The Cricket's Friends Part 8

"At first he could see nothing but one vast expanse of water, domed by the clear sky; then, at length, he noticed a dark line on the horizon, which grew more distinct, and proved to be land.

"'You must begin the journey for yourself now,' said the North Wind, alighting on the sh.o.r.e.

"'Oh, don't leave me!' cried the child, clinging timidly to her white draperies.

"'Do not fear: I shall still be with you;' and then she rose above, leading him on the path he should go. She had now become the angel that guided the others.

"So Neil began the toilsome, painful journey. The way led across an arid, desert waste, where waves of yellow sand glowed under the sun's fierce heat. Neil hobbled along slowly, the hot earth scorching his feet, the brazen sky without clouds, and the air stirring from a heavy, pulseless stillness, into sultry wind puffs. The child might have drooped and fainted by the road, had not the North Wind spread her cool wings to shade him from the sun's vertical rays. She also gave him a crystal flask of pure water, and a loaf of bread; but, although his own lips were parched with thirst, he gave the precious draught to others who implored the refreshment. The supply never failed; yet, when the child looked into the flask, there never appeared to be but a few drops remaining. So, too, with his loaf of bread. There was always more to give when he broke a piece; yet there never seemed enough to eat any himself.

"'Never mind,' he thought bravely. 'All these poor people have not the North Wind to shelter them, as I have.'

"At last the desert plain ended, and Neil began to ascend a steep mountain-side, that was clouded in a mist of snow at the summit. He found the way still more difficult. Now he had to climb slopes smooth as gla.s.s; now he trod a narrow ledge above a frightful precipice, where many fell; or he was obliged to cross glaciers, where the rough points hurt his feet, and the ice yawned treacherously about him. The cold air whistled by; and the sleet drifted in sheets, so that he could hardly see his way.

"The North Wind gave him a fur cloak. How deliciously warm and soft it felt! A shivering old man came by, and Neil gave him the garment.

"'Never mind,' he thought, 'he is so old; and, besides, I have only to look up into the North Wind's kind eyes, to be both warmed and fed.'

"Half frozen with cold, he finally descended the other side of the mountain, to the brink of a wide river, upon the opposite side of which bloomed a fair country.

"'You must swim the stream,' said the North Wind; so Neil plunged in boldly. The waves curled up over his head at times; great monsters swam towards him with fierce looks,--serpents and alligators opening their huge jaws as if to devour him; yet he panted on until he was cast upon the sh.o.r.e.

"When he awoke, Neil found himself lying upon the soft gra.s.s, near a spring of water that gurgled from a moss-grown rock, with a pleasant sound, and tinkled along in mimic cascades beside him. He was surrounded by a group of fair children, who bade him drink of the spring. Neil drank deeply, and immediately he felt a new life. His limbs were no longer distorted, his back bowed: he was well at last.

"'Where is the North Wind?' he asked.

"The children led him to the gates of a palace, which had been before concealed from his view.

"'We have brought another child,' said his companions; and the gates flew open to admit them.

"In the court of the palace stood the North Wind, looking more radiant than the sun.

"'Do you know me?' she said, kissing Neil.

"'Oh yes,' he replied joyfully. 'You are my own dear mother, who died so long ago.'

"The North Wind was indeed his mother. Little Neil was in heaven."

The Spider heaved a deep sigh when he had finished, although his countenance glowed with the radiance of an inborn genius. "I wish I had ever been able to screw up my courage sufficiently to attempt publishing any of the ideas which occupy my brain," he said.

"Why have you not?" buzzed the Wasp.

"Ah," returned the other, "who ever heard of a Spider turning author, and walking into the office of some magazine with a ma.n.u.script under one arm?"

"It is an age of improvement, you know," remarked the Cricket.

"I perceive you have a fine mind," said the Kettle; "only we are not much used to considering the winds in a poetical light, especially when they howl down the chimney winter nights."

"No, indeed," a.s.sented the Saucepan, who had been thinking of a story for some time. "I can tell you something plain and homely enough if--"

Here the Saucepan paused, coughed, and waited to be urged.

The next evening they were ready to listen, and Saucepan began:--

GOING MAYING.

"There was a general rising, as the teacher dismissed her section, the pupils clicking desk-lids, dropping books, and chirping like a flock of busy swallows, as they rushed down the broad stairway to the street.

Among the crowd were two little girls, who presently detached themselves from the rest, and entered the Common, talking earnestly. The smaller was listening with an air of grave attention to the animated conversation of her companion.

"'But, Nellie,' she said, with a doubtful shake of the head, as she glanced at the bare branches of the trees, that rustled in the breeze with rather a wintry sound, 'I think it would be too cold.'

"'Too cold!' echoed Nellie, tossing her head contemptuously; 'and pray did you ever read of May-day being any thing but warm and lovely, with wild-flowers, green gra.s.s, and running brooks? Nonsense, you really know nothing about the matter here in town.'

"Finding that her prudent little schoolmate still hesitated, Miss Nellie produced a brilliant-covered book from her satchel, which she had been perusing behind her grammar with great relish that very morning, and so dazzled Bessie's eyes with a pictured May-queen in white muslin and pink ribbons, that all her scruples faded, and she agreed to an excursion next day, in honor of the first of May.

"Accordingly, at an early hour on Sat.u.r.day, without the knowledge or consent of her parents, Bessie Morton proceeded to the house of Nellie Wray, whom she found in a state of great excitement. With their dinner packed in a basket, and various extra receptacles wherein to carry flowers and other treasures they might discover, they set forth bravely.

