like Jack and Jill,
For the cream we never spill,
While our voices loud and shrill
Echo back from hill to hill.'
"Louder and louder came the chant from the mountain; when lo! as they
gazed in the direction of the music, they were surprised to behold dwarf
after dwarf marching down the mountain-side, each singing with all his
might.
"At some distance behind them, scurrying helter skelter and pell mell,
were a group of acrobatic brownies, turning somersaults and handsprings,
flip flaps and cart wheels. Some were sliding down the steep on one ear,
while others paused for a moment to stand straight up in the air on the
tips of their noses. Some were walking along on their hands; but all
moved with merry, joyous shout onward toward the village, juggling their
dishes in the air as they came.
"The voices of the singers were in perfect unison, from the little
pot-bellied brownie in the rear, who sang bass, to the flat-faced pygmy
in the centre, whose high tenor notes echoed and re-echoed among the
surrounding mountains. Thus gaily they came onward, while 'Aunt
Twaddles' and the children stood watching them from the throne.
"Down in the Village of Hide and Seek all now was silent. The
Doll-General had scattered his forces and marched them away in a quiet,
orderly manner to long tables methodically grouped on the lawn. All the
dolls seemed to be listening to the sweet music.
"Louder and louder came the song from the band of musical midgets. As
they drew nearer, Arthur and Maud noticed that each dwarf carried a
large tray before him and that the trays were loaded with good things to
eat, piled so high that a strong wide strap encircled the neck of each
dwarf and helped support the tray at its sides.
"Down the line the army of tumbling pygmies came whirling along, each
bearing a tower of snow-white china dishes; and, strange as it may seem,
not a dish was broken in the rocky journey.
"The dwarfs were not long in spreading their fine feast before the
dolls. They had scarcely begun to pass around the cake when two
sturdy-looking dwarfs staggered up the onyx steps of the throne, bearing
two heavily laden trays.
"They were followed by four funny-faced little brownies who spread a
table before the children, and, winking and blinking and smiling, went
merrily about their work.
"When the table was all prepared, the dwarfs placed before each of the
children a big turkey-dish piled two feet high with vanilla, strawberry
and chocolate ice cream. The four brownies then stepped between them and
sat down a wash tub filled with rich chocolate layer cake. Then, with a
wild shout of hilarious joy, they slid head first down the golden
balustrade and landed upon the grass, turning somersault after
somersault as they rolled along on the velvety lawn.
"And such ice cream it was! You could fairly see the rich, yellow cream
oozing out of it. Little Maud declared, as she looked at her brother
with a delighted smile, that it surely must have been sweetened with
honey.
"'My!' she exclaimed, as she tasted it again and again, 'What glorious
cream! I could die eating it, but we must save some to take home.' And
she tasted it again, with a loud smack of her pretty lips.
"'Aunt Twaddles' leaned far back in her golden chair and, seeming to
have overheard little Maud, she straightened up as she exclaimed:
"'Eat plenty of it, my darling! Eat plenty of it! For I have a whole
valley full lying over between the mountains.'
"Instantly the children, startled at the very thought, looked up from
their delightful repast.
"'A whole valley full!' exclaimed Arthur, but he could say no more, for
he had to stop eating to think about it.
"He picked up a piece of cake and tasted it.
"'Oh, Maud,' he cried, 'try some quick! Just try some! This is the
grandest cake you ever ate.' And as the children were feasting upon the
cake, Arthur added in a half-whisper, glancing down at the wash tub
piled full:
"'But we must not eat it all, Maud, we must save some to take home.'
"'Eat plenty, my darlings, eat plenty!' came from the lips of 'Aunt
Twaddles.' 'I have a tall mountain of it standing just across the valley
before you.'
"The excited children again looked up from their feast and there, sure
enough, just across the green valley and standing directly in front of
them, towered a tall golden-colored mountain, that reached almost to the
sky.
"And to think that it was all cake!
"The children were so surprised they could make no reply. Between every
mouthful they raised their sparkling eyes to look at Cake Mountain; and,
as there seemed to be no need of saving any of the cake or ice cream,
they started in to do full justice to their repast, for they were truly
hungry after the long journey from Harpers Ferry to the village of Hide
and Seek.
"And now while little Arthur and Maud are enjoying themselves, and
swallowing great spoonfuls of delicious ice cream, we will pause in the
story for a moment while some of you swallow another drink of that nice
cool water, if the boys will kindly bring it to us from the well."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER VI
THE QUEEN OF THE DOLLS
The hot sun was now standing directly over the tops of the trees, and,
as the moving shade had left the Vagabond with a part of his circle of
children out in its broiling rays, he was glad indeed to pause with his
story while they all rose at his request and formed a new circle farther
in under the sheltering branches. Four of the boys leaped from the
ground and scampered away to bring the water as the Vagabond had
requested.
When the new circle was formed, one of the little girls,—a sweet-faced
darling of not more than five years, pushed herself away from the
others, and with a feeling of pride, took a seat by the side of the
Vagabond, where she sat looking into his face quite anxious for him to
go on with his story.
The boys were not slow in returning from the well; and in order to
assure themselves that the water would reach the parched lips of their
companions fresh and cool, they had unbound the old oaken bucket from
the well pole and were bearing it along, dripping full, between them.
The water soon arrived, and by order of the Vagabond it was passed
around, he not even forgetting to first wait upon the little lady who,
so honored, sat proudly by his side. When they were all comfortably
seated in the shade at last, it was thus he continued his interesting
tale:
"After the two children had eaten all they possibly could, just as many
of you drank all the water you possibly could, the dwarfs and brownies
came hurrying up the stairs and were not long in removing the dishes and
table. The brownies, in a most winning manner, insisted upon their
eating more, for there was enough left to feed a dozen hungry children,
but they were forced to reluctantly decline.
"The sun-tanned brownie, who removed the dishes from in front of Maud,
looked too funny for anything with his long-peaked cap set aslant on his
little round head and roguishly pushed over to one side. On his face
appeared a broad grin as he took the dishes under his arm, and gazing
intently toward little Maud, said in a shy, half-whisper though
sufficiently loud for her to hear: "Pretty girl!"
"Then without waiting a reply, he made one wild, hilarious plunge,
dishes and all, down the balustrade. Nor did he stop when he struck the
ground, but hurried away toward the mountain, halting only for a second
when half way up its steep side to wave her an affectionate adieu with
his funny round cap. Thus waving he passed from sight under the
sheltering trees that grew along the mountain way, while the children
turned to view other parts of the beautiful valley.
"'What broad, golden stream is that, Aunt Twaddles?' inquired little
Arthur, as he pointed toward the Work Shops of Santa Claus.
"'Aunt Twaddles' glanced up as he spoke and looking in the direction of
the golden stream, she replied.
"'That, my darlings, is Taffy River.'
"'Taffy River!' exclaimed the children in one breath. Then Arthur, in an
excited tone, continued: 'You don't mean to tell us, Aunt Twaddles, that
taffy flows in a river like that!'
"The children stood anxiously awaiting her reply.
"'Yes, darlings! Oh, yes!' she replied. 'Taffy River gets its start up
at Honey Springs in the lower end of Ice Cream Valley and flows, as you
see, down between Ginger Bread Hills and Cake Mountain, then on past the
Work Shops of Santa Claus and empties into Lake Fudge, over beyond the
Pop-Corn Fields where you see the reindeer.'
"Arthur was so bewildered he did not know what to say; while little Maud
stood with her mouth open in such a manner that she was quite amusing to
look upon. Suddenly she exclaimed:
"'Mercy, Aunt Twaddles! Is that white field pop corn? Why I thought it
was snow!'
"'No! no! my children!' smilingly exclaimed the good lady. 'That field
is all pop corn. You see,' she continued, 'we never have either rain or
snow here. Not a particle of water is ever permitted to fall in this
enchanted valley, not even a drop of dew; for if it should, though it
was only a tear, something dreadful would surely happen. This is not our
will, but the will of Heaven; and if you watch, you will see for
yourselves.'
"'Aunt Twaddles' touched another button in the arm of her golden chair
and gazed calmly over the valley.
