The Zankiwank and The Bletherwitch Part 7

Now once they gave a party, and sweet Cinderella came With Blue Beard and Red Riding Hood and little What's-His-Name; And Nelly Bly who winked her eye and Greedy Tommy Stout, Bo-Peep and Tam O'Shanter, and likewise Colin Clout.

O my! it was a jolly spree!

Ev'ry one from Fairy Land and Fiddle Faddle Fee, And Mary brought her Little Lamb, from which they all had chops, While Puck and Cupid served them with some hot boiled acid drops.

O my! it was a happy spread, They all sat down on toadstools and in mushrooms went to bed.

As time went on, and he grew grey, he took to flying kites, And then he took to staying out so very late o' nights!

One day he thought he was a bird and flew up in the air, And if you listen you will hear singing now up there:--

O my! I'm such a funny c.o.o.n, I'm going to get some green cheese away up in the Moon; I'm going to see the Evening Star, to ask him why he blinks, Also the Sun to ascertain about the things she thinks.

O my! I feel so gay and free, I'm going to call on Father Time and then return to tea.

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The two children were so absorbed in listening to this rhyming rigmarole that they did not observe the Winny Weg depart, though, when they came to think of it, the last verse was sung in the clouds, and presumably by the Funny Little Man himself, and they quite longed for him to pay them a call. But he didn't, so the goblins started off once more on their wild career, this time on horseback, making such a hammering and a clattering as almost to deafen them.

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Quickly in the rear of the white horses and the spirits, who all wore little round caps with ta.s.sels at the top, came a procession of dolls--wax dolls, wooden dolls, and saw-dust dolls, very finely dressed, with here and there a doll who had lost a leg, or an arm, or a head, while some were quite cripples, and had to be carried by a train of tiny girls in very short frocks and very long sashes. At the head of these appeared the Winny Weg again, and just as they were vanis.h.i.+ng in the shadows, a regular shower of broken dolls came down in dreadful disorder, causing the children to break from their ranks to gather up their property, as the dolls, it was evident, were their own old companions which they had discarded when new ones were given to them.

One particularly disreputable doll, with a broken nose and a very battered body, was claimed by the prettiest child of all, and as she picked it up, she stepped into the centre of a ring formed by her school-fellows, and recited to them this pathetic poem:--

THE UNFORTUNATE DOLL.

O poor Dolly! O pitty sing!

An' did um have a fall?

Some more tourt plaster I must bling Or else oo'll squeam and squall!

I never knew a doll like oo-- Oo must have been made yong; I don't fink oo were born twite new-- Oo never have been stwong!

I held oo to the fire one day To make oose body warm; And melted oose poor nose away-- And then oo lost oose form.

Yen some yude boy, to my surplise, Said oo had dot a stwint; And yen he painted both oose eyes And wapped oo up in lint.

Your yosey cheeks were nets to fade, Oose blush bedan to do; And now I'm welly much aflaid Oose lost oose big yight toe.

Oose left leg is no longer left, Oose yight arm's left oo too; And of your charm oo is beyeft, And no doll tums to woo!

And oose a hollow little fing, Oose saw-dust has yun out; Your stweak is gone, oo cannot sing, Oose lips tan't form a pout.

Oose hair is dyed, an' all is done, Oose ears are in oose neck; An' so my Dolly, darling one, Oo _is_ a fearful weck.

It is too bad--I loved oo so-- That oo should die so soon, An' to the told, told drave must do This velly afternoon!

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After this affecting recital they all took out their "hankelwiches," as the owner of the Unfortunate Doll said, and placing themselves in line, they followed, as mourners, the remains of the deceased doll to the end of a back garden, which some of the goblins had brought in with them.

Then everything faded away again, and more shadows danced on the land and the sea, until nothing was to be seen but the galloping sprites and the Winny Weg, who was dancing in a corner all by herself.

