~~The Fairy Beavers::John Dough and the Cherub
The Mifkets of as they the of their victims, and to them. But a great of water just at the place where the children and John had entered, and as the Mifkets from this new our friends a soft voice say, with a little laugh:
"They will not to you now. Come with me, and be not to slip."
John looked down, and saw a him. His was the color of silver, and upon his was a set with so and that the the place like so many sunbeams. The Beaver King's was and dignified, and his and intelligent. Without speech he the way under the waterfall; and the space the dark of the and the of water was so narrow that the air was with a spray, which John's in a way that him great uneasiness.
But, by the of the King Beaver's crown, they soon came to a place directly under the center of the fall, and here their and three times upon the surface of the wall. It opened instantly, a passage, and through this the King them, the just them as they entered.
The noise of the now but in their ears, and presently they into a large room, which was so that the little Princess her hands with a long-drawn of delight, Chick laughed, and John from his the and that he had to since he had left the bakery.
lighted by the of the King Beaver's
crown
He had rooms in the Island of Romance, but nothing there with the and of this of the Fairy Beaver's palace. The were set thick with jewels, in a way that pictures, all of these color from the natural of the gems. The was with globes, in each of which was a sunbeam; and these a to the room. Many were upon the floor, and the itself was of gold, with the and of beavers.
While our friends the of the Hall of the Beavers, the silver-furred King spoke again, in his soft voice:
"You are now the water by our dam, which was by the who were our many years ago, and which has until now. But in all the years of its the little Princess and the Incubator Baby are the beings to be to our palace. Your companion, my dears, is gingerbread, and by means of powers that make him a fit for the world over."
"It was very good of you to save us from the Mifkets, and we are grateful," said the girl.
"You're all right!" added Chick, emphatically.
"I am to be of service to one so sweet and beautiful," returned the King, with a toward the Princess, "and to one so and frank," he continued, to Chick. "And now, if you will me, I will you the rooms of my palace, and you to my people. You must be to my guests until I can means to you to the of the upper world in which you are to exist."
He them through the and along passages into rooms. Some were large and some were small, but all were beautiful, and Chick at the of this under-water palace, the of which no one who in the above, the of the beavers.
"Are all beavers' homes like this?" asked the child.
"No, indeed!" answered the King, laughing softly. "They are houses of mud, mixed with of and the and of trees. But I am King of the Beaver Fairies, who watch over the of all ordinary and take of them. We are invisible, to beavers; and the of can see us unless, as in your case, we permit them to do so. These rooms to you deserted, but I you they are with many fairies, who are now you with much curiosity."
Both the children started at this, and around; but nothing but the of the met their gaze, and the King upon them indulgently.
"At our banquet, this evening," said he, "I will permit you to see my people. But now come to the music-room, where you may the of that provide us with one of our amusements."
He the way to another room, the of which was dome-shaped. From different points in this the ends of many tubes, and near the of the room, directly each of the tubes, was a plate of or of metal.
it was the first
real music he had heard
The King his guests to seat themselves, and then pressed a diamond that was in the wall. This allowed the water from the river above them to slowly through the tubes; and as it fell, by drop, on the plates beneath, it that were very sweet and harmonious. The metal plates gave out and sounds, while the smaller plates as the of water upon them.
Neither Chick the Princess the that was played, for it had been by one of the Fairy Beavers; but the King played "Home, Sweet Home," for them, and "Annie Laurie"; and the music so sweet and soft that the girl she would have that so be produced, and Chick the "all right."
The man was also pleased; for it was the music he had heard, and it and him measure.
The Fairy King to give his new friends pleasure; and when the Princess that she would like to know what the Mifkets of their escape, the them to what he called the "Observation Room." In it was a square box, with black and having a window in one side.
Seating the girl and her this window, the King said:
"You will now what the Mifkets are doing."
Instantly a picture appeared in the box, and it that through the little window they were upon a of the they had left. There were the Mifkets, indeed, with Black Ooboo and the Arab among them, and all were and among themselves in their way, and trying to decide what had of the man and the children.
"They are and at the of the river, by this time," Black Ooboo said; and his came as to their ears as if they had been him.
"I not," answered Ali Dubh; "for I've yet had a single bite of the man, although I and paid for him."
IN THE "OBSERVATION ROOM"
Then the changed, and they saw Para Bruin slowly up the of the hill to his den. He none the for his roll the and his in the river, and they noticed that he laughed and to himself as if much amused.
"That was a good fight," John Dough him murmur, in the language; "and I'm I was in time to save the Princess, Chick, and the man. They're safe with the by this time, the white says!" Then he laughed again; and, the top of the hill, entered his and to rest.
Again the changed, and the Princess the open sea, upon which the that safely her father and mother. They to be comfortable, and the girl was pleased to see that they had put and fresh water into the to last them a long voyage. The man, although little, was strong, and at the oars; and the woman the in the right direction.
Our Princess was very to see these sights, and to know Para Bruin was safe, and that her dear had the Mifkets. In company with her friend Chick and the man, she through the all that afternoon, many that the Fairy Beavers had provided for the and of their community. It was, indeed, a little world by itself, under land and water, where no its existence.
In the early the King them to a hall, where a long, low table was set in the center of the room. The were all of cut-glass, and the proved to be very foods from vegetables that at the of the river, together with fish and and oysters, and many that only have been by the magic of the themselves.
Around the long table were of cushions; but when the children and the man entered, the room by all save themselves and the King.