"While they were waiting for something unusual to happen, little Maud
roused from a spell of deep thought and inquired:
"'Aunt Twaddles, does any of Taffy River ever empty into the
Shenandoah?' And her eyes sparkled at the thought.
"'Ah, no, darling,' replied the generous old woman with a knowing smile.
'When the children of the earth are good, Santa Claus takes most of it
on his journey at Christmas time; but when they are naughty it overflows
Lake Fudge and is wasted among the surrounding hills.'
"'Aunt Twaddles' seemed somewhat impatient and again pressing the button
with a firm hand, the children were greatly surprised to behold a heavy,
dark cloud rising in the west. Leaping upward it came flying angrily
over the summit of Ginger Bread Hills; then dashing furiously against
the tall sides of Cake Mountain it rolled upward with the sound of deep,
muttering thunder and spread over the entire sky.
"The wind came howling bitterly down the beautiful valley with a sudden
dash and roar, and again turned the sign above the factory of Santa
Claus out of reasonable position.
"Strong trees bent low before the breath of the on-coming storm, while
the entire end of Beauty Valley grew suddenly dark. All the dolls of the
village hastened into their play-houses as fast as their little legs
could carry them. Santa Claus came out of his factory and, arching his
eyebrows with the palms of his wide-open hands, cast a sweeping glance
over the threatening sky and then disappeared within.
"The doors throughout this great factory were suddenly closed. Windows
came down with a bang. Louder and louder the shrill wind howled with a
wintry wail and in a few moments a blinding snowstorm of pop corn buried
the distant field in a spotless coverlet of white.
"'Aunt Twaddles' touched another button in the arm of her chair.
Suddenly the clouds melted away into a veil of thin mist and again the
sun poured down its wealth of golden glory.
"Up went the windows in the factory of Santa Claus. The dolls rushed out
of their play-houses and danced once more upon the green, while a mighty
host of brownies rushed from the factories into the field and began to
gather basket after basket of pop corn to be made into pop-corn balls on
the banks of Taffy River.
"'Aunt Twaddles' sat back in her chair, smiling silently, for she had
watched the expressions upon the faces of the children during the
wonderful storm.
"The scene was indeed most marvelous and it was a long time before
either of the children ventured to say a word, for the wonderful
workings of nature, all under control of the little, shining buttons,
mystified them beyond utterance.
"Suddenly they beheld a little brownie hurrying from the factory toward
the throne. 'Aunt Twaddles' arose when she saw him coming.
"'Here comes a messenger,' she said, 'and something must be wrong.'
"In another second he bounded up the onyx steps and soon afterward stood
tremblingly before them.
"'What is it, Spit?' inquired 'Aunt Twaddles' as she gazed down upon
him.
"'Spit,' for that was the name of the brownie, looked up into her face
as he stood awed by her presence.
"'Twaddles!' he exclaimed, 'during the storm the lightning struck a
wooden doll in the village and hurt it mighty badly.'
"As this sad bit of news fell on the ears of 'Aunt Twaddles,' she
dismissed the brownie with a wave of her hand and sank back in her
chair, and the children could see that she was much distressed.
"'Come! come!' she said to herself at last, 'we must not grieve so much
over accidents, for they are often the will of Heaven.'
"She arose and greeted the children with a glad smile.
"'Aunt Twaddles,' inquired Arthur, 'does Santa Claus always live here?'
"Instantly, 'Aunt Twaddles' stepped back from the children and paused.
She stood near the steps of the golden throne, her hand resting upon the
white polished onyx post that ornamented the end of the beautiful
balustrade, and turning to them, she said:
"'Yes, children, Santa Claus always lives here and I am his sister.'
"As she spoke the last word, a magical change came over her entire
features.
"Instead of the fat, flabby, emotionless countenance the children had
long known and loved, each careworn line withered instantly away, and in
place came the bloom and smile of eternal youth and beauty; while the
ungainly and ponderous weight that had so encumbered her journeys,
disappeared all in a moment, until she now looked more like a beautiful
fairy than the dear, good 'Aunt Twaddles' of old.
"All the odd, ill-fitting garments, with the long, heavy skirt to which
they had so firmly clung for their lives while climbing the face of the
cliff, were changed before their very eyes into raiments of rich lace
and gold; and she stood before them in her true character, no longer
'Aunt Twaddles,' the herb woman, but the fairy sister of Santa Claus,
more lovely by far than any doll they had ever beheld.
"'You see me now, darlings, as no mortal eye has ever beheld me. Amid
the common walks of life, when gathering wintergreen, spices, and herbs
on the mountain, with which to flavor the candy for Santa Claus, I am
awkward and ugly, fat, and ungainly, and I care not; for the rarest of
womanly beauty on earth lies not in the looks, but the heart. But here,
in this haven of blissful repose, you now behold me as I truly am;—not
Aunt Twaddles, the herb woman, but _Twaddles, the Queen of the Dolls_,
and the ruler who reigns over the Village of Hide and Seek.'
Illustration: _"All the odd, ill-fitting garments were changed into
raiments of gold."_
"Awed beyond measure and wrapt in admiring silence, the poor children
stood trembling in the presence of the queen. Nor could they reconcile
themselves to the sudden change, for 'Aunt Twaddles,' the herb woman,
had always been so good and kind to them.
"Little Maud suddenly sank to her knees on the throne, and cried aloud
in a pitiful voice:
"'Oh, dear queen, how beautiful you are! But please be your dear self
again, for I love the Aunt Twaddles who has always been so good to me.'
"Before she could finish her heart-rending plea, the beautiful Doll
Queen folded her to her bosom and covered the face of the child with
sweet, motherly caresses.
"'Come! come!' she said softly, at last. 'We will make a tour of Beauty
Valley, or, as the dolls of the village all love to call it, 'The Land
of Santa Claus.' And she unclasped Maud from her arms.
"The Queen touched a bell on a silver stand and at the faint sound a
beautiful white-winged dove, with a pale blue ribbon about its snowy
neck, came flying from a near-by olive tree and lit upon the edge of the
throne before them.
"The children, much interested in the unusual sight, drew back toward
the opposite side of the throne as if fearing they might frighten the
bird away; but the Queen, smiling so sweetly that they felt like falling
to their knees and worshipping her, turned to them as she exclaimed:
"'Have no fear, my darlings, for you cannot frighten it away. This bird
is my private messenger that always finds Kimbo when I want him.'
"The Queen waved her hands with a graceful, easy motion, and the dove
rose in the air on its snowy wings. Three times it circled above the
throne, and then took its course toward the buildings of Santa Claus and
passed out of sight. The Queen stepped lightly beside them and said:
"'Let us wait now, my darlings, for the arrival of Kimbo.'
"And now while we leave the beautiful Queen standing with the children
upon the golden throne and waiting for Kimbo, whoever he is, I will wait
here by the side of this little queen, seated upon God's Throne, the
green grass, until some of the boys bring us more water; for the day is
sultry and warm and Miss Lady, so sweet at my side, must be kept like a
fresh cut flower, shaded and cool."
The Vagabond ceased with that part of his story.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER VII
"KIMBO, THE GIANT"
"The Queen of the Dolls!" cried all the children with delight.
"My, how I should like to meet her!" exclaimed one flaxen-haired little
maiden, who formed a part of the circle.
The little girl beside the Vagabond declared she would have her mamma
write to the Queen that night and ask Santa Claus to take the letter to
her the next time he came around.
There was a loud outburst of merry laughter that was joined in by His
Highness the Vagabond himself.
The mirth soon subsided, and before they had hardly time to engage in
much general talk about the "Queen of the Dolls," five of the boys came
hurrying from the well, bearing the old oaken bucket, dripping and cool.
When the general thirst was quenched, the Vagabond cast a smile upon the
upturned face of his sweet little friend, who so honored his side by her
presence, as he thus went on with his tale.
"The white-winged dove had scarcely passed out of sight before the two
children beheld a strange object moving up and down along the distant
horizon; and so rapid was its approach that it was not long before they
could distinguish the outlines of a gigantic personage.