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A pink light now burst through the haze, the goblins rode off, and a perfect fairy-land nursery was unfolded before Maude and Willie, who were reclining peacefully on a golden couch with silver cus.h.i.+ons. They had no desire to talk, but were content to drink in all that they saw rapturously and silently. The nursery was crowded, wee baby-kins were crawling about everywhere, with a dozen coy cupid-like dots with bows and arrows. And right away at the back a beautiful garden was disclosed, in which happy young couples were seen perambulating arm-in-arm, talking soft nothings to each other. Meanwhile the crawling babies in the Universal Nursery began to stand up; and then commenced such a game of leap-frog by these tiny mites, that made even the Ches.h.i.+re Cat smile. It was so funny to hear these dots call out to each other to tuck in their "tuppennies," and to see them flying, without stopping to take breath, over each other's backs. Even the little pink and blue cupids laughed until the babies crept back to their cribs once more, and were rocked off to sleep as the Winny Weg waved her wand, and an unseen choir of little girls and boys was heard singing this Lullaby:--

O WE ARE SO SLEEPY!

O we are so sleepy!

Blinky, winky eyes: Why are you so peepy Ere the twilight dies?

See! the dustman calleth As the shadows creep; Eve's dark mantle falleth, And we long to sleep.

To sleep! To sleep!

O we are so sleepy!

Blinky, winky eyes: Why are you so peepy Ere the twilight dies?

O we are so sleepy: Nodding is each head, Playing at bo-peepy, Now the day is sped.

Birdies in their nesties Rest in slumber deep; Nodland's full of guesties When we go to sleep.

To sleep! To sleep!

O we are so sleepy!

Blinky, winky eyes: Why are you so peepy When the twilight dies?

The slight mist that had descended went up just like a gauze curtain, bringing into view again the lovely garden reposing in the rear in a beautiful green bath of light.

Then the merry Winny Weg caught hold of the cupids and incited them to dance a slow gavotte, and as they danced they warbled lusciously:--

CUPID'S GARDEN.

O chaste and sweet are the flowers that blow In Cupid's Garden fair; Shy Pansies for thoughts in cl.u.s.ters grow, And Lilies pure and rare.

Violets white, and Violets blue, And budding Roses red, With Orange-bloom of tend'rest hue Their fragrance gently spread.

Other voices, which seemed to belong to the lads and la.s.ses in the garden, joined in the chorus:--

Love is born of the Lily and Rose, Love in a garden springs; With maidens pure and bright it grows, And in all hearts it sings.

Love lies Bleeding with Maiden's Blush, Sighing Forget-me-not; While the Gentle Heart with crimson flush Peeps from its cooling grot.

And Love lies dreaming in idleness To gain its own Heart's-Ease; The Zephyrs breathe with shy caress, Each youthful breast to please.

Love is born of the Lily and Rose, Love in a garden springs; With maidens pure and bright it grows, And for all hearts it sings.

How delicious and soothing Shadow Land was! Shadow Land! The Land of Yesterday, To-Day and To-morrow. The Land of Hope, and Joy and Peace.

The two children wandered off, as it were, into a dream for a time, and when they gazed again, the garden was more delightful than ever--a joyous blend of Spring and Summer seemed to invade the grounds, while many of the flowers and trees showed slight signs of Autumn tinting. In one corner of the garden a magnificent marble and bronze fountain unexpectedly sprang up through the ground and played unceasingly to the ethereal skies. Merry children danced and played around its base, and lovers young and old promenaded affectionately up and down the innumerable groves, stopping now and then to offer each other a draught of the sparkling water that fell so deliciously into the amber cups.

There were no shadows now. All was bright and glorious; sunlight and pleasure reigned supreme. From the clouds unseen singers sang softly to the people as they pa.s.sed and repa.s.sed, and this was the story of their song:--

In a garden stood a fountain, Sparkling in the noon-day sun, Rising like a crystal mountain-- Never ceasing--never done!

Happy children came there playing, Laughing in their frolic glee; 'Mong the flow'rs and brambles straying, Tasting life's sweet ecstasy.

O fountain pure and bright, Dance in the joyous sun; And sparkle in your might, Until all life is done.

In the summer came the lovers, Plighting troth beneath its shade; Warm heart's secret each discovers-- Happy youth and happy maid!

Plays the fount so soft and featly In the breeze of waning day, As the lovers whisper sweetly, "I will love you, love alway."