diff --git a/blog/page-4.adoc b/blog/page-4.adoc new file mode 100644 index 000000000..93220ef2b --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/page-4.adoc @@ -0,0 +1,3259 @@ +--- +title: The Rainbow Cat, A free book out of the Guttenberg library +author: Rose Fyleman and Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor +publish date: 2019-12-16 +--- +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rainbow Cat, by +Rose Fyleman and Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll +have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using +this ebook. + + + +Title: The Rainbow Cat + +Author: Rose Fyleman + Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor + +Release Date: December 14, 2019 [EBook #60923] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RAINBOW CAT *** + + + + +Produced by Tim Lindell, Belk Library (Appalachian State +University), David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +THE RAINBOW CAT + +ROSE FYLEMAN + + + + +BY ROSE FYLEMAN + + +VERSE + + _Fairies and Chimneys_ + _The Fairy Green_ + _The Fairy Flute_ + + +TALES + + _The Rainbow Cat_ + + +[Illustration: TO HIS GREAT ASTONISHMENT, HE SAW NO GIANTESS, BUT A +VERY NASTY-LOOKING OLD WIZARD WITH A LONG GREY BEARD AND AN ENORMOUSLY +TALL HAT, WHO SAT IN A LARGE ROOM IN FRONT OF A GREAT OPEN FIRE.] + + + + + [Illustration] + + _The_ RAINBOW CAT + + BY + ROSE FYLEMAN + + + _Illustrated by_ + THELMA CUDLIPP GROSVENOR + + [Illustration] + + NEW YORK + GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1923, + BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY + + [Illustration] + + + THE RAINBOW CAT. 1 + + PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + + ONE: The First Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 11 + + TWO: The Princess Who Could Not Cry 19 + + THREE: The Prince and the Baker’s Daughter 27 + + FOUR: Why Pigs Have Curly Tails 36 + + FIVE: The Second Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 42 + + SIX: Mellidora 49 + + SEVEN: The Clock 55 + + EIGHT: The Moon 60 + + NINE: The Third Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 63 + + TEN: Almond Blossom 76 + + ELEVEN: The Rondel 79 + + TWELVE: Jan and the Magic Pencil 89 + + THIRTEEN: The Lamb That Went to Fairyland 99 + + FOURTEEN: The Magic Umbrella 103 + + FIFTEEN: The Fourth Adventure of the Rainbow Cat 109 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + TO HIS GREAT ASTONISHMENT, HE SAW NO GIANTESS, BUT + A VERY NASTY-LOOKING OLD WIZARD WITH A LONG GREY + BEARD AND AN ENORMOUSLY TALL HAT, WHO SAT IN A + LARGE ROOM IN FRONT OF A GREAT OPEN FIRE _Frontispiece_ + + PAGE + + HE RODE AWAY ON HIS WHITE HORSE AND TURNED TO + WAVE HIS HAND TO HIS MOTHER AND FATHER BEFORE + HE WENT OVER THE HILL-TOP 32 + + SHE PULLED A TINY DANDELION-CLOCK FROM HER POCKET + AND BEGAN TO BLOW AND TO COUNT 58 + + “IF YOU WILL MARRY ME,” HE SAID, “I WILL SPEND MY + DAYS MAKING VERSES ABOUT YOU” 84 + + + + +THE RAINBOW CAT + + + + +THE RAINBOW CAT + + + + +ONE + +The First Adventure of the Rainbow Cat + + +There was once a cat which was not in the least like any cat you have +ever seen, or I either, for the matter of that. It was a fairy cat, you +see, and so you would rather expect it to be different, wouldn’t you? +It had a violet nose, indigo eyes, pale blue ears, green front legs, a +yellow body, orange back legs and a red tail. In fact, it was coloured +with all the colours of the rainbow, and on that account it was known +as the Rainbow Cat. + +It lived, of course, in Fairyland, and it had all sorts of strange +adventures. I am going to tell you some of them, and I think you will +agree with me that it really had a very thrilling time, one way or +another. + +This is the first. + + * * * * * + +The Rainbow Cat was sitting quietly at the door of his house one sunny +day. He felt rather bored. Fairyland had been very quiet lately. “I +think it’s time I set out on a voyage of adventure,” he said suddenly. +“I shall get fat and stupid if I don’t do something of the sort.” So +he shut up his house, put a notice on the door to say that he hoped to +be back some day, if not sooner, and that letters and parcels were to +be thrown down the chimney, and started off on his journey with a nice +little wallet of assorted oddments tied to his tail, together with a +neat parcel containing his party bow and his dancing-slippers. “For +one never knows,” said the Rainbow Cat, “whom one may meet, and it is +always well to be prepared for anything.” + +He went on and on until he came to the edge of Fairyland, where the +clouds begin. + +“I may as well pay the cloud-folk a visit,” thought he, and he began +climbing up the clouds. + +The people who live in the clouds are quite pleasant creatures. They +don’t do very much, but being idle doesn’t seem to make them unhappy. +They live in splendid cloud-palaces that are even more beautiful on the +side which can’t be seen from earth than on the side which can. + +Often one may see them drifting across the sky in companies, or driving +their pearly chariots, or sailing in their light boats. They live on +air, and the only thing they are really afraid of is the Thunder Giant, +who, when he gets angry--which he rather often does--goes stamping +over the sky, shouting and knocking their houses about. + +They greeted the Rainbow Cat kindly and were pleased to see him, for he +was an old friend and they were always glad to welcome visitors from +Fairyland. + +“You have come just at the right moment,” they said. “There is a grand +party at the Weather Clerk’s. His eldest son, the North Wind, is to +be married to-day to Princess Pearl, the daughter of the King of the +Enchanted Isles.” + +[Illustration] + +The Rainbow Cat was pleased that he had brought his party bow and his +best shoes. His bag of oddments might also come in useful, he thought. + +It was a wonderful wedding. + +Everybody went. Among the guests there was even a comet, and comets +attend none but the smartest gatherings. + +The Aurora Borealis looked magnificent, so did the bride’s father, the +King of the Enchanted Isles, who was there with his lovely wife, Mother +o’ Pearl. + +There were one or two Bores present who had to be asked because they +were connected with somebody or other, and another aged relation, +Anti Cyclone, a most disagreeable old lady; but on the whole it was a +charming affair. + +Just as the merriment was at its height and they were all happily +feasting and rejoicing, a friendly swallow came flying in with the news +that the Thunder Giant was tearing across the sky in a terrible rage +because a passing Trade Wind, who was in a hurry, had trodden on his +toe. + +“What shall we do?” said every one. “He’ll spoil the party. He’ll upset +everything.” And they all ran about in great confusion and distress. + +But the Rainbow Cat remained quite calm. He was a very resourceful +creature. + +He retired under a table and opened his little bag and examined its +contents, thinking hard all the time. + +Presently he came out. + +“I think I can manage the Thunder Giant,” he said. “Pray go on with +the party. I will go and meet him and see what can be done.” + +They were all greatly astonished at his courage and coolness, but they +were delighted to think that their party might not be spoiled after +all, and they crowded round to watch him go sailing off to meet the +giant, whose shoutings and mutterings could by this time be clearly +heard in the distance. + +When the Rainbow Cat had gone some way and could already see the giant +from afar, he stopped, opened his bag, and drew out a large black +cloak. This he put on, pulling the hood well over his ears. He then sat +down and appeared to be lost in deep thought. + +When the Thunder Giant came up he stood still for a moment to look at +this strange object all alone in the middle of the sky. + +“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” he roared. + +“I’m the celebrated wizard Mewpus,” replied the cat in a very deep and +impressive voice. “Mind my bag, there’s black magic in it. I have heard +of you, O great Thunder Giant.” And he got up and bowed three times. + +The giant felt rather flattered, but he was still very cross and his +foot hurt. + +“I don’t think much of wizards,” he said. “What can you do?” + +“I can tell your thoughts, O Giant,” was the reply. + +“Oho!” laughed the giant, “and pray what am I thinking at this moment, +Mr. Mewpus?” + +“That is quite easy,” said the Rainbow Cat. “You are thinking how +your foot is hurting you, and how you would like to get hold of the +person who trod on your corns.” For the cat had heard all this from the +swallow. + +The giant was astonished. + +“You’re a rather wonderful fellow,” he said. “It must be useful to be +able to do that. Can’t you teach me?” + +“I dare say I might be able to,” said the Rainbow Cat. “I’ll see if you +show any promise. Sit down, please.” + +The giant sat down and the Rainbow Cat walked three times round him, +muttering to himself. + +“Now, tell me what I am thinking,” said he when he had done. + +The Thunder Giant sat looking at him rather stupidly. He wasn’t a very +clever person. + +“I suppose you’re thinking what a fool I look, sitting here,” he said. + +“Wonderful--wonderful,” said the cat. “You show immense promise, sir. +I have never had such an apt pupil.” + +“May I try again?” said the giant, who began to think himself very +clever. + +“Certainly,” said the Rainbow Cat. “What am I thinking of now?” + +The giant tried to put on a very wise look and stared again at the +Rainbow Cat with his stupid little eyes. + +“Beefsteak and onions,” he said suddenly. + +The Rainbow Cat fell back and pretended to be lost in admiration. + +“Perfectly right,” he said. “How did you guess such a thing?” + +“Oh, it just came into my mind,” said the giant modestly. + +“You know,” said the cat seriously, “you ought to cultivate this gift. +It’s most unusual.” + +“How can I do it?” said the giant eagerly, for he thought it would be +very delightful to be able to read people’s thoughts. Which shows how +stupid he was. + +“Go home,” said the cat, “and lie down for a couple of hours. Then +take these three little pink comfits and lie down for another couple of +hours. After that you may get up and have a cup of tea. But keep very +quiet. Before going to bed eat this other little white comfit, and when +you wake up in the morning you will be able to read people’s thoughts.” + +The giant was all impatience to be gone, but he did not quite forget +his manners. + +“I am very much obliged to you,” he said. “Can’t I do anything for you +in exchange, Professor Mewpus?” + +The Rainbow Cat pondered for a moment. + +“I should like a bit of lightning,” he said, “a nice jumpy bit.” + +The giant put his hand in his pocket. “Here’s a bundle of it,” he said. +“If you cut the string you can have quite a jolly little display at any +moment.” + +The Rainbow Cat thanked him, and they parted most amicably. + +The giant went back to his castle and did as he had been told. Ever +since that day he believes he knows what people are thinking. This +makes him feel very superior and it really doesn’t do any one else any +harm. + +The Rainbow Cat returned to the party with the bundle of lightning +stowed carefully away in his bag. Every one was most grateful for what +he had done, and he was quite overwhelmed with attentions. He enjoyed +himself very much in Cloud-land, and stayed for seven days. At the end +of that time he packed up his little bag and set off once more on his +travels, and you shall presently hear what next befell him. + + + + +TWO + +The Princess Who Could Not Cry + + +There was once a little princess who could not cry. + +That wouldn’t have mattered so very much, but the trouble was that she +laughed at everything, often on the most unsuitable occasions, and this +was an extremely vexing and awkward habit, especially for a princess. + +Her parents were very troubled about it, and they called in a wise old +fairy in order to get her advice. She went into the matter thoroughly, +and finally told them that if the princess could only once be made to +cry, the spell would be broken for ever and she would thenceforward be +just like other people. + +This wasn’t particularly helpful, but it gave them some hope, and they +immediately set about the task of making the princess weep. Of course +it was a rather difficult matter, because naturally they didn’t want +her to be really miserable, and they hardly knew how to begin. Finally +they offered a reward of five hundred crowns to anybody who should +succeed in making their daughter cry without doing her any harm. + +Wise men came from all over the kingdom to see what they could do, and +many things were tried, but all to no purpose. + +One of them suggested that she should be shut up in a room by herself +and fed on bread and water for a whole week. The queen thought this +very cruel, but the king persuaded her to try it. She insisted, +however, that at any rate it should be bread and _milk_. But every time +they came to bring the princess her basin of bread and milk they found +her laughing, and at the end of the week she was still as cheerful as +ever. + +“Look,” she said, “my feet have grown so thin that I can’t keep my +slippers on.” And she kicked her foot into the air and sent her slipper +flying across the room, and laughed to see the scandalised face of the +butler. + +But her mother burst into tears. “My poor starved lamb,” she said, +“they shall not treat you so any longer.” And she rushed into the +kitchen and ordered soup and chicken and pink jelly to be sent up to +the princess for her next meal. + +Another wise man came who said that for six months he had been +practising pulling the most awful faces and making the most terrible +noises imaginable, in order to be able to cure the princess. Children, +he said, were so frightened by him that they had to be carried +shrieking and howling from the room, and even grown-up people were +so terrified that they wept aloud. He requested that he might be left +alone with the princess; but the queen waited outside the door and +listened. + +[Illustration] + +She trembled with anxiety as she stood there, for the noises the wise +man made were so bloodcurdling that she could hardly bear to hear them +herself, and it seemed dreadful that her child should be left alone to +endure such a trial. But in a few minutes she heard peals of laughter +coming from inside the room, and presently the wise man opened the +door. He was quite done up, and blue in the face, with the efforts he +had been making. “It’s no use,” he said rather crossly. “No use at +all,” and went away looking much annoyed. + +The princess came running out to her mother. + +“Oh, he _was_ a funny man,” she said. “Can’t he come and do it again?” + +Another wise man suggested that all her favourite toys should be broken +up. But when he went into the nursery and began smashing her beautiful +dolls and playthings, the princess clapped her hands and jumped about +and laughed more heartily than ever. + +“What fun, what fun,” she said, and she too began throwing the things +about. So that plan had to be given up also. + +Other wise men came, but as many of their suggestions were cruel and +unkind ones, naturally the king and queen would not hear of them, and +at last they began to fear that nothing could be done. + +Now in a small village on the borders of the king’s great park, there +lived a widow with her little daughter Marigold. + +They were very poor, and the mother earned what she could by doing odd +jobs of washing, sewing, or cleaning for her neighbours. But she fell +ill, and poor Marigold was in great trouble, for she had no money to +buy comforts for her mother. + +Their little savings had to go for food to keep them alive, and every +day these grew less and less. + +Marigold knew all about the little princess at the castle. She had +often heard speak of her, and had even seen her sometimes riding about +the roads on her white pony. And one day as she was cooking the midday +meal an idea came into her head. + +As soon as dinner was over, she put on her hat and cloak and told her +mother that she was going up to the king’s palace to see if she could +make the princess