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' I; ‘ . “Hel;), help .’ The Polar Bears are left Upon file Icwbe7'_9‘ chill. T urn. back the .Jr/c; we cazmot leave T/Lem on that icy /u’/l/"’ 6‘ Your I-Iighness,” cried the Polarflearg “ The fast Iceberg Express l Has ‘broken into smithereens; Too bad, I mast confess.” . ‘_~ . /l ' "' "\. _ Kg (04 '. 1 . - . When Little Hero met the Goose He asked her what to do. So, children, read the Wind Wageii flnd learn how it came true. ' ‘ e]V1IGIC_ V g gmzsnzzzzz c. It . J H...,__ 4 .s%.v \ My 4% c8~ss..s{.¢#/'l. ‘|’|So“'o 0 ||I.I...a(..’ @~.:.2&..2..u . 14 w. gt \\:\\ ~ 3' so . .. 4 “DO YOU LIKE MY MUSIC!" ASKED THE SLEEP MAN. The Alan: Umlzrrlla. F ran lz'spz'ccc— (Page 82) LITTLE JOLIRNEYS TO HAPPYLAND THE AGIC UMD ELLA 1:2» DAVID CORY AUTHOR OF The Little Jack Rabbit Books “ml I‘ _. ; I ,., L‘ 7 "M ’\\j - % an .m was ;« . _ I‘ ‘ M I ll Profusgly Illustrated 9’ P. H .WE BB GROSSET & DUNLAP 1;nL1snms NEw_ YORK NhdeintheUnih:dSh.DacfAmcncI. COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP CONTENTS MR. FOUR FEATHEBS ‘A LONG JOURNEY . THE RAVEN JOLLY TOM . . SNOW STRAWBERRIES . GIANT MERRY LAUGH THE WIND MAN THE LITTLE MAN OF THE W000 . BLUE EYES . . . . THE MAGIC BLADE OF GRASS . THE OLD WITCH . THE SWAN PRINCE C) C”: C.-’( C3,‘- ("’> -54» PAGE 21 33 45 55 65 77 89 101 113 127 139 MR. FOUR FEATHERS The Little Old Man offered Jimmy the Magic Umbrella. MR.. FOUR FEATHERS JIMMY had a little garden. He liked to Watch things grow, all but the Weeds, which came up in abundance. Mother had explained to him that unless they were taken out the things he had planted would not grow strong and sturdy. It had been very hot and J immy had been Working hard. N ow and then the sun slipped behind a cloud and although it was a relief to escape from its hot rays ——even for a few moments, J immy felt the 9 10 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA gathering clouds meant rain and he Wanted to finish Weeding his garden be- fore the storm. Here and there a butterfly lit on a flower or a bee buzzed droWsily_as it flitted by the honeysuckle. How sleepy Jimmy be- gan to feel but he kept on diligently until his quiet reverie Was disturbed by the Voice of his mother calling, “Jimmy! J immy!’~’« “Yes, Mother, I’m coming." Quickly throwing down his little hoe he ran up to the house. “Jimmy, I must have some eggs to finish the baking. Don’t delay because before long We’re sure to have rain. ’-’- Now no one can be expected to enjoy go- ing to the store, especially if it upsets one ’s plans and the Way to the store leads along a dusty road and one must hurry and not follow a little chipmunk to find out in What spot it makes its nest, nor take MR. FOUR FEATHERS 11 the time to catch frogs and lizards to carry home to stock a pond in the meadow like the one in which J immy already had a fine collection. But J immy was a good boy and liked to please his mother. With a cheerful “I’ll hurry all I can, Mother,”- he ran down the path and out to the road-. He had covered half the distance when suddenly . a little rabbit darted across his path. Per- haps, if Jimmy hadn’t been so tired from weeding his garden, he would not have said just what he did, but suddenly he ex- claimed, “I wish that I was far, far away from here. ” The little rabbit stopped suddenly on the other side of the road and looked at him, and what do you think Jimmy plainly saw? The rabbit wink at him! It was’ growing dark, although Jimmy knew that it was still early in the after- noon. Looking up into the sky he noticed 12 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA the fast lowering clouds and a big drop of rain fell upon his upturned face. He looked down to where the little rabbit had been and on the very spot where he had seen it when it winked at him stood a little old man. He had a long white beard and such merry eyes. In his hand he held a black umbrella with a crooked handle- just like one J immy’s father had, only the handle looked bigger and stronger. “You ’d better take this umbrella, Jimmy, else you ’ll get very wet,” and with these words the little old man pushed the umbrella into J immy’s hand. J immy wanted to thank him and ask who he was because Mother would wish to return it, but he was nowhere about. All Jimmy could see was the little White tail of a brown rabbit scurrying away through the underbrush. What a fine, strong umbrella it was. The large drops of rain came faster and MR. FOUR FEATHERS 13 faster as J immy opened it. There on the handle, what did those letters spell? “M-a-g-i-c U-m-b-r-e-l-l-a.”- J immy’s eyes grew wide with wonder as he read the two words. Down came the rain in torrents and with it, whew! how the wind blew! Could he hold on ‘.3 Or in one of those wild gusts would he lose his Magic Umbrella‘? Finally, he decided he had better stop and wait for the shower to blow over. As he pulled the umbrella well down over his head, J immy thought how like a seat the large handle looked. Why not sit down in it till the rain stopped? No sooner thought than done. How comfortable it felt. “And now let it blow,” laughed J immy. No sooner had he spoken than a great gust of wind caught the umbrella in the very center. J immy tried to slip off, but the ground was spinning before his eyes 14 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA and he clutched at the handle. The next instant he realized that the Magic Um- brella was carrying him away. Where would it take him? Now he was far above the road. How pretty it looked with its green banks and hedges all fresh and drip- ping and shiny from the shower. The birds began to chirp. A flock of black- birds circled around J immy under his Magic Umbrella and then flew off in the opposite direction. In the soft gentle breezes J immy sailed silently on, above the big meadow with the pond and the gay wild flowers nodding in the sun- light! Now passing over chimneys and steeples—no doubt the town J immy had heard his father tell about. The build- ings were tall and there were a great many. “You wish to take me further yet, my Magic Umbrella,” said J immy. “You seem to know just where you are going. MR. FOUR FEATHERS 15 At least I hope you know. But no matter, lead me Wherever you Will.” On and on they traveled together, Jim- my holding firmly to the handle until they reached a beautiful garden in the center of Which stood a magnificent castle. Jimmy felt the umbrella descending. Nearer and nearer it came to the ground until Jimmy felt his feet touch the soft green grass. Slipping off the handle, he closed the umbrella and then stretching his arms into the air, looked up at the height from which he had just come. What should he do now‘? He stooped to pick up the umbrella Which had fallen on the grass. It Was gone, but his eye caught sight of a little white tail belong- ing to a little brown rabbit scurrying off into a clump of bushes. As Jimmy stood in the beautiful garden, uncertain What next to do, he heard the song of a bird, sweet and clear: 16 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA “The King of the palace is looking, they say, For a little throne boy who is happy and gay; So, Why don’t you try, my little Sir Man, To Wait on the Throne the best that you can. ’3 “I think I’d like that,” thought Jimmy and he ran around to the rear of the castle to peep into the kitchen door. But the cooks were far too busy to notice him, for it was a feast day and there were over forty lambs to be roasted, so he entered a side door, passing from room to room, until, all of a sudden, he stubbed his toe on a gold nail in the floor, When out jumped a man froml behind a velvet cur- tain twenty feet long. He had three feathers in his cap, and as Jimmy didn’t know his real name, he called him “Mr. Three Feathers.” MR. FOUR FEATHERS 17 “They tell me the King is looking for a throne boy, Mr. Three Feathers,” said Jimmy, politely. An angry flush overspread the man’s face. “Is the King looking fora throne boy, Mr. Three Feathers‘? I would like to be a. throne boy.” Now the man Was so angry at being called “Mr. Three Feathers,” that he took little J immy by the collar and began run- ning him out of the castle. But just then a man with four feathers called out, “What are you doing with the boy‘? What does he want?”