"I never saw one of gold, your Majesty," replied the Widow Pickle, "but perhaps I could make out with it." In her heart she was thinking that if she ever told her friends she had baked Waffles on a gold Waffle-iron, they certainly would not believe her; but we can easily see how much mistaken her friends would have been in that case.
"Very well," said the King. "Get the lady a gold Waffle-iron and help her all you can with her work. If she is half as good a cook as you think, she also may have some sort of throne; although I much regret that her hair is far from the desirable color for those of the royal household."
"I ought to have a little flour," said the Widow, "and a little milk."
"Milk?" said the King. "How unfortunate! The royal cows are all lost in the woods, every one of them, and not even the Court Detective, whom I employ for that purpose, can find them."
"Don"t you know how to find them?" cried Zuzu eagerly.
"No, to be sure I don"t. I"m too busy to learn such things."
"You ask a Daddy-long-legs," said Zuzu.
"I beg pardon?" said the King. But just then, as Zuzu and Lulu happened to grasp the Enchanted Banjo, the latter began to tell the King how to find the cows--a thing which any child could have told him.
DADDY-LONG-LEGS
Ho, Mister Daddy-long-legs, it is queer How much you know.
A very savage being you appear-- You are not, though.
With gentle grace and kindly bows You tell us where to find the cows.
Ho, Daddy-long-legs, tell me, tell me now Which direction I must go if I find my cow.
"Way over yonder--"way over there-- That"s the way he points us with his long leg in the air.
Ho, Mister Daddy-long-legs, when you sprawl Upon the fence, One wouldn"t think the cows would moo at all When you commence To show us where their feet have made A winding pathway to the shade.
Ho, Daddy-long-legs, tell me, tell me now Which direction I must go if I find my cow.
"Way through the meadow--"way down the brook-- See his long leg pointing out the place where we must look!
"Well!" said the King, "that is a most extraordinary thing, most extraordinary indeed, and I shall certainly have to call the matter to the attention of my Court Detective. But, madam, as we have no cows at present, how would a little cocoanut milk do? We can get you any amount of that."
"I have never tried it," said the Widow, "but I am sure it will be very much better than no milk at all."
"Very well, then," said the King, "I"ll have Jiji get you all you want."
[Ill.u.s.tration]
[Ill.u.s.tration]
CHAPTER XII
THE GOLD WAFFLE-IRON
Meantime the Private Secretary departed, but now in a few moments returned with a very fine new Waffle-iron, all of gold, which he had had made as the Widow instructed, with small hills and hollows all over its surface.
"This," said the Widow Pickle, "is the most beautiful Waffle-iron I ever used. If I do not make good Waffles now, it surely will be my own fault."
So now the Private Secretary also got her some palm flour, and two quarts of cocoanut milk; and after making a little fire in front of the palace door, the Widow Pickle busied herself and soon produced a nice brown Waffle, with hills and hollows all over it, from her new gold Waffle-iron. "Now, if I only had some syrup," said she, "I am sure I could recommend this Waffle for any purposes connected with eating."
The King had been watching her very closely in her work. "What do you mean by syrup?" asked he curiously.
"This," said the Widow, "is certainly a strange country--not that I wish to criticize in the least, your Majesty. But I was just thinking that a world without syrup is very singular indeed."
"Well, you will understand," said the King of Gee-Whiz, "we who live on this Island are not very different from Fairies. At least, we are dependent upon the Fairies for all we eat and wear and use. They are our work people, and we have to take what they give us and be thankful. Now, I suppose the Fairies have never considered that syrup was necessary for us."
Zuzu and Lulu listened with the greatest interest, and when the king spoke of Fairies they could not restrain themselves.
"Oh, your Majesty," said Lulu, "have you ever really seen a Fairy?"
"Have I?" said the King. "Thousands of them. We get all our gold from them--when their pretty Queen, Zulena, is good enough to grant our wishes. Fairies! Why, they are as common as leaves upon the trees. Are there none in your country, my Princess?"
"None," said Lulu, "only I have always so much wished to see just one Fairy."
"If that is all you wish," said the King of Gee-Whiz, "there will not be the least trouble about it. We got this Enchanted Banjo from the Fairies, and I am sure it will be obliging enough to tell you about so common a place as Fairy-land. Won"t you, Banjo?"
The Banjo nodded its head, and presently began to play.
FAIRY-LAND AFAR
I know where is Fairy-land, Little one with wond"ring eyes.
Often, often, do you stand Gazing where the hills arise, Dreaming of the land that lies Somewhere, where the fairies are Past the ending of the skies-- Fairy-land afar.
I have seen it, and I know How we journey to that land; Nodding poppies flash and glow Down the path on either hand; Jewel spray on silver sand Brings the snow-white Fairy-boats; Each, by elves and brownies manned, As a lily floats.
Ho, sometimes you hear the bells That the dancing Fairies wear!
Oft at night their music swells Far and faintly on the air, And sometimes the breezes bear Calls blown on a Fairy-horn; You have heard them, here and there, In the summer morn.
Here"s the secret: You must look For the path with drowsy eyes: Twixt the covers of a book Half the wondrous secret lies.
Then if you are good and wise, In a twinkling there you are-- Past the ending of the skies, Fairy-land afar.
"The Banjo knows more about the Fairies than any one," said the Private Secretary. "It can tell you how they employ themselves all these long summer days." And thereupon the Banjo began:
WHAT THE FAIRIES DO
Oh, do not think the Fairies can be idle all the while, That they have nothing much to do but sit and sing and smile; Each has a task he must perform--he must be smart and good And do his work as carefully as real-sure people should.
Some Fairies have to hurry forth and waken all the leaves And bid them come and dress the trees in dainty styles and weaves; Some Fairies have to go with paint and some with rich perfume, And tint and scent the flowers when they open into bloom.
The Jack-o"-lantern Fairies have to dance above the bogs To make a light for all the concerts given by the frogs; And others whisper to the bees and tell them where to look For honey in a clover bloom that hides beside the brook.
And some come when the night is here and you have gone to sleep They find your home and then upon your pillow they will creep, And tell you dreams that you must dream; and then, you understand, Next morning you may truly say you"ve been to Fairy-land.
"But now, in regard to this syrup, I wonder very much how it tastes,"
interrupted the King, returning to the matter that had been upon his mind, "tell me, how does it taste?"