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Read Ebook: The Forest Beyond the Woodlands: A Fairy Tale by Kennedy Mildred Knowlton Vianna Illustrator
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Ebook has 436 lines and 23721 words, and 9 pages
I DAVID 13
II THE BLUE BIRD'S TRAIL 25
V THE MANSION OF HAPPINESS 57
VI THE PALACE OF THE BRONZE KING 71
X THE WINGED HORSE 111
FACING PAGE
"HERE," SAID DAVID, "TAKE THIS BIRCH CUP--" 22
DAVID RAN TO THE FOOT OF THE TREE, FASTENED THE HEAD OF HIS AX IN THE HOLE 30
"FOLLOW YOUR NOSE TILL YOU GET THERE," DAVID LOOKED UP AT HIM IN SURPRISE 38
THE MONTHS PASSED BY AND DAVID AND RUTH WORKED AND WORKED FOR THE COBBLER 46
THE NEXT NIGHT THE MOON SHONE BRIGHTLY. DAVID HAD JUST CRAWLED INTO BED 70
SHE ROSE TO HER FEET, STRETCHED HER HANDS TOWARD THE GREAT BRIGHT SUN AND PRAYED 74
THE LARGE ROSE-GARDEN ENCLOSED BY THE HIGH BRICK WALL WAS THE ONLY SPOT OUTSIDE THE PALACE ITSELF, WHERE RUTH WAS PERMITTED TO WANDER 82
FAR AWAY IN THE DISTANCE HE SAW THE PALACE OF THE GREAT BRONZE KING 88
KNEELING BESIDE A LOW OAK CHEST HE TOOK A RUSTY KEY AND FITTED THIS INTO THE WORN KEYHOLE 106
"YOU MUST TAKE ME TO THE BRONZE KING'S DOMAIN" 116
SO SHE SANG ONE AFTER ANOTHER THE SONGS THAT SHE AND DAVID HAD LOVED 122
"THIS WAY, RUTH, THIS WAY," WHISPERED DAVID 128
THEY TOLD ONE ANOTHER OF ALL THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE 138
"WELCOME, CHILDREN," SHE SAID, "WELCOME TO YOUR COTTAGE" 150
THE FOREST BEYOND THE WOODLANDS
DAVID
David was the son of an honest wood-cutter. He lived with his father in a little cottage on the border of the woodlands. Away, away as far as the eye could see stretched great tree-covered hills and mountains. This vast area was called, by the people of the country, the Dark Forest.
Some feared the mysteries of this unknown and unexplored region, for there were many stories and superstitions concerning giants, gnomes, and elves who dwelt within its shaded wilderness. But David, ever since he could remember, had always had a friendly feeling for the rough, hard bark of a pine or oak tree; and the fringed softness of the paper birch had been a delight to him ever since the day he first noticed its ragged beauty--a late summer afternoon on which, as he returned to his father's cottage, the setting sun touched the whiteness of the tree-trunk beneath the cool green of its shining leaves.
"Some day I shall go far into the Forest," he would say to himself. "Who knows what treasures I may find?"
David grew fast and was strong, for his life in the woodlands was one to make any boy well and happy. He learned his father's trade, and in a short time, although he was not nearly full grown, he could wield an axe as well as many a grown man; in fact, he could put some men to shame, for his skill was far greater than that of the average boy of his age.
One day, while walking along a narrow path used by the wood-cutters, he met an old, old woman. Her dress was brown and made of a coarse homespun. A large basket strapped to her back was filled with pieces of firewood which she had been gathering. When she saw David she called to him. And as he approached her he noticed how beautiful she was; for, although her clothes were ragged, that mattered little--her face seemed more kind and beautiful than any he had ever seen. Her hair--one lock had fallen from beneath the brown cap that she wore--was white as driven snow. Her eyes were the soft colour of oak leaves in winter, and so filled with gentleness that David could only stand and look at her.
"Can you tell me," she asked in a voice that sounded like a breath of wind stirring through the pine needles, "can you tell me where I can find a bit of water? I have been all day in the woods and have found no spring or brook; and I am thirsty, so thirsty! for a drink of pure, cool mountain water."
"Yes!" cried David. "There is a beautiful spring not far from here. I will get some of the water for you. Rest here in the shade till I return: it will take me but a few moments."
As he spoke he lifted her basket, that she might the more easily slip her arms through the leathern straps that served to hold it in place upon her back. She swung her clumsy burden to the ground and thanked him; and as soon as he saw her comfortably seated on a bed of moss beneath a sheltering tree, he hastened on his way towards the spring.
As he walked along he took out his hunting knife. For first he must find a birch tree: he wanted some of its white bark to make a cup in which to carry the water. Soon he came to a beautiful great tree. Cutting a clean wide strip of bark, he shaped it into a bowl-like receptacle. Next he pinned the edges together with twigs, so whittled to a point that they would pierce the bark and hold it in place. Then, hastening to the spring, he filled the birchen cup to overflowing with the clear, cool crystal water. In a few moments he stood before the old woman again and handed her the dripping cup. She took it, drank deeply, and was refreshed.
David gazed upon her. There was something about her that he could not explain; nor could he explain to himself his strange longing to talk to her. She looked up at him and smiled; then she motioned to him to sit down on the moss beside her. David did so.
"Do you live in these woods?" he asked timidly. "I do not remember ever having seen you before."
"No," answered the old woman. "My house is a long, long way from here--yet not so very far away, either, if only one is wise enough to follow the trail and not seek any short cuts."
"Does the trail we are on lead to your home?" asked David, pointing to the woodpath that stretched away before them, seeming to lose itself far in the distance.
"Yes and no," answered the old woman. "It leads you there if you know how to follow it--but there are many turnings, and some of them will lead you right and some of them will lead you wrong. It is not always easy to know which one to take, and if you choose the wrong one it will lead you far astray."
"Dear me!" said David, "it is too bad the way is not more clearly marked."
"It never is," said the old woman, "and it never can be, for each year the new leaves grow up to cover the old trail, and each year a new trail has to be found. In fact, each one has to make his own trail, even when he seems to be following another's and deceives himself into thinking that he is doing so. It is the law of the Forest, for any trail other than the one we make ourselves may lead us where we do not desire to go, and all at once we find ourselves deep in the woods, the path lost and we ourselves lost. No: we have to know where we are going and why we are going there. Then, when we know thus much for sure, there is always some sign to follow that will prevent us from losing the way. So you see, although I may start out on this path, that does not mean I shall follow it all the way; it depends upon the way the bird flies."
"What bird?" asked David.
"The Blue Bird," answered the old Woman.
"Well," said the old Woman, "perhaps some day you will see a Blue Bird. When you do--let me give you just this word of advice--follow it, no matter where you are walking, no matter how smooth and beautiful your path may be, no matter through what regions the Bird may lead you. Follow it, follow it, little boy, for it will guide you there."
"Where?" asked David.
"To the Tree," answered the old Woman.
"What tree?" asked David.
"To the Tree in the midst of the Garden."
"What Garden?"
"The Garden in the depths of the Forest."
"What Forest?"
"The Forest beyond the Woodlands."
"Is your home there?" asked David.
"Not a very great way from it," said the old Woman. "You will see a Blue Bird some day, little boy; I am sure of that. I am glad that I met you. Thank you for bringing me the cool, refreshing water. Now I must go on my way, since I have told you about the Blue Bird. Remember, David: seek for it and follow it. You will know what it really means only when you have reached the end of the trail.--Help me lift the basket to my back again.--Thank you.--Now I must be off."
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