"He seemed to be leaping over great fields, fully a mile at a stride, in
his frantic effort to get to the throne. Turning to watch the
approaching figure, the Queen cried aloud:
"'Oh, children, look quickly! Kimbo the Giant is coming with all his
might!'
Illustration: _"He seemed to be leaping over great fields fully a mile
at a stride."_
"And before the amazed children could say a word, the wondrous Kimbo
cleared the factories of Santa Claus and Taffy River with a mighty
bound, and in another instant stood before them.
"The giant was so tall that his ponderous chin was level with the floor
of the golden throne; and you can well imagine their surprise, not a
little of which was tinged with fear, when they saw his massive
features.
"The children sank back in affright; but when the Queen assured them
that the Giant was as kind as any doll down in the village, they
ventured to turn with a shudder and look into his partly opened mouth.
It appeared to them like a hole in the mountain near Harpers Ferry where
the people once dug out coal.
"As he uttered a few words of respect to the Queen, accompanied with a
low bow, the sound which came from his partly opened lips was like the
deep, growling rumble of distant thunder and shook the very throne on
which they were standing.
"His eyes were larger than saucers; and the great veins in his glaring
eye-balls seemed like blood-red cords swollen and ready to burst. His
ears, each ornamented with an earring as big as a wagon-tire, were as
long as Maud's little arm; and never a pumpkin grew longer or larger
than Kimbo's great nose.
"His neck was as thick as the trunk of the largest tree that grew down
by the Shenandoah River, and just about as wrinkled and rough as its
bark; while his broad shoulders were far wider than the entire throne of
the Queen.
"His eyebrows resembled great patches of grass more than eyebrows, and
his massive jaws, supporting a wrinkled chin, looked as if they might
take a bite out of the very rock in the side of the mountain and not
mind it in the least.
"On the top of his head he wore a peculiar kind of rig intended no doubt
for a hat, which was bound firmly in place by strands of his coarse
black hair, as thick and perhaps as strong as a hawser. On closer
inspection, however, this hat proved to be a kind of settee, for its
entire side was an upholstered seat with strong arms and deep cushions.
"The Queen stepped toward the edge of the throne and invited the
children for a ride on the Giant's head.
"As they were all ready to get aboard, the Giant lowered his head until
the settee was level with the floor of the throne and they were not
tardy in getting comfortably seated. In another moment they were off on
the journey.
"They started away at such a rapid pace that the children could hardly
breathe; so the Queen cautioned the Giant to go more slowly, and he
slackened his pace to the speed of a railroad train. The Queen informed
them that he was then only walking, and that they need not be alarmed in
the least as the Giant was sure-footed and would not stumble or fall.
"Onward they went like the wind, past the foot of Cake Mountain with its
towering sides and dome of rich, brown crusted cake; on up through the
Ice Cream Valley, where, with a mighty roar, the Honey Springs gushed
from the ground. Thence over the Ginger Bread Hills and past field after
field filled with pie plants, in which an army of brownies were
gathering hot pies and sprinkling them with sugar.
"They passed through great groves of cocoanut trees from the tops of
which shouting bands of wild monkeys threw cocoanut shells after them;
thence through vineyards of ripening grapes and orchards of oranges and
lemons, and arrived at last at the border of a most beautiful lake that,
with its wild, wonderful surroundings, presented the grandest scene they
had ever beheld.
"The great Kimbo backed cautiously up to a towering rock, one side of
which presented a straight cliff toward the lake; and when they had
stepped from their high perch on the Giant's head to the smooth level
top of the great rock, the Queen bade them pause for a moment to look
about over the beautiful scene that now lay beneath and before them.
"Stretching away in the distance, almost as far as the eye could see,
lay a marvellous lake that, in its fitful, frolicsome mood, resembled
some rolling sea of crimson and gold and piled its great billows,
glistening in the sunlight, with a resounding crash upon the pebbly
shore.
"Far off to the right, and many thousands of feet higher than the rock
on which they were standing, a stream came tumbling down from the crown
of a tall mountain, and churning its waters into endless foam, fell into
a deep and distant valley.
"Pointing away with her pretty hand, the Queen said to the children:
"'Behold, darlings, the famous Butter-milk Falls of which you have heard
so much! The stream, as you see, does not enter into this lake, but
falls from the top of Cheese Mountain and then wanders away through a
sandy valley where it sinks into the ground.'
"For a moment the children gazed upon it; then Arthur exclaimed with
some satisfaction:
"I'm glad it doesn't empty here for I never did like butter-milk.'
"The Queen and the children laughed heartily at the very thought.
"As they stood laughing upon the rock, they beheld at no great distance
a wild, noisy cataract, where a beautiful, wide, golden stream leaped
from a high rock, and whirling its never-ceasing torrent into endless
eddies of a thousand different dyes, plunged into the lake that lay
before them.
"'Look, Maud!' exclaimed Arthur. 'Look! Look! The beautiful falls!'
"The children asked of the Queen its name and she replied:
"'That, my darlings, is the end of Taffy River and those are the Stick
Candy Falls. Here Taffy River pours its delicious stream over the rocks
into Lake Fudge that you see lying before you. Now,' she continued, 'we
will walk over and inspect Stick Candy Falls, after which we will return
to this rock, for I consider this the finest viewpoint anywhere along
the shore of the lake.'
"The Queen did not have to assist the children in their descent from the
rock. With a merry bound they ran down the path ahead of her, delighted
with the prospect of visiting the Falls which appeared so beautiful.
"Around them on all sides, grew sweet-scented flowers that, at any other
time, might have caused the children to stay their steps, for they were
fond of wild flowers indeed; but on this particular occasion all the
blossoms of the woodland would not have tempted them, for the sound of
the roaring cataract grew louder and louder as they drew near.
"The path descended into a little glen, the rocky sides of which hid the
cataract from view; and the children stopped to look back upon the spot
from which they had just come. There towered the tall rock with its one
steep side facing the lake. The great Giant, Kimbo, sat on the ground at
its base leaning against the cliff, his head drooped heavily forward
almost between his drawn up knees.
Illustration: _"The children stopped to look back upon the spot from
which they had just come."_
"As they drew near to where the angry river made its desperate leap, the
children were frightened, for the wind caused by the cataract came
roaring about their ears, bearing mist and spray that for a time almost
blinded them. They passed around this danger point and came to a more
sheltered spot, where they paused to view the falls.
"As they stood there they noticed that a path led far in behind the
falling stream, and that the ledge over which this wonder of nature
poured its wealth of golden beauty was a peculiar rock crystal, quite
similar to that which ornamented the beautiful glen through which they
had passed before entering the Enchanted Cave.
"Arthur's inquisitive nature was awake and ready. He proceeded to test
the tall ledge with the blade of his pen knife, when, as he placed a
shattered bit of the rock to his lips, he shouted aloud to his sister:
"'Oh, Maudie, this ledge of rock is Rock Candy!' Then placing the
remaining piece in his mouth, he rushed into the arms of the Queen to
tell her of his surprising discovery.
"Long formations of varying sizes and color were hanging everywhere; and
the children understood at a glance that this was the place where Santa
Claus gets all the stick candy with which he is so generous at Christmas
time. The sticks hung wherever a crevice or crack appeared in the ledge,
and no sooner was one broken off than another began to form in its place
at once.
"As they stepped forward to get a better view behind the falling
torrent, they could see dozens of busy brownies breaking off the sticks
and carefully packing them in long paper boxes, which others were
carrying to the store house that stood on the towering brink above.
"The Queen led them beyond the group of busy workers, when, looking up
at the ledge over which the cataract hung like a graceful veil, they saw
the following lines carved deep in the rock far above their heads. They
paused and with some difficulty, read these lines.
"'Sweet Taffy River, with its eddies wild,
Comes dancing onward like a playful child,
Till from this towering ledge, with face aglow,
It bounds, delighted, to Lake Fudge below.'
"They returned then to the high rock, and the children were surprised to
see a great army of dolls moving rapidly toward the lake. The dolls were
romping and chatting as they hurried along, but all seemed to have the
same purpose in view for they were headed toward a certain point on the
shore.
