Four-and-forty fairies

Front matter

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Preface

One of the aims of the authors in the preparation of this little fairy book is to present a portion of Fairy Mythology in a manner to be easily comprehended by small children. In giving the habits, customs, and characteristics of the vari¬ ous fairies herein described, the best authorities upon the subject of Fairy Mythology have been carefully consulted, and the presentation has been made to conform with those authorities.

Besides presenting Fairy Mythology to children, the authors have another very vital object in writing this book: that is, to assist children to learn to read, and to like to read.

The reason the best teachers make much use of the fairy story in teaching reading in the primary grades is because the fairy story directs, cultivates, and stimulates the child’s imagination just at the age when this kind of mental gym¬ nastics gives him so much pleasure. As the fairy story is full of action it accords with the child’s own feelings, and makes learning to read easy, because he loves the story.

The vocabulary of this book is founded upon the vocabu¬ laries of the preceding books of the series, namely, “The Fairy Primer” and “Fairies of the Nine Hills,” and is very small and simple considering the large amount of reading matter the book contains. Only a few new words are intro¬ duced on each page, and none are used but what the child will readily comprehend.

“Four-and-Forty Fairies” is intended for use in supple¬ mentary reading in the Third and Fourth Grades, being equivalent in reading matter to any average basic Third Reader.

The authors hope that this little story of a portion of popu¬ lar fairy lore is told in a manner connected and interesting enough to appeal to the child mind in such a way as to make him desire to finish it when he has once begun it; and they feel sure that the lessons herein taught in politeness, friend¬ ship, good-fellowship, and usefulness will as unconsciously become a part of the young reader as the perfume is a part of the flower.

Books by

N. MOORE BANTA AND ALPHA BANTA BENSON

The Brownie Primer Ten Little IBrownie Men The Brownies and the Goblins Busy Little Brownies The Fairy Primer Fairies of the Nine Hills Four-and Forty Fairies Once Upon a Time Stories Really Truly Fairy Tales Three Popular Stories Stories from Grimm Daffydow r ndilly and the Golden Touch

The Golden Bird and Seven Ravens

The Little Brown Man The Little Brown Pitcher Bluest of Blue Birds The Chickadee Book The Jenny Wren Book The BluObird Book The Robin Redibreast Book

Published by

A. FLANAGAN COMPANY CHICAGO

Chapter I The Elves Plan A Journey

6 i They danced under the trees”

A band of Elves once lived among the leaves of a beautiful old Linden Tree which stood on the side of a hill. Near the hill was a shady glen through which ran a crystal stream.

“Ran over the leaves”

All day long these little fairies ran over the leaves from one tree to another, or traveled about up in the air. When they were tired sleeping or playing among the leaves, they climbed up and slid down the sunbeams. This was one of their favorite sports in the daytime.

As soon as night came they climbed down from the tree and ran out into the glen. Here on moon¬ light nights they danced under the trees, or rowed up and down the stream in their fairy boats. They

Playing among the leaves’

often climbed up and slid down the moonbeams. This was a favorite sport on moonlight nights.

Sometimes, when the moon did not shine, the glen would be very dark. Then the Elves would leave the woods and dance in the grass on the open hillside.

“Toadstools upon which the Elves liked to damce”

On this hillside there were many toadstools and mushrooms upon which this band of Elves liked to dance. When the people found mushrooms with ragged or broken edges, the Elves were blamed for it; and if anyone chanced to find a circle on the dewy grass, he knew well that this band of fairies had been dancing there the night before.

Now there w r ere exactly four-and-forty of these little Elves—two-and-twenty Elf-women and two-and-twenty Elf-men. They were little White Elves. They were called White Elves on account of the color of their clothes.

They always dressed in white and gold. Each Elf was always very careful to be dressed partly in white. They spun and wove white cloth from the moonbeams. From the sunbeams they spun and wove yellow or gold cloth.

