Adventures of Prince Lazybones, and Other Stories

  CHAPTER XI

  A PAIR OF CRUTCHES

  Aunt Rachel's plan was entered into most heartily by both boys, andGraham became so much interested as to act as express agent on his ownaccount, going to the city with what he called his first load of berriesand flowers; but on his return was so silent and uncommunicative thatPhil asked him if anything had gone wrong.

  "Don't ask me to tell you what I saw," said he, in reply; "it was morethan I could stand." Then, as if sorry for his short answer, he added,"It was the most pitiful thing in the world--such a lot of little palefaces all together! and when I came to give them their share, as thelady in charge told me to do, I cried right out like any baby--there,now! But you have no idea how they brightened up, and how glad theylooked when they took the posies. I don't want to go again, though,unless Miss Rachel asks me to. I shall see those poor wizened littlethings as long as I live. I am going to sell all my pets this fall andgive the money to St. Luke's Hospital, and I shall sell every egg mychickens lay, for the same purpose."

  After that Phil asked no more questions, but worked harder than ever athis drawings, and as the season advanced, and flowers and fruit grewmore abundant, they were able to despatch a basket twice a week.

  Every day was filled with new life and pleasure. Increasing strengthalone would have been a source of happiness, but in addition to thisPhil had the benefit of Aunt Rachel's loving-kindness, Lisa's nursing,Joe's good offices, and Graham's pleasant, friendly attentions. Then hewas learning constantly something new, with eyes and ears, from the bookof nature, with all its wonderful pictures, and from the other booksallowed him.

  Driving behind old Slow Coach and floating on the lake in the _Flyaway_were some of the delights, and when more visitors came, and two charmingyoung cousins of Aunt Rachel made the house resound with melody, Philthought his happiness complete. But a new surprise was in store for himwhen, after repeated consultations and measurements and whisperings, ahuge parcel was brought to his room, and Aunt Rachel and Lisa took offthe wrappings. Neither of them looked particularly joyful as a pair ofstout crutches made their appearance, but their faces changedwonderfully when Phil gave a cry of glee, and said, hilariously, "Now Ican walk! now I can walk!"

  He was eager to use his new helps, but it took a longer time than he hadimagined to get accustomed to them, and it was many weeks before hecould go down the garden paths (followed by Nep with much gravity, as ifPhil were in his especial care) with desirable ease.

  Coming in from one of these rather tiresome attempts one warm morning,and hearing music and voices in the parlor, Phil strayed into thedining-room, which was darkened and cool, and fragrant with freshflowers. He lay down on a lounge, with his crutches beside him, and waslistening to the pretty waltz being played in the other room, when hethought he saw a tiny creature light upon one of his crutches. Supposingit, however, to be a butterfly, he watched it in a sleepy, dreamyfashion, until it approached more nearly, and these words startled him:

  "You do not know me?" said a tiny voice, rather reproachfully.

  "What! is it you, my dear little wind fairy?" he asked. "I never dreamedthat I should see you again. How did you get here?"

  "Blown here, to be sure, as I always am, only I have to pilot myself, orwhat would be the use of having wings? I came on some thistle-down thistime, for I wanted to have another peep at you, and I have had hard workto follow you in here, I assure you; but the vibrations of that lovelymusic helped me, and here I am. Do not talk--let me do it all. I neverhave much time, you know, and I want to thank you for your goodness intaking my advice, and helping some of my little sick friends. You do notbegin to know what good you have done--nobody does; but doing good isvery like the big snowballs that children make in winter--a little ballat first, but as they roll, it grows bigger and bigger, almost ofitself, until it is more than one can manage. So it has been with yourkind action: many have imitated it, and flowers come now to thehospitals by the bushel. Not only children, but grown people, sad withsuffering, have been cheered and benefited. And you too are growingstrong: how glad I am to see it! Your cheeks are tinged with just adelicate bloom, and you have grown taller. Ah, the country is the placefor you children! I saw one of your sketches in the hospital the otherday, hung under a little cross made of moss; it was a water-lily, andout of it was stepping some one who looked like me. The child who ownedit said it came to her tied to some roses. She did not know I heard her;she was telling a visitor, and she said it made her happy every time shelooked at it. That was a pretty thought of yours. This is my last visitfor a long while. I am to be sent off to fan her Royal Highness, theQueen of Kind Wishes, when her coronation takes place. She lives in herpalace of Heart's Ease, in a far-away island. I am to sail part of theway in a nautilus--one of those lovely shells you have seen, I daresay."

