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'RY TALCS

REFERENCt

'l^

DREAM BOATS
AND
OTHER STORIES

B216973

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in

2007 with funding from

Microsoft Corporation

http://www.archive.org/details/dreamboatsothersOOwalk

o
2
Q

COPYRIGHT, 191 8, BY
DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF
TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES,
INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN

THE NEW YORK

PUBLIC LIBRART
'X

TiLDf N rOv

)i

AND
IONS,

in

TO-

DAVID
MY FATHER

THE SUNLIT SEA

A

THERE

is

FOREWORD

a far-away blue sea of unending

wonder and

A fragile craft is launched

belief.

from a Mother's arms, upon

the

helmsman

of

the

waters.

You

are

and you

are

the

its

vessel

guardian.

through tempests and gales and over

Safely

stretches of Sunlit waters

The path

many
the

is

boats

little

**

pilot the ship.

strewn with icebergs, wreckage and

making

ships

white-capped,

and

you must

make

same harbour.

for the

their trial

All

voyage through the

dancing waves

of

**

Let's

Play"

Let's Pretend".

Back

into the bay of youth,

of a Mother's arms, each

where

little

lies

the haven

vessel will drift

if

the pilot does not stupidly keep his wheel turned

to the point

on the compass
vii

that reads

Grow-up-

FOREWORD

viii

South

by

As-fast-as-you-can-East,

laden with a cargo, that

is

your heart,

The

craft

will surely

return to the pleasant waters of youth unless

are

grown up

little

If

so high you cannot

become

you
as a

child.

you wish, and wish with

all

your heart, you

can come to join us in our play, which in honour

of the waves of
I

hope your

"Dream

**

little

Boats."

Let's Pretend", through

craft has passed, I

which

have called

CONTENTS
The

Sunlit Sea

PAGE

a Foreword

vii

Histories

Storks

Pollen People

Second Teeth
The Blooming of a Fairy Baby
Moulting

ii

12
15

The Godmother Bush

Butterfly's

Nightmare

'

17
21

Bad Children
The Reluctant Mirrors!
The Fanfare
vGiving Thanks

24
26

Fairy Ring
Snakedoctor

33

Zoom Zoom!

40

Warfare
Sand

44
46

28
31

35

Stay-at-home Heart

51

Portraits

91

The Comet's Tail

The Daughter of a Comet King
The Godmother
tt
One of the Common Decencies of Ordinary

....

Social Intercourse"
ix

93

100
102

105

CONTENTS

PAGE

The Magic Dewdrop

107

Cold Porridge

123

Out

157

of

Doors

Waiting Dreams
A Fairy Ring to Valentine
On June Winds

To

My

Grown-Up

159
160
161
163

Self

Snapdragons

164

As Posted by Legal Authority

165

Sweet April
Alone

167

Little

Summer

Dream That Wandered

....

Breezes

174
176

Little Birds

Boats

Play

171
173

Autumn's Colour

Dream

169

...

181

PICTURES
IN

Dream

COLOUR

Boats

Frontispiece

" She tied my boat to the North Star so

"
not grow up while she was gone

would
FACING PAGE

Second Teeth
"

And

pipe the

Butterfly's
*'

lo
little

"

Nightmare

22

Lest a nightmare should come to the fairies' cousin

"
twice removed on their mother's side

Warfare
"The Mobilization

PICTURES
Storks
"

songs that are inside of bubbles

Up

there, sits

One

44
of the Fairy

Army"

IN

BLACK AND WHITE

can't rem.ember

4
I

much about

her"

Pollen People

" In the commonplace corners of the earth there

may be a pair of pollen lovers "

The Godmother Bush

"

Why

it

rains

to-morrow

The Reluctant
*'

18
"

Mirrors!

26

Perhaps being so shiny they were mistaken by the

fairies for

mirrors

"

Giving Thanks
"

The oak

32

finds happiness in providing a refreshing

drink for migrating fairies

"

xi

PICTURES

xii

FACING PAGE

Snakedoctor
" An anodyne
ried

38

swooning fairy ladies is to be car"

past cardinal birds singing on a wistaria vine
for

Stay-at-home Heart
"The sea-green bird sank
the waves

The Comet's
"Calling

it

"

Comet

One
"

98

a tail did not

make

it

one"

....

Comet King

of a

ladies drift

dreamingly about the sky

100

"

Common Decencies of Ordinary Social Intercourse '*

of the

...

104

of the Common Decencies of Ordinary Social

"
Intercourse

One

The Magic Dewdrop

"

foam of

Tail

The Daughter
"

'j^

so low that the

dashed against its breast

What was

his

........

amazement

114

to find that the fountain

was flowing over a maiden "

Cold Porridge
"

On

The

little

boy kissed the spot and made

June Winds

"A

it all

well

"

....<'

fragile craft, piloted

by a

154
160

fairy,

perched

like a

star"

Snapdragons
" It

164

watering time for the thirsting flock of pink

"
and yellow dragons
is

Sweet April
" When buds
dance with

168
are breaking and birds singing merrily,

me "

Autumn's Colour
"

Whence do

174

the elves of the

autumn

get

all

the

colour they need with which to paint the flowers,

fruits

and

foliage

"

HISTORIES

STORKS

HUSH!

Hush!

call of the

At night when the lonely

whippoorwills

made

the marsh

creep nearer than the other side of the meadow,

Ruth Jane Crutchfield, the

bed beside David's

among
in the

into

the whippoorwills ceased calling, the

and the marsh returned again beyond

meadow where

dark

and leave them

marshes.

spell broke,

As

the

the ferns and the alder bushes back there

As soon as

the

down on

She told him about

boy.

that bring children

storks

the

little

nurse, lay

the
hall,

nurse's

Cherry, the Jersey cow, lived.

footsteps

faded away in the

David crept out of

mine and came close

to

his

me

bed and
because

it

stole

was

a cold night.

In a whisper he said, said he: "But where do

the storks get

*em?"

DREAM BOATS

And

said, said I:

behind the

Up

stars,

there, sits

"They come from away up

where the Spring comes from.

One

can't

(I

remember much

me

about her, only that she made

dewdrop
see,

not such a dewdrop as you and

but a dewdrop

whole world)

and

"Each one has

And

if

all

it

grapes,

can

were as large as the

the children are in her lap.

made

harness

little

The

and the

fauns* harness

fairies'

is

moonlight, and the babies'

that's

how

of ribbon.

up

distance storks can

one takes a baby

in his

way down the baby

purple like

bubbles in

silver like
is

pink and blue;

just

there

(it's

fly, isn't

is

which.

wonderful

it?)

and each

beak by the loop

Down

top of the harness.

is

knows which

the stork

" Now, the storks fly

the

there are faun babies, and fairy babies, and

baby babies.

and

think of a

he

starts,

and

at the
all

the

practises kicking.

" But before they

start,

what a dewdrop would be

the
if

it

One who
were

is

like

as large as

the whole world, gives to each baby a dandelion.

"UP

THERE,

SITS

ONE

ABOUT

CANT REMEMBER MUCH

HER"

'

DREAM BOATS
And

*When you

she says, says she:

reach the

lowest circle of stars this dandelion will have

gone
see

to seed.

Then you must blow on

what time you

will

delions

blow

ter.

to the lowest circle of

the babies

all

which have gone

they will be born.

and

be born.'

"So when they come

stars, puff, puff,

it

This

to

on the dan-

seed, to see

when

a very important mat-

is

But the down of the dandelion sometimes

gets into the storks' eyes

memory

to

the places

speak

they

where they

times fairies are

even fauns

of,

left

and

as they haven't

make

any

sad mistakes in

leave the babies.

Some-

with people, and sometimes

though of that

am

not quite sure."

POLLEN PEOPLE
Balsam^ Sweet Basil, and Gold Buttercup

LITTLE

live

villages of gaily painted pavilions

the golden people of the dusty pollen.

Every house

is

set

on a fragile stem, swaying back

and forth as if waving a welcome

Sometimes

at the

to all flying things.

approach of storms they shield

the doorway with a silken awning, thus protect-

ing the countless family from loss by wind and

rain.

They

houses.

are very

And

proud

of the

names

of their

have they not a right to be?

Acacia, Anemone, Azalia, a77d Amaryllis

The

children are brought up in most exclusive

fashion, straying not

beyond the petaled threshold

before they have been formally introduced.

Liv-

ing close to their mothers, they think of another

pollen child

who

is

near

its

mother, roaming in

DREAM BOATS
the fields of that

mother

is

dream

when

a child has

its

near.

Oh, dream one dream

me, ye

for

little

star-

faced children of a love that endures unto the

end!

Labernum^ Larkspur and

Lilyt

Queen Anne^s Lace

Sometimes the houses introduce

their children

with a prolonged feast of nectar.

bright

colours, they

exhale

Painted in

invitations

of

fra-

grance to their dearly loved friends, the bees.

The

guests arrive

of labour

humming

and cease not

their exquisite

to sing while they par-

honey.

take

of

avow

their thankfulness, taking with

the

feast

of

who

pollen children

song

desire to

Departing, they

go

them the

forth to seek

their fortunes.

Lupin Lavender^ and Laurel

^

Again

at

night

other

houses

present

their

children with parties of pale yellow and white,

DREAM BOATS

by may be attracted even in the

passers

that

darkest night.

Primroses Evening Glory, and the

y

Moonflower Vine
While others
cast,

the

their invitations broad-

scatter

and as the night advances over the

welcoming fragrance

to their feast

earth,

increases, thus luring

many coloured moths.

Hyacinth^ Heliotrope, and Mignonette

And some give

dances exclusively for the wind,

dimly lighted parties where no refreshments are

served.

Each guest

child, that the child

distant

is

given charge of a pollen

may

meadow where

village of its

it

later

be carried to a

may

build a fragrant

own.

Petunia, Robin^s Plantain, and the wild,

mid
From

Phlox

early Spring until the Indian

there are innumerable

little

parties,

Summer,

each one a

IM

THE

THERE

COMMONPLACE CORNERS OF THE EARTH

BE A PAIR OF POLLEN LOVERS "

MAY

'

DREAM BOATS
festival for

the exquisite purpose of sending forth

the children to find the unchanging one

to

be the comrade in

life's

who

is

dearest adventure.

Oleander^ Cape Jasmine^

Irisy

and Columbine

Therefore in the commonplace corners of the

earth they have their sweet romances, meeting

and recognizing the one they

days of their

will cherish all the

lives.

Sweet PFilliam, Snapdragon, and Shepherd^s

Purse

Here you
lovers

see a picture of a pair of pollen

first-born of the ancient house of forget-

me-not.

On

cobweb suspended from

vine (that

we chop down and

a string-bean

eat for our din-

ner), the lovers

have found a trysting place at

the rising of the

moon.

Lady^s Slipper, Fuchsia, Verbena, and

"Co

loo

CO

loo.

love you!

says he, her lover, to her.

And

Rue

Do, do, do,"

she, his sweet-

DREAM BOATS

lo

heart, replies to
to lu.

him:

love you!

"Co coo

Too,

They do not blush

to lu

Co

coo

too, too."

save as trees blush in the

springtime, v^hen in. their veins flow^s the sap of

innumerable

Ring
bury

flow^ers.

your

all

Bells,

and

little bells,

bells of the

Bluebells, Canter-

Solomon's

Seal.

After the wedding, they settle in a seed.

life

is

bloom.

long adventure of bud and

Thus

in the

leaf

And
and

renewal of themselves in

other flowers, they live happily for ever and ever

and

ever.

Myrtle, Mimosa, Magnolia, and Marigold

"AND

PIPE

THE

LITTLE

SOMGS

THAT

ARE

INSIDE

OF

BLBBLtb

SECOND TEETH

FAUNS

and

their first teeth

youth and

and

fairies

do not shed

and so they cannot shed

that

first

second teeth

teeth because they

will

come, and nearly

always in this distracting adventure they

make

mistakes and shed both their youth and joy.

now and
and
It

on

But

then a baby will not shed his youth

joy until his

is

their

joy.

Babies do shed their

know

fishes

second teeth are firmly rooted.

these delightful creatures

fishes

nose and pipe the

who can
little

balance

songs that

are in the bursting bubbles of the foam.

is

If

there are not songs inside of bubbles,

in

them?

II

what

THE BLOOMING OF

A FAIRY

BABY
A LL the pleasantest creatures that inhabit the
XjL worlds of wind and earth and water, enter
those worlds in a shell of

some

sort.

In a stream the mother Dragon Fly leaves her

precious treasure, where the sun, shining through
the water, keeps the

should be.

little

The mother

eggs as

warm

Butterfly

as they

places

her

eggs under the leaves of the food plant upon

which the baby

is

destined to

caterpillar, after

live.

And

it

is

hatched,

the mother Butterfly

always chooses the right plant.

In a nest of

cobwebs, moss, and down, the mother bird keeps

her eggs

And

warm

thus

it is

turtles, fish,

tures with

with the feathers of her breast.

with alligators, toads, and lizards,

bugs, and snakes, and

which one can be so

12

all

friendly.

the crea-

DREAM BOATS
When

moon

the

is

on the wane, the mother

dew

Fairy strings her eggs, which are

a strand of

cobweb suspended from

She only

flower.

13

the

ruffles

wings, preens herself, and

still

in

When

moon

the

has

set,

her

as any star

watching and waiting for a lovely thing

pen.

on

the sweetest

feathers

as

sits

drops,

to hap-

and the

stars

have followed after with their fading

lights, the

winged mother's patient waiting

rewarded,

for all that

needed

is

of a dew-shell
its

to bring forth the miracle

the image of a star reflected in

shining surface

Then each
its

is

is

fairy

all

through the summer night.

baby

head and opens

lifts its

eyes very wide to see what will happen (and

sticks out

its

lower

lip, in

case

it

should be some-

thing dreadful). But a baby fairy thinks

funny

to see the stars set, so

clining

lights.

The

days of

it

its

laughter

enters into the world

and can never cease

its life.

very

laughs at the de-

sweetness of

breaks the dewdrop, and

smiling,

it

it is

to be joyful all the

DREAM BOATS

14

Sometimes, though not very often, they stop

laughing long enough to drink the
has been the

them from

Of

little

that

dew which

reticule of beauty to bring

world to

course, there are

this.

some dewdrops

that

do

not hatch, for a strangely sweet and subtle rea-

son

known

they think

only to the fairy inside.

it is

Perhaps

pleasanter to live within a pearl

strung on a string around a lovely lady's neck,

than to be a whimsical creature

life
it

who

goes through

seeking to find what prettily illogical thing

can do next.

MOULTING

WHEN
air as

you see a

through the

fairy flying

though he did not care a winkle

where he went, you may know he doesn't.

which are

possesses a pair of horns

another pair of eyes or an entirely

Indeed,

who can

ody

of the

When

better than

new

nose.

say but that gossamer stringed

music may reach the

How

same horns?

He

fairy's heart

else

through these

would he hear the mel-

moonlight?

fairies

flaccid horns

are

hatched, they have small,

and limp wings.

In order to

work

up the circulation of colour through the veins of

the wings

must have

and

into the tips of the horns, they

exercise.

Attaching themselves to leaves, head

and

feet up,

hatched

down

and hanging pendant, the newly

fairies

fan

the
15

air

with

their

wings.

DREAM BOATS

i6

When

greatest
rives.

and horns are spread, then the

the wings

moment

On

in a fairy's

whole Hfetime

airy pinions this creature,

ar-

which has

apparently been sleeping the sleep of the dead in

its

dewdrop

eggshell,

flies aloft

into the air, the

playmate of sunlight and thistledown,

star dust

and moonshine.

Now,

instead of second teeth, the fairies get

second horns.
string

They

around the

haven't any one to

first

tie

horns to jerk them out.

So they butt into a flower, and pull and pull and

pull.

That much done, they go away, leaving

their old

horns sticking in one of the

petals.

After the close of this adventure of horn shedding, called moulting, they attach themselves
firmly to a twig, feet up, there waiting for

horns to grow down.

know, nothing about

For, you

fairies ever

new

must surely

grows up.

THE GODMOTHER BUSH

THERE
not

sail

seven fairy frigates that will

are

on

forth to-night

the airy seas from

the port of a thistle pod.

These

have captured and as

from

my open window

them

for seven different

I will

may seem

It

power
not,

is

mothers

mother

whom

believe

yet

am

about to

beyond the

their
to

do

babies
all

drift

it,

know,
one of

bird.

tell

But

fairies,

vision of

when

it

is

you why.
that Hes so near

men*s eyes,

mothers do not have nursemaids with

away

to carry wishes to the fairies.

and

leave

them

strange that a thistle seed has

In the land of the

and

let

blow a wish upon

and though you might not

these mothers

fairy

whom

they needs must

to
fly

those things mothers have to do;

the things that take so long

17

so

long.

There-^

DREAM BOATS

i8

make

fore,

they

them

to spin

friends with spiders

webs

and ask

bushes whereon there

in the

are thorns.

When
in

web

spun a mother

is

There the baby

it.

keep

all

enemy

safe,

is

lays her

baby

thorns

for the

creatures away.

Before the mother leaves, she gives her baby

new moon

the

cradle, he

for a plaything,

turned upside

"That

spills out.

in the

and plays with the crescent

plays

rattle until it is

and lying

You can make

is

why

it

down and

rains

the water

to-morrow I"

wishes for mothers come true

only on those seven

thistle

seeds gathered from

the friendly bush that has played nursemaid to

mother

the
If

you

or for

of a

little fairy.

desire to

some one

make

else's

a wish for your mother

mother

(for

it

is

almost,

but not quite, as sweet to send a wish for another's

mother as

it

is

to

wish for one's own,)

gather seven thistle seeds from a bush wherein

there

is

spider's

web.

Give them

to

sever

"WHY

IT

RAINS

TOMORROW

DREAM BOATS
they

After

children.

have

each child open the window,

not high enough to

fall

out;

as a special envoy, to a port

The

message.

Maybe
will

fairies

thistle

but

a wish; blow

It will

on

journey,

the sea of air

deliver your

it

come

sweet errand

is

over, the seed

it

true.

bears also the promise of a

as a precious cargo, and, casting off

sail to

some barren road

where next summer another child

it

new moon,

make

that

anchor, steadfastly

from

bless

just so high,

and there

fairies will

after the

remember

live,

is

make

the thistle seed into the night.

where the

"God

said

Mother" on a night when there

let

19

seven more seeds that will

will

sail

its

side,

gather

forth

on a

like quest.

You must

not

tell

the wish

you must not ask the

a

diamond

fairies

you have made and

fairies to

send your mother

dog-collar or an aeroplane.

do not know about these

things.

might wish that some one would

flower; perhaps she

would

like to

The

You

toss her a

hear music.

DREAMBOATS

20

and maybe

it

would be nice

sunshine for an hour.

for her to

These

are the real gifts of the fairies.

sit

in the

can assure you

But

in order to

have them bestowed upon the rightful mother,

remember, you must open your window only

wide; and don't

fall

out.

so

BUTTERFLY'S NIGHTMARE

MOTHS

are cousins to the fairies, once re-

moved, on

their fathers' side, for they are

on the wing between the dusk of evening and

the twilight of early

cousins to the

morning.

fairies,

Butterflies

are

twice removed, on their

mothers' side, because they

fly

when

the sun

is

up, and the lights are shining bright in dewdrops.

The
ins,

fairies

and with

are friendly with their

their

second cousins

too,

on more intimate terms with

can

live

flies

since they are not

time.

first

on the wing

For when they are

flying,

cous-

but they
butter-

at the

same

they are

so

busy foraging for a dinner, that they cannot

pause to pass the time of day.
Striking family resemblances are often seen in
the markings

and

and patterns on

butterflies'

wings.
21

fairies'

and moths'

DREAM BOATS

22

In

the

Dream-time, when

ruffled their feathers

and put

their wings, all things

dainty butterfly maiden

gentle winds

their

may be
is

heads under

found.

swayed

to

Every

dreams by
a

seed-ball, so feathery, soft,

and

honey and pollen

that

But

just

Butterflies eat the

are held within the chalice of flowers.

as there are

have

birds

on her sweet, bubble-like bed of

downy, dandelion
sweet.

the

human

beings

who

eat dinners that

they should not, so are there butterflies who, try

as hard as they

may, cannot

resist a

tempting

meal of the pollen of snapdragons, cowslips, toadflax,

or one of the irresistible dishes so tempting

to a butterfly's palate.

And
fairies

so,

through a summer night, two

all

keep watch with outstretched arms under

every butterfly's bed, lest by chance the sleeper

has indulged in a dinner of the pollen that gives

one

nightmare.

straying

wind

And

if,

perhaps,

some

late

desires to learn the time of night

and suddenly blows her bed

in bits of drifting

"LEST

COUSIN

NIGHTMARE SHOULD COME TO THE FAIRIES'

REMOVED ON THEIR MOTHER'S SIDE"

TWICE

DREAM BOATS
down from under
fairies are there,

self,

the two

waiting and prepared to catch

that cousin, twice

side.

her dreaming

23

removed, on

their

mother's

BAD CHILDREN
FAIRY

have cut their

that

it

she doesn't.

first teeth,

and no one knows

bad then except

they are

She thinks

never bad until they

children are

is

a pretty thing, but she pretends

had a corner, she would

she

If

stand them in

mother.

their

As

it.

she has none, she takes

each naughty child's chin in her hand, very

gently,

and

says:

"Child, you have lost your nose.

it.

And

if

you don't

where your nose used

will find a

Now,

stick

you finger

to be, until

Gold Nose

Go

at the

you

look for

in the hole

find

it,

you

same time."

the fairies never think.

For,

if

they did,

they would see that they would have no use for a

Gold Nose even

if

they found one.

they stop to think, off

sails

into the air to look for

its

24

So, before
fairy

up

hands

for

each naughty

nose, with

its

DREAMBOATS
oars, so that

it

cannot stick

its

hole where

its

nose used to be.

