<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</SPAN></span></p>
<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2>
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<p class="st">FLORIMEL IS ADOPTED BY<br/>
KING STANISLAUS</p>
<p class="cap"><span class="upper">Delighted</span> beyond measure were
all the Brownies with Prince
Florimel’s most amazing feat,
and their pleasure manifested
itself in broad smiles upon
smug faces, the nodding of
round little heads, the slapping
of hands on each other’s backs,
and the good-natured poking of
fists in each other’s stomachs.</p>
<p>They pressed close to Florimel and kept wringing his hand in
congratulation. Not even a Brownie could do what he had
done.</p>
<p>All wanted to examine the bow that had accomplished a
result so wonderful. But it was just like the ordinary bow of
any archer, and its wood and gut presented no solution of the
remarkable happening; it was no story, they saw it themselves.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Then, noting that Florimel’s attire was torn in many places,
and that here and there his fair flesh showed, they stripped him
of his garments, replacing them with skin-tight trousers that
with the greatest difficulty they drew over his legs, long, tapering
shoes, a jacket with big buttons, and a pinnacle-shaped cap
whose top could not sustain itself but fell over on his head.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i066.png" width-obs="329" height-obs="274" alt="Melon" title="" /></div>
<p>Many nimble hands attended to his valeting, and though
Florimel observed that he was garbed as an ordinary Brownie,
of which there were a large number, he was rejoiced at the
eagerness they now displayed to transform him to a Brownie,
and make him one of themselves. Yet he could not help thinking,
as he glanced
first at them,
and then at himself,
how different
he was from
them all.</p>
<p>Try as they
might they
could not bestow
on him the
pop eyes, big
ears, and broad,
distended mouth
that parted in
a smile so evident
of inward satisfaction. He was as fair and sightly as
one could wish to be, yet he would rather have looked like a
Brownie. Only in size did he resemble one.</p>
<p>Some such thought must have been in the minds of the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</SPAN></span>
Brownies too, for they seemed puzzled as they inspected their
new comrade.</p>
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<p>While they were making their first awkward overtures of
friendship the attention of all was suddenly diverted to two
ordinary Brownies rolling a watermelon up the steep hill. The
melon was perhaps thrice their size, and they puffed and
grunted over what to them was a herculean task.</p>
<p>Just when their
labor promised to
be light, with the
crest of the hill almost
reached, they
stopped to take
their breath, and
in doing so relinquished
their
hold on the melon.</p>
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<p>Bumpety-bumpety!
it
started rolling
down the hill.
Both ran after
it in pursuit,
then realizing
that they were
being distanced
stood stock-still with horror on their faces. Bumpety-bumpety!
came the big melon, with ever increasing momentum,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</SPAN></span>
while the eyes of Florimel and all the rest
followed its erratic course down the hill—bumpety-bumpety!—with
leaps and bounds—bumpety-bumpety!—first
to one side, then
to another, bumpety-bumpety!—till it finished
with an extra high
bound and squashed all
to pieces right in their very midst. Little jets of sweet water
shot in all directions from its sides as though projected from<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</SPAN></span>
a syphon, and out from the juicy, luscious, red pulp exposed
to view there crawled sheepishly on his hands and knees a little
weazened old fellow
who wore an ermine
cape and gold crown.</p>
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<p>“Hail, Your Majesty!”
shouted all
the Brownies, and
the little old fellow
stood up, rubbed
himself, and
said, rather ruefully:</p>
<p>“No, I’d rather
reign!”<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Then the Brownies, under the leadership of the Dude, yelled,
in perfect unison:</p>
<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i0b">“’Rah! ’rah! ’rah!<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Stan-is-laus!<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Siss-boom-ah!”<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>“Thanks!” graciously acknowledged His Majesty, adding by
way of explanation:</p>
<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i0a">“I chose this watermelon green<br/></span>
<span class="i0">To shun the treacherous submarine!”<br/></span></div>
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<p>Then a puzzled expression came to his face as his eye suddenly
observed Florimel.</p>
<p>“Why, who’s this fellow?” he demanded. “You’re not trying
to make a Brownie of him, are you?”</p>
<p>Florimel’s heart sank, for he realized that here was the king
himself, whose word was absolute law to all these little people.</p>
<p>If he frowned down on any plans they had made in his behalf,
all the hopes that had sprung up in his breast would be ruthlessly
shattered.</p>
<p>The Brownies seemed troubled too, for they would not have
brought displeasure to King Stanislaus for all the world.</p>
<p>While the new-comer stood looking timidly down, without
daring to meet the questioning gaze of that kindly but august
monarch, his little companions made bold to extol his virtues
real and imaginary till their tongues were all wagging at such
a great rate that Florimel could not help but furiously blush.</p>
<p>First they pointed to the crescent moon, still pierced by the
arrow, averring earnestly that it was Florimel’s accomplishment,
and the sudden start King Stanislaus gave when he beheld
this marvel showed that he was properly impressed.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Then they called his attention to the eagles’ nest high up in
the tree, explaining that it was there they first saw the stranger,
after which they waited anxiously as did Florimel to hear what
His Majesty would say.</p>
<p>King Stanislaus looked not displeased, and one and all took
heart.</p>
<p>“If Moses was found among the frogs, and Romulus among
the wolves,” said the monarch, with great deliberation, “then
an eagles’ nest is a fitting cradle for a Brownie prince!”</p>
<p>This speech caused the Brownies to burst into a sudden wild