- “He Wishes to be a throne boy,” an- Swered Mr. Three Feathers. “VVe1l,” said Mr. Four Feathers, “Why turn him away‘? Don’t you know that We need a throne boy? He might just tickle the fancy of the King.” He then led J immy to the King, 18 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA Who was seated on his beautiful crimson throne. N o sooner did his Royal High- ness see Jimmy than he began to smile. “Have you brought me a throne boy?” he asked Mr. Four Feathers, for the King Was a Very bright man and could read peo- ple’s thoughts before they could speak them. “Yes, Your Highness, ’—" answered Mr. Four Feathers. So Jimmy was hired to be the throne boy and Was given a beautiful court dress with little gold slippers. A LONG JOURNEY Every week the King gave Jimmy a Gold Piece. A LONG JOURNEY IT was J immy’s duty to take care of the ornaments which adorned the throne. He rubbed the golden candlesticks and dusted the ivory steps and beat the purple cush- ions but every morning before he did all these things he had to dip his hands in perfumed Water. The King Was so pleased with the Way he did his Work that every Week he gave him a gold piece. And after a While Jimmy had so many gold pieces that he 21 22 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA said to the King one day, “Where shall I put my gold pieces?” Whereupon the King gave him an ivory spade and an apple tree in his own pri- vate garden, under which he might dig a hole for his gold pieces. When evening came and his Work was done, Jimmy would sit under the tree and sing to him- self for, of course, he grew very lonely at times. But he said to himself that some day he would take all his money and go back to his dear mother and buy a pretty little house in Which he and she would live for the rest of their lives. One day, after Jimmy had lived for several years in the palace, the King said: “As I find that you are one to be trusted, I shall employ you to go on a long jour- ney.” As soon as Jimmy was ready to take the long journey the King summoned him to the throne and said: A LONG JOURNEY 23 “You see this letter. It must be taken to the Great Governor J oriando. Where he lives I do not know. But you must find that out for yourself. ’’ The letter was very square and large and sealed with a great deal of red sealing wax. “Put this letter inside your inner vest and button it tight, ’ ’ said the King. ‘ ‘ You see, it is marked ‘Private.’ ” And then wishing Jimmy good luck, he waved him away with his royal right hand on which he had twelve rings, three on each finger. After traveling a long way, Jimmy came to a sandy desert across which were no paths and no one to point out the road. And it happened that he came out on the wrong side of the desert, where he met a soldier clad in armor, with tall, waving plumes. “Can you tell me where the Great Governor J oriando lives?” asked Jimmy. 24 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA “N o, I can’t tell you,” answered the soldier, “but I have hea.rd of him.” Just then a trumpet sounded and the soldier hurried away. Well, after that, Jimmy Walked the country up and down, asking all the peo- ple: “Can you tell me where the Great Governor J oriando lives?” And some turned away and some just stroked their faces and smiled. At last, Jimmy grew weary of wander- ing about and one day, as he was passing through a field, he threw himself down to rest against a haycock, when, all of a sud- den, up jumped a pale-looking man. On one arm he carried a basket with the cover tied down. “Are you very tired?” he asked. “Yes, very,” answered Jimmy. “Can you tell me where the Great Governor J oriando lives?”- The traveler shook his head and, sit- A LONG JOURNEY 25 ting down, began to talk in a friendly way. He was a sad man, with a low and sorrow- ful voice. Even when Jimmy whistled a merry air, the stranger remained sad. After a time, he said, “What do you say, little man? Since you do not know where to go, will you go with me ‘Z ” “With all my heart, ” answered Jimmy. So ofi they started, J immy to deliver the letter from the King to the Great Grov- ernor J oriando, and the stranger—-well, I can’t tell you yet what he was going to do, but you will soon find out. After traveling together for many days along highways and byways, by banks of little brooks, and through pleasant woods, where birds sang and the leaves rustled in the breeze, meeting no one-—not even a little fairy nor a dwarf. At last one evening, just as the moon was rising, they came to a steep hill, on the top of which stood a great white rock. It was very 26 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA large and high and smooth, and on one part Was carved in big letters, “White Horse.”- So they stood by this rock and looked down into the valley Where lay a large city, bright and beautiful in the moon- light. On one side were piled up the dark mountains, and on the other side was the Wide sea. The stranger stood very still, with his arms folded, for a long time. At last, turning to little J immy, he said, “What do you think‘? I have something to tell. Will you listen?” “Gladly,” answered J immy, for he felt sorry for the strange, sad man. Then the stranger, pointing to a spot just outside the city, asked, “Do you see those turrets Which point up so high among the green trees?” “Yes,” answered Jimmy, “I see the turrets.” “They belong to a grand old castle,” A LONG JOURNEY 27 Went on the man. “And in that castle dwell a noble old couple who have lived their lives there very happily for more than fifty years. “When the fiftieth year came around, they said: ‘Let us celebrate our Golden Wedding. And, since it falls on Christ- mas, We Will have for our grandchildren a Golden Christmas Tree, and all the presents shall be of pure gold.’ “So they bought of a countryman a fine green fir-tree, quite tall, because the Walls were so high. “Very soon came the joyful Christmas Eve, and not an old couple in the King- dom Were so happy as they. Not one little grandchild Was missing at their Golden Wedding. It Was a happy sight. The grandmother Was dressed in a velvet gown and a feather in her turban, and her face was smiling all over. The grandfather had his arms full of little children, and 28 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA sang and laughed, and wiped the happy tears from his eyes. “Are you listening, little man?” asked the traveler, brushing away a tear. “Yes,” answered Jimmy, “I am listen- ing. Please tell the rest.” “I Will,” said the traveler. “I have made up my mind to tell the rest, and I shall tell it.” Just then Jimmy thought that he felt the great white stone move ever so little. After a pause, the strange, sad man said: “Let me think. Where did I leave ofi‘? Oh, yes, it Was Christmas Eve, and two of the mothers Went up in the room in which the tree had been placed to hang upon it the presents and to light the can- dles. And, Oh! soon it Was a dazzling sight to behold! There were bracelets, coronets, charms, Watches, Iockets, clasps, rings, vases, buckles, all made of gold, and long golden chains! And the light from A. LONG JOURNEY 29 the candles sparkled on them, and the great room of the stately old castle was as bright, and even brighter, than day. “And after that was finished, the two mothers went up to the Grand Banquet Hall to see that nothing was lacking for the Golden Wedding Feast, leaving the tree, with all its golden presents, in the care of a servant whom they fully trusted. For he had been their servant a long time, and they had been very kind to him.” Again, the strange, sad man paused in his story and, bowing his head, remained silent for some time. When he spoke again, J immy thought that his voice was lower and sadder than before. “And that servant,” went on the strange, sad man, “that servant whom they trusted, when he was left alone there, thought to himself, ‘HOW many fine clothes all these would buy! How many good things to eat, and a coach and horses 30 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA besides! If I only had them for my own and Was far away from here, then I should be happy!’ “And now, what do you think? He took all those golden things! And when the doors Were thrown open and the peo- ple came in haste to see the Golden Christ- mas Tree in all its glory, Why, those pres- ents Were miles away, among yonder mountains, and the wicked robber Was looking for a place to bury them in.”« THE RAVEN Jimmy started back and held on to his Gold Pieces. : Wflfl THE RAVEN As the strange, sad man came to this part of his story, he began Walking backwards and forwards, and at every turn he came a little nearer J immy. lAt last, he came close up and, stooping over, Whispered: “I myself am that Wicked robber!” When J immy heard that, he started back, thinking about the gold pieces in the leather bag which hung about his neck, and he put his hand up to Where they hung. And this made the sad-eyed man 33 34 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA smile, although it was only a little ghost of a smile. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “I know you have something of value there, be- cause you raise your hand to it so often. Don’t you know that is the very way to let your secret be known? But I don’t want your gold. I’m sick of gold. I want you to hear the rest of my story.” And he went on to tell how he had bur- ied them in a low secret valley and then, wandering about among the mountains, had never again dared to show his face. “But one day,” said the strange, sad man, looking at Jimmy very sorrowfully, “I sat down beside a little Fir Tree. And maybe I fell asleep, for I was very tired. But, anyway, I heard the little Fir Tree singing these words: “Here on God’s mountain, close un- der the stars, I’m striving to grow big and tall, THE RAVEN 35 I mind not the heat of the fierce sum- mer sun, Nor the snow and the wild wintry squall. For I’ve just one plan and that is to be A beautiful, wonderful Christmas Tree.”