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Title: The Moon Princess - A Fairy Tale
Author: Harrison, Edith Ogden
Language: English
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[Illustration: “_I will return soon, sweet mother._”
(Page 18)]
[Illustration: Title Page]
The Moon Princess
A FAIRY TALE
BY
EDITH OGDEN HARRISON
Author of
_PRINCE SILVERWINGS &
THE STAR FAIRIES_
_With Illustrations in
Color & Other Drawings
by
Lucy Fitch Perkins_
CHICAGO
A. C. M^cClurg & Co.
1905
Copyright
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1905
Published October 7, 1905
The Lakeside Press
R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
CHICAGO
[Illustration: Fairy]
_TO C. H. H._
MY MOST APPRECIATIVE READER
CONTENTS
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
PAGE
CHAPTER I
How the Moon Princess Came to the Earth 13
CHAPTER II
How the Wedding Guests Visited the Caves of Ocean 23
CHAPTER III
How the Fairies Were Changed into Mocking-birds 30
CHAPTER IV
The Little Dwellers in the Marsh 45
CHAPTER V
The Rainbow Sisters 51
CHAPTER VI
How the Sun Princess Came to the Earth 74
CHAPTER VII
The Story of the Jewelled Beach 91
CHAPTER VIII
The Lost Ocean 112
CHAPTER IX
The Story of Princess Sunset 128
CHAPTER X
How the Moon Princess was Taken Captive by the Black Dwarf 147
CHAPTER XI
How the Sun Prince Rescued the Moon Princess 154
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
PAGE
“I will return soon, sweet mother” _Frontispiece_
The Ocean Queen came forth, with her younger children, to greet
them 25
“They threw themselves at her feet, begging for pardon” 41
“They circled together, dressed in the vivid colors of the
rainbow” 57
“A glimmering figure sitting on a high cliff” 106
“Turning around, he saw a radiantly beautiful woman near him” 130
_Also eleven drawings in black and white introducing the chapters._
THE MOON PRINCESS
CHAPTER I
HOW THE MOON PRINCESS CAME TO THE EARTH
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
The heavens were a stainless blue, and the Moon shone out of them
arrayed in silvery garments. One by one the sky’s matchless jewels, the
stars, peeped out, studding that great ceiling with flashing
diamond-points, until the whole dome was a glittering mass of blue and
silver. The Ocean below seemed a big mirror, made to catch and reflect
the bewildering beauty above, for, shimmering softly, he carried in his
shining depths all those myriad lights.
Calm and majestic the Moon glided over her star-studded pathway; but, in
spite of her glorious beauty and brilliancy, she was really sad and sick
at heart. Ethelda, her best beloved, the youngest and dearest of her
children, had just made a request the granting of which caused her that
night bitterest sorrow.
There was an old custom among the Moon maidens that on her marriage each
one of them might ask whatever she most desired, and the thing which she
asked could not be denied her. Now, Ethelda of the starry eyes and the
shining spun-gold hair had asked a fearful gift at her mother’s hands.
She was betrothed to the Sun Prince Dorion, a handsome youth, strong of
limb, and a goodly sight to look upon, and he had long loved her. He had
seen this dainty maiden in all her varying moods, so he knew her well.
Sometimes, with her Moon maidens merrily engaged at play, she romped
happy as a child; or later, with the stately tread of a young princess,
she came and went in her big white palace. She often wore a pale blue
gown with silver trimmings, and a crown of flashing stars upon her head,
and then it was the brilliantly beautiful girl looked the daughter of
the skies.
Prince Dorion had watched the slender maiden until every strand of her
glittering hair was dear to his heart. Later his father’s golden chariot
brought him daily to her palace.
How Ethelda loved to watch him as he drove the fiery steeds with a
master’s hands, guiding them surely and steadily to her palace gates! He
was the finest of the Sun God’s sons, and Ethelda’s heart beat proudly
as she looked upon her chosen one. The Moon Mother was happy too, in her
daughter’s choice, and all would have been well in the wedding
festivities save for Ethelda’s unheard-of request. How the Moon hated to
grant it! But she had reasoned with Ethelda long and patiently without
effect. For the wilful little Princess was bent upon this mad whim.
“Alas! no good can come of it,” sighed the Moon heavily, and she gazed
down sadly upon the Earth as she spoke. “No good can come of it,” she
repeated. “What could have possessed the child to want it?”
For Ethelda had asked no less than this: to visit the Earth and spend
her honeymoon there!
The young Sun Prince, though at first reluctant to take his beautiful
bride upon such a wild trip, had finally yielded to her persuasions, and
now, being won by her tender pleadings, was as anxious to go as she.
But the Moon Mother had no such faith in the foolish journey. Her mind
misgave her, and as she swung around the great circle in celestial
glory, her heart grew tremulous with fear for her daughter’s safety. The
request must be granted: that she knew; but she was devoutly thankful
for a wise law requiring a Moon maiden to revisit her own home yearly.
At most, then, they could stay but a twelvemonth upon the Earth. Reason
as she would, however, the Queen Mother’s heart was heavy, for with the
daughter upon the Earth the mother’s happiness would be gone. But the
maiden’s joy at the consent consoled her somewhat, and with an unselfish
mother’s love the Queen determined to hide her own grief and make the
wedding trip a brilliant and a joyous one.
Prince Dorion came with a great retinue of knights, all dressed in
shining gold wrought in the Sun’s fiery furnace, and bringing wonderful
jewels to his bride. The Moon Queen, not to be outdone in magnificence,
showered silver in plenty upon them both, and bade one hundred of her
loveliest maidens accompany the bridal pair upon their journey.
The wedding was so brilliant that the skies grew bright as day, and the
splendor was reflected for many miles across the heavens. When the
ceremony was over, the bride, in shining white and silver garments, came
forth from the circle of her bridesmaids to bid her mother farewell.
Long-limbed and graceful was this daughter of the skies. Her finely cut
features showed her high-bred race. Her blond hair hung in yellow masses
to her knees, while her tender blue eyes, looking smilingly upon her
mother’s face, were radiant with happiness. Gliding swiftly forward she
reached the throne, and there, sinking on her knees, she begged her
mother’s blessing.
Very tenderly the Queen watched her graceful child approach and kneel,
and then leaning forward she raised her to her breast and showered
caresses upon her.
“Ethelda, best beloved,” she began, “stay not beyond your allotted time
upon the Earth. My heart misgives me when I think of your departure, and
will be heavy until you return. But see, my daughter, I have provided
for your safety as best I can, and you may come back to me whenever you
choose.” So saying, she drew the bride gently toward the window of her
white palace, and there, looking down, Ethelda saw a wonderful sight
indeed. A beautiful shimmering ladder of moonlight stretched in infinite
splendor down to the Earth. Whichever way she looked, the majestic sweep
of that brilliant ladder was before her. It reached the Ocean, whose
gigantic waves of foaming white rose to meet it, and it quivered in
dazzling glory upon the green-clad forests of the land.
Ethelda was amazed and delighted at the wonderful sight, and throwing
her arms around her mother’s neck, she poured forth her gratitude in
loving words. “We will return soon, sweet mother,” she whispered
tenderly; “those shining steps will lead us safely back to you.” Then,
as her husband joined them, she stepped forward smilingly to greet him,
saying she was ready.
One hundred of the Sun Prince’s knights, in trappings of gold made by
the Sun himself, and with bright shades of crimson trimmings, joined
them as she spoke. Ethelda’s maidens, in their glittering dresses of
whitest silver, followed; and joining hands with the knights, began
their magnificent wedding march to the Earth.
Never was there a more kingly sight. Preceding the bride and bridegroom,
the gay cavalcade descended the glorious ladder of silver beams. Step by
step they wandered down the moonglade toward the Earth, and the Moon,
smiling lovingly at them, sighed again heavily as she spread her bright
pathway of silver before them.
Now, the Earth knew of their coming, and she determined to give them a
welcome befitting their high and mighty rank. She already owed a great
debt to the Sun King, for it was his shining rays that warmed and
nourished her and made her fruitful. Most of her splendid fertility was
due to the warmth of the Sun. So she invited the whole world to meet the
bridal party, giving a grand ball in their honor.
Her invitations were taken by the winds and swiftly carried to the four
corners of the globe. Hundreds of noble personages were asked to meet
the distinguished strangers, and all came to do them honor, bringing
cordial greetings and invitations to visit the different parts of the
world.
The night of the ball had come. The Earth, resplendent in jewels,
awaited the arrival of her guests. The forest back of them was aglitter
with lights, for all the glow-worms and fireflies had been summoned for
the occasion, and for days they had been decorating the trees. An
orchestra of birds sang delicious music, and overhead the sky was
spangled with twinkling stars gazing in silent wonderment upon the
Earth’s splendor.
By the side of the Earth Queen stood Prince Dorion. His suit of pure
gold shone like the Sun himself, and next to him was his beautiful
bride, the Moon Princess. She was dressed in white garments embroidered
in silver, and she was certainly a charming vision. Her gleaming yellow
hair was caught back from her forehead with a crown of flashing stars.
Her clear blue eyes, with their deep sky tints, were dancing in lights
as brilliant as her star crown itself.
First came the Earth’s eldest son, the Ocean King, to greet them. The
Sea was a mass of fire with gleaming phosphorus, and King Ocean and his
mermaid daughters seemed to be floating in red flames as they
approached. The maidens’ long and wonderfully beautiful hair floated
behind them as they swam, and they sang the most entrancing songs. They
bore an invitation to Prince Dorion and his bride to visit them in their
marine home. And this invitation was at once accepted by the strangers.
Another invitation, accepted at once, came from Prince Dorion’s only
sister, Princess Kuldah, who lived upon the Earth with her husband. Many
more charming invitations were given them, but of course it was
impossible to accept them all.
At last one distinguished-looking person strode forward, small of
stature and ugly to look upon. His body was dwarfed, and he had a big
hump on his back. His face was dark and glowering, and he wore a suit of
yellow leaves. All the guests moved aside to let him pass, as though
they feared him. He lived in the vast depths of the forest, amidst huge
mountains; his daily work, with his thousands of imps, was to build
those mountains big and high. Stone by stone he raised them, bleak and
barren, to the clouds. He limped as he walked, and he glared angrily at
the shrinking faces avoiding him; but he gave his invitation to the fair
guests, as the others had done, and bowed low before them as he gave it.
An involuntary shudder ran through the lovely Princess as she heard his
words, and she clung suddenly to her husband in terror, as the black
dwarf’s eyes dwelt admiringly upon her. She felt a cold thrill of fear
at his bold glance.
But Prince Dorion, reassuring her with a tender smile, turned to the
ugly creature, and to the astonishment of the Earth Queen and her court,
replied: “Sir Dwarf, we accept your invitation, and will gladly ride
forth with you whenever our hostess wills. The Sun King, my father, and
her Majesty the Queen of the Moon, have each sent the Earth a gift as a
glad token of our visit here, and we must place our precious gold and
silver deep within the bosom of your great mountains. There will it best
thrive and grow, increasing and benefiting the world.”
The Moon Princess turned very pale when she heard her husband’s reply,
but the black dwarf limped away with a gratified smile upon his ugly
face.
CHAPTER II
HOW THE WEDDING GUESTS VISITED THE CAVES OF OCEAN
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
The Ocean King and his daughters came early for their guests. They had
driven fast, and their sea-horses were covered with a lather of white
foam. As they came shoreward the rising Sun dyed the sky a brilliant
pink, and for a moment the water caught its color. And then it was
delightful to watch the great rolling waves of the Sea blushing a
delicate rosy shade. Ethelda with Prince Dorion and their friends stood
on the creamy sands awaiting them. The Moon Princess wore a gown to
match her blue eyes, and its exquisite train, embroidered in silver
crescents, hung in heavy folds behind her.
Stepping lightly into the Ocean King’s chariot, Ethelda sat beside him.
Prince Dorion followed, and very soon the whole party were comfortably
seated among the mermaids. Away they started. Some snowy birds, watching
them off, rose suddenly, and outstretching their long white wings,
floated lazily away.
Billions of sapphire waves rolled in to meet them, but the horses sped
easily through, leaving only a broad roadway of foam behind. The shining
sun spread now over the wide expanse, and they seemed to be flying
through golden mists, while their great frothy path glittered in as many
colors as the rainbow. Farther and farther they went, deeper and deeper
grew the rich color of the great deep, until it seemed impossible it
could become bluer. Then slowly that brilliant blue changed, becoming a
clear cool green, the shade of the coldest waters. Not until then did
the Ocean King draw rein, and slowly descending, they finally stopped at
the gates of his palace.
The palace was a wonder to behold. Its walls were built of richest
mother-of-pearl, and shaded from purest white to the most delicate rose.
Its broad staircases and wide halls were all of the same costly
material, while its trimmings and ornamentations were pearls and
diamonds of priceless worth.
[Illustration: _The Ocean Queen came forth, with her younger children,
to greet them._
(Page 25)]
To keep the white light from dazzling with its splendor, the tall green
seaweeds waved about, lending a delicious, cool shade, like the green
trees on the dry land, so that everything was agreeable to the eye.
The Ocean Queen came forth, with her younger children, to greet them,
and Ethelda thought she had never seen anything so delicately beautiful
as the Queen. Her eyes were clear as crystal pools, and her hair—a
bewildering mass of gold—floated about her, covering her almost
completely. She wore a pale green dress trimmed with magnificent pearls,
and on her head a crown of diamonds. She glided up to the strangers, and
in the softest voice bade them welcome.
A magnificent banquet was served immediately, and then they were shown
the wonders of the sea palace. Rooms filled with costly treasures were
opened; chests of brilliant jewels were examined.
But while the guests were enchanted with so much splendor, the King
explained that to the mermaid kingdom these heaps of diamonds and
emeralds and rubies were really not worth a single piece of coral; for
at these huge coral beds in the bottom of the sea the baby mermaids
received their education. They were taught to swim and play games and
amuse themselves, and later they lent their deft fingers to build and
carve those exquisite mountains of the sea. When the Moon maidens saw
the coral beds, they too shared the mermaids’ belief.
The party were walking through the clear smooth waters, when presently,
ahead, they noticed a slight ruffle, and almost immediately they saw a
long pink line. It was the coral reef. As they approached they saw great
sheets of roaring foam sweep over the slippery coral, and as they passed
by the hissing white wall of foam they saw that the tiny builders had
raised their rose-colored mountains to a great height. The delicate work
was a marvel to see; it was like the weaving of finest lace-work, and
only the smartest of the mermaids were employed to carve the coral beds.
“Can the Earth exhibit greater wonders?” exclaimed Prince Dorion.
“We think not,” answered the Ocean King; “but perhaps it is because we
love our home so much. We have many more wonderful things we could show
you, but our time is limited, and we can only briefly display our
favorites.”
Turning, he took from the hand of one of his daughters a beautiful
shell. Creamy and shining like satin was the outside of the curving
piece of mother-of-pearl, but its lovely lining was as pink as a
rose-leaf. Presenting it to Ethelda, the King bade her keep it to remind
her of her visit to his dwelling. “This beautiful shell, fair Princess,”
continued the King, “shares with the mermaid kingdom its great love of
home, and it carries deep in its heart the sound of the waves. It will
never lose it. No matter where it goes or how long it stays, if you but
hold it to your ear it will speak to you of us. For the deep musical
sound of the waves will always be heard singing within its depths.”
Ethelda, delighted, thanked him for the charming gift, which she
gratefully accepted. Then continuing their walk, they arrived at the
door of a handsome palace, where the Ocean King’s only sister lived. She
was called the Princess Sea Foam, and her palace was built entirely of
pearls. Great oysters were constantly employed making these pearls for
her, and day after day they opened their wide mouths and deposited fresh
beauties at her doors. Her apartments were very elegant and all in
white, and the Ocean King’s guests were especially astonished at the
magnificence of the Princess’s clothes. She was very beautiful, for her
skin was clear and white and her features delicate and pretty. She was
small of stature, and looked more like a fairy than a mermaid, but her
dress amazed them by its beauty. It was snow-white, and was studded with
the largest and purest diamonds they had ever seen. Even her hair was
covered with precious stones, and wherever she moved, sparkles of light
burst forth. When she approached closer they discovered that the shining
jewels were not really diamonds at all, but clear and brilliant
raindrops!
The Princess Sea Foam was in reality also the Rain Princess. Her duty
was to lie frequently upon the top of the waves and travel about,
watching the dry land and the sky. Often one sees the broad blue waters
flecked with white specks; then one knows that Sea Foam and her
companions, in their white dresses, are watching the world, to determine
when rain is needed. It is a great responsibility for such a tiny
Princess, but she has guided her millions of followers wisely, and the
Earth is well pleased with her lovely daughter’s work.
They make the precious raindrops and then store them away in a big room
in the pearl palace. When rain is needed the doors are opened and the
skies absorb the moisture. The heavens fill with clouds,—at first
glorious, shining masses, lying against the blue sky as white and foamy
as the Princess herself on the blue waves, but later, gathering force,
they darken to a gray or black, and fall upon the Earth in a shower of
glittering drops. Over and over again must Sea Foam do this wonderful
work, but it is a work of joy, because she loves those glittering drops
of shining water.