"Both Arthur and Maud were nearly crazy to join them, but the Queen
wanted to go up on the high rock again, and, as the will of the Queen
was the law of the land, up the high rock they went.
"They paused for a moment to look down on the great Kimbo, and laughed
merrily when they saw he was still fast asleep.
"'Don't disturb him,' said the Queen in a low tone, as she assisted the
children up the path to the top of the rock.
"Shout after shout arose from the crowd of dolls gathered upon the
shore; and as their merry voices shook the air and resounded far over
the lake, Maud inquired of the Queen the cause of their presence and the
unusual tumult they were raising.
"The Queen was standing still, looking far over the lake. It was some
moments before she replied, for the commotion seemed somewhat unusual.
Glancing toward Maud, she said, sweetly:
"'These, darlings, are all the dolls from the Village of Hide and Seek.
They have come down to the shore and are anxiously waiting to be taken
over in their ferry-boat to the Island of Dreams that lies in the centre
of this beautiful lake.'
"Pointing toward the location of the strange island, she continued:
"'Wait a few moments and you will see!' she said, casting another hasty
glance far over the tide.
"The children peered in the direction toward which the Queen pointed,
and beheld far in the distance the dim outlines of an island low down on
the very edge of the horizon. As they stood there they felt a drowsy
sensation creep over them and, like the great Kimbo, they too would have
fallen asleep had it not been for the sudden appearance of a
strange-looking boat that was coming rapidly across the foam toward the
shore.
"As it drew into plain view the tumult of the dolls on the strand
ceased. The children noticed, to their great amazement, that twelve
dolphins were swimming in tandem through the tide and drawing the barque
after them; while astride the back of each dolphin sat a beautiful
mermaid to guide their course through the foam. With much skill as well
as grace, they swang their magnificent craft to a carefully selected
landing on the shore of the lake, while all the dolls scampered
clamorously aboard, and the boat was soon away on its journey.
"Little Maud danced up and down on the big rock in a perfect spasm of
delight, at the same time exclaiming as loud as she could:
"'Oh, Queen, can't we go, too? Can't we go, too?'
"Little Arthur looked up at the Queen disappointed when he saw that the
barque was leaving the shore without taking them along.
"'Well, darlings,' said the Queen, 'if you wish, you too may go to the
Island of Dreams.'
"She looked down upon them with a sweet, winning smile.
"Nothing in the world could have pleased them so well, for they hoped to
meet all the dolls from the village over there. The Queen blew a little
gold whistle that hung from a chain about her neck, and the massive head
of the great Kimbo instantly appeared above the level of the rock, and
he stood rubbing his sleepy eyes with the back of his hand, that seemed
larger than the prize ham of a county fair.
"'Kimbo, my boy,' said the Queen, 'tell the mermaids to send a boat for
us.'
"Then she turned to watch the doll boat that was fast disappearing in
the distance.
"A broad smile swept over the Giant's good-natured face. He stamped his
great foot on the ground, and woe to the rocks that were beneath it. The
drowsiness left his leg, that, like himself, had fallen asleep, and as
his foot came down with a mighty bang the earth all around the big rock
trembled as if from an earthquake.
"Glancing into the faces of the children, he winked his big, sleepy eye
with a sound like the clapping of hands that caused both of the children
to laugh in his face. Then he turned slowly about and repeated the
Queen's request in thunderous tones.
"There was an instant pause of the dolphins in the distance; then a
bright gleam of sunlight flashed from their tails as they lifted them
from the lake in sportive glee. The shrill voice of an answering mermaid
came from far over the waves; then they continued their journey and were
soon lost to sight.
"The Queen turned to the children with a bright smile upon her pretty
face and, giving each of them a sweet kiss, she said softly:
"'It won't take them long, dear ones. It won't take them long. We shall
have to wait but a few moments.'
"So now, while the beautiful Queen with the children are waiting on top
of the rock for a boat to come for them, we will wait here under this
tree for a fresh drink of water, that the dear ones gathered about me
may keep comfortable and cool."
The Vagabond cast a smile over the excited and anxious faces in the
circle, as he brushed the sweat from his brow and ceased speaking.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER VIII
THE ISLAND OF DREAMS
"I wonder if my papa knows Kimbo, the Giant?" exclaimed the little one
who was seated at the Vagabond's side. "He knows everybody. He knows
Santa Claus, and Rip Van Winkle; and I heard him say that he once ate
dinner with Jack the Giant Killer."
She paused and with a sweet smile looked up into the Vagabond's face.
"Your father must be quite a traveller himself!" he exclaimed in reply;
to which the little girl quickly responded:
"He is."
Then she pushed herself over and without invitation climbed on to the
Vagabond's knee, which he carefully brushed with his old hat to receive
her.
The merry group gathered closer and closer, and the circle gradually
became smaller and smaller until now it was an all around squeeze; when
one of the little girls somewhat relieved the crowded condition by
pushing herself out from the rest and taking the place at the Vagabond's
side that had just been vacated by the little maiden for the preferable
seat on his knee. Half a dozen of the boys arose, took up the old oaken
bucket and hurried away to the well.
All the children were in great haste for the story to continue, and it
did not take long for the boys to return with the water. The sun was
shining down red hot, although it was quite comfortable under the tree;
and after the water had been passed around the circle and the faithful
water carriers were seated in their respective places, the Vagabond went
on with his story.
"In much less time than it has taken to refresh ourselves here under the
tree, the two children beheld a beautiful barque bearing rapidly down
upon them from far across the foam; and, as it approached, they noticed
it was drawn by a pair of blue dolphins, guided by two mermaids who far
exceeded in beauty any that accompanied the craft of the dolls.
"The Queen summoned Kimbo, and by the time he had lifted them down from
the top of the tall rock, and they had dismounted from his hand upon the
shore, the boat was ready to receive them.
"The Queen assisted the children on board, and they proceeded to examine
the boat. Arthur said he had never beheld a real mermaid before, while
little Maud declared that the closest she had ever been to one was in a
picture-book. They kept their eyes turning from one mermaid to the other
as the Queen said, by way of explanation:
"'You will notice that one of the mermaids has beautiful, long, golden
hair that you might liken to sunlight, while that of the other is as
black and glossy as the wing of a raven. Now, you see, it is no trouble
to tell them apart, although it is a matter of mere taste as to which is
the more beautiful. This one,' she continued, 'we call Day, and that one
Night.'
"Day and Night gathered up their long golden reins as if ready to start,
and the dolphins rolled impatiently in the tide.
"A word of command came from the lips of each mermaid, then a wild,
spasmodic splash of the dolphins' tails, followed by a quick, forward
motion of the boat, and they were away on their journey.
"They sped rapidly along, and the children could not help marvelling, as
they sank into the soft-cushioned seats of the boat. Seeming to notice
their appreciation of its beauty, the Queen said:
"'This barque, my darlings, though not nearly so large as the one on
which the dolls from the village embarked, is much more swift, and is
never used by anyone except myself and Santa Claus.'
"While she was speaking, the Island of Dreams came into full view. The
ride was simply delightful. The dolphins lunged forward at such a rapid
pace that a cool, soft breeze sprang up and fanned them. As they
journeyed rapidly toward the island, they glanced up occasionally to
admire its charming outlines.
"The entire shore of the island seemed lined with tall, weeping willow
trees, the long arms of which, with longer tendrils, hung everywhere far
down to the ground, as if they, too, had partaken of the drowsy
influence of the place and were half asleep. Not a breath of air stirred
across the broad island to disturb their slumbering repose.
"As they drew near the shore, the children noticed that the surface of
the lake was covered with broad leaves of water-lilies, that grew upward
from deep down in the tide and held their yellow and white blossoms
aloft to be admired. These water-lilies were so plentiful, that the
dolphins had some difficulty in working the boat through them to the
shore.
"Arthur and his sister sat very still. They were watching the graceful
motions of the two laboring dolphins, when suddenly the very Heavens
seemed to open far above them, and a bright light overspread the entire
surface of the lake. Instantly the dolphins ceased from their labor. The
sound of rushing wings seemed to come from high in the air; and, looking
upward, they were amazed to behold the open sky filled with sweet-voiced
angels, who, as they came down from Heaven on fluttering pinions, sang
to the delighted children the following song of welcome.