— “And now what do you think‘? Shall I tell you what is in this basket? All those golden things are here. For as soon as that little Fir Tree ended its song, I went to that low secret valley and dug up those golden presents, and I said to myself, ‘I will return them to their owner.’ “And now the castle stands before me. But I cannot meet those old people who were so good to me. Do you know why I asked you to travel with me? To bring you here so that I might show you the castle and to beg you to give these golden presents into the Baron’s own hands and to tell him all that I have told to you.” 36 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA And as the strange, sad man finished speaking, he handed the basket to J immy and pointed to a tall Fir Tree that grew near by. “There stands the Fir Tree. It is now grown and will make a beautiful Christ- mas tree. Tell the Baron how it wishes to be a Christmas tree.” Suddenly, as the strange, sad man leaned on the great white rock, it changed into a white horse, with wonderful wings, which slowly bore it upward, carrying away the strange, sad man until they were both lost to sight amid the clouds. In wonder and amazement, little J immy gazed into the sky. Then, being very tired, he lay down in a sheltered spot and slept till morning, when he set out for the castle. On reaching the garden in which stood the beautiful building, he set his basket down by a little fountain. As he bent over to drink of the clear, THE WHITE HORSE ARRIED THE STRANGE. SAD MAN A'WAY. THE RAVEN 39 sparkling water, along came the high-and- mighty steward of the castle, all dressed out in gold lace and ruffles. On seeing the basket, he lifted the cover with his silver pointed cane. “Don’t meddle with that, Sir!” cried Jimmy. “Indeed, I will meddle with it,” an- swered the gold-laced steward, seeing that all of these golden things were marked with the crest of the family. Although J immy began to tell where he had gotten them and what he was going to do with them, the steward only laughed and said: “Hush your silly tale. Do you think anybody will believe that?” Then, after searching Jimmy, he took away his bag of gold pieces and the letter marked “Private” and shut him up in a cell. But when the Baron returned, he said 40 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA to his steward, “Let me see this boy.”- After listening to J immy ’s story, the old Baron was very happy to know that the strange, sad man had repented of his bad deed, and he promised Jimmy that when Christmas came he would have the Fir Tree brought in and decked With candles and presents. Suddenly, Jimmy remembered the let- ter marked ‘ ‘Private ” which the King had given him. Turning to the Baron, he asked: “Can you tell me where the Great Governor J oriando lives? I have a letter for him.” 1 “Of course I can,” replied the Baron; “he is my son,” and at once he gave orders that a messenger be sent with the letter to the Great Governor. Then returning the bag of gold to Jimmy, he kindly invited him to remain over night at the castle. 'About midnight, as J immy lay asleep, THE RAVEN 4], he was awakened by a gentle tapping on the window. N o sooner had he opened it than in fluttered a raven. “I have brought you a cone from the fir tree on the mountain side,” said the bird in a hoarse whisper. J immy noticed that it was fitted with a little cover, be- neath which lay a gold ring wrapped in a piece of paper on which was written: “Wear this ring. ”Twill keep away evil. And when Christmas comes, remem- ber the little Fir Tree who longed to be- come a beautiful Christmas Tree.”- “Ah, this is a happy ending to my jour- ney for the King,” thought little Jimmy. “The Baron and his wife Will have their Christmas Tree with all the golden pres- ents, the Fir Tree will have its wish and the strange, sad man will be sorrow- ful no longer. ” Then, with a happy smile, little Jimmy went to sleep. JOLLY TOM Jimmy amused Mrs. Jolly Tom by turning somersaults. JOLLY TOM EARLY next morning, J immy set out once more in search of new adventure, and by and by he came to a village Where lived a man and Wife who had a very beautiful daughter. But, Oh, dear me! She was so vain and proud of her good looks that she never Would help her parents, but sat all day long by the Window waiting for a prince to come by and ask her to marry him. It seemed strange to little Jimmy that one With so lovely a face should not be 45 46 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA sweet-tempered, but think only of her looks, leaving her old parents to do all the work whfle she sat idle, looking at her face in the mirror. Well, one day a prince came along and saw this pretty girl sitting upon a green bank twining a wreath of flowers. And he said, “What a beautiful maiden! I will make her my princess.” But first he asked the neighbors, “Is she wise? Is she sweet tempered?” “Oh, no, not at all,” they answered. “Then she’l1 not do for me,” said the Prince. “For if she cannot govern her temper she cannot govern people; and to set a dunce upon the throne would be folly. I’ll pass on.” The next day a great lord passed by, and saw this pretty girl dressed in her finery, all ready for the Ball. And he said: “What a beautiful maiden! I will make her my Lady.” JOLLY TOM 47 But first he asked of all the neighbors, “Is she good to her mother?” “Oh, not at all,” the neighbors an- swered. “Then she will not do for me,” said the Lord. “A girl who is not good to her mother Will be good to nobody. I’ll pass on.”- The next day there came a Baron riding by, and he saw this pretty girl sitting under a tree, stringing beads for a neck- lace. And he said, “Oh, What a beautiful maiden! I will make her my Baroness.” But first of all he asked the neighbors, “Is she kind to the poor‘’.?” “Oh, not at all,” the neighbors said. “Then she will not do for me,” said the Baron. “On my estates are many poor. I’ll pass on.” And the next day there came along a merry young farmer with a round, rosy face and wavy locks. And he saw this 48 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA pretty maiden looking at herself in her mirror and braiding her golden locks. .. Then he watched her through the branches of a tree, and he said, “Oh, what a beau- tiful maid! I will make her my wife.” But first of all he asked the neighbors, “Is she industrious?” “N 0, not at all,” they answered. “Then she’ll never do for a farmer’s wife,” he said, and he laughed his merry laugh and shook his wavy locks, and passed on. Swiftly the days slipped away and the beautiful girl was left to twine her flow- ers and string her beads and braid her golden hair by herself, for you see no one cared to marry her. And now I’m com- ing to the part in my story where little Jimmy helps the old parents to get a good husband for their wilful daughter. As I have just said, Jimmy felt very sorry for the two old parents of this beau- JOLLY TOM 49 tiful girl who cared for nothing in the Whole World but to deck herself out in fine clothes. So he said to himself, “I’ll have a talk with her parents, and maybe I can show them a way to cure her of her fool- ishness,” and knocking on the door of the little cottage, he found the two old folks sitting in the dim twilight, Weeping. “What is the matter?” asked J immy, although of course he knew it Was their daughter’s selfishness that made them so unhappy. At length they told him that it was the behavior of their daughter that made them so miserable. “Cheer up,” said little J immy. “I Will find a Way to help you,” and running from the house, climbed up a hill and knocked on the door of a little house where lived a fine young fellow named Jolly Tom. After J immy had explained all about the pretty girl and the trouble she caused her two kind parents, he said: 50 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA “Jolly Tom, if you will marry the girl, I will show you how to make a good wife “out of her. ’ ’ “Very well,” answered Jolly Tom, “I need a wife, and as you seem to be a very wise little boy, I Will marry her and trust to luck.” “Come with me, then,” said Jimmy. So he and Jolly Tom started off down the hill to see the old parents. “What, marry our daughter!” they cried, when Jolly Tom asked for her hand in marriage. “She is vain and idle and bad-tempered. ’ ’ “Oh, we ’ll manage all that,” said little J immy, winking at Jolly Tom. So the next day Jolly Tom and the pretty girl were married, for she was very anxious to be the mistress of her own home, and they took Jimmy along with them to the little house on the hill. And whenever Mrs. Jolly Tom got JOLLY TOM 51 angry or cross, J immy would double him- self up and turn somersaults on the floor until she was obliged to laugh. And if Mrs. Jolly Tom sat idle, with folded hands, when there was plenty to do, Jimmy would say: “Oh, what a fine wax figure! Please