Read Ebook: The Moon Princess: A Fairy Tale by Harrison Edith Ogden Perkins Lucy Fitch Illustrator

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Ebook has 330 lines and 33433 words, and 7 pages

"The mocking-bird is really the southern fairy, you know," he began, "and the entrancing song it sings is only the story of its life. It tells the tale over and over again, in a delicious burst of song; as the little children alone understand the fairies' speech, I cannot tell all it says, but I will repeat exactly what I have heard. Once upon a time there dwelt in the midst of that great magnolia grove we have just left a band of fairies. They were the lightest-hearted and happiest little band in the world, and they had just celebrated a splendid marriage. One of their most beautiful Princesses had married a nephew of the Queen. He was as handsome as his bride was beautiful, and everything went merry as a marriage bell. Now, Prince Adelstan, in spite of his high rank and station, was always playing some prank upon some one, but his tricks were generally good-natured, and the fairies seemed to love him the better for his fun; he was, indeed, a great favorite with them all. Now, when he married the dignified and beautiful Princess Verdande, every one predicted that he would become more sober, and, as a married man, put aside his boyish manners.

"It really seemed just about as they prophesied. Of course, a fairy's life is a brilliant round of pleasure, but Prince Adelstan seemed contented to travel the world over with his lovely wife and act just as all well-behaved fairies should. The little people were all delighted, of course, with the change in their favorite, and said among themselves he was even more attractive than ever. In reality Prince Adelstan was so absorbed in a plan he was forming for himself and bride that he had no time to think of playing foolish pranks on others. Fairies, as you know, are free to do exactly as they please, except for one rule, and that rule can never be broken. Their life must be lived at night, amid moonshine and starlight, and then they pass many gladsome hours together; from dusk until dawn they are the merriest little people in the world. But at the first streak of light every fairy must vanish,--under a leaf, in the heart of a rose, behind a dewdrop, the fairy may hide; but hide he must, and there remain sleeping until darkness again falls upon the world. This rule in Fairyland has been enforced for centuries, and no one, however brave, has had the hardihood to break it. Sometimes , on a day when the Sun does not shine and the Earth is covered with a white veil of mist, a fairy can peep out, but he must be extremely careful that he is only in the mist, for he must never see a ray of sunshine for a moment.

"Well, can you imagine what Prince Adelstan decided to do? He determined upon a terribly rash thing, and planned it for months. He lay awake thinking of it, for in his excitement he could not sleep. He whispered it at last to his beautiful bride, who trembled in his arms as she listened. She was horrified at first, and pleaded with him to give up his rash plan; but he was bent upon it, and after weeks of pleading from him, she finally yielded and consented to help him. Together they decided to elude the fairies and break the law; for their rash determination was no less than this--to see the Sun rise.

"Night after night they discussed it, and one beautiful moonlight one, when they had danced until dawn, and the other fairies, exhausted, had slipped into the hearts of the magnolia blossoms to sleep, Prince Adelstan and Princess Verdande stole carefully down to the waters of the Gulf, and, breathless with curiosity, awaited the coming of the Sun.

"Never shall they forget that morning. The waters of the Gulf looked steely gray in the first faint light of dawn. A pearly white mist was lifting slowly from them, and melting as it lifted. The little bride caught her breath with admiration as the cold steel-gray of the water slowly changed into a delicate, warm pink, for the Gulf, like a great mirror, was reflecting all the lights in the sky. The sea-shell pink of the faint dawn heralded the approach of the Sun. Gradually the delicate coloring grew a deeper rose, until the white clouds overhead seemed dyed in crimson. The waters lay still and silent; hardly a ripple disturbed their serenity. Presently long, piercing rays crept across the sky, while all the colors of the rainbow seemed to blend and mix together. Gradually the world grew brighter and brighter. Then suddenly out of the shining water rose a great red ball of fire! The Princess clung to her husband, for, beautiful as it was, she was surprised and frightened. The Sun mounted slowly into the sky, casting his brilliant rays across the heavens, and at the same time great slanting streaks of yellow beams danced before their bewildered eyes. The waters of the Gulf were marvellous to see, for they glistened like millions of flashing diamonds. The two fairies stood amazed at the magnificent sight before them, for even Fairyland has nothing more beautiful than the sunrise.