Fanning

its

wings,

air

and, on

still

wings,

up and down again

sky for

its

it

25

fingers into the

up

sails straight

drifts

it sails,

nose; which

is

down

again.

looking

Until,

by and by,

about the Nose of Gold, and forgets

hands

for oars.

And

Well, of course, you

Just
lost

all

And

over the

another proof that

does not think, for what, pray, would

doing there?

into the

it

its

nose be

forgets

it is

it

using

all
its

then

know what it

does at once.

what you did with your tongue when you

your tooth.

THE RELUCTANT MIRRORSI

HY,

wonder, do grapes, certain

and some

dim

within a

berries,

hide their purple faces

fruits,

veil of violet

mists?

and purple plums, damsons,

all

Rose-coloured

dark grapes, and

berries that are blue, retire behind veils of frosty-

shadows.
Is

it

that they, because of a strange, sweet rea-

son, have taken the veil

selves,

and Hve with

Hke nuns, hidden

their shining

in a silence of exquisite

pain?
Perhaps, being so shiny, they were mistaken by
the fairies for mirrors, which,
created,

was not

as they are,

certain

when

they were

in the least intended,

and

fruits

born of a royal purple lineage, resent

winged creatures

staring at their

own

nesses, reflected in the fruits' shining rind.

like-

Maybe

they did not understand their vanity, and thought

26

"PERHAPS

BEING

THE

SO

SHINY

FAIRIES

THEY

FOR

WERE

MIRRORS"

MISTAKEN

BY

DREAM BOATS
that the fairies stood a

them with an

little

apart

27

and glared

excessive rudeness, for

at

no reason

at all.

And
comes

so,

with a certain self-consciousness which

in fruit that

they remark with

better retire,
veilsl'^

my

is

born of a purple parentage,

tilted noses:

"I think

we had

dears, behind the privacy of our

THE FANFARE

EYES have we with which to

see; a nose for

smelling; tongue for tasting; ears for hearing;

and

The

fairies

have as

we have with which

many

senses as

know

human

love.

beings

it.

The

fairies

do not go

to school as children do.

learn everything they have to

their mothers, as bugs,

and

do, and as babies learn

all

they

to

and they have a few more, but they don't

have,

They

a heart

know from

their

birds,

know from

and bunnies

the nicest things that

mothers,

and

the only

things they can never forget.

The
little

fairies

have a sense that stays up in the

horns that grow out of their foreheads. All

flying creatures have

it

growing somewhere.

It

keeps them from butting into anything, and they

can

fly

anywhere they

like,

28

and do not have

to

DREAMBOATS
Human

look where they are flying.

not have this sense, for

if

29

beings do

they do not look where

they are walking, they will stump their toes.

And

the fairies possess a sense of play that

human

beings have

when

they are

world, but nearly always they lose

this

fairy feels his play getting lost,

his

born into

he must

back and each member of the

he belongs has one tickle

at

If

it.

tribe to

on

lie

which

him, which

is

the

very best medicine for this malady.

you must surely know,

This,
If it

is

catching.

cannot be tickled back into the place

belongs, the Apothecary, with his quill

a

from a

feather

starling's

tail,

made

it

of

and with the

crimson juice of the pokeberry weed, writes a

sign
It

which

is

posted on the patient's chest.

reads: "growing upi"

When
that he

the dreaded words appear,

is

to be exiled

solemn ceremony

petal

is

from

his tribe.

it

is

a sign

Silently a

performed.

from a flower

is

stuck on a stalk of

DREAM BOATS

30

The whole

grass.

march with

tribe

droning sound to an open place

He who
and

is

Httle

weeds.

in the

to be expelled holds the petal high

cries:

"Fanfare

and the wind blows the

must

Fanfare!"

Fanfare!

petal in the direction

he

take.

Then everyone
nail in a

in the tribe trims

fond farewell to the one

one finger-

who

is

leaving.

In return he sticks out his tongue at each one of

them, and

flies

off as the kindly

rected him, to find a

new

to

di-

tribe.

This seems very sad, but

are everywhere,

wind has

it

isn't.

The

fairies

and a strange creature only has

answer one question to be admitted into a

tribe,

and

that question

is:

"Can you chew on both

sides?"

GIVING THANKS

EVERYBODY

and everything

wants a child of some sort of

There are some who are thankful

who

others

are not contented

world

in this

for

when

its

own.

one

child,

they have a

hundred.

The oak

many
is

a long time of wanting

tree, after

children every year, has learned that there

room

not

for all the children

it

wants to be

brought up in proper oak-tree fashion.

fore,
sit,

it

spills,

out of the

those acorns that

little

grow

branches, thus giving a

dinner.

The

little

frost,

the

there

chipmunk

to

up on the

a delightful

cups, being empty, soon

are

fairies

and migrate with

birds,

cups in which they

straight

with a cool drink of drops of

Now,

There-

warm

dew and

abide

winged kindred,

southern lands.
31

rain.

who cannot

their

fill

Nothing

DREAM BOATS

32

makes one so

thirsty as

and so the oak

long and high

flights,

finds happiness in providing a

refreshing drink for these birdlike beings as they

stop in

its

branches to

Therefore,

dinner

for

rest their
is

wearied wings.
the

chipmunk

thankful; for a refreshing drink to a thirsting

throat
little

is

every migrating fairy thankful; and for

loving services to others

thankful, which, after

fairy's face

when

it

It

is

the thirst

almost as

another's child, as
one's

own I"

it

is

the oak tree

has seen the joy in a

is

a soft rustHng of russet leaves:

dear!

is

quenched, says

"Oh, dear

sweet to

to be

be

in^

Oh,

kind to

kind to a child of

"

THE

OAK

FINDS

DRINK

IN PROVIDING 'A- REFRESHING

MIGRATING FAIRIES"

HAPPINESS

FOR

FAIRY RING
{Suggested by Jean Ingelow)

THE
foot

And

so,

"One-

tribe of fairies that are called the

ones" cannot abide the cold weather.

with the

first

descent of that obnoxious

and destructive creature, Mr. Jonathan

Frost,

they bury themselves.

As

tumn

the

crimson leaves dance down the au-

breezes, they form themselves into

and go up the grass

circles,

turning their toes in; and

in swerving circles,

down

circles turning their toes out.

out;

and down, toeing in

toeing

in.

Until one of

singing bird on a golden

"Oh,

speral,

clear away, clear

And

speral!

the grass in even

And

up, toeing

Up, toeing out. Down,

them

gives a call like a

noon

in springtime:

Oh,

holy,

holy!

away; clear up, clear up

each digs a

little

hole.

33

little

I"

Oh,

DREAM BOATS

34

The one who

in,

and

neighbour covers him up,

his next-door

and then jumps

jumps

to finish his hole

is first

into

own

his

hole and gets

covered up in his turn.

Then around, and around, and around,

there

only one

is

He

left.

flies

off

and

until

joins

another circle, hoping that he will have better

fortune than to be the

Once upon

a time

"'Why do you do

The

say,

For that
that

a fairy,

"Old Mother Fate makes us do

that

lightful

And

is

asked a One-foot one:

"

is, is;

and when

the reason that

is

They

it?

the next time.

never have a reason for anything.

fairies

They

last

a very

it

is."

is, it is

it

(Which,

good reason

for

if

as

it.

it is,

one

is

such a de-

performance.)
the next day, they sprout,

are not fairies at

good children

are

all,

and come up.

but those

who were

Mushrooms^ and those who

were bad children are Toadstools,

SNAKEDOCTOR
\LACK-THE-DAY!

/\
a

melon

maiden has swooned

in the

shadow

of

vine!

Ding-dong-delll

Ring

Whatever

do?

shall I

A fairy

Dear mel

all

Ding-dong-dell!

the bells in your purple belfry,

Brother Columbine!

Send the tinkle ringing around, and around,

all

ye

bell,

little

flowers that bear as your

unto the time of

daffy-down-dilly

dragon

its

bloom a

echoing through the

and thus awaken the dreaming

fly.

O pollen-powdered clappers, strike your flower

bells,

sending forth a resonance of sounds on

every wave of sweet odour that arises from your

silken throats!

Are you human

folk
35

aware that

fairy ladies

DREAMBOATS

36

the evening in order that they

fly forth in

bathe in

sweet

the

winds

of

twilight,

may
and

perchance have a dinner with those creatures

that partake of a silken soft

Twinkle

tinkle!

meal by starlight?

Tinkle twinkle!

Ring! oh, ring, Sweet Columbine!

lovely lady has fallen in a

the leaves of a

melon

swoon beneath

vine.

Fairy ladies never faint save

into the blue eyes of a lover

when

who

they look

has forsaken

one

in

May.

Therefore,

Snakedoctor, hasten with your

his loved

leaf litter to a lady in sore distress.

Behold, at

winged
fairy

last,

stretcher

maiden and

"Ahem!
Fly.

he comes and the pale greenbearers

lay her

Ahem!"

on

tenderly

lift

up the

their leaf.

says grave

Doctor Dragon

**A heaping eyeful of loveliness immediate-

ly."

Then
pulse.

he

counts

and

counts

her

minute

DREAM BOATS
"One, two,

"O

Little Elves of

on your

Very

three, four, five, six, seven.

Very weak

weak!

37

swift, glad

Loving Kindness, bear her

wings past the

rarest aspect

in the garden.

"One,

two,

three,

four,

five,

Without another pulse beat

six,

seven.

can effect no

cure."

Over the

and

gilly-flower

over

sweet

the

rocket, they bear the dragon fly's fair patient,

a-searching for her lost pulse beat.

"One,
Still

twoj, three, four,

seven

five, six,

"

seeking, they float with her through the

aromatic odours arising from the bergamot and

herb o'grace, and

drift

by the drooping heads of

love-lies-a-bleeding.

Would you human

folk

Snakedoctor's balm for a

a

care to

fair

lady

know

who

lies

the
in

swoon?
His prescriptions are compounded

the eye and the ear.

solely for

DREAM BOATS

38

IJ

The Anodyne.

-^/^

It is

Springtime

cardinal bird

woos

his

on a wistaria vine.

mate

Sings he in his song to her:

^^

Violet's blue, blue

Lavender

When

You
While

What

Twinkle tinkle!

s green, green.

am

king, king

Tinkle twinkle!

shall be queen, queen.**

his

lost

mate dreams of a

little

bird in its shell.

pulse could resist that?

"O dear Doctor! O dear

Doctor!"

softly

hums

the fairy lady as she beholds his healing cure.

Twinkle

tinkle!

Tinkle twinkle!

on the wind

the columbine swing

Will not you

human

folk admit that

Thus did
of evening.
its

swaying

brings such sweet results?

"One, two,

dear!

Found
cured

proud

And

is

is

three, four, five, six, seven,

dear! "Eight!"

is

the

the

little lost

fainting

pulse beat.

the learned dragon

as for

lady.

fairy

you human

Therefore,
Therefore,

fly.

folk,

would you not do

'AN

ANODYNE
CARRIED

FOR SWOONING FAIRY LADIES

PAST CARDINAL BIRDS SINGING
WISTARIA VINE"

'

IS

TO

ON A

BE

DREAM BOATS
well to take his

nostrum?

you increase too much

lovers, leave not

At

least

39

beware

lest

his labours.

your mates in Maytime.

And you who

are lonely, return to your loved

ones at once.

If

not in honour of Love and the

Spring, then for the sake of fairy ladies

who may,

perchance, look into your eyes, and hence

a

swoon within

the cool

shadow

of a

fall

melon

in

vine.

ZOOM, ZOOM!

ZOOM, Zoom!
It is

to

time for

go home and

Father,

jump

Zoom, Zoom!
all little

say,

"God

me

and make

crawling creatures
bless

good

Mother and

little

bug," and

into their beds.

Zoom, Zoom!
It is

the time for the loveliest lady of

who

ladies

Zoom, Zoom!

dwell in the land of the

all

fairies,

the
to

take her evening walk.

Fourteen

fairy

nights, ripped

maidens, for fourteen moonlit

away the

the veins of lacy net

Others held the

train

which forms her

distaff

from stamens

tissue of leaves to obtain

of

overskirt.

and spun and wove her

moonflowers and evening

glory.

Of

all

fairies,

the ladies

she alone

is

who

sojourn in the land of

indulged with the privilege

40

DREAM BOATS
of wearing
that

is

41

two maple seeds fastened

bound around her

to a ribbon

Others,

wrist.

less

favoured, are allowed only one.

Fairy ladies dare not lead

little

dogs on leashes

aL suddenly,

between the avenues of weeds,

lest

they should have a fancy to

up and soar over

blooming bush,

in order that they

odour thereof.

in the

fly

may

of blue musicians,

blowing the same note on

Zoom, Zoom!

And

for others.

is

surround-

each piper

his pipe:

Zoom, Zoom!

enough

For,

to

when

crawling creatures

home.

with

thus in the hour of pastime, fairy ladies

are thoughtful

little

float

paths.

loveliest of all the fairy ladies

circle

So,

moth, leashed on a thread

them through perfumed

ed by a

little

to the earth.

of spider's silk, that their pets

This

bathe

In such a case, the

dog would hold them down

fairy ladies lead forth a

may

perform

little

services

these pipes sound,

know

it

is

all

the

time to go,

DREAMBOATS

42

Zoom, Zoom!

The

Zoom, Zoom!

pageant

little

beneath

passing

is

branches of a horse-chestnut

tree,

which

is

the

trying

to bring

up her children

fashion.

Five weeks longer of delicious sleep

on the

tree

is

pop and they

allotted
fall

in

a highly polished

them before

down

into the

their shells

world to seek

their fortunes.

And

what fortunes can be

yet,

theirs except

to be beautiful, as they lie in the grass?

Zoom, Zoom!

How

Zoom, Zoom!

could even the most well-behaved chest-

nut children sleep amid such noise?

make

faces

at,

and say dreadful words

chestnut language

to,

the lady

who

is

So they
in horse-

the uncon-

scious disturber of their sleep.

One
at

stops complaining long

his

laughs,

brothers.
until

he

He

enough

laughs and

loosens

his

to

look

laughs and

stem!

and

no

wonder.

Now, had

this

tale

been told you a second

DREAMBOATS
later

43

than the present moment, you might have

learned

how

fore his

mother intended

he

fell off

the tree five

weeks be-

that he should.

WARFARE
{The Mobilization

THE

fairies

of the

Fairy

do everything

Army)

that

human

ings do, but cut their second teeth.

be-

This

they cannot do, because they do not shed their

first teeth.

mumps,

Therefore, the fairies have measles,

and war.

Here you

see the mobilization of the Fairy

Army.

They have acorn helmets, and

cruellest

weapon

is

a grass-blade

sword

the blades of grass that

grow up, bend

wave back and

on the

June.

their

one

over,

of

and

wind

of

These grass-blades, when blown on

as

forth

gentlest

you hold them between the thumbs,

thus,

make

fine whistles.
'

The Major General

of the Fairy

Army

does

not say, as Major Generals usually do: "Ready!

44

THE

MOBILIZATION

OF

THE

FAIRY

ARMY'

DREAMBOATS
Aim!

Fire!

On the

Bang!

Shoot everybody in sight!"

contrary, he says:

Fly softly to your

out!

grass-blade sword, strike

right

cheek

gently

Then,
fly

in

back

left

humble
to

of victory!"

your

"Thumbs

up! Toes

enemy and, with your

him

smile sweetly;

on the

45

very gently

and

strike

on the

him

very

cheek, and smile sweetly.

fashion, turning your toes in,

own camp

in a glorious flight

SAND
SWISH swash;

swish

swash.

Adorning themselves

in white caps of innu-

merable bubbles, the waves break into the quiet

of the sands.

Swish

swash;

swish

swash.

In curling feathers of foam the waves

the sands'

domain

as far as they dare,

roll into

and

hastily

withdraw.

Swish

swash;

swish

swash.

With an endless lapping they mark

trusion

their in-

and departure by a wet amethyst

trail

that follows the shining reaches of the shore.

The
land of
ite

fairies

do not

fairies.

They

live for

ever in the invisible

die after a period of exquis-

existence of laughter, merriment,

and mirth.

In the unsalted water of a lake, the tribe to

a6

DREAM BOATS

47

which he belongs buries the dead fellow creature

The

with a ceremony of exceeding sweetness.

warm

light of the

sun and the cool moonlight

shining through the endless tossing of the waves,

here and there,

purify

the

little

beings, until

soon there remains, of what was once a

shell, a

fairy:

frame, a grain of amber, amethyst, or

orange sand.
In the land in which fairies dwell,

little

loving

services to others are the greatest joys they

know.

What

else

could their Paradise be save a place

wherein they create loveliness that

endless

quest for

beauty

may

human
be

beings'

somewhat

satisfied?

After the purification by the

sun, the cool light from the

warmth

moon, and

of the

the wash-

ing of the waves, they assemble in vast hosts on

the shores of a lake, speck by speck, grain by

grain

amber, saffron, and

souls of fine, fine sand;

silver

wee

which they have returned.

a million

tiny

particles of dust to

DREAMBOATS

48

Innumerable as the constellations, with hush,

stillness,

into

and peace, they

little

vales

sift

like a silent

and plateaux, each hot dry plain

The

bordered by faded-gold beach grass.

ows
the

tempest

of the stalks

move back and

wandering wind, with

its

forth.

shad-

When

uneven winnowing,

approaches a stalk of grass, the stem bends, and

around and around

furrow

in a silver

mighty plume, bowed

in a

swoon

trails

the

to the earth

by ardent wooing.

stronger current of

wind from another

di-

rection will soon obliterate the furrowed circle,

cleaning the surface of the plain as a child with

a

sponge erases the long sums of division from

its slate.

It is

high or low

thus prepared for

relief

new

carving in

the paired footprints of furred

creatures, or the bold tracks of sea-birds.

And

then the whole surface of the plateau

spoiled with swerving line

upon

ing waves without foam.

And

billows

mount

is

line of undulat-

yet the soundless

so high that the crest of every

DREAMBOATS
wave

On

is

all

followed by a thin shadow of lavender.

wave upon wave

sides stretch

blown sand

that will give

some bronze

leaf that

Flowing and
parted

49

fairies

pile

no ship a voyage save

makes

trailing,

of wind-

no

for

the

earthly port.

dust-souls

themselves

into

of

de-

miniature

mountains where we may stand and behold the

and the spaces between the

stars

amber

fairy-shell is willing to

stars.

Every

be submerged in

immeasurable damp depths so that those

are fortunate

enough

to be

sown on high may

see the untold myriads of stars.

ness to give to

who

some one the

In their eager-

gift of a sight of

limitless pastures of beauty, impulsively shifting

in

blinding flight,

bushes and
selves

trees.

shroud the

they

And

cover

forest they

be

trees

and

thus their Httle shining

have

They withdraw themselves

from the roots of

flowers

and

swept by the wind.

stifled.

in

trailing

veils

leave gaunt forms to

With

the

changing

sapphire lights, they pour a mountain of grains

DREAM BOATS

so
of

sand as a grave-cloth over evergreen

leaving a valley that might have been

on the face

of the

with flowers that

hours of

youth.

moulded

moon.

In the springtime they crowd their

valleys

trees,

the

recall

hills

and

departed

With an inward glow

that

drenches the night, they trace some cousinship

with the innumerable

There

is

stars.

no sound save the lapping

waves and the soughing of winds

The Dunes

of

where they are

Sand are the

in the trees.

fairies'

eternally happy,

of the

Paradise,

making endless

beauty and creating a pavilion of silence into

which we too can enter and find

sweet peace and

rest.

a sanctuary of

STAY-AT-HOME HEART

STAY-AT-HOME HEART

THE
Kingdom

King,

castle of the

on the

who

ruled over the

Silver Cliffs,

crowned the

highest peak of the white rocks that rose out of

On

the blue, blue sea.

flat,

the top the

and there the palace stood.

white stones, with

windows.

many

turrets

cliffs

was

It

and innumerable

set,

cliffs,

which the fishermen's houses were

When the

crowded together along the seashore.

sun

built of

Very white and steep were the

at the foot of

were

beyond the

sea, every crystal

flamed with the reflection thereof.

window

And

out on

the sea the fishermen, from their boats, could

see the castle shining
silver

On

on the white rocks,

like a

crown on a gray-headed king.

the fourteenth day of July the whole castle

was

aflutter

of

the

with excitement.

Princess

Clio
53

The

christening

Clementine

Caroline

DREAM BOATS

54

Cyclamen Candace Columbine was

magnificent

christening

known

Kingdom on

All

in the

the

bells

had

that

the

most

ever

been

the Silver Cliffs.

the castle rang out as the

in

procession trailed over the carved yellow stones

Through

in the courtyard.

pomegranates growing
jars,

the

the

lilies

and small

at intervals in large

Grand Almoner

blue

scattered broadcast the

choicest sweetmeats, while he led forth the train,

with the heralds blowing upon their brass horns.

The Archbishop and

came

next,

Privy Councillors

by the Prime Minister,

attended

courtiers, chancellors

the

and the lords

of the Court,

The

the under-secretary and the clerks.

and mother

of the

little

Queen, followed the

Princess, the

clerks.

The

father

King and

Junior page

boys scattered wild flowers in the path before

the Chief Cradle-rocker,
Six

names were

She was clothed

lace in

who carried the little girl.

to be given the

in the

little

Princess.

same christening robe

of

which her mother, and her grandmother,

DREAM BOATS

55

and her great-grandmother had once upon

time been christened.

Following the nurses to

the

proper order, marched

little

Princess, in

the Princesses

of

Court,

the

Duchesses and

Marchionesses, Countesses and Viscountesses,

Baronesses, Maids of

Honour, Ladies

of

the

Bedchamber, guards, grooms and lackeys, the

cooks and scullions.