The Sun warms the world and gives it heat, but the Ocean must cool and
freshen it with raindrops; for all the rain that falls from the skies
must first be gathered on the Earth, and this responsibility rests on
the Ocean King’s sister, dainty little Sea Foam.
CHAPTER III
HOW THE FAIRIES WERE CHANGED INTO MOCKING-BIRDS
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
They were most reluctant to leave the beautiful world under the water,
but the Sun Prince and the Moon Princess must keep their engagements,
and there were many journeyings for them yet. The Ocean King had kept
them as long as possible in his dominions, but now he felt obliged to
let them go, and so regretfully bade them adieu.
He had arranged in their travels about his strange and wonderful
possessions to land them in a beautiful southern country. From this spot
they would travel north toward the Valley of Enchantment, to visit the
Sun Princess, that lovely sister of Prince Dorion who was making her
home in this world. They all looked forward with much pleasure to this
visit; it seemed, in fact, to be one of their chief topics of
conversation, for they naturally desired to see the only sister of
Prince Dorion, who was famous for her great beauty. Now and then,
however, in the midst of their joyous travels, a black shadow seemed to
cross the pretty Moon Princess’s face: it was when she remembered the
promised visit to the black dwarf. Somehow she could not overcome her
horror of him, and was never reconciled to making him a visit.
Reluctantly the company bade adieu to the Ocean King and his charming
family, and rose through the clear, limpid waters of a big Gulf. It was
a beautiful sight that met their eyes as they came to the surface in the
open sunlight. A wonderful land lay before them. Its shores were shaded
with spreading branches of magnificent live-oak trees which grew down to
the water’s edge, planting their splendid trunks in the very midst of
the curving line of yellow sand. Farther back pink crêpe-myrtles, yellow
acacias, and white Spanish daggers were scattered, and a long row of
pecan-trees kept dozens of chattering squirrels busy. Cherokee roses
bloomed in thousands, their yellow hearts showing in brilliant contrast
to their dazzling white petals. “How beautiful this country is!” said
the Princess, and every one echoed her words.
As they landed they were greeted by the Sun Princess’s messenger, who
would guide them northward to the Valley of Enchantment. This guide
belonged to the company of Sun people who had accompanied the Sun
Princess to her new home. He proved a charming companion indeed, for he
knew everything about the countries through which they passed, and in
their travels told them many interesting facts. They learned that they
were in a southern land, on the borders of a great Gulf. They could see,
beside the live-oaks, some superb trees growing to great heights,—trees
with great long green leaves, holding big creamy blossoms that opened
like white chalices to catch the sun. One tree especially stood out in
magnificent strength. Its rough old trunk was enormous and knotted with
age, and its broad branches spread out protectingly covered with big
waxen leaves. The great tree had a dignity about it that fascinated the
Princess. As the little company walked nearer to examine it, they
noticed how the grass—soft as velvet—stretched away like a green carpet
toward the yellow marsh beyond. The nearer they came to the tree the
bigger the tree looked, and they found a round hollow in one side the
trunk, where a squirrel had hidden his nuts. “It is a magnolia-tree,”
the guide replied, in answer to their questions, “and there are many
thousands like it scattered through this southern country.”
At that moment a sound rose upon the air, so soft and exquisite in its
melody that they held their breath to listen. It came from the branches
of the tree, and was a song of welcome from the mocking-birds. In a
moment a thousand of these little feathered songsters had joined the
chorus. Their notes rang out joyously, for they warbled and trilled in
an ecstasy of delight until the strangers thought they had never heard a
more beautiful concert. Then suddenly, while the Moon Princess listened
entranced, the music ceased as abruptly as it had begun. They heard a
flutter of soft wings, and saw above their heads a flock of tiny birds.
The birds were lovely,—a soft gray in color, with a splash of white on
the wings and tail, and as they flew away and disappeared in the
distance all became silent again.
What a silence it was! Not a sound broke the stillness. The brilliant
sunshine danced along the ground like little sparks of fire, but not a
leaf stirred. It grew warm. The blue gulf lay like a sheet of glass in a
sort of golden mist. The heat was intense; it seemed to shimmer in a
yellow haze over everything; and then suddenly a little movement broke
the profound stillness. It came from the green-eyed, red-throated
lizards as they ran through the grass. They stopped to watch the
strangers wonderingly, but as the Moon Princess moved slightly, the
timid little creatures, affrighted, took the color of the leaf on which
they were, and lay as motionless as death!
Then the Princess spoke softly: “This world is very wonderful; I have
never seen so many bewildering things before.”
As they resumed their journey the guide told them the history of the
bird.
“The mocking-bird is really the southern fairy, you know,” he began,
“and the entrancing song it sings is only the story of its life. It
tells the tale over and over again, in a delicious burst of song; as the
little children alone understand the fairies’ speech, I cannot tell all
it says, but I will repeat exactly what I have heard. Once upon a time
there dwelt in the midst of that great magnolia grove we have just left
a band of fairies. They were the lightest-hearted and happiest little
band in the world, and they had just celebrated a splendid marriage. One
of their most beautiful Princesses had married a nephew of the Queen. He
was as handsome as his bride was beautiful, and everything went merry as
a marriage bell. Now, Prince Adelstan, in spite of his high rank and
station, was always playing some prank upon some one, but his tricks
were generally good-natured, and the fairies seemed to love him the
better for his fun; he was, indeed, a great favorite with them all. Now,
when he married the dignified and beautiful Princess Verdande, every one
predicted that he would become more sober, and, as a married man, put
aside his boyish manners.
“It really seemed just about as they prophesied. Of course, a fairy’s
life is a brilliant round of pleasure, but Prince Adelstan seemed
contented to travel the world over with his lovely wife and act just as
all well-behaved fairies should. The little people were all delighted,
of course, with the change in their favorite, and said among themselves
he was even more attractive than ever. In reality Prince Adelstan was so
absorbed in a plan he was forming for himself and bride that he had no
time to think of playing foolish pranks on others. Fairies, as you know,
are free to do exactly as they please, except for one rule, and that
rule can never be broken. Their life must be lived at night, amid
moonshine and starlight, and then they pass many gladsome hours
together; from dusk until dawn they are the merriest little people in
the world. But at the first streak of light every fairy must
vanish,—under a leaf, in the heart of a rose, behind a dewdrop, the
fairy may hide; but hide he must, and there remain sleeping until
darkness again falls upon the world. This rule in Fairyland has been
enforced for centuries, and no one, however brave, has had the hardihood
to break it. Sometimes (but very rarely), on a day when the Sun does not
shine and the Earth is covered with a white veil of mist, a fairy can
peep out, but he must be extremely careful that he is only in the mist,
for he must never see a ray of sunshine for a moment.
“Well, can you imagine what Prince Adelstan decided to do? He determined
upon a terribly rash thing, and planned it for months. He lay awake
thinking of it, for in his excitement he could not sleep. He whispered
it at last to his beautiful bride, who trembled in his arms as she
listened. She was horrified at first, and pleaded with him to give up
his rash plan; but he was bent upon it, and after weeks of pleading from
him, she finally yielded and consented to help him. Together they
decided to elude the fairies and break the law; for their rash
determination was no less than this—to see the Sun rise.
“Night after night they discussed it, and one beautiful moonlight one,
when they had danced until dawn, and the other fairies, exhausted, had
slipped into the hearts of the magnolia blossoms to sleep, Prince
Adelstan and Princess Verdande stole carefully down to the waters of the
Gulf, and, breathless with curiosity, awaited the coming of the Sun.
“Never shall they forget that morning. The waters of the Gulf looked
steely gray in the first faint light of dawn. A pearly white mist was
lifting slowly from them, and melting as it lifted. The little bride
caught her breath with admiration as the cold steel-gray of the water
slowly changed into a delicate, warm pink, for the Gulf, like a great
mirror, was reflecting all the lights in the sky. The sea-shell pink of
the faint dawn heralded the approach of the Sun. Gradually the delicate
coloring grew a deeper rose, until the white clouds overhead seemed dyed
in crimson. The waters lay still and silent; hardly a ripple disturbed
their serenity. Presently long, piercing rays crept across the sky,
while all the colors of the rainbow seemed to blend and mix together.
Gradually the world grew brighter and brighter. Then suddenly out of the
shining water rose a great red ball of fire! The Princess clung to her
husband, for, beautiful as it was, she was surprised and frightened. The
Sun mounted slowly into the sky, casting his brilliant rays across the
heavens, and at the same time great slanting streaks of yellow beams
danced before their bewildered eyes. The waters of the Gulf were
marvellous to see, for they glistened like millions of flashing
diamonds. The two fairies stood amazed at the magnificent sight before
them, for even Fairyland has nothing more beautiful than the sunrise.
“Presently a flock of white sea-gulls rose shrieking from the sands, and
Prince Adelstan and his wife (startled by the sudden noise, and abashed
by their terrible disobedience) tried to hide behind a blade of grass.
Alas! what was their horror to discover that they could not. They had
grown much larger, and they realized in despair that they could no
longer hide under the flowers; their wings, too, had disappeared, and
they knew they were banished from Fairyland. Then their sorrow began,
for, try as they did, they could find no trace of their brother and
sister fairies.
“There was a dreamy stillness everywhere, and the flowers were very
tempting in the early morning dew; but alas! those flowers no longer
formed a home for the disobedient fairies. Hand in hand they wandered,
and for miles they stumbled sadly along, until at last they reached the
edge of a great marsh. The green and yellow grasses there were scarcely
moving, and lovely tints were shimmering in a hazy amber splendor. The
unruffled waters of the bayou, as it ran curling around the rushes,
gleamed in spots of silver. The world took on new beauties beneath the
Sun, but the unhappy Princess and her husband could not enjoy them. They
journeyed about in misery until they found the gnarled old
magnolia-tree. They hid themselves in its hollow trunk.
“The fairies, of course, had missed them, and knew perfectly well of
their misfortunes, but the Queen’s heart was hardened against them
because of their dreadful disobedience. However, the band of little
fairies, in spite of all, united in deep sympathy for their erring
brother and sister, and they prayed the Queen to grant them pardon. The
Queen’s heart softened a little at last, for after all the Prince was a
beloved nephew; but even she had not full power to restore them to
Fairyland. The law once broken, full penance must be done; for
disobedience is a dreadful crime in Fairyland.
[Illustration: “_They threw themselves at her feet, begging for pardon_.”
(Page 41)]
“Late one night, when the Moon was high in the blue sky, and the world
was flooded with silver, when the bright stars flashed out like millions
of dancing points of fire, the two unhappy culprits crept out from the
hollow of the magnolia-tree. The fairies were holding high festival,
feasting on rose-leaves and drinking the dew from tiny acorn cups.
Thousands of them were dancing in and out of the moonlight, and their
bright wings flashed gold and silver lights wherever they moved. Their
wands, too, sparkled and glittered as if they were on fire. The exiled
Prince and Princess gazed sadly upon it all, seeing now fully what they
had lost; but alas! it was too late. They knew quite well their bulky
forms without wings could never again become as light and airy as before
their disobedience. Swiftly, however, they ran forward, and before the
astonished Queen had time to escape, they threw themselves at her feet,
begging for pardon. The Queen frowned as she listened to the story of
their disobedience, and the other fairies shuddered when they heard of
the great crime. Still, her Majesty loved her nephew and his bride, and
her heart was heavy as she heard the sad tale. The Queen was unusually
handsome that night, and seated on a throne of moss-rose buds, she
seemed very far above the culprits at her feet. Her white-and-silver
dress sparkled brilliantly against the bright pink of the rosebuds, and
the green leaves about them were so covered with dew that they seemed to
be made of frosted silver.
“‘Alas! my dear children,’ she began sadly, ‘I have not the power to
make you fairies again. You have lost Fairyland forever by your act of
disobedience. Once banished, you cannot be recalled; beside, were it
possible for me to admit you again to Fairyland, you would never be
happy with us again. You have seen the glorious sunrise once, and
nothing in Fairyland is so beautiful. You would constantly long for that
magnificent sight again. But,’ she added thoughtfully, ‘perhaps I can
render you perfectly happy in some other form upon the Earth, and in
this way restore your contentment.’
“Tremblingly Prince Adelstan and his bride bade her change them, for,
miserable as they were, they knew she spoke the truth. They would never
be happy in Fairyland again; they would always long to see the sunrise.
Then silence fell upon them all, as the Queen slowly raised her
glittering wand.
“Presently there arose upon the stillness of the night a most glorious
sound. It was the mocking-bird raising its voice in thanksgiving and
praise for happiness found again. Again and again those delicious sounds
floated out on the air, filling the night with sweetness, until the very
fairies stood breathless to listen. It seemed marvellous that so much
sweetness of sound could be contained in such a tiny body; but the
little songsters trilled and sang in glorious delight.
“Only in this land of sunshine and magnolias will you find this
wonderful bird. It never wanders far from the Gulf. It flourishes best
amid the magnolias, and it fills the southern woods with music. It sings
at all hours; at night, when the Moon is looking kindly down upon the
Earth, and the Earth is serenely smiling to the Moon, its clear notes
ring out joyously, until even the stars from their glittering palaces
lean down to listen. But it is at the witching hour of dawn that the
most wonderful of its melodies is heard. Then it awakens to watch again
that miracle of the world, the mystery of the rising Sun, and as the
golden spears of light streak the heavens, cutting away the white veil
of mist and coloring the skies with rainbow hues, its glorious voice
rings out and floods the world with music; for at that hour the
mocking-bird is telling over and over again the story of that
magnificent sight—the sunrise.”
CHAPTER IV
THE LITTLE DWELLERS IN THE MARSH
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
As the guide finished his charming description of the southern
nightingale, he pointed out to them the marsh. It was a strange-looking
place, and Ethelda asked many questions concerning it. Why was it
dangerous to cross? Why must they skirt the marsh and go around it, as
they were doing? It was much the shorter way to cut right across it, but
instead, they walked miles out of their way to reach the other side.
Their guide assured them that the marsh was not so charming as it
looked. Down amid its dark cypresses, where the jagged palmetto fans and
latanier grew, and where the tall rushes and reeds were so fine that,
swaying softly under the breeze, they looked like moving water, but
water dyed in emerald and topaz tints—lurked many dangers. Rattlesnakes
and toads and deadly insects made it their home, and the ground was all
a quagmire, so that stepping on it they would sink deep in mud and
slime, and perhaps die there.
“Oh,” said the Princess, “how awful! Does nothing nice live there? Those
beautiful tiger-lilies and big purple passion-flowers bloom so
charmingly, surely there must be something there to enjoy them.”
“Well,” answered the guide, “the birds frequently nest there, and the
great pelicans and cranes hide in it; but beside them there are only
three respectable families that I know of who ever enter it.”
“Who are they?” asked Ethelda, deeply interested at once.
“Why, the first family I mean,” replied the Sun messenger, “is the
Crayfish family. Deep down in the black slime live this family, who
delight in digging and burrowing in the mud. They live in very black
dirt, but a happier family it would be hard to find. They are splendid
little housekeepers, too, and spend most of their mornings in their own
homes, trying to build up and beautify their houses, and they never
meddle with any one else. Any time of day you can see their bright eyes
peering out of their mud windows wonderingly. The Crayfish babies are
very tiny, and are carefully and tenderly watched. They never are
allowed to play with others, and cannot leave their mother’s side a
single minute until they are five years old. Indeed, they hold on to her
sides until that age. By that time they are considered grown, and can
care for themselves and choose their own friends. On this account,
perhaps, the Crayfishes don’t visit much, because with a dozen children
clinging to her the mother is hardly a welcome guest anywhere; the
Crayfishes have few friends in consequence. The Mud-Turtles, I believe,
are about their only callers, and only through them do they occasionally
hear of the outside world.”
“How comical!” laughed a pretty Moon maiden. “Now tell us about the
other families.”
“The head of the other family,” said the guide, “is very interesting
indeed. He is a queer little animal called Opossum; he looks like a rat,
but is larger than a cat. He spends the day lazily, sleeping among the
foliage of trees, or in hollows of their trunks or boughs. His fur is
nearly black, but little white patches about his face give him a most
wise appearance. He brought his family, consisting of a wife and sixteen
small babies, and started housekeeping on the edge of the swamp. The
babies are not as big as mice, but they are the sweetest little furry
things you ever saw. They cuddle up so nicely together, and just wait to
be fed. Of course Mother ’Possum has her hands pretty full watching and
caring for sixteen small children, so it devolves on the father to
provide food for them; and every night he runs around the country
looking for something to eat. He is really a devoted father, but he is
not fond of work; and how to feed a wife and sixteen babies without work
is a very hard problem to solve. So I am sorry to tell you Mr. ’Possum
often steals his food, that being the easiest way to get it, and nothing
appeals to him so strongly as a tender young chicken.
“Now, the third family dwelling in the marsh are the Raccoons. Mrs.