cover it from the dust!” And then Jolly Tom would throw a shawl over her or dust her with a feather duster, and would laugh his jolly, happy laugh until she was glad to go to work. And every time Mrs. Jolly Tom dressed herself up in all her finery and stood be- fore the looking glass, Jimmy went out and bought a peacock, so that in a short time the yard and the barns were so filled with them that one could scarcely stir for peacocks. But every day that she behaved Well, he gave away a peacock and by and by she grew so good that very few were left and when only two remained, Jimmy said good-by. But before he went upon 52 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA his Way Mrs. Jolly Tom gave him a big hug and promised to make Jolly Tom happy for the rest of his life. And I guess she did, for by and by a little Jolly Tom arrived to fill the days with music. And Mrs. Jolly Tom forgot all about her looking glass, for in the eyes of her baby she saw reflected the happy face of a mother. SNOW STRAWBERRIES The Little Girl sewed the button on the Little Man ’s Coat very neatly. SNOW STRAWBERRIES THE next day as little Jimmy traveled along, the Weather became cold and the ground soon Was covered with snow. After a time he turned into the Woods Where the snow was not so deep. As he tramped along he met a little girl With a basket on her arm. She was crying bit- terly because her cruel stepmother had sent her out to gather strawberries in the Woods, and who can gather strawberries in the Winter time, I should like to know. “Come with me,” said Jimmy, kindly, 55 56 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA taking off his coat and, wrapping it around her shoulders, they both set off at a" run. By and by they came to a tiny house made of logs. At the window they could see a little man ’s face peering through the glass. When Jimmy knocked on the door a voice answered: “Who stands outside my door, I pray, If he’s no friend, then go away, But if he be a friend in need Then to his pleading I’ll give heed.” So J immy replied: “This little maid is sore dismayed And of an anxious mind, Because no Wild strawberries grow Beneath the winter wind.” At once the little man opened the door. SNOW STRAWBERRIES 57 In the room were two other little men, one busy, baking bread, and the other, sewing a button on his coat. But the bread wouldn’t bake, and the little button fell to the floor and rolled into a crack, and the little man couldn’t find it, al- though he lighted a candle and got down on his hands and knees. “I’ll bake your bread and sew the but- ton on your coat,” said the little girl, and she did it all so neatly that the two little men smiled. “You are a good girl,” they said. “Take this broom and sweep away the snow.” And what do you suppose she found? Why, a patch of wild straw- berries, ripe and red. So she ran into the house and told the little men what she had found. “Take your basket and fill it with the berries,” they answered, and when it was full, they told her to take it home. But little Jimmy whispered to 58 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA her: “If your step-mother is so cruel, would it not be better for you to come with me?" n The little girl put her hand in J immy ’s and together they set out. Pretty soon along came a handsome prince, riding a great white horse, and when he saw Jimmy and the little girl, he smiled and said: “Come with me to my castle,” and taking them both up behind him, he set off again on his great horse. Now as Jimmy and the little girl, with her basket of strawberries, rode behind the handsome prince on his great white horse, a little yellow bird called Bright Wings, began to sing from a tree-top: “The prince on his charger, white as pearl, Is carrying home a dear little girl, Who knows how to bake and knows how to sew, SNOW STRAWBERRIES 59 And sweep away with her broom, the snow. And little boy Jimmy, too, he takes, Back to his castle among the brakes; Jimmy, who ’s traveled ever so far To see the land where the fairies are.” Then away flew the bird and the little girl laughed and, opening her basket, gave a strawberry to the prince and one to Jimmy. But the strawberries weren’t nearly as red as her lips, which smiled and laughed, for she was so happy to think that she was going to the castle and not back to her cruel step-mother. Well, by and by, they came to the castle and the kind, handsome prince lifted her ofi his horse, but he didn’t have to lift Jimmy down. Oh, my, no! Jimmy jumped ofi as nimbly as you please. Then they all went into the beautiful castle, and 60 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA the housekeeper took the little girl up to a lovely room and dressed her in a beauti- ful blue gown and gold slippers. A tall, handsome footman in livery showed Jimmy to his room, where a splen- did suit of velvet lay upon a chair, and a new pair of boots stood on the floor. “These are for you," said the footman. It didn’t take J immy long to put them on, let me tell you. He was very glad to have them, for his own clothes were worn and soiled and his boots were full of holes, so that every time he took a step his big toe stuck out and sometimes his little one. The next day, J immy said he must be gs ing, but the little girl stayed with the handsome prince, forhe was very lonely, having no little girls of his own. And when she grew up to be a lovely princess, the prince married her, and she always had a strawberry patch in the garden to remember how she first met him. And SNOW STRAWBERRIES 61 the reason I know all this is because that little yellow bird told me so. Soon, Jimmy Was far away for he Was a good Walker, anxious to meet With a new adventure. By and by, as he neared a little village, he met a big goose, who flapped her Wings and said: “This is Grooseville. No one is allowed to come here.” “Oh, dear me!” said Jimmy, “Won’t you just let me peek over the fence ‘P’ for the town was shut in all around by a high board fence. “No, indeed,” replied the goose, “if I let you in, then I’ll have to let everybody in, and that will never do.” Just then a big fox jumped from behind a tree and caught the poor goose. So Jimmy kept on his Way in search of adventure. GIANT MERRY LAUGH “VVhere do you suppose Jimmy is?” asked Giant Merry Laugh of the Little Yellow Bird. GIANT MERRY LAUGH “FEB, fie, fiddle de dee, I Wonder Where little Jimmy can he?” sang the Giant Merry Laugh, winking at his little yellow bird in her cage. You see, everyone in Strange Land was hoping to see little Jimmy. They didn’t know, like you and me, that he had just left Gooseville. “Where do you suppose J immy is?” again asked Giant Merry Laugh, and he gave a great sigh that made all the crys- 65 66 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA tals on the tall chandelier tinkle the Words: “Where do you suppose little is?” All of a sudden there came a loud knocking at the gate, and the little yellow bird began to sing: “Some one is knocking at the gate, Hurry and don’t let the stranger Wait. I think he is Wearing hob-nailed boots, And carries a silver horn that toots.” Just then there came the music of a horn, sweet and clear. Merry Laugh jumped up from his great chair and opened the door. Would you believe it‘? There stood little Jimmy. “Come in, my friend,” said the Giant, with a smile as big as the sun at noon- time, and, leaning down, he picked up Jimmy and carried him in. Then he GIANT MERRY LAUGH 67 closed the door and began to laugh. And when Mr. Giant Merry Laugh smiled it made the leaves tremble, but when he laughed the apples fell off the trees and the little birds swung up and down on the branches. “We were just talking about you, Jimmy,” he explained. “I thought so,” answered the little boy with a grin, “my left ear was burning; but, J imminy Crickets! I’m tired!” “Have you traveled far?” asked Giant Merry Laugh, going over to the ice-box for a pitcher of milk. Then he filled a bowl with broken bread. Jimmy had a fine feast, and after wiping his mouth with a clean pocket handkerchief, which his dear mother had given him the day he had set out for the grocery store, he an- Swered the Giant ’s question: -“_Yes, see how dusty my boots are.” 68 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA Just then the little yellow bird began ., again to sing: “Jimmy, don’t you remember me, The little bird in the apple tree? I have always been your friend, And will help you on to your journey’s end.” “Will you?” said Jimmy. “I’m so glad to see you, for I remember so many times how you sang to me from the old apple tree, but never could I catch sight of your golden feathers. What is your name?” “Bright Wings,” answered the little yellow bird, as she flew over to sit on the Giant ’s shoulder. “What adventure are you now seek- ing, little boy?” asked the Giant Merry Laugh, stroking the tiny bird’s feathers. “I’m searching for a magic herb to cure. GIANT MERRY LAUGH 69 my father ’s rheumatism,” answered J immy.