Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book Part 4

So they journeyed on together. When they had gone some distance further, they saw a man who had tied his legs together.

'h.e.l.lo! What are you doing there, my friend?'

'I want to catch that hare over yonder; but unless I tied my legs together there would be no sport in it.'

'Will you travel with me?'

'Pardon?'

_'Will you travel with me, my pippy?'

'Oh! Whither away? To Botany Bay?'

'But no; to the far Mississippi, Where a Queen--tooral-ooral-i-ay-- Is waiting for what I'm to say.

'I am yours! And the bounty?'

'Either here or in Botany Bay!'_

Then the boy took his m.u.f.fin, and, breaking off a little piece, handed it to him.

'Keep it,' said he; 'it's a pledge of good faith.'

So they journeyed on together. But they had travelled scarce a league when they met a man who was carrying ten great trees in his arms. And when the boy, who had grown into a young man, saw this, he was immediately full grown.

'Hi! my friend! What are you doing there?'

'My mother wants some wood,' replied the man, picking a few branches off the trees and flinging them idly on the roadside, 'so I am just taking her some.'

'Will you travel with me?'

'Pardon?'

_'Will you travel with me, my pippy?'

'Oh! Whither away? To Rome or Pompeii?'

'But no; to the far Mississippi: There's a Queen of great beauty that way, And there's no one but Cupid to pay.'

'I am yours! And the bounty?'

'Name your price: it shall be as you say.'_

Then the young man took his m.u.f.fin, and, breaking off a little bit of it, handed it to the man who carried the trees.

'Keep it,' said he; 'it's a pledge of good faith.'

So they journeyed on together. They were still a long way from the Mississippi when they came across a man with a mouth large enough to swallow a river. When the boy, who had become a young man and was now full grown, set his eyes on him, his beard and moustache began to sprout.

'Will you travel with me?'

'Pardon?'

_'Come, travel with me, my pippy.

(Sing merry-ton-ton-ta-lay.) To the land of the far Mississippi Where the crystalline fountains play; There's a Queen who will not say me nay.'

'I am yours! But the bounty?'

'We're picking it up on the way.'_

Then the young man took his m.u.f.fin, and, breaking off a little bit of it, handed it to the man with the mouth as large as a river.

'Keep it,' said he; 'it's a pledge of good faith.'

So they journeyed on together. On and on they went until at last they came to a great hill-top, and there, standing on the crest of it, they looked down into an immense valley where they saw a man engaged in eating up the whole earth. As soon as he saw this gigantic meal going on, the boy, who had become a young man and was now full grown with moustache and beard, appeared like a knight errant. One could see that, from the spurs which had grown upon his heels.

'Hi! What are you doing there?'

'I am so terribly hungry that nothing less than the whole earth can appease my appet.i.te.'

'Will you travel with me?'

'Pardon?'

_'Come, travel with me, my pippy.'

'Oh! Whither? Madras or Bombay?'

'But no; to that far Mississippi, Which flows from the gates of the day; Where a Queen all in purple array Waits for me----'

'I am yours! And the bounty?'

'Wouldn't go in a twenty-ton dray!'_

Then the young man took his m.u.f.fin, and, breaking off a little bit, handed it to the man who was eating up the earth.

'Keep it,' said he; 'it's a pledge of good faith.'

They were still a long way from their destination when they came to a beautiful castle of burnished gold, surrounded by a very deep moat over which was a drawbridge; and on the bridge was a golden portcullis. As soon as they arrived, their leader rang the bell. When the door was opened, the travellers entered, and the hero asked to see the King.

'What do you want with the King?' replied an attendant, richly attired.

'I have come to ask for the hand of his daughter, the Queen of the Mississippi,' said the hero.

'That is all very well; but consider well before you start on such an undertaking; for many have come as you have come and have lost their lives.'

'That is nothing,' they all replied. 'We are not afraid!'

Then they were led before the Queen, and all were completely dazzled by her beauty. It was a long time before they realised that she was speaking to them. At last they understood her to say:

'Here is my servant. See if you can eat more than he does.'

And the servant sat down in front of a table covered with dishes crowded with large joints of meat. And behold, he ate the whole lot up.

'Oh! that is nothing at all,' said the young hero. And, turning to the man who ate up the earth, he said:

'Sit down there, my friend.' Then turning again to the servant, he ordered him to bring in the biggest bull they could find.

They obeyed, and set it down in front of the man who ate the earth. And, in presence of the Queen, he swallowed the bull whole, head and tail and everything; and it was alive!

But the Queen said, 'You have not won me yet!'