“White md gold threads”

Sometimes they mixed the white and gold threads when they were weaving. This gave them beautiful white and gold cloth. Out of this cloth they made fine clothes.

The Elf-women were very beautiful. They had blue eyes and long golden hair, and the fine clothes they wore enhanced their beauty. Also very gallant and handsome were the Elf-men in their beau¬ tiful gold and white suits.

These fairies were very tiny, too—so tiny that you and I might walk right over them and never see them, unless we should wear our fairy spectacles.

These Elves had a king named Olin, and a queen named Tita. King Olin was dressed just like the other Elf-men, only instead of a cap he w r ore a crown of gold. Queen Tita wore a crown of gold set with jewels, and her dress was of silver gauze.

King Olin and Queen Tita were very kind to their little Elfin band.

had much work to do. And what kind of work had much 7 / /'

do. And work to

Now these tiny lit¬ tle Elves did not dance and play all the time. No, indeed, they yl , f may be sure all these li most dearly loved t] and queen.

“They made fine clothes”

do you think they did? It would take you a long time to guess.

They were the Good Thought and Rosy Dream Fairies. In the daytime they sent good and happy thoughts sliding down the sunbeams. On moonlight nights they sent sweet and rosy dreams sliding down the moonbeams. These good and happy thoughts and sweet and yosy dreams were sent 1 6 all good and pleasant children and honest, good-natured grown-up people.

One night after the Elves had been dancing a long time, Queen Tita sat down on a toadstool to rest. By and by King Olin came and sat down by her. The other fairies went right on dancing. Queen Tita sat watching them for a long time.

Then she said, “Oh dear! I’m tired of dancing and playing the same games so much, and doing the same work over and over. I wish we might play something new, and find some new work to do.”

“I have been thinking the same thing,” replied King Olin. “I have a plan and have just been waiting for a good chance to tell you about it.”

“How very fine!” cried Queen Tita, clapping her tiny hands. “Do tell me at once. Please don’t keep me waiting another minute.”

“How should you like to go on a long journey'?” asked the king.

“A journey!” exclaimed the queen. “I should like it more than anything else. But where could we go'?”

“To visit our fairy friends. I have been think¬ ing for a long time that we ought to get better acquainted with the other fairies. I w T ant to know 'more about their homes and what they do to pass the time. I should like to know what they do to make themselves and others happy. You have just been saying that w T e dance and play too much, and that you are tired of it. Perhaps if we visit some of the other fairies we may learn to play some¬ thing new and do new work.”

V9

Queen Tita sprang up from her toadstool.

“Oh, how delightful!” she cried. “Let us start at once.”

“Hold!” said King Olin, laughing. “Not quite so fast, my queen! We can’t start at once for two reasons. We can’t go alone and we can’t go on such a journey without something to travel in.”

“Oh, how tiresome!” pouted the little queen, sitting down once more. “How long must we wait?”

“Not long, I hope,” said King Olin. “When I first thought of this journey, I sent my faithful Ariel to the Dwarfs asking them to send the swiftest and best flying-machine they could make. I expect him back any time. So get ready as soon as you can.”

“A flying machine! How exciting! But who is to go with us?” asked Queen Tita. “I believe you said we were not to travel alone.”

“Yes, that is what I said,” replied the king. “And I have decided to take all our people with us. Not one shall be left behind.”

“All of us!” cried Queen Tita. “Why, how can we all go? There are four-and-forty of us, all told. And in a flying-machine, too! We never can do it.”

“But this is to be a magic flying-machine, my dear,” replied the king. “And you must know that in a magic flying-machine there is always room for one more. So, as soon as the dancing is over, we’ll get ready for the journey.”

In a short time the other Elves grew tired and came crowding about their king and queen, like bees around a honeycomb. Then King Olin told

“Crowding about their king and queen”

them of the wonderful journey they were to take. They listened quietly till he had finished. Then they gave him three times three cheers.