’Possum has a great contempt for this same neighbor of hers, and they
are not on very friendly terms. Mrs. ’Possum is a splendid housekeeper,
but Mrs. Raccoon cares nothing at all about her home. True, she builds
her house carefully in the topmost branches of a tree, but having done
that, she considers her duty ended, and seldom occupies it. ‘Any old
place is good enough to sleep in,’ she says; and just so she can find a
spot with water enough to moisten her food before eating it, she is
content. Therefore she wanders around, with the little Raccoons,
anywhere and everywhere, and when they get tired they just creep under
some old log and go to sleep. Of course Mother ’Possum, with her strict
ideas of housekeeping, thinks this careless habit no way to live or to
bring up children; but whenever Mrs. ’Possum reproaches Mrs. Raccoon
with being a slipshod housekeeper and a gadabout, Mrs. Raccoon
invariably replies, ‘Have you ever noticed how soft and fine my fur is,
and how many beautiful rings I wear on my tail?’—for she is awfully
vain. Then she flourishes her tail around, and whisking about, shows off
the pretty black and white rings she carries, to the best possible
advantage, until Mrs. ’Possum in disgust sends all the little ’Possums
scurrying away, fearing lest they become vain and worldly like the
Raccoons. But with the exception of the Raccoons and the Crayfishes, the
Opossum family own the big yellow and green marsh.”
CHAPTER V
THE RAINBOW SISTERS
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
As the guide messenger told all these tales of the marsh, the Moon
Princess and her companions noticed they were gradually leaving the
southern land; for of course such wonderful beings as Moon Princesses
and messengers of Sun Princesses travel much faster than mortals, and
they were travelling rapidly. They seemed to be in the midst of a
charming forest of long, cool shadows and crystal springs.
“What place is this?” asked Prince Dorion, stopping to admire the long,
cool vista of trees ahead.
“O, this,” replied the guide carelessly,—“this forest was once the abode
of the Rainbow Sisters.”
“Who were they?” innocently inquired a dainty Moon maiden, tripping
lightly along.
“Would you like to hear about them?” asked the guide.
“O, yes,” replied all the Moon maidens in chorus, “do tell us all about
them.”
“Once upon a time, in a charming country, a delightful people lived. The
skies were clear as crystal, and the Sun shone brightly out of them.
Great palm groves grew green and beautiful, and curious flowers sprang
up in marvellous bits of color. There was a strange and fascinating
beauty about this land. Even the rocky hills edging the big broad desert
that stretched for miles away, barren of the smallest green blade of
grass to make them pretty, were not ugly. Yellow as gold they sparkled
in the bright sunshine, rich and mellow against the paler sand beyond.
The country lay near a large blue sea, and through its many cities ran a
splendid shining river. Now, every one of the clear, cool drops of this
smiling stream was precious as diamonds to the people, for, beautiful as
their land was (and it was superb with its splendid mosques and temples
and rich with jewels and carvings), it lacked one thing that the rest of
the world enjoyed,—never a drop of rain fell there.
“For more years than you could count, the trees and the flowers had
never tasted a cool sweet drink from the skies. The heavens were always
blue and clear, for the Sun shone brilliantly out of them every day.
Sometimes a cloud might form, but if it did, it floated by white as the
foam on the sea, never dark or black.
“Now, you may think that golden sunshine and blue skies are very lovely
things to possess, but the people tired of having them all the time.
They felt that a nice shower of rain occasionally, even if it came out
of an ugly black cloud, would be better than all the pink and violet and
green shades of their clear heavens. The only thing that saved their
trees and their gardens from burning up as in the dry heat of the
desert, and that gave them water, was the glorious big river flowing by.
No wonder, then, they loved and prized its drops. Broad and long, it ran
through the country, and curled in silver splashes about the banks.
Twice every year it overflowed, and then, with feasting and joy, they
caught it in pools and canals dug to hold and preserve the precious
liquid. In this way they kept the gardens green and lovely, but oh, the
work was so hard! Thousand of poor slaves labored day and night to
accomplish it. The kind-hearted king offered a big reward to any one who
would devise some way to make rain fall in his country, and many wise
men spent days and nights studying over the great question. Big trees
were planted to catch and draw the moisture, and many other means were
tried, but in spite of all these doings the clouds sailed by, as fleecy
and white as snow.
“So things went on for many years, and still no rain ever came. Now, the
king had an only son, to whom he was perfectly devoted. The child was
very beautiful, and was also wise, as a prince should be. It was a
common thing to see the handsome little fellow standing in the midst of
a grave council of men, listening to their words of wisdom. He never
seemed to tire of their long discussions, and would remain, solemn and
silent, among them, instead of playing with the children about him. Thus
he grew in wisdom and strength to manhood, but he was seldom seen at the
court balls and festivals, preferring to wander about among the
beautiful mosques of his father’s city, or to stand on one of their
daintily carved minarets and gaze across the yellow sands of the desert.
Often he would remain thus for hours, and though his eyes were looking
far out over the appalling yet wonderful beauty of the desert, his
thoughts were always only of how he might solve the riddle of his
country, and bring it the cool drops of rain it so earnestly wanted.
This one idea absorbed him utterly, he could think literally of nothing
else, for he noticed with sorrow how terribly hard his father’s slaves
toiled to carry the precious water from the river when they tilled the
ground.
“One day, shortly after he was grown, he was sitting beneath the shadow
of a great pyramid, and was planning and musing on the one question
always uppermost in his mind. The day was warm; the desert around him
shimmered in a golden haze. The yellow hills were so bright beneath the
noonday sun that his eyes fairly ached as he watched them, and it was a
relief to turn from their glittering lights toward the cool, flowing
river, and watch a fringe of feathery, waving palms. ‘Oh, for the dark
shadow of a cloud,’ he murmured, ‘to soften all this glare!’
[Illustration: “_They circled together, dressed in the vivid colors of
the rainbow._”
(Page 57)]
“He had not spoken aloud, and yet he heard a musical sound as though in
answer to his wish. He turned quickly, and saw a wonderful sight. The
desert had disappeared, and he was looking into a shadowy green forest,
with crystal springs. Clear, limpid streams of water ran through the
woods, and beautiful flowers were blooming. Farther along in the
distance he saw a big mountain, dark and gray, and yet all about its
sides grew pretty green ferns. Looking closely, he observed that there
was an opening in its side, and through this opening came the music of a
flute. As he watched more closely he saw a lovely maiden come slowly
forth. She was dressed in a brilliant gown of orange color, and her
flowing robes floated softly about her. Her hair hung in waves of gold,
and on her forehead flashed a beautiful star. In her hand she carried a
wand, but the wand was so curious that he forgot the beauty of the
maiden in noticing it. It was long and slender, and seemed to be made of
pure gold and laden with jewels; but it was not this wealth of
glistening gold that attracted him, it was a curious cloud of white mist
that curled and floated away from it each time that she waved it aloft.
He had never seen anything so peculiar before. Each white cloud that
floated away nestled among the hollow places in the hills like a thin
veil, or hovered over the babbling streams in the forest. While he was
watching the mysterious cloudlets from the magical wand, a second
maiden, more beautiful than the first, followed, dressed in a pale blue
gown, and having, like the first, a brilliant star on her forehead. She
also carried a jewel-laden wand, and it sent forth similar mysterious
white clouds. Then came a third, dressed in a brilliant red; and
another, in soft green; and still another, in charming violet; and so
on, until seven beautiful creatures stood together, dressed in the seven
vivid colors of the rainbow. They formed a ring, and slowly moved
together in a circle about an open space before the mountain. Lightly
stepping, thus they danced, always in a circle, and always gazing
intently toward the opening in the mountain through which they had come.
“Presently, as they gazed expectantly, Prince Asgard saw coming toward
them the most exquisite creature he had ever beheld. She was tall and
slender, and her graceful form seemed to dance along rather than walk.
She was dressed in some soft, clinging material of pure white, shading
to a glittering silver, and the girdle confining her waist looked like a
bit of the blue sky itself, it was so dainty. Her hair was like that of
the other maidens, and looked like spun gold, and it was so fine that it
glistened wonderfully as she moved. Her slippers were pale blue, and
embroidered with silver threads. A brilliant star on each slipper
flashed like a big diamond as she danced along. A tiny golden crown held
her hair in place, and seven glittering stars encircled her head. Her
wand was of frosted silver, and as she waved it, the soft vapor rolled
away in white clouds, as it did before the wands of the other maidens.
As she appeared, the seven other maidens broke into a song of gladness,
singing in a clear, high tone these words:—
Little Sister, fair and dear,
Born of seven colors clear,
Welcome! In our round of pleasure
You’re to us the dearest treasure;
Out into the world we’ll send
Mist and clouds of white that blend.
The silver maid replied, singing:—
Dearest sisters of my race,
I come forth to your embrace;
Faithful, tender, always true,
Shall my love be unto you.
Then they all danced a wonderful dance while singing together:—
Let the foaming clouds on high
Fall in raindrops from the sky;
Let the lightning’s fire flash,
Come, with thunder’s awful crash!
Let the cooling rains thus sink,
Giving earth her crystal drink!
“As they moved together in graceful steps and in perfect rhythm to the
music of the song, Prince Asgard saw a wonderful arch or bow form across
the cloudlets that had arisen from their wands. It was a magnificent
rainbow, and each of the seven distinct colors was matched in shade by a
dress worn by one of the maidens. Their flowing draperies blended
bewitchingly and mixed together in pretty confusion as they danced,
making thus a complete circle of rainbow colors. It was an exquisite
sight, and the Prince marvelled at it, and wondered what it all meant.
Presently the maiden who had first appeared, and who seemed to be the
eldest and the leader of the sisters, waved her wand aloft and
approached the silver maid, and taking her hand, led her into the middle
of the circle. The circle then formed again, and continued dancing
around the little white Princess. For several minutes they danced; then
each in turn, beginning with the eldest, tenderly clasped the silver
maiden in her arms and kissed her on the brow, and then ran lightly into
the opening in the side of the mountain.
“The silver maid stood one moment longer, smiling and lovingly watching
her sisters, then she, too, tripped lightly toward the mountain, as
though to follow them. But, as if a sudden thought had come to her, she
turned abruptly and glided toward Prince Asgard. His heart was beating
with excitement as he watched her, and he held his breath with
admiration, for he had never seen any one before so wondrously
beautiful.
“In a moment she was beside him, and he noticed her eyes were sparkling
and blue as the girdle she wore.
“‘O, Prince of the Southern Lands,’ she began, in musical tones, ‘you
have witnessed the dance of the Rainbow Sisters—a sight forbidden to
mortals. We live in an enchanted mountain in the heart of a great
forest. Our mother is the beautiful Sea Foam, whom you have often
watched in her white dress upon the ocean. We help our mother with her
work, but our home is in the deep recesses of these lovely woods. Never
before has a mortal eye seen these woods nor witnessed our sacred dance
in them. From our magical wands float out the mists to form the
cloud-world. Upward they travel, gathering moisture as they go, and
floating across the blue heavens, they fall again in refreshing rain
upon the earth. But our precious mist-clouds never fall in your country.
We will never send them there again unless, unless—’ and she hesitated
in the most charming and provoking manner in the world.
“‘Unless what, O beautiful Princess of the Silver Gown?’ eagerly asked
the Prince.
“‘Alas, that I may not tell you,’ replied the little Princess, growing
grave. ‘This only may I add: Once, in the long ago, your people did a
great wrong, and were very rude to my sisters. It was their custom then
to dance publicly, once a year. Always, your people gathered to watch
them, and with pleasure my sisters danced before them, and with their
magical wands they sent out the mist-clouds far and wide. Refreshing
rain fell in your midst then as elsewhere, and everything was joyous and
charming. But your people were rude and offended my sisters sorely, and
never again will they visit you or dance before mortals. All your
methods to bring rain into your country will fail, your schemes will
come to naught, and until my sisters relent and forgive, the clouds will
continue to sail across your blue skies as white as the flecks of foam
on the sea.’
“‘Never shall the rain fall in my country?’ echoed the young man sadly.
‘Never? Then, O beautiful Princess,’ he added despondently, ‘shall I
never see you again?’ For at that moment the Prince forgot his great
problem, how to bring rain to his country, and thought only (with a
heavy heart) that he would lose sight of the little Princess of the
Silver Dress.
“‘Never, O Prince,’ replied the Princess gravely, ‘unless—’ then she
smiled suddenly, showing her teeth like gleaming pearls between her red
lips,—‘never unless you find us again, and—’
“‘And what?’ the Prince demanded earnestly.
“‘Alas,’ replied the silver maid, again grave, ‘I cannot tell you. There
is one thing alone that might cause them to return to your country, but
it seems so impossible, that it will never happen, I am sure; and
beside, I cannot tell you what it is.’
“‘O,’ replied the Prince earnestly, ‘I will find it out. No obstacle on
earth will prove too hard, and you may be sure nothing will prevent my
finding you, beautiful Princess.’
“‘I wish you success,’ sweetly replied the Silver Princess, and then, as
she spoke these words, she blushed a vivid crimson.
“She was so beautiful as she stood thus before him, blushing and smiling
at the same time, that the Prince, falling on his knees, begged her to
give him a sign by which he might hope to see her again and win her
love.
“She tore off a piece of her blue girdle, and dropping it on the earth,
put her foot lightly upon it. ‘I leave you a flower,’ she said, ‘may it
comfort you. Forget me not’; and saying this, she disappeared.
“The Prince rubbed his eyes, for as she vanished he found himself again
gazing at the feathery green palms across the big river, and looking
around, found the yellow desert stretching in boundless sands to meet
the horizon. The forest, the mountain, all had gone. But as he turned
away from the great tawny hills in despair, he saw at his feet a tiny
bit of blue. Stooping, he picked up the prettiest flower he had ever
seen. It was as blue as the silver maid’s eyes, and as he held it to his
lips he repeated her words, ‘Forget me not’; and since that day the
little flower has always been called the forget-me-not.
“Now, as Prince Asgard went home he pondered deeply on what he had seen,
and gaining the consent of his father and the wise men of the country,
he gathered together a great army and started out into the world in
quest of the unknown princesses. No person believed he would succeed in
finding the Rainbow Sisters or in bringing rain into the country. The
story of the Rainbow Maidens was well known to the wise men, but they
counted it a myth, a fairy tale, and they smiled among themselves when
they heard that Prince Asgard believed it firmly. But they did not
object to his trying: it would do no harm; and in the meanwhile they
would still study and devise other methods.
“Prince Asgard said good-bye to his father and the people, and at the
head of a great army sparkling in gold and silver helmets and shields,
he started on his journey. He was going to look for the Rainbow Sisters
because his country needed rain, yet in his heart he knew it was because
of love for the youngest and prettiest of those sisters that he was so
eagerly searching.
“The army travelled everywhere throughout the world. By sea and by land
they went, and they had many wonderful adventures. Tigers and wolves,
bears and panthers, attacked them, and strange people told them they
were on a foolish quest, but they did not heed such remarks, and
continued on their way. But after several years had passed, and they
seemed no nearer the Rainbow Mountain, the soldiers became discontented,
and said it was a foolish trip after all, and begged to be allowed to
return to their own homes. The strange countries through which they
passed taught them much, and they often saw rain and splendid storms;
yet when some of their fine ships were wrecked and lost at sea, many of
them felt that perhaps it was pleasanter after all to be in a country
where only sand-storms of the desert were known. One by one the soldiers
were released by Prince Asgard from their promises; they returned to
their homes, and at last the Prince was entirely alone. But he was not
discouraged. Determined and brave, he vowed he would never give up the
search, and he started out again with renewed courage to find the
beautiful Princess of the Silver Dress.
“He wandered many months, but without success. At last one night he
stood, almost despairing, on the edge of a dark forest. He had just made
up his mind that he would live and die in a foreign country, because he
would never go back to his own home until he found the Silver Princess.
‘O beautiful Princess,’ he said aloud, ‘some way I shall find you and
prevail upon you to marry me, for I can never be happy without you’; and
yet as he said it, it seemed to him almost an impossibility.
“He entered the forest and sat down within its gloomy depths to rest a
while. The Moon was just rising, and in a little while her bright rays
penetrated the black density of the trees. Little patches of silver lay
along the ground, and a light wind stirring the trees made the silver
rays dance along, until the earth seemed sprinkled with millions of
shining jewels. He was watching the pretty sight intently, for it made
him think of the dress of silver that the little Princess wore. He was
so absorbed that he was considerably startled when he heard a musical
sound such as he had heard on the edge of the desert.
“Looking up quickly, he beheld, to his amazement and joy, the same big
mountain, and heard the rippling waters of the crystal streams flowing
over the rocks. He could hardly breathe, he was so excited, and so
fearful lest it should prove a dream.
“But again the beautiful sister emerged as before. Her magical wand sent
forth its cloud-vapors as she danced forward; again the other lovely
maidens followed, and again they formed a ring of rainbow brilliancy.
The Prince sat expectant and trembling. Would the Silver Princess
appear? A moment more and the little Princess tripped out, more
beautiful than ever. Her silver dress gleamed and sparkled in shining
light as she floated forward. Her eyes were tender and blue, and her
dainty girdle, with its touch of color, bound her slender waist. Her
lovely arms shone white and firm through the thin gauze of her dress.