* ‘ ‘I know Where that magic herb grows,”- exclaimed the Giant. “Bright Wings will lead you to the place.” ‘ ‘ Follow me,’ ’ said the little yellow bird, and away she went with J immy to look for the magic herb. By and by they came to a rocky glen, where she hopped along on the ground looking this way and that way until, at last, she came to a little door in a big tree. Tapping on it three times with her bill, it suddenly opened and a little fairy, dressed in green and gold, stood before them. “What can I do for you, little bird?" she asked. Then glancing at Jimmy she almost closed the door, for I guess she had never seen a little mortal boy before. “My master wishes me to get the Magic Herb for little Jimmy,” answered the 70 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA yellow bird. At this, the little fairy ,laughed, for now she wasn’t afraid of Jimmy. “Come in,” she said, and J immy, fol- lowing the little yellow bird, saw inside the big tree a beautiful house, just like the house you and I live in, only, of course, it was smaller. Oh, my, yes, and then, too, it was all hung with cobweb curtains and carpeted with moss, and the electric lights weren’t electric lights at all; they were little fireflies that gleamed and twin- kled like candles in a looking glass. Pretty soon, the little fairy took out of a cupboard the Magic Herb and handed it to J immy with a song: “Little Herb, do your part, Cure a sad and broken heart; Or a body racked with pain, Till you bring it health again.” GIANT MERRY LAUGH 71 “Thank you, and may I be able some day to repay you,” said J immy, as he and the little yellow bird went away. “I wish I had my Magic Umbrella," he said, presently. “It wouldn’t take me long to fly home.” “I’ll carry the Magic Herb to your father,” answered the little yellow bird, and picking it up in her bill, she flew away. And some day I’ll tell you how Jimmy ’s father was cured of his rheuma- tism, for by that time the Magic Herb will have had time to work its magic healing. “Where now shall I go?” thought Jimmy, for he didn’t want to return to Giant Merry Laugh ’s castle. So, as there was nothing better to do, he kept on walk- ing until by and by he came to a strange land where the brooks ran up hill and the birds flew upside down, and the moon shone in the daytime and the sun at night 72 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA and the little stars stood on the tops of the trees and the poor people all had Lib- erty Bonds and rich men War Savings Stamps. Close at hand Was a great stone carved into a rude kind of chair, and over it was written on a stone slab: ‘ ‘WISHING STONE. ” Jimmy sat down and made a Wish. But I Won’t tell you What it Was, for if you tell a Wish, you know, it never comes true. And While he sat there, a poor old man came by With a rose bush in his hand. “Where are you going?” asked J immy. For a moment the old man made no re- ply, but tears filled his eyes from the pain in his heart because his good Wife had died and lay buried in the churchyard. “I am taking this rose bush to plant by my good woman’s grave,” answered the old man. “May I come with you “.3” asked J immy. GIANT MERRY LAUGH 73 “Come with me, if you like,” answered the old man. So together they Went down the road, and after a while they came to the quiet churchyard Where lay the peo- ple Who had traveled life’s hard road to the journey ’s end. When the old man came to the grave of his good wife, he planted the rose tree, and the tears from his eyes Watered it until it budded and bloomed with beauti- ful roses. “Ah, my Wish has come true. See, the tree has many roses. My good Wife al- ways loved roses,” and the old man dried his eyes with the back of his hand. “And so has mine,” said little Jimmy simply, but the old man hardly noticed What he said, for he didn ’t know that little J immy as he sat on the Wishing Stone had Wished that some poor person should have what he most desired. And I think it a lovely, unselfish Wish-— 7 4 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA so difierent from the usual kind, for most “of us think only of ourselves, but little J immy had made a Wish for someone who needed it. Perhaps that is the reason it came true. Well, after that, Jimmy Went upon his Way and the old man plucked a rose and took it home with him to place in a vase before the little mirror in Which his good wife Was Wont to look when she did up her hair in the morning. And all that night, the Wind sang down the chimney of the little old man’s house: “She sees your roses blooming red Upon her quiet grassy bed.’-" THE WIND MAN The Wind Man had three little Bags just like Toy Balloons. THE VVIND MAN As Jimmy walked down the mountain side, he met a man who had three bags in his hand. They were little bags, each tied with a string, just like a toy balloon. “I am the VVind Man,” he said in an- swer to an inquiring look from J immy. “In these little bags I carry the Winds of the earth.” Presently, he took an empty bag out of his pocket. “Do you feel the gentle Wind blowing on your face?”- he asked. “ ’Tis the 77 78 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA South Wind that blows today and in this empty bag I shall put her When I am ready to send another Wind over the land.” Then he Whistled merrily and a Blue Bird flew out. of the forest and lighting on his shoulder commenced to Sing: “My feathers are blue as the blue, blue Sky And I sing the happiest song, For I am the messenger of Spring When she comes With her flower throng. And the ice-bound brooks will hear me sing, And the deer in the Woods Will leap and spring, And the trees Will put on their leafy gowns And the children will sing in the near- by towns.”- THE WIND MAN 79 And after that she clapped her wings and flew away. “Ter loo, ter loo, Blue, Blue!” she caroled till she was lost to sight. “There she goes!” said the Wind Man. “I wouldn’t put her in a cage. She ’s the sweetest bird of all. Some say she is the bird of happiness, and others that happi- ness is only in the heart. But who knows!” And then he turned away into the woods. Well, after that, Jimmy went on down the mountain side and by and by he came to a little thatched cottage where lived a poor widow woman whose only son had gone to war. When her day’s work was done, she would sit and knit warm socks and mit- tens for her soldier boy, and each time she came to the last stitch, she would say a little prayer, and some of these little prayers went like this: 80 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA “God keep his feet from evil Ways.” And then she would make her needles fly, and when again she came to the last stitch she would say another little prayer, and maybe it Would be this one: “God keep his feet as warm as my love,” and then again her needles would fly back and forth. And Jimmy thought to himself, “Ever since I Went With the old man to the stone cross, I have seen beautiful things.” And that should not seem strange to any little boy and girl who reads this story, for he Who feels pity for another’s sorrow Will see many beautiful things in this World, for goodness in itself is a most beautiful thing. As J immy left the cottage, he heard the Blue Bird sing: “Happiness is in the heart, Lowly though We be, Kings and Queens can have no more Happiness than We.” THE WIND MAN 81 Then, following the path down the mountain side, he came at length to a small village in the valley. As he Walked through the streets he saw many strange things. There was one little house that looked like a big bed, for it stood on four legs With four turrets, one on each corner above the roof. Pres- ently, J immy drew near enough to read the sign over the door, “MR. SLEEP MAN. ”~ No sooner had J immy knocked than it was opened by a young man with a poppy flower in his hand. “VVhat do you Want, little man?” he asked in a soft voice. “I have never seen Mr. Sleep Man,” re- plied Jimmy. “Although I have a cousin named Peter who has met Mr. Hercules, King Neptune and the Dragon who keeps 82 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA watch over the Golden Apple Orchard.* But now I wish to see the man who sends sleep.” “I am he,” replied the young man, Waving the poppy flower in the air. “Come in!” So Jimmy went inside. When the Sleep Man walked, he made no noise at all, for on his feet were the soft- est kind of sandals. Pretty soon, he went over to a cabinet and taking out a silver flute, began to play a drowsy tune. At times it sounded like the hum of bees and then like trickling water, and then again like far-away bells. “Do you like my music?” asked the Sleep Man, waving his poppy flower to and fro, Oh, so slowly. Little Jimmy never answered for he was fast asleep. You see, the Sleep Man had a wonderful charm. The next morning when Jimmy awoke, ’ Peter’: adventures are related in “The Wind Wagon.” THE WIND MAN 83 he felt so refreshed, and after a nice breakfast, he bid the Sleep Man good-by and started off again. After a little Way, not so very far, he came to a queer little shop. It was shaped just like a big White egg, and on top was the figure of a dove. Opening the tiny door, J immy stepped inside. Behind a counter stood three fairies. They were marking and labeling pretty boxes. On looking closer, J immy saw that one Was marked: ‘ ‘Goon DISPOSITION.” Then he noticed that another was labeled “TRUT:H:FULNEss.” And a third “HoNEs'rY.” And others, “SWEET Vorcn,” “BLUE EYES,” “BROWN EYES,”- “GRAY EYES,” ¢:YELL0W HAIB,n ccFAITH_ FULNEss,” “SELF CONTROL.” 