A Prisoner in Fairyland

orm in a m

inwro

hine hair th

til she be

'er city, and

with thine

long s

ht, SH

much they never dare to tell, while affecting that they know nothing and are innocent. For it is beyond question that several hours later, when the vil

our thin ropes that held it tightly to the ground. Then, unable to float off through the air, as she had expected, she slowly again subsided. The balloon deflated. She licked her chops, twitched her whiskers, curled her tail neatly round her two front paws-and grinned complacently. She waited before that extinguished fire of peat as though she had never harboured a single evil purpose in all her days. 'A saucer of milk,' she gave the world to understand, c is the only thing I care about.' Her smile of innoc

she visited the made-up sofa-bed where the exhausted mother snored mildly beneath the book- shelves, and then, after a moment's keen inspection, turned back and went at a quicker pace i

the first time. Her manner suggested no surprise. 'It's like a mouse, only bigger,' her expr

ose with the little platform at its tip did not cease from snoring, and the lids remained fastened tightly over the brilliant brown eyes, buttoned down so securely for the night. Tw

cently. Jimbo was close behind her, even br

elopment. For, softer than any mouse, the children glided swiftly into the next room where Mother slept beneath the book- shelves-two shining little radia

She strained her big green eyes in vain, seeing nothing but the tops of the plane trees, thick with tiny coming leaves, the sweep of vines and sky, and the tender, mothering night beyond. She pattered softly back again, gave a contemptuous glance at Mother in passing, and jumped up at once into the warm nest of sh

ay in a kind of knot. On the chair beside it were books and papers, and a candle that had burnt itself

and did not answer. Then Jimbo helped her. And Daddy came out magnificently-as far as the hea

window. Hand in hand they sailed out over the sleeping village. And from almost every house they heard a sound of weeping. There were sighs and prayers and pleadings. All slept and dreamed-dreamed of their difficulties and daily troubles. Released in slee

erly. 'We can change all that a little. Oh,

ndency to somersaults in this condition was irresistible, and a source of worry to Jimbo

r independent way in everything. They dived down into the first floor, and there, in a narrow bedroom whose windows stood open upon the wistaria branches, they found Madame Jequier-'Tante Jeanne,' as they knew the sympathetic, generous creature best, siste

said Monkey, her laught

dness. Come on! Let'

'Let's have a try. Liste

ness of their near approach seemed to change the woman's face a litt

hers as well as herse

sly nearer…. But, soon desisting, the children were far away

s singing to himself,

with a laugh, turning repeated somersaults till

y…' continued Jimbo half aloud, '…

nkey. 'Look out, it's the s

l sleeping, appeared a draught of starbeams like a broad, deep river of gold

it's like a fishing-net. We

said so. He instantly dressed himself, as he always translated il se dressait in his funny Franco- Engl

do you know what it r

m to tell her, and he was too gallant just then

was up here "where the Boudry forests dip below the cli

then, or a puddle! Quick!' she cried in a delighted whisper. She looked about her everywh

n, 'it's when they can't find eyes or puddl

e. This was no time to

edge of moss,' she began. But her brother cut her short. He

ommanded firmly, 'and

th it. Then we'll come

te Jeanne and….' A lis

hink us wo

pered Monkey, obeying, yet pe

beams rushed past th

entrance in the rocks. Water dripped over it, making little splashes. The lime had run into hanging pillars and a fringe of pointed fin

, awed and confused with wonder. 'We shall melt in d

adership. He, too, remembered phrases here and there. 'I'm a bit knotted, looped, and a

their bodies to the neck in the

aming children, that Thought makes images which, regardless of space, may flash ab

! Gare! Hold tight!' I

with commands. He had

in the heavens above t

of a train, it swept h

ere audi

rmous caught in the st

r, then,' s

one end issued a column of white smoke. It settled slowly downwards, moving softly yet with a great air of bustle and importance. Was this the arrival of a dragon

' announced Jimbo fina

azement. 'And the pass

relief he said it. 'Y

,' he

ondon Terminus, except that the passengers had no luggage. The other difference was that they seemed intent upon some purpose not wholly for their own ad

a kind of pleasant singing voice. 'Return journey beg

passengers to listen or reply. For the first passenger that hurried past her was no less a person than-Jane Anne! Her face was not puzzled

n her head. She slipped past them like a shaft of light. Her hair fell loo

us instead of coming to meet us.' Monkey smiled. She kn

turning out the lamps; and from the line of open doors descended the stream of passengers, all hurrying to the entrance of the cave. Each one stopped a moment in front of the Guard, as though to ge