When

the grand procession had slowly passed

through the doorway of the chapel, the chimes

were

silent.

The King commanded

every one

of his subjects, including the bell-ringers, to be

present at the great event.

When

the christening

ceremony was over the

Grand Almoner asked the people

into the garden of the castle.

began

to peal forth again,

down

Suddenly the

and guns were

announce the importance

waved everywhere on

to follow

of the affair.

poles, as the

him
bells

fired to

Flags

crowd came

the broad paths laughing, and singing, and

shouting, while the soldiers of the

King came

to

DREAM BOATS

56

a halt

and presented arms.

were ruled by the King of the Silver

wild with delight
princess

when

live

were

Cliffs

they heard that their

was now the possessor

**Long

who

All the people

of six nameSo

Long

the Princess!

our

live

little

Princess!" shouted the Marchionesses and the

scullery maids.

was spread under the horse-chestnut

feast

And on

trees.

the lawn, fountains poured forth

streams of water, just for

this

especial

dayc

Everyone was presented with a sweetmeat that

was hidden within a heart-shaped paper.

guest ate his sweetmeat as he received

one

an

The

witnessed the christening, unnoticed.

in her eyes.
girl, in

of heart

She moved forward,

her sea-green cloak.

was bound

light

was gleaming
like a

young

Around her

waist

a girdle of rainbow-coloured ribbons.

You must now

of the

young

save

it,

who had come and

uninvited guest

that shines in the

Each

suspect,

way she looked,

from what

that she

was a

told

fairy.

you
She

DREAM BOATS
was a
days

fairy indeed.

when

mother

All this took place in the

good child had

a fairy god-

not so very long ago.

Now,
fairy

every

57

if

still

all

godmothers are

then one

fairies,

dwells in the world to-day.

know

boy who has a godmother.

This

sister of the fairies

did not eat the sweet-

meat with the other guests.

reticule that

When

hung on

citrons,

now

feast of

it

in a

a cord from her wrist.

she was sure that

engrossed in the

She hid

all

the guests were

sugar-plums, nectarines,

and other delightful things

that

were

being passed amongst them by the pages,

she withdrew from the crowds gathered around

the tables, and went to have one look at the

little

princess that was permitted everyone present.

As she stood

at the foot of the royal cradle,

she spread her arms, like the wings of a bird on

the point of flying.

"I

am

your Godmother," she

above a whisper.

said,

scarcely

DREAM BOATS

58

"I came uninvited

sisters,

here, to present to

gifts.

"Their

shall

My

your christening.

me

the fairies, sent

you three

fairies

to

you

By

the

will be called Cynthia, because,

you

first

gift to

you

name.

is

be as beautiful as the crescent

moon setting

in a twilight of April.

"And
own.

the fairies give

The North

Star

is

you a

star, all

you look

at

If

you never

your heart for

to bear loving kindness in

kinsfolk while

your

You must watch

yours.

for this star every cloudless night.

fail

for

your

someday, love comes into your

star,

life it will

my

when,
never,

never leave you."

The

little

Princess Cynthia took her

out of her mouth.

silken covers, as her

She

lay very

still,

thumb
in

her

godmother gave her the

last gift.

"Listen well. Godchild, as

third

gift.

You

making one wish

are

give you

the

granted the privilege of

only

a single wish that will

DREAM
come

true.

you are

in

surely
until

Cherish the

need of

may seem

This

59

But

baby.

human

Save

it

fairy consolation."

Sometimes they even say

is

it

is,

you have

if

before babies
all

do from the
fairy

The

not.

Babies learn

words.

strange, pretty things they

words

the

fairies.

strange

sounds, like crowing, that set the mother

wondering what her child

After
fairies

of

last gift.

always talk to babies, that

learn to say

little

strange to you,

tried to talk to a
fairies

BOA

all

many

years,

is

trying to say.

the three gifts

from the

were the only things Cynthia remembered

came

that

to pass

on the day she was

christened.

The
that

fairy

were

godmother returned

now

nectarine, she
of the castle.

and laughing

talking

groups in the garden.

moved

to the

crowds
in

gay

After she had eaten one

quietly to the great gates

Then she

slipped away, without

any one, save the Princess Cynthia, having noticed that she

was among the

guests.

But the

DREAM BOATS

6o

**

Princess said

ta ta,"

and other

thumb

she again slipped her pink

The

fairy

set.

at

lasted until after the

She had promised the

another christening.
cottage

fisherman's

It

that

tucked away

village,

into her

mouth.

godmother hurried away from the

which

festivities,

words, as

fairy

with eyes as

was

No

mother and

be present

to take place in a

stood in

among

foot of the Silver C'iffs.

event, save the

fairies to

sun had

the

fishing

the rocks, at the

one witnessed

this

father of the

boy

blue as the gentians that grew

beside the stream in the forest up on the

There was no

feast or celebration

was named David,

father,

and

their turn,

as this

father,

boy

his grand-

who

had, in

been fishermen to the kings that had

Kingdom on

the fairy

gifts to the

land of the

and

his

his great-grandfather,

ruled over the

When

after

cliffs.

the Cliffs.

godmother had given three

fisherman's son, she retired to the

fairies.

There she was very happy

lived for a long time.

DREAM BOATS
Now,
may

if

you

But,

for

if

good terms with

all six

you

are a friend of the fairies,

call this little girl

to do.

6i

Cynthia, as

am privileged

any reason, you are not on

the fairy-folk,

you must

call

her

names, given to her by the Archbishop

at

her christening, Clio Clementine Caroline Cycla-

men Candace Columbine.

The

Princess Cynthia

cesses are

golden

wont

ball, in

to do.

grew up,
Still

as

she played with her

the King's garden, by the pool

from the

that splashed incessantly as the water

fountain

Down

fell

into

it.

on the white sands

grew strong and

be,

prin-

little

fair

and

of the beach,

brave.

he became a fisherman, as

Just as

it

his father

David
should

and

his

grandfather had been good fishermen in their

day.
sea, in

Every morning, David went out upon the

one of the fishing boats, with

and the other fishermen.

his father

At the hour when

the

reflection of the setting sun shone in the castle

windows, they returned with the boats

filled

with

DREAMBOATS

62

shining
fish,

When

fish.

they brought

castle

and gave

it

it

the fishermen caught a fine

door of the

to the kitchen

to the cook.

Every evening, when the sky was

clear,

Princess Cynthia looked far over the sea

to her star.

Then

love to her fairy

sea,

the

and up

she would send a message of

And down on

godmother.

David looked up

at the

the

shining turrets of

the castle, from the boats, as they returned to the

shore.

Cynthia had scarcely reached the age of

teen

when many kings sought

young princes

One
of

six-

her hand for the

of the neighbouring kingdoms.

day, her father, having perceived the wealth

some

"My

of the kings, called his daughter to him.

dear

child,"

he

said,

"the time

is

approaching when you must give up playing,

and prepare
husband and
you
you.

to be a queen.
I

a son-in-law.

are, therefore I shall

You
I

shall

am

have a

wiser than

choose a husband for

Play on with your golden

ball.

When

DREAMBOATS

63.

have found the proper prince for your heart and

hand,

will call

King could choose among

Before the

many

a strange

suitors,

came from

He

away.

you from your play."

kingdom

The sun was

He

prince arrived.

twelve thousand leagues

was so rich and powerful

King could not

the

that the

resist listening to his address.

shining on the pool in the King's

garden, making the water of the fountain glisten

like stars as

it

leaped into the

air.

The

Princess rolled her golden ball from the

of

the

mimosa

shadow

Her

the sunshine.

into

tree

Httle

golden hair gleamed like the primroses that grew

in a circle

around the fountain.

She was

happy

her play to lose one

moment

in

far

of

too
it.

Therefore she sent one of her maids to peep

through a break in the syringa hedge.

the

little

maid was

to see the visiting prince.

Then, when Cynthia grew

ball,

she could hear

whom

There

tired playing with her

how

the

man looked

to

she was to give her heart and her hand.

DREAMBOATS

64

Especially, did she bid the

words the Prince said

The maid

maid

listen to the

to her father.

stood on tiptoes and looked through

She saw a large

the branches of the hedge.

coach, shining

in

the

The wheels

sunlight.

were gilded and the cushions were red, with

many

tassels that

drawn by

waved on the wind.

eight. horses as white as

harness and reins were of red

coats,

snow.

was

The
The

leather.

and

their hoofs stamp-

number

of footmen in red

steeds started impatiently

ed the flagstones.

It

armed and mounted on white

horses,

were grouped around the coach.

The maid

listened, but the horses

men made such

noise

that

and

foot-

she could hear

nothing the rich Prince said to the King, save

that he did not have a mother.

When

she returned to the pool, the Princess

Cynthia had forgotten the errand on which she

had sent her maid.

golden

ball

Therefore, they tossed the

into the air,

until

the sun

moved

DREAM BOATS
behind the

castle turrets,

cool in the shadow-,

Princess

in

and the garden turned

page brought tea to the

The

garden.

the

65

prince

visiting

drove away amid a clatter of hoofs and wheels.

This reminded the Princess that she had not

asked the maid what manner of

whom

she was

commanded

man

this

was

to

to give her heart.

She asked the question with her mouth

full of

cooky and jam.

"He

is

old and

fat

with a long red beard,"

replied the maid.

And what

"Ugh!
***My

father

Meadow;

is

did he say?"
the

King

of

the

Sunken

have no mother,'" quoted the maid,

affecting haughtiness.

"I will not give him

Cynthia

my

heart

and

said, as she left the table

ball into the air.

It fell

my

hand,"

and cast her

with a splash into the

water of the pool and was lost amongst the long

swaying stems of the water-lily pads.

After the

King had

eaten his supper, he sent

DREAM BOATS

66

for the Princess Cynthia.

chosen a

fine

He

had

told her he

and proper husband

for her.

"He is the Prince of the Sunken Meadow.

He is very rich and in a little while will be a
Then you

king.

"I do

will

not want to

rather just be happy.

to

marry

be a queen."
be a queen.

Nothing

this prince, father.

will

home, beside

my own

would

induce

do not want

go twelve thousand leagues away.

stay at

want

me
to

to

blue sea."

Cynthia was determined, and poked out her

lower

lip,

which, in Cynthia, expressed stubborn-

ness.

"Hoity-toity!" said the King.

said but

pray

This he never

when he was provoked.

tell

"Why

not?

me."

"I have heard that he has three wrinkles across

whom I give
my hand shall not have one wrinkle. He has
a beard, a long red beard; the prince to whom
I give my heart must love butter, or else I could
the back of his neck; the prince to

DREAMBOATS

67

Now, how on

not endure him.

earth

can a

buttercup prove that any one loves butter,

if

long red beard covers up his chin?

"Worst
mother.

of
I

he admitted that he had no

all,

not marry a

will

man who

has no

mother I"

And

she took refuge in the arms of her

mother with such

no one but

a king

pitiful

who

and tender

own
that

trust

has gout could have had

such a hard heart.

'*

Hoity-toity!"

was a very bad

said
sign.

King

the

He

room, Hmping on a crutched

He ordered
up

his

the First

withdrew from the

stick.

of the Court to shut

where she could speak

for eight days.

one

which

daughter in a high turret in a remote corner

of the castle,

But

Lord

again,

all

to

no person

Cynthia pleaded with her

her entreaties were to no purpose.

in the

kingdom must obey

what her

father

Every-

the King.

He

The

little

then ceased to think on the subject.

Princess, seeing

father.

had done,

fell

DREAMBOATS

68

down

in a

swoon, and a guard carried her ten-

up the winding

derly

stairway.

Eight days the Princess Cynthia sat

her cushions, in a

long circling

room

stairs,

among

in the turret with the

winding her

But

distaff.

often she had to untangle the matted thread.

Eight evenings, as the fishermen's boats returned

homeward over the sea,

she looked out of the large

round window, waiting

for the

sun to

set.

When

the light faded from the sky, the steadfast star would

down on

shine

her.

She watched the

was her only consolation.

line of boats

draw near the

The fishermen looked up from

beach.
at the

It

weather-cock on the castle

turret,

the sea

swing-

ing to and fro on the wind of the evening, and

the sunlight, shining on

the glass in the win-

The golden

dows, dazzled their eyes.

lost in the

pool in the King's garden.

wistaria vines, that trailed

cliffs

up

to the

window

ball

was

In the

from the foot of the

in the castle turret, the

ring-doves cooed their saddest twilight notes.

DREAM BOATS
"Surely,

of

kingdom/' thought the

father's

Princess, "there
heart as

The

people

the

all

69

my

who

live

little

imprisoned

in

none so lonely and sad

is

of

am."
She

light faded in the sky.

that her

felt

heart must surely break.

"How
father's

long

am

my

to be held a captive in

prison?" she sighed.

to twinkle.

As

she blew a kiss out of the window, for the

fair-

Over the sea the

stars

began

she sent a message of love and

ies,

belief

in

them.

The

silence of the night

was broken by a

ringing knock on the door, followed by the

entrance

men

of

stepped

the

King

inside

and

the

Two

Queen.

room with flaming

torches.

"Are you ready

Prince of the

for

your wedding

kingdom.

the

Sunken Meadow?" asked her

father, the ruler of all the

his

to

people

who

lived in

DREAM BOATS

70
**I

am

not ready, Father, because there will

not be any wedding to that Prince," she mildly

replied.
**

We

He

hit

Queen

"On

roared the king,

will seel"

to follow

him

at

once.

the fourteenth day from to-day you will

house and

wish.

see that

my

kissed her

many

poor

her heart
I
I,

am

fail

the ruler of

her arms and

laid her

Surely

this

head
place

her now.

little

wept the mother with

child,"

of pain.

full

in

Cynthia

times.

on her mother's shoulder.

would not

am

subjects obey!"

The Queen took Cynthia

"My

see!"

the floor with his stick, calling to the

marry whomsoever
this

"we will

"I

am

your mother, but

powerless to save you from this great hurt.

who

love

you

better

than anything in the

world, must submit to your father's cruelty."

"Come

at

once, wife!" angrily shouted the

King from without

The Queen

the door.

laid a

bunch of wild flowers on

DREAM BOATS
Cynthia's lap.

She

71

her child alone in the

left

dark tower.

The knocking
steps

and

these

down

faded away

fainter

any

the stairway.

grew the sound of the

two whose love

to give

King's stick on the

of the

for

Fainter

footsteps of

each other had ceased

few years

light in their lives a

after

the birth of their daughter.

Left in the darkness, Cynthia wiped the tears

from her

She looked out upon the sea

eyes.

and then up

above the dark water.

and sad and sweet,

many

wxre now shining

to the stars that

Very sorrowful she was

like a

pansy hidden

she sat in

leaves, as

midst

the

among
of

the

cushions.

Again Cynthia was beginning

suddenly she remembered her

What godmother
especially

those

who

when

to

fairy

cry,

when

godmother.

ignores the need of a child,

that child has

should cherish her?

been deserted by
Therefore, she

thought, would there be any other time in her

DREAM BOATS

72

whole

life

when she would

this time, the

fulfilling

need, more than at

of the

wish the

fairies

had granted her on the day she was christened.

Surely

no greater

could

ill-fortune

befall

her.

in her father's house,

with

her only hope of liberty the marriage to a

man

She was a prisoner

who

did not have a mother.

Thus she

sat all

through the night, unable to

determine whether or not

to ask her

this

was the proper time

one assured wish of the

fairies.

But

how could she be sure of wishing wisely? She was

still

so young.

passed

All

quickly

so

carelessly with her

she

know

to

playing with

know what

by.

life

had

She had only played

golden

make
her

days of her

the

ball.

What

else did

her happy, but to go on

golden

ball?

She did not

to ask of the fairies, that

would

save

her from the cruel plan her father seemed deter-

mined

The
of

to carry out.
stars

faded one by one as the gray light

dawn spread

over the sky.

When

the

first

DREAM BOATS

73

beam upon

ray of the rising sun threw a gold

rowed

the sea the fishermen

their boats out

and

cast the nets into the water.

Worn and
Cynthia was

tired, after the long, sleepless night,

still

unable

would save her from

why

she did so,

to

what

determine

Not knowing

this plight.

she arose and walked

With

slowly to the window.

her heart that had

made

the

same

faith in

her find the North

hands

Star in the sky every night, she raised her

as

if

in

prayer.

She asked her godmother,

wherever she might be,

in

some way

her or to send a message that would

it

very

was she must now ask of the

to

tell

come

to

her what

fairies.

*'0 Godmother, send me a low sweet nest,

Wherein my breaking heart may rest."

"

She said

this

out loud.

the one wish that

she did not

know

would

Thus did she make

surely

come

true.

But

it.

After Cynthia had given the wish to the wind,

to be

borne away on

its

invisible

wings

to her

DREAMBOATS

74

godmother, she said these same words over and

But she did not

over again.

know why

she re-

peated them so often.

When

the sun was well

afar over the

wings, as

in the sky,

on

sunlight flashed

its

moved up and down with

it

from

blue sea there flew a great sea-

The

green bird.

up

spread

the toss-

ing of the waves, coming nearer and nearer to

Around and around

the shore.

the Castle of the Silver Cliffs

it

the turrets of
flew, calling to

the wild gulls that were nesting in the crevices

rocky

of the
turret

cliffs.

held

that

Around and around

prisoner a

wheeled, sending a great

little

call

princess,

the
it

echoing across

the sea.

upon hearing the

Cynthia,

bird's strange cry

outside the turret window, flung open the case-

ment.
It

The

flapped

bird alighted on the

its

folded them.
its

rainbow

window

ledge.

wings with a great noise and then

Then

breast.

it

preened the feathers of

DREAMBOATS

75

Cynthia stirred like a wild flower on a gentle

wind, and said:

"O

sea-green bird with rainbow breast,

Sing me a song of a low sweet nest,
Wherein my breaking heart may rest."

Now,

if

you have

a fairy

godmother, you, too,

might have heard the song the sea-green bird

with the rainbow breast and gold tail-feathers

sang to the unhappy Princess.

But

one of those who have no

godmother and

fairy

have never heard such a song,

well as

am

able,

how

if

you

are

will tell you, as

the song sounded.

"0 Speraly Se-u-re ! The water in the pool in the

It is stirred incesKing's garden is never, never still.
santly by the fountain, that rises in a slim column and
By the
then falls among the lilies that grow therein.
rim of stones that encircle the pool in the King's garden
two yellow irises arise out of the damp earth and lift
up their heads to the sun. The two irises cannot see
Between them
one another face to face over the water.
a woodbine vine trails its leaves and tendrils in the
small waves that lap the smooth stones below with a
But they can see one another's distorted
gentle sound.
image, as they sway back and forth, reflected in the
Speral, Se-u-re!''
moving water.

The song being sung, again

the feathers of

its

rainbow

the bird preened

breast.

A blue feather

DREAM BOATS

76

caught in

Then

beak and clung there for a moment.

its

down

drifted

it

bird spread

its

The

to the Princess's feet.

wings and took

flight.

flew in a straight line above the sea, and

It

passed over the fishing boats, as they were tossed

up and down with the waves.

shaded

his eyes

fisherman

with his hand to look at

it,

and

called to another fisherman, in a near-by boat:

"

have never seen a bird like that one in these

parts before."

On

and on the bird

flew, until

window Cynthia could only

spot against the sky.

and lower,

Its

until at last

it

from the

see a small gray

wings dropped lower

sank so low that the

foam of the waves dashed against

Suddenly

it

castle

dropped down into the

its

breast.

sea.

All of

the bird save the rainbow-coloured feathers of

breast

its

tail

and one of the gold feathers from

dissolved

and became

its

part of the great blue

ocean.

Those

feathers of the great singing bird, that

PZ)

V/-

"THE

SEA

OF

GREEN BIRD SANK SO LOW THAT THE FOAM

THE WAVES DASHED AGAINST ITS BREAST "

'

DREAMBOATS
did not

become

77

a part of the sea, drifted to the

north and to the south, then to the east and to

the west, to be

washed ashore

at the foot of the cliffs,

silver in the

when

thq sand was like

Cynthia was

in her turret,

pondering over the song

was a message from the

"Two

on the beach

moonlight.

Meanwhile, back

plea to her

later,

of the bird.

fairies, in

Surely

it

answer to her

Godmother.

yellow

irises,

that

can only see one

another^s distorted image, as they sway back and

forth, reflected in the

water of the pool in the

King's garden," repeated the imprisoned Princess to herself.

She looked out of the window and over the

sea,

wondering what these words might mean.

Down

on the

ing homeward.

brought

sea the fishermen

were return-

David and the other fishermen

in their boats laden with fish.

After

they had landed on the beach, far below the

window from which

the Princess Cynthia looked

DREAMBOATS

78

down on them, David brought

the finest fish to

the kitchen door of the castle, and gave

them

to

the head cook.

As David, returning from

the beach, the
to

wind

the castle, reached

had begun

of the twilight

blow and the moon was high over the

throwing a
path

on

silver

and on

quivering

farther

reflection,

like

He

turned from

the temptation to follow in a quest of the

path,

where

He

and

started

moon-

toward the cottage

mother was preparing the supper.

his

had only taken

when he

out than David had

ever been in the fishing boats.

silvered

sea,

few steps homeward

paused, then returned and stood in the

steps of the shining path in the water,

where

the waves were breaking into pearls of

silver

first

foam.

As

the cool water

washed against

a cluster of brightly coloured feathers

inward by the waves, and

All the world around

left

his feet,

was borne

on the wet sand.

him was an enchanted

place of moonlight and silver sand.

The

line of

DREAM BOATS
foam stretched

curling

far to the

79

north and to

the south.

He

took up the rainbow feathers.

