Through Fairylahd in a Hansom Cab.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue II, 12 July 1902, Page 120

Through Fairylahd in a Hansom Cab.

By

CHAPTER IV. IN THE ROYAL. PRESENCE. When the bandage was removed, Gretchen found herself in a long, high room, into which the sun shone brightly, us it had no ceiling or roof. In front of her was a low platform on/ftvhich two thrones stood side by side. The walls of the room were formed of white columns striped with red. “ They look like sticks of candy,” said Gretchen. “ They are,” said the captain. “ At one of the fifty-year feasts the candy gave out, and these walls were built in case such a thing should occur again. At that time the royal architect happened to be also the court barber, and he selected this pattern.” About ten feet above the floor an iron bar extended from one side wall to the other. From the middle of this hung an enormous chandelier covered with mirrors. “ What is that? ” asked Gretchen. “ A moonograph,” said the captain. “ Those mirrors reflect the rays of the moon and light- the room nicely.” “And look!” cried Gretchen, “there is a fairy on it!” And, sure enough, perched high on the moonograph was a small fairy in brown overalls. “ Hush,” whispered the captain. “ Here comes the royal party.” The curtains of an arched door at one side of the platform were drawn apart by two pages, and the procession entered. First came a number of court fairies in gauze draperies, each with a fixed smile on her face. “ That is the queen’s chorus,” said the captain- “ Many of the fairies who do not think for themselves become members of the chorus, and merely have to repeat what other people think. The king has a chorus of men.”

“ But if they don’t think, how do they decide to enter the chorus?” whispered Gretchen. “They don’t; the. king or queen decides for them. That gloomylooking man coming next, in the long- robe covered with interrogationpoints, is the Court Objector, whose duty it is to object to anything that is wrong.”

“ I should think that would be a very disagreeable office,” said Gretchen.

“It is,” replied the captain, “but he likes it. That younger one, with long hair, is the Court Poet. I can’t tell you about the others, for here comes the queen.” And last of all came a small fairy in a fur-trimmed dress. “Where is the king?” asked Gretchen. “ They reign by turns,” whispered the captain, “ and it is his fifty years off. When his reign begins we shall have men’s rights.” “Who comes first?” asked the queen- “ Yes; who, oh. who—who—who — comes first? ” repeated the chorus. “ I don’t like that,” said the Objector. “It sounds too much like an owl.” “ Don’t do it again,” said the queen, and the chorus, whose faces had not relaxed from them sickly grins, remained silent. “I'm first, your Majesty,” cried the little fairy on the moonograph. “ What are you doing up there? ” she demanded. “ If it please your Majesty, I am a gas-fitter by tfade, and I feel more comfortable up here.” “ Well, it doesn’t please me; come down.”

The little fairy dropped to fire floor. “ I would like to be released from gaol,” he. said.

BENNETT W. MUSSON.

(FROM “ST. NICHOLAS.”)

At i hits the whole court turned their" backs on him. “ Of all the ridiculous nonsense I ever heard! ” said the Objector. “Where are you now?” “ Of course, I’m not in gaol at this moment,” replied the gas-fitter. “ They let me out to come for a pardon, while they were cleaning house ” . “ Well, what have you done? ” inquired the queen. “No one else has done anything,” said the Objector, “ so why does your Majesty say, ‘ what have you done? ’ That implies that there are others. You (should say, ‘ What have you done?” “ it must be very tiresome to be picked up in that- way whenever you say anything,” whispered Gretehen. • “It is,” said the captain, “but it’s good for you. Have you ever noticed that most of the things that are good for you are disagreeable?” “Oh. yes,” Gretehen said quickly. “If it please your Majesty—” began the gas-fitter. “Don't say that again,” the Objector said, sharply. “You know that it doesn’t.” “Well, anyway,” said the little fairy, who was getting flustered and had entirely forgotten a speech he had prepared while sitting on the moonograph, “ I want to get out of gaol.” “Why were you put in?” asked the Queen. “For breach of contract. I was hired to mend a leak in a gas-pipe, and instead of fixing it with solder, ns I agreed, I plugged it with the first thing that came handy." “What came handy?” “An opal.” “Ten years more. Take him away,” the queen said; and two soldiers hurried the gasfitter from the room. “Ten years, ten years! oh, ten years!” tire chorus sang joyfully. “It’s your turn next,” the captain whispered to Gretchen, “and you’ve seen by the way the gas-fitter fared that it doesn’t pay to be humble, so put on a brave face. I’m sorry Willie isn’t here. I think his voice would impress them.” “Anyone else?” asked the queen. “You answer,” said the captain, nudging Gretchen, “as I don’t want to lose my job.” “Yes; 1 want an audience, and I wish you’d be quick about it,” she said, trembling-ly. “Why, it’s a human being!” cried the queen and all the court fairies gathered at the front of the platform and looked at Gretchen.