After that there were three times three more for Queen Tita, and then the Elves all scampered away to the big tree to get ready for their journey.

And such a hurrying and scurrying as there was, for fear they should not be ready when Ariel returned! But so well and swiftly did they work, that their home was in apple-pie order and each little fairy in perfect readiness; and still no Ariel was in sight.

At last King Olin sent Kappi out into the glen to watch for Ariel, while all the other fairies rested. They had scarcely had time for four-and-forty winks when Kappi came rushing up a moonbeam into the big tree, all out of breath, and shouted, “lie’s coming! He’s coming!”

“Who’s coming?” cried the Elves in a chorus, rubbing their eyes. They were hardly awake yet.

“Why, Ariel, of course, with the new flying-machine,” said Kappi.

Down from the tree they all ran, pell-mell, as fast as their little legs could carry them. Sure enough, there was Ariel just getting out of the as the down of a thistle, but as strong as the strongest steel. Its name is Thistledown. It’s the first of the kind the Dwarfs ever made. Just think! It starts, guides, and stops itself! All you have to do is to think where you want to go, and almost before you know it you’re there!”

Now there was one little Elf-maid by the name of Mab who could write songs and sing them very sweetly. She was much interested in this journey.

She asked King Olin all about where they were going. As soon as he had told her, she wrote a song which the Elfin Band played while she sang. All the Elves soon learned this song and began singing together. Here is what they sang:

“This is the day We will journey away To the land where our fairy friends dwell; Let us visit the Gnomes In their underground homes,

And list to the stories they tell.

“Let us journey away By night and by day,

Ip our new magic flying-machine;

O’er hill and o’er vale,

On and on we will sail,

Till each fairy friend we have seen.

“We will pause by the streams, Where by silver moonbeams,

The Nixes and Necks may be seen; With the jolly old Troll,

We will pause for a stroll,

And teach him to dance on the green.

“With the Brownies we’ll play”

“With the Goblins we’ll roam Through their fine woodland home;

With the Kobolds and Brownies we’ll play; The Wood-nymphs we’ll see,

Each guarding a tree,

And then to the Dwarfs we’ll away.”

Chapter II The Hidden Treasures

That evening the Man-in-the-Moon put his thumb in his eye and looked down upon a pleasing sight—four-and-forty fairies seated in their won¬ derful machine ready for a long journey.

They all sat very, very still and waited. Each little fairy held his breath; but the machine didn’t move even the least little bit. They looked at each other in dismay.

“What’s the matter'? Why don’t we go?” they began to ask each other.

All at once Ariel remembered and he laughed so hard he fell out of the machine backward. When he had climbed to his seat again and had stopped laughing, he said, “Why, don’t you know, some one must first think where we want to go!”

Then all the other little Elves joined in a good hearty laugh. What a good joke it was!

“Then who is to do the thinking?” said Ariel.

“You, of course. You brought the machine home,” said Kappi.

“Put his thumb in his eye”

“It seems to me,” replied Ariel, “that this is a game all of us can play. Why not take turns thinking of some place to go?”

“Good! That will be great fun!” shouted the other fairies. “You think first, Ariel.”

“All right,” said Ariel and, closing his eyes, he said:

“Sail, Thistledown, sail,

O’er hill and o’er vale,

Till we reach the spot I have in my thought.’’

The wonderful flying-machine rose at once from the ground and sailed away in the moonlight like some beautiful night bird. They traveled along in this way for some time. Then suddenly the air about them was filled with sweet music. It sounded like the chiming of hundreds of little silver bells.

“What is it? Where does it come from?” whis¬ pered the Elves, looking about them on all sides.

Ariel smiled a knowing smile and looked very wise.

“That is fairy music,” he said.

“But where does it come from?” asked Queen Tita.

“Can’t you guess?” said Ariel; then he laughed at their puzzled faces.