cheer that made the welkin ring, for they realized that not only
had King Stanislaus set approval on what they had done, but he
had gone much further.</p>
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<div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i070.png" width-obs="226" height-obs="229" alt="Who is this fellow" title="" /></div>
<p>He had made Florimel
his heir by adoption, and
successor to the Brownie
throne! “See that he is
properly attired,” was the
royal command, and once
more Florimel’s appearance
underwent a swift and
startling change.</p>
<p>From some invisible
source fresh wardrobe was
supplied, and from a plain,
ordinary Brownie he was transformed into a handsome, dashing
little prince as pert and pretty a sprig of royalty as one
could see in many a long journey over lands where there
were kings and queens with large, flourishing families—in<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</SPAN></span>
trunks, doublet, and cape, with a cap that perched jauntily
upon his roguish curls.</p>
<p>Filled with gratitude was he over this great, this unexpected
honor that had befallen him and he expressed his thanks as best
he could feeling that the words he used were poor at best, but
vowing loyalty and obedience in all things evermore to his
gracious foster-parent.</p>
<p>“It will not be so very long, my son, before you occupy
the throne,” said King Stanislaus, and his voice took on a
rather pensive tone. “A few short years—a couple of thousands
or so—and I shall have passed away. When I am gone
I shall leave to you all-out-doors and the love of children, a
priceless heritage which you must treasure tenderly and never
lose.”</p>
<p>Then came the Brownies with pledges of fealty to their
prince, and Florimel smiled back into their smiling faces, while
all were glad.</p>
<p>The Policeman limping slightly came and offered him his
club, but Florimel good-humoredly refused it, and waved him
aside. The Sailor came next with his spy-glass, but Florimel
laughingly declined it also.</p>
<p>Each of the band in a free-hearted way evinced a desire to
surrender to him his most cherished possession, and much
touched was he by their expressions of good will. But the
most he would accept was an eagle’s feather which had been
dropped by one of the birds to the ground, and which the Dude
stuck in his cap.</p>
<p>Soon matters took on their usual routine, and, noticing that
the Policeman limped, King Stanislaus asked:</p>
<p>“Officer, what’s the matter?”<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</SPAN></span></p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i071.png" width-obs="454" height-obs="247" alt="Prince" title="" /></div>
<p>“I fell off the palace-wall last night, Your Majesty, when I
was tacking up the placard.”</p>
<p>“What did you fall against?”</p>
<p>“I fell against my will. One of the fairy guards mistook
me for an enemy, and fired a charge of shot at me.”</p>
<p>“Did you press a complaint?”</p>
<p>“No, I withdrew the charge.”</p>
<p>Into an admiring group some distance off the well-informed
Dude was instilling the first principles of etiquette.</p>
<p>“It is not good form to try to eat your peas with a knife,”
he told them. “You should spear them with a fork.”</p>
<p>And the Sailor was growling to the German:</p>
<p>“Avast there, you lubber! A dog-watch isn’t a chronometer.”</p>
<p>The Indian with a flourish of his tomahawk came running
to King Stanislaus, and imparted the surprising intelligence:<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>“The dromedary’s swallowed all the door-knobs, and the
knobs are in his stomachs.”</p>
<p>“Which one of his stomachs?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”</p>
<p>“Can’t you see which looks the knobbiest?”</p>
<p>Florimel could not but admire the shrewdness of King Stanislaus
in disposing of all matters great and small, and he did not
feel that he could ever reign and be as wise as he.</p>
<p>The little monarch held his subjects under most admirable
control, and in arguments that sometimes rose between them
one word from his lips would effectually settle all dispute.</p>
<p>And so they wandered on and on, hiding away from sight
ere the first rays of the morning sun could strike them, and
sallying forth again when the stars began to shine at night.</p>
<p>Many a harmless prank they played, and helpful deed they
did, in which Florimel took hearty part, and he grew to love
them more and more, as they did him.</p>
<p>One thing was a source of great surprise to him, yet, after
he considered, it was not surprising, which was that all dumb
creatures, whether of the fields or air, were the Brownies’
friends, and loved them.</p>
<p>In countless ways they all evinced delight whenever these
good-natured little goblings were at hand, for they knew that
they would help instead of harm them.</p>
<p>Even the savage animals that had so lately thirsted for
Florimel’s blood proved tractable, and neither they nor the
Brownies showed the slightest fear of each other. The beasts
grovelled and rolled over with pleasure when the Brownies
playfully yanked and pulled their tails.</p>
<p>All was harmony between them, and the industrious animals<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</SPAN></span>
went on with their task
of gathering bones
without caring whether
the Brownies were
near or far.</p>
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<p>So on they fared
with light hearts that had never a care. The country grew
less wild and mountainous, till there were emerald fields, green
copses, and flowers blooming everywhere. The sweet, caressing
air had just a soft reminder of the sea in it.</p>
<p>And, while they hid away one day in a leafy covert, while the
birds in the branches round them were pouring their hearts
out in gladness, piercing screams suddenly rent the air, and<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</SPAN></span>
caused all great alarm. “Let us make haste!” cried Florimel,
springing to his feet. “There is danger in that cry!”</p>
<p>But when he started King Stanislaus tried to hold him
back. “Have a care, Florimel!” he warned. “It may be a decoy
to entrap us!” “Let me go!” said Florimel, struggling.</p>
<p>He broke from King Stanislaus’s kindly, well-meant grasp,
and ran with might and main in the direction from which the
terrifying sounds still came. The Brownies looked at each
other in great dismay. Into what danger had their beloved
Prince Florimel so recklessly plunged, and would they ever see
his face again?</p>
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