84 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA. “You are in the fairies’ gift shop,” «laughed one of the little fairies, looking up at J immy’s puzzled face. “When a child is born, we send it a gift. Some- times we take the gift, and sometimes we send it by a snow-white dove.” As she finished, a bird began to sing: “Happy new mother, here is a gift For the tiny one at your breast, Kiss his eyes if you wish them blue, Breathe a prayer if you wish him true, Honest and faithful his whole life thru.” Then one of the little fairies pinned a flower on J immy’s coat, as he stood there quietly listening, hardly knowing the meaning of it all. Then gently pushing him out through the door, she whispered, “Good-by, little Jimmy.” Pretty soon, Jimmy came to a little THE WIND MAN 85 dwarf who was sewing buttons on a tiny green coat. He was sitting at the foot of a big, high walnut tree, sewing on walnut shells for buttons. It wasn’t such an easy job either, let me tell you, for first he had to make little holes in the hard shell with a small, sharp gimlet. “Hello!” said J immy, taking off his cap and sitting down by the Little Man of the Wood. “For whom are you mak- ing this coat?” “And who may you be ‘P’ asked the Lit- tle Man with a frown. You see, he wasn’t going to answer questions without know- ing who J immy was. So Jimmy ex- plained about the Magic Umbrella and, Oh, lots and lots of things. Pretty soon, the Little Man said, after he had put on the last walnut button, “Come with me. I will show you strange sights. ,I see you are fond of adventure,” and picking up 86 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA the little green coat and sticking the “needle in the lapel of his jacket, started off through the forest. “You need have no fear, for I mean no harm,” he said, looking back at Jimmy. “I’m not afraid,” answered J immy with a laugh. It was very quiet under the leafy boughs. Only now and then the soft note of a bird calling to its mate, or the sharp sound of a twig breaking beneath their feet, broke the shadowy silence. THE LITTLE MAN OF THE WOOD Jimmy found Himself in a Large Room with a Little \Voman dressed in a Green Skirt and Yellow Waist. ix Hllllllllllil W [ .J LII; la l a a ’. I ,. . . ! ,1 If _ ,- 44:1. ' 0' :35 . . .‘-’.- ~ < '00 '0 . I r o ~ -. ‘L. .0.‘ ‘ / O ’o I ' ’ I °~’o C Q 1 .' ' . I ' ‘:22? ' "9 ’ In :0". I . I. ‘ l / .1 " ‘ r"Z._ .-‘.—-'-'':—~.—_- ..»3:-, ' ‘ H 5%,: "“' \\\\\\\\\~\m\\ ./’ THE LITTLE MAN OF THE WOOD AFTER a mile or more they reached a big rock on which the Little Man knocked three times. All of a sudden a tiny door opened and right in front of them a flight of stone steps led down into the ground. “Follow me,” said the Little Man. “But don’t trip, or you may fall a mile,” and he turned to J immy to see if his Words had frightened him. But Jimmy answered with a grin: “I’l1 be careful, never fear.” Well, after a While, they came to an- 89 90 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA‘ other door, and when this opened, J immy found himself in a large room, in which sat a little woman dressed in a green skirt and a yellow waist. “Why, this must be Jimmy,” she ex- claimed. “Sit down, my dear, and I’ll tell you all about my little man and my- self. I know you are wondering why we live so far down in the earth.” J immy seated himself on a little stool, and as soon as the Little Man had hung up the tiny coat on which he had sewed the walnut buttons, he drew a chair up to the fire. “Once upon a time,” his little dwarf woman commenced, “when the world was young, and all the trees little bushes, and the ocean no larger than a duck pond, and the whales smaller than goldfish, and the . elephants no larger than puppy dogs, the fairies were the only people who lived on this big, kind earth. Some of them built LITTLE MAN OF THE WOOD 91 little houses in the wood, and some lived in caverns in the deep earth, and those who lived down deep under the mountains became very strong, for they worked all day, digging out the diamonds and pre- cious stones. Well, after a while, those fairies who lived in the wood and drank dew and sweet flower juice became as light as the thistle down on the meadow, and those who lived deep under the earth and ate bread made from the wheat of the fields and drank the juice of the Wild grape, grew heavy and strong, but never very tall, for they lived out of the sun’s warm rays, which makes everything grow tall and big. “As time went on, a strange thing hap- pened. One of the little underground men ran away and lived by himself on a mountain top. After a while he grew as large as a Giant.” At this point in her story, the little 92 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA dwarf woman paused and, looking over at her husband, asked him to go on with the story. So Jimmy turned around on his stool to hear better what the little man had to say. “Of course, this was all very long ago,” continued the dwarf, “and what I’m tell- ing to you was first told me by my grand- mother and her grandmother told her. Well, by and by a race of Giants came upon the earth, and all sorts of strange wild animals, and then, all of a sudden, one day, a great rain storm set in, and if the Giants hadn’t made the water flow in deep rivers to the ocean, I guess every- body would have been drowned.”- “But how did you come to live here?” asked little J immy, looking around at the walls of the room on which hung hundreds of little green coats with walnut shell but- tons. “Oh, I’m the little dwarf tailor,” an- LITTLE MAN OF THE WOOD 93 swered the dwarf. “My Wife and I make the coats for the Little Men of the Wood.” “Well, I must be on my Way. Good-by and thank you for your fairy story,” said Jimmy, and ofi he started again on his journey of adventure. By and by, after a While, he came to a great forest Where lived the Little Men of the Wood. NOW, as Jimmy looked about him, he spied a mossy spot, and, being tired With his long journey, he lay down and Was soon fast asleep. Presently a noble Duke came into the forest to find an honest Woodcutter to Watch over his flowers. As the Duke Walked along, he heard a funny little voice close at hand, and looking down, saw a small figure dressed in green clothes. “What wouldst thou have?” asked the Duke. “Let me guard thy roses,” replied the little man. 94 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA “How dost thou know that I need some one to guard them?” asked the Duke. “Because the fairies have told me,”- an- swered the little man. “Come with me,” cried the Duke, “for a man who knows the language of the fairies, even though he is no larger than thee, is worth more than a thousand wise men!” The Duke then turned upon his heel and retraced his steps, followed by the Little Man of the Wood. Just then an acorn fell ofi a tree and hit little J immy on the nose, waking him up with a start. As he rubbed his nose he saw the Duke and the Little Man of the Wood walking away. “Goodness me!” cried J immy, “my dream is coming true,” and jumping up, followed them. By and by they came to the castle garden, where Jimmy hid, hoping to find out who stole the beautiful roses. Wasn ’t it strange that he had dreamt that LITTLE MAN OF THE WOOD 95 thieves were stealing the Duke’s roses? Well, by and by, when evening came, the Little Man of the Wood sprinkled all the flowers with snufi powder, and then he hid himself behind a bush. After a while, as it grew dark, two courtiers stepped out of the palace and, seeing no one near, plucked the beautiful roses and threw them over the garden wall, where a man hid them away in a great basket. But, oh, dear me! In a few minutes those two courtiers began to sneeze their heads ofi, for the snuff powder got up their noses and in their eyes, and while they were sneezing the Little Man of the Wood ran into the castle to call the Duke. In a few minutes out came the Duke in a towering rage. “Seize them!” he com- manded the royal guards. When D the courtiers were bound and about to be led away the Duke turned to the Little Man of the Wood and said: 96 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA “I have seized them and thou hast sneezed them!” and the Duke laughed very loudly at his own joke. And so did Jimmy, Who was hiding behind a bush, you remember. “Who laughs With me?” asked the Duke, looking about him, for you may be sure the two courtiers Weren’t laughing. No, Siree! They didn’t see anything funny and, besides, they Were too busy sneezing! “It was I Who laughed, your Royal Highness,” answered little J immy, step- ping out from behind his hiding place. “You are a good Joker and the Joker