"A fairy, Michael?"

Yes, better than a fairy, a dryad, that is a fairy of the tree. For a fairy of a tree is as much higher in rank than a fairy of the meadow as a duchess is than a goose-girl. She was about the size of the robin redbreast, and she was dressed all in green, except a lovely cloak of red that, when it was folded about her, made her look very much indeed like the redbreast himself, and she was no bit bigger than the robin either.

"Nora Mavourneen," said the dryad, "I have been noticing that you seem a bit sad-hearted of late, and for no reason either that anybody knows, so if you don't mind I will take you with me for a walk this afternoon through fairyland, and we will see if we cannot do something to restore your good spirits again."

At these words Nora danced for joy, and you would never have been able to guess that she had ever known a downhearted moment. So the dryad clapped her tiny hands three times, and out of the open door into the beech-tree stepped a little gnome who came and bowed low before them, holding in his hands a silver salver on which lay a little pellet.

"How little was the pellet, uncle?"

"Well, what would you say if I told you that it was as small as a humming bird's egg? Oh, you think it was smaller than that? Well, how about the seed of a coriander? No? Then I will tell you the truth. It was as small as the gnat that gets into your eye, that feels as big as a rat."

So Nora took the pellet from the platter and thanked the gnome kindly and she ate it down, and no sooner had she swallowed it than she was no bigger than the dryad herself.

So the dryad took her by the hand and they walked gaily into the beech-tree door, and the door shut behind them.

They went down and down a lot of winding stairs that were lighted only by small windows in the bark of the tree that Nora had never noticed before and could never find afterward. It was very cool and pleasant, for they could hear the sap go singing on its way from the roots up to the branches and leaves and when a summer shower went by they could hear the raindrops as they went singing down the trunk outside to the roots. After they had reached the foot of the stairs they walked for a long way through a cool corridor. It was not quite dark, for Little People stood at every turn who seemed to be doing what fireflies do on summer nights in the grass, and each one whistling to himself as he held his softly shaded lantern aloft. Down the side passages Nora could see thousands of tiny miners at work. And what do you think they are doing?

"Digging for gold and diamonds."

They were tending the woodland plants that hang their golden blossoms in the pathways and carrying up the dewdrops that sparkle like diamonds from their leaves in the daybreak. And it was pleasant to see them work, for they were all singing.

By and by Nora and the dryad came to a place where there was a brighter light ahead, and as they drew nearer Nora could see that they had come to the bank of the pond that is below Nora's cottage, only that they were under the surface, looking up through a light so soft that it cast no shadows. And now the dryad took Nora's hand and she found herself in a little boat, no bigger than a leaf, sailing across the pond but still beneath its surface. And here she saw on every hand, working amid the mire and the mirk, such jolly little divers, who were feeding the fish and tending the pond lily roots, and, like all the others, singing at their tasks.

Now you will know of course that they were on their way to the home of the fairy queen. And it was but a short while before they were there. I need not tell you, children, how lovely is her palace, with its golden floor and silver walls and its hangings of the colors of the rainbow. Nor need I say how beautiful is her majesty herself, with wings like the most splendid butterfly and a gown like the morning and a face like the sunshine.

It seems that Nora had come upon the queen's birthday, and she was just giving the birthday honors. So Nora and the dryad stood in the background and watched the scene. Around the throne stood gallant fairy gentlemen clad like beetles and dragon flies for splendor and ladies whose long gowns hung like the light on the waterfall of Loughmareen. But to the amazement of Nora, those who came forward to receive the honors were for the most part dressed like workmen and many of them were bent with hard labor. As each advanced and made obeisance, the royal herald read the exploit for which the rank of knighthood was about to be conferred. For one he read: "To our faithful servant who covered the lilies of Moira from the attack of the Frost King"; and to another: "To the gallant yeoman who watered the grain field of Kilvellin"; and to still another: "To him who dug the trench by the roadside and kept safe the highway to Throselwait Fair." And as each came forward the trumpets pealed in triumph, and after a gold star had been pinned upon the new knight's breast the gentlemen and ladies of the court greeted them with hearty reverence. And Nora looked in the smiling face of the dryad, but said nothing.

Then Nora herself, in a breathless moment of fear, was presented to the queen, and the queen kissed her daintily just above her lips on both sides. And suddenly Nora found herself back on her stony bench by the spring with the branches of the beech-tree waving silently before her.

"Oh, mothereen and grandmotherkin," she cried as soon as she got home, and she ran home all the way—"let me tell you about the wonderful visit I have been making out in the wildwood." And after she had told her story, mothereen said, "I think Nora has been dreaming," but grandmotherkin said, "No, daughter, I think our little acushla has had her eyes opened the day." Then Nora in triumph showed the two dimples where the fairy queen had kissed her. And do you know, my darlings, I cannot but think that she told the truth after all, for ever after, if one kissed Nora upon those two dimples or even touched them or even looked at them, she would break into the sweetest smile, and she never was gloomerin' or lowerin' any more.

