The Cricket's Friends Part 4

So the Cricket, Caterpillar, and Wasp trotted out, and by pushing together succeeded in moving the Saucepan to the fireside.

"We can never turn you over," panted the Caterpillar.

"I can rest on my side," said the Saucepan cheerily.

"Your lid lies out yonder on the floor," said the Cricket.

"That is not the least matter. It would not stay on my head if I had it.

Go on with the story, please; I am sorry to have made so much trouble."

"Where was I?" inquired the Wasp.

"The pansy fairy had just disappeared," said the Kettle, who for a wonder remembered the story.

"To be sure," resumed the Wasp briskly. "I skipped with delight at my brighter prospects, and started forward again with renewed courage. I first encountered some of my brothers and sisters, to whom I at once communicated my good fortune. Strange to say they none of them seemed to appreciate my superior advantages.

"'For my part I do not wish to live any longer than the sunlight lasts,'

said one; and to this sentiment the others agreed.

"'My ambition leads me further,' I answered, and flew onward, never to see them more.

"I pa.s.sed over the broad expanse of land, until I saw the sea glittering like a polished mirror in the distance. How I should like to make a voyage! I paused to rest upon a cliff that rose steep and smooth, with the ocean foaming about the base. There were a great number of bird-nests drilled in the surface of the rock, and by peering over the brink I could see the young birds, that were the funniest little b.a.l.l.s of white down imaginable. Suddenly a parent bird came swooping home, and hopped into the very nest that I was examining.

"'Don't tumble me into the water,' I cried, clutching at the slippery stone, for the rapid flutter of the bird's wings made me giddy.

"'I will not hurt you,' said the other. 'I have been a long way to-day, and I have really gained little to eat for my trouble. I followed a great ship for hours, and only caught up a few crumbs, after all.'

"'Why, I do believe you are one of Mother Carey's chickens,' I exclaimed.

"'My proper name is the Stormy Petrel; still the sailors call me Mother Carey's chicken. I do not know why, but then sailors have queer ideas.

Bless you, I can frighten them terribly by just skimming round and round on the wind: they then reef all sails, thinking I am about to bring a storm by my presence. Ha, ha!' laughed the bird merrily, 'only think of little me being dreaded by great, strong men. I can generally tell when a storm is coming,--they are right in supposing that much,--and oh! how I enjoy it! Why, friend Wasp, you have no idea what life really is, just fluttering about among the flowers and trees: I should gasp for breath where every thing is only still sunshine. What I call life is to see the clouds piled in dark ma.s.ses overhead, the waves rearing mountains high, and to have the wind blow a hurricane.'

"'I should imagine such exposure would beat the life out of you,' I remarked.

"'Not at all,' replied the Petrel. 'I like to be tossed about, and spread my wings on the gale, although it may nearly take my breath away.'

"'I never dreamed of such a life,' I said; 'please tell me more about yourself.'

"'First I must feed my young one, as I have been away all day. We never lay but one egg, fortunately, for we have to feed them ourselves. We secrete a kind of oil in the digestive organs for them. Indeed, we are such oily birds, that in some parts of the world the natives thrust a stick through our bodies, and use us for lamps.'

"'You are gone so long,' piped the nursling.

"'That is to find something to eat, my dear.'

"'The time is so long, doing nothing but sit alone, staring out at the sea,' clamored the nursling.

"'Very true,' a.s.sented the mother Petrel quietly; 'but there is no help for it, except to grow strong and fly for yourself.'

"Upon this the young one began to strut and tumble about the nest, to the great delight of the parent, who encouraged such exertions. We became excellent friends, and talked over my plans of travel.

"'I dare not venture upon the ocean; because, if I grew tired of flying, I must fall into the waves and be drowned.'

"'You would soon be fatigued. Supposing I carried you?' said the Petrel.

"Here was a splendid idea. If I could only be taken to other lands, what pleasures would be in store for me. The Petrel promised to bear me over the seas, if I would wait until the nestling was able to take care of itself. I lived inland while I waited, and visited the birds every day in their rocky home. When the time approached for our departure, the mother bird proposed I should take a sail, just to accustom myself to the voyage by way of trial. I climbed upon her back, and she made a dart straight out into the air, that drove every particle of bravery out of my body.

"'Now, then,' said Mother Carey's chicken, 'hold on tight, and I will show you some better fun still.'

"I begged her to return to land; but the wind blew so strongly, that she did not hear my faint voice. She whirled in circles, pattered upon the water surface unconcernedly, and rose in the air with the rapidity of the arrow shot from a bow. I closed my eyes, and clung about the bird's neck, fearing every moment a fall into the great green billows that rolled away into s.p.a.ce, as far as sight could reach. When we landed once more, I fainted away. The Petrel was dancing on one leg, and laughed at me, when I opened my eyes again.