“That is a wonderful part of our machine that I didn’t tell you about. I wanted to surprise you. The music you heard comes from a number of tiny silver pipes inside the machine. When they are open the wind blows through them and makes the music you now hear.”

“How do you open them?” asked King Olin.

“By pressing this little button,” replied Ariel.

“Well, let’s have some more music,” said Queen Tita.

But just then the flying-machine paused in its great flight and sank gently to the ground.

The Elves sprang from their seats and looked about them. They found themselves in a wild, mountainous region, very different from any place in which they had ever been before.

“Is this the place?” they asked, turning to Ariel.

“I think it must be, else we shouldn’t have stopped,” replied Ariel.

“But where are your fairies?”

“I don’t know,” said Ariel, “but we’ll wait awhile and perhaps they’ll come.”

Ten or fifteen minutes passed, and still not a fairy appeared.

Then all at once the whole mountain side seemed alive with Gnomes. They appeared to come right out of the earth, as no opening of any kind could be seen. They were very queer-looking little men with short bodies, short legs, and very long arms reaching almost to the ground.

They were dressed in grayish brown with shoes and stockings and funny pointed caps of the same color. Indeed, they were so much like the earth out of which they came that at first the Elves could hardly tell the difference.

On seeing the Elves and their strange-] ooking machine, the Gnomes were very much frightened; and you may be sure they were not very slow in getting back into their mountain again. Indeed, some didn’t even take time to turn around, but ran backwards right into the mountain side.

This looked so very funny to the Elves that they all burst out laughing. When the Gnomes heard this they came back, but they were afraid to come up to the Elves.

Then King Olin and Queen Tita stood up in front of the other Elves. All of the Elves looked very friendly and pleasant. The Gnomes began to look pleased.

They looked at the Elves a few moments longer. Then out walked the king of the Gnomes. He looked very much like the others, only he had a very long beard and was dressed in a robe that came almost to the ground. His name was Guru.

When King Guru came out the other Gnomes followed. The king then welcomed the Elves and invited them to the Gnomes’ underground palace.

“But how do you go in'?” asked King Olin. “We saw you come out but we didn’t see any door.”

“We don’t need doors,” said King Guru. “We Gnomes can move through the earth as easily as a fish can swim through the water.”

“But we can’t do that,” replied King Olin. “How, then, can we visit your home?”

“Of course you can’t do that as you are, but when you have swallowed the brown berries I shall give

“King Olin and Queen Tita stood up in front”

you, you will be like us and can go where we go. You need not be afraid, for we trust you and will do you no harm.”

Here King Guru beckoned to one of the Gnomes and whispered something in his ear. The queer little man hurried away and soon returned with a boxful of little berries. These very wonderful magic berries looked and smelled like fresh, moist earth.

The Gnome-king took them and gave one to each of the four-and-forty Elves. As soon as the Elves had swallowed the berries, they began to feel queer. They looked at each other and saw that they were turning to Gnomes. Only their faces stayed the same.

Just then the Gnome-king beckoned to them and they followed him to the mountain side. When they reached it they went on without stopping and found they could go through the earth as easily as through the air.

They went on in this way for some time. By and by they came out into a large cave-like open¬ ing, which led into a long hall beyond.

Here the Gnomes halted and the king said, “This is our home. Welcome to it, Elfin friends.’’

He then led the way into the hall, which was the most beautiful place the Elves had ever seen. The walls, ceiling, and floor w r ere all of rock crystal, thickly set with diamonds of all shapes and sizes. These diamonds made the hall so bright that no other light was needed.

At one end of the hall was King Guru’s throne. It was made of a large brilliant diamond and was hung from the ceiling by fine gold chains.

When they entered the hall a wonderful thing happened. The clothing of both Elves and Gnomes was changed to pure white. Even King Guru’s beard was as white as snow.

King Guru seated himself on his throne. He then motioned for the Elves and Gnomes to be seated, too. How grand the king looked in his long white robe and snowy beard! The Gnomes were very proud of him.