Then he

twined around his body a long strand of a green

weed

that

With

this

had grown

he bound the feathers against

chest as they had

with

dissolved
sea,

grown on the

The one gold

bird.

in the depths of the sea.

all

his bare

breast of the

had not

tail-feather that

the rest of the

bird in the

he fastened to his forehead with another

strand of sea-weed, so that the tip of the feather

pointed to the Star of the North,

steadily over his head.

to his

own

And

David
as

if

felt

as

lips

though

the sea.

the quill pointed

himself

it

afire

with

someone were leading him,

he turned away from the path

With

shining

heart.

Immediately

wonder.

And

now

parted and eyes

homeward.
afire,

he marched,

were to the beating of the waves of

Retracing the footpath over which he

had recently come from the

castle,

down

the

DREAM BOATS

8o

moved

beach he

moon-silvered

as

who

one

walks in his sleep.

He came

to the foot of the steep rocks,

rose abruptly

from the sea and were crowned by

Two

the castle of the King.

rose

up

here, as

A wistaria

if

of the castle walls

they were a part of the

vine with a twisted trunk

heavy mass from the castle walls as

the turret.

which

cliff.

hung
far

in a

up

Without knowing why, he made

way through

trembling vines, a shower of blooms

ground below.

The

vines led

fell

looked out over the

the

to the

him on and on

he came to the round window in the

ret that

his

the thick mass of leaves.

As he climbed higher and higher through

until

as

sea.

He

tur-

stepped

onto the window-ledge, where he stood for a

moment and looked

past

the great

circle

moonlight that spread on the floor to the

Princess.

of

little

She lay sleeping amongst her many

coloured cushions.

He

looked on Cynthia with

great tenderness and admiration.

DREAM BOATS
An unknown
here.

magical power had brought him

was holding him immovable,

It

bound, in the circle of moonlight.

know whether he ought

saw

to

He

spell-

did not

awaken her or

leave

Therefore, he stood pondering,

her sleeping.
filled

8i

with amazement

tears falling

at

He

her great beauty.

from under her closed

eyelids,

and dropping from her cheek.

While David was thus engaged

in thinking

over what he should do, she awoke, and sat

gazing
a

little

before

him with

at

He

child.

her.

the lovely wondering eyes of

stood,

tall

and handsome,

His black hair was clinging

close curls to his sun-burned brow,

and

in

his eyes

of blue were filled with the deepest tenderness.

As she looked
light beside her,

him, he kneeled in the moon-

and bowed

his

head almost

Cynthia was surprised, and a

the floor.
frightened,

youth.

at

at

little

the appearance of this

strange

might

be the

She thought that he

Prince to

to

whom

she was expected to give her

DREAM BOATS

82

heart

and her hand; and yet the

said that he
*'

had

a red beard.

Stand up and turn

commanded

He

maid had

little

the

all

way around," she

almost severely.

stood for a

moment

then turned slowly around.

looking

at

her and

There was no sign

And

of a red beard, or of any coloured beard.

there was not one wrinkle across the back of

his neck.

"Did my
heart

father send

you here

to

my

take

and hand?" Cynthia asked, greatly

per-

plexed.

He

shook

his

head slowly, as he

said,

"No."

She could scarcely hear him.

"Are you one

of the

King's servants?"

in-

quired the puzzled Princess.

"No," he answered
came

into this

room,

fervently;

am

"but since

a servant in the court

where you are the queen."

"I

am

not a queen yet," said the Princess in

great surprise.

DREAM BOATS
"You

are the

queen

83

that has ruled over

all

my

dreams," he said convincingly.

*^What

is

your name?"

"David."

"How

did you

come here?"

"I have a Godmother, by whose magic,

my

have been led here to lay

sure,

your

feet."

am

heart at

Although the Princess had been frightened,

she noticed the softness of his voice and did

And

not hesitate to look into his eyes.

then

she saw the feathers like unto the bird that had

sung of the two yellow

"I do not see what
a silence

"What

it

means," she

said.

And

between them.

fell
is

irises.

your name?" he asked

at length.

"Clio Clementine Caroline Cyclamen Candace

Columbine."

She told him her name in a sing-

song fashion.

She could not say

"In the kingdom of

you Cynthia."

my

it

dreams,

otherwise.
I

have called

DREAM BOATS

84

The

"Cynthia!"

Princess

looked

startled.

She had heard that name but once before.

"David,
friend of

my

mine

cannot

think you must

And

very unhappy.
I

"for a
am
be

friend," she said sweetly

this

u^hether

tell

is all

so strange to me.

am awake

or in a

dream."
"Indeed, your friend

"You

eagerly.

am," he answered

are not sleeping.

dreaming, and in

this

dream you

whatever you wish as soon as you

it

For David,

is."

too,

But you are

tell

me what

had been given a wish

And what more

by his godmother.

have

shall

could he

wish than that which she wished?

"My
prince

father

who

is

trying

to

make me marry

has a red beard, but

who

has no

mother."

He

hesitated

and then smiled with joy

said: "If

that

easily put

an end to your sorrow."

"How,

pray

is

tell

all

that troubles

you,

me, would you do it?"

as

he

can

DREAM BOATS

85

"Lay your head on my shoulder and

that

all

will say to

it

believe

you."

She pressed her cheek against the rainbowcoloured feathers of the singing bird on his

He

breast.

kissed her hair.

"With your head

that

love

you with

"Only wait
will love

resting there, can

all

little

my

believe

I,

too,

you dearly."

which she had

recollected the test

told her father

man who was

heart.

heart?" he entreated.

while and

Then Cynthia suddenly

the

you doubt

must be passed by

win her hand and her

to

She reached over to the

jar

wherein the

flowers that her mother had brought her were

still

fresh.

Taking

the blooms, she held

a
it

buttercup

under

from among

his chin.

When

she saw a pale yellow light reflected on his skin

from the flower, she looked into

asked earnestly:

"Have you
"Yes."

mother?"

his eyes

and

DREAM BOATS

86

After a moment, wherein a thousand stars

began

to shine in

laid her

dark places in the sky, she

cheek against the feathers on

his breast.

She murmured:

"My
wherein
will

it

And
does

heart has
it

rest

found

may have

rest.

low sweet

its

O my

nest,

my

dear,

dear;

here always?"

then she drew her head up, as a bird

when

drinking.

She

looked into his

eyes.

"For ever and ever and

ever," he replied;

"through the long nights and pale noons, and

past the countless stars;

when

the city

is

pering below us, or the water of the sea

ping against the side of a boat; when

the light of the late

or listening to
ing leaves.

the

coming moon
rustle of

Always, within

we

whisis

lap-

are in

of the South,

the understand-

my

heart will you

rest."

There was no other sound save the waves

washing up on the smooth sands of the beach

DREAMBOATS
far

below them;

87

for the fountain in the King's

garden had ceased to leap into the

water in the pool thereof was

air,

and the

still.

David tenderly carried the Princess Cynthia

down

the steep descent, through the branches

of the wistaria vine, as

child; he

though she were

little

was taking her away from a prison

to

a place

amongst kind-hearted people, where she

would

find rest for her heart

and ease

for the.

sorrow of which her father had been the cause.

Their journey was as wonderful to them

as

passing through the low clouds and showers of

spring, as sailing into the yellow sunset, as meet-

ing the

stars,

and

as

in their happiness.

the foot of the

roaming through a rainbow

They reached

cliff.

Hand

in

the beach at

hand together

they went, in the moonlight, over the sand.

David, the fisherman's son, led the Princess

Cynthia to his mother,

in her cottage

by the

sea.

She was a very wise woman, as mothers usually

DREAMBOATS

88
are.

At once she took Cynthia

though she were her own

been

arms

into her

little

child

as

who had

but was found and returned to her

lost

after long,

long waiting.

In the morning of the next day the marriage

was celebrated.

came

And

the Princess Cynthia be-

She was as happy as

a fisherman^s wife.

a princess or a fisherman's wife could be.

When

the

room

was

in the castle turret

dis-

covered empty, and the King's daughter was

nowhere

to be found, great

were the regrets and

the sorrow, loud the crying in the court.

What

could the King think, save that his harshness had

forced the
the turret

gone out

little

Princess to throw herself from

window down

She had

into the sea?

of the hearts of those

who

cherished her for youth's sake,

if

should have
for

no other

reason.

For Cynthia and

David

quickly by, as they always do

six

years

passed

when people

are

happy, and they are always happy when they

DREAM BOATS
stay near at

home and do

89

Long

not quarrel.

days of regret had softened the heart of the

King, and the Queen grew more sorrowful as

the years passed.

One

day,

when

the sunshine

garden of the Castle on the

Silver Cliffs,

King and Queen were

the

was flooding the

under the

sitting

spreading branches of the horse-chestnut

David and Cynthia brought a

castle.

little

The King and Queen

ended

just as

it

should end,

received

when

realized that, being a father, he could

And now

grandfather.

trees,

boy to the

them

And

with forgiveness and great rejoicing.

all

where

the

it

King

become

he was invited to be a

godfather.

What man

be

he a king

kingdom, or fisherman who

his

boat

could

when he

is

continue to

who
sails

rules over a

on the

sea in

be cruel-hearted

the father of a lost child

who

has

returned, and the grandfather and the godfather

of a

little

boy, at one and the same time?

DREAM BOATS

90

While the Queen wept

the

King had

the dent

it

tears of thankfulness,

to take off his

had made

ing the crown

on

crown and smooth

in his forehead.

his

own

Replac-

head, the

King

carried Cynthia's child into the chapel for the

christening.
castle

and the

And

the

hearts of

A.fter

Kingdom on

they

went

into

the

feast lasted into the night.

little

all

that,

boy became the ruler over the

those

who

sojourned within the

the Silver Cliffs.

PORTRAIT

THE COMET'S TAIL

THEY

called

it

tail

They

called

it

tail

The Comet King dashed

across the sky faster

than the fastest rocket.

"They

called

it

He

a tail!" he screamed.

plunged into the cosmic seas where he butted

into a star, breaking

it

These scattered out

of his path, and, whirling

themselves away,

Now

King had

made

into a million meteorites.

courses in a strange orbit.

For fourteen thousand years the Comet

sat

upon

a cloud,

with a fine-tooth

comb

of the setting sun

and the

that

combing

his

beard

was made of the rays

light of the rising

moon.

Seven times a day he anointed his beard with

sunbeams and the dust of space.

burnished
oftentimes

it

At night he

with ashes of the bronze circle that

glows around
93

the

moon.

In

the

DREAMBOATS

94

spring the trailing flame-like beard that grew

mouth was polished with

around

his

In the

autumn

star-beams.

was sprinkled with the dust

it

of drifting dreams.

At

after years of solicitude,

last,

down on

than the

On

the breast of

was

it

young

birds.

the day that followed after the anniversary

mon-

of the fourteen thousandth year that this

arch had

sat cross-legged

on the

toe

wont

to

left

a cloud, the fourth

to

sleep.

he

as

**

stretched

Toes

stroll

a pleasure to

roamed down an

Not once did

this royal

upon league

He
once

it

would

constellations,

exchange a " How-do-you-do?"

Therefore, he

it

Indeed

amongst the

with his cosmic cousins, the

beard as

himself,

are

sleeping toes can be awaken-

one walks up and down."

be pleasant to

and

went

foot

having heard that

if

upon

do so when they are not exercised.

remembered,

ed

finer

orbed spheres.
alley of space.

wanderer

trip

over his

flowed behind his heels in league

of curling spray.

DREAM BOATS
Behold!

95

Certain planet ladies giggled.

Tilt-

ing their noses coquettishly, they endeavoured

to attract the attention of his haughty majesty

by a subterfuge.

"What

a beautiful tail!"

As he heard

indeed!

tail

his

head stood on end

in a

He

did not stop to think

Gnashing

down

fluttered

were quenched

in

stormy hurricane.

and clenching

his teeth

the

on

comets never do.

folded his feet for a flight.

him and

this the hair

his fist

he

Sparks flew from

the dark where they

light of

an oncoming

Insulted to the innermost depths of his

dawn.

blazing being, he screamed forth a

scroll

of

sparkling sound.
"

They

He

called

it

tail

They

called

it

swept across the sky faster than the

est swallow.

carrying

them

The

hair

on

to places

shadowed by greater

his

head impaled

tail

swiftstars,

wherein they were over-

stars

and

lost the

their twinkling in a shining light.

song of

DREAM BOATS

96

He

smashed others

to pieces.

The broken

roamed blindly around and around

bits

until

they found a course whereon they could swing

and renew
stars

their silent singing.

were entangled

in his

And

still

other

beard and carried

to

remote places.

He

plunged through clouds, tearing them

Hazy fragments clung

shreds.

into

breast

and dimmed

its

The

wound around

linings of the clouds

and flashed

shining.

to

his

his

silver

body

as he rushed past the orb of the

day.

His

flight

rent the

rainbow into rags.

tangled streamer of indigo and orange fluttered

behind him into unknown star-depths.

While passing the Pleiades there was no time

for

the

So

him to enquire whether or not they had found

little sister, lost

terrific

was

them ages and ages ago.

his speed, so violent

tion, that boiling

planets about

to

was

his exer-

sweat spangled the stars and

him.

He

passed

through

the

DREAMBOATS

97

bowl of the Great Dipper so quickly that not a

drop of

its

With

dazzling explosions the

a blazing
a large

luminary contents was

spilled.

Comet King

left

wake through the Milky Way, tearing

enough

rent in

its

closely studded bridge

to attract the attention of the astronomers

dwell on Mercury, Mars, and Venus

who

That

is,

of such astronomers as do dwell thereon.

monarch

In utter rage the flying

from the outer band of Saturn.

make any

chip

But that did not

difference to this planetary dealer in

Before one could say

rings.

bit a

**

Jupiter

Saturn had set the empty space with

Robinson

"

new moons.

The monarch absent-mindedly swallowed what

was nothing

moons

that

less

than a mouthful of moons

wax and wane

as

moons

are

wont

to

do, and could not cease that regular performance

even though they were swallowed by a

Comet

King.

He

paused

What

in his

wild

other creature

flight.

be

he comet, bird, or

DREAMBOATS

98

machine
while

ever had

keep

to

moons waned

his

mind on

wii:hin himself?

flying

It

could

not be done.

And

unreasonable king sipped a cool

so, the

shower that was

clouds.

falling

The drops

some

from

of the April rain

near-by

were warm

and dissolved the mass of moons from Saturn's

bands within him.
This was the end of the comet's

Swinging

remote space he remembered

in

what had brought him

After

It

not a

I-n-d-e-e-d
It

for

it

However,

was

was

here.

he reflected, the planet ladies had

all,

merely called
one.

flight.

tail.

Surely that did not

for reassurance,

make

he looked to

it

see.

tail

It

was not
a

tail

a shining beard that floated behind

him

own

im-

a million miles.

It

was only

patience of criticism that had

of their silly gossip

his

made him

a victim

and caused such needless

destruction in the starry environs.

"CAaiNG

IT

TAIL

DID

NOT MAKE

IT

ONE"

DREAMBOATS
He

walked calmly back

to the

99

meadow

of the

Forgiving the planet ladies, he kissed

meteors.

them on the top

of their heads

where the rays

start.

Finding a cloud whereon he could

rest,

he

crossed his legs with dignity and sat himself

down
go

in the

to sleep

He

same position

that

had made

his toe

and so created the turmoil.

was fourteen thousand years untangling

and

his beard
his toes,

as he untangled, he

pondered over

speeding the ages away with a delight-

ful riddle.

" Eni-Meni-Mini-Mo.
toes

on which one

of

next toe to take a nap ?

6 a C 675
/

Which one

my two
"

of

feet will

my

ten

be the

THE DAUGHTER OF
COMET KING
EVERYBODY
some

and everything has a child of

sort of

its

own.

Sometimes

it

is

baby, sometimes an acorn, and sometimes a Httlc

twinkling
Yes,

stars

children.
of a

star.

have

Here

children

is

and comets have

the picture of the Daughter

Comet King.

The daughters

of comets are not like their

who dash

across the sky faster than the

fathers,
fastest

swallow and don't care a whit into what

they butt, or into what small pieces they break

They only

it.

stop long

enough

broken pieces and never

say,

**

to laugh at the

Excuse me!"

as

everyone really should.

Comet
sky,

ladies just drift

sweetly

dreamingly about the

shunning every
lOO

star

and cloud,

"^^

"COMET

LADIES

DRIFT

DREAMINGLY

ABOUT

THE

SKY"

DREAM BOATS
waving

their

arms

this

soft flower-scented

making
ah

that way, sending

winds into our windows, and

the leaf-laden trees whisper:

me how
I

way and

loi

sweet,

how

cool of the evening!"

sweet,

how

"Ah me,

sweet

is

the

THE GODMOTHER
TO-DAY

all

the world

were a vast gray

sea,

is

to

and

me

all

as

though

the people

li

on

the world like ships.

brigs and schooners, sloops and

lighters are passing back and forth through
Vessels

the sun-capped waves of days,

that are the

There

is

into a port,

shadows

of these endless billows.

a galley with a high

and

guns proudly
frigate

and the nights

a noble three-decker with seventy

sets

sail

from her harbour.

sunlit waters.

There

sails is drifting

bark

a transport

becalmed

is

through

are pirate ships plunging

through the choppy seas of a gale

fine

runs through a tempest and an ancient

open barge with blue

prow putting

after treasure.

adrift in a field of icebergs, while

is lost

in the fog.

in a quiet sea

A merchantman

is

and there are boats with

102

DREAM BOATS
sails set,
is

but alas! they cannot

Some

no wind.

with

sail,

103

because there

bedecked

of the vessels are

and pennons, while others follow

flags

Countless as the sands

great carved figureheads.

on the edge

of the ocean are the crafts

their propellers

mark

where

their heart throbs.

Journeying through the seas of

this life, every

needs must leave a wake of some sort

vessel

behind

it,

as

it

moves through calm or troubled

There are

water.

ships

that

leave

trails

of

bubbles as clear as the dewdrops of spring.

And

whose wakes

there are others

bubbles.

Some

Alas, Alas!

are cloudy

boats are tracing

their courses with paths of slime

and

dirt

and

destruction.
I

am

a craft, sea-worn

ful that I

as

wherein they
I

lonely.

It is

need-

tow an excursion through the waves

for the pleasure of

To-day

and

my

shipwright.

sailed across a
tell

me

bay for a harbour

may dream my dreams,

sighted a noble white vessel with silver

sails

DREAM BOATS

104

that curled in the

wind

like flower petals.

gave her the right of way.

The mighty argosy

passed before me. but

could not see the name

traced on the prow.

knew from

of the figurehead,

ingly into the

the nobility

whose eyes looked unflinch-

face of the sun, that

it

was a

wondrous boat indeed.

great white ship, with your silver

you dream of a

little

sails,

did

gray craft whose path you

crossed?
1

sailed

of days

through your shining

and

nights.

Against

gentle clinking; leaning over

down

trail in

the waves

my side I felt a
my helm I looked

into the water.

Behold!

In the

wake you

are leaving behind

you,

sails,

the bubbles have changed into pearls!

shining white ship with your curling

Httttl
ONE OF

THE

COMMON

SOCIAL

DECENCIES OF
INTERCOURSE"

ORDINARY

COMMON

*ONE OF THE
DECENCIES OF

ORDINARY
SOCIAL INTERCOURSE"

ON A

day once upon a time when love

should have been in every heart in the

whole wide world, a man and a boy had a quarrel.

What
and

it

was

all

about

do not think

am

sure

do not know,

that they themselves

know.

Quarrels sometimes are that way.

However,
it

ended.

do know (and

The man made

will tell

you)

how

a face at the boy.

His nose quivered three times (not being the

quarreling man, or a rabbit,

how)
**

as

cannot show you

he said

shall

no longer expect of you the

common

decencies of ordinary social intercourse."

The boy laughed and

Here you

the quarrel was over.

see a portrait of one of the

105

common

DREAM BOATS

io6

those delightful etiquette creatures

decencies,

such as: " Keep -your -elbows -off -the -table";

* *

Speak-only-when-y our-mouth-is-empty "

ways-chew-with-closed-lips," and

should doo

But

without going

how one

through

person
will

who

ever

posed for

does them

know.

all

* *

Al-

that erne

them

all

with a book

of

ever does

life

etiquette in his hip pocket,

all

no one (except the

as they

should be done)

The young gentleman who

this portrait is called

**
:

Mr. Children-

should-be-seldom-seen-and-never-heard.'*

THE MAGIC DEWDROP

THE MAGIC DEWDROP

yiBOULHASSUM,

xJL

the most

Caliph of

beautiful wife in

Iblis,
all

possessed

the lands of

Saum, Mosul, and Ind, but had no children. This

was

a great grief to the Caliph

especially

when

and no

heir to inherit his

At length,
bear

it

they remembered

would be no son

death, there

and

his subjects,
that,

to bear his

name,

goods and lands.

after years of

unhappiness, he could

no longer and sent

his faithful Vizier to a

mighty magician to beg him to cast some

by which the great calamity which was

his

spell

falling

on

house might be averted.

Mirtas of the
all

his

at

the land,

and
wish

said:
is

silver hair,

came

"O

mightiest magician in

into the presence of the

great

about to be

the garden of the

and

beautiful

fulfilled.
lilies,

109

Queen

Queen, your

pray you, go into

when

the flowers are

DREAM BOATS

no
silvered

moon and

by the

are lulled to

by the doves cooing their melancholy

There you

love.

find

will

in

its

When

flected star.

sunbirds that nest

lily

Therein

looks up to the heavens.

drop that holds

dreams
tale

whose

will

of

face

be a dew-

surface the image of a re-

the throats of the singing

among

the

lilies,

are

fresh

with the cool of dawn, drink this dewdrop, and

think of the stars."

