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Read Ebook: Queen Zixi of Ix; Or the Story of the Magic Cloak by Baum L Frank Lyman Frank Richardson Frederick Illustrator
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Ebook has 1212 lines and 43119 words, and 25 pages
At this every head was turned toward the moon; and then a man's face, full-bearded and wrinkled, but with a jolly look upon the rough features, appeared sharply defined upon the moon's broad surface.
"So I'm to decide another dispute, eh?" said he, in a clear voice. "Well, my dears, what is it this time?"
"We wish you to say what mortal shall wear the magic cloak which I and the ladies of my court have woven," replied Queen Lulea.
"Give it to the first unhappy person you meet," said the Man in the Moon. "The happy mortals have no need of magic cloaks." And with this advice the friendly face of the Man in the Moon faded away until only the outlines remained visible against the silver disk.
The queen clapped her hands delightedly.
"Our Man in the Moon is very wise," she declared; "and we shall follow his suggestion. Go, Ereol, since you are free for a time, and carry the magic cloak to Noland. And the first person you meet who is really unhappy, be it man, woman, or child, shall receive from you the cloak as a gift from our fairy band."
Ereol bowed, and folded the cloak over her arm.
"Come, my children," continued Lulea; "the moon is hiding behind the tree-tops, and it is time for us to depart."
A moment later the fairies had disappeared, and the clearing wherein they had danced and woven the magic cloak lay shrouded in deepest gloom.
On this same night great confusion and excitement prevailed among the five high counselors of the kingdom of Noland. The old king was dead and there was none to succeed him as ruler of the country. He had outlived every one of his relatives, and since the crown had been in this one family for generations, it puzzled the high counselors to decide upon a fitting successor.
These five high counselors were very important men. It was said that they ruled the kingdom while the king ruled them; which made it quite easy for the king and rather difficult for the people. The chief counselor was named Tullydub. He was old and very pompous, and had a great respect for the laws of the land. The next in rank was Tollydob, the lord high general of the king's army. The third was Tillydib, the lord high purse-bearer. The fourth was Tallydab, the lord high steward. And the fifth and last of the high counselors was Tellydeb, the lord high executioner.
These five had been careful not to tell the people when the old king had become ill, for they feared being annoyed by many foolish questions. They sat in a big room next the bed-chamber of the king, in the royal palace of Nole,--which is the capital city of Noland,--and kept every one out except the king's physician, who was half blind and wholly dumb and could not gossip with outsiders had he wanted to. And while the high counselors sat and waited for the king to recover or die, as he might choose, Jikki waited upon them and brought them their meals.
Jikki was the king's valet and principal servant. He was as old as any of the five high counselors; but they were all fat, whereas Jikki was wonderfully lean and thin; and the counselors were solemn and dignified, whereas Jikki was terribly nervous and very talkative.
"Beg pardon, my masters," he would say every five minutes, "but do you think his Majesty will get well?" And then, before any of the high counselors could collect themselves to answer, he continued: "Beg pardon, but do you think his Majesty will die?" And the next moment he would say: "Beg pardon, but do you think his Majesty is any better or any worse?"
And all this was so annoying to the high counselors that several times one of them took up some object in the room with the intention of hurling it at Jikki's head; but before he could throw it the old servant had nervously turned away and left the room.
Tellydeb, the lord high executioner, would often sigh: "I wish there were some law that would permit me to chop off Jikki's head." But then Tullydub, the chief counselor, would say gloomily; "There is no law but the king's will, and he insists that Jikki be allowed to live."
So they were forced to bear with Jikki as best they could; but after the king breathed his last breath the old servant became more nervous and annoying than ever.
Hearing that the king was dead, Jikki made a rush for the door of the bell-tower, but tripped over the foot of Tollydob and fell upon the marble floor so violently that his bones rattled, and he picked himself up half dazed by the fall.
"Where are you going?" asked Tollydob.
"To toll the bell for the king's death," answered Jikki.
"Well, remain here until we give you permission to go," commanded the lord high general.
"But the bell ought to be tolled!" said Jikki.
"Be silent!" growled the lord high purse-bearer. "We know what ought to be done and what ought not to be done."
But this was not strictly true. In fact, the five high counselors did not know what ought to be done under these strange circumstances.
If they told the people the king was dead, and did not immediately appoint his successor, then the whole population would lose faith in them and fall to fighting and quarreling among themselves as to who should become king; and that would never in the world do.
No; it was evident that a new king must be chosen before they told the people that the old king was dead.
But whom should they choose for the new king? That was the important question.
While they talked of these matters, the ever-active Jikki kept rushing in and saying:
"Hadn't I better toll the bell?"
"No!" they would shout in a chorus; and then Jikki would rush out again.
So they sat and thought and counseled together during the whole long night, and by morning they were no nearer a solution of the problem than before.
At daybreak Jikki stuck his head into the room and said:
"Hadn't I better--"
"No!" they all shouted in a breath.
"Very well," returned Jikki; "I was only going to ask if I hadn't better get you some breakfast."
"Yes!" they cried, again in one breath.
"And shall I toll the bell?"
"No!" they screamed; and the lord high steward threw an inkstand that hit the door several seconds after Jikki had closed it and disappeared.
While they were at breakfast they again discussed their future action in the choice of a king; and finally the chief counselor had a thought that caused him to start so suddenly that he nearly choked.
"The book!" he gasped, staring at his brother counselors in a rather wild manner.
"What book?" asked the lord high general.
"The book of laws," answered the chief counselor.
"I never knew there was such a thing," remarked the lord high executioner, looking puzzled. "I always thought the king's will was the law."
"So it was! So it was when we had a king," answered Tullydub, excitedly. "But this book of laws was written years ago, and was meant to be used when the king was absent, or ill, or asleep."
For a moment there was silence.
"Have you ever read the book?" then asked Tillydib.
"No; but I will fetch it at once, and we shall see if there is not a law to help us out of our difficulty."
So the chief counselor brought the book--a huge old volume that had a musty smell to it and was locked together with a silver padlock. Then the key had to be found, which was no easy task; but finally the great book of laws lay open upon the table, and all the five periwigs of the five fat counselors were bent over it at once.
Long and earnestly they searched the pages, but it was not until after noon that Tullydub suddenly placed his broad thumb upon a passage and shouted:
"I have it! I have it!"
"What is it? Read it! Read it aloud!" cried the others.
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