"'I have a great mind to give up the journey,' I said in a pet. 'I can never cling to you in this way. If I had been content to lead the life of an ordinary wasp, I might have escaped all this trouble and vexation.'

"'It is never well to quarrel with destiny,' remarked my companion.

'Still, I would not give up because of a first sea-sickness.'

"Presently I regained my courage somewhat, and we began to ponder how I could be fastened on. I flew to land, and procured several long horse-hairs. These I wound about the bird's slender throat, and strapped myself tightly to her body. What a journey we made of it! The faithful Petrel must have carried me an immense distance. Sometimes she perched on the rigging of a ship, sometimes we rode on the waves, or we paused for the night at some rocky isle; yet Mother Carey's chicken never seemed to weary of the scenery about us."

"What did you have to eat?" inquired the Caterpillar, who, like all caterpillars, had a famous appet.i.te of his own.

"Very little, indeed," said the Wasp. "A stray insect now and then, but never a sip of honey the whole way. I took the precaution, before starting, of fastening a blade of gra.s.s about my waist; in the same way that Indians gird themselves before making a journey, to prevent any feeling of hunger. At last land was seen in the distance, and I again stood on firm, dry ground.

"'Good-by,' said Mother Carey's chicken, spreading her wings as though ready for a fresh journey. 'I wish you good luck. Should you ever desire to go back north, any of us will give you a pa.s.sage.'

"So saying the pretty, good-natured Petrel flew away, leaving me alone.

I did not feel very happy just then: I almost wished myself still a baby wasp in my wax cradle again, with nothing to do but eat and sleep. I was afraid at finding myself so far from home; and besides that I was very, very hungry: there is nothing like a sea-voyage to give one an appet.i.te.

Beyond the barren sand beach there rose a stately forest, which I determined to visit; but just then my attention was attracted by a beautiful object in the water. It was a flower of the most exquisite coloring, with a rich purplish-crimson outer edge and a disk of the same hue, the stout, short tentacles of which were marked with pellucid rings of white and lilac. Floating just beneath a crystal film of sea, it expanded temptingly under my wistful gaze. What a wonderful place, I thought, where delicious flowers were borne to hungry travellers! I fluttered nearer, longing for a sip of honey; and in another moment should have been lost, had not a little fish come along, to be stung and devoured by the anemone before I fell into its clutches. I afterwards learned that many a bee or wasp was enticed to death, as I had so nearly been; for the beautiful flower was only a greedy zoophyte, after all, swallowing every thing that came in its way.

"Trembling at my narrow escape, I next flew towards the forest, taking the precaution of a.s.suming my magic night-cap in starting, for I did not know what dangers might be in store. Arriving within the boundary of the forest, I alighted upon a blade of gra.s.s to rest. The air was delightfully fresh and pure, while the sun already slanted, in tropical splendor, towards the western horizon. Palm trees extended about me in every direction; the fan-leaved miriti towered to an immense height; the graceful a.s.sai showed its feathery ma.s.ses against the rounder foliage; and the jupati threw its s.h.a.ggy fronds into broad arches, while from the branches swept ribbons of clinging plants, hanging air roots as ladders to climb by. Here and there a long crimson blossom on spikes, or yellow and violet trumpet-flowers, relieved the sombre green by their brighter hues.

"Presently I saw a slender, pale-green snake, that was twined about a tree like a vine, with only the bright eyes sparkling and fixed upon an unsuspicious, plump tree-frog.

"'Good evening, friend,' I buzzed in the snake's ear. 'How pretty your coat is!'

"'Who speaks?' exclaimed the snake, looking complacently upon his beautiful, frosted armor.

"'Never mind,' was my wicked response, 'By your vanity you have lost your supper.'

"The snake's eyes flashed angrily. Sure enough, the tree-frog had taken alarm, and was hobbling away out of reach.

"I continued my way until I reached the brink of a broad, placid pool, where I hoped to make the acquaintance of some of the many creatures I saw congregated about the margin. Dark-striped herons, snowy egrets, and storks stood gravely at the brink, or strode over the water-plants on their long legs. Flocks of whistling ducks flew above my head, macaws chattered in the trees, and a pretty canary chirped in the bushes. Upon the surface of the water floated the magnificent Victoria water-lily, the broad leaves extending for six or ten feet, and the flowers just closing their alabaster cups in sleep. I now removed my cap; but I was so small an object, that I attracted no notice whatever.

"'Ahem!' I began. Whereupon some of the birds turned about and stared at me. 'My home is very far north of your country,' I said; 'but a good fairy has kindly given me permission to visit you all.'

"'Indeed,' exclaimed an old stork. 'How extraordinary! If you was a bird, now, it would not seem so strange.'

"'A bird brought me,--Mother Carey's chicken.'

"'Could you not find a better bearer than one of those fussy, bustling little bodies?' said a handsome egret scornfully.