When they were all seated, King Guru said, “Welcome again to the home of the Gnomes. We wfill rest here awhile and get better acquainted.”

King Guru then came down from his throne, and began introducing the Elves and Gnomes; and they immediately began to talk and get better acquainted with each other.

How happy and delighted they were! It was all so interesting for each to learn what the others liked best, how they lived, and w 7 here they had been. Indeed, it was a great chatter they all set up, talking about four-and-forty things at once.

In about an hour, a Gnome servant appeared and whispered something to the king.

His Majesty at once arose and led the way into another hall, also made of rock crystal. The walls and ceiling of this hall were set with rubies. Again the garments of the fairies were changed, this time to a soft rose color.

In this second hall was a long table loaded with all sorts of fairy dainties. How good it looked to the hungry Elves! King Guru seated himself at the head of the table. Queen Tita sat at his right. At his left sat King Olin and next to him was the Gnome Prince Loto.

What a feast that was! There were toasts, stories, and songs from both Elves and Gnomes. When the feast was over, the king arose and led the way into another and larger hall. Like the first two, it was of rock crystal. Its walls and ceil¬ ing were set with emeralds.

Here the Elves saw that their clothing changed to a beautiful shade of green. These changes were very wonderful to the Elves. They had never seen the like before. At last Queen Tita made up her mind to ask Prince Loto how these changes were produced.

4 'Oh, that is easily explained,” replied the prince politely. "These diamonds, rubies, and emeralds are magic stones. They have the power to change

“King Guru seated himself on the throne”

the color of any object they shine upon. So you see we are dressed in brown only when we go to the mines. We don’t like brown. These colors are much prettier.”

In the emerald hall the Elves and Gnomes played games, ran races, and danced, till they were tired out.

The Gnomes did not know any games. They had never been where there were boys and girls, so they hadn’t learned how to play. But the Elves taught them how. And what fun they did have!

When they ran races the Elf-men always beat, for the Gnomes had such short legs they couldn’t run very fast. But when it came to leapfrog and turning handsprings, the Gnomes usually came out ahead.

At last they were all too tired to play any more, so King Guru sent a servant to show the Elves where they were to sleep. Now you must know that in the land of the Gnomes, they have no day and night as w r e have.

They do not know anything about the sun and moon. They sleep when they are tired and get up when they are rested. So it may have been morning with us when these little fairies went to bed.

FOUR-AND-FORTY FAIRIES 3;J

And what a bedroom that was! It was smaller than the other rooms the Elves had seen. In the center of the ceiling there was one large moonstone. It gave just enough light for the Elves to see how to go to bed and not enough to keep them awake. And how they did sleep!

When they awoke they found that the Gnomes were all up and had breakfast ready.

After breakfast King Guru said, “We are going to show you the rest of the palace. Then we’ll take you to the mines and tell you about our work.”

You may be sure the Elves were ready for what¬ ever the Gnomes wished to do. Our travelers wanted to learn all they could about the fairies they visited.

When all were ready, the king led the way to that part of the palace which the Elves had not yet seen. There were several rooms, all of rock crystal, like those they had seen before. The first was set with wonderful topazes. They filled the room with a beautiful golden light like sunshine.

The next one was blue, like the sky at night. This was caused by the sapphires of all shapes and sizes.

Another one set with amethysts was like the summer sky at sunset. As they went from room to room, the Elves noticed that their clothing changed from yellow to blue and from blue to purple and so on, according to the color of the precious stones in the room. How wonderful it all was!

“Now,” said the king, “we will show you our treasure room. Then you may see where we work.”

He then led the wa}^ into a great hall of gray stone. Here were a vast number of chests of the same material all filled with gold, silver, and precious stones.

“Part of our work is to guard these treasures,” said the king.

“But why do you keep them here?” asked the Elf-king. “Why not leave them in the mines?”