cry and so earn the five hundred crowns. + +Her mother did her best to persuade her not to go. + +“How can you hope to succeed,” she said, “when so many clever people +have tried and failed? You are my own dear little Marigold, but it is +useless for you to attempt such a task. Give it up, my child.” + +But Marigold was determined, and when her mother saw this she said no +more, but lay and watched her rather sadly as she set bravely off for +the castle with her little basket over her arm. + +When Marigold came to the castle gates she felt frightened. The gates +were so big and she was so small. But she thought of her mother and of +the five hundred crowns which would buy her everything she needed, and +she stood on tiptoe on the top step and pulled the bell handle so hard +that she was quite frightened at the noise it made. + +A very grand footman opened the door, and when he saw Marigold standing +there in her woollen frock and cloak with her little basket, he said, +“Back entrance!” in a loud, cross voice, and shut the door in her face. + +So she went round to the back entrance. This time the door was opened +by a red-faced kitchen-maid. “We’ve no dripping to give away to-day,” +she said, and she too was about to shut the door. + +But the queen happened to be in the kitchen giving her orders for the +day, and she saw Marigold through the window. She came to the window +and called to her. + +“What is it, my child?” she asked, for Marigold stood there looking the +picture of unhappiness. + +“I’ve come to make the princess cry, please your Majesty,” she said, +and made a curtsey, for the queen looked very magnificent with her +crown on her head and her lovely ermine train held up over her arm to +keep it off the kitchen floor. + +When the queen heard what Marigold had come for, she smiled and shook +her head, for how could a little country girl hope to do what so many +wise men had been unable to accomplish? But Marigold was so earnest and +so sure that she could make the princess cry that at last the queen +promised to let her attempt it. + +“You won’t hurt her?” she said. But she smiled as she said it. Marigold +had such a kind little face; she did not look as if she could hurt any +one. + +She was taken to the princess’s apartments, and the queen went with her +into the nursery and introduced her to the princess and explained why +she had come. + +The princess was delighted to see a nice little rosy-cheeked girl +instead of the dull old men who so often came to visit her. The queen +shut the door and left them alone together. + +By this time the news of the little village girl who had come to make +the princess cry, had spread all over the palace; and presently a whole +crowd of people were standing anxiously waiting outside the nursery +door. + +“It’s such nonsense,” said the Chamberlain to the Prime Minister. “A +village child. I don’t suppose she’s ever been outside the village.” + +“Quite ridiculous,” whispered the ladies-in-waiting to the court pages. +“Do you think she knows how to make a correct curtsey?” + +At last the king and queen could stand the suspense no longer. They +quietly opened the door and peeped in. And what do you think they saw? +The princess, standing at the table in the middle of the room with +Marigold’s basket in front of her, busily peeling onions as hard as she +could go, while the tears streamed down her face all the while. She was +crying at last! + +The king and queen rushed in and clasped her in their arms, onions and +all. The ladies-in-waiting stood with their perfumed handkerchiefs +pressed to their noses, the pages tittered, and the cook, who was +standing at the bottom of the stairs, muttered to himself when he +heard the news, “Well, _I_ could have done that,” while the Prime +Minister rushed about the room with his wig on one side and shook +everybody violently by the hand, exclaiming, “Wonderful, wonderful! +And so simple! We must get out a proclamation at once. Where are my +spectacles? Where is my pen?” + +And so the princess was cured, and from that time she became like +everybody else and cried when she was unhappy and laughed when she was +glad, though I am pleased to say that she always laughed a great deal +more than she cried. + +As for Marigold, she got her five hundred crowns, of course, and was +able to give her mother everything she needed, so that she was soon +quite well. The king and queen were most grateful, and often invited +her up to the palace to play with their little daughter, and loaded her +with presents. + +Because she was sweet and modest she didn’t get spoiled, but grew up +charming, kind and beautiful. I did hear that in the end she married a +king’s son and that they had an onion for their crest, but I’m not at +all sure about that. + + + + +THREE + +The Prince and the Baker’s Daughter + + +There was once a prince who was very brave, good and handsome. He was +quite young, too, and before he settled down to learning how to rule +the kingdom which would one day be his, he was sent by his father out +a-travelling into the world. + +The king gave his son a beautiful white horse and a bagful of big gold +pieces, and told him to come back when the money was all spent. + +His mother made him a blue velvet mantle embroidered with silver, and +she also gave him a hat with a blue feather in it. + +“I want my son to look nice when he goes out riding into the world,” +she said. + +He rode away on his white horse and turned to wave his hand to his +mother and father before he went over the hill-top. + +“How handsome he looks,” said his mother, wiping away a tear or two. + +“Well, that’s nothing to cry about,” said his father, and blew his +nose. Then they went back into the palace and continued ruling. + +The prince rode on and on. + +Wherever he went people were very nice to him, even when he got beyond +the borders of his own kingdom where he was no longer known. + +It is not every day that a handsome prince comes riding along on a +white horse, and moreover with a bagful of fine gold pieces to spend. + +All the girls ran out to look at him as he passed, and when he stayed +anywhere, even for a short time, people seemed to get to know about it +at once and asked him to their houses and gave grand parties in his +honour and made so much of him altogether that he was in some danger of +getting thoroughly spoiled. + +But he had been very well brought up, and he had a naturally amiable +disposition. + +Besides, he had always been told by his mother that if you are a +prince you must try hard to behave as a prince should, and be modest, +considerate, and very polite to every one. + +One morning close on midday, he came to a tiny village which he did not +know at all. + +He was rather hungry after his ride, and as he passed down the narrow +little street he became aware of a delicious smell of new bread. + +It came from the open door of the village baker’s, and as he glanced in +he saw a pile of beautiful, crisp new rolls heaped up in a big white +basket. + +He got down off his horse and went in. + +“I should like to buy one of those nice little rolls,” he said to the +baker’s daughter, who stood behind the counter. + +She was very pretty. She had blue, shining eyes and fair smooth hair, +and when she smiled it was like sunshine on a flowery meadow. + +[Illustration] + +The prince ate up his roll and then another and yet another, and while +he ate he talked to the baker’s daughter. But no one can eat more than +three rolls one after another, and at last he felt that the time had +come to pay for what he had had and ride on his way. + +But, as it happened, he had no small change, nothing but a gold piece +such as those which he had in his bag. + +The baker’s daughter hadn’t enough money in the whole shop to change +such a big gold piece, her father having set off that very morning with +all the money in the till in order to buy a sack of flour from the +miller in the next village. + +She had never even seen so large a gold coin before. She wanted to give +him the rolls for nothing, but of course he wouldn’t hear of that, and +when he said it didn’t matter about the change she wouldn’t hear of +that either. + +“Then there’s nothing for it,” said the prince, “but for me to stay in +the village until I have eaten as much as my gold piece will pay for.” + +As a matter of fact he was really quite glad of an excuse to stay, the +baker’s daughter was so very pretty, and he was getting a little tired +of travelling. + +He pottered about in the bakehouse all the afternoon and watched her +making the dough for her delicious rolls. + +He even offered to help her. + +His blue mantle got rather floury, but he didn’t mind that in the least. + +The baker’s daughter was rather worried that such a fine gentleman +should get in such a mess. + +She didn’t know he was a prince, otherwise she might have been more +worried still. + +In the evening, when the baker returned, the prince asked if he could +put him up for a couple of nights. + +The baker was a kindly and simple old soul. “Gladly, gladly,” he said, +rubbing his hands together and smiling, for the village was a small one +and they were very poor, and he was glad to make a little extra money. + +The prince stayed a whole week at the baker’s house. By that time, what +with the bread he had eaten--though he was careful not to eat much and +always to choose the cheapest--and the price of his lodging, about half +of the gold piece was spent, and the baker’s daughter was able to give +him the change from the money she had taken in the shop. + +So he had no excuse for staying any longer, which grieved him because +he had grown very fond of the baker’s daughter and did not like leaving +her. + +But he had an idea that his mother and father would not think her a +very suitable bride for him, for princes cannot always marry whom they +please, and so he rode sadly away. + +But the farther he went the sadder he became, and at the end of two +months he could bear it no longer, and so one fine morning he turned +his horse’s head round and rode back again the way he had come. + +“She is good and clever and beautiful,” he said. “What more can one +want in a wife? When my mother and father see her they will love her as +much as I do and will be quite willing that I should marry her.” Which +really was very optimistic of him. + +But alas, when he came to the village and sought the baker’s shop, he +was met by strange faces. + +The baker had died a month since, he was told, and his daughter had +left the village and gone out into the world to work for her living, +for she could not manage the bakehouse by herself and there was none to +help her now that her father was gone. + +The prince was very, very troubled and unhappy. He tried to find out +something more about her, but his efforts were fruitless; no one seemed +to know what had become of her. + +“I will search the world over till I find her,” he said, “even if it +take me the whole of my life.” + +He wandered on and on, always making fresh inquiries, always hoping to +hear something of his lost love, but always in vain. + +And at last he got back to his own kingdom. + +When his mother and father saw him they were horrified to find how pale +and thin he had grown. + +[Illustration: HE RODE AWAY ON HIS WHITE HORSE AND TURNED TO WAVE HIS +HAND TO HIS MOTHER AND FATHER BEFORE HE WENT OVER THE HILL-TOP.] + +“Travelling doesn’t seem to suit you, my son,” said his father, looking +at him rather seriously and stroking his beard. + +“The poor boy is tired out,” said his mother. “He’ll look better when +he’s had a good rest and some proper food. I don’t suppose he’s ever +had a really wholesome meal in those foreign parts.” + +But the prince remained thin and sad and listless, and at last he told +his father and mother the cause of his unhappiness. At first they were +a little upset at the idea of his wanting to marry so humble a person +as the daughter of a village baker--“But that of course,” thought the +prince, “is only because they don’t know her.” + +And after a time, when they saw how unhappy he was and that all the +distractions with which they provided him were unavailing, and that his +one idea was to go out into the world again and search for the baker’s +daughter, they were so troubled that they felt they would be only too +glad if he could have the wish of his heart fulfilled. + +And then one day as the prince was sitting quietly at breakfast with +his parents he jumped up suddenly with an expression of the greatest +excitement and joy. + +“What is it, my son?” said his astonished mother. + +The prince couldn’t speak for a moment. For one thing he was too +excited, and for another his mouth was full of bread, and I told you +before how well brought up he was. + +But he pointed to the dish of breakfast rolls and kept on nodding his +head and swallowing as hard as he could. + +The king and queen thought at first that sorrow had affected his brain, +but the prince was able to explain very soon. “The rolls, the rolls,” +he said. “Her rolls, _hers_. No one else could make them so good. She +must be here.” And he rushed off to the kitchen without further ado. + +And there, sure enough, he found the baker’s daughter, peeling potatoes +over the sink. + +By the merest chance she had taken a place as kitchen-maid in the +king’s palace, though she hadn’t the faintest idea, when she did so, +that the king’s son was the same person as the handsome stranger who +had once stayed in her father’s house. + +And though she had been there a month she had never seen him. How +should she? King’s palaces are big places, and the kitchen-maids +stay in the kitchen premises, so that she and the prince might never +have come face to face at all if it had not happened that, owing to +the illness of the royal roll-maker, she had undertaken to make the +breakfast rolls that morning. + +When the king and queen saw how sweet and beautiful she was they made +no objection to her as a bride for their son, and so he asked her at +once to marry him, which she consented to do, for she loved him as much +as he loved her. + +“I don’t know that I should have _chosen_ a baker’s daughter for our +son’s wife,” said the queen to her husband when they talked it over +that evening. “But she’s certainly a charming girl, and quite nice +people go into business nowadays.” + +“She’ll make him an excellent wife,” said the king. “Those rolls were +delicious.” + +So they got married quite soon after. The wedding was a rather quiet +one because the bride was in mourning for her father, whom she had +loved dearly. All the same, it was a very nice affair, and everybody +was most jolly and gay. The prince and his wife had a beautiful house +not very far from the palace, and I think it is extremely likely that +they lived happily ever after. + + + + +FOUR + +Why Pigs Have Curly Tails + + +There was once a fairy who fell into a bramble-bush. It was a very +closely grown bush, and she could not get out. She was sadly scratched, +and the thorns caught her tiny delicate wings and tore her pretty frail +dress into shreds. + +The bramble-bush formed part of a hedge which ran along the side of an +orchard, and presently a horse came sauntering up to the hedge. + +“Oh, please help me, sir,” said the fairy. “I’m caught in a +bramble-bush, and can’t get out.” + +The horse came and looked at her. “That’s a nasty place to be in,” he +said. “What will you give me if I get you out?” + +“I’ll give you a golden halter and a silver bit,” said the fairy. + +The horse shook his head. “It’s not worth it,” he said. “I should +scratch my face. My master loves me for my beautiful satin skin, and +I really can’t risk spoiling my appearance. Besides, I have some very +nice harness of my own. He sees to that. Sorry I can’t be of any +assistance.” And he ambled away. + +A little later a robin perched on the bramble-bush. “Oh, please, Mr. +Robin, won’t you come and help me?” said the fairy. “I can’t get out.” + +“What will you give me,” said the robin, “if I help you out?” + +[Illustration] + +“I’ll give you a jacket of gold and slippers of silver,” said the fairy. + +“Thank you very much,” said the robin, “but I don’t think that’s quite +my style. I have a nice red waistcoat