“Is that the latest style in shirtwaists?” asked the queen. “No, your Majesty; this is one I made from last year’s pattern.”

“Let me see your shoes,” ordered the queen.

Gretchen, much puzzled, held up one foot so that they could get a good look at it.

“I told you so!” the Objector cried, triumphantly.

Gretchen looked closer at the fairies and saw they had strapped to their feet queer oblong wooden boxes with handles on them.

“A male human being who was here fifty years ago told us that pumps were all the style in high society, and we’ve had a most uncomfortable time ever since,” said the queen. She took off her pumps and threw them on the floor, and the chorus removed theirs and capered joyously. “What do you think of fairyland?” asked the queen. “I haven’t seen much of it, except the hotel,” said Gretchen. “I came here blindfolded.” “That's no excuse,” said the Objeetor. “Well, what do you want?” inquired the queen. Gretchen told her story and the -cwt held a whispered consultation.

“It is usual for each mortal who asks a favour of us to do some task in return,” the queen said. “As it is so late now, I think you would better call again to-morrow afternoon, when there is to be a reception in the eastle grounds, and we will then decide what you are to do.” "May I bring my dog with me?” asked Gretehen.

“Does he chase fairies?” the queen said, anxiously. “He never has,” Gretehen replied, truthfully. “Then you may fetch him,” said the queen. “Good-bye till to-mor-row”; and she left the room, followed by the other fairies—the chorus last of all.

When they reached the hotel it was almost dqrk, pnd Gretchen, who had not slept in’a really-and-truly bed for two nights, was ready to go to bed. The human-being room proved comfortable, though it seemed queer not to have a roof over her head, and spread on a small table she found a very nice supper consisting of wild honey and sardines. The next morning Gretchen decided to go to the magician's. She seldom ate much breakfast, and was so tired of honey and sardines that she didn’t care for any at all that morning. As she reached the gate a hansom cab drawn by an enormous grasshopper came up, and the driver, a fairy of medium size, in a long coat anti shiny high hat, pointed his whip at her. “Cab, miss?” he cried. “I drove ye to the palace yesterday.” “But 1 can’t go without Leonardo and the captain,” said Gretchen, suddenly remembering. “Here comes the gents as was with ye yesterday,” said the driver, pointing to the captain and Leonardo, who were returning from an early morning stroll.

“I will have to leave you now, as I go on duty to-day,” said the captain, but 1 have given Leonardo a guidebook so that be can help you; besides this driver knows all about the town. Take this young lady wherever she wants to go, and charge it to my account,” he added. “All right, sir!” cried the driver, touching his hat. Gretehen heartily thanked the captain for all his kindness, and bidding him good-bye, she and Leonardo got into ths cab, the driver waved his whip, and they were driven rapidly away. “Where to?” called the driver through a funny little trap-door he raised in the roof. “To the Thirty-third Degree Transformer's,” said Gretchen, trying to speak as though she had been accustomed all her short life to giving orders to cab-drivers. “How do you like this rig?” asked Leonardo, who was dressed in a very fashionable suit of clothes, and wore a silk hat and an eye-glass. “It is most becoming,” Gretehen replied. * “I thought this sort of thing more appropriate for a tourist than my every-day suit. They fit pretty well, don’t they? I got them ready-made.” “However do you keep that eyeglass in ?” asked Gretchen. “Glue on the edges,” Leonardo said briefly. “Why, there’s Willie!” he cried, and told the driver to stop. “Hi, Willie! -—I mean low Willie! Have you found a place to work?” “Yes,” said Willie, grinning from ear to ear. “Got an answer to my advertisement and a place in a watch and clock-maker’s this morning. Am on my way to fix the town clock.” “Where’s your ladder?” asked Gretchen.