beats the King.” This so pleased the noble Duke that he invited J immy into the castle, at the same time turning to the Little Man of the Wood and saying: “Henceforth thou shalt be the guardian of my castle.” So the little fellow was made Seneschal LITTLE MAN OF THE WOOD 97 of the palace, and that night, when every one Was asleep, he cut little holes in the Walls and floors through which he might squeeze in case the great doors Were closed. In this Way he was able to creep through the great palace Without anyone seeing him, and before long he found out Who Was faithful and Who Was not. When the Duke learned of this he was so pleased with the Little Man, that he gave him a toy palace to live in. Well, one evening, as the little fellow was creeping through the castle, he came into the room of the Duchess, Where she lay asleep with her little baby boy about a month old, and just as the Little Man of the Wood tiptoed over the doorsill the baby rolled ofi the bed onto the soft floor rug and lay there Without Waking its mother. The Little Man of the Wood, having never seen a baby before, thought it was 98 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA one of his own people, and picking it up in his arms, carried it away to his little palace. Every day he fed it with milk un- til, by and by, it grew up to be a big boy, with golden hair and blue eyes. But, oh, dear me! This was long after Jimmy had left the palace. He went the very next morning and never knew what had hap- pened until long after. But while Jimmy is on his way I’ll tell you what became of the little baby, for I know you are anxious to know how a dwarf can play nurse and sentinel at the same time. BLUE EYES One Night the Little Men of the Wood fastened Blue Eyes to the Ground. §,s\$ /./§§§\~m.m,,,'; ..—— fx r / ""” “ °‘“'' "" " / ta’ I * -—// 39%/' BLUE EYES ONE night, when the dwarf Was at a ban- quet given by the Duke, he heard one of the courtiers say it was strange that the thief who had stolen the Duchess’ child must be very clever to be still at large. And the little dwarf, who had been won- dering for some time why the child should be growing taller each day until he was twice his size, jumped upon the banquet table and cried in a loud voice, “I will return the child to you, ” for he felt sure 101 102 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA that the baby he had taken years ago to his own little palace must be the lost child- of the Duchess. But when the child was brought into the banquet hall, he. would have nothing to do With anyone, and clung to the dwarf, saying, “He is my father.” This made the Duke so angry that he ordered them both out of his castle, so the dwarf took the boy and hurried from the palace and away into the forest. After a year and a day, the dwarf went back to the castle and whileeveryone was asleep, crept through the little holes which he had made in the floors and walls of the great palace, until he came to the room in which the Duchess slept. There he told her in a dream that her boy was safe and well and that the little men of the forest had made him their king and that when he had grown old enough to take care of himself, he would come back to her. At length, however, when the child had BLUE EYES 103 grown up to be a big boy, the Little Men of the Wood became afraid of him, and one night as he lay asleep, they bound him to the earth, just the way the Liliputians fastened Gulliver, and when Little Blue Eyes awoke in the morning he found he could not move. Across his body were stretched hempen cords and fastened to hundreds of stakes driven into the ground. “What have I done that you should treat me so?” he asked the Little Men of the Wood as they gathered around him. The dwarf who had brought the little boy to the forest felt sorry for him, but he dared not say so for fear of the other little men. Then the dwarf men came nearer, and some of them stood upon the boy’s chest, while others walked along his legs and arms, taking care, of course, not to hurt him. By and by they agreed that if he would 104 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA promise to leave the forest and return to his own country, they would release him. So he swore a solemn oath that he never would harm them, and after that they cut the cords and set him free. Nevertheless, he was very unhappy to leave them, even though he had been so badly treated. And his little dwarf friend felt very sad that King Blue Eyes was forced to return to his own country and be with them no more. “Harm no one smaller and weaker,” said the little dwarf, as the boy started off for his father’s castle. By and by, Blue Eyes saw in the dis- tance a castle. He knew it belonged to his father because his dwarf friend had told him so one day when they had wandered together a long way from the forest. When little Blue Eyes reached the cas- tle he found it in a great uproar, for the King had died and his wicked Lords were BLUE EYES 105 striving amongst themselves for posses- sion of all his belongings. As little Blue Eyes crept into the gar- den he saw sitting on a bench, a beautiful maiden, Weeping bitterly. “Why do you Weep?” he asked. “Because my father is dead these seven days,” she answered, “and now his Lords quarrel among themselves as to who shall govern the country." “Where is your mother?” asked little Blue Eyes, sitting down beside her. “Alas, she has been dead many years,” replied the maiden. As she finished speaking, the Wicked Lords themselves came rlmning into the garden. “They will kill me,” cried the maiden, “for they fear I Will lay claim to my father ’s kingdom." “Let us hide in the forest,” said Blue Eyes, and they both ran from the garden 106 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA and were soon safely hidden among the great trees. Forgetting that he Was no longer King, Blue Eyes blew upon his silver horn. In a short time the Little Men of the Wood stood before him. After learning What had taken place at the castle, they said: “Come and rule over us again. We see you have a tender heart and We fear you no longer.”' “And I Will marry the maid and she shall be Queen Blue Eyes,” he said. “That is impossible,” said his friend, the little dwarf, “for she is your sister.” At this, King Blue Eyes was very much surprised, for till now he had not known that he had a sister. And while they all stood around, Wondering What would hap- pen next, a Woodcutter came by and asked What was the trouble. And when they told him, he said: “This maid is not the daughter of the Queen, but of a poor peas- BLUE EYES 107 ant Woman, for when the Queen lost her baby boy she adopted this child for her own. This is Why there is so much con- fusion at the castle, for they say she has no right to rule over the country. There- fore, they all lay claim to the Kingdom.” At once, King Blue Eyes said he would marry her, and make her Queen over them—that is, if she would have him, of course. The Princess said “yes” and they were married by a little dwarf priest and lived happily ever after as King and Queen of the Little Men of the Wood. As J immy traveled on he heard a voice from a tree top, singing: “Oh, I’m the king of the merry winds, And push the ships over the sea. I turn the sails of the big wind mills That stand so tall on the lea. I fly the kites of the little boys And Whirl around their pin wheel toys. 108 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA I turn the weathercock to and fro, And stormy nights down the chimney blow.” “Come, talk to me,” called out Jimmy, wishing to see what kind of a King this windy monarch might be. “Wait a minute,” answered the voice, and pretty soon down came a little fairy- like person, with gauzy wings, and carry- ing in his hand a long silver horn. As soon as he was safely on the ground, he put the silver instrument to his lips. At once all the leaves in the forest began to whisper, and the tall meadow grass to bend and sway, and a painted weather- cock on a barn near by to turn back and forth, on his toe, like a dancer. As he finished blowing, he turned to Jimmy and said, “What favor can I do for you 9 I see you are a traveler,” and he looked at Jimmy ’s dusty boots and smiled. BLUE EYES 109 “Haven ’t you a little silver horn to give me ‘?” asked Jimmy. “I would like one to blow away spirits and bats. Sometimes when I am traveling, I meet with strange enemies who would do me harm.” “Wait a moment,” answered the King of the Merry Winds, and opening a little door in the tree, he went inside. Presently he came out with a little silver whistle hung on a silver chain. “Here, J immy, is a magic wind whis- tle. Blow upon it softly, and you will stir a little breeze. Blow a blast upon it, and a whirlwind will arise that may scatter an army of men.” “Thank you,” said Jimmy, fastening the chain to his waistcoat, and placing the whistle in his pocket. “I will use it the first time I am in trouble,” and bowing to the King of the Merry Winds, he set out once more upon his travels. And by and by you shall hear to what use he put 110 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA this little silver Whistle, for you may be sure that something Will happen. One doesn’t travel to strange countries With- out meeting with strange adventures, and it is Well to be prepared when one is trav- eling alone. It greatly pleased Jimmy to know that the little magic Whistle would raise a hur- ricane, but, of course, he didn’t Want to make it do anything like that, unless, per- chance, he Was set upon by a band of rob- bers or a Wild elephant. So he kept it in his pocket until such time as he might need it. THE MAGIC BLADE OF GRASS J immy saw a Beautiful Black Cow, mooing and tossing her head. ‘r I A5" 4.