Butterflies floated about her, airy, exquisite things, marvellous in
color, and lighting on her hair and shoulders, gave a curiously
beautiful touch to the picture.
“Her sisters greeted her lovingly and tenderly, as before, and they then
began their graceful and mysterious dance. Clouds of vapor rolled about
them as they moved, until the forest was enveloped in a misty veil; but
through it all the dazzling dresses and graceful forms could be plainly
seen. Then, as the dancing drew to a close, the rainbow circle shining
lovely through the mist, the seven dancers, each in turn, stooped, and
clasping the Silver Princess in their arms, kissed her caressingly.
“Prince Asgard remembered with an aching heart that this parting kiss
was a signal for their disappearance, and fearing he might lose the
beauteous maid again, he darted forward impulsively. He hardly knew what
he intended to do; he had formed no idea beyond the fact that he would
speak to her, appeal to her to remain by his side. At the moment he
sprang forward there was a fearful cry from the seven sisters, and
turning, they fled to the mountain side, urging the Silver Princess to
follow. She stood dismayed, and trembling in every limb, and then, with
a little low cry of terror, she followed swiftly. But whether she was
confused or frightened, she stumbled as she ran, and fell upon the
earth.
“At that moment Prince Asgard reached her side and lifted her gently to
her feet. She turned so pale as he assisted her that he held her for a
moment in his arms to support her, fearing she would faint, and
anxiously asked if she were ill.
“‘Alas, no,’ she replied, as she drew away from him, ‘but you have done
a very terrible thing.’
“At that moment a sad and mournful cry arose from the heart of the
mountain, and the seven sisters floated out slowly and surrounded the
Silver Princess. She threw herself on her knees before them, but they
did not touch her. It seemed as though they feared to do so. She
implored them to touch her with their hands, to kiss her, but they only
sang a sad refrain in answer to her prayers.
Little sister, mortal now,
Alas, we cannot kiss your brow.
Still for ever shall abide
In your sky a rainbow guide;
And the love we have for you
Now and always shall be true.
Then, tenderly kissing their hands to her, they floated off and
disappeared in the mist.
“‘What does it mean?’ said Asgard tenderly, lifting the Silver Princess
from her knees. ‘Why are you so unhappy? I love you with all my heart,
little Princess. Will you not consent to marry me? Ask your sisters to
spare you, for I cannot live without you.’
“‘Alas,’ she replied, ‘my sisters have gone for ever from my sight. When
you first touched me I became a mortal like you, and I cannot now return
to them.’
“‘O, little Princess, do not be sad,’ replied the Prince, ‘for you have
made me so happy by remaining. Surely you will not refuse now to marry
me?’
“‘No,’ replied the Silver Princess, smiling through her tears. ‘I am an
earth maiden now, and I love you. But though I am happy to be with you,
I am sorry to lose them. Our dear mother warned them that some day I
would love a mortal, and they have feared you since the night I spoke to
you in the desert. That was the condition I could not tell you,’ she
added shyly. ‘Your touch would make me mortal, and as you lifted me in
your arms when I fell, I became an earth maiden and lost my fairy
nature. But you have solved the riddle of your country, for when we
enter it together, you will find that rain will follow. My sisters love
me dearly, and for my sake will forgive your people. They will follow me
to my new home, and though we shall never see them again, the reflection
from their brilliant dresses will glow in the sky. As the rainbow, they
will arch the heavens when we arrive, to show me they are near to
welcome us.’ And sure enough, when Prince Asgard and the beautiful
maiden of the silver dress (who was called Hyndla) entered the land of
lotus flowers and acacias, they saw, arching the heavens, a magnificent
rainbow.
“The people greeted them with cries of joy, and gave them a magnificent
wedding, for they were grateful to Princess Hyndla and her seven
sisters, and they had learned all about her in messages from Prince
Asgard. On the day he and the Princess Hyndla appeared, a great white
cloud hovering over the city suddenly turned black, and fell in millions
of sparkling drops upon their fields, and the splendid rainbow soon
afterward arched the skies.
“The Princess Hyndla grew more beautiful each day, and as she was wise
as she was charming, you may be sure her husband loved her dearly.
Together they planted row after row of handsome trees to remind them of
Hyndla’s forest home; those green trees brought cool shadows, and when
the clouds floated low to kiss them, the broad branches caught and held
the moisture. Ever after, rain frequently fell in the land.
“Years later, when the children of Hyndla and Asgard were old enough,
they played in the palace gardens, and romped merrily beneath those same
shade trees, and sometimes they whispered lovingly to each other the
romantic story of their beautiful mother and her rainbow sisters.”
CHAPTER VI
HOW THE SUN PRINCESS CAME TO THE EARTH
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
“Oh, how charming the Rainbow Sisters must be!” said Ethelda, “and how I
love to hear you tell these wonderful stories of the Earth! Do you know
any more?”
“Yes,” replied the guide, smiling, “a good many more, but what would you
like to hear about?”
“Won’t you tell us of how the Sun Princess happened to come to this
world?” interrupted a dainty little Moon maiden; “I really have never
heard it exactly, and as we are going to visit her, perhaps Princess
Ethelda will let us all hear about it?”
“Most willingly,” replied Ethelda; “I know the wonderful story almost by
heart, of course, but I never tire of it,” she added, looking tenderly
at Prince Dorion the while.
So the guide, with this permission, began:—
“In the Land of the Sun there was once a Palace of Wisdom, where all the
science in the universe could be studied. Of course this Palace of
Wisdom became very famous. Far and wide it was heard of, so that from
all parts came representative young men to study and become wise. Now,
the ruler of the Sun lands was a powerful king, possessing many sons,
but only one daughter, the Princess Kuldah. She was a maiden of
wonderful beauty. Her countenance was so exquisitely lovely, that all
who looked upon her immediately fell in love with her. This caused the
young Princess, as well as her father, great annoyance, because her
suitors became legion. One day, however, with the help of her maidens
she wove a veil of delicate texture, which completely concealed her
features. In this way, she was enabled to go and come throughout her
father’s vast possessions in comparative ease.
“Notwithstanding her great indifference toward her lovers, kings and
princes sought her hand in marriage, but her father (who adored her and
could deny her nothing) was secretly well content that she chose none of
them, but remained always in his dominions with him.
“Tall and of majestic appearance, the Princess Kuldah looked the
daughter of the Sun King. Her eyes were brown and large, with brilliant
lights within, and her curling brown hair, falling below her waist, had
caught a little of the golden fire of the Sun. Her gleaming white teeth
looked like pretty little pearls when she smiled. Indeed, she was a
queenly sight as she drove in her handsome chariot toward the Fire
Mountains.
“These mountains were a great range of gorgeous-hued stones, piled very
high. Rising in blazing splendor, they perpetually sent forth their red
beams in dazzling streams of light across the Sun country. But the heat
and glare of her home—which would have burned and killed an earth
maiden—were but life-giving elements to the Sun Princess. She loved the
glitter of her country, and no glare seemed too great for her. The
palace where she dwelt was built of the brightest, yellowest gold to be
found, and she moved through it a splendid vision of beauty.
“Her favorite ride was toward the Fire Mountains. One morning as she
drove the fiery steeds toward their flaming heights her horses became
unmanageable. Pull as she would, she could not control them; they went
like the wind at his greatest fury. She had outrun all her companions in
her mad race, and she was in the most imminent danger of being killed.
At this critical moment there arose in her path a tall and handsome
young man. The horses were as startled as the young Princess at this
sudden appearance, and for a moment, in alarm, slackened their speed. It
was in this second of hesitation that the young man leaped into the
chariot beside Kuldah, and snatched the reins from her hands. It took
but a few moments of his great strength to subdue the enraged animals
completely, and in a little while they were trotting along quietly, as
if nothing had happened.
“Then of course the grateful Princess turned to thank her preserver. In
her excitement (when she had lost control of the horses), she had thrown
back her veil, and the young man found himself steadily gazing into her
beautiful countenance. Strive as he would, he could not resist the love
that surged in his heart as he looked upon her. But although he was
falling in love rapidly, he had heard too much of the haughty Princess’s
coldness and indifference to feel sure of winning her. He guessed at
once it was she, because he had heard she was the loveliest being in the
Sun world, but he determined he would not yield to her influence and
become one of her suitors. The Princess’s own feelings, when she looked
at the young man, surprised her very much. He was so modest and
dignified, and withal so handsome and charming, that she could not help
wondering who he was. He was certainly not one of her suitors, for she
had never seen him before. This young man, too, seemed quite indifferent
to her attractions, and talked to her very seriously about driving her
horses, and showed her how to manage the reins in case they tried to run
away again. She might have been just a plain girl for all the admiration
he showed. At first this indifference pleased her; later she rebelled a
little against it.
“She learned he was a young Prince who had been studying in the Palace
of Wisdom. This astonished her still more, for although he had been in
her country some time he had never sought her out at all. He had come to
the land of the Sun to study its fire and flame, and he was evidently
absorbed only in that study. The Princess was so astonished to learn all
these facts, and to observe his indifference to her famous beauty (which
was proved by his not seeking her hand in marriage), that she forgot to
lower her veil, and sat talking to him much longer than she otherwise
would have done. Finally remembering, she covered her face, but not
before she had asked him to call at the palace and let her father thank
him properly for having saved her life.
“The young man secretly determined he would not accept her invitation,
for he had already learned to love her, and feared the usual fate of her
suitors. However, when the hour approached the next day he could not
resist the temptation to see once more the lovely Princess; after that
he found many excuses to call, and managed each day to see her.
“But the wonderful part of it all was, that Kuldah took as much pleasure
in his company as he did in hers. So later, when he asked her to marry
him she said yes, right on the spot, fearing to delay, lest he might go
off and become as indifferent as he was at first, and never come back
again.
“He was very happy when she said yes, and thus far everything had gone
very smoothly for them both; but when they went in to see the old King
their troubles began. Kuldah was wreathed in smiles, and Prince Minio
looked very happy and proud. The old King, who had never supposed for
one minute that his daughter would accept any man,—having refused so
many,—had one day rashly promised all the suitors that, if she ever made
a choice, they should each have a fair chance to win her. This, of
course, was the cause of the lovers’ trouble now. The Princess was
indignant that her father should have made such a promise about her. She
considered herself free to choose for herself. So she stormed and wept
about it as only a Sun Princess could do, and declared she would never,
never marry any man but the man she loved.
“But her old father, who was so indulgent and yielding with her usually,
remained firm in his decision, and said he could not break a promise
once made, for that would not be honorable. Therefore, the very next day
he announced to everybody that a contest in skill and science should
take place between the suitors for her hand. The Princess was very
unhappy, of course, during the days that followed, but Prince Minio
cheered her by saying he felt equal to winning her in a fair contest.
His love was far greater than that of the others, and therefore he felt
assured he would learn a way to win her for his bride in spite of them
all.
“When the great day for the contest came, a large gathering of the
suitors was held in an open field at the foot of the Fire Mountains.
They were a fine and noble company of young men who contended for
Kuldah’s hand, and her father said she should have felt proud and glad
at such a sight. But she was too sad to feel proud. She had dressed as
became a Sun Princess, and her gown was of finely spun gold, embroidered
in diamonds. Her white arms and throat gleamed through the thin gauze
dress, and a girdle of diamonds encircled her slender waist. From her
shoulders fell a train, which swept for yards behind her, and a narrow
gold band held her beautiful hair in place. For her hair hung about her
in loose masses, falling far below her waist, and mingling its
burnt-gold color with that of her brilliant dress, so that one could
hardly tell where one ended and the other began. As she stood she looked
like a golden Princess, except that her face was as pale as the fleecy
clouds overhead.
“In her majestic beauty she let them kneel and kiss her hand. Each one,
as he touched her hand, swore in turn to be faithful and true to the
knight who should win her, but each one believed secretly he himself
would be the winner. Then began the tournament of skill. One showed how
he could ride; another how he could mount and dismount, or how he could
unhorse an enemy; a third used the gloves or the sword with wonderful
dexterity; another engaged in a trial of strength, or swiftness in
running; and so on until the long list was completed.
“It seemed to the Princess, as she watched in despair their wonderful
deeds, that there was nothing left for her beloved even to attempt. The
suitors had all done such marvellous things; and her heart ached within
her when she learned from one of her handmaidens that her lover was the
last to appear on the lists. Yet, when he did step forth, calm and
serene, her heart leaped again to her throat, her confidence returned;
for he looked strong and handsome, and it was only with pride and
pleasure she gazed upon him. She leaned forward with a smiling face to
listen to his words, for he was speaking.
“‘O mighty King of the Sun,’ he was saying. ‘I have one request to make
of you before beginning my experiment. If successful in what I
undertake, I want your consent to take the Princess away with me from
the Sun lands. What I shall try to accomplish to-day is but the
beginning of a great problem I wish to work out. It may take thousands
of years to complete, and I wish to live in a land of my own choosing,
that I may be able to accomplish it.’
“The Sun King, astonished at these words, hesitated to grant such a
remarkable request, but the Princess threw herself at her father’s feet,
and added her pleadings to the Prince’s. Finally the Sun King
reluctantly consented; but the other suitors smiled broadly among
themselves, as they heard the words, for no matter what the Prince might
do they believed he never could show more skill or wisdom than they had
already displayed.
“Having bowed smilingly to the King and kissed Kuldah’s hand, Prince
Minio turned to his competitors and said: ‘I have made a close study of
the Sun’s fire, and I am convinced that, no matter where this fire is
sent, it will continue to burn and hold its remarkable glint and its
quickening power. It will never be extinguished, but glow brilliantly
for ever. Therefore, my experiment in skill to-day shall be made from it
alone; it will serve my purpose better than anything else.’ So saying,
he picked up a huge bowlder from the Fire Mountain nearest him. The
stone was so big that it seemed impossible for any one to lift it. But
the Prince gathered it up in his arms with a terrific effort, and
balancing it perfectly threw it far out into the heavens. It bounded
away and rolled into space with tremendous force, making a whirring
noise as it dashed along. Again and again he lifted out the big rocks
and tossed them off in the distance. It seemed as if he would never tire
of this remarkable exhibition of strength. Hundreds and thousands of the
brilliantly burning stones went whizzing through space, before the eyes
of the astonished spectators. Yet he continued, calmly throwing more and
more stones, until the heavens fairly gleamed with millions of burning
lights. Thus were the star fires first kindled, and they were truly a
magnificent sight, even to the Sun people, accustomed as they were to
splendid spectacles.
“As the Prince predicted, the stars have never lost their brilliancy,
the Sun’s power to warm and enliven all creatures has proved very strong
and lasting, and those splendid, flaming signals light the
turquoise-blue skies every night, even to this day.
“Finally, Prince Minio selected with great care seven superb stones,
even brighter than the rest, and threw them not quite so far from the
Sun. In this way they felt the Sun’s influence more strongly; though
they flew to a good distance they always revolved about their old home.
Whizzing and whirling continually, yet never flying away from the Sun,
they appeared to the spectators to be the prettiest of all the stars in
the sky. Then the Prince, turning to the Princess, who was bewildered
with the joy of his brilliant success, bade her choose from the seven
stars the one that should be their home. She chose what she thought the
loveliest of all the seven, and they named it the Earth!
“The old King unhesitatingly pronounced Prince Minio the victor. For he
acknowledged that, beside the great strength the Prince had displayed in
lifting the stones from Fire Mountain, the Sun people had never before
witnessed such a glorious sight as the star-studded heavens; and even
the suitors, though much disappointed, consented in a manly way that he
should take Princess Kuldah as his bride, saying he had fairly won her.
“Shortly afterward a marriage of magnificence and splendor followed, and
Prince Minio and his charming wife came to the Earth to spend many
years. The Earth, owing allegiance to the Sun, never loses sight of him,
and though she continues to rush through space at a terrible rate, yet
the Sun King always sees her.
“Out of the white mist on the Earth came trooping a wonderful band of
little creatures to greet the Sun people. They were very tiny; their
skirts of silver glistened like the moonlight, and their jewelled wands
sparkled like the dew. These little creatures were fairies, and ever
after dwelt among the Earth children, helping to beautify the world.
They wander about us in the moonshine and are sometimes caught in the
mist, but they can never come out in the sunlight. One of the laws in
Fairyland is to be in bed before the dawn. From dusk until dawn the
fairies lead a gay life. They hold their revels, they dance, and they
travel the world over, frolicking like mad sometimes, but only the
Moon’s white light shines on their silver dresses.
“Many other charming people adopted the Earth as their home, for it was
beautiful to live upon. The Sun Princess and her husband did not object
to others coming to their home at all, only, as the strangers came in
great numbers, they finally decided to set apart a great space for
themselves alone. They reserved, therefore, a charming bit of country
for the Prince’s workshop, otherwise there would have been so many
interruptions Prince Minio could never hope to accomplish his scientific
work. Charming as the Earth people were, they interfered with the
Prince’s heart’s desire. Therefore, he and his friends from the Sun
chose a wonderful valley which lay in the heart of a great range of
mountains. The valley covered many miles of ground, and it had the most
sublime scenery in the world. Rivers ran through it, and big mountains
rose suddenly in its midst. Small silver lakes also shone like crystal
mirrors. Wonderful springs abounded there; boiling water came out of
one, while from the next shot up cool and deliciously sparkling drops.