"Presently a flock of white sea-gulls rose shrieking from the sands, and Prince Adelstan and his wife tried to hide behind a blade of grass. Alas! what was their horror to discover that they could not. They had grown much larger, and they realized in despair that they could no longer hide under the flowers; their wings, too, had disappeared, and they knew they were banished from Fairyland. Then their sorrow began, for, try as they did, they could find no trace of their brother and sister fairies.

"There was a dreamy stillness everywhere, and the flowers were very tempting in the early morning dew; but alas! those flowers no longer formed a home for the disobedient fairies. Hand in hand they wandered, and for miles they stumbled sadly along, until at last they reached the edge of a great marsh. The green and yellow grasses there were scarcely moving, and lovely tints were shimmering in a hazy amber splendor. The unruffled waters of the bayou, as it ran curling around the rushes, gleamed in spots of silver. The world took on new beauties beneath the Sun, but the unhappy Princess and her husband could not enjoy them. They journeyed about in misery until they found the gnarled old magnolia-tree. They hid themselves in its hollow trunk.

"The fairies, of course, had missed them, and knew perfectly well of their misfortunes, but the Queen's heart was hardened against them because of their dreadful disobedience. However, the band of little fairies, in spite of all, united in deep sympathy for their erring brother and sister, and they prayed the Queen to grant them pardon. The Queen's heart softened a little at last, for after all the Prince was a beloved nephew; but even she had not full power to restore them to Fairyland. The law once broken, full penance must be done; for disobedience is a dreadful crime in Fairyland.

"Late one night, when the Moon was high in the blue sky, and the world was flooded with silver, when the bright stars flashed out like millions of dancing points of fire, the two unhappy culprits crept out from the hollow of the magnolia-tree. The fairies were holding high festival, feasting on rose-leaves and drinking the dew from tiny acorn cups. Thousands of them were dancing in and out of the moonlight, and their bright wings flashed gold and silver lights wherever they moved. Their wands, too, sparkled and glittered as if they were on fire. The exiled Prince and Princess gazed sadly upon it all, seeing now fully what they had lost; but alas! it was too late. They knew quite well their bulky forms without wings could never again become as light and airy as before their disobedience. Swiftly, however, they ran forward, and before the astonished Queen had time to escape, they threw themselves at her feet, begging for pardon. The Queen frowned as she listened to the story of their disobedience, and the other fairies shuddered when they heard of the great crime. Still, her Majesty loved her nephew and his bride, and her heart was heavy as she heard the sad tale. The Queen was unusually handsome that night, and seated on a throne of moss-rose buds, she seemed very far above the culprits at her feet. Her white-and-silver dress sparkled brilliantly against the bright pink of the rosebuds, and the green leaves about them were so covered with dew that they seemed to be made of frosted silver.

"'Alas! my dear children,' she began sadly, 'I have not the power to make you fairies again. You have lost Fairyland forever by your act of disobedience. Once banished, you cannot be recalled; beside, were it possible for me to admit you again to Fairyland, you would never be happy with us again. You have seen the glorious sunrise once, and nothing in Fairyland is so beautiful. You would constantly long for that magnificent sight again. But,' she added thoughtfully, 'perhaps I can render you perfectly happy in some other form upon the Earth, and in this way restore your contentment.'

"Tremblingly Prince Adelstan and his bride bade her change them, for, miserable as they were, they knew she spoke the truth. They would never be happy in Fairyland again; they would always long to see the sunrise. Then silence fell upon them all, as the Queen slowly raised her glittering wand.