Illustration: _"Looking upward they were amazed to behold the open sky
filled with sweet-voiced angels."_
THE ISLAND OF DREAMS.
"'In the midst of a lake that is crimson and gold,
Lies the magical Island of Dreams,
Where the flowers of fancy forever unfold,
And the sunlight of happiness gleams.
And no poor little girl, or no poor little boy
Need dread least some sorrow befall,
For the angels are near, when you're visiting here
And God fashioned this island for all.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
God fashioned this island for all.
"'On the isle in the lake that is crimson and gold,
You forget every sorrow and care,
And wander about amid beauties untold,
As free as a breath of the air;
And no lord of estate puts a lock on the gate,
To deny you its fanciful scenes,
For the angels of God guard the ever-green sod
Of the beautiful Island of Dreams.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
Guard the ever-green Island of Dreams.
"'When you visit the lake that is crimson and gold,
Bring poverty's tatters along.
Little care if your garments are ragged and old,
For your soul shall be clothed in a song.
Though a hovel alone, you may claim as a home,
Where the sunshine of life never gleams,
You may bask in its smile, as you journey awhile
In the beautiful Island of Dreams.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
As you stroll through the Island of Dreams.'
"As the beautiful song of welcome ceased, the angels disappeared in the
sky, and the boat swang gracefully toward the shore.
"The Queen assisted the children to the beach, and they started up a
dark, cool and shady path toward the centre of the island.
"As they journeyed slowly along, Arthur noticed that the air was heavily
laden with the dreamy perfume of flowers; and he suggested to the Queen
that perhaps this was what made everything so drowsy about the place,
for he declared that the odor made him sleepy.
"There were only a few of these flowers the children had ever seen
before.
"Arthur recognized the tall, blooming magnolia trees from the
description of them he had once read in a book; while the tuberose, the
calla lily and the lilies of the valley, both the children knew well for
they had often seen them in the gardens at home. All the rest were
strangers to them, and for a long time they lingered to admire their
wondrous beauty.
"It was not long before they chanced to look up, and seeing a group of
dilapidated, half-fallen houses in the hazy distance, moss-covered and
almost hidden from view by the long branches of low-bending trees, the
children turned to the Queen and asked the name of the curious-looking
place.
"She informed them that the village was the home of the Sand Man, and
that the name of it was 'Drowsy Town,' so named because everything about
the place was half asleep.
"Often indeed had the children heard of the Sand Man, but they never
expected to visit his home; so they hastened their steps and soon
entered the curious village.
"The place contained but few houses, all of which were badly neglected
and sadly out of repair; for who could stop to fix up houses in such a
sleepy place? Beside, what do people care about the outside of a house
when they are sleeping within all the time?
"The fences were mostly fallen, save here and there where a moss-covered
stretch of old-fashioned wooden pickets leaned half-heartedly against
their warped railings, while now and then a gate hung over on one hinge
as if, like everything else, it was anxious to lie down in the dust and
sleep.
"Long gray moss trailed from the eaves of the old buildings right down
to the very ground and spread over the window casements like gray-green
curtains to keep out the light, which it most certainly did.
"As the children passed the home of the Sand Man, by far the most
neglected in the village, and to which the Queen pointed with evident
pride, they lingered on the corner for a moment to look about the place.
"A cat came slowly out onto the old porch, yawned, stretched and went
in. A dog half arose, as the sound of their noisy feet on the worn-out
pavement disturbed his slumber, and raising his ears, glanced drowsily
about, growled and then sank down to sleep under a green vine that
sheltered one end of the porch.
"They moved slowly on, then stopped on the opposite corner and looked
far down the silent and deserted street, where they saw a queer-looking
individual, staggering and stumbling toward them.
"Now he would lunge forward head first into the trunk of an old tree;
then, rousing himself, he would stagger onward only to fall over the
curb stone, or run pell mell into a post. He finally tripped over a
broken slab in the neglected walk and fell flat upon his face, from
which position he seemed to arise with much difficulty.
"'Who is that staggering person' exclaimed Arthur, 'reeling toward us
like some drunken man?'
"The Queen looked down the street as the boy spoke, and turning to the
children with a smile upon her face, she excitedly exclaimed:
"'Why, children, here comes Mr. Sleepy Head to greet us! The Sand Man
has sent him, for you know the Sand Man cannot leave his labors just
now.'
"They stood waiting for him to draw near and could not help but laugh
outright, as he again bumped squarely into a big tree.
"'Who is Mr. Sleepy Head?' inquired Arthur.
"'I never heard of him!' exclaimed little Maud.
"'Oh yes, you have,' said the Queen, 'for many a book has been printed
about him and his wonderful achievements. Some years ago,' she
continued, 'he was quite a popular personage among the children of the
world, but many of them seem to have forgotten him of late. His most
popular mention perhaps was in a jingle that began something like this:
"'To bed, to bed,' said Sleepy Head,
'Let's wait a while,' said Slow.
"Little Maud declared she had often heard her grandfather speak of him.
"'Yes,' said the Queen, 'he is always half asleep. It is his duty to
sing to the children while the Sand Man sprinkles his sand in their
eyes. He is a most beautiful singer, but the poor, industrious Sand Man
has a very hard task in keeping him awake.'
"As the Queen finished her explanation, Mr. Sleepy Head fell headlong
into the gutter. He arose, brushed the dust from his garments, and with
another sleepy, lazy lunge, stood bowing and smiling before them.
"He was a curious-looking little man, with dull, dreamy eyes, and
carried before him a small harp, securely bound to his person by a broad
strap that encircled his neck. The harp was a woeful sight and was
covered with dents and scars and cracks where he had fallen with it
against various objects during his sleepy journeys.
"The Queen said it was a wonder that music could be produced from it at
all, so little was the care he gave it, and then turned to him with a
request for a song.
"Mr. Sleepy Head looked up with a lazy smile as he shook himself and
then leaned with his back against the decayed trunk of a tree, while he
yawned with outstretched arms. After stamping the drowsiness from his
lazy limbs, he gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous
fingers that filled the air with enchanting music; and, smiling again at
the children, he proceeded to sing the song of
THE SAND MAN
"'Always at evening and every day,
As the shades of the night come down;
The Sand Man calls good little children away
To the Village of Drowsy Town.
And no sorrow nor care ever entereth there,
But toiling with tireless hand,
He breathes o'er the slumbering children a prayer,
While sowing his sleepy sand.
Chorus.
"'When the shades of night come down
Over the Village of Drowsy Town,
Children gay drop their play,
And shake a day-day to their mammas:
Off through the meadow with little Bo-Peep,
Helping her gather her wayward sheep,
And praying the Lord their souls to keep,
While visiting Drowsy Town.'
Illustration: _"He gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous
fingers that filled the air with enchanting music."_
"When the singer had finished the chorus, he was suddenly overtaken by a
fit of sleepiness; and, as his body slipped to one side, he reeled from
the tree and fell backward into the gutter with such force that the
children instantly sprang to his assistance, for they were sure he was
badly hurt. But he managed to stagger again to his feet, and excusing
himself for the great impoliteness of falling asleep in company, he
again leaned his back to the tree, ran his hand with a magical sweep
over the strings of his harp and thus continued his song:
"'The rich and the poor have an equal share,
In the Village of Drowsy Town;
And the poor little orphan receiveth his care
As he maketh his nightly round.
With a sweep of his hand he goes sprinkling sand
As he wanders about through the street,
With a kiss and a smile for each dear little child,
As it falls fast asleep at his feet.
Chorus.
"'When the shades of night come down,
Over the Village of Drowsy Town,
Children gay, drop their play,
And shake a day-day to their mammas:
Off through the meadow with little Bo-Peep,
Helping her gather her wayward sheep,
And praying the Lord their souls to keep
While visiting Drowsy Town.'