They called the bubbling, spouting springs geysers, and people come from
all over the world to see and study them.
“After the Sun people had reserved the country, the Earth people never
remained long on that spot; they recognized the law and accepted it,
only making short visits to the marvellous place. Sometimes, if one
mortal, more daring than the rest, determined to live there, and built
him a house, he was promptly punished, for the fairies at once opened a
geyser directly under the carefully chosen home and destroyed it
entirely. So this beautiful valley of yellow stones and brilliant lights
and rushing waters is left to the Sun Princess and her people. It is
certainly a valley of enchantment, for it is never very cold and never
very hot there, but is an ideal workshop for a Prince. The geysers and
boiling pools are just the escaping gas and steam of his big furnaces;
for the fires in his furnaces under the earth are kept burning day and
night. It is all very mysterious. In one part he has a big hot lake, and
in another an ice-cold one. The cold lake is shaped like a human hand,
and near it is a big fountain that dashes up clouds of white spray,
hundreds of feet high, flecking the green surface of the water with
foam.
“Nothing can be more beautiful than this enchanted valley. The fairies
are busy beautifying it all the time. They have painted the colors of
the rainbow in the rocks, and the great canyon looks now as if millions
of jewels were piled up there. For it is a bewildering mass of color.
Amethyst, topaz, and emerald tints sparkle everywhere, and when the
sunshine pours down on it you feel as if all the wealth of the world
must be hidden in the rocks, for they sparkle like diamonds and rubies.
As the years go on the valley grows more beautiful, for the Sun Prince
and his bride watch it by day,—and of course as the fairies have charge
at night it is never neglected.
“When the Sun Prince has finished his great labors and solved his
problem, of course, he will close his workshop, and with his lovely
bride go back to their home in the Golden Palace of the Sun. But until
then his workshop fires will burn. The geysers and fountains will spout
up great volumes of water and steam, making the valley one of the
wonders of the world. And all the Earth mortals who go there will be
made welcome by the fairies.”
CHAPTER VII
THE STORY OF THE JEWELLED BEACH
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
“Do you wonder that I love the story?” said Princess Ethelda, as the
guide finished.
“Oh,” replied the Moon maidens, almost in one voice, “it is an
enchanting history, indeed.”
“See,” replied the guide messenger, pointing in the distance to a high
mountain, “beyond that mountain lies the Beautiful Valley of which I
have just told you.”
In a little while the merry party had reached the mountain top, and
stood gazing in a bewilderment of pleasure at the wonderful valley
below. Exquisite lakes and shining silver rivers lay beneath; beautiful
hills stretched away in the distance; and the glorious colors in the
rocks, which the fairies had painted so vividly, reflected the pinks and
yellows in a growing radiance that lighted up the whole valley in
splendor. Innumerable rays flashed out in little threadlike flames,
flooding the world below in a blaze of color.
“How magnificent it is!” exclaimed the visitors; and the guide was well
pleased with their admiration.
I could never describe to you properly the entertainments that followed
their arrival, nor the joy of Dorion and Ethelda in meeting the
beautiful Sun Princess. Princess Kuldah was as beautiful as ever, and
spared no pains to make her brother and his bride and their companions
welcome. The Prince, her husband, showed them his wonderful workshop,
and they marvelled over the geysers, and listened with awe to the
description of his great problem.
The days seemed all too short, and the guests were surprised when the
time for their departure arrived. The feasting and dancing and
sight-seeing were at last ended in the valley of enchantment; one
glorious morning they rose with the Sun, and bidding good-bye to
Princess Kuldah and her people, started to meet the black dwarf of the
mountains. The same guide would accompany them to the place where they
were to meet him. The Princess saw none of them felt much desire to go;
Ethelda was particularly downcast, still she bore up bravely, and with a
smiling face she began the journey.
Although Ethelda and her companions were charmed with the splendors of
the deep, they were still more impressed with delight over the new
beauties they discovered upon the land. They had seen the glittering
mountains of the Moon and the fiery craters of the Sun, and had wondered
at such magnificence, but the Earth’s fresh coloring was a revelation.
And the Earth had decked herself right royally to receive them. The
month was April, and the world, rioting in flowers, was aflame with
color. The poppies, yellow and scarlet, burst forth from the meadows’
tenderest green. The white petalled, yellow centred daisies came out in
thousands to greet them, while the roses, pink and white and red,
flashed everywhere. The trees, too, dressed in the earliest Spring
green, nodded and waved their long branches in a glad welcome, and the
tiny wood violet, modest and sweet, sent forth its perfumed breath in
waves of delight, filling the air with sweetness.
“Wonderful—wonderful!” cried Ethelda, throwing herself in an ecstasy of
pleasure upon the soft greensward, and gathering handfuls of the flowers
to weave into garlands. “I should like to live here always,” she said.
The Sun Prince shared his bride’s delight, but he whispered cautiously:
“Take care, sweetheart. Remember a Moon maiden and a Sun Prince can only
visit for a twelvemonth. A longer stay would be dangerous; it would keep
us here for ever.”
“O, yes,” answered Ethelda; “I was hardly in earnest when I spoke, for I
could not leave my beloved mother sorrowing. Yet I am very happy here.”
Days of pleasure passed, on the journey. Days of wonderment too. When
the strangers saw how the small seed planted in the ground—warmed by the
sun and watered by the rain—throve and became a tiny blade of grass, a
delicate flower, or a magnificent tree, this seemed a miracle to them,
for nothing ever grows out of the soil of the Moon or the Sun.
One day as they stood on the top of a high mountain they saw a very
strange sight. A great sea lay shining in the distance, sparkling and
glittering in gold and blue. It washed the shores of magnificent valleys
and rich gardens. Fruits and flowers grew in abundance, but the strange
sight lay in the fact that the valleys and fruit gardens stretching out
so broadly suddenly stopped at a line of yellow sand,—stopped so
abruptly that it seemed almost a straight line, it was so clean cut,—and
the sand covered hundreds and hundreds of miles of the Earth.
“How queer it looks!” they said among themselves; “not a blade of grass,
not a tree, on the barren waste! We have never seen anything like it
before. What is it?”
“It will take two stories to explain that wonderful view lying before
us,” replied the guide.
“Oh, do tell them!” cried the Moon people in chorus; “we love stories”;
and they settled themselves to listen.
“Well,” began the guide, “the first relates to the Princess Ethelda.”
“To me?” asked the Princess in astonishment.
“Yes,” answered the messenger; “look closely at the sea beach and tell
me what you see.”
“Why, great shining jewels seem strewn over the yellow sands,” said the
Princess, perfectly amazed; and in turn each of the Moon people saw the
same.
“Well,” continued the messenger, turning to the Princess, “when her
Imperial Majesty of the Moon consented to your coming to visit the Earth
on your bridal trip, she ordered many wedding presents for you, and in
finishing the loveliest that she gave you, it came about that that beach
was formed. But I will begin the story of the Jewelled Beach.
“The Moon was shining through a turquoise-blue sky. Now and then a baby
cloud passed before her face, but it was so white and airy that it did
not even hide the dazzling lights of her silver palace. One could see
them perfectly well, shining through the handsome windows.
“Serenely beautiful the Moon Queen moved through her star-studded
pathway. She was calm and majestic. As she swung around the celestial
circle that night she leaned down lower to watch the golden gleam of a
small star shining far in the distance. For many reasons that particular
star had occupied her mind of late, and that evening she seemed even
more intent upon it than ever. How beautiful it was! Of all the millions
of glittering points embroidered on the sky, that small one stood out
the brightest. In bold relief its dancing lights sped out over the
heavens in friendly twinkle toward the Moon.
“The Moon Queen smiled to herself as she watched, and then out from the
jewelled windows of her home suddenly leaped a brilliant crystal light
to meet the star rays. From that moment her Imperial Majesty made up her
mind on a subject she had long thought of. Turning to one of her
handmaidens who stood near, she bade her summon the master mechanic of
her empire; when this had been done, and the man stood before her, she
asked, in liquid tones, ‘How many workmen do I employ in the silver
mountains?’
“‘Ah, your Majesty,’ was the reply, ‘you have so many thousands employed
there, that it is almost impossible to say.’
“‘Good,’ replied the Queen thoughtfully, ‘I have sore need of thousands
now. Bid them all meet me to-morrow. Call them together at the
foot-hills of the mountains. Let no man be missing; from the greatest
artist in your shops to the humblest workman, let not a sprite dare to
forget my command!’
“The master mechanic promised obedience, and bowing low left her
presence.
“When the hour arrived that the Queen had named, there gathered at the
foot-hills of the mountains all her little workmen. Thousands and
thousands of tiny sprites were there, and they glittered from head to
toe in shining silver garments; silver dust powdered them until their
clothes looked white as frost, and when they moved their sheen was like
costly jewels. Talking together, they were wondering why the Queen
should have commanded them to meet her at their busiest hour. Except
that she was not fond of idlers, and required prompt and vigorous work
from her people, she was a gentle mistress; but now, when they were
rushing with the wedding presents for the marriage of her favorite
daughter (which was soon to occur), she had called them from their
shops. It surely seemed unwise. All work had ceased, for not a sprite in
all Moonland was missing. What could it mean?
“At last her Majesty appeared. Her great retinue of nobles and
gorgeously dressed maidens accompanied her, and with music and gay
laughter they came nearer. Presently the sprites saw the Queen bid her
attendants stop where they stood, and unaccompanied she approached the
gallant army of her little workmen. She was well worthy the cheers of
admiration that broke from their lips as she neared them. Tall and
magnificent in form, she looked every inch a Queen, yet her bright blue
eyes glowed with a tender light of love, showing a gentle nature, as she
bowed her thanks for their affectionate greetings. Her long, fair hair
floated softly about her, sometimes clinging to her white dress like
threads of gold, and at her slender waist was gathered a graceful silver
girdle, caught with a diamond crescent. At last, in all her splendor,
she stood among them, and as she raised her hand asking for silence,
absolute silence fell upon them.
“‘My good and loyal subjects,’ she began, ‘I have come to-day to intrust
you with an important but secret work. No one in all the kingdom save
yourselves must know of it. When all is completed, I myself will divulge
the secret to my people, and I believe it will gladden them. But until
then will you faithfully promise to help me and to keep my counsel?’
“‘Beloved Queen,’ they answered in one loud voice, ‘your will is ours;
we will obey you gladly.’
“‘Then listen, friends and subjects,’ the Queen continued with smiling
face, ‘for this is my command: That you make me a splendid silver
ladder! Step by step must it be wrought, and with greatest care, for it
must stretch out miles and miles in length. Strong as bands of steel
each round must be, but finer in its texture than the gossamer web of
the spider. Weave it with the fairies’ touch, making it exquisitely
light, yet so bright withal that it can easily be seen for thousands of
miles. Spare neither care nor labor, beloved subjects, for the ladder
must be mine within the week.’
“Days and nights the hammers of the little workmen rang out clearly,
like notes of merry music, and the Moon people said among themselves,
‘What gorgeous wedding presents our little Princess will receive!’ But
they never dreamed of the mysterious ladder of glistening silver steps.
And the Queen Mother kept her counsel. Only, each night as she sailed
across the jewel-laden heavens, she leaned closer to the Earth Star and
studied it.
“She saw great valleys and snow-clad mountains, barren deserts and
limpid blue seas. She saw, too, great forests and boundless plains; but
though her searching eye looked upon every inch of that beautiful bright
ball whirling through space, she thought the loveliest spot on the whole
globe was on the borders of the largest ocean. That ocean was so big
that it measured just one half the star itself. All the other oceans and
the land together could be taken up and put upon its broad blue surface.
“This splendid body of water washed the foot of a glorious country. Big
mountains, raising their purple heads among the clouds, crept down to
feel its cooling depths. Or, higher still, they reared their lofty peaks
and held them scornfully aloft; and thus, capped with perpetual snow,
they stood beautiful and glorified. Great plains stretched back from its
curving yellow beach, and all the fruit one could name grew in the rich
valleys. It was the garden spot of the world. Amid its groves of yellow
oranges and lemons birds sang deliciously; flowers bloomed throughout
the year, and the skies were nearly always sunny. In this earthly
paradise palms lazily waved their feathery green arms, and trees grew so
big that houses could be cut out of a single trunk. Here it was that the
Moon Queen’s eye lingered longest, and it was almost with a child’s
delight she saw the big blue waves roll in and break upon the sand in a
fringe of soft white foam.
“The week had passed, and the Queen’s ladder was ready. One by one its
silver steps were tested; ring by ring its loops were firmly fastened
and bound together; for, dainty as it looked, the ladder must be strong
for constant use.
“When all was ready the sprites were cautiously sent with it on a secret
mission to the Earth. None but the Moon Queen knew their errand; but she
smiled to herself, for after all, when completed, it was to be a wedding
present and surprise to her favorite daughter.
“Down from the palace crept the little people, carrying their silver
treasure. The night being dark, they reached the Earth without being
discovered. In a little while they found the ocean beach the Queen so
loved,—for it was here the first jewelled rounds of that sparkling
ladder should be laid. By the soft light of the stars, the sprites saw
that the Earth was very beautiful; but what were those queer, sad sounds
they heard, mingling with the breaking of the waves upon the beach? The
workmen stopped to listen, and caught the strains of music; then,
looking closely at the water, they saw a line of lovely maidens, with
flowing golden hair, which they continually combed as they sang. The
Moon sprites were quite astonished at the sight. The maidens were
surpassingly beautiful, but their song was very sad.
“‘Who are you, and why do you sing so sadly?’ they called.
“‘Alas!’ replied the charming creatures, ‘we are mermaids. Our father is
the Sea King. We have always been as happy as the day is long, until a
few years ago, when a terrible misfortune came upon us. One of the
prettiest of our sisters was about to be married. We were busy with the
preparations for her wedding, gathering the seaweed and the pretty
mother-of-pearl shells that float up on the land, to decorate her
palace. We had searched carefully our large and magnificent sea-gardens
for the finest specimens of weed and shells. But a beautiful shell,
brilliantly tinted in every shade of rose and green and blue combined,
had been thrown high upon the sandy beach, out of our reach. Our dear
sister became too venturesome, and floating on a big wave she grasped
the shell she coveted.
“‘At that moment, the hideous Gnome King sprang suddenly from behind a
rock, and snatching her in his arms ran off. In vain we pleaded with him
to restore our lost darling. The cruel monster only laughed, and swore
she should become his wife. Her bridegroom of the Sea was almost beside
himself with grief when he learned the awful news. He offered his life
in exchange for hers, and we gathered together all our jewels for her
ransom. But nothing would move the hard heart of the wicked Gnome King,
and he still keeps our beloved sister in his power. That is why we sing
so mournfully. The monster, finding she would not marry him, carried her
to the top of a high mountain, where she could see her beloved home, but
never reach it.
“‘She is helpless upon the land, and though she can look down at the
foot of the mountains and see the curling waters of her home, she cannot
reach it. Her lover sits below, encouraging her with words of love, but
he is helpless to reach her. Miserable and longing for home, she watches
all the ships that pass, and with her lute sings the most wonderful
songs, begging the sailors to rescue her. Many have tried, and the
mountain-side is white with the bones of those who have perished in the
attempt. For the Gnome King makes mad those who try to save her; they
lose their way and die.
“‘Alas, kind friends, unless you will help us, we fear she is lost to us
for ever.’
“The kind-hearted Moon sprites were certainly touched by this pathetic
tale, and they determined among themselves that they would form a plan
to outwit the cruel Gnome King, and rescue the sea maid. Of course to do
this they would have to delay a little the planting of the Moon ladder,
but they felt that her Imperial Majesty would certainly have consented
to delay in such a case. So, gathering up their precious burden, they
climbed the mountain to seek the sea maid.
“Knowing that she could never reach her sisters alone, and enchanting
all the mortals who tried to rescue her, the Gnome King had no guard to
watch the maiden. She was left entirely alone upon a big rock
overlooking the ocean. The wicked king came at rare intervals to see if
she would consent to marry him, but otherwise she was left undisturbed.
[Illustration: “_A glimmering figure sitting on a high cliff._”
(Page 106)]
“The Moon sprites, however, were not affected by the King’s
enchantments, so they had no difficulty in reaching her. Suddenly the
mermaid saw a gleam of brilliant silver flooding the darkness behind
her, and in a moment she was surrounded by a thousand little
silver-dressed creatures. At the same moment the Moon sprites caught
sight of a glimmering figure of matchless beauty sitting on a high
cliff. The maiden was a vision of loveliness. Long, waving, golden hair
floated about her, and her eyes were the color of the sea. She held a
lute in her hand; as her fingers moved softly across it, it gave forth a
weird but beautiful sound, and to this accompaniment she sang
charmingly. Quickly the Moon sprites told her of the plan for rescuing
her, and joyfully she listened.
“They carefully suspended the silver ladder from her mountain cliff.