His Majesty the King of the Fairy Beavers sat
upon a at the of the table
His Majesty the King of the Fairy Beavers sat upon a at the of the table and the Princess and Chick close to his right hand and John Dough at his left. Then he upon a whistle, and at once the of his guests appeared of Fairy Beavers, the the low table.
They were all to look upon, having as soft as satin, and large dark that the and without fear. From the of each was suspended, by means of cords, a cloak, from a material unknown to the Princess, and with an the rank or of the wearer. Also each of the Fairy Beavers a upon the brow; but none of these was so as the of their King.
While our friends upon the Fairy Beavers, the King them, saying:
"This is a little Princess named Jacquelin, I have protected her is as fresh and as the that in the fields. This is Chick, also as the Cherub, an Incubator Baby without relatives, but who is not in friends. And this is John Dough, a creature, having the of a man, out of gingerbread. He is not a fairy, but through the magic of a as the 'Great Elixir,' and is therefore not for being alive and is to he has very old. Each of these guests is, I believe, of our and protection, and I trust that my people will join me in them to our palace."
Answering the King's speech, all the Beaver Fairies from their and thrice—once to the Princess and once to Chick and once to John Dough. Then they all themselves and to the health of their guests from no than harebells, which water as pure as crystal.
a of black entered and
chanted a song
Then, while the began, a of black entered and a song; and other beavers, so small that the Princess that they were young, entered and a for the of the entire company.
Chick and the Princess Jacquelin were hungry, and although the children at the food them was not such as they enjoy, they some of the and them so that ended by heartily, and they had a so much.
Of John Dough missed the of eating, but he had a good time to the music and the dancers; so he was content. Later he the company by telling the of his since he had come to life in the bake-shop. He spoke in the language, so that all him; and the Princess most of his speech, for the of she had had to her some of the powers of the Great Elixir. The Fairy Beavers were much interested, and the recital.
After dinner the girl was by six Beaver Fairies to a little room with pink and white shells, which were as glass. There was no regular in the room, but the many of the soft into a corner, and upon these the Princess and slept very peacefully until the next morning. Chick had a room of and gold, in the four of which their into the air. The of these might have any child to sleep, yet Chick have slept as in the open as this room.
John Dough also was with a room in the palace; but as he did not sleep he had no need to down, and so himself the night by looking at the pictures that the and ceiling. Most of these the work of in and houses; John them very interesting, and therefore passed a night.
Soon after the Beaver King came to John and him to the Observation Room, where he Chick and the Princess—who had already and their breakfasts—gazing through the window of the black box. He also approached the box to at the shifting pictures, and that the had as as usual, the Arab and Black Ooboo having returned to the village in the clearing, and only a of the Mifkets being left to along the of the and watch the at the of the beavers.
"Now," said the Fairy Beaver to the girl, "I can do one more thing to you. Make a wish, Princess, and I will it."
THE PRINCESS EMBARKS IN THE SUBMARINE
"Thank you!" she cried, eagerly. "I wish to my dear father and mother, they may be."
"Very well," returned the King; "come with me."
He them through many passages, until they a of that them to a under the river bank, some the waterfall. The water of the river the of the cave, and upon the beach at its rested a large cylinder, which was pointed at ends and had a door in the top. Harnessed to one end of the were twenty-four beavers, who sat it.
"The in which your father and mother are still is out in the ocean," said the King to the Princess; "but in this you will be by my so that the will not long to you."
"Are we not to go with the Princess?" asked the man.
"There is room for only one more in the boat," the King, "so the Cherub and you must to your friend, in order that she may safely the she so loves."
"I'm sorry," said John, sadly.
"I'm sorry, too," the little Princess, "for you have been very good to me, John Dough. Yet my need me more than you do, and it is my to them."
"That is true," said John. "Good bye, little friend, and may your life be long and happy."
Chick said nothing, but the little girl in a long and warm and her cheeks.
>Chick said nothing, but her
pretty cheeks.
The King now opened the door in the top of the and the girl inside. The space was just big to permit her to comfortably, and the of the had been with soft from the palace.
When the King had closed and the door, he gave a to the four-and-twenty beavers, and at once they into the water, the after them, and with powerful the river. They well under the surface of the water, and the them without either the or to the top.
At the Princess was much by her journey, for it as if the water was pressing upon her from all sides. But presently she that she was safe in the tube, and the and water-flowers that at the of the river, and the that around her.
The speed of the was surprising. It was not long, indeed, they the mouth of the river and out into the sea. Jacquelin had no idea of the direction they took, but she to the of her friend the Fairy Beaver, and was not at all frightened.
And now the that she saw were very indeed; for the were of most hues, and there were not only big and little of every description, but sea-anemones and jelly-fish on all of her.
The was long
The was long, but not at all tiresome, and the girl had not how she had been through the of the when a dark object appeared just overhead, and the came to a halt.
Slowly the rose to the surface of the waves, and Jac saw just her the her parents. The girl's mother also saw, to her great and joy, the of her in the case, and at once the door and the child to out and into the boat.
The act of the little Princess was to her father and mother delightedly, and then she over the of the and the door of the cylinder.
"Tell your King that I thank him!" she called to the beavers, trying to speak their own language; and the little must have understood, for the the water, and she saw it no more.
Many days the Princess and her in the boat, until one they came to another small and to land upon it. They it to be a place, by no of any sort, and a of trees that and and and many other fruits.
So they themselves a on this island, and there in peace and for many years.
the King of the Fairy Beavers