already and I should hate to look +gaudy. Besides, I’m tremendously busy. I’ve got a young family to look +after, and my wife doesn’t like me to be away long.” And he flew off. + +There were sheep grazing in the field on the other side of the hedge, +and one of them came munching close to the bramble-bush. + +“Oh, please, Mrs. Sheep,” said the fairy, “can you help me out of here?” + +“What will you give me if I do?” said the sheep. + +“I will teach you to sing as the fairies sing,” said the fairy. “I will +also give you wisdom.” For she was getting more and more anxious, and +she thought such lovely gifts would tempt the sheep. + +But the sheep stared stupidly with her glassy eyes. “That’s all very +well,” she replied, “but I happen to have a very nice voice naturally +and can already sing rather well. As for wisdom, I don’t quite know +what that is, but I don’t think it sounds very interesting. I’d help +you gladly, but the thorns would tear my fine woollen coat, and that +would never do. Surely a fine woollen coat is worth much more than +wisdom.” And she moved away. + +The fairy was beginning to despair; she thought she would never, never +be able to get back to Fairyland. But just as she had given up hope, +a pig came wandering past, making ugly noises and staring about with +his little blue eyes. He spied the fairy sitting in the midst of the +bramble-bush with her head down on her knees. + +“What’s the matter?” said the pig. + +The fairy raised her head and saw the pig’s ugly pink snout poking in +between the bramble-twigs. + +“I think I can get you out,” he said, when she had told him her +trouble. “I’m not much to look at, but I’ve got a good tough hide, +and at any rate I shan’t be afraid of a few scratches spoiling my +beauty.” So with a good many snuffles and grunts he pushed his head and +shoulders well into the middle of the bush and made a clear way for the +fairy to get out. + +She gave a sigh of relief when she found herself once more free and in +the clear sunshine, and the pig stood and looked at her admiringly, for +she was a dear little thing. He was so conscious of his ugliness beside +her pretty grace that he turned away and started off down the orchard. + +“Don’t go--oh, don’t go,” said the fairy. + +The pig turned round. + +“You’ve not had your reward,” said the fairy. + +“I don’t want any reward, thank you,” grunted the pig, and moved on. + +But the fairy persisted. She flew after him. “You must have a reward,” +she said. “I shall be most unhappy if you don’t.” + +“But I don’t want anything, thank you,” said the pig. “I have been +very glad to help you.” + +The fairy stood in front of him, anxiously pondering as to what she +could possibly give him that might be of any use. Nobody seemed to want +her fairy gifts. She looked him up and down. + +“Wouldn’t you like something--something to make you more beautiful?” +she said. + +She really meant less ugly, but she was so grateful to the pig that she +was very anxious not to hurt his feelings, and so she put it that way. + +“I’m afraid it’s rather hopeless,” said the pig, with half a smile. +“You see, I’m such an ugly fellow. You’d have to alter me all over.” + +“But surely--a little something ...” said the fairy, and she looked at +him more thoughtfully than ever. + +Now all this happened a very long time ago, when pigs had quite +straight tails like most of the other animals, and suddenly, looking +at his tail, the fairy had an idea. “I know, I know,” she said. “You +shall have a curly tail. It will be an immense improvement, and _so_ +uncommon.” + +The pig looked rather pleased. “Well, have your own way,” he said. “I +can’t see my own tail, in any case, but I dare say it wouldn’t look +bad.” + +So the fairy touched the pig’s tail with her wand, and it instantly +curled up into nice little rings. + +Ever since that day pigs have had curly tails, and now you know how +they came by this beautiful adornment. + + + + +FIVE + +The Second Adventure of the Rainbow Cat + + +The Rainbow Cat went on and on until at last he came to the country of +the Tree-goblins. The Tree-goblins are happy people; they live in the +trees like birds, though they can’t fly. They are indeed very friendly +with the birds, and they understand the bird language, so that they are +able to send one another messages without any need of the post--which +is very convenient! + +When winter comes the goblins go and live in their caves underground. +It is a great change after the trees, and they are always delighted +when spring returns again. + +There are no animals in Tree-goblin-land, but the Rainbow Cat was an +old friend here too, and was received as kindly as in Cloud-land. + +The Tree-goblins are rather funny little creatures; they like to keep +themselves _to_ themselves, as the saying goes, and there are not even +any fairies living in their country. But they are on very friendly +terms with the fairy folk, and their principal occupation is making +fairy clothes. + +These are the tiniest, finest little garments imaginable, and they +are made of all sorts of pretty things. Spider thread, of course, +and moonbeams, and softest silk from silk-worms, and flower-petals +dipped in magic wells so that they cannot fade, and thistledown, and +moss-velvet, and foam, and lichen--oh, there is no end to the things +that are used to make clothes for the fairies. + +[Illustration] + +And when they are finished the birds carry them to the fairies and +bring back orders. Sometimes, when it’s a very special occasion, the +fairies come to be fitted or to choose the stuffs and the styles, but +not often. + +They are easy to fit and easy to suit, and the birds do the ordering +most satisfactorily. + +The Rainbow Cat liked being in Tree-goblin-land very much indeed. + +He lived in a beautiful copper-beech. When the morning sun shone +through the leaves his little house was filled with a lovely rosy +light which was most pleasing and becoming. Every morning a chorus of +little birds sang songs to him for his delight, and every evening they +lulled him to sleep with soft lullabies. + +They thought him a very grand and beautiful person, and so indeed he +was. + +When he had been in Tree-goblin-land for two or three days the Chief of +the Goblins came to see him one morning early. He was in great trouble. + +The Queen of the Fairies had sent an order for rose-coloured shoes, +dozens and dozens of pairs. She wanted all the Court to wear +rose-coloured shoes at her next party, and her next party was to take +place in three days. + +“We could get the work done,” said the Chief Goblin anxiously, “it +isn’t that. But we haven’t got the material. You see, the roses aren’t +out yet. There’s been a great run on pink lately and we’ve used up +all the pink flowers and all our other stuffs of that colour. We’ve +scarcely got an inch of rose-colour of any kind, and we ought to start +at once. It’ll take us all our time to get them made. It would be +dreadful to disappoint the Queen. What are we to do?” + +The Rainbow Cat was more than willing to help, but he felt that it was +a difficult matter. + +“How soon must you have the stuff?” he asked. + +“This afternoon would be the very latest,” said the goblin. + +“I’ll see what I can do,” said the Rainbow Cat. “I have an idea or two. +Don’t worry, it’ll be all right. Meet me here at noon, and I’ll let you +know what I’ve done.” + +The Chief Goblin went away feeling considerably relieved. The Rainbow +Cat seemed so wise, just the kind of person to think of something +helpful in an emergency. + +And sure enough at twelve o’clock he came to meet the Chief of the +Goblins with a cheerful twinkle in his dark blue eye. + +“I’ve been making a few inquiries,” he said. “But I want to make sure +that my information is correct. Sit down, and let us have a little +quiet talk.” + +The Chief of the Goblins sat down and waited eagerly. He felt more and +more hopeful. + +“Is it true,” said the Rainbow Cat, “is it true that the crooked +hawthorn tree in the Weeshy Glen is very bad-tempered?” + +“Quite true,” said the Chief Goblin. “Nobody dares go near him, +he’s such a cross, cantankerous creature. Lots of the hawthorns are +very nice indeed, and we’re very fond of them. But he’s unbearable. +He’ll give any one a nasty scratch if he gets half a chance, he’s so +spiteful.” + +“Is it true,” continued the Rainbow Cat, “that he’s jealous of the +other trees because he can’t grow tall and big like them, and reach up +to the sky?” + +“Quite true,” said the Chief Goblin. “He makes every one round him +miserable with his grumbling and scolding.” + +“H’m,” said the Rainbow Cat, and he folded his arms and sat lost in +thought for a few minutes. + +“Would the petals of the hawthorn tree do to make fairy shoes of?” he +said at last. + +“Beautifully,” said the Chief Goblin. “But they’re white.” (For at that +time all hawthorn blossom was white, both in Fairyland and everywhere +else.) + +“Quite true,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Can you lend me a mandolin?” + +“Yes, I think I can,” said the goblin, and he ran off and came back +very soon with a beautiful mandolin all inlaid with silver and ivory +and mother-of-pearl. + +“Thank you,” said the Rainbow Cat. “I think that in half an hour or so +I shall be able to let you have all the rose-coloured petals you want.” +And he hung the mandolin round his neck and set off into the forest. + +Presently he came to the Weeshy Glen, sat down a little way off from +the hawthorn tree where its thorns could not possibly touch him, tuned +up his mandolin, and began to sing this little song: + + “The oak tree raises his arms on high, + The pine tree reaches up to the sky, + The slender birch is a lady fair, + The poplar has a most elegant air. + But tell, oh tell me now, who is this + Small and stunted and all amiss? + Who can he be? oh, who can he be? + This squat little, odd little, strange little tree?” + +It wasn’t very kind of the Rainbow Cat, but the hawthorn tree was a +very disagreeable fellow, you must remember, and nobody could ever do +anything to punish him because every one was so afraid of his sharp +thorns. + +Anyway, by the time the Rainbow Cat had got to the end of the first +verse, the hawthorn tree was very angry. He could hardly contain +himself, and he trembled all over with the temper he was in. + +The cat hardly looked at him, but went cheerfully on with his song. + +This was the second verse: + + “The elm tree stands like a stately king, + The leaves of the alder dance and sing, + My lady beech is a courtly dame, + The chestnut’s lamps are a shining flame. + But tell me, tell me, who can he be + That scarcely reaches up to their knee? + Hoary of head and crooked of limb, + What on earth is the matter with him?” + +The hawthorn tree had grown more and more furious as the song went on. +The Rainbow Cat finished up with a beautiful trill when he got to “the +matter with him,” but the hawthorn tree was in no mood to admire his +fine singing. So great was his rage that he grew pinker and pinker and +pinker, and he shook so violently that all his petals were shaken down. +They fell all round him like a shower of rosy rain. + +The Rainbow Cat waited no longer. He ran off as hard as he could to the +Chief of the Goblins, still singing as he went, and told him that he +would find all the stuff he wanted in the Weeshy Glen. + +So the Queen got the rose-coloured shoes after all, and the +Tree-goblins were most grateful to the Rainbow Cat, and begged him to +stay with them as long as he liked. + +But he thanked them and said he must continue his travels. + +They wanted to load him with presents, but all he would take was a +little bottle of water from the magic well. This water has fairy +powers. If you rub it on your eyes you can see through stone walls, +which is sometimes very convenient, and the Rainbow Cat was quite +pleased to have some. + +They also insisted that he should keep the mandolin. This he finally +consented to do. And ever since that time there have always been pink +hawthorn trees as well as white. + + + + +SIX + +Mellidora + + +There was once a young prince who wished to take a wife. So he went to +consult his aunt, who was by way of being a Wise Woman. + +“Next week,” he said, “the King of the +Land-on-the-other-side-of-the-Mountains is holding a great festival +in honour of the coming of age of his son, and he has invited me to +stay at the Court. There will be many beautiful ladies there, and I am +hoping that I may be able to find a wife among them. But how shall I +know which to choose?” + +“You shall have my advice and welcome,” said his aunt. “Choose a maiden +who laughs when others cry, and cries when others laugh, and you will +not go far wrong.” + +The prince thanked his aunt for her counsel and went back home. He +thought the advice she had given him rather strange, but he had great +confidence in her wisdom. “And in any case,” he said, “I can but go to +the festival and see what comes of it.” + +There were indeed many lovely ladies at the Court of the King of the +Land-on-the-other-side-of-the-Mountains. The prince was quite dazzled +by their beauty and their wit. Each of them seemed more charming than +the last. + +On the second day of the fête a picnic had been arranged which was to +take place in a woodland glade some little way from the palace. + +The road thither was rough and very muddy, for there had been much rain +the week before. + +The princes and knights rode on horseback; the ladies were conveyed in +carriages gaily decked with flowers and drawn by beautiful prancing +horses. + +But it so happened that the horses of one of the carriages became +unmanageable. It turned over, and the six ladies who rode in it were +all tumbled into the ditch at the side of the road. + +It was a rather deep ditch, and there was water at the bottom of it, so +that it was quite a business getting them all out, though fortunately +none of them was seriously hurt. The prince, who happened to be riding +beside the carriage, helped to rescue them, and escorted them one by +one, weeping, to a seat on the bank, where they presented a sorry +spectacle with their pretty frocks all muddy and bedraggled and their +pretty hats all on one side. + +But when the prince came to the sixth lady he found her, to his great +astonishment, sitting at the bottom of the ditch, laughing. + +Her hat had come off, her hair had come down, she was bedaubed with mud +from head to foot, and her poor little hands were covered with nettle +stings. + +But she laughed all the same. + +“We must have looked so funny all tumbling into the ditch,” she said. +“I wish I could have seen it. We’re still rather a funny sight, aren’t +we?”