Holding it tight between them to steady it, they flung it swiftly down
until its brilliant steps touched the trembling water. At this moment
they heard a faint noise like rumbling thunder, and the affrighted
maiden bade them hurry with their work, as it was the signal that the
Gnome King would soon visit her. In a twinkling they seized the maiden
in their arms, and carried her down the brilliant steps. They were not a
moment too soon, for hardly had they placed the maiden in her
bridegroom’s arms and picked up their ladder, when the Gnome King and
his legion of wicked gnomes were swarming on the mountain-top.
“The rage of the wicked King was fearful to see, but it was useless. He
could not regain the mermaid and he could not harm a Moon sprite; but in
his anger he pelted the beach with stones, venting his fury in
destroying its beauty. Small but ugly, they fell in thousands, covering
the golden yellow of the sand, and hiding its glistening splendor. Thus
he showered his spite upon the beautiful playground of the mermaids.
“But the Sea King’s daughters were too happy over the return of their
beloved sister to fret very much. True, their charmingly beautiful beach
seemed ruined, but their beloved sister was home again. Thousands,
indeed millions, of little stones were piled about in ugly confusion,
and marred the soft, bright sand the sea people so loved, but they were
powerless to prevent it. The Moon sprites went back to their work of
fastening the moon-ladder to the Earth, and the Sea King invited them to
remain for his daughter’s wedding the next night.
“The wedding spectacle was certainly a grand one, for the Ocean Monarch
had ordered the greatest fireworks in his kingdom in honor of the event.
The sea blazed up as though it were burning. Flames seemed to leap and
flare up everywhere, and thousands of brilliant colors mixed and
trembled in its depths. The phosphorescence was wonderful, and wherever
the eye could reach, the brilliant lights shone and sparkled. The Moon
sprites were amazed at such magnificence. The night was as brilliant and
beautiful as day; and they felt that the wonders of the Earth world were
great indeed.
“Just then a messenger arrived from her Imperial Majesty of the Moon,
saying that she had watched her workmen rescuing the maiden, and had
seen the wedding festival and the splendid illumination, and before
recalling her little people to the Moon, she wished to give the bride a
present. The wicked Gnome King had tried to ruin the playground of the
mermaids, but she would restore it, making it more interesting and
fascinating than ever.
“It was a royal gift the Moon Queen gave. She said that henceforth the
beach should be enchanted. The hideous stones the gnomes had thrown
should not ruin it after all, but should make it more precious to the
world, for they should all turn to shining jewels. She chose to make the
white pebbles the loveliest of them all, and so change them that the sea
people could never forget her. These stones shone as clear as crystal,
and in the pure depths of each one there trembled a moon-ray, a memento
of her crystal kingdom. This brilliant ray glistened like a diamond,
caught and held a prisoner, and was from that day called the moonstone.
But it was hard indeed to choose the prettiest of the beach jewels. For
opals clear as water, and with fire from the sea, sparkled beside the
moonstones; sardonyx, chrysoprase, and emerald, jasper, aquamarine, and
topaz, were piled so high that the beach was soon most widely known.
“The Earth people come in hundreds to seek these treasures, making them
into precious necklaces and charms. But though they carry thousands and
thousands away with them each day, the mermaids smile and do not mind at
all, because the Moon-ladder, uncoiling every night in sparkling
brilliancy, reaches down from the silver palace and touches the beach
like a magician’s wand, and the mermaids know that so long as the
shining steps of brilliant silver shall rest upon these sands, just so
long will the beach continue enchanted, and splendid jewels be formed in
such glittering quantities that they will last for ever.”
CHAPTER VIII
THE LOST OCEAN
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
The little company seemed well pleased with the explanation of the
jewelled beach, but as soon as the messenger ceased, they asked for the
explanation of the trackless sands.
“That is a longer story; shall I tell it now?” was the reply.
“O yes, do,” said the Princess Ethelda. “We are not a bit tired, and it
is so pleasant to look down on the very spot while you tell us.”
Thus encouraged, the guide messenger began:—
“Ages ago, when the world was young, three great Kings ruled in the
universe, the Sun King, the Ocean King, and the Earth King. The Earth
King owned all the land of the world, and often travelled over it,
watching it and caring for it. He was frequently accompanied by his
favorite daughter, the beautiful Princess Selene. She was a graceful
maiden of about eighteen. Her lovely brown eyes and long, wavy,
golden-brown hair, and her white skin and pink cheeks, made her a very
charming picture indeed. Being a fun-loving, merry little maiden, her
cheerful disposition made her a delightful companion, so her father was
always pleased to have her travel with him.
“On one of these journeys the young Princess seemed more serious than
usual, and one morning she came to her father with a request which
greatly surprised him. However, when he found her heart quite set upon
it, he made up his mind to grant it. She said she had long contemplated
doing her share of work in the world, and that she did not think she
wished always to remain just a fun-loving and pleasure-seeking young
woman. She asked her father to give her a portion of his vast kingdom to
cultivate as a garden, declaring she would make it the most beautiful
garden in the world, a sort of earthly paradise.
“As soon as her father consented to her wish, she chose a charming spot.
It was on the borders of a great sea, and back of it were magnificent
mountains. A large gulf, too, stood near, whose waters flowed into a
shimmering sea beyond. Here Princess Selene, having chosen hundreds of
companions, took up her abode. She planted trees for shade and sowed
grass for a quiet, restful color, and then she laid out her garden
according to a well-thought-out plan.
“I could never begin to tell you in a short story how wonderfully
beautiful she made it. Fruit trees of all descriptions grew there;
lemons and oranges, citrons and bananas, peaches and apricots,
flourished—everything nice you can think of. She did not forget the
flowers, either. Magnolias and acacias, poinsettias and jasmines, and
every Southern flower you could name, bloomed beautifully. Lovely birds
flocked there, and rested in the cool trees, singing to the flowers and
filling the garden with delicious music. The Princess and her companions
worked hard and faithfully, and the garden became the most charming spot
imaginable. All the world talked about it and came to visit it.
“The country about was very attractive. Great snow-capped mountains rose
abruptly from the sea, and white clouds, nestling down to touch them,
hovered like angels’ wings above the rich valleys as though in
protection. The clouds were seldom dark, for it rarely rained there, and
the sunny blue skies seemed to smile perpetually.
“Now, the powerful Sun King had many sons, but one of them was
especially handsome, and, better than that, he was the soul of honor and
truth. He was called Prince Corus. He often came to Earth to visit the
Ocean King’s family, for one of the sons was his favorite companion. The
two young men were inseparable; they were devoted to each other, and
fond of the same sports.
“When the Ocean King’s son, Prince Fronto, grew to manhood, his father
gave him control of a smaller kingdom, a beautiful sea that washed the
shores of Princess Selene’s famous gardens. This sea was reached by
sailing through the blue waters of the gulf; shining and beautiful, it
stretched for miles and miles through a magnificent country. It was on
the shores of this sea that the two Princes spent most of their time,
and it was here one day that they came across the lovely Selene and her
maidens. Both the young men felt at once that they had never before seen
anything so perfectly charming as the Princess, and they lost no time in
learning to know her.
“She treated them with the greatest courtesy; and in a little while the
three had become firm friends, and spent many happy hours together. The
young men did not attempt to disguise from themselves the fact that they
both loved this royal maiden; but the Sun Prince, in a spirit of
nobleness, offered to leave his friend Fronto alone to win her hand,
though in losing her he would become the most miserable man in the
world. Up to this point, however, Fronto apparently showed a similar
generosity of spirit, and putting his arm about his friend, urged him to
remain, saying: ‘We will abide by the decision of the Princess. Let her
choose between us, and whoever wins her love shall marry her, letting
the other suitor swear friendship to them both.’
“‘So be it,’ replied the generous Prince Corus, for it seemed a fair
proposition. ‘Much as I care for her, I will promise to give her to you
gladly if she loves you; for, after her, I love you best in the world.’
“They clasped hands, and swore a solemn oath to abide by this agreement.
“Selene was in no hurry to choose, and seemed equally fond of them both.
Never by word or sign did she show which she preferred. Always together,
the three wandered through her gardens, plucking the fruit or listening
to the songs of the birds. The two young men came every day to see her,
and strove to invent plans for her amusement. Corus brought his father’s
golden chariot, and often the three took a mad race across the sky. But
the maiden was never afraid. She loved the spirited, prancing steeds,
and their flashing golden harness; and the wild ride brought a glorious
color to her cheeks. She thrilled with pleasure when the rushing wind
blew back her flowing hair, and her eyes caught a deeper blue from the
heavens, and sparkled and danced with delight, so that Corus and Fronto
thought her more bewitching than ever.
“Again, Fronto would invite them to see his father’s famous sea-gardens,
and they would ride across the sapphire-blue waves until they reached a
rocky island. Here they would rest, to watch the seals climbing over the
rocks. They amused themselves long, laughing at the awkward antics of
the fat baby seals, who would tumble with loud splashes into the water,
and then frolic about noisily. The Princess loved these famous
sea-gardens; they were very different from her own, but wonderfully
interesting, nevertheless. Every sea-plant grew there. Huge trees of
seaweed were plainly seen, and curious water-flowers in abundance.
Magnificent shells bordered the walks, shells dyed with the mystic
colors of the sea,—blue and green and opalescent,—others pink-lined,
like the sky at sunset, or brilliant red, like the coral reef. Charming
gold-fishes swam about these water-gardens, and their scales, glowing
like fire, sent out great sparks of light. Mermaids floated through,
with long golden hair and starry blue eyes, singing low to the music of
their lutes. Thus many days and weeks were passed, and each hour the
young Princes grew more madly in love with the charming Princess Selene.
“At last a day came when they could no longer resist asking her to
choose between them. But when they stood before her, and waited for her
answer in silence, the fun-loving little Princess suddenly became grave,
and said most seriously: ‘Why make me choose at all? Your friendship may
be broken if I do, and I could not bear that.’
“‘You need not fear for us, sweet Princess,’ said Fronto, ‘for we have
sworn an oath, and will not break it.’
“Selene gazed earnestly at them, not understanding this reply. Then
Corus, pale as death, nodded assent, saying: ‘It is even true, fair
Selene; as you cannot choose but one, we both have promised allegiance
to the one you favor. We love you too sincerely to do otherwise.’
“A brilliant color dyed Selene’s cheek as she heard these words, and
turning to Prince Fronto she began softly: ‘So be it. We have passed
many happy hours together, and in my heart, Prince Fronto, I have a deep
affection for you.’
“Hearing her speak thus, Prince Corus grew very white, and turned away
to hide his pain, whispering to himself: ‘They shall not see how I
suffer. I have sworn an oath, and I will keep it.’
“But whatever the Princess continued to say to the Ocean Prince, it
seemed not to please him. Finally she said to him, while she turned and
beckoned to his friend: ‘Therefore, kind brother of the shimmering sea,
you must forgive me; for, though I love you as a friend, my heart
belongs to Corus, and him I choose to be my husband.’
“The Sun Prince could hardly believe he heard aright; but as the
beautiful girl turned shyly toward him, he caught her hand, and
kneeling, kissed it, thanking her for his great happiness.
“The Ocean Prince showed great surprise at Selene’s words, because he
had always thought she preferred him to Corus; indeed, it was because of
this he had made the compact so readily. Swiftly now his thoughts grew
black with anger, but the two lovers were talking together and did not
notice it. Soon he grew calmer; outwardly he seemed to be peaceful, and
stooping, he too kissed Selene’s hand, and swore friendship to the two.
“Preparations began for the wedding, and each day, as the ceremony drew
nearer, Fronto seemed happier. He really acted as though he had
forgotten his wish to marry Selene. This, of course, made Corus and his
bride more contented; they could not bear to be merry, and feel that
Fronto was suffering. But the Ocean Prince was only pretending.
Instantly, on leaving the lovers on the day of their betrothal, he had
gathered together all the little demons and wicked imps he knew, and
employed them to build big mountains on the shores of his sea. Soon
precipitous mountains gathered in clusters about the water’s edge. They
seemed only barren rock, as they loomed up from the flat sand, like
watch-towers guarding a prison. Selene and Corus teased the Ocean Prince
for building such ugly peaks, but he did not mind their jests. Finally
he had his dominions hedged in with a dark-hued rocky range.
“Then, one day when the Sun Prince was absent, he deliberately carried
out the plan he had so carefully concealed: he stole the Princess and
hid her in the caverns of his great mountains. When Corus returned,
broken-hearted and distressed over the loss of his bride and the
treachery of his friend, and demanded her release, the Sea Prince
absolutely refused to give her up—laughing to scorn his friend’s demand.
“War, of course, immediately followed. The Sun Prince was no slight
enemy, for all his father’s powerful forces were at his command. The
heavy bowlders piled up by the wretched little fiends the Ocean Prince
had employed were not easily surmounted, however, for they were
splendidly built. It would take years to pull them down. So Corus
determined he would not even try. He would rescue his beloved bride in a
simpler but more powerful manner, and in less time.
“A great river ran through the country, from the inland sea down to the
blue waters of the ocean. Now, the Sun Prince closed up that river,
shutting off all communication between the ocean and the inland sea. The
Sea Prince laughed at first when he saw this. He had so much water in
his own sea he never dreamed it could be exhausted.
“But now the Sun Prince tried new measures. As the tides could not bring
the water to the foot of the big mountains to replenish them, he sent
down burning rays upon the sea to dry it up. Evaporation began. Day by
day the water decreased, and shrunk away slowly from the white face of
the sand and the red sides of the mountains.
“A hundred feet of the water fell quickly, and then Fronto saw that the
Sun Prince, in drying up the water, could doom him and his followers to
death. Panic-stricken, he restored the Princess, and begged for mercy.
“Corus, though happy to have his beloved bride again, felt that the
awful crime Fronto had committed should not be treated lightly. His
punishment must serve as a warning to the world. Still, at the request
of his gentle-hearted bride, he forgave his false friend, and sent him
back safe with his companions to the Ocean King. However, he forced
Fronto to remain in his father’s dominions for ever, saying that he had
proven, by his treachery, he was unfit to govern a kingdom of his own.
Moreover, that kingdom should exist no longer. He would dry it up and
make it a huge desert, to mark the spot of a false friend’s perfidy.
“So the Sun never relaxed his fierce gaze, nor the wind its hot breath.
Together they scorched the seabed until the water disappeared, and the
bottom looked like a huge white bowl. Then slowly the desert formed. The
fierce heat became so intense that even the rains refused to fall there,
and the earth was too salty to allow anything to grow. Every living
creature shunned it. Neither bird nor beast would visit it, and thus it
remained for thousands of years.
“When you are in the bottom of this bowl, you are nearly three hundred
feet below the ocean. Upon all sides are great mountains, some over ten
thousand feet high; and this spot is the hottest place in the world. The
desert looks like a great plain leading out to the horizon. The soil is
almost as fine as white flour.
“But, silent and deserted as it is, the Sun Prince declared that,
because his beloved bride had been kept there, it should still be sacred
in his eyes—still retain a certain fascination. So, in all its
desolation, it does possess a weird beauty of its own. The sand dunes
reflect the light of the sky. They are sometimes deep blue, sometimes
topaz yellow, and again, at sunset, a brilliant rose.
“The quiet of the desert is profound, save when some whirling sand-storm
blows. Then all living creatures caught there are lost unless they lie
flat and cover heads and mouths. Except for this, the air is always
magnificent. At times, it is all covered with a pink mist; at other
times, it is a pure golden haze. The mountains, too, are in changing
shades of purple and lilac and blue, with golden and blood-red colors
mingled.
“All these years the place has remained a desert,—a monument to the
treachery of Prince Fronto. Yet the bitterness of the Sun Prince seems
to be lessening. Perhaps the sweet pleading of the beautiful Selene has
won forgiveness, for of late that awful waste shows signs of life. True,
its great mesas, in gray and gold, bordering its lonely hundreds of
miles, are rocky and barren still; but now and then a green bush of
elder arises on the sands, and the cacti and greasewood are beginning to
flourish well. This is the first sign of life, but it means surely that
Prince Corus has relented, and will remove the curse that ‘nothing shall
ever live there.’
“Occasionally, too, an animal has been seen running across the dry,
parched sands, and birds that once flew hundreds of miles to avoid the
hot plains now skim lightly across them. Then, at times, trees and green
grass and cool fresh lakes of water are visible. These last disappear
quickly when one approaches and tries to drink from their curling waves.
Wise people call these sights mirages, but perhaps, after all, they are
real, and foreshadow what the desert will become.
“The Sun Prince is wise and merciful, and though justice must be done,
when justice is appeased he can restore the cooling streams and
vegetation to the parched sands. Some day, perhaps, the magic spell will
be withdrawn from the mysterious desert, and its shining seas again
smile beneath sunny skies. Even now, Prince Corus occasionally sends a
great cloudburst to drench the scorching plains. At first, we know, he
did not love the barren waste. It brought back too keenly the sorrow of
his stolen bride; but time has softened that feeling, and with his
beloved Princess by his side, he looks down and smiles upon its glare
and glitter. He shows this in the wonderful sky effects above it. They
are things of beauty. If clouds gather, he tips them with rainbow
colors,—brilliant reds and oranges, purples and greens, melting into
delicious pinks, soft lilacs, and grays. The sunset there is a glorious
sight never to be forgotten.