- , '. .. __ __ / /§\ .1) 7"‘ ‘E. f‘.-.\. 7 = ._/J: \\ . . ‘Q J _ . z. CI‘ 1 \‘r?‘ \‘\v. rah it ;\ 1‘, « 5” /’, '.' "IE ’/J’;’. 2»- I.7// 4 K. 4% ~:..-‘_ we ‘x .2’. - . a: w .~ L» 0 9:; $.53 , 3*; ,1. ‘ r ‘J-A. «fij " ..‘-V ,- I K ‘iii; > L V THE MAGIC BLADE OF GRASS \*Oon2., "'5-a-..—...an....a~..p.—...o.o.~o—-q..- .-., nan..-“ -- A~_F_'_1'_§_r_ga While, he came to a cottage in Whichuliyed a quarrelsome man and Wife. Dear me, but they were making a dread- ful noise, and it was all because she had sold their old black cow that very morn- ing. The man had given a big price, for this cow Was a very wonderful animal. She gave thirty quarts of milk a day, and knew how to make butter and cheese as Well. A “What ’s the matter?” asked J immy. 113 114 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA At once the man and his Wife stopped quarreling. “ Come in, Jimmy,” said the man, open- ing the gate. “Perhaps you can tell me how to get back my black cow, Which my foolish Wife sold today.” But his good Woman never said a Word. All she Wanted was the money with Which to buy a new dress, for her husband was so stingy that he never gave her anything except calico aprons. “Let me think,” said Jimmy. “I doubt very much if the man Who bought your cow Will Want to part with her. She must indeed be a wonderful animal. I once read about a cow that jumped over the moon, but she never made butter, although they do say that ever since she took that Wonderful jump, the moon is full of green cheese.” “But what am I to do ?” asked the man impatiently, as Jimmy paused. MAGIC BLADE OF GRASS 115 “I have something of magic power in my pocket,” Jimmy whispered. “If you will take me to the place where your cow is kept, I’ll promise that you shall buy her back for half the price.” The man then led Jimmy down the road for maybe a mile until they came to a great barn, through the doorway of which Jimmy saw a beautiful black cow, mooing and tossing her head till the silver bell at her neck tinkled like a telephone bell in an empty room. “There she is!” exclaimed the man. “Soc Boss, soo Boss!” Hurrying into the barn, Jimmy took from his pocket a long blade of grass and gave it to her. N o sooner had she eaten it than she whisked her tail and, sitting down on a milking stool, gave a long, sad moo. I hope she won’t tip off the little milking stool and break one of her ivory horns. Presently she began to look very 116 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA queer. Her horns changed into long ears and her body became smaller and before long she turned into a little donkey. “What have you done to my cow“§’~~* asked the man, in an angry voice, running out of the barn. “I didn’t do anything,” answered the farmer, which was perfectly true, and, of course, the man didn’t ask J immy because he never thought that a little boy could change a cow into a donkey. “Why are you here?” asked the man. “I came to buy back my cow, but I don’t want a donkey,” the farmer replied as he turned away. “Neither do I,” replied the man. “I think the animal is bewitched. I’ll have nothing to do with such a creature.” “I need a steed to ride upon,” said lit- tle Jimmy, speaking for the first time, “I’ll buy the donkey.” “Well, you may have this cow-donkey MAGIC BLADE OF GRASS 117, for half what I paid for her,” said the man, in a disgusted voice. “I’ll not keep such an animal in my barn.’ ’ Jimmy took out his purse and paid his money. Jumping on the donkey’s back, he started to ride away when the farmer said: “Now change her into a cow.” “No!” shouted the donkey. Then you should have seen how angry that farmer became. Why, he was twice as angry as he had been a short time be- fore With his wife. And, all of a sudden, picking up a stick, he hit the donkey a Whack. Well, Sir! that donkey just kicked up her heels and away she went with Jimmy on her back, and by and by, after they had galloped for maybe a mile, Jimmy shouted: “Whoa, Jenny! Be quiet. This will never do!” «At once the little donkey slowed down and before long she was walking along as quietly as you please. 118 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA “Do you Wish me to change you back into a cow?” asked Jimmy. “I have a little magic leaf in my pocket Which you only have to eat.” “I ’d rather be a donkey,” the little ani- mal replied. “Let me carry you on your journey of adventure, for I would see strange sights and new faces, and a cow is a stay-at-home sort of a person and never has any fun.” As Jimmy rode along, he felt very much like a man named Sancho Panza who rode a donkey a long time ago in Spain. He was the comrade of a queer sort of a knight called Don Quixote, and if you haven’t read about him, you must get the book and tell me some day how you like it. “I must get a saddle,” said Jimmy presently, for it was very uncomfortable riding bareback. So as soon as they came to a town, J immy looked about for a har- ness shop. Pretty soon he found one, and MAGIC BLADE OF GRASS 119 choosing a saddle with red straps, he set off again on his little red-saddled donkey. After a while he came to a meadow cov- ered with buttercups, when, strange to say, all of a sudden, the buttercups changed into butterflies, and a patch of dandelions on the other side of the brook that ran through the meadow turned into little lions. But J immy wasn’t afraid, for they weren’t any larger than kittens, and purred like his grandmother ’s old cat. Just then a little fresh water crab in the brook began. to sing: “Oh, I’ve a claw like a catcher’s mit, A great, big snapping claw, And I chase the little silver fish That hide in the pools by the shore, And when I catch one by his silver tail I put him away in my little tin pail. ’—3 “Ha, ha!” laughed J immy, remember- ‘ing how he once loved to catch tadpoles 120 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA and frogs at home, and the little donkey began to bray and all the tiny lions com- menced to roar and the butterflies to sing, and if you ’ve never heard a butterfly song, just listen to this: “Over the meadow and over the brook, From flower to flower, we fly, Sipping the sweet and sugary dew And eating the buttercup pie.”- Well, after that, as Jimmy looked around, he saw a tiny house not far away, so he turned the little donkey toward it and knocked on the door. He just leaned out of the saddle and tapped with his knuckles, you know. In a moment, it was opened by the prettiest little fairy you ever saw. She was dressed in rose leaves, and on her head a crown of gold, all set with sparkling diamonds. “What do you wish?” she asked, ring- ing a little bluebell flower to summon . ’. . 0 C .0 D 0. 9.0 I .-" ". .° "1" .."|" g-"'3': o"°.'-'0 " ,H...| I Mo ‘on, 0". 9, 0. ' ," I a I . ..'o‘|.o.a'o-0"'-'u::u°¢:|'l’llu'\|'.""" ' ‘ "Is I I 0.1’ o"'o" l'\ol.,. I . s U; U I'l.O.s| . “'00” ,__.——— ‘H 4., (0 %V . ,/ff _ . '_: -- - Jr- ' no . 0’ l:,‘|' HUN." It \ HI‘ ..||'..",‘l‘oI'.“.“ -..I',,.-o 2. .1’ ln‘ ‘.1 ‘U 0 .41 :2‘ MAGIC BLADE OF GRASS 123 three little fairies. But, goodness me! As J immy turned he saw a tremendous big giant stalking across the meadow. “Ha, ha, ho, ho! my name is Gobo, I’m a giant, big and strong. See here, little boy, With your magic toy, You’ll soon sing a different song. For I’ll eat you, my dear, With a gallon of beer, As soon as my Wifemakes the fire. And he called to his Wife as he opened his knife: ‘I’ve something for supper, Maria} '3’ Strange as it may seem, Jimmy boldly shouted back at the giant, “Don’t you come a mile farther,” for every time the giant took a step it was a mile, more or less. At this the giant laughed so loudly that he almost blew out the sun like a candle, and, reaching forth his big hand, was 124 THE MAGIC UMBRELLA about to pull Jimmy ofi the donkey, when the little fairy waved a flaming gold feather, causing the big man’s eyes to Wink and blink. “What kind of a feather is that?” he asked, passing his hand over his eyes. “A Magic Feather,” replied the little fairy, and before the giant had time to think of another question, she uttered the magic Words, “Presto, chango!” and he turned into a tiny mouse. “WeH, that’s the end of Giant Grobo,” said Jimmy, but the little fairies shivered for they were dreadfully afraid of mice. THE OLD WITCH The Old Witch changed Jimmy and the Donkey into Storks. . . 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