"Presently there arose upon the stillness of the night a most glorious sound. It was the mocking-bird raising its voice in thanksgiving and praise for happiness found again. Again and again those delicious sounds floated out on the air, filling the night with sweetness, until the very fairies stood breathless to listen. It seemed marvellous that so much sweetness of sound could be contained in such a tiny body; but the little songsters trilled and sang in glorious delight.

"Only in this land of sunshine and magnolias will you find this wonderful bird. It never wanders far from the Gulf. It flourishes best amid the magnolias, and it fills the southern woods with music. It sings at all hours; at night, when the Moon is looking kindly down upon the Earth, and the Earth is serenely smiling to the Moon, its clear notes ring out joyously, until even the stars from their glittering palaces lean down to listen. But it is at the witching hour of dawn that the most wonderful of its melodies is heard. Then it awakens to watch again that miracle of the world, the mystery of the rising Sun, and as the golden spears of light streak the heavens, cutting away the white veil of mist and coloring the skies with rainbow hues, its glorious voice rings out and floods the world with music; for at that hour the mocking-bird is telling over and over again the story of that magnificent sight--the sunrise."

As the guide finished his charming description of the southern nightingale, he pointed out to them the marsh. It was a strange-looking place, and Ethelda asked many questions concerning it. Why was it dangerous to cross? Why must they skirt the marsh and go around it, as they were doing? It was much the shorter way to cut right across it, but instead, they walked miles out of their way to reach the other side. Their guide assured them that the marsh was not so charming as it looked. Down amid its dark cypresses, where the jagged palmetto fans and latanier grew, and where the tall rushes and reeds were so fine that, swaying softly under the breeze, they looked like moving water, but water dyed in emerald and topaz tints--lurked many dangers. Rattlesnakes and toads and deadly insects made it their home, and the ground was all a quagmire, so that stepping on it they would sink deep in mud and slime, and perhaps die there.

"Oh," said the Princess, "how awful! Does nothing nice live there? Those beautiful tiger-lilies and big purple passion-flowers bloom so charmingly, surely there must be something there to enjoy them."

"Well," answered the guide, "the birds frequently nest there, and the great pelicans and cranes hide in it; but beside them there are only three respectable families that I know of who ever enter it."

"Who are they?" asked Ethelda, deeply interested at once.

"How comical!" laughed a pretty Moon maiden. "Now tell us about the other families."

"The head of the other family," said the guide, "is very interesting indeed. He is a queer little animal called Opossum; he looks like a rat, but is larger than a cat. He spends the day lazily, sleeping among the foliage of trees, or in hollows of their trunks or boughs. His fur is nearly black, but little white patches about his face give him a most wise appearance. He brought his family, consisting of a wife and sixteen small babies, and started housekeeping on the edge of the swamp. The babies are not as big as mice, but they are the sweetest little furry things you ever saw. They cuddle up so nicely together, and just wait to be fed. Of course Mother 'Possum has her hands pretty full watching and caring for sixteen small children, so it devolves on the father to provide food for them; and every night he runs around the country looking for something to eat. He is really a devoted father, but he is not fond of work; and how to feed a wife and sixteen babies without work is a very hard problem to solve. So I am sorry to tell you Mr. 'Possum often steals his food, that being the easiest way to get it, and nothing appeals to him so strongly as a tender young chicken.

"Now, the third family dwelling in the marsh are the Raccoons. Mrs. 'Possum has a great contempt for this same neighbor of hers, and they are not on very friendly terms. Mrs. 'Possum is a splendid housekeeper, but Mrs. Raccoon cares nothing at all about her home. True, she builds her house carefully in the topmost branches of a tree, but having done that, she considers her duty ended, and seldom occupies it. 'Any old place is good enough to sleep in,' she says; and just so she can find a spot with water enough to moisten her food before eating it, she is content. Therefore she wanders around, with the little Raccoons, anywhere and everywhere, and when they get tired they just creep under some old log and go to sleep. Of course Mother 'Possum, with her strict ideas of housekeeping, thinks this careless habit no way to live or to bring up children; but whenever Mrs. 'Possum reproaches Mrs. Raccoon with being a slipshod housekeeper and a gadabout, Mrs. Raccoon invariably replies, 'Have you ever noticed how soft and fine my fur is, and how many beautiful rings I wear on my tail?'--for she is awfully vain. Then she flourishes her tail around, and whisking about, shows off the pretty black and white rings she carries, to the best possible advantage, until Mrs. 'Possum in disgust sends all the little 'Possums scurrying away, fearing lest they become vain and worldly like the Raccoons. But with the exception of the Raccoons and the Crayfishes, the Opossum family own the big yellow and green marsh."