"As the last sound of the singer's voice died on the air, his hands fell
limply from the strings of the harp and his eyelids closed with a last,
long, weary look. His head fell heavily forward upon his breast, and as
his knees gave way beneath him, he slipped slowly to the ground with a
loud snore and rolled over on one side, where, with harp in the gutter,
Mr. Sleepy Head lay fast asleep.
"'Well!' exclaimed Arthur, 'I've often heard of such a thing but I never
saw anyone really fall asleep before.'
"The good Queen smiled at the bright remark.
"'Come,' she said. 'Don't disturb him.'
"They tip-toed away from the slumberer and continued on down the street.
"They had not gone very far before they saw a little old man approaching
in the distance. He was stooped and bent from the weight of a bag that
hung about his neck. Every now and again he would thrust his hand
inside, then withdraw it and swing it around as if scattering something
over the ground.
"'There,' exclaimed the Queen, 'is the Sand Man scattering his sand!'
"The children watched the bent form of the Sand Man busily engaged at
his toil in the distance; while the entire army of dolls were lying
about on the ground, fast asleep at his feet.
"Both Arthur and Maud wanted to walk over and shake hands with him, but
the Queen, knowing how dreadfully sleepy it would make them, turned with
a sweet smile as she said:
"'Do both my darlings want to fall asleep right here in Drowsy Town when
we have so many things to see?'
"Without a word of protest they started back toward the landing, upon a
different street, as the Queen informed them, than the one on which the
home of the Sand Man was located.
"'Let us walk slowly and talk,' she said, as she slackened her pace to
an easy, ambling gait, 'for we want to see the dolls get safely aboard
their boat and start for home.'
"And now while the Queen and the children are walking slowly through the
Village of Drowsy Town, in no great hurry to reach the landing, we will
be in no great hurry to continue with the story, but will wait while we
refresh ourselves with some more water from the well, and at the same
time, hear what some of you think of the magical Island of Dreams."
With that the story-teller breathed a deep sigh and sank into total
silence.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER IX
THE SODA WATER FOUNTAIN
"That was a beautiful song the angels sang!" exclaimed one of the little
girls as four small boys struggled with three larger ones for possession
of the old oaken bucket, and the mossy accumulation on its sides
suffered somewhat from the effects of the scramble.
"I like the song of Mr. Sleepy Head best!" exclaimed several at once;
and while they were giving their various opinions about different parts
of the story, the boys hastened back from the well and joined in the
merry chatter.
As they hastily passed the water from one to another, one little fellow
exclaimed:
"Mercy! I can't get over the Valley of Ice Cream and that Mountain of
Cake. I just wish we had some of it here!"
"How about the Rock Candy Falls?" asked another.
"They were just grand! just grand!" exclaimed several, almost in one
voice. The children now gathered closer than ever about the Vagabond.
The little girl on his knee sat holding his hat as thus the "Knight of
the Highway" continued:
"As the Queen and the children were walking along on a back street of
the village, they met Mr. Sleepy Head again. His harp was hanging far
over to one side, and his head was resting heavily upon his breast;
while the sound of his loud snoring told them he was fast asleep. Once
in a while he would snore so loudly that he wakened himself, when he
would again lunge on.
"He had not gone very far when he stumbled head first into a tree with a
bang that must have hurt him badly; for as he came to with a sudden
start, they noticed he rubbed his head with his hands and looked dazedly
about as if he had lost his way. Starting forward again, he changed his
course and journeyed on toward his master.
"As they passed out of the village, the children were surprised to see a
great stream of water, shooting hundreds of feet into the air and
tossing its snowy spray about in a wickedly wasteful manner, while the
stream seemed to be coming straight up out of the ground.
"As they stopped to look at it, Arthur said he had often seen a
waterfall falling down, but had never seen one fall up before. The
children were more than delighted with this strange wonder of nature.
"The Queen smiled at Arthur's remark, and turning to the children, said:
"'You know, children, somewhere, way down in the ground, there is a
chemical laboratory, the great chemist in charge of which is Mr. Nature.
There are not many places where he displays his wonderful ability in
such an unusual fashion, but here he seems to have outdone all his other
attempts. This is Soda Water Fountain, where day after day, and year
after year, he sends forth his exquisite drink to quench the thirst of
all weary travellers who visit the Island of Dreams.'
"'Soda Water Fountain!' exclaimed little Maud.
"And before they could half realize either the immensity of its height
or its volume, the Queen led them to where they could drink to their
hearts' content.
"As they stood drinking and watching the tall stream shoot high into the
air, they could not help but ask questions; and, turning to the Queen,
little Maud wanted to know what sent it up so high.
"'I believe the people of the world call such a display a geyser,' said
the Queen. 'Several of them are to be found in various parts of the
earth. When you have had all you wish to drink, and while we walk slowly
back to the landing, I want you to tell me, if you can, where they are
located.'
"They started slowly away on their journey, the children wrapt in deep
thought.
"Little Arthur said he had never been to school much since his mother
died, for his old grandfather didn't believe in schools, and perhaps
that was why he did not know more about such wonderful things.
"The Queen cast a look of pity upon him as she softly said:
"'Schools are great things, and every little boy and girl ought to learn
the lessons well; for the world is full of wonderful things, quite as
strange and curious, if you understand them, as any you have seen since
leaving Harpers Ferry. Every year,' she continued, 'Santa Claus visits a
great geyser in Wyoming, located in a place called Yellowstone Park;
while in Iceland and New Zealand there are very beautiful geysers
indeed, the waters of which are hot enough to cook an egg.'
"While the conversation continued, and the Queen was instructing the
children and showing them why it was wise to learn their lessons well,
they came in sight of the spot where they first landed upon the island.
"There was a loud commotion down on the shore of the lake, and they were
surprised to see all the dolls climbing into their boat. Scarcely had
they stopped to view the wonderful and interesting sight than the barque
which had borne them to the Island of Dreams appeared from a near-by bay
and was soon at the landing, awaiting the commands of the Queen.
"The mermaids in charge of the doll-boat had driven their dolphins a
short distance from the shore where they lay as if waiting for a race
with the Queen's barque. It was not long before the two boats were
resting on the lake side by side.
"Arthur expected every moment to see the waiting dolphins leap forward
in a wild effort to surpass each other; but, as there seemed to be no
effort made to start them, he soon changed his mind and sat looking upon
the plump, round backs of the dolphins as they lay motionless in the
lake before them.
"There was a sound of rushing wings high in the air. Again the sky
separated as before, and the angels who first welcomed them to the
Island of Dreams came falling from the sky.
"In the barque of the dolls all was now quiet.
"There was a sudden outburst of celestial music from a chime of
rich-toned bells in the heavens above, and as the angels hovered over
the boats, it was thus they sang a parting song:
"'Come again to the lake that is crimson and gold,
For the barques ever wait your command;
The mermaids are true and the dolphins are bold,
To pilot you safe to its strand.
Tell the children of earth that the Island of Mirth,
The one place where the sun ever gleams,
Like a story that's told that will never grow old,
Is the beautiful Island of Dreams.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
Ever gay is the Island of Dreams.
"'Come again to the lake that is crimson and gold,
Come again to our heavenly clime;
Though the ways of the world may be cruel and cold,
It is warm over here all the time.
When despairing and sad, with no heart to be glad,
And engulfed by the tears that you weep,
Bring your troubles a while to our magical isle,
And the Sand Man will rock them to sleep.
In the Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
The Sand Man will rock them to sleep.'
"No sooner had the angels ceased their beautiful song than they
disappeared as quickly as they had come, and there was nothing to be
seen but the unbroken arch of the deep blue sky.
"The dolphins shot forward across the lake and bore the dolls away on
their homeward journey. As the barque containing the Queen and the
children passed leisurely along the shore, they could plainly see the
Sand Man, going home after his daily toil with Mr. Sleepy Head stumbling
and staggering behind him.
"With a wave of their hands and a blessing upon the wonderful Island of
Dreams, the boat turned out into the lake and moved rapidly toward the
high rock on the distant shore.
"Kimbo the Giant did not bother them to alight, but placing the palm of
his big hand down by the side of the boat, he bade them stand upon it;
then, in a trice, he lifted all three to the top of the high rock for a
last, long look on the lake.