“Huh! I don’t need a ladder!” said Willie. “The dial is only sixteen feet above the ground.” Gretehen and Leonardo looked at each other and burst into laughter, and as they laughed the grin faded from Willie’s face. “There! I keep forgetting about being small!” he said. “What shall 1 do?” “We are on our way to tfie magician’s, and perhaps you could get him io cnange you back. Then you could fix the clock,” said Gretchen. “Good!” cried Willie, his merry grin at once returning. Willie got into the cab, pnd Gretchen ordered the driver to go to the Transformer's, a« It was nearly eleven

o’clock. Away they went, through narrow streets lined with little houses without roofs, by all sorts of larger buildings of queer designs, Leonardo vainly trying to describe them, but getting all mixed up, as by the time he had picked one out in the guidebook they had passed at least two more; and" they finally came to the magician’s office. A little fairy in a green coat and brass buttons answered the bell, and they entered a reception room, where they found a number of fairies waiting. “Tell him that Gretchen wishes to

see him,” said Leonardo, and the boy went away. He soon returned and asked her to follow him. She found the magician in a plain little office, seated at a desk. His elbows were resting on the desk, his hands were pressed to his face, and he was intently studying a piece of paper. “I’m delighted to see you,” he said, without looking- up. “Have a chair.” Gretchen looked around, and not seeing a chair didn’t have one. She waited patiently while he studied the paper. “This is most wonderful,” he said, finally, handing it to her. It was a puzzle-picture of a man in a funny grove of trees, and beneath it was printed: Here is the hunter; find his dog. “Can you find him?” the magician asked, anxiously. ‘"Certainly,” said Gretchen. “Don’t you see that this little branch is his tail, this leaf an ear, and that limb is his body.” "Why, so it is!” cried the magician. “You have a wonderful intellect! I’d studied that for twenty-four hours and hadn’t solved it.” Gretchen told him what she wanted and he prepared to change Snip back - to a dog. “Oh, dear!” she cried. “I forgot to bring him with me!” “I can change him wherever he is,” said the magician; and going through a few more movements than

usual with his hands he announced that' the thing was done. Gretchen told TTtm of Willie’s wish to be a giant again, and he went through some slightly different movements and said that was done. As he finished speaking a voice cried “Hello!” and looking up they saw Willie peering at them over the top of the wall. “Will you kindly change me back at about four o’clock?” he asked. “Certainly,” said the magician, and the giant hurried away. “Won’t you stay awhile?” said the

Transformer to Gretchen, who was preparing to go. “Thank you,” she replied. “I’m afraid I’m keeping you from your work. You have so many people waiting.” “Never mind them,” he said. “They are only the Discontented Dozen.” “The. Discontented Dozen!” said Gretchen, opening her eyes very wide. “Yes. There are a great many dissatisfied people in this country, even if it is fairyland, and as this dozen happens to be rich they can afford all sorts of whims. When one of them sees anybody else who looks at all happy he or she at once wants to be changed into that sort of person. They come every few days to be transformed. I have had them lawyers, typewriters, labourers, bookagents, druggists, authors and astronomers. If they stopped to think it would occur to them that if I who have studied so long and know so much, knew of any kind of being who was perfectly happy, I would change myself into such a one instead of remaining a magician.” Gretchen thought this was very clever of the Transformer, and that he certainly knew a great deal, but her eye happened to fall on the pic-ture-puzzle, and she was not quite so sure. “I am afraid I shall have to go, as I am to see the queen this afternoon,”

she said, and thanking him and saying she hoped to see him again she joiMed Leonardo. Getting into the cab they were driven away, leaving the Discontented Dozen in the outer office, looking expectant. Gretchen and Leonardo presently heard a great roaring like thunder, and a squeaking and squealing like nothing else at all. Turning a corner they found that the giant gnome, sitting in the street, was doing the roaring, and an excited little fairy dancing round him was doing the rest. “What’s the matter now, Willie?” cried Leonardo as the cab stopped. Gretchen saw that the giant was sitting near a building on the roof of which was a tower with a clock in it. “Can’t you reach it?* She asked. “I can reach it!” yelled Willie, “but he’s just changed me back to my old self, and I can’t fix it!” “Dear me!” said Gretchen. “I should have had you changed to a giant watchmaker!” “Of course, you should!” howled Willie. “If that clock isn’t mended to-day I’ll be put in gaol!” cried the little fairy. A gloomy silence followed. “Is that your employer?” asked Gretchen, pointing at the little fairy. “Yes!” cried Willie. “Well, wliy don’t you lift him up and let him mend it?” Willie turned to the little watchmaker with a broad smile on his face.

“llUriah!” they yelled, and the cab went on.