As the guide messenger told all these tales of the marsh, the Moon Princess and her companions noticed they were gradually leaving the southern land; for of course such wonderful beings as Moon Princesses and messengers of Sun Princesses travel much faster than mortals, and they were travelling rapidly. They seemed to be in the midst of a charming forest of long, cool shadows and crystal springs.

"What place is this?" asked Prince Dorion, stopping to admire the long, cool vista of trees ahead.

"O, this," replied the guide carelessly,--"this forest was once the abode of the Rainbow Sisters."

"Who were they?" innocently inquired a dainty Moon maiden, tripping lightly along.

"Would you like to hear about them?" asked the guide.

"O, yes," replied all the Moon maidens in chorus, "do tell us all about them."

"Once upon a time, in a charming country, a delightful people lived. The skies were clear as crystal, and the Sun shone brightly out of them. Great palm groves grew green and beautiful, and curious flowers sprang up in marvellous bits of color. There was a strange and fascinating beauty about this land. Even the rocky hills edging the big broad desert that stretched for miles away, barren of the smallest green blade of grass to make them pretty, were not ugly. Yellow as gold they sparkled in the bright sunshine, rich and mellow against the paler sand beyond. The country lay near a large blue sea, and through its many cities ran a splendid shining river. Now, every one of the clear, cool drops of this smiling stream was precious as diamonds to the people, for, beautiful as their land was , it lacked one thing that the rest of the world enjoyed,--never a drop of rain fell there.

"For more years than you could count, the trees and the flowers had never tasted a cool sweet drink from the skies. The heavens were always blue and clear, for the Sun shone brilliantly out of them every day. Sometimes a cloud might form, but if it did, it floated by white as the foam on the sea, never dark or black.

"Now, you may think that golden sunshine and blue skies are very lovely things to possess, but the people tired of having them all the time. They felt that a nice shower of rain occasionally, even if it came out of an ugly black cloud, would be better than all the pink and violet and green shades of their clear heavens. The only thing that saved their trees and their gardens from burning up as in the dry heat of the desert, and that gave them water, was the glorious big river flowing by. No wonder, then, they loved and prized its drops. Broad and long, it ran through the country, and curled in silver splashes about the banks. Twice every year it overflowed, and then, with feasting and joy, they caught it in pools and canals dug to hold and preserve the precious liquid. In this way they kept the gardens green and lovely, but oh, the work was so hard! Thousand of poor slaves labored day and night to accomplish it. The kind-hearted king offered a big reward to any one who would devise some way to make rain fall in his country, and many wise men spent days and nights studying over the great question. Big trees were planted to catch and draw the moisture, and many other means were tried, but in spite of all these doings the clouds sailed by, as fleecy and white as snow.

"So things went on for many years, and still no rain ever came. Now, the king had an only son, to whom he was perfectly devoted. The child was very beautiful, and was also wise, as a prince should be. It was a common thing to see the handsome little fellow standing in the midst of a grave council of men, listening to their words of wisdom. He never seemed to tire of their long discussions, and would remain, solemn and silent, among them, instead of playing with the children about him. Thus he grew in wisdom and strength to manhood, but he was seldom seen at the court balls and festivals, preferring to wander about among the beautiful mosques of his father's city, or to stand on one of their daintily carved minarets and gaze across the yellow sands of the desert. Often he would remain thus for hours, and though his eyes were looking far out over the appalling yet wonderful beauty of the desert, his thoughts were always only of how he might solve the riddle of his country, and bring it the cool drops of rain it so earnestly wanted. This one idea absorbed him utterly, he could think literally of nothing else, for he noticed with sorrow how terribly hard his father's slaves toiled to carry the precious water from the river when they tilled the ground.