--and she looked down at herself and up at the weeping ladies on +the bank, and laughed again. + +[Illustration] + +There was so much mud on her face that the prince could not see what +she really looked like, but he remembered the words of his aunt. + +“What is the name of the sixth lady?” he asked, when they had all been +bundled off home. “The one who laughed?” + +“Her name is Mellidora,” he was told. + +So in the evening he sought out Mellidora and found that she was a most +beautiful and charming person, so much so that he lost his heart to her +forthwith. + +“But I must do nothing in a hurry,” he said to himself. “After all, +there is the other half of my aunt’s counsel to be considered. In any +case, it would perhaps seem a little strange if I asked her to marry me +quite so soon. We will see what happens to-morrow.” + +On the next day all the ladies and gentlemen who were staying in the +castle were to go out riding in the early morning. + +The prince had slept late, and he stood for a moment at his window +looking down on the courtyard, where there was a great bustling and +prancing and making ready. + +Through the midst of all this an old peasant woman was making her way. + +She had a basket of eggs on her arm, and carefully laid on the top of +it was a round flat cake, brown and spicy-looking, with a sugar heart +in the middle of it, surrounded by pink and white sugar roses. + +She had made it for a birthday gift for the King’s son. But she was a +little confused by all the bustle in the courtyard, and scurried hither +and thither among the horses and people like a frightened hen. + +Presently one of the King’s servants pushed her out of the way. Her +foot caught on the edge of a stone; she tripped and fell. + +The eggs rolled out of the basket. Plop! Plop! they went on the stones. + +There was a fine mess, and the beautiful cake lay in the midst of it, +in fragments. + +The old woman was so vexed and upset that she forgot everything but the +misfortune that had befallen her, and she stood in the middle of the +courtyard surrounded by her broken eggs, scolding away at the top of +her voice and shaking her old umbrella at the whole gay crowd. + +Everybody laughed; and indeed she was a rather comical sight as she +stood there shouting and storming. Somebody threw her a gold piece, +which was kindly meant. But a gold piece wouldn’t make her beautiful +cake whole again. + +Presently the whole party rode away through the courtyard gates--all +excepting one, and that one no other than Mellidora. + +She slipped down from her horse and went swiftly across to where the +old woman sat upon the stone steps leading up to the big castle doors. +All her anger was gone, but she looked the picture of misery. + +The prince could see how Mellidora stooped to pick up the broken cake +and tried to put it together again, and how kindly she put her arm +round the old woman’s shoulder, coaxing her with friendly words. + +And when presently he came down into the courtyard to see what more +might be done, the sun shone upon Mellidora’s gentle face, and he saw +that her eyes were full of tears. + +Then the prince knew that he had indeed found the one whom he sought, +for here was a maiden who not only laughed when others cried, but who +also cried when others laughed. + +The old woman was taken to the King’s son, where she was so kindly +received that she forgot all her troubles. + +But the prince waited no longer. + +That very same day he asked Mellidora to marry him, and as she loved +him as much as he did her they got married very soon and lived happily +ever after. + + + + +SEVEN + +The Clock + + +There was once a little clock which had gone steadily for years and +years. + +It was a good, conscientious little thing, pretty too, but very modest, +and it had always kept splendid time. + +Then it stopped suddenly one day exactly at eleven. Its works were worn +out, and the clock-maker to whom it was sent for repairs returned it +with the message that it was not possible to make it go again. + +The people to whom it belonged decided to leave it on the mantelshelf +where it had always stood. “It’s such a nice little thing,” they said, +“and some day we can have new works put into it.” So there it stood +without making a movement or uttering the faintest tick. But it was +very unhappy. It felt that it was of no real use in the world. + +The other things in the room weren’t very nice about it. They used to +whisper to one another, and the little clock caught an unkind word now +and then that made it unhappier than ever. + +“I don’t know why they keep it there. What on earth’s the good of it +if it doesn’t go?” said the big grandfather clock. “It never was much +use anyway. No chime, and a very poor tick. Of course it’s got no +constitution to speak of.” And his brazen face grew even shinier than +it had been before, and he gave a self-satisfied little cough and then +sang out his quarters as loudly as ever he could. + +The cuckoo clock, which lived in the hall, and used to join in the talk +when the door was open, actually went so far as to make up a little +rhyme about it. + +“Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo,” it sang. “What’s the use of you? What’s the +use of you? Cuckoo, cuckoo.” + +The chairs, which were Chippendale, and tremendously proud of the fact, +were quite as rude. + +“There’s no doubt about it,” they said, “quality is what tells. You +can’t expect a thing to last unless it is really well made, inside and +out. Perfect workmanship will wear practically for ever.” And they held +up their backs as straight as could be and curved their shapely arms +and legs into the most elegant lines imaginable. + +The little Chelsea flower-seller and flute-player, who stood on each +side of the clock on the mantelshelf, were much kinder, and did their +best to console it. + +They had always been on friendly terms with it, and they used to peep +round it and smile and wave to one another. + +[Illustration] + +“The Fairy Queen is probably coming to see us soon,” said the +flower-seller. “Perhaps she may be able to help you.” + +The little clock felt happier; it would be wonderful to be introduced +to the Fairy Queen, who had often been to see the Chelsea figures but +had so far never taken notice of any of the other things. + +You see, those two were old friends of hers. They came from Fairyland +originally, but the tale went that a wicked witch had cast a spell +over them which was to last for seven hundred and seventy-seven years. +At the end of that time they would be able to go back to Fairyland, +but meanwhile the Queen used to come and visit them now and then in +order to cheer them up. Sure enough, the very next time she came, +the flower-seller remembered about the little clock and told her how +unhappy it was. + +The Queen came and stood in front of it and stroked its face with her +tiny hand and patted its pretty ormolu pillars. + +Finally she sat down on the little green marble slab on which it stood, +and asked it to tell her all its troubles. + +And the little clock opened its heart to her and told her how miserable +it was to think that it would never, never be able to tell the time +again. + +“But you _will_,” said the Queen. “Every day and every night at eleven +o’clock you will be exactly right. None of the other clocks”--she +glanced round almost contemptuously at the grandfather--“can be quite +sure of ever being perfectly right. But you will be. Why, it must be +about eleven now.” She pulled a dandelion-clock from her pocket and +began to blow and to count. “One, two, three, four....” The white +darts floated away and went drifting about the room. At last only one +remained. + +[Illustration: SHE PULLED A TINY DANDELION-CLOCK FROM HER POCKET AND +BEGAN TO BLOW AND TO COUNT] + +At that moment the cuckoo clock was heard striking in the hall. The +Queen stopped blowing to listen. + +“He’s fast,” she said, and waited till he had finished. “Five, six, +seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven,” she went on, and, as she ended, the +last white morsel of down rose in the air. She glanced at the little +clock. “You see, you’re quite right,” she said triumphantly. “And +to-morrow morning you’ll be right again at eleven o’clock.” + +The little clock beamed, and it beamed still more when the Fairy Queen +opened its glass door and gently clasped its hands in hers and said how +much she looked forward to seeing it again. + +Just then the grandfather cleared his throat and went through his +pompous performance of chiming out the quarters and hour. + +“You’re five minutes slow,” said the Queen, and she waved her hand and +vanished through the ventilator. + + + + +EIGHT + +The Moon + + +The moon, of course, is a big golden penny hung up in the sky. Every +month when it is at the full the fairies stand in the fields and gaze +at it and feel in their empty pockets. There are so many things they +want to buy. Rainbow ribbon from the weather clerk for sashes, silken +thread from the spider for weaving into shawls, pearl varnish from the +snail for doing up their wings, and little red feathers from the robin +for wearing in their Sunday bonnets. + +At last they can bear it no longer. They all go flying into the sky and +unhook the moon and carry it off to go marketing with. And when they’re +tired of spending they hang what is left of it up again in the sky and +go home to bed. But the next night they fetch it again and spend a +little more. + +They go on doing this night after night for nearly a fortnight, and the +moon gets smaller and smaller, till at last there’s nothing left of +it at all. And when the fairies realise what they have done, they get +frightened. + +“We’ve spent all the moon,” they say. “Suppose it never grew again! +Wouldn’t it be dreadful?” And they all hide away in the forest and +don’t come out for several nights. + +But at last one of them takes courage and puts his head out, and he +sees a little tiny bit of moon shining in the sky. Whereupon he gives a +shout and claps his hands and goes running round to the houses of all +the other fairies to tell them the good news. + +[Illustration] + +“The moon’s growing again,” he says. “Come quick and look.” And they +all come out to look at it, and caper about and are as pleased as +pleased can be. + +“We’ll never take it again,” they say. “It might not grow next time.” +But at the end of a fortnight they have worn all their pretties a +little shabby, and they want some more. And by that time the moon has +grown so big that they feel that they _must_ spend a little of it. +And--would you believe it?--they end up by doing all over again just +exactly what they did before. + +They’ve been going on like this for ages, and what’s more, they’re +beginning to take it for granted that the moon will grow again, and so +I don’t suppose they’ll ever get cured. But it’s very tiresome of them. + +We could quite well do with all the moon always. Besides, some day it +really might not grow again. And what then...? + + + + +NINE + +The Third Adventure of the Rainbow Cat + + +When the Rainbow Cat left the land of the Tree-goblins he travelled for +some time until he came to a delightful country called the Bountiful +Land. + +It was a marvellous country. + +There were deep forests there, and great meadows full of the loveliest +flowers, such as only grow in gardens in other countries; the sky was +nearly always blue, and the people who lived in that land were happy +and contented. That is to say, they would have been but for one thing. + +In the very middle of the country there was a great castle built high +upon a rock, and in this castle--so the inhabitants of the place told +the Rainbow Cat--there lived a cruel and wicked giantess who tyrannised +over the people and constantly took away their goods, sometimes even +their children. + +The Rainbow Cat did not meet with any one who had actually seen the +giantess face to face, but terrible tales were told of her doings and +of her horrible appearance. She was three times the height of an +ordinary man, it was said. Her hair was like knotted ropes, her eyes +flamed fire; when she blew her nose, the sound was like thunder; when +she sneezed, forests swayed as beneath a hurricane; when she stamped +her foot, whole villages collapsed. + +Besides being a giantess she was reported to be able to work magic, and +that frightened the people more than anything else. + +On dark nights she would come down from her castle, they told him, in +a chariot drawn by six dragons, and when the people heard the noise +of it they fled into their houses and locked the doors and barred the +windows. From within they could hear their barns and granaries being +ransacked, and the opening of the doors of sheds and stables, whence +their best cattle and horses were carried off. + +But sometimes a great voice would be heard shouting in the dark, “Throw +out your treasures or I will take your children.” Then the terrified +people opened their windows and threw out their treasures in fear and +trembling. + +And notices would mysteriously appear in the villages, threatening +that unless certain things were delivered up at the castle gates, the +giantess would come down and take a terrible revenge. + +The things were conveyed up the rocky path by terrified villagers, who +left them in front of the gates as commanded. They always came back +with most alarming stories of what they had observed. + +One man had seen the giantess’s shoes being cleaned by a servant in the +courtyard. They were as big, he said, as a hay waggon. + +[Illustration] + +Another was so frightened by the sight of her washing hanging out on +the line that he ran all the way home and did not get over it for weeks. + +But the worst thing of all was that children who had wandered a little +way from home disappeared and never came back. + +Others who escaped would tell how an enormous cloaked figure had +suddenly sprung out from behind a tree, seized one of their comrades, +and made off into the woods. + +The thing had grown so bad that people dare not let their children out +of their sight for a moment, and they were growing so afraid of the +visits of the giantess that all happiness was rapidly vanishing out of +the land. + +The fame of the Rainbow Cat’s wisdom had already reached this country, +and the people were delighted to see him and implored him to come to +their assistance. The Rainbow Cat felt that this was a very serious +matter indeed, but he was exceedingly sorry for the people and promised +to do all he could to help them. + +So on the evening of the second day after his arrival, he took his +little bag, which contained, among other things, the lightning which +the Thunder Giant had given him and the bottle of fairy water from +Tree-goblin-land, and quietly set off for the castle of the giantess. + +He said nothing of his purpose to the kind folk with whom he was +staying--he knew it would only make them fearfully anxious. + +He just said he was going out for a little walk in order to think the +matter over. + +He climbed lightly and softly up the rocky path until he came right +under the castle walls. + +There were two immense stone towers, one at each end of the castle, +and from the high chimney of one of them great clouds of evil-looking +smoke were pouring forth--green and purple and black. + +“Aha,” said the Rainbow Cat to himself, “that’s where she’s busy at her +horrible tricks, is it?” + +So he sat down outside the tower, opened his bag, and dabbed his eyes +with water from his little bottle, so that he was able to see right +through the wall into the inside of the tower. + +To his great astonishment, he saw no giantess, but a very nasty-looking +old wizard with a long grey beard and an enormously tall hat, who sat +in a large room in front of a great open fire. + +All manner of strange and terrible-looking things hung upon the walls +of the room or were stowed away in cupboards, and the floor and tables +were piled with books of magic. + +A great bunch of keys hung from the girdle of the wizard, who was +busily stirring something which was bubbling over the fire in a big +black pot, from which came the smoke that the Rainbow Cat had noticed +pouring from the chimney. + +The firelight shone on the labels of the keys, so that the Rainbow Cat +was able to read what was written on them. + +“Gold Chest--Silver Chest--Jewel Chest--Giantess’s Room--Prisoners’ +Room--Giantess’s Garden”: these were some of the names he read on the +labels, and he began to understand things a little better. But he +thought he would make a few more investigations. So he picked up his +little bag and walked softly off to the other end of the castle, sat +down on the ground at the foot of the tower there, and again bathed his +eyes with fairy water. + +This time he found himself looking into a big room full of children. + +They were all very busy. + +Some of them were sorting strange-looking herbs, some of them were +grinding queer substances with heavy stones, some of them were +anxiously measuring out liquids drop by drop from one bottle into +another. + +They all looked pale and tired; they did not laugh and talk over their +work as one would expect children to do. + +And then the door of the room opened and in walked--who but the +giantess herself! + +But imagine the surprise of the Rainbow Cat upon discovering that, +although she was indeed immensely tall, she was otherwise by no means a +terrible-looking person, but had, on the contrary, a sweet and charming +face and beautiful golden hair. + +The children all came running up to her as soon as she appeared, and +seemed delighted to see her. She bent down and lifted some of them up +into her arms, and was so gentle and sweet with them all that it was a +joy to see her. + +The Rainbow Cat lost no further time; he took his mandolin, and sitting +there at the foot of the tower, he began playing a little tune. + +He daren’t play very loud for fear the wizard should hear him in the +other tower, but fortunately the wind was in the right direction, and +in any case he felt pretty certain that the wizard was too much taken +up with his enchantments to pay attention to anything else. + +But the giantess heard, for of course giantesses have very much larger +ears than ordinary people and hear much better, and she put her head +out of the window and saw the Rainbow Cat sitting there in the dusk and +asked him who he was and what he was doing. + +“I am a friend,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Help me to come up.” + +So the giantess let down her ribbon waist-belt with the bag she kept +her handkerchief in tied to the bottom of it, and this was so large +that the Rainbow Cat was easily able to get into it together with his +precious bag and mandolin. + +The giantess hauled him up to the window-sill and asked him to come +in and sit down and tell her what he was doing there and all about +himself, for she saw that he was no ordinary creature. And when he +had explained to her why he was there and what he had learnt in the +Bountiful Country, she told him her own tale. + +How the wicked magician had stolen her away from home when she was +quite young and had brought her to this castle, and how he kept her +shut up, while with his magic spells he did all sorts of evil things. + +“I know the people think it is all my doing,” said the poor giantess. +“He can turn an old wash-tub and six beans into a chariot drawn by +flaming dragons, and when he flies out he wears a great cloak over his +tall hat, so that every one takes him for me. + +“He makes these poor children help him in his wicked work, and keeps +them prisoners just as he does me. + +“He does not even give us enough to eat. If we are not soon rescued we +shall all die. He grows worse every day.” + +Big tears fell from the giantess’s eyes. + +Each one made a little pool where it fell. + +“Don’t cry,” said the Rainbow Cat, “all will yet be well. My magic is +stronger than his. When once I get at him I’ll soon finish him off. +Will you take me to him?” + +But the giantess was afraid; she said she dare not disturb him. +“Besides,” she said, “he would never let you in, he is so suspicious.” + +“It’s got to be done somehow,” said the Rainbow Cat, “if you’re to be +set free.” + +He sat softly strumming on his mandolin and thinking, and suddenly the +giantess had an idea. + +“He loves music,” she said. “He says it helps his brain to work. If you +could pretend to be a wandering musician----” + +The Rainbow Cat leapt with joy. + +“The very thing, my dear,” he said. “Have you by any chance got a +peacock’s feather to lend me?” + +This the giantess was able to provide. + +“Thank you very much,” said the Rainbow Cat. “You will see; in an +hour’s time you will all be free. Good-bye for the present.” + +He was so excited that he jumped clean out of the window--mandolin, bag +and all. + +But he was quite all right. + +You know, even ordinary cats are supposed always to fall on their feet, +and of course a fairy cat----! + +When he reached the ground he wrapped himself in his cloak, pulled his +hat well over his eyes and stuck the peacock’s feather in the front of +it. + +“Now I look just like a wandering musician,” he said, and he went +boldly up to the door of the wizard’s tower and pulled the bell. + +The magician himself came to the door, but he opened it only the +tiniest little bit. + +“Who are you, and what do you want?” he said in a very gruff voice. + +“I am a poor wandering musician,” said the cat. “May I come in and give +you a tune?” + +The wizard looked at him suspiciously. “What have you got in that +bag?” he asked, giving it a kick with his foot, so that the bundle of +lightning made a rattling noise. + +“I’ve got all the major and minor keys in there,” said the Rainbow +Cat. “A bunch of them. That’s what makes such a rattle. But I can’t do +without them.” + +“Sing me a song,” said the wizard, “and then I’ll see whether I’ll let +you in or not.” + +So the Rainbow Cat sat down on the doorstep and sang this little song, +and the wizard stood just inside the door and listened. + + THE SONG OF THE GOOSE + + “There once was a goose who lived on a green, + Gold was his beak and his feathers were clean, + A handsomer creature there never was seen, + Heydiddle ho, never was seen; + He lived on a green and he waddled about, + For he said, ‘To be sure I don’t want to get stout, + And, anyway, exercise keeps off the gout; + Heydiddle ho, keeps off the gout.’” + +“I don’t think much of that song,” said the wizard. + +“The next verse is very good,” said the Rainbow Cat. “But I’m not +going to sing it out here in the cold night air. I shall ruin my voice.” + +“Well, come in,” said the wizard, for he wanted to hear the end of the +song, and he let the Rainbow Cat in. + +But no sooner were they inside the wizard’s room than the Rainbow Cat +opened his bag and pulled out the bundle of lightning and let it loose +all over the place. You never heard such a commotion! + +Meanwhile he threw off his cloak, leapt upon the table, and stood +there with his hair all standing on end and his eyes darting green and +blue fire, while the lightning flashed all round him and round the +terrified wizard, who threw himself down on his knees, crying “Mercy, +Mercy!”--for he had never seen anything like it before and he was +anyway but a cowardly creature at heart. + +Presently the wizard’s attendants came running to see what was the +matter. + +They dare not come into the room, but stood trembling in the doorway. + +“Tie him up,” commanded the Rainbow Cat in a great loud voice. + +The attendants were not at all fond of their master, but in any case +they were so frightened of the strange and terrible creature on the +table that they did not dare to disobey. + +So the wizard was tied to the table, and the Rainbow Cat took all +his wicked books and his pots and pans and the rest of his nasty +paraphernalia and threw them out of the window on to the ground below, +where they were burnt later on in a great bonfire. + +By this time the news had spread all over the castle, and presently the +giantess came in, with the children trooping behind her. + +The wizard had grown black in the face with rage; he knew that even if +he were set free he would be utterly powerless. + +For he had lost all his magic books, and he was truly rather a stupid +wizard and could do absolutely nothing without them. + +As a matter of fact the gentle giantess didn’t want him to be punished, +and in the end he was conducted to the borders of the country and +threatened with instant death if ever he returned. But that, of course, +was later. + +You can imagine what excitement there was in the land when the Rainbow +Cat appeared the next day walking down the road from the castle with +the giantess by his side and all the children running in front, and the +wicked magician led behind in chains. + +The Rainbow Cat, having finished his task, soon bade his friends +good-bye and set out once more on his travels. + +The giantess made him a present of the gold ring which she wore on her +little finger. He would take nothing else. He wore it as a collar round +his neck, where it was always greatly admired. + +She herself soon became a great favourite among the people of the +Bountiful Land. They loved her dearly and were very proud of her. But +she always had to be very careful not to sneeze or stamp. + +People even came from other countries to see her, so that in the end it +grew quite embarrassing. + +But, in time, a giant who had heard much of her beauty and gentleness +travelled all the way from Giant-land to visit her, and he married her +and took her away to his own home. + +Her trousseau took some making, I can tell you! + +All the women in the district sewed at it for six months--and even then +she was able to have only six of everything. + + + + +TEN + +Almond Blossom + + +Long ago the leaves and blossoms of the almond-tree came out together +like those on other trees. But now the blossoms come out first. Shall I +tell you why? + +One day in early spring the Fairy Queen was riding about the country. + +“Oh, dear,” she said, “I’m so tired of this wintry weather. I wish the +flowers were out. And next week is my birthday”--the Fairy Queen, you +must know, has birthdays much oftener than ordinary people--“my first +spring birthday this year, and there are still only a few primroses and +violets. How I should love to see some pink flowers! I’m so fond of +pink.” + +The little buds of the almond-tree heard her. + +“Can’t we manage it?” they said to their mother, the tree. “Can’t we be +out in time for the Queen’s birthday next week?” + +“You can try,” said their mother. “But what about your brothers, the +leaves? You know how lazy they are. And you can’t come out without +them. You _would_ look funny.” + +The little pink buds did all they could. They caught every bit of +sunshine, they sucked up every drop of moisture, they grew and grew. +But their lazy brothers would not bestir themselves. They kept tight +folded in their winter jackets. + +[Illustration] + +“It’s too cold,” they said. “Br-r-r. Why should we hurry?” And so, +when the Queen’s birthday came, of course they were not ready, though +the pink blossoms were all waiting to burst into bloom. Presently the +Queen came riding through the forest on her white rabbit. The sun was +shining and the sky was blue. She halted under the almond-tree and +sighed a little. + +“I’ve had some lovely presents,” she said. “A necklace of dewdrops from +the early morning, a blue velvet cloak from the night, and a basketful +of perfumed kisses from the south wind, who came such a long, long way +to bring them. I should be perfectly happy if only I had some pink +flowers.” + +The buds of the almond blossom heard her and quivered with excitement. +They could wait no longer. With one accord they all burst forth into +full bloom. The scent of them was like the smell of honey. + +The Queen looked up. + +“Oh, you darlings,” she said. “You darlings. I’ll have my birthday +party under your tree. It will be the prettiest spring party I have +ever had.” + +And ever since that day the pink blossoms have always come out in time +for the Queen’s first spring birthday without waiting for their lazy +little brothers. And every year the fairies hold their earliest revels +under the blossoming boughs of the almond-tree. + + + + +ELEVEN + +The Rondel + + +There was once a princess who dwelt in a castle in the midst of a great +park. She lived hidden away from the world in her quiet home and was +scarcely ever seen by strangers. + +Rumours of her charm and loveliness, and of her wonderful golden hair, +spread far and wide over the land, and she was always known and spoken +of as Princess Golden-bright. But her real name was Gentle. + +All round the castle were lovely pleasure-gardens in which were +gay flower-beds and slender, dancing fountains. But the princess’s +favourite spot was a circle of ash-trees which stood in the park some +small distance away from the castle on a little grassy hill with a path +leading up to it. + +It was called the Rondel. + +In the middle of the circle of trees stood a table with a seat running +round it; the ground was carpeted with soft moss, and the tree-trunks +stood up straight and tall like marble pillars. + +The princess loved nothing better than to sit in the Rondel in the warm +weather with her books and embroidery. + +It was like being in a little house with a high green roof to it. + +Moreover it was a fairy place, and the ash-trees would often tell her +the most delightful stories of what was going on outside the walls of +the park, for they were so tall that they could see a long way. + +They learnt many things, too, from the birds, who loved to perch +among their branches and to chatter away to one another about their +adventures in the big world. + +The princess very rarely went beyond the walls of the park, for she +was quite happy among the birds and flowers. But because the beauty of +Princess Golden-bright was famed throughout the land, many princes sent +to ask for her hand in marriage. + +Some of them even came in person, but the princess would have nothing +to do with any of them. + +“I am quite happy,” she said; “I do not want a husband.” However, when +she was twenty years old, her fairy god-mother came to pay her a visit, +and talked to her most earnestly upon this very subject of getting +married, telling her that it was exceedingly foolish of her to refuse +to see any of these suitors. “My dear Gentle,” she said, “whoever +heard of a princess who was an old maid? I don’t say you need choose +in a hurry, but I certainly think you ought at least to see these +gentlemen. You may very possibly find one among them whom you like, and +the ash-trees will help you to choose if you should be in doubt.” + +[Illustration] + +So the princess promised to do as her god-mother wished, and after her +departure she made it known by proclamation that Princess Golden-bright +was willing to receive any suitable person who might wish to pay her +his addresses. + +The day after this was done she went as usual to sit in the Rondel, +and while she busied herself with her embroidery she talked over this +matter of the suitors with her beloved ash-trees. + +“How shall I know whom to choose?” said the princess. “I have no +experience at all. If I must have a husband I should like to be sure +that he is the right one.” + +“Do not be afraid, dear princess,” replied the ash-trees. “You know +that whosoever stands beneath our boughs is bound to speak the truth. +You need ask but one question of each of the suitors. According to his +answer you will be able to judge of his suitability as a husband.” + +“What shall I ask him?” said the princess. + +“Ask him,” replied the ash-trees, “what he most desires in a wife. That +will be quite sufficient.” + +So the princess sat and waited. + +Presently she heard a whispering among the leaves over her head. + +“There’s one coming,” they said. “We can see him riding along the high +road.” + +“Oh, what is he like?” said the princess. + +“He is a very fine-looking gentleman indeed,” said the ash-trees. “He +rides on a great black prancing horse, and a company of twenty knights +rides behind him. He wears shining armour. The harness of his horse is +studded with jewels and the hilt of his sword blazes in the sunshine.” + +“It sounds very exciting,” said the princess, and she put down her +stitching and smoothed her golden hair and spread out the folds of her +flower-embroidered gown, for naturally she wanted to look her best. + +Before long the prince arrived at the castle gates, and a messenger +came out into the park to tell the princess that he had come from a +neighbouring kingdom to seek her hand. + +“I will see him here,” said the princess. + +So the prince came riding through the park with his knights all +jingling behind him, each of them bearing a golden casket containing a +present for the princess. + +When the prince reached the foot of the little hill on which the Rondel +stood and saw the princess under the trees, he dismounted from his +horse and came on foot to where she sat. + +The knights waited at the bottom of the hill. + +The princess received him graciously, and he stood before her in the +shadow of the ash-trees and asked if she would marry him. + +“I have a great kingdom,” said he, “great riches and great power, and +my enemies all fear me.” + +“I am much honoured,” said the princess, “but I should like to ask you +one question. What do you most desire in a wife?” + +“Obedience,” said the prince without an instant’s hesitation, for he +was obliged to speak the truth. + +The princess smiled a little. + +“And what would you do if your wife disobeyed you?” she asked. + +“Whip her,” said the prince. + +“I am much obliged to you,” said the princess, “but I am afraid that +I might not always be obedient, and I should not like to be whipped. +Good-day.” + +So the prince rode away home again