"The dolphins rolled playfully in the tide below. The mermaids waved a
bashful adieu; and then, with a burst of speed, the barque swept like a
whirlwind across the lake and was soon lost to sight.
"The ride on top of the Giant's head back to the throne of the Queen was
just as delightful as their former trip through the land of Santa Claus,
for Kimbo tried in every possible manner to offer them amusement.
"Now he would shout 'Hold tight!' as he jumped over a tall hill. Then he
would give them some other warning, as he suddenly leaped from the top
of one hill to another, and sailed through the air over the great valley
below.
"It was thus he amused the Queen and the children until, with one last
mighty leap, he cleared the tall factories of Santa Claus and Taffy
River at a single bound and landed them safely upon the golden throne.
"By this time the children had become well acquainted with the Giant, so
much so that for some time they stood talking with him. Little Arthur
thanked him for the kindness he had shown to both himself and his
sister, and as the Giant's mouth opened for a merry laugh, they noticed
that his white snowy teeth resembled, in shape as well as in size, the
grave-stones that stood in the village churchyard on the hill at Harpers
Ferry. Nor could they suppress their surprise as he raised his enormous
hand to bid them good-bye.
"It was so huge that little Maud could barely clasp her two hands around
its little finger. She made a frantic effort to shake the hand up and
down, but there wasn't much shake about it. With a merry smile, Kimbo
backed away from the throne, bowed low before his Queen, and, with one
mighty hop-skip-and-a-jump, he leaped high over a tall mountain and was
gone.
"'Come,' said the Queen, as she turned about and placed her finger
against a button on the side of her golden chair, 'we will now have some
refreshments and then visit the Village of Hide and Seek.'
"So now, while the Queen and the children are waiting to refresh
themselves, let us once again send to the well, that we, likewise, may
be refreshed before we go with them into the beautiful village."
With that the Vagabond drew a long breath, for he had been talking
rapidly; and, as he sank into silence, the happy children gazed upon him
with a feeling of pride that had slowly grown from dread to friendship
and almost to love.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER X
IN THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
A general burst of applause greeted the ears of the story-teller as he
ceased speaking and sank into silence. All the boys now rose with merry
faces and surrounding the old oaken bucket, journeyed together to the
old well, while the little girls sat gazing intently upon the stranger,
as if he were the greatest man in the whole world.
One little girl whispered to another little girl that some day he might
be President of the United States, but the other little girl gave it as
her honest opinion that he should have been long ago. Many of the others
were now almost as much interested in the man as in his wonderful story.
A little girl asked him if Harpers Ferry was very far from there; while
another wanted to know if he could call around the next day for she was
anxious to introduce him to her father and mother, who, she declared,
would be more than delighted to meet him.
The Vagabond's only answer to all was a good-natured smile. When the
water arrived, and it had been passed around to the children, the
Vagabond helped himself to his heart's content, after which he proceeded
to tell the last of his story.
"The Queen did not have to wait long after pressing the button, for it
rang a bell that summoned into her presence a finely liveried butler,
who, when he learned the wants of Her Royal Highness, glided silently
down the steps of the throne. Presently two court attendants entered,
bearing a tray on which were a number of glasses filled with a fluid
referred to by the Queen as Nectar; although, as Maud said, it was too
good for language to describe. Shortly after the refreshment they
started to visit the Village of Hide and Seek.
"When they were part way down the steps some little doll in the village
spread the news of their coming, and all the dolls, almost wild with
joy, dropped their playthings and flocked to meet them.
"The Queen and the children followed a beautiful, pebbly path that led
through an orchard lying to the north of the village, for they wanted to
enter upon the main street; and as they went slowly along they passed
beneath boughs laden almost to breaking with ripe, mellow chocolate
drops, while the path was lined on either side with bushes where great,
rich, juicy clusters of gum drops hung, ready to fall to the ground.
"They were soon joined by the romping dolls, and together they walked
down the main street to the public square and paused in front of the
beautiful Temple of Music.
"Dolls with bright, rosy cheeks came running as if almost wild to meet
them. Some had azure eyes and light golden hair: while others, with dark
piercing eyes and long raven locks might put to blush the fairest
picture ever drawn.
"They gathered around little Maud, and pulling at the hem of her dress,
begged to be taken into her arms. At last she lifted a flaxen-haired
beauty from the ground, and with a sweet, satisfied smile upon its face,
it laid its head lovingly upon her breast as it said in a contented
half-whisper:
"'Please be my mamma, please be my mamma.'
"Then a thousand sweet doll-baby voices cried out in chorus:
"'No, she shall be my mamma. She shall be my mamma.'
"And they raised such a hue and cry and scrambled so to get hold of her
dress, that in order not to be partial, she had to let the little beauty
down again on to the ground.
"Amid the wild excitement of the dolls, Arthur was not alone. He stood
to one side watching a little doll that was lying under a tree and
talking with some other little dolls standing near by.
"Its eyelids were wide-open, yet its eyes had an unnatural expression.
For a long time he regarded her pityingly when he saw that the doll was
blind. A strange manly-looking doll walked up to him, and, peering into
his face, exclaimed:
"'Seeing you are a stranger, sir, in the village of Hide and Seek, and
noting your apparent sympathy for the blind doll lying yonder under the
tree, allow me to tell you the life story of her who has so touched your
emotions. Arthur bowed politely and expressed a desire to hear what the
strange doll might have to say. The little fellow continued:
"'Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious demeanor that I
am both a gentleman and a scholar; and right here let me say, I am the
Village Poet. I can converse much more easily in verse than in prose; so
if you will kindly listen to me for a moment, I will relate a little
circumstance which occurred some time ago, and will tell you the plain,
unvarnished truth about the blind doll.'
Illustration: _"Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious
demeanor that I am both a gentleman and a scholar."_
"Resting for a moment, for he did not appear to be very strong, he
breathed a long sigh as he began:
"'Once on a time a Baboon came across yon mountain crown.
He sailed down in a big balloon and landed near the town;
And seeing, as he walked along, this blind doll lying near,
He paused to say a kindly word, or shed a gentle tear.
"'Why is it, little doll?' he asked, 'you lie here all the day,
Instead of romping on the green, like other dolls at play?
And why avoid the jolly crowd, pray tell me if you will,
Is it that you thus like to be, or is it you are ill?'
"'Oh, sir,' the little doll replied, 'you're surely more than kind,
But look at me and you will see that I, alas, am blind;
And thus all day I keep away, nor venture near the throng,
For not a friend a hand will lend to guide my feet along.'
"'The Baboon picked the blind doll up and stared with all his might.
'Pray, tell me Dolly,' he inquired, 'how did you lose your sight?'
'Alas, kind sir, my sightless eyes, I strained them in a fog,
A-looking for a Christmas gift from Mother Hubbard's dog.'
"'Then up spoke Simple Simon, and with utterance unkind
He cried, 'This doll who falsifies is lazy and not blind.
I'll prove my words,' but ere he could, to everyone's surprise,
The Baboon pulled his anchor up and sailed off through the skies.
"'Poor Simple Simon, he was right. This doll is only blind
When lying flat upon its back, or partly so inclined;
But if you make it sit up straight, you'll find his words are true,
For then the sleepy-headed Doll can see as well as you.'
"Little Arthur walked over to the doll and lifted it into a sitting
position. It opened its eyes at once and looked squarely into his own.
Uttering a word of surprise to his poet friend, they walked away from
the blind doll together and passed down the street.
"When they had nearly crossed the square, the Poet Doll bade him 'Good
day' and entered a house on the corner which Arthur concluded to be the
Poet's home. He found himself standing near a curious, round-faced
boy-doll, who was looking on the gathering in silence. His head was so
close shaven that he was almost bald, except for a long queue extending
far down his back like a pig-tail, while his little black almond-shaped
eyes sat well aslant on his head.
"Arthur thought he would speak first; and, turning to the little fellow,
he said:
"'Excuse me, my little man, this is a most lovely village. Do you live
here?'