The wind, sighing through the tree-tops, sent a shower of dew about their feet. The children started. 'What a lovely row!' Jimbo whispered. It was l

only in the first excitement they did not catch them properly. And each one went on

ir heads and flung their arms about-all this made the children think it was a dance. Mo

ness. They watched with growing wonder then, and something like terror seized them as they saw a man go past them with a very familiar look about him. He

whether the shiver he felt was his sister's or his o

carried long things over his shoulders. He flashed into the stream like a shadow swallo

mystery till they see dreams and fac

They wore rags and torn old hats and had no collars to their shirts. The lazy one had broken boots through which his toes showed plainly

ng with difficulty 'but there's never any hurry. I'll fill their

th the sweetness of the moors and open fields, till houses choke

lood. Their rags and filthy slouched hats flashed r

familiar, very quick and earnest, but merry at the same time, and all intent upon bringing back something

gasped Monkey. 'Quel spectacl

arth and leaves and potting-sheds about the trees behind him. 'Won't my flowers just shine and dazzle 'em? And won't the dead leaves crackle as I burn 'em up!' he chuckled as he disappeared from

gh ringing laughter followed, though they could not see the outline at all. It went so fast, they only heard the patter of light footsteps on the moss and needles. Jimbo and Monkey felt slightly uncomfortable as t

how shall I ever get in again? The entrance is so ridiculously small. I shal

. 'You're good ballast. You can keep the train down. Th

re of many willing hands gave it a different outline every minute. It was like a thing of india-rubber or elastic. The roof strained outwards with o

with petulance. 'You couldn't get a wisp of hay in there

a bit!' a

can

n!' suggeste

Besides I'm

ide down,' was the answe

red voice, as the figures pulled and pushed with increasing energy.

y's verdict, while Monkey whispered beneath her breath

figure, scattering points of light through the darkness like

put her to sleep, please. She's making noise enough to br

was a sound of gentle sprinkling through the air; a noise followed that was half a groan and half a sigh. Her struggles grew gradua

with relief. 'She'll dream she'

, resuming their interrupted jou

more,' answered the Dustman in a soft, th

ow voice singing dreamily the Dustman's curious little song. It seemed to come from the direction of the train where the Guard stood talking to a man the children had not noticed before. Presumably he

man flutters

ther star-dust

Constellation

thickest on

n the careless

e keep

old an

ry strict

ittle that the

re

mmon s

ood

or for Baby,

ny o

s a bit

can do w

hey

man hurries t

ustman's comin

s over he had disappear

came back a voice-this time ce

, but that was real.' She looked as though a somersault were imminent. 'If only Da

sticks,' was her brother'

o next, when they became aware that the big man who

d in alarm. 'He's seen us.' An

er brother added contempt

they saw now, was a girl-a girl not much older than Monkey, with big blue eyes. 'There they are,' the Guard said loudly, pointing; and the big man, looki

ow we'll all go in together,' he said in a deep voice, 'and gather star-dust for

. A mist rose. It turned to darkness. The river of starlight faded. The net had suddenly big holes in it. They were

of two gold teeth…. Then the darkness rushed up and covered them. The stream of tangled, pouring beams became a narro

ast Riquette and slid feet first i

ding a sheet of gold and silver on the lake. Birds were singing in the plane trees. The roof below the open windows shone with dew, and draughts of

parkling thing that made the world look different. It was delicate and man

ed April; and April had run off into the mountains with the dawn. Her final

attics underneath the roof together. They had abstracted their father's opera-g

ng for his turn, as they looked toward

thi

pening, then,' he s

e told it. You only dreamed it.' 'Well, anyhow,' was the reply with conviction, 'it's there, so there must be somebody who believes in it.' And he was evidently going to add that he had been there, whe

s, living in a world entirely their own. Jinny went her own way apart always-ever busy with pots and pans and sewing. She was far too practical and domestic for their tastes to amalgamate

re. They had one of their curious conversations about the matter-queer talks they indulged in sometimes when quite alone. Mother wou

the trees to a place where the limestone cliffs dropped in fan

er overcoat and his feet stuck wide apart, stared har

nswered, too honest to pretend, too pr

with their climb, and sat do

her. 'But certainly we've never come as far as this. I think my undernea

of moss he was fingering.

ered otherwise. 'You're always getting tummy-aches and things,' he added kindly. 'Girls do.' It was pride that made the sharp addition. But Monk

n audacity, 'it's somebody else's thinking. Thinking skips about the

s-like

ake things true, of c

He felt jealous of these privileges she claimed. 'They can't last, I mean.'

ll, and they made no attempt to crawl in, for they knew that coming out again was often very difficult. But there was great excitement about it, and while Monkey kept repeating that she knew it already, or

ll a little flat. For in the Den, Daddy read a telegram he had just received from England to say that Cousin Henry was coming o

he first