“Its mountains, too, are beautiful. Often the ridges are clear-cut and
sharp. Again, when the Sun pours his heat upon them, they seem as flat
as the palm of your hand. They change color frequently, for at times
startling reds and yellows and pinks are painted in stripes all over
them. Later the canyons are flashing in brilliant needle-like points of
superb color, but again they are a dull blue or gray, and lose their
splendor.
“But most sublime of all the sights is still the mirage. Trembling and
glowing in the sea, lie trees and mountain peaks, reflected clear and
beautiful. Maybe it is only the reflection of the golden haze that lies
in the canyons at sunset; but whatever it is, it is one of the desert’s
splendors. And though the lilac mist and the purple shadows that creep
between the valleys and climb the mountains seem more natural to its
desolation and its silence, yet the glory of that mirage—glittering with
its dazzling hue, and flashing its strange lights like the rays from a
fire-opal—will cling the longest in one’s memory.”
CHAPTER IX
THE STORY OF PRINCESS SUNSET
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
When the story of the great desert or the lost ocean had been told, the
little company of Moon people thanked the guide for his tales, and again
started on their journey. Soon they approached the borders of a
beautiful wood. The guide told them that he would turn back when they
had travelled through the forest, for on the other side of the forest
the black dwarf awaited them.
Princess Ethelda shuddered as she heard, but being a brave little
Princess, she turned laughingly to the guide and said, “Well, Sir Guide,
cannot you tell us another pretty story before you go?”
“Willingly,” replied the guide, and he at once began the story of
Princess Sunset.
“Once upon a time there lived in the heart of a great forest, something
like this we are passing through, a young Prince with his two elder
brothers. They lived in a splendid palace, and were fond of hunting and
shooting; but they were also frequently at war with their neighbors, so
that fighting of some sort always seemed to be going on. This youngest
was named Oswald; though he always accompanied his brothers to war, and
was the very bravest of all the knights, he thought it was useless to
fight about everything. Life would be much happier if people were kind
and peace-loving; and unless there were a serious question to fight
about, he did not believe in fighting at all. He much preferred to roam
the forest, studying the sky and the trees, or the lovely waters of the
clear blue lakes. He would spend hours thus, musing on the wonderful
works of Nature, and wondering where she kept her marvellous paint-box.
“Now, Prince Oswald was very good-looking. He was tall and slender as
the young saplings about him, but he was powerful and strong of limb,
too; and when his brothers told him to choose a wife among the pretty
maidens of the land, almost any of the princesses would have been glad
to be chosen. But Prince Oswald was in no hurry to choose; he did not
fall in love very easily, and he thought he would just wait until the
right princess came along.
“One day, when lying on the shore of a beautiful body of water, he
noticed that the sky was suddenly tinged with red. He rubbed his eyes
with amazement, but the red hue tinged every object that he looked upon;
the treetops, the lake, and the deer that glided along the edge of the
forest had a delicate crimson splendor. In the midst of this fairy
spectacle he heard a musical voice sigh, and turning around saw a
radiantly beautiful woman standing near him. Her countenance was lovely,
and her glorious brown eyes were sparkling with light. She smiled as she
looked upon him, and for a minute her teeth gleamed white as little
pearls between her red lips. Her splendid golden hair hung in soft
masses below her waist, and the wind was blowing it softly about. Her
garments were loose and flowing, and variegated in color, shading from
the tenderest pink to the deepest crimson. The wonderful dyes of her
dress seemed to float away from her in rosy clouds, and blend in the air
until the rich rose-color around glowed and deepened to a magnificent
red.
[Illustration: “_Turning around he saw a radiantly beautiful woman near
him._”
(Page 130)]
“As Oswald stood gazing upon this gorgeous maiden, she addressed him in
a low and charming voice: ‘O, dreamer of the woods, am I not worth
seeking? Why do you waste your life in idleness here? Look for me in the
land that lies westward, beyond the setting of the sun. There may be
many obstacles in your path, but, overcoming them, you will find your
bride awaiting you. Am I not worth the winning?’
“For answer, Oswald sprang forward to clasp her in his arms, but at that
instant the red light glowed more brightly about her, flaring to a
brilliant flame; and thus standing in its midst, she disappeared in a
sea of fire, leaving the sky and water a dull, heavy gray.
“Prince Oswald returned to the palace deeply wrapped in thought, and
indeed he could think of nothing but the beautiful maiden he had seen.
The next morning he determined he would seek and find her, because until
he did he felt he could never be happy again. After making preparations
to go, and bidding his brothers good-bye, he started alone to seek the
Land of the Setting Sun. First he found the spot by the lake where, the
evening before, he had watched the glorious beauty of the strange
maiden, and he sat down in silence. Again the sky took on its delicate
rose, deepening until the ruby splendor of the clouds piled themselves
into gold and crimson palaces. From one of these palaces Oswald felt
confident his beautiful lady would emerge, and tremblingly he sat
expectant. Suddenly the same peculiar sigh met his ears, and turning to
greet the lovely stranger, he saw to his disappointment only a
glittering sword. The blade was, of course, of shining steel, but the
handle was formed of one magnificent ruby. The radiance from this superb
jewelled handle was magnificent. It gleamed and sparkled in flaming red,
until the whole western world glowed with the bright reflection.
“Oswald realized with a beating heart that it was a message from the
mysterious lady, and he lifted the sword to his side. Then feeling brave
enough to meet any dangers because she had sent him the sword, he
started on his travels to the Land of the Setting Sun. Over hills and
prairies, but always toward the west, Prince Oswald travelled. He rested
by night only, and at early dawn was off again. On the third night he
saw a bright light ahead, and on approaching it found it to be a
beautiful princess. She was dressed in a gown of spun silver, and on her
forehead there shone one magnificent star. She greeted him kindly, and
told him she was the Evening Star, and would light him through the dark
forest. He thanked her gratefully, and accompanied her in among the dark
and gloomy trees. She glided ahead, and the light from the beautiful
star crown showed him the way, even in the darkest places. Evening Star
told him she recognized him in the distance by the ruby-hilted sword he
wore. ‘You seek the Princess Sunset,’ she continued, ‘do you not?’
“‘Yes,’ replied Oswald, ‘and I shall never rest until I find her.’
“‘Alas!’ said Evening Star, ‘though I sincerely wish you success, I must
tell you that many difficulties will beset you, for of all the young men
who have passed this way in quest of the golden-haired Princess not one
has ever returned. The obstacles that have beset them have proven too
great, and they have never yet been able to rescue her.
“‘She is wonderfully beautiful, though, and I am not surprised that you
seek her. Once I met her face to face, and I could never forget what a
vision of beauty she was. It was a charming evening, and I had risen
over the purple hills a little earlier than usual. Tall and majestic the
Princess stood upon the hilltop, clothed in her marvellous dress of
crimson. Her great brown eyes looked questioningly into mine, and her
splendid hair floated back from her lovely face in a sort of golden
mist, while the breeze blew her long, trailing robes across the sky. Her
exquisite form stood plainly outlined thus for several minutes, and the
crimson colors from her garments tinged the heavens from a delicate pink
to a brilliant ruby-red. Then suddenly stretching forth her arms toward
me, she greeted me with a tender smile of welcome, and vanished. Never
shall I forget her charm. She was the daughter of a great king and lived
in a splendid palace, but she was as gentle and tender-hearted as a
child. Her great delight was to roam the woods, gathering flowers and
weaving them into a gorgeously colored robe. The brighter the flower the
better she loved it. Red, yellow, blue, all were gathered and woven
together, until the dress was a miracle of beauty and brightness. Her
gown was so brilliant, that when she wore it the very skies reflected
the colors, and she would stand upon the hilltop and let the flowing
skirts trail out in long, loose lines across the heavens. This was her
delight.
“‘People came from far and wide to see the Sunset Princess in her flower
dress, for when she wore it she was marvellously beautiful. Among them
once came a wicked magician, and the moment his eyes fell upon her he
determined to marry her. So, to gain his end, he killed her father and
her brothers, and destroyed all her people. Then he stole her, and hid
her in his western palace; and there he has kept her a prisoner ever
since. But she declares she will never, never marry such a cruel
monster, even if she should never escape, and he cannot marry her
without her consent.
“‘Now, the poor Princess has the power to appear in a dream to any one
she wishes to come and deliver her from the wicked old magician’s power.
But this is her only privilege. She can never stir from his palace
(except in dreams) unless by his especial invitation. Once every day he
invites her to come forth. At the sunset hour he calls her, and with her
maidens she walks out upon a spacious balcony. But she is a brave
princess, and she courageously wears her crimson flower dress, and gives
him only scornful looks.
“‘The magician occasionally invites her out on the balcony for a cruel
purpose—to show her the fate of each brave knight who tries to rescue
her. Sometimes the gallant youth is already dead. Sometimes the wicked
magician changes him into some four-footed creature before her eyes,
making him wander upon the earth afterward as an animal. Alas! dear
Prince,’ continued Evening Star, sadly, ‘I dread to see you go upon this
dangerous expedition.’
“‘Do not fear for me,’ answered Oswald, bravely. ‘At last, I have
learned where the beautiful Princess of my dreams is imprisoned. No
matter what the dangers are, I will find her and rescue her.’
“Indeed, he was so rejoiced at the news brought by Evening Star that he
slept with a light heart that night, and at early dawn started again
toward the Setting Sun. Every evening the sky was tinged with the lovely
red, but he had no other sign from the Princess.
“One night he stopped at a castle where he met the beautiful daughter of
a wealthy and powerful duke. After a handsome banquet and ball given in
his honor, where the young countess paid him the highest honors, the
duke approached him, and offered to give him her hand in marriage if he
would remain and help to govern the people.
“Now, Oswald was very grateful for all this kindness, but his heart was
too full of the Sunset Princess to think of any other maiden. So, after
thanking the duke courteously, he declined the honor. The young countess
tossed her pretty head in disdain when she heard he loved another, and
told him he was a fool for his pains, and that he would never rescue the
Sunset Princess.
“But Oswald was not discouraged by her words, and continued his journey.
“That night he approached another forest, so dark and gloomy that he
could not see his hand before him. But he remembered the red light that
shone from his ruby-handled sword, and when he held it up he saw the
path quite plainly before him. He heard dreadful squeaking noises all
about him; groans and sudden cries and many dangers beset him.
“Presently a hideous giant arose. He was tall, and had green eyes, which
he rolled awfully, and he gnashed his long white teeth as Oswald came
along.
“‘You cannot enter my country,’ he growled loudly, and for a moment
Oswald felt he didn’t want to enter it, because he saw (by the red light
of his sword) a man being bitten to death by two horrid snakes. One
snake was blue and one was white.
“But Prince Oswald was brave as could be, and he could not see the man
being killed, without helping him; so he dashed forward, and in one
instant had killed both snakes with his shining blade, and rescued the
man.
“But just as he thought he had won a victory, a great swirling current
of water appeared at his feet, and he leaped back only in time to escape
a blow from the tail of a great black dragon. Now he knew the forest was
bewitched; but he continued his journey, and all day long he fought for
his life. Sometimes it was with wild beasts, and sometimes with the
magician in person; but Oswald never let go his sword for one minute,
and the great magic of its blade protected him. At last the cool shadows
of evening began to fall, and the goblins became less and less
troublesome.
“Then suddenly he perceived in his path a beautiful maiden. She seemed
almost a phantom, for floating around and about her was a ghostly mist.
But for all that, she was wondrously fair, with an unearthly sort of
beauty. Her eyes shone like stars out of her snowy draperies, and her
voice had a far-away sound, like the tinkle of silver bells.
“‘O Prince of the Wonderful Sword,’ she said, ‘you have done me a great
favor. I am the White Lady of the Mist, and my golden shuttle was stolen
by the wicked old magician who stole the Sunset Princess. I could do
nothing without it, for all my power lies in its magic. In fighting and
overcoming the magician’s imps in the forest to-day you have restored it
to me; his snares can never more affect me. So, now, I will prove that
my power is restored, and that I am free again, by serving you. I will
blind these wicked enemies of yours, so that they will seek you in vain,
and I will conduct you safe this night through the Forest of Terrors.’
“So saying, she began weaving with the shuttle, and a wondrous weaving
it was, for long streamers of mist floated like a white veil over the
forest. Little by little the ghostly vapor covered everything. Faster
and faster she wove, singing softly as she did so a curious kind of
rhyme:—
“‘Wonderful Shuttle, weaving for me,
Cover each shrub and cover each tree;
Then, while my fairies dance and sing,
Straight through the forest this brave knight bring!’
“Gradually great clouds of white formed everywhere. Their gauzy vapor
thickened as they rolled away and enclosed the whole forest. Nothing
could be seen but the wonderful little Lady of the Mist, and she stood
shining and gleaming like silver in the centre of the ghostly shroud. At
last, when all was snowy white, she stopped singing, and bade the knight
follow her. Always through the thick veil he could see her shining
bright and clear, and thus she conducted him through the dark forest.
But the magician’s imps could not see a thing, and though Oswald heard
them fighting and snarling, they did not trouble him again.
“At break of day, on the edge of a beautiful lake, she left him; but he
was in full view of the magician’s elegant palace. The Lady of the Mist
bade him remain in hiding until the sunset hour, and when the Princess
came out to view his dead body (or the wicked magician’s skill in
changing him into some animal), he must hold his gleaming sword in front
of him, and boldly advance to her side. The White Lady of the Mist
promised to aid him at the critical moment, and she would give him a
sign to advance and rescue the Princess: it would be a veil of mist
descending the mountain. He must not rush forward until the mist
appeared, however, as she could not help him while the sun shone.
“The Prince promised faithfully to follow her instructions, though it
was hard to wait all day. He walked around the lake, keeping well in the
bushes, and finally hiding himself beneath the Princess’s balcony.
“The magician’s palace was truly magnificent, for it was built all of
solid black ebony. It was very gloomy and terrible to look upon, but
also very costly, Oswald could see. The great arches of ebony that
upheld the balcony were inlaid with glittering gold and diamonds, so
that the palace sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. But a black palace
was an unusual sight, and one felt at a glance that it was the abode of
a magician. The floor of the balcony was inlaid with a border of
splendid white pearls, and precious rugs lay on the floor. Costly jewels
were scattered carelessly about in quantities, for the magician felt if
he lost anything his magic could easily restore it. Enticing fruit
gardens grew down to the borders of the lake, and handsome trees spread
out their cool green branches. The place was so lovely it seemed a shame
that such a wicked old magician should own it.
“Toward evening, when the sun was low, the magician came out and angrily
called for the Princess. It was plain to see he was in a very bad humor.
He had heard of the golden shuttle being restored to the White Lady of
the Mist, and he was fearful of her power against him. He did not know,
however, that Oswald was the knight who had been successful in restoring
it, for he had given such strict instructions to his imps of the forest,
that he felt sure Oswald had not escaped death.
“Prince Oswald’s heart beat very fast as he saw the palace door open.
When the lovely Princess, pale but proud and noble in her bearing,
stepped forth, he could hardly restrain himself from falling at her
feet. He was bewitched by her beauty, for she was far lovelier than he
had supposed. But he dared not venture forth without the signal from the
White Lady of the Mist. Presently, as he waited impatiently, he saw
creeping down the mountain-side the thin white veil. It rolled out in
clouds, for the White Lady realized she had a great work to do. The old
magician, however, did not see the mist, because his face was turned the
other way. He could not understand why his imps did not hurry across the
lake with Prince Oswald, as they had done with the other knights. They
should suffer for this delay on the morrow, he growled.
“But Prince Oswald understood the delay. The little imps had not caught
him; and he also knew by the thickly forming mist it was time to act.
Grasping his shining sword firmly in his right hand, in one swift bound
he reached the Princess’s side. He caught her hand in his, and she clung
to him in pure joy and delight. At that moment the magician turned and
saw them standing together. With a loud cry of rage he sprang toward
them, but it was too late.
“At this minute great clouds of mist rolled over them and completely
covered their forms. Everything was shrouded in ghostly white, and
volumes of vapor continued to roll down the mountain-sides. Faster and
faster came the heavy veil, completely blinding the magician. But Oswald
picked the Princess lightly up in his arms, and holding his gleaming
ruby sword before him as a lantern, ran easily through the fog. He
reached the lake and found it as clear as crystal, and saw no sign of
the mist except behind them. Evening Star shone brightly in the heavens
to light them across the dimpling waters, and she had placed a lovely
canoe in the green bushes for them. All this time the White Lady of the
Mist was hanging her curtains behind the lovers, while her golden
shuttle was weaving them so thick, that even the magician’s sharp eyes
could not penetrate their folds.
“Prince Oswald and his Princess now saw clearly, and Evening Star
directed their footsteps. When far from the wicked magician, and safe,
they sat down to rest. Oswald told the Princess how much he loved her,
and begged her to marry him; she in gentle tones thanked him for what he
had done, and gladly consented.