"One day, shortly after he was grown, he was sitting beneath the shadow of a great pyramid, and was planning and musing on the one question always uppermost in his mind. The day was warm; the desert around him shimmered in a golden haze. The yellow hills were so bright beneath the noonday sun that his eyes fairly ached as he watched them, and it was a relief to turn from their glittering lights toward the cool, flowing river, and watch a fringe of feathery, waving palms. 'Oh, for the dark shadow of a cloud,' he murmured, 'to soften all this glare!'

"He had not spoken aloud, and yet he heard a musical sound as though in answer to his wish. He turned quickly, and saw a wonderful sight. The desert had disappeared, and he was looking into a shadowy green forest, with crystal springs. Clear, limpid streams of water ran through the woods, and beautiful flowers were blooming. Farther along in the distance he saw a big mountain, dark and gray, and yet all about its sides grew pretty green ferns. Looking closely, he observed that there was an opening in its side, and through this opening came the music of a flute. As he watched more closely he saw a lovely maiden come slowly forth. She was dressed in a brilliant gown of orange color, and her flowing robes floated softly about her. Her hair hung in waves of gold, and on her forehead flashed a beautiful star. In her hand she carried a wand, but the wand was so curious that he forgot the beauty of the maiden in noticing it. It was long and slender, and seemed to be made of pure gold and laden with jewels; but it was not this wealth of glistening gold that attracted him, it was a curious cloud of white mist that curled and floated away from it each time that she waved it aloft. He had never seen anything so peculiar before. Each white cloud that floated away nestled among the hollow places in the hills like a thin veil, or hovered over the babbling streams in the forest. While he was watching the mysterious cloudlets from the magical wand, a second maiden, more beautiful than the first, followed, dressed in a pale blue gown, and having, like the first, a brilliant star on her forehead. She also carried a jewel-laden wand, and it sent forth similar mysterious white clouds. Then came a third, dressed in a brilliant red; and another, in soft green; and still another, in charming violet; and so on, until seven beautiful creatures stood together, dressed in the seven vivid colors of the rainbow. They formed a ring, and slowly moved together in a circle about an open space before the mountain. Lightly stepping, thus they danced, always in a circle, and always gazing intently toward the opening in the mountain through which they had come.

"Presently, as they gazed expectantly, Prince Asgard saw coming toward them the most exquisite creature he had ever beheld. She was tall and slender, and her graceful form seemed to dance along rather than walk. She was dressed in some soft, clinging material of pure white, shading to a glittering silver, and the girdle confining her waist looked like a bit of the blue sky itself, it was so dainty. Her hair was like that of the other maidens, and looked like spun gold, and it was so fine that it glistened wonderfully as she moved. Her slippers were pale blue, and embroidered with silver threads. A brilliant star on each slipper flashed like a big diamond as she danced along. A tiny golden crown held her hair in place, and seven glittering stars encircled her head. Her wand was of frosted silver, and as she waved it, the soft vapor rolled away in white clouds, as it did before the wands of the other maidens. As she appeared, the seven other maidens broke into a song of gladness, singing in a clear, high tone these words:--

Little Sister, fair and dear, Born of seven colors clear, Welcome! In our round of pleasure You're to us the dearest treasure; Out into the world we'll send Mist and clouds of white that blend.

The silver maid replied, singing:--

Dearest sisters of my race, I come forth to your embrace; Faithful, tender, always true, Shall my love be unto you.

Then they all danced a wonderful dance while singing together:--

Let the foaming clouds on high Fall in raindrops from the sky; Let the lightning's fire flash, Come, with thunder's awful crash! Let the cooling rains thus sink, Giving earth her crystal drink!