“My dear friend,” said King Guru, “if this gold and silver and these precious stones were left in the mines, they would soon be dug out. Then there would be nothing left. It is our business to guard the mines as well as the treasure house. We allow the miners to have only a certain amount each year. Then, too, we keep the precious stones and metals pure and see that nothing destroys them. Now if you are ready we’ll show you the mines.”

The party followed the king from the treasure house into a long hall, or passageway. Here the Elves noticed that each Gnome carried a torch. A Gnome servant also brought one for each of the Elves.

“These are magic torches,” said Prince Loto. “With them we can see through the deepest mine.

We are also able to find new mines with the aid of these magic torches.”

The Elves then noticed that the light of each torch came from a large crystal set in silver. The handle was also of silver.

Torches in hand, the Elves and Gnomes started down the passageway. They did not go far, how¬ ever, before they left the passageway and walked straight into the earth. On they went without any trouble whatever.

Soon a wonderful sight met the eyes of the little Elf-men and Elf-women. On all sides were vast mines of gold, silver, and precious stones. The Elves stopped and gazed with their mouths open. They had not dreamed there could be so much gold and silver and so many precious stones in all the world.

“This is only a small part of what we have to guard, said Prince Loto. “So you see we have plenty of work to do.”

After visiting several mines they returned to the palace. The rest of their stay was spent in feasting and merrymaking. When the Elves were ready to go, the Gnomes went with them to their flying-machine. When they came out of the earth,

King Guru gave a little white berry to each Elf.

“These will make you as you were before / 7 he said.

The Elves swallowed the berries quickly. And how glad they were to be just Elves once more!

With many good-byes and promises to come again soon, they climbed into their machine.

“Now, Kappi, it is your turn to think / 7 said Ariel.

“Must I say a rhyme ? 77 asked Kappi.

“Yes, that is part of the game . 77

“All right. Here goes:

“Fly, Thistledown, fly,

Like a bird in the sky,

Till a place you And That I have in mind . 77

The flying-machine began to rock from side to side. Then it rocked backward and forward. But it didn’t leave the ground. The Elves did not know what to do. The Gnomes were waiting to ^ee them go up in their wonderful machine; and it wouldn’t go. Ariel got out and looked it over.

“It seems to be all right,” he said.

4 ‘Then why doesn’t it go 0 ?” asked little Elf Hitto. “The Gnomes will have a good joke on us if it doesn’t start pretty soon.”

“Are you sure you thought right, Kappi *?” asked Ariel.

“Why—why, no, I don’t believe I did,” stam¬ mered Kappi. “I was thinking so hard about my rhyme that I forgot to think nf the place.”

How the Elves did laugh when they found out what was the matter!—all but poor Kappi. He couldn’t see anything very funny about it.

At last Ariel said, “Never mind, Kappi. We all make mistakes sometimes. Just say your rhyme again and don’t forget to think of the place.”

Little Elf Kappi did as he was told and at once the magic machine began to move. The little Elf-women waved their tiny handkerchiefs and the Elf-men took off their caps and waved a last good¬ bye to the Gnomes.

Each little Gnome answered by throwing up his cap and shouting at the top of his voice. The Gnomes kept this up till their little friends were carried out of sight. Then they went back to their palace, and for days and days they talked of the Elves and the wonderful flying-machine.

“They slid down the moonbeams”

Chapter III The Little Men Under The Hills

In only a few moments the Elves were a long distance from the land of the Gnomes.

On and on the airship flew,

Over hill and valley, too,

Sometimes high and sometimes low, Sometimes fast and sometimes slow;

How the fairy pipes did play For. the tiny Elves so gay!

What a wonderful ride that was! All day long they sailed. Then the sun went down, one by one the stars came out, and at last the moon came up. Still they sailed, and at last they began to get sleepy.

“If this journey is going to last much longer,” said Queen Tita, “we might as well take a nap.”

But just then the flying-machine sailed over a very high hill and sank into the valley beyond.