The City Curious Part 19

_Page 177_]

CHAPTER XIV

The three daughters of the Prisoner are installed in their gardens.

So Smaly and Redy found themselves on the frontier of the Wigs' country.

They were so tired from having seen and done so many things during the day that hardly had they arrived than they fell sound asleep amid the myrtle-bushes which grew between the rocks.

When they awoke they perceived just within the frontier (which was indicated by boundary stones made of sugar-candy) the three gardens that had been prepared for the daughters of the Prisoner.

"The Wigs keep their word anyway," said Smaly and Redy to each other, as they rubbed their eyes; then they looked at each other and saw that their beaks had disappeared.

You may imagine how happy this made them! Never would they have dared to return to their own village with those enormous beaks stuck in the middle of their faces, even though they were invisible to all save the birds and each other.

They stood up and held hands, and to attract the attention of the Wigs began to chant:

We wish to have three girls, Fine, sweet, pink, and good----

But a sentinel who looked like a dragon-fly, and carried a lantern and a megaphone, shouted to them to be silent.

The Confectioner, who was busy giving the final directions to the gardeners, struck an att.i.tude and recited:

"Here plays the gra.s.shoppers' band, Here for days together shines the sun, Here the birds wear hats and spurs, And the worms spectacles and swords.

Here we don't know bricks, Or wood, or stone, or steel, Here we eat plates and saucers, Here we----"

"We know all about that," said Smaly and Redy together.

"What do you know?" asked the Confectioner suspiciously.

"How funny you all are," answered Smaly.

"At least we are not made of grease and suet," retorted the Confectioner in a tone of mingled pride and disgust.

The gardens were arranged after the same principle as the windows in the house of the Historian. They were not really separated by walls; but since one speaks with one's mouth and sees with one's eyes, there was at about the height where the young girls' faces would be a plank of nougat separating the gardens, and since it was certain that sometimes the girls would sit down, there was another plank a little lower.

There were altogether four planks, for as the three girls were of different ages and heights, the planks which would have prevented one girl from seeing her neighbour would not have prevented the next.

How ingenious this was! It was as well thought out as the two openings for the Flying-Fish in the ceiling of the Historian's house, a big one for the big fish, and a smaller one for the smaller fish!

In these gardens the lawns were made of angelica, and the flower-beds of jam tarts, and at the end of each garden there was a little house to sleep in at night, or in the heat of the afternoon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A SENTINEL WHO LOOKED LIKE A DRAGON-FLY]

When all was ready the three daughters of the Prisoner were led in. The ceremony was extremely simple. Mistigris was the first to arrive, and touching his lips with his ring, he thus addressed the two little people perched upon their rock.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GARDENS WERE ARRANGED AFTER THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS THE WINDOWS IN THE HOUSE OF THE HISTORIAN]

"You are now about to see the three girls; but whatever you do don't forget they are ignorant of the history of their father, our prisoner.

They were sent here by a certain Black Toad, the same creature who blew Djorak into our country. This Toad made out that it was doing a very charitable action, and upon a label round the neck of each young girl he had written their names and tastes. On the first label was: 'Number I, Kisika Djorak. Blue eyes, amiable disposition, fond of marrowfat peas and of getting up late.' On the second label was: 'Number II, Lapt.i.tza Djorak. Brown eyes, devoted to cherry tartlets and cheese souffle. Gazes at the stars and dreams about a Prince Charming.' And on the third label: 'Number III, Fritilla Djorak. Green eyes, adores fruit, particularly tangerine oranges and nectarines. Dreams as much as Number II; but has very modern notions as well.'"

When Mistigris had finished reading out the labels a large sedan-chair appeared, carried by several Wigs, among them Papylick and the Young Stork. The door of the chair opened and Kisika stepped into the first garden.

Kisika certainly had beautiful blue eyes, soft hair, and a pink-and-white skin. She was so beautiful that one would have taken her for a picture rather than for a real girl.

The next person to arrive was the Despoiler, who wished to make sure for himself that the planks were at the right height before he permitted Papylick to approach with the second sedan-chair.

The young girls had not lived in these chairs, they were simply carried from place to place in them.

Kisika had lived in the house of the Crow.

Lapt.i.tza, who was now brought into the second garden, had lived in the house of Papylick. Lapt.i.tza also was very beautiful, with a pale skin and eyes like a deer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A LITTLE RED FEATHER, WHICH SHE HAD PICKED UP IN THE MARKET-PLACE]

Every one now awaited the arrival of Fritilla, the third daughter; but when she stepped out of her sedan-chair she beckoned to the Flying-Fish, who had been pursuing her for some days past, and handed it a little red feather, which she had picked up in the market-place. This feather was of great importance to the Flying-Fish, which thanked Fritilla many times and swore to serve her always. Then Fritilla was led into the garden. She had yellow hair and green eyes, and her beauty seemed at first a little sad and cold; but on looking into her eyes you saw that they were at once tender and ardent.

When the three girls were installed in their gardens of angelica and jam tarts the Wigs arranged themselves in a long line. Then the little door that led into Kisika's garden was opened, and the Chief Contractor, placing over his face the mask called "Stoic Melancholy," approached her and said:

"Kisika, farewell. I beg you to accept this large pot of Soy in memory of me. There's enough to last you all your life."

[Ill.u.s.tration: NEXT THE DESPOILER APPROACHED]

Next the Despoiler approached, followed by the Young Stork.

"Farewell, Kisika," he said. "I make you a present of this ring, which will enable your voice to carry to great distances, and will also stop all tiresome and needless voices of others."

The Confectioner next came forward and said, "Farewell, Kisika, my present is two bamboo spoons and two knives. Be happy in your garden; it's made of the best confectionery."

The Crow, putting on his spectacles, said, "Farewell, Kisika, I beg that you will accept these spectacle-lenses in memory of me. They are made of solid ebony, and some day when you have reflected enough on life you will have them mounted on gla.s.s rims and will always put them on before you speak. Farewell."

The Historian's gift consisted of six hard-boiled eggs, which he handed to Kisika, saying, "Accept my humble offering, Kisika. These eggs are home-made. Myself, I never eat anything else."

Mistigris said, "Farewell, Kisika, take this little bow and arrow made of fish-bones. Perhaps it will amuse you to play with them."

And the Young Stork added quickly, "Adieu, Kisika, take this pair of pincers to pluck from your heart the darts which may lodge in it."

The wife of the Chief Contractor presented Kisika with a beautiful fan made of paper lace; and the Healer gave her a little sugar trumpet, of which the mouthpiece was this time intact.