[Footnote 1: First published in John Martin's Book. Reprinted by special permission.]

* * * * *



LIST OF BEST BOOKS OF FAIRY TALES AND CHILDREN'S POEMS

* * * * *

ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN ... Fairy Tales ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN ... Wonder Stories ASBJOeRNSEN, P. C. ... Fairy Tales from the Far North BALLARD, SUSAN ... Fairy Tales from Far Japan BARING-GOULD, S. .... The Crock of Gold BRENTANO, CLEMENS ... New Fairy Tales BREWER, DAVID H. ... Adventures in Fairyland BROWNE, F. ... The Wonderful Chair BUNGE, JOHN THACKERY ... Fairy Tales: Their Origin and Meaning CARMEN SYLVA ... A Real Queen's Fairy Tales CARROLL, LEWIS ... Alice in Wonderland CARROLL, LEWIS ... Through the Looking Glass CHISHOLM, LOUEY ... The Golden Staircase COATES, H. T. ... Children's Book of Poetry CROKER, T. CROFTON ... Fairy Legends and Traditions of Ireland CURTIN, JEREMIAH ... Tales of the Fairies and of the Ghost World EWING, J. H. ... The Brownies FRERE, M. ... Old Deccan Days, or Hindoo Fairy Legends GRIMM, THE BROTHERS ... Fairy Tales HARRISON, MRS. BURTON ... The Old Fashioned Fairy Book HERFORD, OLIVER ... Child's Primer of Natural History HAUFF, WILLIAM ... Fairy Tales HIGGINSON, THOMAS W. ... Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic HORWITZ, CARRIE NORRIS ... Fairy Lore INGELOW, JEAN ... Fairy Stories JACOBS, JOSEPH ... Celtic Fairy Tales (2 vols.) JACOBS, JOSEPH ... English Fairy Tales (2 vols.) JACOBS, JOSEPH ... Indian Fairy Tales JERROLD, W. ... The Reign of King Oberon KEIGHTLEY, T. ... Fairy Mythology KENNEDY, H. A. ... The New World Fairy Book KUPPER, GRACE H. ... Stories of Long Ago LABOULAYE, E. ... Fairy Tales LANG, ANDREW ... Nursery Rhyme Book LANG, ANDREW ... The Arabian Nights LANG, ANDREW ... The Green Fairy Book LANG, ANDREW ... The Red Fairy Book LANG, ANDREW ... The Yellow Fairy Book LANG, ANDREW ... The Princess Nobody LEAR, EDWARD ... Nonsense Books LOCKWOOD, INGERSOLL ... Baron Trump's Marvelous Underground Journey MULLNEY, IONE ... Fairy Tales from Afar MULOCK, DINAH M. ... Adventures of a Brownie MULOCK, DINAH M. ... The Little Lame Prince MUNKITTRICK, J. ... The Moon Prince MOTHER GOOSE ... Nursery Rhymes NAAKE, J. T. ... Slavonic Fairy Tales NICHOLS, IDA PRESTON ... Princess Girlikin and other Fairy Tales OZAKI, YEI THEODORA ... The Japanese Story Book PAULDING, JAMES KIRKE ... A Christmas Gift from Fairyland PYLE, HOWARD ... The Wonder Clock RHYS, ERNEST ... Fairy Gold ROLFE, W. F. ... Fairy Tales in Prose and Verse STOCKTON, F. R. ... The Floating Prince STEVENSON, ROBERT LOUIS ... Child's Garden of Verses STODDARD, R. H. ... Adventures in Fairyland WAHLENBERG, ANNA ... Swedish Fairy Tales WATERHOUSE, A. J. ... Children's Poems WIGGIN, KATE DOUGLAS, AND NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH ... Tales of Laughter WIGGIN, KATE DOUGLAS, AND NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH ... Magic Casements



Transcriber's Note:

TOC: vii [corrected from v] xi [missing; added]

Page 47: '?' corrected to '.'

"When the dogs run after me, I can jump into a tree and save myself."

Page 49: replaced missing opening quote—

..."You see very well he is greater than I, for he stops me and makes me draw back."

Page 62: replaced missing closing quote—

"So many stars are there in the sky as there are holes in this paper; now count them.

Page 114: replaced missing end quote—

"Rise, little lie-a-beds," she said, "and...

Page 120: replaced missing opening quote—

"Good day, Father Hollenthe. How do you do?"

Page 147: replaced opening quote— "It's a boy, I'm sure it is," he continued...

Page 153: '.' corrected to '?' "... but how could little Thumbelina ever care for him? ..."

Page 408: replaced missing end quote—

"Well, then," said the Fox, ...

Page 461: replaced missing end quote—

"... Under my power Awashanks shall become a beautiful trout."

Page 473: replaced missing opening quote—

"He that seeketh, shall find, and to him that knocketh shall be opened," says an old Arab proverb.

THE END