with his knights, and the princess +went on with her sewing. + +Before long she again heard a whispering among the trees. + +“Another suitor is riding along the road,” they said. + +“Oh, and what is _he_ like?” said the princess. + +“He rides on a white horse,” said the ash-trees, “and he wears a blue +velvet cap with a white feather in it. He carries a bunch of roses in +his hand, and behind him ride six gentlemen in gaily coloured mantles +with guitars slung over their shoulders. He has auburn hair and blue +eyes. They ride at the trot.” + +“He sounds rather pleasing,” said the princess, and she picked a flower +from the syringa bush which grew at the entrance to the Rondel and +stuck it in her hair. + +[Illustration: “IF YOU WILL MARRY ME,” HE SAID, “I WILL SPEND MY DAYS +MAKING VERSES ABOUT YOU.”] + +The blue-eyed prince was also bidden to come out to the Rondel, and +he too dismounted from his horse at the foot of the little hill and +came gaily walking up the path till he stood beneath the branches of +the ash-trees. + +He bowed low before the princess and laid his bunch of roses on the +table in front of her. + +She smiled graciously, for he was a comely young man, and he thereupon +offered her his hand in exceedingly beautiful language. + +“If you will marry me,” he said, “I will spend my days making verses +about you. They will be sung throughout my kingdom. I will make a whole +book of them. It shall be called ‘Songs of Queen Golden-bright.’” The +princess thought this sounded rather attractive. One does not so often +come across a prince who is also a poet. + +But the ash-trees rustled softly above her head, and she remembered the +question that she was to ask. + +“Will you tell me what you most desire in a wife?” she said. + +“Beauty,” said the prince promptly. + +“But supposing,” said the princess, “that your wife fell downstairs and +broke her nose, so that her beauty was spoilt. What then?” + +“Oh, then of course I shouldn’t be able to make up any more verses +about her,” said the prince. “I should get very irritable. How could I +bear to look at a wife with a crooked nose? She would certainly have to +be most careful not to break her nose.” + +The princess laughed. + +“I think you’d better get married to a waxen lady,” she said. “If you +kept her in a glass case out of the sun she would remain beautiful for +ever, and there would be no fear of her nose getting broken. Thank +you very much for coming. I fear that we are not quite suited to one +another. Good-day.” + +The prince bowed low, picked up his bunch of roses, and rode off again +through the park with his white feather streaming behind him in the +wind. + +“I’m sorry,” said the princess. “He looked so very nice, and I’m sure +he must make lovely songs. But I should always have been afraid of +breaking my nose.” And she laughed again and took up her embroidery. + +Several more suitors came during the day to ask for the hand of the +princess, but not one of them gave a satisfactory answer to the +question. + +One of them thought it above all things desirable in a wife that she +should be able to make a good pudding; another required that she should +talk very little--“which I _certainly_ couldn’t promise,” said the +princess; another considered it most important that she should have +twelve bags full of gold pieces! They all had to tell the truth when +they stood under the branches of the ash-trees, and some of them really +had the most curious ideas. + +At last, just as the sun was going down, there came a prince riding on +a chestnut horse and attended only by one squire. He had come a long +way, from a far-off country, and he had ridden hard, for he had heard +much about the lovely Princess Golden-bright and was afraid that he +might be too late. + +In spite of his dusty and travel-stained appearance the princess was +pleased with the look of him, for he was tall and slender and had dark +curling hair and pleasant grey eyes, and she hoped very much that he +would answer the question satisfactorily. + +When he came to the top of the little hill and saw the princess he +fell on his knee and could find no word to say, she was so much more +beautiful than he could ever have imagined. + +But she smiled kindly at him, and he took courage and told her how for +a long time he had wanted to come to see her, and that now he feared he +had come too late. + +The princess asked him many questions, but she hesitated to ask the +most important of all, for she liked him better every minute and was +afraid he might not give the right answer. + +The ash-trees rustled and rustled as if a wind were blowing through +them, and at last she felt she must wait no longer. + +“Will you tell me,” she said softly, “what it is that you most desire +in a wife?” + +The prince was perplexed; truly he had never thought about the matter. +He looked down at the ground and then he looked up at the trees, and as +he did so they all began to whisper softly. “Gentle, Gentle, Gentle,” +they said. + +“Why, of course,” said the prince, and he looked again at the princess +and smiled. “There is one thing I desire above all else in a wife. _She +must be Gentle._” + +And what better answer could he have given? For Gentle indeed she was. + +The princess stood up and held out her hands to him. Her embroidery +fell to the ground. + +“He’ll do, he’ll do,” rustled the ash-trees. + +But the princess didn’t even hear them. She had already made up her +mind. + + + + +TWELVE + +Jan and the Magic Pencil + + +There was once a little boy called Jan, who lived in a country village. +One day he had the good luck to be able to help a fairy out of a ditch, +where she had got stuck in the mud. + +The fairy was very grateful to Jan, and promised him, as a reward for +his kindness, that he should have what he most wished for in the world. + +Jan was not a very clever boy, and at first he couldn’t think of +anything to wish for. His father was a farmer, and Jan had a good home +and plenty to eat and drink; his only real trouble was that he was +always at the bottom of his class at school. His father scolded and his +mother wept, but Jan always stopped at the bottom. He wasn’t so bad at +reading and writing, but he simply could not do arithmetic. His sums +were always wrong, even the quite easy ones. + +So when he had thought for a few minutes and the fairy was beginning to +grow impatient, he decided that the best thing for him to wish for was +that he might be able to get his sums right. The fairy accordingly gave +him a magic slate pencil which possessed the power of being able to do +any kind of arithmetic without ever making any mistake. You simply held +it in your hand and it would write down the answer on your slate almost +before you had time to read over the figures. + +Jan was delighted with his present, which he put carefully away in his +pencil-box. He could hardly believe that it would do such wonderful +things; but, sure enough, he found he could do all his sums without the +slightest effort, and that every one of them was right. + +Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication--it made nothing of them all. +Even those dreadful Long Division sums were no trouble to the magic +pencil: it danced nimbly down the slate without stopping even for a +second, and the answers were always right. Jan’s schoolmaster was +astonished, so were his parents, and delighted too, when by the end of +the week Jan had risen to the top of the school. + +“What a good teacher I am, after all!” said the schoolmaster to +himself. “I have even been able to teach arithmetic to a boy who was +so hopelessly stupid over it that he couldn’t add up two and two +correctly.” + +He was so proud of this that he actually invited the principal people +in the neighbourhood to come in and see his wonderful scholar. + +And so it happened that the doctor, the lawyer, the priest, the mayor +and one or two other important folk from round about arrived at the +schoolhouse one fine day, all agog to see the schoolmaster’s wonderful +pupil. + +[Illustration] + +“Come here, Jan,” said the schoolmaster, “and show these gentlemen what +you can do.” And he wrote out a long sum on the blackboard--an addition +sum in twenty rows, all bristling with eights and nines. Poor Jan came +forward in fear and trembling. + +“I’d rather do it on my slate,” he said. + +But his schoolmaster wouldn’t hear of that. + +So Jan had to stand up in front of the blackboard with a piece of chalk +in his hand. Of course he couldn’t do the sum at all. It took him a +dreadfully long time and not one figure was right. + +“The boy’s nervous,” said the doctor. “You’ve been overtaxing him.” + +The lawyer smiled and took a pinch of snuff. “I had an idea that our +friend the schoolmaster was rather drawing the long bow,” he whispered +to the mayor. The priest came and patted Jan’s head. + +“Try again, my child,” he said. “You’ll do better next time.” + +But Jan did no better the next time. If anything, he did even worse. +The schoolmaster was much annoyed. It made him look so foolish. When +the visitors had gone he gave Jan a good caning and sent him home in +disgrace. + +His father and mother were very disappointed, too, when they heard what +had happened. + +“I always knew the lad was a dullard,” said his father. + +Jan wandered disconsolately out into the sunshine. It’s not nice to be +called a dullard, particularly when you’ve been top of your school for +a whole month. His mother came after him. + +“You shall have a hot apple pasty for your supper,” she said; “it’s in +the oven now.” + +But even apple pasty couldn’t console Jan. + +He went into the lane and sat down near the place where he had seen the +fairy. He rather hoped he might see her again. Sure enough, he hadn’t +been there five minutes when he felt a light touch on his shoulder, and +there she was, perched on a swaying wild-rose spray in the hedge close +beside him. + +“Oh, come,” she said when Jan had told her his trouble, “we can +soon remedy that.” And she gave him a piece of chalk to keep in his +pencil-box together with his fairy slate pencil. “Now you will be able +to do sums on the blackboard as well as on your slate,” she said. + +Jan thanked her and went home feeling quite happy, so that he was able +thoroughly to enjoy his supper and his apple pasty. + +Things went swimmingly for a while. Jan did more wonderful sums than +ever, both on the blackboard and on his slate. The schoolmaster +was more careful this time; but he called in first one person and +then another to see what Jan could do, and now he was no longer +disappointed. Even the lawyer had to acknowledge that the boy was +indeed a marvel. + +But alas and alas! After a little time Jan became so conceited that he +was quite unbearable. He gave himself the most extraordinary airs. He +would hardly condescend to speak to the other boys. He even patronised +his own father and mother. + +“No boy in the whole country is as clever as I,” he said. “The King +ought to see what I can do. I must certainly go to the Court. How they +will open their eyes!” + +And so one fine day he prepared to set off to the Court to show the +King what he could do. + +Now the King of that country was a rather cantankerous old gentleman, +and made short work of any one who displeased him. Jan’s mother didn’t +very much like the idea of his going, but Jan would not be dissuaded. + +“You will see, mother,” he said, “I shall come home with a bagful of +gold, and perhaps the King will want me to stay at his Court. When I +am grown up I shall marry one of the Princesses, and you will be able +to ride in a golden coach and to wear a mantle of blue velvet trimmed +with ermine. All the neighbours will curtsey to you and call you Madam. +Wouldn’t you like that?” + +His mother couldn’t imagine that she would like that very much, but she +thought it was rather sweet of Jan to think so much of his mother, and +she gave him a kiss and one of his father’s best linen shirts, and bade +him be sure not to get his feet wet. + +So Jan set off to the palace, and when he got there he sent in a +message by the beautiful footman who opened the door that Jan, the +Arithmetical Wonder, had come to show the Royal Family what he could +do. It was a dull rainy afternoon, and it so happened that the King, +Queen, and the two Princesses were sitting at home in their State +apartments feeling rather bored. The Lord Chamberlain, who generally +amused them on wet days by asking them riddles, had gone to bed with a +very bad cold in his head, and they had nothing to do. + +“Shall we have him in?” said the King to the Queen. + +“He sounds very dull,” said the younger Princess, who was busy making +pale blue rosettes for her bedroom slippers. + +“Better than nothing,” said her sister, who had just finished reading +all the love-letters that had come by the morning’s post, and was +pasting the prettiest ones into an album which she kept for that +purpose. + +So Jan was ushered into the royal apartments, and he told the King and +Queen of his attainments--how he could do any sum, however difficult, +as quickly as it could be written down, almost more quickly, indeed. He +was a nice-looking lad and he had no end of assurance, and brought with +him, moreover, letters from all manner of important personages who had +tested his wonderful powers. + +An attendant was sent to fetch the great Court account tablets, which +were made of ivory inlaid with silver, and the King offered Jan his own +golden pencil with rubies and diamonds round the top. + +“Thank you very much,” said Jan, “I prefer a plain slate or a +blackboard, and I always use my own pencil.” + +“_Prefer_, indeed,” said the King, with a great black frown. “What +business have you to prefer anything? Slates and blackboards! I’d have +you know that this is the King’s Palace and not a village schoolhouse. +If a gold pencil and ivory tablets are not good enough for you, you can +go and do your sums on the dungeon walls.” + +Jan was very frightened. He didn’t at all like the idea of a dungeon, +so there was nothing for it but to brave it out as best he might. + +One of the lords-in-waiting was bidden to write down the sums, and poor +miserable Jan wildly scribbled down the answers as fast as he could, +with the eyes of the King, the Queen and of their two lovely daughters +and all the lords- and ladies-in-waiting riveted upon him. + +But as it happened, the only person at the Court who was any good at +arithmetic was the Lord Chamberlain, and he, as you know, was in bed +with a cold. It is much easier to put down sums than to work them out, +and not one member of the Royal Family had the faintest idea as to +whether Jan’s answers were right or wrong. + +The King looked as wise as he could. “Very good, very good,” he kept +saying. The Princesses clapped their hands. _They_ had never been able +to get their sums right; but after all, what does it matter whether a +princess can do arithmetic or not? + +If one or two of the Court ladies and gentlemen had a suspicion that +the figures were not quite correct they daren’t suggest such a thing. +If the King said the answers were right it was as much as their lives +were worth to say they were wrong. But of course Jan knew nothing of +all this. He wrote on and on, and all the time only one thought was in +his mind. + +“How wonderful, how wonderful!” he kept saying to himself. “I have +grown so clever that I can do the sums by myself. I shall never need +to bother again about the stupid old pencil and chalk. I really am the +cleverest boy in the whole kingdom.” + +He did not stay very long at the palace, and he was a little +disappointed to find that no one offered him a post at Court and that +he was not even presented with a bag of gold pieces. + +Every one thanked him politely and he was given a good tea in the +housekeeper’s room, and the King and Queen shook hands with him +and gave him a pretty silver brooch to wear in his cap, while the +Princesses smiled pleasantly and wished him a good journey. + +But he was buoyed up by his wonderful discovery. He went singing along +the road, and when he presently came to a deep pond he threw his slate +pencil and his bit of chalk into the middle of it, and continued gaily +on his way. + +You may imagine how badly he wanted them back again the next day, and +for many, many days after: for of course he was as bad as ever at +arithmetic, and went straight to the bottom of the class, where he +stayed. Many times he went to the place where he had met the fairy, but +she never came again, for if you once throw away fairy gifts you never, +never get them back again. + + + + +THIRTEEN + +The Lamb that Went to Fairyland + + +There was once a fairy who took a great fancy to a tiny white lamb. He +really was a dear little creature, and I don’t wonder she fell in love +with him. She used often to come and visit him in the meadow where he +lived with his mother, and she was very anxious to take him to a fairy +party some evening. + +The little lamb was shy. “What do you do at the parties?” he asked. + +“Oh, dance mostly,” said the fairy. + +But the little lamb explained that he didn’t know how to dance. + +“I will soon teach you,” said the fairy. + +So she came every evening when her day’s work was done and showed the +little lamb how to dance, and he soon learned to skip about quite +nicely. + +At last a day came when the fairy took him off to the party, but his +mother made him promise to come back the next morning. She knew the +ways of the fairies. + +He enjoyed himself tremendously. + +All the fairies admired him very much. They thought his coat so +beautifully white and soft, they loved his little black nose and quaint +woodeny legs. He gave them all rides on his back in turn (even the +Fairy Queen had one), and when the time for dancing came he did very +well indeed and astonished them all with his pretty steps. When he +left, the Fairy Queen presented him with a garland of daisies. “They +are fairy flowers,” she said. “They will never fade, and so long as you +wear them you will remain young.” + +When the lamb got home he had great tales to tell about his happy +adventures, so that he became quite a celebrity, and every one made +such a fuss of him that he got rather proud and silly, and after a very +short time would hardly speak to his friends. + +Of course this vexed them very much, and the wicked old rat who lived +in the mill-pond and was always ready to do any one an ill turn, +suggested a way to pay him out for his pride. “While he is asleep I +will gnaw through his gay garland that he is so proud of,” she said, +“and when he goes out walking he will lose it.” All of which happened +just as she had planned. And so the foolish lamb lost his fairy garland +and grew older like any other lamb. + +His friend the fairy did not come to see him for some time. She +was very busy helping on all the spring things, and had no time +for visiting. When she did come again she was very disappointed to +find that the lamb had grown into quite a good-sized sheep, fat and +comfortable. His wool was no longer downy and white, and he had +entirely forgotten how to dance. + +[Illustration] + +“Where is your magic garland?” said the fairy. And he had to confess +that he had lost it. + +The fairy went back to her friends. She really did not feel that a big +solemn sheep would be very welcome at their revels. But every year +in early spring when the new lambs are born, their mothers tell them +the story of the lamb that was invited to Fairyland, and they all go +skipping about in the meadows practising their dancing steps. + +Each of them hopes that he may one day find the magic garland, and +never grow old and staid, and be able to go a-visiting to Fairyland. +After all, it must be lying about somewhere, so if you find it, you’ll +know what to do with it, won’t you? But be sure to give it to a lamb +with a black nose. They’re so much the prettiest. + + + + +FOURTEEN + +The Magic Umbrella + + +There was once a wizard who possessed a magic umbrella; and, being +rather careless in his habits, he had the misfortune to leave it behind +him in a small country town where he had had an appointment to meet a +friend in the market-place at midnight. He left it standing against one +of the wooden market stalls, and there it was found next morning by a +farmer’s wife who had come into town to sell her butter and eggs. + +“That’s a good, strong-looking umbrella,” she said to herself; “if no +one comes to claim it I shall keep it.” No one made any inquiries, so +she took possession of it, and when she went home in the evening, the +umbrella went with her. + +Now, as I said before, this was no ordinary umbrella, but was possessed +of magic powers. + +If you held it open in your hand and counted three and then stopped, +you found yourself in your own house. + +If you counted five, however, you found yourself where you most desired +to be. + +But if you counted up to seven, you were immediately carried away to +the top of the nearest church spire. + +Now of all this the farmer’s wife was quite unaware, and you shall hear +what befell her in consequence. + +It chanced to be very wet on the next market day, and when presently +the rain began to drip upon her bonnet through the canvas roof of the +stall, she was very glad to be able to put up the umbrella and shelter +beneath it. + +It was about three o’clock in the afternoon and she had sold most of +her eggs and butter. + +A little boy came along and asked for three fresh eggs. + +“There you are, my love,” she said. “The last three.” + +She held the umbrella in one hand and with the other put the eggs into +the boy’s basket. + +“One, two, three,” she said. And instantly she found herself standing +in the middle of her own pleasant kitchen, with her basket on her arm +and the open umbrella still firmly held in her hand. + +You can imagine how surprised and puzzled she was. She hadn’t the +faintest idea how she had got there, but she decided to say nothing +about it to any one. + +When presently her husband came in for his tea he asked why she had +come home so early. + +“I had a bit of a headache,” she said. “I think the sun was too strong +for me.” + +The farmer gave a great guffaw. “Come, come, mother,” he said, “you +must have been dreaming. There’s been no sun to-day, neither in town +nor country.” + +[Illustration] + +“Well, maybe it was the damp that got into my head,” said his wife. “I +think I’ll go to bed and have a basin of hot gruel.” So she went to bed +and had the hot gruel, and by the next morning she had almost forgotten +all about her queer adventure. + +Nothing more happened for some time. The weather was warm and sunny, +and the umbrella stood unused in the corner of the kitchen. + +But one day the farmer’s wife decided to go and see her daughter, who +was married and lived in a village a few miles away. It was a very hot +day and she thought it would be a good plan to take the umbrella with +her to shade her from the sun. + +After dinner she and her daughter went for a walk upon a neighbouring +common, and when they had gone a little way they sat down for a rest +on a warm dry bit of grass by the side of the road that ran across the +heath, for they were hot and rather tired. + +“What a lot of motor-cars there are on this road, to be sure,” said +the farmer’s wife, who held the open umbrella over her head. “One, +two, three, four, five.... I wish I was in one of them.” No sooner +had she uttered these words than she found herself plumped right into +the middle of the nearest car, in which were sitting an old lady and +gentleman and a fat spaniel, all fast asleep. + +You can imagine what a scene there was. The dog barked, the old lady +and gentleman were furious. + +“Stop, stop,” they cried to the chauffeur, who was driving on quite +calmly and taking no notice at all of the noise going on behind him. + +As for the farmer’s wife, she was so astonished that she could not say +anything at all. + +“What next?” stormed the old gentleman, foaming with rage. “What +next, I should like to know? How dare you get into our car? How dare +you, madam? What are we coming to? A pretty state of affairs when +a man can’t go for a ride in his own car without being molested by +impertinent strangers! Scandalous, scandalous! I shall report it to the +police.” + +The farmer’s wife had by this time managed to get out of the car, but +she was so bewildered that she was still unable to speak, and long +after the angry gentleman had driven off with his wife and his dog, she +stood silent and motionless in the middle of the road with the umbrella +in her hand, wide open, and with her mouth wide open too. Her daughter, +who came hurrying up, was also very much astonished. + +“What on earth made you do that, mother?” she said. “I couldn’t believe +my own eyes.” + +But her mother could only shake her head. She couldn’t make it out at +all. Never, never had such an extraordinary thing befallen her. + +“I am afraid I can’t be very well,” she said at last. “I think I’ll +go and see the doctor to-morrow.” So the next day she went to see the +doctor. It was rather showery and she took the umbrella again, for she +had never thought of connecting it with the strange things which had +occurred. The doctor felt her pulse and looked at her tongue. + +“You’ve got a touch of Thingumabobitis,” he said. “You must be very +careful. I’ll write you a few prescriptions. You must take a pill every +three hours, and a pink powder every two hours, and a blue powder half +an hour before every meal, and you must never on any account let your +nose get cold. It’s not dangerous so long as you are careful. Come +again next week.” + +By this time the sun had come out, and as she was much taken up with +wondering how she was going to keep her nose warm, the farmer’s wife +forgot all about the umbrella. Next day, when she went to fetch it, it +was gone. I don’t know what happened to it, nor who has it now. But let +me give you a word of warning. If you come across a stray umbrella, +pray be careful not to do any counting while you have it open in your +hand. It wouldn’t be very pleasant to find yourself suddenly hanging +from the top of the nearest church steeple, now would it? + + + + +FIFTEEN + +The Fourth Adventure of the Rainbow Cat + + +By this time the Rainbow Cat was getting a little tired of travelling +about, and decided that he would go home and have a good rest after his +many exertions. But on the way back he had to pass through the Ever +After country, and the people who lived there were most pressing in +their request that he should spend a little time with them. + +The Ever After country is inhabited by all the Fairy Tale and Nursery +Rhyme people, who go to live there when their adventures are over. + +Cinderella and her prince have a beautiful castle there, where the +glass slipper is kept on a red velvet cushion in a little gilt cabinet, +and shown to distinguished visitors. Cinderella never had another pair; +she said they were very uncomfortable, and of course she was always +afraid some one might tread on her toes. + +Her two disagreeable sisters have a little house of their own. They +have taken to gardening, and keep bees and chickens, and are altogether +immensely improved, so that everybody is quite fond of them. + +They are rather sensitive about their past, and are both, alas! a +little lame, because, as you will remember, they cut pieces off their +feet in order to make them smaller. + +Snow-White, too, lives in a castle with her husband. The seven dwarfs +have a fine carpenter’s shop on the estate, where they are kept very +busy indeed. + +They make the most lovely little chairs and tables for Snow-White’s +children, and do most of the work of that kind required by the dwellers +in the Ever After land. + +Red-Riding-Hood and her grandmother have a pretty cottage close to that +of Cinderella’s sisters. Red-Riding-Hood often runs in to have a chat +with them, and they are very kind about sending in honey and eggs for +the old lady. + +Of course, there are many, many more people. Jack the Giant-Killer, who +has grown rather fat and lazy, but loves to talk about all his great +fights; Little Miss Muffet, who is still a bit afraid of spiders; Boy +Blue, Mother Hubbard, Aladdin--it would take me all day to mention half +of them, but they are all there, not one is missing. + +The Rainbow Cat stayed with Fatima, Bluebeard’s last wife, who lives +with the two brothers who saved her life by their valour. + +Poor Fatima has never quite got over the dreadful shock she had when +she discovered the other wives all hanging up, and she can’t so much as +bear the sight of a bunch of keys. + +As usual, the Rainbow Cat was most kindly welcomed and was introduced +to all the important people in the place. + +[Illustration] + +They are always delighted to see strangers, as sometimes they feel that +things are a little dull after the exciting adventures many of them +have been through. + +On the third day after his arrival he was invited to a great banquet at +the palace of the Queen of Hearts. + +It was a most wonderful banquet. + +The Rainbow Cat wore his best bow, his dancing-shoes, and the gold +collar which the giantess had given him. He took his mandolin with him; +it had been most useful to him on several occasions, and it seemed a +pity to leave it behind. + +He met a number of friends at the party. + +Puss-in-Boots, for instance, and the Pussy-cat who went to London to +visit the Queen. + +Dick Whittington’s cat was there too, but he gave himself great airs. +It seems it wasn’t really quite certain whether he was a fairy-tale cat +at all. Some people thought he was real. + +It was silly of him to be so stuck-up about it, but it only amused the +Rainbow Cat. + +They were about half-way through the banquet when there was a slight +pause. The meat course was finished, and everybody was waiting for the +sweets. At that moment a servant came quietly in and whispered to the +Queen. She became deadly pale, and half rose in her seat. + +“What is the matter, your Majesty?” said the Rainbow Cat, who sat in +the place of honour at her right hand. + +“He’s done it again,” said the Queen in a low, horrified whisper, +sinking weakly down again into her chair. + +“Who has done what?” said the Rainbow Cat. + +“The Knave--stolen the tarts!” said the Queen with an agonised look. +“They’re nowhere to be found. It’s all my fault. He begged so hard to +be taken on again that I gave him another chance. Oh! why did I trust +him?” + +“Isn’t there anything else?” asked the Rainbow Cat. + +“Nothing ready,” replied the Queen. “You see, they’re very special +tarts. I make them myself. Every one thinks so much of them. What shall +I do?” + +“Don’t worry,” said the Rainbow Cat. “Send round to all the +pastry-cooks’ for anything they have ready, and meanwhile I’ll sing a +song to fill up the time.” + +The Queen was much relieved at this suggestion, and gave orders that +messengers should be dispatched immediately to buy up all the available +tarts in the place. + +Meanwhile the Master of Ceremonies was bidden to announce that their +distinguished visitor, the Rainbow Cat, had kindly promised to sing a +song, and wished to know whether the guests would like to hear it at +this moment or later on. + +This was a very clever idea, for of course people were bound in +politeness to say they wished to hear the song immediately. + +Thereupon the Rainbow Cat took his mandolin and prepared to sing, the +whole company being requested to join in the chorus after each verse. + +They were all delighted with this suggestion, and they all sang, +whether they had any voice or not. + +They enjoyed it so much that they quite forgot that they hadn’t +finished the banquet. At least they _almost_ forgot. + +Here is the song: + + THE RHYME OF THE GNOME WITH A SCOLDING WIFE + + Once upon a time, + When guinea-pigs had tails, + And people talked in rhyme, + And rivers ran on rails, + There lived a little gnome + Who’d such a scolding wife, + At last he ran away from home, + He couldn’t stand the life. + + _Chorus._ There lived a little gnome, etc. + + She scolded all day long + From morning until night, + And she was never wrong + And he was never right. + Oh! she could bake and bile, + And she could clean and mend, + But since she scolded all the while, + He left her in the end. + + _Chorus._ Oh! she could bake and bile, etc. + + He thought he’d found a way + At