Produced by John Bechard (JaBBechard@aol.com)
by George MacDonald
Once upon a time, the Queen of Fairyland, finding her own subjects fartoo well-behaved to be amusing, took a sudden longing to have a mortalor two at her Court. So, after looking about her for some time, shefixed upon two to bring to Fairyland.
But how were they to be brought?
"Please your majesty," said at last the daughter of the prime-minister,
"I will bring the girl."
The speaker, whose name was Peaseblossom, after hergreat-great-grandmother, looked so graceful, and hung her headso apologetically, that the Queen said at once,—
"How will you manage it, Peaseblossom?"
"I will open the road before her, and close it behind her."
"I have heard that you have pretty ways of doing things; so you maytry."
The court happened to be held in an open forest-glade of smooth turf,upon which there was just one mole-heap. As soon as the Queen had givenher permission to Peaseblossom, up through the mole-heap came the headof a goblin, which cried out,—
"Please your majesty, I will bring the boy."
"You!" exclaimed the Queen. "How will you do it?"
The goblin began to wriggle himself out of the earth, as if he had beena snake, and the whole world his skin, till the court was convulsedwith laughter. As soon as he got free, he began to roll over and over,in every possible manner, rotatory and cylindrical, all at once, untilhe reached the wood. The courtiers followed, holding their sides, sothat the Queen was left sitting upon her throne in solitary state.
When they reached the wood, the goblin, whose name was Toadstool, wasnowhere to be seen. While they were looking for him, out popped hishead from the mole-heap again, with the words,—
"So, your majesty."
"You have taken your own time to answer," said the Queen, laughing.
"And my own way too, eh! your majesty?" rejoined Toadstool, grinning.
"No doubt. Well, you may try."
And the goblin, making as much of a bow as he could with only half hisneck above ground, disappeared under it.
No mortal, or fairy either, can tell where Fairyland begins and whereit ends. But somewhere on the borders of Fairyland there was a nicecountry village, in which lived some nice country people.
Alice was the daughter of the squire, a pretty, good-natured girl, whomher friends called fairy-like, and others called silly.
One rosy summer evening, when the wall opposite her window was flakedall over with rosiness, she threw herself down on her bed, and laygazing at the wall. The rose-colour sank through her eyes and dyed herbrain, and she began to feel as if she were reading a story-book. Shethought she was looking at a western sea, with the waves all red withsunset. But when the colour died out, Alice gave a sigh to see howcommonplace the wall grew. "I wish it was always sunset!" she said,half aloud. "I don't like gray things."
"I will take you where the sun is always setting, if you like, Alice,"said a sweet, tiny voice near her. She looked down on the coverlet ofthe bed, and