The

a night

their hearts

when

all that

Mirtas of the

the doves cooed as though

would break and the moon was on

the wane, a child

was born

hassum, Caliph of

was a hump on

him Selim

did

her to do.

silver hair told

On

Queen

beautiful

(a

Iblis.

his

to the wife of

It

was a boy and there

His mother called

back.

Guiding

Aboul-

Star);

and

for

one short

hour she loved him beyond everything

in

the

world, and died.

There was a
as he

grew

hump on

older,

it

little

bowed

his

Selim 's back and

head to the earth.

DREAM BOATS
so that

when he

sat

might have been,

But

in his eyes

in

and dreamed of what

his

life

chin rested on his knee.

his

was the beauty of the image

of a

setting star reflected in the pale cool water at

dawn.

There are many among us who see the

tion of a star,

and

beyond the
see

its

is

reflection,

beauty and

whose eyes pass over

yet

beauty to seek what

let

and few among us who

their

eyes

the beauty of Selim's eyes,

on

linger
set.

were few, in the days of Aboulhassum,

its

So there

who saw

and many who did

not, for their eyes ever passed

beyond

and rested upon the hump on

body grew so ugly and illshaped

his face

his back.

that not

His

one of

would speak

to him,

and he never

and

ridicule

among those

failed to excite laughter

who should

its

held in the deep water

quivering image until the star has

the attendants

reflec-

have cherished him,

if

for

no other

reason than for the sake of his beautiful mother,

who had

loved

him

so dearly for one brief hour.

DREAM BOATS

112

Time

passed,

had

father

let

in useless grief

and when he was grown,

grow

and

his

his

heart

and

rebellion over the loss of his

bitter

cruel

beautiful wife as well as through the disappoint-

ment

One

day, in an outburst, of grief

said to his son:

You

shall

"You

pay dearly

in the eyes of
If

goods and

in the heir to all his

my

and

making me

for

rage, he

You

monster!

idiot!

ridiculous

You hunchback!

attendants.

you knew how much your weakness and

find

some other place

With

in

this

annoy me, you would

eternal staring at the stars

lands.

which

to live!

these words burning in his heart, Selim

went away trembling with

As he passed through

his

the peacocks of emerald

fright

father's lands, even

and blue and bronze,

on the wall of the garden of

him with

their ugly calls.

spair because

Hlies,

He

them when he was a long way

to a great forest,

and dismay.

mocked

could

off.

still

at

hear

As he came

he suffered loneliness and de-

he, Selim, a

Guiding

Star,

had

DREAM BOATS
made

his father, the

He

CaHph, a laughing stock

and a shame

his attendants,

113

to the

to

house of IbHs.

went into the depths of the

forest of ban-

yan trees and of trees of the waving palm, where

flamingo spreads

the

its

parrots talk incessantly.

stars

masses

he

Toward evening under

whereon a jasmine vine

a lofty tree,

tangled

crimson wings, and

trailed in

shower of dim and

lay as still as a sacred lotus

on a sacred

still

pool, very sad

ing over his misfortune.

He

and

falling

blossom

lonely, think-

had never

as yet

seen himself, but always he had been told

ugly he was, and

how

how deformed.

While he was thus thinking, he heard the

sweetest music that ever an unfortunate youth

had heard.

It

was

and innumerable

mony, singing
most

below

lost their

doves

waterfalls, all in a perfect har-

in a

their

that have lost their

have

like a cluster of ring

low murmuring sound,

breath, a

melody

shadows and

echoes.

in

in

al-

words

words

that

DREAM BOATS

114

He
came

arose and

followed the music until he

to a myrtle grove intermingled with trees

hung with yellow

fruit

and bell-shaped

flowers.

Over the ground, and hanging from the

garlands, were vines
a slim

column

water were seeking to lose

its

the odour of the

The water looked

moon

flowers.

so cool as

it

fell

pool, starred with firm round water

he stooped
a cup.

down and

But even

in

into the

lilies,

the flowers, pictured

likeness.

He

this

enchanted place, he

Among

first

away

all

quiveringly, he beheld

had, as yet, never seen his

ugly and deformed

the

that

drank, using his hands as

could not escape from his humiliation.

his

Like

flowers.

of mist a fountain arose in the

midst, as though
itself in

moon

of

trees in

self,

and he looked now

time at his hunched back.

He

for

turned

in despair.

As he turned he looked up
stream of water.

What was

find that the fountain

at the clear, rising

his

amazement

was flowing over

to

maiden.

'

"WHAT WAS

AMAZEMENT TO
WAS FLOWING OVER

HIS

THAT THE FOUNTAIN

A MAIDEN"

FIND
'

DREAM BOATS
whiter than the
lilies

were

moon

in her

115

Yellow water

herself.

black hair, falling with the

water of the fountain, and her flesh took on

opalescent gleams through the scarce-concealing
silky

webs and

running water,

veils of

now

gossamer, the colour of

opaque,

now

transparent.

Never before had any one looked into

his

Others had always looked be-

eyes as she did.

hump on

yond, over his shoulder, at the

his

back.

When
as

he had looked into the maiden's eyes

though

were but

it

was

for a

forever,

as

though

moment, she came from the

holding out her hands.

air

and yet

At her coming

it

water,
the

all

was perfumed with the delicate fragrance of

shower of Spring

falling

upon jasmine blossoms.

In each hand she held a drop of water from the

fountain,
his back,

which she placed upon the hump on

and from out of

ivory

and

cate

design,

coral,

it

drew a casket

whereon were carved,

stars

and strange

in

birds.

an
It

of

intri-

was

DREAM BOATS

ii6

garlanded with waning moons and coral drops,

falling like bubbles,

ivory,

and over

all,

set

deep in the

was a moonstone.

Holding

it

approached the

to her heart, she

fountain, lingering over the water for a

moment.

Then, advancing very gently toward him, she

looked searchingly into his eyes.
Next, she took a crystal globe from out the
casket, which, at a sign

from her, they held be-

As they

did so, their reflection

tween them.
in

the

magic dewdrop became intermingled.

Selim, searching for the beauty of her face, saw,

but did not

know

it,

the light of his

own

She saw, reflected therein, the light of

soul

shining in

his

eyes,

while,

potency of the magic sphere, he

his

eyes.

pure

through the
felt

her love

and kindness beam upon him.

As they were thus looking

at

one another,

through their reflections, seeing what neither

had ever seen before, a

solitary

star

cast

its

poised and quivering light upon the crystal, like

DREAM BOATS

117

an echo of the light of the love which had glowed

upon him from

him

to her heart for that

tear

which

joy

broke

gentlest
into

of

wind

back straightway
its

Hghtly

felt

grow

straight.

bubble on the

as

And

left

them looking

Then SeHm

eyes.

shape, expand and

legs

one sweet hour.

of June.

one another's

she held

on the Magic Dewdrop

fell

as

when

mother's eyes,

his

the

Hunch-

crooked back change

his

become
Behold

flexible;

He

his

felt

was

trans-

formed into a beautiful youth.

Joy

laughed

in

his

surged and flooded

of the full

moon

eyes,

his heart,

deep

happiness

even as the tides

flood the shores of the sea.

He

ran to the trees and gathered apricots, cherries,

and golden

fruits,

ers, to give to the

with the loveliest of the flow-

maiden

of the fountain.

entwined a wreath of the yellow

hair.

Taking

his

the fountain and

hand

lilies

about his

in hers, she led

showed him

She

him

to

his reflection in

the water, which was beautifully clear and

still

DREAM BOATS

ii8

now.

was with wonder

It

that

he saw the mar-

velous change that had been wrought.

In his great joy, he cried to her:

my

heart

seen you,
else;

Star of

therefore,

serve you.

The magic

made me whole.

my

lonely heart
I

have once

happiness

will

you

and rejoicing

fairest flowers.

so sweet to be loved, so sweet

If I

life

to

bring you the rich-

shall

and find you the

of the world!

of your loveliness has

Peace and

the house of Iblis.

est fruits,

my

the days of

all

have brought to

Since

life!

Star of

be able to think of nothing

shall

my

"O

so sweet!

It is

O Star

can only make you happy!"

Selim led the maiden to his father's gardens,

whence he had
At the sight of
and the
side, all

soft

in

sorrow and dismay.

his erect

and youthful beauty,

fled

radiance of the

fair

who had once mocked

do him honour.

maiden

at his

now

ran to

him,

troop of black slaves

re-

ceived them, throwing themselves on the ground

at their feet.

An

especially arrayed slave, with

DREAM BOATS
bands of orange and crimson
waist,

119

about his

silk

and great copper rings swinging from

ears, ran before

them

with gratitude, the

Ormuzd

to tell the Caliph.

raised

father

Filled

hahds

his

his

to

the Blessed, to give thanks.

Then on

every side were heard strains of

music as Selim and the maiden, more lovely and

more

radiant than

the Caliph.
hair

The

was such

all

the stars, appeared before

brilliancy of the lilies in their

that they

The Caliph bowed

outshone the sun

his

head

and

itself.

wept

for

happiness.

Amid
on

that

great rejoicing over

very day was the

all

the land of Iblis,

wedding

celebrated.

After there had been a great feast, the Caliph led

the youthful lovers to the most beautiful rooms
in the palace,

There

which had been

at the foot of the

set apart for

them.

maiden's couch, per-

fumed with musk and the dry

petals of roses,

Selim lay on a carpet of cloth of gold embroi-

dered with innumerable stars and birds.

DREAM BOATS

I20

He

told her stories

He

about her eyes.

said

they were like deep, dark pools that mirrored

Summer

the reflection of the sky

on

sparkling with a million

lights.

He

night,

her

told

about her forehead which was like a shell-tinted

ivory,

bathed in the moonlight of May.

When

he had finished the story of her great beauty, he

again started with her eyes, and told

and over again.

telling,

it all

over

Indeed, he was never tired of

nor she of listening

to,

the story of his

great love.

On

a night

when

the flower-petals

with dripping dew,

sung

their last

hushed

in

when

fell,

heavy

the night birds had

song and the dove's cooing was

the sweetest sleep, Selim and the

maiden walked together

garden of the

lilies,

in

the

moon-silvered

and talked of

their love.

Selim said:

"O

pure and beautiful

one!

splendour over the horizon of

mounting

my

in

youth, like a

radiant star, to cast the sweetness of your love

DREAM BOATS
over

all

the days of

my

life!

121

me,

tell

pray you,

whence did you come?"

She answered:

blooming

"My

when

tree

mother bore

moon was on

the

and died with the fading of the

would

me

stars.

under a

the wane,

There, too,

have perished of cold and hunger, had

not Mirtas of the silver hair found me.

always in his

little

house in a

lived

forest of singing

and sweet-scented flowers.

birds

At evening

spent the happiest hours, listening to the tales of

magic

that Mirtas told

" He told

and

me

beautiful

Caliph's son,
eyes in

Dewdrop which

confined

who had

grown

me

"Then
of

hump on

of

the

his back, but

of a star.

When

and death was near, he

old,

by

spells of

magic.

*Here must you

stay, a

in the fountain

said Mirtas:

running water,

When you

the great

Queen had found, and

which ever shone the light

Mirtas had

child

of the

me.

until

a youth

have seen the image of a

in his eyes, he will claim

you

comes.

star shining

for his bride.'

DREAM BOATS

122

"In your

my

eyes,

Guiding

flected in the

found

up

Star, I

Selim,

my

saw a gleam

Dewdrop

Heaven,

the

my

whose

lover,

like that re-

that your dear

in the heart of the lily

to the

heart,

mother

face looked

Magic Dewdrop,

which Ormuzd's name be praised."

for

COLD PORRIDGE

COLD PORRIDGE
" The

Man in the Moon

Came tumbling down,
And asked the way
to Norwich;
the south

He went by
And burned

his

With eating

mouth

cold

pease porridge."

IN

THE

that

red-roofed and white-gabled houses

were crowded together

So-and-So

Town

there

in the streets of

was not a window

that

did not have at least one head leaning from the

casement as

far as

it

was

safe to lean.

There

was not a mouth of one of the faces looking

into

the

whose

narrow

lips

who

of

So-and-So

were not moving as

move, and some

person

streets

fast as lips

faster than lips should.

lived within the

Town
can

Every

narrow houses was

quarreling with his nextdoor neighbouro or his

neighbour two doors removed, and some were

125

DREAM BOATS

126

calling in loud, angry voices to those

who

dwelt

across the street.

Window

after

window had opened

in

the

square and in the narrow streets that radiated

from the market place as a centre and led

away

to the hills

fields,
**

and

valleys with

their

far

corn-

farms, and vineyards.

Shut up that noise," angrily shouted Horner,

the tanner, as his white-capped head

emerged

from a window.
"

My

good

Solomon
**

friend, you shut up, yourself," said

Shaftoe, severely,

must have my sleep," cried old Jenny Linnet,

as she tipped her candle.

on Thomas

The

grease dropped

Stroat^s shining red nose,

which had

appeared from a window two stories below.

"Give us our

rest,"

" Fiddle-come-fie,

shouted the crowd.

what

is

all

about?" inquired old Rook, the

"Sleep!
excitedly.

Sleep!

Sleep!"

the

chatter

tinker.

yelled

everybody

DREAM BOATS
"Who

moaning

is

way

that

127
this

time of

night?'* inquired the thick-headed Clint, and

when no answer came he swore

"Can't you show a

little

at

nobody

common

straight

sense?'' yelled Muffet, as he

at all.

spat out of

his

window.

"You

filthy

wagging

"You

swine 1" shouted a hoarse voice,

his head.

lazy loon,"

The owner

a garret

of this voice did not

he was addressing

make any

came from

this

know

fit

of coughing choked

"Shut up

He cursed shrilly

of the noise

him

before he

between coughs.

that noise!"

" Shut up, yourself,

how

wrapping

whom

difference.

could speak.

" La,

to

remark, but that did not

Someone intended making an end

but a

window.

you disturber of the peace."

the world

shawl

wags "

around

said old
his

Grundy,

throat.

The

children cried, and one dog, and then another,

barked.

DREAM BOATS

128

In the back yard of Weevil, the pieman, a

yellow

hound

the din.

He

on

sat

was

his

in

indifferent to the sounds about

him; he was baying

from the

haunches and joined

at

the

moon, two nights

peeped over

full, as it

his master's wall,

sending a stream of light into the kitchen and

lighting the shelves
tarts

and a bowl

whereon were innumerable

of curd

and whey.

to blame.

No townsman

had said a word or done a deed

to cause a quar-

There was no one

with his neighbour.

rel

man

that

walks on

this earth

it

started the chattering,

was the

paid a

recently

Norwich and continued

his jour-

Moon who

in the

silver

gentleman of

often paid visits to his friends in

Norwich town.

He was

turber of the peaceful folk

group

Town and

grumbling, and scolding.

ney southward, the smiling

the

Moon who had

Man

visit to

was not

who had awakened

the -sleeping people of So-and-So

all

It

Indeed,

of houses

the unconscious dis-

who

lived in the

huddled together

little

in a valley.

DREAM BOATS
Now
days

before the village

when

the

129

was annoyed,

moon had been

in those

new moon,

the

seeds of the trouble had been sown.

Timothy, the chandler, looked up from the

tallow

He

and over

his left shoulder at the crescent.

wished he would be spared chilblains when

Across the road, Mar-

the nights turned cold.

tin,

the son of the tinsmith, asked his sister for

one more rhyme.

Joan told him about

"The Man in the Moon

Came tumbUng down,

And

asked the

way

to Norwich.

He went by
And burned

the south

mouth,

his

With eating

cold

pease porridge."

Little

Martin liked

this

had said

rhyme more than any

He

one his

sister

to say

again and again until he could repeat

it

it

without a mistake.

tanner's wife,
inn.
ter;

Jill

told

and
it

for

He

him.

said

it

asked her

for

Jill,

the

for Giles, the landlord of the

to Jenny, the weaver's

she in return repeated

it

daugh-

to Clint, the cob-

DREAMBOATS

I30
bier,

who

people

who had

and boots repaired, and

as fast as

told

their shoes

to

it

all

the

they could discard the old boots and put on

the

mended

ones, they

rhyme

ing the

went on

who

of

over again for no reason at

felt it

his

at the first quarter,

Town had

dwelt in So-and-So

rhyme once, and many

Each

them

said

said the

over and

it

all.

duty to repeat

to his neigh-

it

who

lived in

house by the side of a stream, lonely

in situa-

bours save Thrush, the lame boy,

a

tell-

to everyone they met.

By the time the moon was

all

way

their

tion; in fact,

it

was

a quarter of the

way between

the village and the woods.

By the house was the highroad

father

Thrushes

gate.

opened and shut the gate

for

all

who

passed through and they gave him a coin.

The lame boy had not heard

the

Man

in the

Moon's

visit

he could not repeat

it

he sailed his

boat

little

to

to

the

Norwich and

any one.
in

rhyme about

the

so

Therefore,
stream,

that

DREAM BOATS
widened here

into a pond, as

Back and

father's cottage.

of a large boulder

the harbour,
of a

which was

bunch

Arrow made
the whole
in the

its

daisies,

shadow

the craft

perilous voyages just as though

Man

town were not talking about the

Town had

The Man

rhyme.
lighted

had prevailed through-

sleeplessness that

out So-and-So

windows

from the
repeating

east to the west.

the

verse

if

of

He

in

the hero of a

true,

He

recall the porridge at

And

had

but he could not

had been hot or

resist the

rhyme?

porridge of

Norwich.

What man, whether he be on

moon, could

heard everyone

a feast of

the porridge

Indeed he could not

into the

houses as he journeyed

of the

Norwich, that was

remember

been started by the

Moon peeped

in the

which he had partaken

the

of the water to

Moon's mouth.

The

visited

from the port

safe within the

Michaelmas

of

ran past his

it

forth

on the edge

131

cold.
all.

the earth or in

temptation of being
so he

waxed

large

DREAM BOATS

132

was capable

as fast as he

of waxing,

and

listened

The

with a pleased smile to his hearths content.

rhyme
That

He

that everyone

was saying was not

fact did not affect

true.

any one but himself.

had not eaten the pease

Norwich.

in

In-

deed, he had never tasted porridge in his whole

It is

life.

moon

never found on the tables of the best

families.

Long ago
open

his

mouth.

lips his teeth

stroy the

his

mother had forbidden him

She told him

of ice

earth,

dim
of

stars.

windows

and he was very fond

twinkling

stars.

their lights.

He
of

houses on

watching the

Nothing would induce him

Therefore, even

it.

would not disobey

his

deny

de-

liked to look

in the

which he was the hero were

helpless to

he parted his

would drop out and

world and the

into all the bright

if

to

if

the

true,

to

rhyme
he was

good son he was and

mother.

Listening at

every window-ledge for the rhyme, he followed

the villagers straggling

homeward through

the

DREAM BOATS
streets, as

they gleefully sang of his cold por-

He

ridge.

133

listened to

them

until they shut their

doors in his face.

He made
the world

the nights short on the other side of

in

hear

again

order that he might again and

rhyme

the

in

which he was the

hero.
,

One

night the

moon

stood halfway up the

Moon

pays

all

The

and yellow.

eastern sky shining very soft

his visits to the earth in reflec-

tions although they can only be seen

by others

window

or a tear,

when

there

but he

is

is still
still

water or a

present even

we cannot

if

see

him.

On

night

this

the

unseen

reflection

crept

through the ordered rows of cabbages and

nips to a

window where

dim

tur-

light burned.

Within, Joe Pye, the butcher, and his family

were

sitting

around the supper

ridge pot was empty.

crossed on the plates.

The

table.

The

por-

knives and forks lay

Posey, the daughter of

DREAM BOATS

134

Pye, was repeating the

clockmaker,

who had
"

rhyme

wandering

for a

stopped there for the night.

He went by
And burned

the south,

mouth

his

she sang gaily as though

it

"

were amusing

to

burn the mouth on cold porridge.

When
of his

Moon

heard

mouth began

this the right

the

pain

corner

to throb with a dull pain

hurt like toothache.

that

sky

the

As he

crossed the

Before midnight he

increased.

thought he could not endure the suffering.

began

to

groan, a

little

without parting his

noise he could

Hps and

mother.

Moaning seemed

and

regular intervals, he

so, at

make

disobeying

his

to help his suffering,

humming, with grunts mixed

little

He

made
in.

a noise like

It

seemed

noise to him, but the people on the worlds

near by looked at the sky and said:

**

There

will

be a storm.''

On

his journey across the sky

reflected

images of himself

in

he searched for
order that he

DREAM BOATS
might see how severely

his

135

mouth was scorched.

In lakes and ponds where the water was calm

and

in

windows where

looked

his reflection,

at

discover

burn

the

of

was no

there

see

to

which

light

he

he could

if

was

everyone

singing.

Down

into wells

in rain pools

that

and springs he looked and

lay

in

He

the road.

even

searched for miniature portraits of himself in

dewdrops

that

hung from

the petals of wild

flowers.

His path led him to the stream that ran by

the

side

edge

the

daisies, there

discarded

fashioned

the

to a stalk of

Mi-

was the

spool box.

yellow

of

On

gatekeeper's house.

of the water, tethered

chaelmas
of

of

paper,

little

Its

boat,

gay

stuck

made

sail

was

through a

twig of hazel.

He was

absorbed, in spite of the pain, by his

honey-coloured image lying in the water.

he could see

his reflection ?^nd

examine his

Here
lips.

DREAM BOATS

136

Nowhere on

image could he find

this

Then

burn on his pale mouth.

from a maple branch

pond

The

fell

leaf distorted the

made

felt

none

a scarlet leaf

hung out and over

on the water where

stream and

he

that

a sign of a

his reflection was.

smooth surface

a gay smile

the

on

his lips

of

the

when

in his heart.

