"Come, don't blush like that, Helen," said Dr. Bleedem, "or I shall
think you've got the scarlet fever, and shall be obliged to bleed you." "Fairest of thy sex," said little Mr. Jollytoast, going down on one knee
before the maiden and placing his hand on his heart in the manner of a
stage lover, which added to the girl's confusion ten-fold; "say not nay,
prithee, say not nay." "Come, Jollytoast," said Parnassus, "see you not that she will not be
courted by importunities. Give the muse time for inspiration." The members desisted from further persecution, and a slight pause
ensued, which was broken by McGuilp, who, squeezing the maiden's hand,
whispered, "For my sake, Helen." The girl blushed deeper still, looked down, and a subdued sigh might
have been noticed by the observer. At length she looked up imploringly, and said, "But what story shall I
tell? I know none." "Oh, nonsense! Come, think," said various members at once. The girl appeared thoughtful for some moments, then, after giving a
half-bashful smile at our artist, turned towards the company, and said,
"I will tell you one that my grandmother told me when I was a little
thing, if you would care to hear it." "Too delighted, Helen," said several voices. The maiden, blushing slightly, and looking down, timidly began her
story. [Illustration]


CHAPTER VII. THE PIGMY QUEEN; A FAIRY TALE.--THE LANDLORD'S DAUGHTER'S STORY. Once upon a time--I think, in Germany, grandmother said that it
happened; but I am not quite sure; perhaps it never happened at all; but
if it did, it was very far off, and a long time ago, that there lived a
very wicked king, who, to increase his power, had leagued himself with
the evil one, and used to practise witchcraft. All sorts of witches and
wizards were encouraged at his court, and the land soon became
unsufferable. Many wealthy citizens being persecuted by the malice of
these creatures, fled the country. It happened one day, however, in the very midst of his crimes, that the
bad king died, and was succeeded by his son, who proved in every respect
the very reverse of his father. He was a good man, of a peaceful and
amiable disposition, and who had received an education far superior to
that given generally to the laity at that time. He had married lately a foreign princess of great wit and beauty, and on
ascending the throne his first act was to rid his realm of all the
witches and wizards which had infested it in his father's time. He
threatened with death all those who should be found in the land after
ten days. These tidings were received with murmurs of disapprobation by all these
wicked people, who would fain have wrought a charm upon the king to kill
him, if they could; but the king, being a good man, was under the
protection of the good fairies. Nevertheless, the populace were
delighted at this determination of their monarch's, having known nothing
but oppression and persecution under the reign of the late king. A few days after the good king had given out his stern edict he was
seated on his throne, with his consort beside him, when he was informed
that a poor woman without desired to speak with him. The king, ever open to compassion, imagining it to be some poor widow
oppressed by an unfeeling and dishonest tyrant, who sought redress for
her wrongs, ordered her to be admitted into his presence. The guards
accordingly made way for her, and a wild, ragged, squalid, and
malignant-looking beldame prostrated herself at the monarch's feet. "O king," she pleaded, "thou who art great and mighty, have mercy on the
poor and houseless, and cease to persecute those that do thee no harm. Know that I am queen of the witches, a race much patronised by thy late
father of blessed memory, and who were accounted worthy to dine at his
table and be his constant companions." To which the good king replied, "My father's reign is over. Another and
more virtuous king now rules the land. My father encouraged the evil, I
the good. Ye have heard our order; our word is irrevocable." Then the hag prostrated herself before the queen, and begged with much
fervour that she should intercede with the king for her, that he might
milden her sentence. But the queen replied, "I have no other will than that of my husband,
whose sole desire it is to benefit his country by exterminating the
wicked. If I granted your request I should be an enemy to my country." Then the witch queen, rising to her feet and standing erect, spake to
the queen and said, "For this inclemency I curse both thee and thy
husband; and thy firstborn daughter whom thou shall shortly bring into
the world shall be a dwarf, and shall know much tribulation." At these words the queen was seized with great grief, and the king's ire
being roused, he commanded his guards to conduct the hag from his
presence. Hardly had she departed when a bright light filled the palace
and the queen of the fairies appeared in a chariot drawn by butterflies,
and assured the king and queen that the blessings they should enjoy as a
reward for not granting the witch's request should counterbalance the
curses of the witch. "Alas!" cried her majesty, "then the witch's curse cannot be annulled?" "Not entirely," quoth the fairy queen, "but it can be so modified that
you shall feel it but little. The witch has declared that your daughter
shall be a dwarf, and dwarf she shall be; and that, too, of so
diminutive a stature, as not to exceed a span in height. Nevertheless, I
will bequeath to her extraordinary beauty and talents, and she shall
reign long over a contented people. Great adventures she will have to go
through first, but her good judgement will cause her to surmount all
obstacles. Furthermore, ye shall have nothing to regret during your
lifetime than that your daughter's stature is not equal to that of other
mortals." With these words the good fairy disappeared. In due time the queen was brought to bed of a female child, so tiny that
it was hardly the length of the first joint of the queen's forefinger,
but withal of such surprising beauty that the fame thereof spread
throughout all the land. The child grew and increased each day in beauty, until it reached its
full growth of one span in height. About a year after the birth of the young princess the queen was again
confined of twins, both girls, rosy and healthy of the average size of
babes. As the three sisters grew up their mother did her best to instruct them
in those duties which should fit them for good princesses, as well as
good wives and mothers, when a fever then raging through the
land--probably part of the witch's curse--carried off the good king and
queen almost at the same time, when the eldest princess was scarce
eighteen, and the three children were left in charge of a guardian. Now, as there was no male issue, the Princess Bertha (the name of the
firstborn) had every right to the throne.