"There was a moment's pause and a look of bashfulness upon the
boy-doll's face, as, with a courteous bow and the politeness of a
prince, it said in reply:
"'I humbly beg your honorable pardon, sir, but, as my education in
foreign languages was sadly neglected, I most heartily deplore the
deficiency and am quite sorry to inform you that I do not speak your
honorable language as I understand nothing but Chinese.'
"Arthur, seeing his mistake, retired with a most polite bow and went
over to another little doll that spoke English.
"'Come,' exclaimed this new found acquaintance in a quite familiar
manner, 'let us play a game of hide and seek. I know a dandy place to
hide.'
"'All right, sir,' said Arthur, joyfully; 'but first let me tell my
sister about it for she dearly loves to play.'
"And the two walked hand in hand to where Maud stood surrounded by a
multitude of little dolls.
"As Arthur watched and listened, waiting to get an audience with his
sister, he overheard one little doll say to her:
"'When did you come here?'
"'To-day,' replied Maud, then added, 'but if I had only known the way, I
would have been here long ago. I am so sorry that I must soon leave.'
"'Where are you going?' another doll shyly inquired.
"'Going home,' replied Maud, with a deep sigh.
"All the little beauties looked up into her face as if greatly
bewildered.
"'What does she mean?' asked one of the dolls of her companions. 'What
is home?' And it arose on tip-toes to look into her face.
"'My home,' replied little Maud, 'is down in Harpers Ferry on the
Shenandoah River.'
"'River!' a doll repeated. 'Harpers Ferry!' And it turned a bewildered
look upon the rest of the assembled dolls standing in questioning
silence before her.
"Maud soon realized that the dolls failed to understand her, and,
wishing to make herself understood, she gazed wistfully over the
gathering of bright faces, as she said:
"'I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.'
"Before she could finish what she wished to say, however, one little
doll way back in the multitude spoke up, saying:
"'World, did she say? Why, I have often heard Santa Claus speak of that
place.'
"All the dolls turned their attention from Maud to the little speaker.
They assisted their little companion up on to the bottom of an inverted
tin sand pail that she might be seen as well as heard; when with a
bashful bow, she said:
"'The world, playmates, is the place where mothers die and leave their
little children all alone.'
"With a leap from the sand pail, the little speaker disappeared in the
assemblage of dolls. Instantly all turned to Maud with an inquiring
look. There was an expression of doubt upon their little faces and they
were now more than anxious for her to speak.
"'Yes,' she replied, 'alas! That is only too true.'
"And she breathed a sorrowful sigh as she thought of her mamma who had
been dead for two long years, and of how she had nestled close in her
loving arms waiting for Santa Claus to come, only three nights before
she passed away.
"She glanced into the sad face of her orphan brother standing near, and
down in her little heart there came a sad longing for the sound of that
sweet mother's gentle voice, with its tender words of love and nightly
prayer.
"Again the happy days, now gone forever, came back to her childish
memory; and the soft song of her mother stole into her soul with a
charming lullaby. Again she felt the warm, fervent kiss on her cheek, as
in fancy she heard her mother whisper a last 'Good night.'
"A sob burst from her sweet lips. A tear rose to her eye and stood
trembling upon the long black lashes. Another followed and crowded it
from its place to the ground.
"The Queen drew back horror-struck, for the Heaven-forbidden drop of
water had at last fallen upon Beauty Valley.
"A sudden chorus of wild screams rent the air. There was a terrible
shock, an upheaval, as if from an earthquake. The very ground trembled
as if in a fit of convulsions. Sharp, darting pains struck the children
mercilessly down into a state of insensibility. All then grew silent as
death and pitch dark.
"In a few moments the shrill whistle of a train resounded through the
Shenandoah Valley, as it dashed out of the tunnel in the mountain and on
over the great steel bridge into Harpers Ferry.
"Little Maud, wakened by the echoing tumult, gazed in a bewildered
manner about her. There lay her brother asleep upon the green mound,
under the same tree where they had first met 'Aunt Twaddles.' She placed
her hand tenderly upon him, and he awoke with a sudden start.
"'Oh, Maudie!' he exclaimed, 'what happened that it grew dark so
suddenly?'
"The boy half arose as he received only a sob in reply, and you can well
imagine his surprise as he gazed about; for there at his side lay a huge
pile of freshly picked pennyroyal on the very top of which was a
snow-white card. The card was most beautifully embossed with a picture
of the Village of Hide and Seek, and, in the handwriting of 'Aunt
Twaddles,' it bore the following inscription:
_"To my darling Children:
Remember always that, as you saw a tear
destroy a realm of joy, so can a spirit of discontent destroy a life of
useful happiness.
Yours very lovingly,
'Twaddles, the Queen of the Dolls_.'
"'Oh, Arthur!' exclaimed Maud, 'hurry and don't think of it any more.'
"And the two children gathered up as much of the pennyroyal as each
could possibly carry and hurried across the long foot-bridge into the
village.
"Men, women and children ran to greet them with tears of joy in their
eyes. With strong arms they bore them and their pennyroyal into the Inn,
where the stern, scolding, old inn-keeper stood ready to whip them, but
the sight of the pennyroyal caused him to relent.
"On the afternoon of the following day, Arthur and his little sister
were seated all alone on the bank of the Shenandoah, looking far across
upon the steep path that led straight up the face of the mountain. Their
little elbows were planted firmly upon their knees, their chins sunk
deeply into the palms of their wide-open hands. For a long time they sat
motionless, thinking no doubt of their wonderful journey. Little Arthur
finally broke the silence.
"'Maud!' he exclaimed, in a tone deeply touched with emotion.
"'What is it, Arthur?' she replied, with a sob.
"'Maud,' he repeated, 'I was just wishing that that big mountain over
yonder, right under Taffy River, would spring a leak.'
"For a long time they sat weeping and thinking of it; nor is there any
doubt that they wept over it until far into the night, when they fell
asleep and forgot about it.
"This then is the story, my children, of the strange path on the side of
the mountain that lies like a scar on the face of the cliff; and many
are the old settlers thereabout who will vouch for the truth of my tale.
"It is needless to prove true what is true; still if there is any
feeling of doubt in your hearts, just stand on the banks of the fair
Shenandoah almost any warm morning in springtime, and no doubt you will
see 'Aunt Twaddles' slowly ascending the path with her big bag of herbs.
"But if you should happen to miss her, and still want some proof of
these facts, just keep a close watch on the strangers who step from the
trains when they stop at the little stone station. If you see them
wiping their eyes with a handkerchief and gazing about on the
surrounding mountains, you may be sure they have once eaten some of
'Aunt Twaddles' candy and are wiping the tears from their eyes and
crying like children for more.
"At the same time you will see them looking about on the cliffs, and
searching for the steep path that leads up to the Village of Hide and
Seek, quite firmly resolved at some future day to return and go up with
'Aunt Twaddles.' But for the present, (poor things), their only hope is
to go back into the cars and cry until they forget about it.
"There are many more wonderful things I might tell you of the Village of
Hide and Seek, and likewise to the everlasting glory of 'Aunt Twaddles''
candy as well, but the very thought of it makes me feel sad; for now as
I talk, I feel tears coming to my eyes and find I must either talk on
and cry on, or quit talking and forget about it.
"Excuse me, dear children, won't you, while I weep?"
As the Vagabond ceased speaking the tears flowed down his cheeks in a
perfect torrent; and although the children were delighted with his
story, they too wept in sympathy with him. The very loudest of all was
the dear little tot who had occupied the place of honor on his knee.
While the group of children sat weeping in sympathy under the tree, the
Vagabond arose. Bidding them all farewell, he placed his old, worn-out
hat on his head, shouldered his crooked staff, waved a parting blessing
toward the well on the lawn, and still weeping, passed out of sight
along the dusty highway.
THE END.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
● Transcriber's Notes:
○ Punctuation has been standardized.
○ For illustrations which had no caption in the book, a descriptive
phrase was added. For example: [Illustration: Decoration]
○ Unbalanced quotation marks were left as the author intended.
○ Typographical errors were silently corrected.
○ Spelling and hyphenation were made consistent when a predominant
form was found in this book.
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