last to be at peace, + But still, to his dismay, + His troubles did not cease. + He didn’t like his meals, + His washing wasn’t right, + His socks were always out at heels, + His shirts a fearful sight. + + _Chorus._ He didn’t like his meals, etc. + +By the end of the third verse the Queen was looking very strained and +anxious, and the Rainbow Cat himself was beginning to feel rather +nervous. His song had only four verses, and he wasn’t at all sure that +he would be asked to sing another. He was afraid that people would +remember their unfinished dinner as soon as he stopped. + +So he began the fourth verse very slowly. But before he had got +half-way through, he saw three servants standing between the curtains +of the great doorway of the banqueting hall with enormous golden dishes +piled up with most magnificent-looking tarts. + +“My tarts,” he heard the Queen murmur in an excited voice, and then he +knew that everything was well. + +So he finished his song at a great pace, and the last chorus was sung +with much enthusiasm, for the other guests had also seen the waiting +tarts, and were eager to begin on them. + +This is the last verse of his song: + + “Assuredly,” thought he, + “Her temper is a curse, + And yet it seems to me + That this is rather worse.” + So home he went once more + In philosophic mood, + And though his wife still vexed him sore, + _He did enjoy his food_. + + _Chorus._ So home he went once more, etc. + +The song was very much applauded, and every one then fell upon the +tarts with an appetite which the slight delay had pleasantly renewed. + +It turned out afterwards that it was all a mistake about the Knave. + +The head cook had put the tarts away on the top shelf of the larder +for safety. But he was a poet as well as a cook, and just before the +moment arrived when the tarts should have been served up, a perfectly +beautiful little verse came into his head, and he rushed off to a quiet +spot to write it down, quite confident that the under-cook would be +able to look after the rest of the banquet. + +And that’s how it came about that suspicion fell upon the poor Knave; +for when the tarts could not be found, every one naturally supposed +that he had stolen them again. + +When the cook had written down his verse and made a few little +improvements in it, he returned to the kitchen and found everything in +an uproar because of the missing tarts. + +He arrived in the nick of time, for the messengers were returning +almost empty-handed from the pastry-cooks’ shops. They had made very +little pastry that day because they knew that every one would be at the +banquet and that they would have no sale for their wares. + +Of course, later on, the cook had to give an explanation of his +carelessness, and he was removed from his position. + +But as his verses were even better than his dishes, he was made Court +Poet instead, and he liked that much better, though he occasionally +lent a hand in the kitchen when they were very busy. + +The Queen was most grateful to the Rainbow Cat for his timely help; and +every year, on his birthday, she sent him a box of tarts made by her +own hands especially for him. + +He stayed only a day or two in the Ever After land after the banquet. +Then he packed up his belongings, bade good-bye to all his kind +friends, and set off for his home. + +He was glad to be back in his own little house, and delighted all his +friends with his account of his travels. + +But he had no intention of settling down for ever, and I hope to be +able some day to tell you more of the adventures that befell him upon +his further journeyings. + + + + +TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: + + + Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rainbow Cat, by +Rose Fyleman and Thelma Cudlipp Grosvenor + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RAINBOW CAT *** + +***** This file should be named 60923-0.txt or 60923-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/9/2/60923/ + +Produced by Tim Lindell, Belk Library (Appalachian State +University), David E. 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"dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "cssstyle": { "version": "1.4.0", @@ -5717,6 +5728,7 @@ "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/domexception/-/domexception-1.0.1.tgz", "integrity": "sha512-raigMkn7CJNNo6Ihro1fzG7wr3fHuYVytzquZKX5n0yizGsTcYgzdIUwj1X9pK0VvjeihV+XiclP+DjwbsSKug==", "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "webidl-conversions": "^4.0.2" } @@ -9048,7 +9060,8 @@ "version": "4.7.0", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash.sortby/-/lodash.sortby-4.7.0.tgz", "integrity": "sha1-7dFMgk4sycHgsKG0K7UhBRakJDg=", - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "lodash.template": { "version": "4.5.0", @@ -10169,7 +10182,8 @@ "ansi-regex": { "version": "2.1.1", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "aproba": { "version": "1.2.0", @@ -10212,7 +10226,8 @@ "code-point-at": { "version": "1.1.0", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "concat-map": { "version": "0.0.1", @@ -10223,7 +10238,8 @@ "console-control-strings": { "version": "1.1.0", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "core-util-is": { "version": "1.0.2", @@ -10340,7 +10356,8 @@ "inherits": { "version": "2.0.3", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "ini": { "version": "1.3.5", @@ -10352,6 +10369,7 @@ "version": "1.0.0", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "number-is-nan": "^1.0.0" } @@ -10381,6 +10399,7 @@ "version": "2.3.5", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "safe-buffer": "^5.1.2", "yallist": "^3.0.0" @@ -10399,6 +10418,7 @@ "version": "0.5.1", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "minimist": "0.0.8" } @@ -10492,6 +10512,7 @@ "version": "1.4.0", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "wrappy": "1" } @@ -10577,7 +10598,8 @@ "safe-buffer": { "version": "5.1.2", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "safer-buffer": { "version": "2.1.2", @@ -10613,6 +10635,7 @@ "version": "1.0.2", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "code-point-at": "^1.0.0", "is-fullwidth-code-point": "^1.0.0", @@ -10632,6 +10655,7 @@ "version": "3.0.1", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "ansi-regex": "^2.0.0" } @@ -10675,12 +10699,14 @@ "wrappy": { "version": "1.0.2", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "yallist": { "version": "3.0.3", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true } } }, @@ -11185,6 +11211,31 @@ "mimic-fn": "^2.1.0" } }, + "opal-runtime": { + "version": "1.0.11", + "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/opal-runtime/-/opal-runtime-1.0.11.tgz", + "integrity": "sha512-L+6pnRvXPlDtbamBRnJAnB9mEMXmsIQ/b+0r/2xJ5/n/nxheEkLo+Pm5QNQ08LEbEN9TI6/kedhIspqRRu6tXA==", + "dev": true, + "requires": { + "glob": "6.0.4", + "xmlhttprequest": "1.8.0" + }, + "dependencies": { + "glob": { + "version": "6.0.4", + "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/glob/-/glob-6.0.4.tgz", + "integrity": "sha1-DwiGD2oVUSey+t1PnOJLGqtuTSI=", + "dev": true, + "requires": { + "inflight": "^1.0.4", + "inherits": "2", + "minimatch": "2 || 3", + "once": "^1.3.0", + "path-is-absolute": "^1.0.0" + } + } + } + }, "open": { "version": "7.0.0", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/open/-/open-7.0.0.tgz", @@ -11874,7 +11925,8 @@ "version": "1.1.2", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/prelude-ls/-/prelude-ls-1.1.2.tgz", "integrity": "sha1-IZMqVJ9eUv/ZqCf1cOBL5iqX2lQ=", - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "prepend-http": { "version": "1.0.4", @@ -14560,6 +14612,7 @@ "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tr46/-/tr46-1.0.1.tgz", "integrity": "sha1-qLE/1r/SSJUZZ0zN5VujaTtwbQk=", "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "punycode": "^2.1.0" } @@ -14688,6 +14741,7 @@ "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/type-check/-/type-check-0.3.2.tgz", "integrity": "sha1-WITKtRLPHTVeP7eE8wgEsrUg23I=", "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "prelude-ls": "~1.1.2" } @@ -15280,7 +15334,8 @@ "ansi-regex": { "version": "2.1.1", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "aproba": { "version": "1.2.0", @@ -15323,7 +15378,8 @@ "code-point-at": { "version": "1.1.0", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "concat-map": { "version": "0.0.1", @@ -15334,7 +15390,8 @@ "console-control-strings": { "version": "1.1.0", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "core-util-is": { "version": "1.0.2", @@ -15451,7 +15508,8 @@ "inherits": { "version": "2.0.3", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "ini": { "version": "1.3.5", @@ -15463,6 +15521,7 @@ "version": "1.0.0", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "number-is-nan": "^1.0.0" } @@ -15492,6 +15551,7 @@ "version": "2.3.5", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "safe-buffer": "^5.1.2", "yallist": "^3.0.0" @@ -15510,6 +15570,7 @@ "version": "0.5.1", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "minimist": "0.0.8" } @@ -15603,6 +15664,7 @@ "version": "1.4.0", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "wrappy": "1" } @@ -15688,7 +15750,8 @@ "safe-buffer": { "version": "5.1.2", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "safer-buffer": { "version": "2.1.2", @@ -15724,6 +15787,7 @@ "version": "1.0.2", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "code-point-at": "^1.0.0", "is-fullwidth-code-point": "^1.0.0", @@ -15743,6 +15807,7 @@ "version": "3.0.1", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "ansi-regex": "^2.0.0" } @@ -15786,12 +15851,14 @@ "wrappy": { "version": "1.0.2", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "yallist": { "version": "3.0.3", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true } } }, @@ -15877,7 +15944,8 @@ "version": "4.0.2", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/webidl-conversions/-/webidl-conversions-4.0.2.tgz", "integrity": "sha512-YQ+BmxuTgd6UXZW3+ICGfyqRyHXVlD5GtQr5+qjiNW7bF0cqrzX500HVXPBOvgXb5YnzDd+h0zqyv61KUD7+Sg==", - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "webpack": { "version": "4.41.2", @@ -16410,6 +16478,7 @@ "version": "2.3.5", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "safe-buffer": "^5.1.2", "yallist": "^3.0.0" @@ -16428,6 +16497,7 @@ "version": "0.5.1", "bundled": true, "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "minimist": "0.0.8" } @@ -16607,7 +16677,8 @@ "safe-buffer": { "version": "5.1.2", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "safer-buffer": { "version": "2.1.2", @@ -16713,7 +16784,8 @@ "yallist": { "version": "3.0.3", "bundled": true, - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true } } }, @@ -16864,6 +16936,7 @@ "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/whatwg-encoding/-/whatwg-encoding-1.0.5.tgz", "integrity": "sha512-b5lim54JOPN9HtzvK9HFXvBma/rnfFeqsic0hSpjtDbVxR3dJKLc+KB4V6GgiGOvl7CY/KNh8rxSo9DKQrnUEw==", "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "iconv-lite": "0.4.24" } @@ -16872,13 +16945,15 @@ "version": "2.3.0", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/whatwg-mimetype/-/whatwg-mimetype-2.3.0.tgz", "integrity": "sha512-M4yMwr6mAnQz76TbJm914+gPpB/nCwvZbJU28cUD6dR004SAxDLOOSUaB1JDRqLtaOV/vi0IC5lEAGFgrjGv/g==", - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "whatwg-url": { "version": "7.1.0", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/whatwg-url/-/whatwg-url-7.1.0.tgz", "integrity": "sha512-WUu7Rg1DroM7oQvGWfOiAK21n74Gg+T4elXEQYkOhtyLeWiJFoOGLXPKI/9gzIie9CtwVLm8wtw6YJdKyxSjeg==", "dev": true, + "optional": true, "requires": { "lodash.sortby": "^4.7.0", "tr46": "^1.0.1", @@ -17018,7 +17093,8 @@ "version": "3.0.0", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/xml-name-validator/-/xml-name-validator-3.0.0.tgz", "integrity": "sha512-A5CUptxDsvxKJEU3yO6DuWBSJz/qizqzJKOMIfUJHETbBw/sFaDxgd6fxm1ewUaM0jZ444Fc5vC5ROYurg/4Pw==", - "dev": true + "dev": true, + "optional": true }, "xml2js": { "version": "0.4.22", @@ -17044,6 +17120,12 @@ "dev": true, "optional": true }, + "xmlhttprequest": { + "version": "1.8.0", + "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/xmlhttprequest/-/xmlhttprequest-1.8.0.tgz", + "integrity": "sha1-Z/4HXFwk/vOfnWX197f+dRcZaPw=", + "dev": true + }, "xmlhttprequest-ssl": { "version": "1.5.5", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/xmlhttprequest-ssl/-/xmlhttprequest-ssl-1.5.5.tgz", diff --git a/package.json b/package.json index 315ff4886..2fb6cd970 100644 --- a/package.json +++ b/package.json @@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ "@types/node": "^12.11.1", "@types/puppeteer": "^1.20.2", "@types/yargs": "^13.0.3", + "asciidoctor.js": "^1.5.9", "chalk": "^2.4.2", "codelyzer": "^5.1.2", "conventional-changelog": "^2.0.3", diff --git a/scully/fileHanderPlugins/asciidoc.ts b/scully/fileHanderPlugins/asciidoc.ts new file mode 100644 index 000000000..1e5414bd5 --- /dev/null +++ b/scully/fileHanderPlugins/asciidoc.ts @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +const asciidoctor = require('asciidoctor.js')(); +import {registerPlugin} from '../pluginManagement/pluginRepository'; + +const asciiDocPlugin = async (raw: string) => { + return asciidoctor.convert(raw); +}; + +registerPlugin('fileHandler', 'adoc', { + alternateExtensions: ['asciidoc', 'asc'], + handler: asciiDocPlugin, +}); + diff --git a/scully/package-lock.json b/scully/package-lock.json index 90b7ef81f..fef08c61c 100644 --- a/scully/package-lock.json +++ b/scully/package-lock.json @@ -270,6 +270,14 @@ "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/array-flatten/-/array-flatten-1.1.1.tgz", "integrity": "sha1-ml9pkFGx5wczKPKgCJaLZOopVdI=" }, + "asciidoctor.js": { + "version": "1.5.9", + "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/asciidoctor.js/-/asciidoctor.js-1.5.9.tgz", + "integrity": "sha512-k5JgwyV82TsiCpnYbDPReuHhzf/vRUt6NaZ+OGywkDDGeGG/CPfvN2Gd1MJ0iIZKDyuk4iJHOdY/2x1KBrWMzA==", + "requires": { + "opal-runtime": "1.0.11" + } + }, "asn1": { "version": "0.2.4", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/asn1/-/asn1-0.2.4.tgz", @@ -1400,6 +1408,29 @@ "wrappy": "1" } }, + "opal-runtime": { + "version": "1.0.11", + "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/opal-runtime/-/opal-runtime-1.0.11.tgz", + "integrity": "sha512-L+6pnRvXPlDtbamBRnJAnB9mEMXmsIQ/b+0r/2xJ5/n/nxheEkLo+Pm5QNQ08LEbEN9TI6/kedhIspqRRu6tXA==", + "requires": { + "glob": "6.0.4", + "xmlhttprequest": "1.8.0" + }, + "dependencies": { + "glob": { + "version": "6.0.4", + "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/glob/-/glob-6.0.4.tgz", + "integrity": "sha1-DwiGD2oVUSey+t1PnOJLGqtuTSI=", + "requires": { + "inflight": "^1.0.4", + "inherits": "2", + "minimatch": "2 || 3", + "once": "^1.3.0", + "path-is-absolute": "^1.0.0" + } + } + } + }, "optionator": { "version": "0.8.3", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/optionator/-/optionator-0.8.3.tgz", @@ -2183,6 +2214,11 @@ "integrity": "sha512-JZnDKK8B0RCDw84FNdDAIpZK+JuJw+s7Lz8nksI7SIuU3UXJJslUthsi+uWBUYOwPFwW7W7PRLRfUKpxjtjFCw==", "optional": true }, + "xmlhttprequest": { + "version": "1.8.0", + "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/xmlhttprequest/-/xmlhttprequest-1.8.0.tgz", + "integrity": "sha1-Z/4HXFwk/vOfnWX197f+dRcZaPw=" + }, "y18n": { "version": "4.0.0", "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/y18n/-/y18n-4.0.0.tgz", diff --git a/scully/package.json b/scully/package.json index 8605aa621..c25e5d50c 100644 --- a/scully/package.json +++ b/scully/package.json @@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ "@types/node": "^12.11.1", "@types/puppeteer": "^1.20.2", "@types/yargs": "^13.0.3", + "asciidoctor.js": "^1.5.9", "chalk": "2.4.2", "chokidar": "^3.3.0", "codelyzer": "^5.1.2", diff --git a/scully/pluginManagement/systemPlugins.ts b/scully/pluginManagement/systemPlugins.ts index 4159064f4..fe51c9480 100644 --- a/scully/pluginManagement/systemPlugins.ts +++ b/scully/pluginManagement/systemPlugins.ts @@ -1,4 +1,5 @@ import '../fileHanderPlugins/markdown'; +import '../fileHanderPlugins/asciidoc'; import '../renderPlugins/contentRenderPlugin'; import '../routerPlugins/jsonRoutePlugin'; import '../routerPlugins/contentFolderPlugin';