"As they moved together in graceful steps and in perfect rhythm to the music of the song, Prince Asgard saw a wonderful arch or bow form across the cloudlets that had arisen from their wands. It was a magnificent rainbow, and each of the seven distinct colors was matched in shade by a dress worn by one of the maidens. Their flowing draperies blended bewitchingly and mixed together in pretty confusion as they danced, making thus a complete circle of rainbow colors. It was an exquisite sight, and the Prince marvelled at it, and wondered what it all meant. Presently the maiden who had first appeared, and who seemed to be the eldest and the leader of the sisters, waved her wand aloft and approached the silver maid, and taking her hand, led her into the middle of the circle. The circle then formed again, and continued dancing around the little white Princess. For several minutes they danced; then each in turn, beginning with the eldest, tenderly clasped the silver maiden in her arms and kissed her on the brow, and then ran lightly into the opening in the side of the mountain.

"The silver maid stood one moment longer, smiling and lovingly watching her sisters, then she, too, tripped lightly toward the mountain, as though to follow them. But, as if a sudden thought had come to her, she turned abruptly and glided toward Prince Asgard. His heart was beating with excitement as he watched her, and he held his breath with admiration, for he had never seen any one before so wondrously beautiful.

"In a moment she was beside him, and he noticed her eyes were sparkling and blue as the girdle she wore.

"'O, Prince of the Southern Lands,' she began, in musical tones, 'you have witnessed the dance of the Rainbow Sisters--a sight forbidden to mortals. We live in an enchanted mountain in the heart of a great forest. Our mother is the beautiful Sea Foam, whom you have often watched in her white dress upon the ocean. We help our mother with her work, but our home is in the deep recesses of these lovely woods. Never before has a mortal eye seen these woods nor witnessed our sacred dance in them. From our magical wands float out the mists to form the cloud-world. Upward they travel, gathering moisture as they go, and floating across the blue heavens, they fall again in refreshing rain upon the earth. But our precious mist-clouds never fall in your country. We will never send them there again unless, unless--' and she hesitated in the most charming and provoking manner in the world.

"'Unless what, O beautiful Princess of the Silver Gown?' eagerly asked the Prince.

"'Alas, that I may not tell you,' replied the little Princess, growing grave. 'This only may I add: Once, in the long ago, your people did a great wrong, and were very rude to my sisters. It was their custom then to dance publicly, once a year. Always, your people gathered to watch them, and with pleasure my sisters danced before them, and with their magical wands they sent out the mist-clouds far and wide. Refreshing rain fell in your midst then as elsewhere, and everything was joyous and charming. But your people were rude and offended my sisters sorely, and never again will they visit you or dance before mortals. All your methods to bring rain into your country will fail, your schemes will come to naught, and until my sisters relent and forgive, the clouds will continue to sail across your blue skies as white as the flecks of foam on the sea.'

"'Never shall the rain fall in my country?' echoed the young man sadly. 'Never? Then, O beautiful Princess,' he added despondently, 'shall I never see you again?' For at that moment the Prince forgot his great problem, how to bring rain to his country, and thought only that he would lose sight of the little Princess of the Silver Dress.

"'Never, O Prince,' replied the Princess gravely, 'unless--' then she smiled suddenly, showing her teeth like gleaming pearls between her red lips,--'never unless you find us again, and--'

"'And what?' the Prince demanded earnestly.

"'Alas,' replied the silver maid, again grave, 'I cannot tell you. There is one thing alone that might cause them to return to your country, but it seems so impossible, that it will never happen, I am sure; and beside, I cannot tell you what it is.'

"'O,' replied the Prince earnestly, 'I will find it out. No obstacle on earth will prove too hard, and you may be sure nothing will prevent my finding you, beautiful Princess.'

"'I wish you success,' sweetly replied the Silver Princess, and then, as she spoke these words, she blushed a vivid crimson.

"She was so beautiful as she stood thus before him, blushing and smiling at the same time, that the Prince, falling on his knees, begged her to give him a sign by which he might hope to see her again and win her love.

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