  "No," said Phil, "I never saw one. And so you are going away--"

  "Never saw a nautilus!" interrupted the fairy, as if afraid Phil wasgoing to be doleful over her departure. "It looks like a ship, for allthe world, and it _is_ a ship for me, but it would not hold you--oh no!not such a gigantic creature as a boy"; and the fairy laughed aloud.

  "Dear me," said Phil; "no more visits, no more fairy stories. What willI do?"

  "Shall I tell you just one more story before I say good-bye?"

  "Please do."

  "Well, shut your eyes and listen."

  Phil obeyed, and the fairy began:

  "In the days when fairies had much more power than they now have, therelived in a little house on the edge of a wood haunted by elves andbrownies a boy named Arthur. He was a bright, handsome lad, but a littlelazy, and much more fond of pleasure than of work; and he had a way offlinging himself down in the woods to lounge and sleep when his motherat home was waiting for him to come back with a message, or to do somelittle promised task. Now the fairies knew this, and it displeased them;for they are as busy as bees, and do not like idleness. Besides, as onebad habit leads to another, Arthur, in his lounging ways, would often dogreat damage to the fairies' flower-beds, switching off the heads ofwild-flowers in the most ruthless fashion, and even pulling them up bythe roots when he felt like it.

  "One day he had been indulging this whim without any motive, hardly eventhinking what he was doing, when he began to feel very strangely: aslight chill made him shiver; his eyes felt as if they were coming outof his head, his legs as if they were getting smaller and smaller; hehad an irresistible desire to hop, and he was very thirsty. There was arivulet near, and instead of walking to it he leaped, and stooping todrink, he saw himself reflected in its smooth surface. No longer did hesee Arthur; no longer was he a mortal boy. Instead of this, a frog--agreen speckled frog, with great bulging eyes and a fishy mouth--lookedup at him. He tried to call, to shout, but in vain; he could only croak,and this in the most dismal manner. What was he to do? Sit and stareabout him, try to catch flies, plunge down into the mud--charmingamusements for the rest of his life! A little brown bird hopped down fora drink from the rivulet; she stooped and rose, stooped and rose, againand again.

  "A great green tear rolled down from the frog's bulging eye, andsplashed beside the bird's drinking-place. She looked up in alarm, andsaid, in the sweetest voice imaginable, 'Can I do anything to assistyou?'

  "'I am sure I don't know,' croaked Arthur, hoarse as if he had been bornwith a sore throat.

  "'But what _is_ the matter?' persisted the little brown bird, as moregreen tears splashed beside her.

  "'The matter is that I am a frog, I suppose,' said Arthur, ratherrudely.

  "'Well, what of that?' still said the little bird. 'Frogs are veryrespectable.'

  "'Are they, indeed; then I'd rather not be respectable,' said Arthur.

  "'You shock me,' said the bird.

  "'I don't wonder; it has been a great shock to me,' responded Arthur.

  "'What has?' said the bird.

  "'Being a frog,' replied Arthur.

  "'Have you not always? Oh no; I presume you were once a tadpole; allfr
ogs are at first.'

  "'Indeed I never was a tadpole,' said Arthur, indignantly; and then, itseeming somewhat a funny idea to him, he began to laugh in the hoarsest,croakiest _kerthumps_, which brought him to his senses again. Then headded, to the little brown bird which fluttered about him in someagitation, 'No, I never was a tadpole--I was a boy named Arthur a fewmoments ago.'

  "'Aha!' twittered the little brown bird, 'I see now: you have beenbewitched.'

  "'I suppose so,' said Arthur, 'and I would gladly be bewitched into aboy again, if that would do any good.'

  "'I must try and see what I can do for you. I am very busy repairing mynest--it was injured in the last storm; but I will go as soon as I canto see one of the herb elves, and find out what is to be done. You musthave displeased them very much.'

  "'You are very kind,' replied Arthur, taking no notice of the latterwords.

  "'Oh no, not at all; it is a pleasure,' said the little brown bird.

  "'Can I do anything for you?' asked Arthur, roused into politeness bythe pleasant manners of his little friend.

  "'You might gather some twigs or moss. Oh no, it would be all wet, and Ishould have great bother in drying it,' said the little house-keeper. 'Iam equally obliged, but you had better just stay quiet and keep cooltill I return'; and she flew softly away.

  "'I can keep cool enough,' repeated Arthur; 'when one's legs are in thewater, it would be pretty hard to do anything else.'

  "It seemed dreadfully long to wait, when all he could do was to wink andyawn and gobble flies, and yet lounging in the woods and killing flowershad never seemed tedious when he was a boy. He tried to go to sleep, butwas in too great a bewilderment to quietly close his eyes in slumber, sohe gazed at the brook, and wondered when the little brown bird wouldreappear."