In spite of his failure to discover the burn on

he continued to moan.

his lips,

he had burned
even

if

And

mouth on cold porridge and

he could not see the scorched place

must be
a poet,

his

Everyone said

there, for

someone, perchance

had made a rhyme about

so

Town had

it

was

it

it

was

it.

that all the people of So-and-So

been kept awake for several nights,

The annoyance developed,

a general altercation,

up without ceasing

as

you have seen,

into

which has been keeping

all of

the time that

you have

been learning the causes and reasons for the

strange sounds.

DREAM BOATS
**Shut up that noise," everyone

everyone

at

137

was shouting

else.

"Peter and Paul, save us," said Noel from a

low window, "to-morrow

is

wash day."

While Money, from a high window, shook

his

fist

let

as

man

he yelled

at

everybody, "Can^t you

sleep?"

"Shut up I"
"Shut up!"

"What

is

all

it

grandmother

of

about?" mumbled Mall, the

ten,

she drew in her ear

as

trumpet from outside the window.

Presently from the far end of the square
the inn,

came

the sound of cheering.

some nine hundred

plaining, howling,

voices shouting,

If

and

sleep.

get

your

clat-

com-

and cursing.

"Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Be

bours.

by

Next the

loud voice of the town crier rose above the

ter of

patient,

good neigh-

ye have reason, go back to your beds

The occasion
rest.

For

it

is

is

very urgent that ye

commanded by

the

DREAM BOATS

138

mayor

one and

to-morrow,

that

townsfolk meet at the market place.

decide without delay

how

of

you

We

will

all

the dismal noise can

be hushed!^'

The
ing,

riot

Grumbling, beseech-

began anew.

and cursing issued

forth

from every window.

**Wait until to-morrow!" one shouted.

"Faugh

No

But one and

sleep to-night," said another.

all

did sleep.

The moon turned

yellow and sank out of sight behind the

the west.

The

stars

The town and

the fields were dark.

shone brighter in the sky.

the regular snores of a fat baker

window

of Weevil.

hills in

Soon only

came from

the

Jenny Linnet's candle splut-

She had

tered and flickered out.

before she could snuff

it.

fallen asleep

The yellow hound

stopped baying, since there was no longer a

moon

to bay at; he slept with his nose pressed

against his master's door.

Next morning the people began streaming up

to the

market place

of So-and-So

Town

at

an

DREAM BOATS
Wren,

early hour.

139

ploughman, had

the gatekeeper's wife

Mary

of the affair before

Arrow had made

the spool-box boat

told the

second

its

voyage from the large rock to the Michaelmas

daisies.

Thrush's father could not go to the meeting

in the
all

the

market place as the mayor had bidden

good townsfolk

through

pass

lest

traveller

should

without leaving

gates

the

one

his

toll.

So Mary went slowly to the market place with

the lame child's

her side.

hand

sat

and took him on her

could not walk so

fast as

down by

He

lap.

the others and had to

often because of the only hurt place she

could not

make

all

As they

well with kisses.

drew near the square,

itself

he limped by

Sometimes she stopped,

the roadside,

rest

in hers as

a low muttering

heard, rising to a roar that

now made

seemed

to

fill

place.

The market was overflowing with

whole

population.

They

jostled

each

the
the

other

DREAM BOATS

140

along the sides of

it,

chattering, shoving,

and

ordering everyone else to stand back, and each

forward himself as he could.

one standing as

far

Mary kept

the edge of the

came

oji

crowd

until she

to the steps of the cobbler's house,

where

she stood and watched, keeping the lame boy

close beside her.

Soon

in the centre of the square, the

a great blunt
silence

man

with red hair,

by uplifted hands.

mayor,

commanded

Then he

said in a

husky voice:

"God's peace, good people! The dreadful noise

must be hushed and the nights
sleep.

If

you

will

left

for rest

and

be patient until the council

meets, they will decide what

is

best to be done."

The

council met for an hour in the council

house.

Their faces were long and thin, and

they sat with their heads on one side, thinking

and thinking,

When the
So Town

their eyes fastened

on the ground.

hour had passed the people

of So-and-

were more perplexed than they had

DREAM BOATS
If

they had failed

the

moaning and

been before the council met.

source

discover the

to

groaning, surely

left

the

of

than they one and

However

edge proved
In

of

town came together

all

wanted

to

show

in

their wis-

learned they were, their knowl-

much

valiant talk,

no one was

found wise enough to free the suffering

the nights of restlessness.

of

the

insufficient.

of

spite

an end

But no sooner did they gather

conference.

dom.

to put

problem unsolved, seven

the

men

wisest

was impossible

Since the meeting of the council

to the noise.

had

it

of

141

village

Each hour

the

heated discussions ended in nothing.

Now
wise
sat

while the council was meeting and the

men were

in the

displaying their wisdom,

shop of CUnt, the cobbler,

cobbling her shoes.

Mary

who was

While she was waiting,

Betty Pye stopped for a bit of gossip and Posey

played at jackstones with Thrush on the door

step.

The

little

girl

told

the

lame boy the

DREAM BOATS

142

rhyme about The

Man

the

in

Moon and

his

poor aching mouth.

All the meetings over, the townsfolk congre-

Again the mayor

gated in the square.

his

hands and

"My

said:

good people we have

H'um*' (he
thing

we

of thing

that

all

tossed

faithfully

head);

his

can agree on

is

noise,

debated

**the

only

this: that this sort

Who

cannot be allowed to go on.

makes the

raised

and how

it is

to

be stopped,

who had

apparently

it is

no one can discover."

Thrush, the lame boy,

been gazing with childish

of

one

interest at the red face

of the council, gave a

standing.

After he had

sudden cry

drawn

down and had whispered

of under-

his mother's face

in her ear,

he limped,

with the aid of his crutch, toward the mayor.

"What
"What

is
is

he doing?" asked one.

Mary thinking about?" exclaimed

another.

There was a low murmur

as the

crowd moved

DREAM BOATS
Thrush limped one

toward the boy.

the

143

He

mayor and paused.

eyes, unafraid, as

step nearer

looked up into his

he quoted:

"The Man in the Moon

Came tumbhng down,
And asked the way
to Norwich.

He went by
And burned

the south

his mouth
With eating cold

pease porridge.'*

Then Thrush, who had never lacked

devotion and sympathy to help

own

affliction,

ness,

added with

touched by

The

chilly

feet

anybody

Why

to kiss his

well again."

were

awestruck.

spat.

Two

of

The mayor had heard

the rhyme, and he had said

at night

his

together, another complained of

and

thought about

him bear

his childlike earnest-

hasn't

it all

councillors

them giggled

and

pity:

"The poor moon

mouth and make

love

it,

the

it.

Now

that he

moaning had occurred only

and the moon was almost

had he not thought

at the full.

of that himself?

DREAM BOATS

144
First of all

large
his

he was angry; and then over his

round face there

head

"He

at the little

boy.

right; the

boy

is

"Someone must

make him
his

kiss the

is

right," he chuckled.

Man

The poor

well.

He nodded

stole a smile.

Moon and

in the

fellow has burned

mouth."

But who was

him?

No

tall

enough

to reach

one could touch his

stood on the highest house.

was summoned.

lips

kiss

even

one

if

Again the council

Together with

and learned men they

up and

all

the

wise

behind the doors

retired

of the council house.

There were the usual discussions and

Then followed
by

someone

a long silence that

yawning.

results.

was broken

middle-aged

man

with a certain subdued drollery in his face stood

in

his

throat

black velvet and fur.

and

He

cleared his

said:

"The Man

in

burned mouth.

the

Moon

is

suffering from a

burned mouth

is

very pain-

DREAM BOATS
ful.

once received a burn on

was taking

duck out

of the

145

my

wrist as

oven for

my

The moon's groans have disturbed our

and now the town
something
If

fly.

is

Choose

man had wings why

moon and

man

Let us

make

with sense

burned

kiss the

pair

who

of

if

Birds

could he not

fly

wings.

can reach the

of approval over the

meeting of wise and learned councillors.

men who were

sleep

place.*'

There was a low murmur

the

wife.

at the point of a riot

not done to stop the noise.

a bird?

like

is

And

afraid to be simple adjourned

to carry out their plans.

Within an hour every inhabitant

of So-and-So

Town was running after birds, butterflies, dragonflies,

moths, beetles, bees, and

all

creatures that

possess wings.

The women gathered

mulberry

in

a circle

trees in the square.

them made the frames

others spun and

wove

under the

While some

of

of twigs

and branches,

the

broken wings

little

DREAM BOATS

146

and feathers

into a covering for the

framework,

crowding them together Hke the feathers on a

bird's wing.

line

of yellow

thread.

circle of the shining

hornets, wasps, and bees

scar-

wings

of

was placed here, and a

white moths' wings there, then a broad

star of

line

then a

wings were strung on a

line of dragonflies'
let

butterflies' pinions,

cardinals'

of

feathers

of

feathers

humming

between the breast

most beautifully

birds,

arranged and producing a harmony of colour

and shade.

"Oh, they are

beautiful!"

exclaimed some.

Others added: **Quite charming."

"Magnificent!" exclaimed the mayor, looking

at

them through

tern!

And

his spectacles.

these colours!

"Such a

pat-

The wings have my

highest approval!"

"They

are wonderful."

"Gorgeous!"
"Excellent," went

from

mouth

to

mouth.

DREAM BOATS
They were

all

147

delighted with

equally

their

handiwork.

And

so the feathers

on a thousand throats

ceased to swell with a song because of a rhyme

pertaining to a pot of porridge.

And a thousand

hearts ceased their tremulous beat for the sake

of a

burn on a

silver

mouth.

While the framework was being adorned and

approved, the

councilmen went through

streets, telling

the youths and

adventure

prospect.

in

among them who

men

the

of the great

There was not one

did not wish to be chosen to

soar aloft into the sky and kiss the lips of the

Man

in the

Moon,

to say

nothing of the bag of

gold that had been offered as a reward for

storing to the people of So-and-So

calm and

Town

re-

their

restful nights.

Lots were drawn from the mayor's hat.

As

the last feather from a goldfinch's breast

was

stitched

on the large

growing son

of the

false

wings, Bardolph, the

widow Moll, drew

forth

from

DREAM BOATS

148

the hat a

scrap

of

blue paper whereon was

He

written the winner^s number.

clapped his

hands gleefully.

The magnificent
hour

after

the

Man

flight

in the

to

be made an

Moon

rose over the

was

roofs of the houses that surrounded the square.

Far across the

east

fields of stubble that lay to the

So-and-So Town, a yellow moon, ap-

of

proaching the

rose slowly, fading the stars

full,

and lighting with

a cool light the fields

where

the sheaves of corn stood.

Bardolph, the goat-herd, was sunburned and

comely, very

were

tall,

and

his

deep pool-like eyes

tender as a wild-flower.

as

When

the

marvellous wings were fastened to his arms at

the

wrist

leather,

and elbow with

and the harness

was strapped over

mother.
breast.
lightly,

his

For a moment

broad

that held
chest,
his

strings

them

of

in place

he went to his

head

lay

upon her

She caressed the golden hair ever so

and tenderly kissed him upon the

lips,

DREAM BOATS

149

Now having kissed his mother again and again,

he said; **I will be sorry to leave my goats."
Then he

started

away with

a quick

Town

Bardolph ran to the

stiff stride.

Hall, ascended to

the roof, and crawled out to the gables.

Here

he stood, balancing against the weather vane

that

gleamed pale

The wings

in the moonlight.

flashed clear as he stood for a second against

the sky.

The youth was now

glow

exultation

of

filled

and looked

carved from weather-worn

with a great

like

an angel

silver.

Smiling, he turned and gazed at his mother,

then smiled into the people's upturned faces.

Spreading the huge wings he saluted with them

four times.

Once

to the north

south, once to the east,

Then Bardolph gave

flung himself into the

His wrists

fell

and once

to the

to the west.

a triumphant shout

and

air.

and the only son

Moll shot down the

like a slain bird.

and once

air

and

lay

of the

widow

crushed and limp

DREAM BOATS

I50

The crowd had moved

aside

when

the wings

gave way so that no one was crushed beneath the

heart that

had ceased

its

youthful throbbing for

the sake of a song concerning a burned mouth.

There was a cry

of

dismay and the next moment

you might have heard

a long,

awed murmur go

about the market place as the crowd of people

watching caught
a

its

cry of despair.

breath.

The mother

uttered

She sank upon her knees

hiding her face and moaning as she cried:

said

he would be sorry to leave

women

fell

to

sobbing

in

"He
The

his goats."

one another's arms so

piteously, that the sturdy middle-aged townsfolk

drew back and were ashamed.

'

The dew was

and-So Town.

falling, the

night ending in So-

The yellow hound kept up

his

nightly baying in the back yard of Weevil, the

pieman.

The moon,

silver

in the sky, solitary, in his

and nearly

full,

hung

imagined suffering.

He

had not seen the tragedy

the

widow Moll

that

that night in the

had befallen
market place

DREAM BOATS
of So-and-So

When

Town.

it

151

occurred he was

looking at a miniature of himself reflected in a

dewdrop clinging

to the petal of a white bal-

sam

in a pot.

drooped

that

a ledge outside of the

on

The

widow

flower stood

Moll's window.

Therefore, he did not

know why

was

in old Moll's eyes,

when he looked through

the

window

later

flected in a tear.
trait

eye,

of

and saw

Even

the moisture

his smiling face re-

in that miniature por-

himself in a broken-hearted mother's

he could not discover the burn on

his lips,

which had become well nigh unbearable by

this

time because of the constant thinking thereon,

and so he continued

his regular

moans.

For an hour the next morning the councillors

sat

the council table.

"This

me.

The mayor advanced

again in council.

is

Am

He

said in a toneless voice:

happen

to

Cannot one

of

the worst thing that could

I

not

fit

for

my

you wise men put an end

Every one of these

to

post?

to the pest?"

men who were

afraid to

be

DREAM BOATS

152

and steady **No'*

natural shook a slow

The mayor, followed by

plea.

marched

the

to

asked the people

centre
if

of

there

them who could suggest

village

the councillors,

hills

and

square

the

was not one among

whereby the

a plan

Many

might find peace.

suggestions

were here offered and plans made but

avail.

to his

all of

no

Until the sun began to sink behind the

and the birds twittered

mayor stood

in the tree tops, the

in the square considering

after another.

Then he

sent forth one

peal to the people of So-and-So

Town

one plan

more

ap-

for help

in this serious matter.

Mary, the gate-keeper's

home

again.

The journey

wife,

was returning

to the gate-house

As she

long and the road would soon be dark.

passed by the mayor, Thrush

was

limped

at

his

mother's side, clasping her hand.

"I can

make him

well,

Mother," he said

earnestly.

"You," cried

his mother, another

mother's

DREAM BOATS
her

tragedy before

"It

is

my

him.

bit.

told his

little

boy?"

only a burn on his lip," replied the boy

you can make

him

it,

"You know when

quietly.

talk to

"and what do you

eyes,

think you could do about

153

all

it

well again

if

bump my head
you

kiss

it.

I'll

All these people don't understand

He

gets his feelings

hurt."

He

mother what he thought he could do

and she told the mayor.

"Let the boy alone," he declared, "I

quite

sure but that he

friends with everybody.

is

right.

am

not

He makes

He'll find out what the

poor fellow needs."

After the mother had told the mayor the boy's
thoughts, he gave his consent to anything that

might bring

rest,

and added a few suggestions

to the lad's plan.

"Give him a

trial,"

the mayor said

command-

ing ly to the councillors, "I like the boy, there

is

a brave light in his eyes."

" Please leave

it all

to

me," commanded Thrush,

DREAM BOATS

154
*'ril

make him

don^t

let

in the

all

any one say another word about the

mother

at ease

it

an easy matter to

about his plan.

word without

murmur

linen with

filled

was

him

burned

for the

a crisp

set his

She always took

although she sug-

some soda and clean

gested that the boy take

It

Man

Moon's mouth/'

Thrush found

his

Only please

well to-night.

autumn

spot.

The

night.

air

was

with the odour of burning leaves and brush.

The Moon

at its full

sea of rolling hills.

Town were

would soon come over the

All the folk of So-and-So

gathered in the square waiting for

the promised event.

Soon Thrush's crutch began

stones of the walk.

After

to

knock on the

him came

with the mayor and the councillors.

formed

in a procession

limping boy.

and

They kept

behind the councillors

silently

his

mother

The crowd
followed the

at a respectful distance

who walked two by

two.

'THE LITTLE

BOY

KISSED

THE

ALL WELL"

SPOT

AND MADE

IT

DREAM BOATS
On

and on through the town they marched

and out into the

and

155

fields,

falling twigs that

Past the fields to the

over dry rustling leaves

cracked beneath their

hill

feet.

slopes Thrust led them.

The people below saw him

reached the top of the highest

when he

stop

hill.

They whis-

pered to each other that he had dropped his

crutch and that he seemed to stand very

still

against the sky, waiting.

Then

the bald silver head of the

over the crest of the

edge

of the world.

the boy was a

little

hill

To the

that

moon

seemed

rose

like the

eager watchers below

sharp-cut shape against the

bright light of the moon's forehead.

"Good
politely,

evening, Man,'' they heard Thrush say

between the groans of the moon.

The Man

raised his

eyebrows and made a

dif-

ferent sort of noise.

**I

to
\

have

come up here

make you

The

all

to see

how you

are and

well," continued the boy.

large eyes smiled courteously.

Thrush

156

DREAM BOATS

dropped on

his

His

knees.

seemed

lips

to

touch the ivory cheek as the crowd saw the

corner of

the

smihng mouth

rise

over

the

hill-tops.

From

all

sides, that

stiU

evening, could be

heard the quick breathing of the mothers.

The

Moon's moans and groans ceased.

Thrush, the
it all

The

miracle had been accompUshed.

Httle boy, kissed the spot

Had

not

and made

well?

gracious

and gentle smile

of

gratitude

spread over the Moon's amber face as

higher and
shouts,

higher in the sky.

shrill

cries

of

Amid

women and

little

Thrush the lame son

still,

filled

of the

rose

joyful

children,

Gatekeeper

with the power that can

silence of a child.

it

sat

exist in the

OUT OF DOORS

WAITING DREAMS

THERE

a pool in the

is

Sand-man's garden

wherein he cools those dreams that must

rest

on

lovely ladies' eyes

on summer

where he washes those dreams

that

nights,

and

grow dusty

while they are waiting to be deliveredo

There are many

wherein there
the

lie

dreams

any love have to be made in

dawns and twiHghts

they must
all

is

of these, as all the

on the

of spring, even

shelves for a year.

though

They

are

very sweet and fragile and attract the dust from

wings, and particularly

moths' and butterfHes'

do they

allure the pollen of certain flowers.

Sometimes those that contain a

found coated with mist.
surely

know,

serves

it

to

is

make dreams

And we who
them

star dust.

This,

kiss are even

as

you must

The Sand-man

pre-

for mothers.

are not mothers can never have

159

FAIRY RING TO

VALENTINE

WHEN
if

fall

a fairy feels himself falling in love,

perchance there has been a

of snow, he climbs

up the stem

light, fresh

of a

blowing

blade of grass, which bends to the earth beneath

When

his weight.

persuaded by the varying,

playing breezes, the grass blade traces a ring

around him
is his,

and

snow, he knows good fortune

in the

flies

forth to

woo

his Fairy

Love

some deserted milkweed seedpod wherein

in

per-

chance she dwells.

I

pray that the good Saint of this day will

trace a fairy ring

may be mine

as

around me,

wherein you dwell,

in the

on

I start

O my

that

a quest for the place

Valentine, wherever

wide world you may be

found you and looked into your

Saint Valentine inscribe

When
eyes,

have

may

dear

around you and

circle of lasting love.

1

good fortune

60

me

the

I^MBBH
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S^I^^^S o^SooSB%

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^^^^^H

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c

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\\\NU^5^;i-'-^p-:S^P

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^jft^

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p^rj vAYJ*^

A-^^^o8o^o"ffli8DB

^^^^^m^^jsSSS^SSi

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IB 1^1
HI

FRAGILE

'^^/^ " aWwHI

"^"^^^^^^^^^^^^^

i^^^I^^^^SbI

"A

^Sradftof^Vvv

CRAFT,

PILOTED

LIKE

I
BY

A STAR"

FAIRY.

PERCHED

ON JUNE WINDS
LIFT

up your heads,

all

ye

who

sigh for

sum-

-^ mer, for from their silken ports have set

the odour-laden

Soon

fleet.

of the south wind, will

to you,

come

sail

on the waves

the scented vessels

bearing their precious cargoes and spilling them

recklessly.

O fragrance of heliotrope, mimosa, andmignonette!

The

fragile

perched Hke a

crafts
star,

are

piloted

tells

of

fairy

holding the cobweb cables

from the mist-hke, winging

figurehead

by

sails.

Above, a

coming sweetness, waving

silken petals as they are

brushed by the rippling

breeze.

So

lift

up your

heads, ye sighers for the

mer, breathe in your

fill

of their

blows against your cheek.

i6i

perfume

Sweetly

it

sumas

it

touches

DREAM BOATS

i62

you with

its

soft caresses, the lingering fresh-

And

ness pervading everything.

it

is

name

gone, murmuring
of the

then, swiftly

only to the bees the

harbour which

is

home.

TO MY GROWN-UP SELF
^LL the days of my
as
sat dreaming on
life

XJl

the fountain of

my youth I dreamed of

The blooming

day when you would come.

springtime over the garden of

my

the fountain ever sang

into

spread around the

itself

of the

lilies

your coming was near.

my

was

at the

im-

its life

on

youth had awakened from

its

all

of

its

breast,

peacock would never dream

would

lilies

lose the

fountain of

life's

in its ceaseless circles,

dreams one dreams only

springtime.