“Just then Evening Star approached, and begged them to rest in her
beautiful country. Gorgeous palaces awaited them, and a splendid people
wanted to be governed, she said. ‘And,’ she added, ‘if you consent, each
night I will come and visit you, for I love the Sunset Princess as a
sister, and my greatest happiness will be to watch yours.’
“Then the Sunset Princess, who also loved Evening Star, begged Oswald to
consent. They lived ever afterward in that charming country on the banks
of a great and lovely lake. The waters of the lake were so clear that
the pebbles many feet below glistened like fire-opals. There they lived
in great happiness; and as the years went by Oswald loved his beautiful
wife more, for she was charming to see.
“Each evening, as the sun went down, Oswald and his lovely family (for
there were many little children) met on the shores of the lake, and the
Princess always wore her bright flower dress. Even now, if you will but
watch for their coming, you will see them yourself. First comes the
Princess, proud and graceful as on that first evening when Oswald
discovered her. Prince Oswald is close beside, and the children troop
down in brilliant flower dresses like their mother’s. The red sandstone
cliffs on the high banks of the lake are the first to catch the glow of
the children’s garments. Suddenly the dull sandstone reflects a
brilliant light, gleaming out like burning fire. The glowing cliffs
tinge with magic colors the soft fleecy clouds above, and one by one
these colors deepen. Purple, gray, pink, gold, and crimson lights blend
together, in glorious confusion. The calm surface of the water reflects
the brightly colored heavens, and gradually the whole western world is
aflame.
“Thus each evening, in this glorious field of color, Oswald and his
family watch the sky, and await the nightly visit of the splendid
Evening Star.”
CHAPTER X
HOW THE MOON PRINCESS WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE BLACK DWARF
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
As the guide finished his story of the Sunset Princess, Ethelda noticed
they had passed through the forest, and it was with a little thrill of
terror she saw the black dwarf and his companions a short distance
ahead.
After thanking their kind messenger for his guidance and the delightful
stories he had told them, Prince Dorion and his party joined the dwarf.
He seemed more hideous than ever, but his manner was perfectly
respectful as he greeted his guests, and he hardly looked at the
Princess. Two days of travel followed,—days during which new beauties of
the earth were revealed; and because of her interest in these beauties
the lovely Moon Princess almost forgot her sad forebodings. She did not
see the black dwarf during that time, and the horror of his presence
almost passed. He kept out of her sight, and remaining in front with his
imps, led the way.
Gold and silver had been scattered as they travelled, and for each piece
that fell there formed later a splendid mine. The precious metal,
melting and filtering through the earth in slender veins, reached
finally the heart of the deepest mountains. There it spread and grew,
until to-day the earth is full of its treasures in gold and silver
mines.
One day, Ethelda, light-hearted and happy, had loitered behind for a
moment, to gather some tiny green ferns creeping between the rocks. She
was stooping to pluck one, when suddenly she felt herself rudely seized.
Looking up, she saw it was the black dwarf who had her within his grasp.
She tried to get away, but his grip was like iron on her delicate arm.
She could not move, and realizing her utter helplessness, she screamed
aloud. Her agonizing call reached her husband, but too late for him to
aid her. For the black dwarf stamped violently upon the ground, which
opened wide, and with her in his arms he sank into the opening, which
immediately closed over them. Then Ethelda fainted.
When she recovered, she found she was in a large vaulted chamber, in a
big cave. The light was very poor, but she could see the ugly black
dwarf watching her steadily. For a moment she thought she would die of
fright, and then she remembered that, as a Moon maiden, she had the
power to protect herself from harm. In that instant her courage returned
and strengthened her. Softly she repeated the words of the charm she had
learned in the nursery of the Moon palace, and had sung at her mother’s
knee. In a low, musical voice she chanted:—
Rays of the Moon, brilliant and bright,
Protect me by day, protect me by night.
Naught can harm me when in your embrace,
Protect me you must, as child of your race.
Send but the halo seen often about you,
And I promise, sweet mother, I never shall doubt you.
As she sang, a beautiful halo formed gradually about her, such as you
sometimes see about the moon, and in the centre of this great shining
space Ethelda stood alone.
When she moved, her white and silver dress flashed in long sparkling
rays, like the moonlight on the water. The black man covered his eyes to
shield them at first from the blinding light, for it was like the sudden
flashing of midday into the darkest night, and the cave became very
bright. He looked on surprised, not understanding Ethelda’s words, and
on finding what she had done he was completely astounded. He stepped
forward quickly to snatch her from the glowing circle, but found he
could not reach her side. Then he became furious and called his imps,
who swarmed to his assistance; but when they approached the maiden, a
barrier of iron seemed to stand before them. They could not break it
down at all, nor could they penetrate the beaming circle. Ethelda was
safe from any harm except imprisonment.
The dwarf soon abandoned all thought of reaching her, and in truth he
never really meant to harm her, but had stolen her to marry her. So he
determined to try kindness to win her love, and though he kept her a
prisoner, he was not otherwise unkind. In many ways he tried to please
her.
For years he had been fitting up a wonderful cave, hoping some day to
induce a lovely maiden to accept and marry him. But he was so ugly and
repulsive that all the Earth maidens shunned him. Still he had gone on
decorating the cave, determined to steal a wife if necessary.
He had gone to the Earth festival with the intention of finding a wife
there, but when his eyes fell on the Princess Ethelda he forgot all the
other maidens. He thought her gloriously beautiful, and determined to
steal her, although she was already married. Therefore, he made up his
mind that the Moon Princess should love him and forget her husband. On
that account he tried to be kind. Every morning he sent her a beautiful
gift, and then soon after paid her a visit and asked her to marry him.
Each day her reply was the same,—that she loved her husband and hated
him, but if he would restore her to her husband, and show her her home
in the starry skies, she would forgive his stealing her. At these words
the dwarf would go into a great rage and leave the room, but every day
he would return, hoping she had changed her mind.
At last he conceived a great idea by which he thought he could win her.
Day and night he worked over it, and one morning, when it was completed,
he invited her in to see a room he had fitted especially for her to
occupy. He thought she would be so pleased at what he had done for her
that she could no longer refuse him.
When he opened the door and bade her enter, she was amazed and delighted
in spite of herself. Round and beautiful in shape was the room. Great
stalactites and stalagmites hung from the ceiling and grew from the
floors,—all a mass of shining light, for they were of purest white
crystal, and shone like the sun. The room was richly furnished, and
every comfort seemed there; but all of this was not what she saw to
admire. It was a darker room beyond that absorbed and enchanted her. Her
eyes beheld what she thought at first was her own beautiful home again.
Quickly she passed into it. Blue as the heavens she had left was the
lofty ceiling she gazed into. She stared with fresh wonder at the
bejewelled stars, and with beating heart watched their brilliant rays.
She expected every moment to see the Moon sail past in silver glory. But
the radiant splendor of her mother’s Moon palace was absent, and then
Ethelda recognized with a great pang that it was not really the sky she
saw at all.
The countless clusters of stars overheard had been gathered only with
untold labor. The dwarf had stationed his numerous slaves to watch the
heavens all the night, and when a shooting star fell they seized and
brought it straight to him. Gradually, therefore, toiling and working in
this way, they built the famous Star Chamber in the great black cave for
the Moon Princess.
Ethelda’s disappointment was very keen when she learned the truth. Still
she loved the Star Chamber better than any other spot in her prison, and
she visited it often.
CHAPTER XI
HOW THE SUN PRINCE RESCUED THE MOON PRINCESS
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
In the meanwhile Prince Dorion, distracted with grief, was trying in
every way to dig down deep enough to rescue his beloved bride. But the
stones would not yield. He had seen his darling disappear in the hands
of the hideous black dwarf, and he often came to that place to mourn.
Night after night he visited it, hoping a miracle would restore Ethelda
to him there. But all day he searched the world for her.
The Earth, mortified by this outrage to her hospitality, tried to help
him. Her granddaughters, the mermaids, had sought information from every
part of the globe, but as yet without success. The Moon Princess had
disappeared from the face of the Earth completely. The year passed, and
sorrowful and sick at heart the Sun Prince bade his companions adieu. He
determined to abide upon the Earth until he found Ethelda. What was his
amazement, therefore, when the knights and maidens refused to leave him.
They would wait with him, they said. The loss of his bride had bound
them more closely together. The Sun’s rays looked down appealingly and
the Moon ladder glittered temptingly, but they bravely turned their eyes
away. They built a beautiful city near the Ocean, where they could see
the Moon ladder more plainly, but they had lost the right to climb its
shining steps, for the twelve months had expired.
Prince Dorion searched every day for his bride. He consulted a wise
witch living alone in a deep forest, but she shook her head sadly, and
always replied in these curious words:—
“Search as you please,
But not among trees
Shall the fair Princess be found.
Go from the water
To the Moon’s daughter;
There lies she in prison bound!”
Never a word more would she utter, and the poor Prince would puzzle
himself about how he could reach the Princess. But he continued his
search. He would often go to the spot where his beloved had disappeared.
A stately tree, as slender as the Princess, had sprung up there. Its
waving green branches swayed gently, and stretched out with delicate,
tender leaves. Its trunk wore the white and silver dress of the Moon
maiden, and stood like a ghost to mark the place.
The Earth people ever after called it the Silver Birch. At its foot a
beautiful little spring had bubbled up, and its crystal-clear waters had
formed a tiny stream that gurgled over the rocks, seeking to reach the
sea. In its shining depths he sometimes saw the Moon’s ladder, and he
fancied the clear blue eyes of Ethelda looked out wistfully at him. But
it was only the blue patches of sky overhead.
One night, sad and depressed, he sat beside the Ocean. The great
throbbing sea seemed to soothe him a little. While he sat there thinking
of Ethelda, and almost despairing, a mermaid floated shoreward. Resting
her beautiful arms on the white gleaming sand, she spoke to him.
“O, Prince of the Sun,” she began, “I have news for you—news of your
lost bride.”
“News of my beloved Ethelda?” cried the Prince, joyously.
“Yes,” answered the mermaid, “your Ethelda is safe and unharmed. I have
seen her.”
“You have seen her?” cried the Prince. “O favored mermaid, take me to
her at once.”
“Mighty Prince,” replied she, “I have come to show you the way. Do you
remember the bubbling stream you have often sat beside? It was formed
from Ethelda’s tears. Those crystal drops arose even through the rocks
to comfort you; but deeper down ran the stream, cutting into the Earth
until it formed a dark and gloomy river to lead you back to her. I found
this stream and followed it—straight from the crystal spring into a dark
and gloomy cave. There Ethelda lives and waits for you.”
A moment more and Prince Dorion was swimming beside the little mermaid.
They swam along the coast until a dark line showed them where the river
joined the ocean. And after many a turn and twist in the black river,
they reached Ethelda’s cave.
The Moon Princess sat within the vaulted Star Chamber alone. What a
radiant creature she was! Her silver halo surrounded her, and she was
chanting in a musical voice the pretty words which had caused it to
form. The Sun Prince’s eyes dwelt lovingly upon her, but he was amazed
to see overhead the stars shining in the clear blue vault of heaven.
“Ethelda,” he cried softly; and his heart leaped with love at the sight
of his bride, and bounding forward he reached her side. In another
moment she lay in his arms, sobbing and laughing for joy.
“Beloved, you are unhurt?” he questioned anxiously.
“Yes,” she answered, growing calmer. “I am unharmed; and in a way he was
not unkind. But he wished me to marry him, and so kept me in this gloomy
cave, hoping I would consent.
“See, beloved, even the stars above us he stole to comfort me and win my
love. Every shooting star that fell from the heavens was brought here
and placed in that high ceiling. They shine so brightly there that the
blackness of the ceiling seems almost blue, and sometimes I almost
believe I am gazing into the skies. But, beloved, nothing comforted me
in your absence. I have sat weeping here, forming this river of tears to
bring you to me.”
Prince Dorion pressed her tenderly to his breast at these words, and
whispered: “Dry your tears now, sweetheart, you will not need them
longer, for I shall take you for ever away from this hideous prison.”
Silently he carried her to the mermaid’s side, and softly they slipped
away.
But before Ethelda left, feeling herself safe again within her husband’s
arms, she slipped out of the Moon’s halo and left it in the famous Star
Chamber of the black cave. There it stays for every one to see, lighting
the room with its silver rays in company with the glorious stars which
the black dwarf stole and placed there.
Back again into the golden sunshine Ethelda came, and once more the
beautiful Moon shone down caressingly upon her. Freed from the black
dwarf’s spell, and with her loved companions, she soon recovered from
her long imprisonment, and was lovelier and more joyous than ever. She
had almost forgotten those trying days and the black dwarf’s cruelty,
but the Earth Queen had not.
Her Majesty summoned the dwarf and all his wicked followers to court for
trial, and he did not dare to disobey her summons. Ethelda and the Sun
Prince were invited to hear his sentence; and an awful punishment it was
that was put upon him. He was condemned to live always in the dark cave
where he had kept Ethelda prisoner. With his followers he would never
again be allowed to see the Sun or the Moon; never again could he behold
the face of the Earth.
The Moon Princess shuddered as she heard the dreadful sentence, for to
her darkness was the worst of punishments. She turned to the Earth Queen
and said impulsively: “Oh, your Majesty, be not so cruel! Sentence them
to anything rather than eternal darkness.”
So the Earth Queen, listening to the tender pleadings of the gentle Moon
maiden, relented; but still the dwarf’s crime must not be dealt with
lightly. She consented, however, to allow the culprits to see the Sun
and the Moon, but they were destined to become the slaves of the
mermaids, and live always in the water. Then, fearing they might forget
they were put into the water to expiate their crime (for the mermaids
were kind-hearted and good), she changed them into fishes, and marked
every one with the shining colors of the Sun and Moon. Even now, if you
notice carefully the pretty fish swimming in the sparkling water, you
will see the fiery red color of the sun blending with the delicate
silver tints of the moon. These markings of gold and silver they must
carry for ever as evidence of their slavery, and in punishment of their
wicked deed. In other respects they are not unhappy.
Ethelda and the Sun Prince dwelt always after upon the Earth, but they
loved it, as you know. The Moon Mother, looking down and seeing their
joy, and how contented they were, gradually became reconciled to their
remaining. As a proof of her forgiveness and friendliness to them and
their descendants, she has left the Moon ladder down. She has never
taken it away since the night the bridal party walked down its
shimmering silver stairs. Every night, between the mystic hours of dusk
and the rosy dawn, somewhere in the heavens, that splendid white palace
is shining, and its bright ladder is stretching down in a flood of
glory.
Since then, maybe (who knows?) other Moon maidens have walked down those
jewelled steps to a honeymoon on the Earth.
THE END.
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
_Mrs. Harrison’s Previous Successful Fairy Books_
Prince Silverwings, and Other Fairy Tales. _Fourth Edition._
The Star Fairies, and Other Tales. _Second Edition._
Both volumes illustrated in color by Lucy Fitch Perkins. Small 4to,
$1.25 _net_.
A. C. McClurg & Co., Publishers, Chicago.
_By Edith Ogden Harrison, Author of
“The Moon Princess”_
Prince Silverwings
_and Other Fairy Tales_
THIRD EDITION
Mrs. Harrison made her literary _debut_ in this very attractive volume,
which is of the kind that is sure to be always popular. There are seven
stories in the book, and they are all told in a singularly direct and
unaffected manner, with the engaging simplicity that is so appreciated
by young readers. The pictures by Mrs. Perkins are in delicate tints,
and show a charming fancy and imagination.
“The stories are set forth in simple and serene English. They have a
great deal of prettiness, and a delicate fancy wavers over them as the
sun glints on a wall. The book is in pictorial ways extraordinary ...
delicately colored, exquisitely executed fancies that make palpable the
illusive dreams of fairy land.”—_Chicago Tribune._
_Illustrations in Color by Lucy Fitch Perkins_
$1.25 Net
A. C. McClurg & Co., Publishers
_By Edith Ogden Harrison, Author of
“The Moon Princess”_
The Star Fairies
_and Other Tales_
Mrs. Harrison’s first book, “Prince Silverwings,” captured the public
completely because it was, in a way, a revival of the old-fashioned
fairy book, the simple little tales that young children really enjoy.
This second collection of stories is written with the same idea of
pleasing the smallest of readers,—direct, simple language and always, of
course, the “happy ending.” The book is dedicated to “the little readers
of ‘Prince Silverwings,’” and they are sure to find it quite as
delightful as that charming collection. Mrs. Perkins’ pictures are
original and artistic in coloring, and go admirably with the text.
“The child who has not known the delight of an acquaintance with the
bright little twinkling sky fairies may be introduced by these dainty
little tales unearthed by Mrs. Harrison. The illustrations are exquisite
little mural plates by Lucy Fitch Perkins, and the cover design and its
treatment are very attractive.”—_Chicago Evening Post._
_Illustrations in Color by Lucy Fitch Perkins_
$1.25 Net
A. C. McClurg & Co., Publishers
Transcriber’s Notes
--Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public
domain in the country of publication.
--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard (or amusing)
spellings and dialect unchanged.
--In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the
HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)
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