Fairy Prince and Other Stories Part 14

There was an old tortoise-sh.e.l.l cat. He had a crumpled ear. He had a great scar across his nose. He had a broken leg that had mended crooked.

_Most_ of the cats were tortoise-sh.e.l.l _and_ black _and_ gray _and_ white! It looked pretty! It looked something the way a rainbow would look if it was fur! And splashed with milk instead of water!

"How many quarts does it take?" said my Mother.

"_Quarts?_" said Old Mary. She sniffed. "_Quarts?_ It takes a whole Jersey cow!"

The Blinded Lady called Rosalee to come back. I went with her. I held her hand very hard for fear we would be frightened.

There was a White Kitten in the Blinded Lady's Lap. It was a white Angora. It wasn't any bigger than a baby rabbit. It had a blue ribbon on its neck. It looked very pure. Its face said "Ruthy, I'd like very much to be your kitten!"

But the Blinded Lady's face didn't know I was there at all.

"Young La.s.sie," said the Blinded Lady. "What is the color of your Derry's eyes?"

"Why--why--black!" said Rosalee.

"U-m-mmm," said the Blinded Lady. "Black?" She began to munch a peppermint. "U-m-m-m," she said. She jerked her head. Her nose looked pretty sharp. "That's right, Young La.s.sie!" she cried. "Love _early_!

Never mind what the old folks say! Sometimes there isn't any late! Love all you can! Love----!" She stopped suddenly. She sank back in her skirts again. And rocked! Her nose didn't look sharp any more. Her voice was all whispers. "La.s.sie," she whispered, "when you choose your Peac.o.c.k Feather Fan--choose the one on the top shelf! It's the best one! It's sandal wood! It's----"

My boots made a creak.

The Blinded Lady gave an awful jump!

"There's someone else in this room besides the Young La.s.sie!" she cried.

I was frightened. I told a lie.

"You're en--tirely mistaken!" I said. I perked Rosalee's hand. We ran for our lives. We ran as fast as we could. It was pretty fast!

When we got out to the Road our Father and Mother were waiting for us.

They looked pleasant. We liked their looks very much.

Carol was waiting too. He had his eyes shut. His mouth looked very surprised.

"Carol's trying to figure out how it would feel to be blind," said my Mother.

"Oh!" said Rosalee.

"O--h!" said I.

Carol clapped his hands.

Rosalee clapped her hands.

I clapped my hands.

It was wonderful! We all thought of it at the same moment! We shut our eyes perfectly tight and played we were blinded all the way home!

Our Father and Mother had to lead us. It was pretty b.u.mpy! I peeped some! Rosalee walked with her hands stretched way out in front of her as though she was reaching for something. She looked like a picture. It was like a picture of something very gentle and wishful that she looked like. It made me feel queer. Carol walked with his nose all puckered up as though he was afraid something smelly was going to hit him. It didn't make me feel queer at all. It made me laugh.

It didn't make my Father laugh.

"Now see here, you young Lunatics," said my Father. "If you think your Mother and I are going to drag you up the main village street--acting like this?"

We were sorry, we explained! But it _had_ to be!

When we got to the village street we b.u.mped right into the Old Doctor.

We b.u.mped him pretty hard! He had to sit down! I climbed into his lap.

"Of course I don't know that it's _you_," I said. "But I think it is!"

The Old Doctor seemed pretty astonished. He s.n.a.t.c.hed at my Father and my Mother.

"Great Zounds, Good People!" he cried. "What fearful calamity has overtaken your offspring?"

"Absolutely nothing at all," said my Father, "compared to what is _going_ to overtake them as soon as I get them home!"

"We're playing _blinded_," said Rosalee.

"We've been to see the Blinded Lady!" I explained.

"We're going to get prizes," said Rosalee. "Real prizes! A Peac.o.c.k Feather Fan!"

"And the Choice of Cats!" I explained.

"For telling the Blinded Lady next Sat.u.r.day," cried Rosalee, "the prettiest thing that we've ever seen!"

"Not just the prettiest!" I explained. "But the most preciousest!"

"So we thought we'd shut our eyes!" said Rosalee. "All the way home! And find out what Sight it was that we missed the most!--_Suns.h.i.+ne_ I think it is!" said Rosalee. "_Suns.h.i.+ne_ and all the pretty flickering little shadows! And the way the slender white church spire flares through the Poplar Trees! Oh I shall make up a picture about _suns.h.i.+ne_!" said Rosalee.

"Oh, Sh--h!" said my Mother. "You mustn't tell each other what you decide. That would take half the fun and the surprise out of the compet.i.tion!"

"Would--it?" said Rosalee. "Would it?" She turned to the Old Doctor. She slipped into the curve of his arm. The curve of his arm seemed to be all ready for her. She reached up and patted his face. "You Old Darling,"

she said. "In all the world what is the most beautiful--est sight that _you_ have ever seen?"

The Old Doctor gave an awful swallow.

"_Youth!_" he said.

"Oh, youth Fiddle-sticks!" said my Father. "How ever would one make a picture of _that_? All arms and legs! And wild ideas! Believe me that if I ever once get _these_ wild ideas and legs and arms home to-day there will be----"

We never heard what there would be! 'Cause we b.u.mped into the Store-Keeping Man instead! And had to tell _him_ all about it!

n.o.body kissed the Store-Keeping Man. He smelt of mice and crackers. We talked to him just as we would have talked to Sugar or Potatoes.

"Mr. Store-Keeping Man," we said. "You are very wise! You have a store!