At first little Bessie ventured to suggest the propriety of taking the cars to some suburban town, at least; but Nellie scorned such every-day affairs, or she pretended to, although I am inclined to the opinion that she had not a penny in her pocket at the time, and disliked owning to such extreme poverty. So they trudged along, swinging their baskets; Nellie enlivening her friend by sc.r.a.ps of information on the topic of spring-time, until Bessie was warmed to an equal amount of enthusiasm on the subject. The sky was clear, the sun shone brightly; and what matter if the wind was a trifle frosty, causing a slight purple tinge in the tip of their noses, so long as it was May-day. Besides, in the country it would be different. And without doubt it was. As the blocks of houses were succeeded by scattered dwellings, the landscape became bleak: brown earth, sprinkled here and there with tufts of gra.s.s, budding trees, and bare shrubs, surrounded by sombre, wind-swept hills, presented a chilling disappointment to the children.

"Nellie surveyed the scene rather blankly; then affirmed that green valleys must be farther on. Presently she saw a little brook in a distant meadow, and announced her firm conviction, that upon its banks wild-flowers grew in abundance. They climbed over the fence after some difficulty, and proceeded across the field, looking eagerly on all sides for the coveted anemones and violets. They did not notice that at the farther extremity of the pasture were some horses, quietly rubbing their heads on the bars of a gate.

"Soon the ardent little botanists were searching on the bank for floral treasures, and were rewarded by a few spa.r.s.e clumps of pale, frozen-looking violets. With an exclamation of triumph, Nellie stooped to pluck one bunch; while Bessie, no less delighted, pounced upon another. In the midst of these labors, as they chatted merrily over every tiny, dew-tipped cup that reared its fragile head, they were alarmed by a rumbling sound, that seemed to shake the very earth under their feet. Upon raising their heads, they discovered that the horses, with manes and tails streaming on the breeze, were scampering over the ground, with all the graceful movements of unrestrained freedom. A slender-limbed, fleet-footed bay led the others in circles around the inclosure, a world of mischievous fun sparkling in his bright eye, as he pranced and curveted along.

"The children clung together in speechless dismay, as they saw the animals become wilder with every bound, knowing their only means of escape was at the wall where they had entered, or the opposite gate.

While they were hesitating about what course to adopt, the leader, for the first time apparently, noticed them, and with a wicked shake of the head came dancing towards them. Then, without losing a moment's time, they fled across the field, dropping flowers and gloves; conscious of nothing but that the horses were neighing and snorting close behind them, and that they must reach the gate soon, or be eaten alive. Nellie arriving at it first, pushed through with frantic haste, just as the bay thrust his nose playfully over Bessie's shoulder. Nellie rescued her terrified companion, by dragging her over the boundary, and closing the gate unceremoniously in their pursuer's face. With a low, half-apologetical whinny, Master Bay began to rub his head on the bars again, as quietly as when they had first entered his dominions.

"Still panting with fright, the young pleasure-seekers next glanced about for a means of escape from present difficulties; only to discover that the narrow lane they had entered led in quite an opposite direction from the road they had left. What was to be done? They never could attempt pa.s.sing those awful horses again, and the lane must lead out somewhere, so they would explore it. They found it turned into a barnyard, which they decided to cross, hoping to find their way out beyond.

"The yard contained a lively population. There were waddling ducks, with tufted feathers on their heads; there were noisy, cackling geese, strutting roosters; and several large families of pigs, who strolled in and out of their houses, the little pink ones, with their tails in a very tight curl, peering out from amid the straw of their beds: while pretty, brown-eyed calves lowed in adjoining sheds for their absent mothers. Entering the place, the children cautiously picked out their footsteps around the mud puddles, until they reached the centre, when the ire of a turkey-c.o.c.k was excited by Nellie's red cloak. His angry note, as he flapped his wings defiantly at her, was echoed not only by his own family, but by the whole goose and duck tribe, until there was a general clamor of indignation against the intruders.

"At this juncture, there appeared on the scene a choleric goat, with venerable beard and sharply curved horns, who, after surveying the field of action for a time, advanced with bent head and glowering visage.

Again they were compelled to take refuge in flight,--this time entering a large barn which flanked the inclosure on one side, and closing the door after them. By this act they excluded all light from the place, save where a few rays penetrated the c.h.i.n.ks of the boards, throwing vague, uncertain lines over the hay-loft and into the darkness below.

They groped about the place in search of another door, but without success; then they returned to the entrance, and peeped through a hole in the woodwork, to see if it was possible to retrace their steps. The goat had a.s.sumed a warlike att.i.tude, giving hints of unabated rancor by b.u.t.ting at the closed door; while the turkey-c.o.c.k still puffed with rage, and even the little pigs had ventured forth to see what was the matter.

"'Oh, dear! what shall we do?' exclaimed Nellie most dismally. 'Will we have to stay here until somebody comes?'

"'We must find another door,' said Bessie resolutely, as she led her discouraged schoolmate on a second exploring expedition. Finally, after stumbling down unexpected steps, knocking their heads against heavy beams, and sneezing with dust, they found a small aperture, half choked by rubbish, through which they crawled into a shed, and so out into a meadow. Once more they clambered over a wall into the main road, somewhat dilapidated and dusty after their adventures.

"'O Nellie! your shoes are covered with mud, your dress is torn, and your face quite dirty,' cried Bessie.

"'O Bessie! your hat is crushed on one side, and your hair covered with hay-seed,' retorted Nellie, who could not refrain from laughing, as she contemplated their sorry plight.

"'Don't you think we had better go home?' said Bessie ruefully, attempting to bend her disabled hat into shape.

"'Go home before noon, when we have had no fun yet?' replied Nellie, her spirits reviving now that all danger was past; 'oh, no! we have our dinner to eat, and lots of nice things to do.'