But when spring had come and you had

beside

me

eyes

found youth immortal

me

and the fountain's plashing waters would

cease to hold the

and

that

the

afraid that the

again,

circles

And when

dreams and preened the feathers

I

of

youth where

pool, told

mortal peacock that had dreamed

the fountain of

that

at the

fountain of

my
:

sat

youth, in your

for together

we

could dream with the peacock on the margin of

your fountaixi and mine.
163

SNAP DRAGONS
THE
INdays,

world

it is

of hot

watering time for the thirsting flock

dragons, whose

pink and yellow

of

flights are their gentle

as they are caressed

Down
less

and windless summer

fiercest

swayings back and forth

by summer breezes.

through the summer night, on sound-

wings, the

fairies of

the starlight

make

their

way, each bearing a goblet of dew from out the

fountains of the

air.

And when

reached the end of their pathless

on

still

the fairies have

flight,

resting

wings they press the dragon's silken

sides.

Eagerly he snaps his fragile mouth wide to

receive the cooling drink, as the fairies tip the

dew from

out the fountains

that play incessantly, perhaps

on some remote

goblet,

and

spill

the

star.

164

"IT

IS

WATERING

PINK

TIME

FOR

THE

THIRSTING

AND YELLOW DRAGONS"

FLOCK

OF

POSTED BY LEGAL

AS

AUTHORITY

A
rest

REWARD

of

dreams

fourteen

will

be

given for information leading to the ar-

and conviction

starting the unjust

those persons guilty of

of

and unkind rumour:

"Lady bug, Lady bug, fly away home,

Your house is on fire and your children
will

THE

burn."

undersigned, Shrimpie Snippet,

lated to

Lady bugs.

am

am

re-

so nearly related

that I have never heard the fire alarms yet that

did not
to

which

fly

not

to fly,

as fast as I can,
that

is

home; Alas!

no children have

do

run

to the

reported burning.
i6s

have no
to burn.

home
But

Lady bug's home

DREAM

i66

ISHRIMPIE
of

my own.

OAT

SNIPPET, own a Lady bug

To make

her walk forward, you

must make her walk backward ten

steps,

she will walk forward twenty steps.

If

to

make her walk forward

backward ten

all

then

you

try

before she has walked

steps, she will stand

still

and never

walk forward or backward again.

THEREFORE, am not

I,

Shrimpie Snippet,

right in endeavouring to discover the mis-

creant

who

much

uneasiness, so

is

the cause of so

much

much

unrest, so

agitation against

my

dear kinspeople, the Lady bugs?

^ND

possessing a

Lady bug,

as

do,

who

J^jL. will walk forward in proper Lady bug

fashion,
steps

if

she

before

is

she

made
starts

to

walk backward ten

forward,

Shrimpie Snippet, every right to

end

have not
try to

put an

to this upsetting gossip?

Signed:

I,

Shrimpie Snippet.

WE ET APRIL

^PRIL! my
-ZJl

comes

ing

spring's

silver-sand led

shadows

bird's

first

wave

of the

Soon over the green

swinging from your

of

The

ears.

these singing birds

around your arms

way (making

are

as

that wave, first this

the daffodils unfold their shining

and then

faces),

the

you dance right merrily, with hoops

of singing birds

bracelets

me on

warming wind.

earth will

silent

to

your sing-

sister,

that

way (breaking

the sweet

egg and sending forth a bonny song).

my

sister

April

since

need

to

my true love left me; with you I

dance. When buds are breaking and

birds

have waited so long,

sister

singing merrily, dance with me, dance with

to the ripple of the rain.

path

we move

yours that

I,

over your golden

my

arms wave with

may break one

sweet blue egg.

so lightly,

too,

As

me

167

let

DREAM BOATS

i68

My

heart will throb with gladness

one song

for

summer.

must remember,
left

And

will forget

perhaps

that

me, and has forgotten that

through a silver-scented spring.

if

my
I

can free
I,

who

love

has

must

live

\'

"WHEN BUDS ARE BREAKING AND BIRDS

MERRILY, DANCE WITH ME"

'

SINGING

ALONE
ALL
jf"^

silently

summer

out into a

night leaned

moonflower on the very border-

little

land of birth.

With

a sigh softer than the stirring of a bird-

ling within a blue eggj

self,

said,

it

from

its

infolded

so soft, so sweet:

"Forth from

my

heart

of pure white petals.

shall

shall

send a wealth

keep them so

in-

nocent and spotless that as a beacon against the

night they will gleam like a

star.

"I shall breathe forth such a fragrance of

sorrowful sweetness that
of the butterflies

on ivory
silver

blue patterned on gold, gold

come

to

will lure the loveliest

to

me and

sip his

fill

of

my

honey."

The
all

it

little

bloom

in a

expectantly unfolded

moon-moulded

nativity,

frail light petals, reveal-

169

DREAM

170

ing

itself

as

BOAT

pure as a baby's palm,

wistfully-

sweet.

Trembling on

a fragile stem

beyond the embrace

flower vine.

it

forced

of the tendrils of the

itself

moon-

But only a moth came and

journed within

sweetness until the

its

so-

setting

of the stars.

When dawn

had

laid a

garden wide, the lonely

purple light over the

iittle

flower folded a

vanquished heart deep within drooping petals

and was about

ivory

to die.

Then

the butterfly of

and blue and gold dream came

its

to gather

the ravaged treasure.

But so assuredly had

als

around

another
sadness.

its

it

enwrapped fading

heart that not even

summer

all

pet-

the stars of

night could unveil

its

silken

LITTLE DREAM THAT

WANDERED
Strayed, or Stolen:

rOST,

On

Eve, from

Easter

lock's garden, a

Littleboy Love-

Dream.

Small and shaped like the bulb of a

of April's melted

buds, and the

made

lily,

snowflakes, and April's

down from under baby

first

birds'

wings.

This dream was designed for a baby

on Easter Day, and was

to

had.

All the years of her

been

repeated

on

the

be the
life

night

it

first

was

girl

born

she ever
to

preceding

have
her

birthday.
If

baby

returned to Littleboy Lovelock before this

is

fourteen days old the finder will be re-

warded with
bird,

and

dream

blooming

of a waterfall, a singing

tree.
171

DREAM BOATS

172
If

not returned and the dream

one^s possession, he or she

a

dream

that will

make him

or she has measles,

ness at one

\yill

is

found

in

any

be infHcted with

or her think that he

mumps, and

and the same time.

"getting mad"-

SUMMER BREEZES

OVER
mer

the

hills

and through the

valleys

Sum-

strays with her scarf of light winds,

and, with utter sweetness, caresses the weeds

and flowers, blessing every blossom with a precious drink of dew, while Winter draws his garof frost

around him and stands remotely

aside, silently

waiting for something beautiful

ment

to

happen.

With her

mer

scarf

blowing against our

faces.

gives to each of us her gift of bird

and bloom.

173

Sum-

and bee

AUTUMN'S COLOUR
ALL

my

the days of

life

have roamed the

J^jL. world over in quest of the rainbow's end

-"where"

(a

wise

man

of gold, filled to the

1

And

so,

"you

will find a pot

brim and overflowing/*

cannot find

Alas,

said)

it!

to stay at

home and be

content,

listened to the fairies (they are wiser than the

wisest

man

them when they

had

whole world), and

in the

me what I would have found

end of my quest:

reached the

gold, but seven

with colours.
of the wide,

playing:

first

Up

great pots
in the air,

is

on the other side

wide world, a fountain

red; then

The rainbow

is

not a pot

brimming over

is

silently

orange; afterward yel-

low and green; blue, then indigo and

"

believe

tell

" At the end of the rainbow there

of

violet.

the colour spilling from the

"WHENCE DO THE ELVES GET ALL THE COLOUR

THEY NEED WITH WHICH TO PAINT THE

FLOWERS,

FRUITS

AND

FOLIAGE?"

'

DREAM BOATS
fountain's seven basins

and flowing

175

in

circled

paths across the sky into the brims of the waiting pots."
If

this

is

not true, pray

the elves of the

need with which

foliage?

tell

autumn get

all

me, whence do
the colour they

to paint the flowers, fruits,

and

LITTLE BIRDS

ONCE upon

a time there

Dickie Dear
himself

grow up.

who
But

was

hard to

tried very

try as

boy named

make

hard as he might,

he could not succeed.

Nowhere

in the

whole wide world could he

find the adventure he thought he wanted, but

really did

Now

not need at

this

all.

Dickie Dear lived

in a little

brown

house, which half of the day lay in the shadow

of a

tall,

gray church steeple.

lived families of birds,

and

Up

in the belfry

in the vines that

grew

between the windows of the church lived other

families

of

birds.

winter this boy

the

Through

all

the

named Dickie Dear

chattering of

the birds

those

dawns

of

listened to

delightful

chatterings that always occur in families that

live in nests

and

little

brown houses which

176

lie

DREAM BOATS
shadow

in the

of gray

church

177

Through

steeples.

the noons in spring, Dickie Dear watched

all

the building of

new bird-homes and

listened to

the chattering of the busy families.

One day

man came

to paint the

window-

frames of the church, and he began his work by

puUing down the vines wherein these chattering

families

had

built

new homes.

The boy named

Dickie Dear rushed out of the little brown house

which
steeple,

lay

in

the

shadow

and he ran over

of the gray
to the

church

man, who was

only doing what he had been told to do.

Dickie Dear was too

late!

But

The homes were

all

destroyed; the chattering babies lay squashed in

the

shadow

of the

tall

church

steeple!

Dickie Dear came back to the

little

brown

house, and, because he was very, very unhappy,

shut the door very, very hard, which shook the
little

brown house, and made some

things

wont

fgll

off the shelves

to stand.

of his play-

whereon they were

DREAM BOATS

178

On

one

shelf,

through the dawns of winter and

the noons of spring, had stood a lonely doll.

He

had

travelled all the

course, he

good

was

way from China!

a heathen

for all that.

Of

Chinaman, but very

Now this Chinaman, with the

other toys, had fallen off the shelf and lay on the

head thrown out of the hole

floor with his

in his

blue coat where one's head should always be.

Dickie Dear

felt

very sorry for

all

his toys, but

he was sorriest for the Chinaman, for he

it

must be very unpleasant

to

knew

have one's head

So he picked up the Chinaman,

out of place.

put his head in the hole of his coat where heads

usually

place

grow, and stood him in his rightful

upon

the shelf.

Ever since the Chinaman had arrived from

China he had not spoken a single word, but

for a certain reason which

Not
explain made him sing.

painful adventure
really

cannot

being a Chinaman,
did, but this

is

this

how

I
it

cannot sing the song as he

sounded

to

me:

DREAM BOATS
" Dickie, dear boy, don't be sad for the
lie

squashed

in the

179
little

birds that

shadow of the great gray church.

moment ago I lay squashed upon the floor. Just as you

have made me as I was, so Some One makes the little
You see me as I was because
birds just as they were.
I

am

only a heathen Chinaman, but you cannot see the

His

One who guards each of

you have guarded me, has made

birds as they were because

little

little

them

little

children as

birds again in a golden world called Paradise."

DREAM BOATS
PLAY

DREAM BOATSPLAY
PRELUDE

PLAYFELLOWS
Robin Ringlet

Davy

little

boy

Prologue

An

the

Alien-kinsman to the Fairies

Sea-horse

You

You are
sit

up

sitting in the left-hand box.

in

a proper fashion as though you

have escorted two lovely

play.

You, over there

parquet and You are

Everyone

Now

else

is

in the

ladies to see the

are sitting in the

in the first balcony.

peanut gallery* I am

glad you are because you can eat peanuts.

^

am

th^.

actors.

I hope you will

183

like

me.

DREAM BOATS PLAY

i84

The scenery for

play

the

a picture inside a

frame showing two

picture

Summer sea at

on a

is

head on

The figure-

moonrise.

the first boat

white peacocVs

boats drifting

is

a feather from a

tail,

large quivering

bubble serves as a

figurehead for

second boat which

drifting in the

is

the first boat leaves in the

the

wake

water behind

it.

Before the rise of the theatre curtain enter

from

the left

Prologue.

He

crosses to

the centre of the stage, carefully turning

out his

toes,

A Prologue,

This

author (who wrote

fore,

it is

it) is

not a play because the

not a playwright.

There-

not a play.

It is better

than a play, for you have to

play with us and

Therefore,

it is

He
to

is

we

to

are going to play with you.

play-play-playl

pauses, looks quickly

the right

Prologue,

come

and

and suddenly

to the left,

All the babies that

come

into this

DREAM BOATS PLAY

world hold something

Mothers know

in their tiny hands.

All

but few realize that the

that,

fingers are clasping with

the invisible key to the

way

185

all

their

little

might and main

Magic Casement.

nearly every baby learns (I believe

In some
it is

whis-

pered to them by nurse maids) the delightful

things teeth will

do when the cutting time

Therefore, babies use

cutting

open

first

their

teeth.

all

over.

the strength they have

Some day

in this venture they

hands and lose the key.

can never get

realize that they

is

it

They do not

back again and,

therefore, will never catch a glimpse of the ships

that sail

on

sunlit seas in fairy lands.

You, who have not cut your second

and play with

come

usl

You, who are

little

children,

You, who are children

pretend that you are and
that

teeth,

still

come!

and do not know

tell

it,

us with your smiles

you can hear the echo of far-away youth

sounding through the

fallen in the years

veils of leaves that

you have so

have

seriously counted.

i86

DREAM BOATS PLAY

A

Prologue

at

exits

Alien-kinsman

right.

the fairies,

to

aloft

a large globe of

from

the

As

left.

the

An

bearing

gold-fish^ enters

he appears he speaks

solemnly but with animation.

An Alien-kinsman.

Fiddlesticks!

started

with the wrong toe!

He

turns,

crosses

starts

to

with

the

other foot,

the centre, places the globe

of gold-fish on the floor at the front of

the

He

stage.

a peppermint

takes

drop from the bag that hangs on a

cord from his arm, and presents

someone
his

in the

it

to

audience, then he draws

index finger across

his teeth three

times, for no reason at all

and

exits

at the right.

Reenter from the right

points

to

the

Prologue, who

gentleman who has just

retired.

A Prologue.

That, as you must surely know,

DREAM BOATS PLAY

an alien-kinsman to the

is

me

with you and

ish

187

He

fairies.

is

peev-

because, by a spell of magic,

he has been transformed into half and half a

human

He

being.

angry with you and with

is

neither you nor

had anything

to

transformation (which proves he

He

sharpened

mean he wants

He became
at

at

his teeth at you,

to eat

him

so

because

do with
half

his

human).

that does not

you up.

very cross

him through opera

that gives

is

me

when you

There

glasses.

much

did not look

is

nothing

delight as being looked

through opera glasses (another proof of his

human
I

am

nature).

you he

sorry to have to inform

his trivial part in this play over

until

everyone pretends that he

alien-kinsman of the

fairies

Prologue holds
like

is

and over again

looking at the

through opera
his

will act

hands

to

glasses.
his eyes

opera glasses as a suggestion of

what must

be done

and

exits at the left.

i88

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Reenter from the right

who

auen-kinsman

crosses to the centre^ takes

and

globe of gold-fish^
left,

An

then he turns

and

up

the

to*

the

crosses

does

it

all

over

again.

O Fiddlesticks

An Alien-kinsman.
on the wrong

He

started

toe.

recrosses

the

to

globe of gold-fish

and sharpens

As

before.

to

at

same

in

the

spot,

same person,

his teeth three times as

he retires he stops

looks to see if everyone

look

again places

the centre,

presents peppermint

to

him

and

pretending

is

through

the

opera

glasses.

If there

is

any one who does not enter

into

up

the

his spirit of the play, he takes

gold-fish globe, turns

and

repeats in

detail his part until everyone pretends

to

look

When

at

him through

the glasses.

that delightful thing

is

consum-

DREAM BOATS PLAY

mated he

189

and

smiles for the first time

exits at the right.

THE PLAY ITSELF

At

the rise of the theatre curtain

Ringlet

discovered sitting in

is

first boat,

Robin
the

with his hands clasping his

kneesy

head thrown back, looking at a

star

which

directly

is

After a moment or two he

Robin Ringlet,

overhead.
sings.

Ringlet, Ringlet,*

Wind

little stringlet,

Make

little

And

swinglet

swing, swing, swing.

The7t without looking

to

right or

left in

a dreamy voice, he says:

The Loveliest Lady in the whole wide world plays

games with me.

She gave

own, and she gave

than

do

*This

my
is

a star for

a birthday.

real birthday.

On

Hke

my
it

that day

Mary Chickweed, the SeedwomRobin Ringlet on his fourth birthday.

the song

an, sent to

me

me

very

more
I

do

DREAM BOATS PLAY

190

not

know when

was born;

forget the date of your birth.

days of Springtime

Autumn

When
is

has

made

you must

people do

can be sixteen and

the days gray

be

presented

me

of

sent

and put

was a

blue

me

me

inside

warm

in

my

boat

to

the

The

all

Fairest lady

names and on
gifts,

into a

and

away on

little

fish of

Star

so

sea.
I

boat.

me
It

and once

out,

Southern

North

But on a day, once

grow up while she was gone.

went away.

as

drafts,

ninety-nine

had been the house wherein a

lived

not

Before leaving, she took

into the park

had

it

You do

sweetest lady went

long, long journey.

shell,

of your birth,

also with ninety-nine

my

sixty.

the hour, the day, the month,

present for every name.

time,

when

can be

sixty as sixteen.

their birth.

birthday she

upon a

any time mind

at

who know

and the year

my

In the sunshiny

you forget the exact date

as delightful to

feel

pleasant to

is

it

some

sort

She

tied

would not

And

then she

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Here,

wishing

for her to

around the

fastened

water behind

Sometimes

it

wake my

first

boat

am

Every evening

stretch over the

in

cow

my

am

boat

is

in

another

and

it

is

leaving in the

afraid the star to

sea

my

beyond the world.

and

to the land

which

and take the boats and

wish on the

Around and around

the

me

sent

from a far-away blue

would send me so many boats

came

tethered.

is

it.

into the dark places

until I

around and

drifting

to the boat I

tethered will set

is

long, lonely days,

Lady

the Loveliest

drifting in the

me

my

which

boat, a pearl-like shell

sea.

boat

come back,

star to

One day
little

many

have waited for

191

all

first siar,

that she

that they

would

around the world

where she
the star

eats the grass in a ring

is

now.

am

drifting as

around the tether

Father's pasture.

Around and around

gave me,

am

the star the LoveKest

drifting, waiting for her to

back to play games with me.

Lady

come

DREAM BOATS PLAY

192

He

sings

Ringlet, Ringlet,

Wind

little

stringlet,

Make

little

swinglet,

And

swing, swing, swing.

Suddenly out of the wave at

the

prow

of

the first boat there

appears upon ad-

venture benty a

nibbling nose.

is

little

a Sea-horse who sneezes three

It

times,

You

Robin Ringlet {somewhat taken back).

are a horse.

Sea-horse

{stares

boy for

at

second).

Are you animal, mineral, or vegetable ?

None,

Robin Ringlet.

am

a boy.

A Sea-horse.

{Sneezes again three times,)

Robin Ringlet

{positively).

You

are a horse.

A Sea-horse, How did you know it?

You

Robin Ringlet,
sneeze

when you

spit

on me.

If

horses

are riding behind them, they

always spit on you, and never say Excuse me.

My

Daddy

said

must always say excuse

me

DREAM BOATS PLAY

when

God

sneezes always say,

A
he

is

bless you.

Excuse me.

told).

God

My

Sea-horse,

away when

me what

was a

you

to

do

if

mother and father went

I

never had any one to

They only

"Gee-up"

said

I'll

do everything your Daddy

you

will tell

me.

Promise?

Robin Ringlet,

bless you.

colt.

to say.

and "Whoa".
told

else

Sea-horse (jerks up his head a^id does as

Robin Ringlet,

tell

when any one

have to sneeze, and

193

Cross

Sea-horse,

my

heart

and

spit three

times.

Robin Ringlet,

mother

jumper and

neighs

think

it

was awful

your

for

to leave you.

Sea-horse,

minute

my

eleven

and

It

was

not.

My

father

mother can make a mile

and

one-fifth

going to be a circus horse when

a pink

and gold

in

tail

one

(He

seconds.

rears upright with pride,)

Mermaid with

was a

am

grow up;
will ride

on

DREAM BOATS PLAY

194

my

back.

and

rings, too.

She

swim

will

What

are

you going

to be

Sea Captain.

Robi7t Ringlet,

have an albatross and a

arm and on my
within

right

am

arm

circle.

my

left

have L. L.

I will

Everyone

will

Tm

have a two-bladed bone-handled knife.

in-

know

going to

My

ship

be a three-master with seventy guns, and the

will

cabin will be packed brim

have a

line of brass

My men will
sail

fire

all

raspberry jam.

along the deck.

give the order.

I'll

across the Pacific and hunt for sharks and

sea-shells

my

and

I'll

bring a ship load of

parrot's feathers

loveliest lady.

hair in the middle.

hair

full of

cannon

every time

whales and icebergs.

to

going to

on

star tattooed

L. L. stands for Loveliest Lady.

ril

when

man?

you are a

closed

hoops

right through

And

and smelly flowers

won't ever part

my

Don't you hate to have your

brushed?

A Sea-horse,
ever told

me

to.

Never had

it

brushed.

Nobody

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Robin

Nobody?

Ringlet,

195

Not even your

nurse?

A Sea-horse,

Never had

Robin Ringlet,

It

a nurse.

must be

fine

when you

don't have to be held by the chin and have your

hair

so

brushed and brushed and brushed.

bad when they

let

you do

don't have to hold your

your head

yourself.

not

You

chin tight to keep

still.

A Sea-horse.
you don't

own

it

It is

Why

do your have

it

brushed

if

like it?

Because

Robin Ringlet,

if

don't,

shall get

a cowlick.

A Sea-horse,

Do

Robin Ringlet,

Sea-horse

ever

never
is

don't know.
but

laughs,

have
let

horses have cowlicks?

known

any one

it

see

no one would
for

Sea-horses

them laugh.

It

not good breeding,

Sea-horse,

mackerel told

me

horses have to be curry-combed every

that

all

morning

196

DREAM BOAT S -P LAY

and every

night.

if

your

Daddy

can't imagine

says

all

fine horses

Robin Ringlet,
about

it

but

must

Did your Daddy say

be elegant and genteel.

that

feels,

why, then

right,

is

it

how it

have to have their

tails

docked ?

No, he did not say anything

tails.

A Sea-horse are
A Sea-horse points

Robin Ringlet and

Then

thoughtful.

with his nose

to

the

figurehead on the

first boat,

A Sea-horse,
Robin Ringlet,

A Sea-horse,

What

is

that?

Figurehead.

What's a figurehead?

Robin Ringlet {with an air of superior wisdom),

the

prow

figurehead

is

an ornamental image on

of a vessel.

A Sea-horse,
Robin Ringlet,

What

is

yours?

Peacock's feather.

A Sea-Horse, Why do you have that?

Robin Ringlet.

A Sea- Horse.

Because
It is

it

has an eye.

only a feather one.

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Robin

Nearly

same.

But

Ringlet,

it

197

has an eye just the

you

everything

comes

learn

through your eyes.

A Sea-horse,
Robin Ringlet,
it

doesn't cry.

can't see.

It

can't see,

It

it

and

can't wink,

the only sort of eye that can

It is

look straight into the face of the Sun and never

blink once.

A Sea-horse, A needle's eye doesn't blink.

Robin Ringlet,
always stuffed

A
it

It

full of

Sea-horse

doesn't blink because

it's

thread.

(is slightly

puzzled).

What

does

mean ?
Robin

Ringlet,

It

straightforward boat.

boat
heart

my
is

loveliest lady

means
That

would

brimming over with

She can think the

it

is

an

is

honest,

the only sort of

leave

me

in.

Her

beautiful thoughts.

loveliest things

and play the

nicest games.

Sea-horse

(sniffs

and proudly

displays his

wider knowledge of water information).

This

is

DREAM BOATS PLAY

198

not a thought and

that keeps

not a game.

it is

you from growing up.

you pretend you

Robin Ringlet

really

will not

dream

dream in
long

play, for as

grow

{earnestly).

It is

which you can play and play and

as

It is

up, you won't.

Is

it

a really truly

dream ?

A Sea-horse

and nods

{smiles

True

slightly).

as blue.

Of

Robin Ringlet.

wide world only

leave

me

dream.

in a
I

he

am

so happy.

feels I

now

little

am

and

safe I

shell that

safe

My
when

has turned into a

Daddy
I

my

am

to

am

in a

dreaming.

bed and can see

me

has told

dream.
I

Maybe

am
they

how happy

am.

A Sea-horse.

Dreams, you know,

behind them as well as boats.

and heaps

would think

Mother and Daddy know

because

are standing by

the ladies in the whole

lovely lady

love dreams.

that

safe

my

all

of small bubbles

leave

Wakes

wakes

are heaps

and the bubbles

form the wake of a dream are

full

that

of wonder,

DREAM BOATS PLAY

and

beauty,

wake

delight.

dream

of a

It is

as

it

199

as nice to follow in the

is

to be

in

dream

the

itself.

This unwonted philosophy goes suddenly

to

Sea-horse'S head.

He

instantly

becomes a Reformer and starts finding

fault with poor Robin Ringlet on the
instant.

You

are a selfish boy because you have

riding in the boat that

your dream.
I

will

is

following in the

do not play with

selfish

no one

wake

peoplco

not have anything to do with them.

neighs

with

scorn.)

Good-day,

selfish

of

{He
Robin

Ringlet.

He

disappears, the curl of his vanish-

ing tail expressing utter indifference

to

everything on boats or land,

Robin Ringlet,

Whoa!

Please

selfish.

I'll

try

Sea-horse,

don^t

my

has gone away and

Sea-horse,

swim away.

I'll

best to be unselfish.
left

me.

Whoa!
be un-

Oh, he

DREAM BOATS PLAY

200

He

looks

aroundy heaves a deep sigh^

pauses, then sighs again more heavily

than before and says sadly:

My

dream

is

not so nice now.

Leaning over

the

side of the boat,

and

holding his hand like a cup he brings

up some
the air,

"Whatever goes up

bubbles, which he throws into

and
is

quotes:

come down,

obliged to

Either on your head or either on the ground."

But Robin finds

a game

to

that this

is 7iot

play when a

much

little

of

boy

is

lonely, so he cries out:

It is

head

not any fun

for

it

to

fall

when

there

is

not anybody's

on!

Again he

leans over the side of the boat,

but brings up only one bubble

time

and opens

it

joyfully.

this

Out of

it

he takes a white feather from a bird*s

wing but
If

all he could think

the Sea-horse had waited,

about was:

would have been

DREAM BOATS PLAY

willing to say

am

was wrong,

man

as a

But Daddy said

a selfish boy.

201

should.
I

must not

blubber.

He

and

stands

up

then

looks

He

idea.

The

star gives him

up

picks

the bottom of the boat

and makes
this

the horizon

the star, then thoughtfully

to

at the feather.

an

around

to

cap from

and puts

it

on

wish that will add

the

feather

his

He

it.

enough and ends

in

starts out fast

a rapid jumble:

" Star light, Star bright.

First star I
I

wish

Have
{Then he
body!
the

may,

the wish

wish
I

of

my

might

have wished to-night."

Somebody!

calls out loud):

Somebody!

wake

selfish

have seen to-night,

Please

dream.

come and

Some-

follow in

And make me an

un-

boy!

From
hoy

the rear of the audience comes

who

calls to

him.

202

Davy,

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Hello

Robin Ringlet.

Now

Hio, Hi-ol

that he has proved

he

no longer

is

sticks the

selfish,

himself that

Robin gaily

feather in his cap,

Davy comes up
wonder

to

on the stage, pauses with

before the picture, looks cur-

iously into the gold-fish globe,

sticks his

Robin Ringlet,
following in the

finger into the water,

Get

wake

As Davy

of

into

my

boat that

the

is

dream.

steps into the second boat his

coat drops
like

and he

off,

revealing him in clothes

Robin Ringlet.

The

coat falls

over the frame partly inside and partly

out of the picture,

Robin Ringlet {turns and faces Davy).

is

your name ?

Davy,

(out of breath

from the long journey

out of the audience into a dream),

is

What

yours ?

Davy.

What

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Robin Ringlet.

Robin Ringlet.

203

Have you

any nick-names?

Davy

They used

{sadly).

to

me

call

But no one does any more.

Boy.

Why

Robin Ringlet,

Davy

not?

They thought

{bitterly).

was no

did not

besides

Robin?

longer a litde boy, and so they said

need

Have you any names

it.

Robin

Lady

Loveliest

me.

on

my

of

in the

them

if I

could.

But the

whole wide world gave them

could not part with one of them for

Davy,

anything.

we can

Ninety-nine;

Ringlet {with pride).

would give you one

to

Little

will call

play and play.

first star.

There

I'll

you
let

Little

Boy and

you make a wish

{Pointing straight

it is.

overhead),

Davy.

wish

You must

Robin Ringlet {interrupting).

come

tell

your wish or

star

you may make only a wish

Look

at the star.

it

will

not

Then

kiss

for

the

true.

not

On my

your Mother.

palm

of

your

DREAM BOATS PLAY

204

Blow

hand.

left

say "Star

Davy
left

Mother and

the kiss to your

light, Star bright."

palm of his

{kisses the

handover his

left

hand, places

a milk-weed

heart, after blowing

seed into the audience),

wish for

his

my

Mother:

"Star light, Star bright.

First star
I

wish

Have

{He
will

Fve seen

may,

the wish

to-night,

wish
I

might.

wish to-night."

Oh,

looks at the star longingly,)

come

hope

it

true.

Robin Ringlet,

Davy.

Can you

do, too.
say

all

of

your ninety-nine

names ?
Yes, and

Robin Ringlet {with pride).

say the English Kings.

Davy,

No,

England but
{ff^ith

can't

can

Can you?
say

all

the

kings of

can say the books of the Bible.

sing-song

expression,)

Genesis,

Exodus,

Leviticus,Numbers, Deuter-ron

But how could he keep

his

mind on

the

DREAM BOATS PLAY

when

books of the Bible

many

questions

wanted

of his

there

were

so

own

that

he

So he stopped sud-

askf

to

205

denly and demanded:

What

port are

we

sailing for ?

We

Robin Ringlet.
drifting

are not sailing.

around and around a

star to

We

are

which our

boats are tethered.

Davy.

thought we were sailing for San

Salvador, China,
pirates

and hidden

Robin Ringlet.

North

and Peru

Star.

The

We are

anywhere we

Davy.

want

Robin Ringlet.
nip off your nose,

hunt in caves

for

treasures.

boats are fastened to the

drifting

dreaming and dreaming

sail

to

in a

around and around,

world where we can

like.

to

go

You

my

to the

South Pole.

cannot.

Loveliest

Jack Frost

Lady

will

will

not love

you unless you have a nose.

Davy.

If I

did not have a nose, they would

not keep saying to me, "Don't Sniffle."

DREAM BOATS PLAY

2o6

You

Robin Ringlet,

white path of bubbles

water behind

my

am

it.

have to follow in the

will

boat

going

leaving in the

is

to

sail

into

the

Torrid Zone to hunt for heathen and cannibals.

As soon

as

the Atlantic,

flowers to

Davy

can catch one

am

going

and bring a ship load

my

to cross

of fruits

and

Loveliest Lady.

Can

{delighted).

Robin Ringlet,

bring her one?

heathen, a

fruit,

a cannibal,

or a flower.

Davy,

Orange.

it

funny you don 't have

You can

bring her an orange

Isn 't

to see her to love her?

Robin Ringlet,
if

you obey

Davy,

Whom

all

my

But

will I

am

the

captain of this boat.

order?

Robin Ringlet.
of

orders.

Nobody. You are

one of the boats that makes

The
put

Loveliest

me

in this

Davy,

Lady gave me
one so

the captain

my Dream

Fleet.

the boats.

She

all

could not grow up.

Have you seen any whales ?

DREAM BOATS PLAY

No.

Robin Ringlet.

He

told

me

it

But

was not a

drifting in, but a ship that

leave

was a

saw a Sea-horse.

am

really truly boat I

is

wakes behind them

Sea-horse said

207

in a

Dreams

dream.

The

as well as boats.

boy because

selfish

did

not ask any one to follow in the wake of my dream.

In the bubbles of the path in which your boat
will sail there are gifts to

Here

you from the

one.

is

Robin takes one bubble from

Oh!
This

Inside of
is

it,

there

a nut that

usually grow.

grew on

There

is

it

the water.

a nut.

is

a tree

where nuts

a squirrel in the park

When

waiting for this very nut.

takes

fairies.

out of your hand, you will

he comes and

know

that

you

are being introduced to Sir Christopher Squirrel.

Davy

{delighted).

Robin Ringlet,

Davy

{takes

acorn cup.

Can

Robin Ringlet,

have one?

They are all

a bubble).

What

does
It

it

for you, Little Boy.

In this one there

is

an

mean?

means

that

sometime you

DREAM BOATS PLAY

208
will

be very

Someone

thirsty.

will give

not a chocolate ice cream soda, as

are thinking, no,

you, no,

believe

cup of cold water.

you

It will

be the sweetest drink you have ever had.

Davy,

How

can you

Robin Ringlet {fumbling

in his coat pocket),

When

have sea-weed seed.

seed in the pocket that

you can understand

what they mean ?

tell

is

you have sea-weed

right over your heart,

fish-talk

and you can sing the

songs that are inside of bubbles.

Davy,

wish

had some.

I will

give you an

agate and three chinies for some,

Robin Ringlet,

obey

all

I will

not

them.

sell

If

you

the orders given by the Rear Admiral

Commodore Adjutant General

L. L. D. F.,

might give you some.

Davy

{in awe).

Are you a Rear Comy-dore,

Gen-ral

Robin Ringlet {stands, turns, and faces Davy),

Rear Admiral, Commodore Adjutant General

L. L. D. F.

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Davy.

What

Robin

Ringlet

is

Rear

(salutes),

obey

Commodore

Admiral

warning

finger).

Fleet.
I'll

F?
a

{shakes

Dream

Loveliest Lady's

Davy

L. L. D.

209

Ringlet L. L. D. F., and

I'll

all

your orders,

Robin

Genera!
give

you

my

agate,

too.

Robin Ringlet

Stand up!

Littleboy.
Sit

(salutes).

Thanks, Captain Davy

Don't shake the

boat!

down.

Davy
make

it

last

as

to

out?

Robin Ringlet.

As soon

What can we do

(obeys the orders).

it is

over

don't want

my

Loveliest

it

last out.

to

Lady

will

come

back.

Davy*

What

Robin Ringlet.
to

be and

Davy.

told

What

else did the Sea-horse

He told me what he was going

him what

am

was going

to be.

are you going to be?

Robin Ringlet (with

Davy.

say?

dignity). Sea Captain.

going

to be a

Major General.

DREAM BOATS PLAY

210

My father
all

my

was a Major and Mother

long divisions, she will give

said,

me

his

do

if

sword

one day.

Where

Robin Ringlet,

Davy

Mother)

sees his

your Mother ?

There, fourth row, centre.

{pointing).

{when he

is

wish

could take

her one bubble.

Robin
finds

Ringlet

her and

smiles).

You can

come back.

for

{looks

You

Daws
can,

Mother;

if

you

will

take her two bubbles.

Take heaps and heaps.

Take

as

many

as

you

can carry and come back and get some more.

Davy

fills his

Stuff

shirt.

Fill

a hat that

full,

Can*t you carry more than

Robin Ringlet,
that ?

arms

your pockets

your hat

full.

full, stuff

Why

them

in

your

you bring

didn't

would hold water?

If^ith

his

arms

full of bubbles

Davy

steps out of the boat over the picture

frame
Robin

Ringlet

to the fore-stage,

{standing).

Halt

Captain

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Little

Boy

About

face

211

You cannot

sing the

songs that are inside of bubbles unless you have

sea-weed seed

in

your pocket.

Robin puts some seed

Davy,

into

Davy's pocket.

Thanks, Robin.

Robin Ringlet.

Thank

you, Little Boy

am

not selfish

Looks beyond the audience^ as though he

were searching the horizon for a ship

that will bring back the Loveliest

As Davy

Lady,

away from

the picture^

the curtain falls behind

himy hiding

the

turns

two boats and leaving him with

arms full

of bu^bbles.

He

his

places the

bubbles in a pile near the gold-fish

globe.

When

he discovers the audience

again, for he has forgotten all about

them, he spreads his arms with delight.

He
it

he

takes one of the bubbles

and from

draws a White Feather saying as

he presents it

to

someone in the audience.

DREAM BOATS PLAY

212

Davy,
wing.

This

that soon your dear

It signifies

will take

you

in

her

on her arm and

will not

He

you

lap,

sleep.

know you

from a Mother

a feather

is

be so sweet you

are asleep.
to

the pile of bubbles,

another which

someone,

and

has ^iven

Within

following

he

presents

another,

still

away

until

to

he

all of them.

are

bubbles

the

hidden

the

2'if^s

Seven Sunflower Seeds

Goldfinches are

cousins

removed on

Mother's

their

Mother

your head

will lay

It will

comes back

takes

bird's

fond of sunflower seed.

to

the fairies,

side.

They

are very

Plant these seeds in a

garden and give the goldfinches a dinner.

your kindness to their

twice

For

relatives, the fairies will

reward you with good fortune.

Snail's Shell

This

is

a snail's house.

When

a snail goes

on

DREAM BOATS PLAY

him packed

journey, he carries his house with

on

his back.

he grows weary he crawls into

If

house and takes a nap.

his

you

It signifies

go on a long, slow

will

213

**Soon

journey.'*

Pressed Pansy

This

little

flower raised

Ringlet's blue bowl.

est gift

the

little

Blue
If

Bag

is

of

that

you are going

your path.

it

head out of Robin

"Give

nicest gift

comes

White Stones

you are walking

feel

in

flower

It said,

The

you have."

its

have to give

to live with you.

woods and suddenly

in the

to get lost,

When you

me the sweet-

are

drop these pebbles

lost,

they will lead

you home.

A Seed
This

is

Ball from a Sweet

a ball that

grew on

not usually grow.

people looking

Show them

this

It is

at

a tree

charm

you who

ball

Gum

Tree

where

balls

do

to prevent those

stare

and

when they gaze

glare.

at you,

DREAM BOATS PLAY

214

immediately they will stop staring and look at

the sky.

A Sea-shell
The

next time you

go

open your eyes wide.

into the water to swim,

there as a messenger from the

the colour of your eyes.

They wish

collection

to

and write

come

mermaids

to see

Instead of poster-stamps

and post-cards, Mermaids

eyes.

will

little fish

collect the colours of

add your eyes

to

their

on the white

their colour

sands on the bottom of the sea.

A
This
"

Button
a

is

button from a beggar man's coat;

Rich man. Poor man. Beggar man

What do you wish

say thief.

grow up

will not

when you

Lining' of the Seed-pod of Shep-

herd's Purse, {also

man V money)
is

although

be

instead of a thief?

The Inner

This

to

"

not a
it is

fairy's

like the

called honesty

wing

as

or poor

you think

wings on which

it is,

fairies fly.

DREAM BOATS PLAY

When you
Hght

it

Place

it

hold

it

215

between your eyes and the

is

Hke a

in

your pocket and when you see a

star

shining through a cloudo

reflected in the water of a lake

you

star

know

will

the fairies are nearo

An Empty
If
it

you have

Spool

a wish to send to the fairies,

bubble through

into a

blow

Send the

this spool.

bubble out of the window on a night when the

moon

is full.

The Cone from a Cedar Tree

This
berries

the

is

cone that

grow.

wax

from a

fell

tree

Birthday candles are

of the berries.

It signifies

on which

made from
"

The

next

birthday will be the nicest you have ever had."

Please ask Robin and David to your party.

A
This
stalk,
is

it

Bean
is

a bean.

came out

It

did not

In

of the sea.

superior to Jack's beans.

grow on

If

Jack's

many ways

you meet

it

a giant

DREAM BOATS PLAY

2i6

walking down a road, rub

and walk

Guinea-fowl

Should there be reported

hood the news

creatures that
I

will

"about

off in the opposite direction.

A Feather from a

hen,

on your forehead

Suddenly the giant

three times.
face "

it

in

your neighbour-

of the arrival of those naughty

make you speckled

mean Mr. Measles,

like a guinea-

or Mrs. Freckles, or

Charlie Chicken-pox, hold this feather over your

Maybe

hand, thus.

they will think you are

properly speckled and pass you by.

Feather from a Canary Bird^s JVin^

This

is

a feather from the

named Mose.

His

mamma

once a week.

The perches

rough

branches of

like the

wing

of a

trims

in his
trees,

little

his

bird

claws

cage are not

and so they do

not manicure his nails in proper Canary fashion.

It signifies:

a rising
just

"When you grow

moon

up you

in every finger-tip."

coming up on

my

thumbs.

will have

have two

DREAM BOATS PLAY

Autumn-leaf
This

tumn

is

the fairies,

With

it

comes

this

wish from

"When you dance may you

*dancy' as a falling
is

danced down the au-

a leaf that has

breezes.

217

Pan

leaf."

said:

feel as

"Nothing

quite so dancy."

Lucky 'penny

This signifies good fortune to you from the

fairies

and from Robin Ringlet.

A Long JVhite Feather

This

is

a feather from a

Should you come

large

bird*s

wing.

to the little gate that will not

open, stick the feather behind your

left ear, fold

your arms, and sing the rhyme Mary Chickweed,

the

Seed-woman, sent

to

Robin Ringlet on

his

fourth birthday, then put the feather into the

keyhole and the

little

gate will open.

A Daffodil
This

is

a flower for the child

born on Sunday.

DREAM BOATS PLAY

2i8

"

The

child that

Is bright

is

bom on

and bonny,

the Sabbath day,

blithe

and gay."

A green feather from a parrot*

wing

This

from a parrot who

a feather

is

sat in a

Gem

golden ring and said: "Columbia the

the Ocean."

wing and
girl

He

said:

named

of

plucked one feather from his

"I send

this feather to a

Httle

Elizabeth."

When Davy

has given out the last huh-

hie gift, he returns to

he

expects

to

them as though

When

find more.

discovers there are no bubbles

starts to go back into the

finds the

curtain

left,

he

He

dream.

shutting

he

out

the

dream and turns suddenly,

Davy,

Robin Ringlet has

strayed out of the

is

wake

of his

not a bubble from the

Mother.
take to

left

me, and

dream.

There

fairies

Will not someone give

my Mother?

left

me

have

for

my

a gift to

i^As someone in the audi-

DREAM BOATS PLAY

219

ence returns one of the gifts given by Davy.)

never mind,
selfish like

wanted

to

know

globe of gold-fish

and

You thought

thought

you were un-

Robin Ringlet; keep your

{He

carry the gold-fish to her.

it,)

if

looks at the

was not

No,

gift, I will

takes

up the

audience over

You

in this play.

belonged out there in the audience.

have fooled you.

AM

in the play.

Good-

bye, audience.

He

then retires between the curtains

singing:

"Ringlet, Ringlet,

Wind

little

stringlet,

Make

little

swinglet

And

And

swing, swing, swing."

if the

audience^

audience has been a real

it

has been in the play,

THE END

CENTRAL CIRCULATION
CHILDREN'S ROOM

too,

THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS

GARDEK aiY, N. Y.

170-32
23-04

s.