The Oregon daily journal., November 21, 1903, Page 23, Image 23

THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL PORTLAND SATURDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 21, 1003.
CHlM
BEEN
-By
WALT
McDOUGAL
'
Tlie Wonderful Story of an En
chanted Muse, Talking .Cow,
Goat arid - Rooster and Two
' Very Poor Children ' .
ifcw Good Fortune Came to Them
and the Strange Adventures
They Had in a Far-Away
Land of Mystery
r i e King and Queen of H i I a r i a Find Themselves at Their Old Horn
BOY named Alfred Twines and hid sister
Bertha lived in a small house war a wood
that was dark and full of tangles of
undergrowth. As playfellows they had a
cow, a goat and a big Shanghai rooster,
for there were no other children for
miles and miles around. Both of them,
however, enjoyed every hour, of the long
summer days, and managed to have a
deal of fun even when the snow lay deep
among the gray tree-trunks, although
they had no lfys nor playthings beyohd
' 4 .such natural objects as pine-cones, nuts
and other things that one may pick up in the- woods. ...
Few were the books and fewer still the ones that had pic
tures in them, that these two ever saw, yet they knew how to read
what they had and knew them, too, by heart. One of these books
was a fairy talo, and well if was that it was such, else Alfred
would never have been prepared for the marvelous happenings
in which ho was concerned, nor would ho have known how to act
under the circumstance! had he not been somewhat versed in the
ways of fairy lore and the manner in which magic operfetcs.
Of course he didn't believe in fairies (but Bertha did with
all her might), yet be liked to read about them and often caught
himself wishing that they really did exist so that a poor boy
might catch one or do one a favor, let us say, and be suitably .
rewarded with tho power to makers, wish. lie had often decided
just exactly what ho would wish were that power granted. lie
would wish for a wishing-cap that would irant all other wishes
mid thus circumvent any fairy that tried vo restrict him to one
solitary wish.
But in his heart he well knew that no boy nowadays ever
attained such felicity, and he really never expected that any
thing out of tho ordinary would ever happen to him or Bertha,
but it did.
One day his father and mother went to pay a day's visit to a
distant relative and never returned.- What happened to them the
children did not learn until long afterward, but in the meantime
they were left in poverty, although fortunately it was summer
and the berries were ripe in the woods. Soon came the landlord,
who told them that unless he was paid at once the rent so long
overdue they must leave the little cottage, and their cup of woe
was filled to overflowing, for where were they to go?
"What shall wo do with the poor cow and the goat?" asked '
Bertha, her tears flowing down on her apron.
"We will havo to build a hut in the woods," replied Alfred,
solemnly. "But while that may suffice during the summer, what
shall we do when, the snow comes!"
Just then along' came the butcher, who offered them fifteen
dollars for the cow and the goat. .
Alfred, who knew how difficult it would be to care for the
animals now that they had no home, felt that perhaps sell
ing them would open a way out of their difficulties, but before
Bertha could express her indignation the cow spoke, to their in
tense surprise, saying: -
"Spare us, and you will be rewarded. Do not sell us or allow
us to be killed. There is a way out of your troubles, and if you
will follow me I will show you how you may repair your for
tunes so that when your parents return they will bo proud, as
well a3 grateful."
Before they had recovered from their astonishment" she had
moved away and the children were following her into the dark
forest. She led them into its deepest, gloomiest shades, and just
when they were becoming slightly alarmed they emerged upon a
sunlit, open space, in the centre of which stood a tumble-down
hut, its roof fallen in with the weight of. moss and dead leaves
and its door hanging by one rusty hinge. The cow stepped be
fore this hovel and said:
. ' "Ilero hi this house" is good fortune for us all. T know not
where or how it will come to us. I only know that it is here."
" After he had mode a careful examination of the interior,
Alfred said:
"It's a pretty well-shattered house, I think,? to which Bertha
added:
"And I know it's full of spiders and things."
Thereupon tho goat bleated sharply:
It'ii tho houso of good luck! Enter and be prepared I" ,
"I suppose I could manage to repair it enough to keep out
the rain," said Alfred. "Anyway, it seems to bo the best we
can do."
The repairs were made, and autumn was approaching rapid
ly, but they did not fear it, for they had laid up provisions
egainstthe winter in plenty und spent the time gathering bags
of all kinds of nuts in the brown woods, every nook and cranny
of which they were familiar with now.
Ono night Alfred had an experience that mad'.? him think
that perhaps there might be something in the cow's prediction.
Just as t'arkness fell he came to the edge of the snow-covered
clearing, and as ho emerged from tho wood and looked toward
the house hj saw a sight that made him halt.
Instead of a house standing there against the tall pin! he
saw a gigantic face. A great broad face with eyes that glared
out acrois the snow, seuding two red paths toward him. eyes
shaded by overhanging brows and with a wide mouth that showed
great white teeth in its grin.
lie stared for several minutes, then suddenly what he took
to be the nose on this enormous visage opened, and he saw Ber
tha standing there. It was the door, and she was anxiously peer
ing out. Then the eyes, so fierce and glaring, quickly resolved
themselves into windows, and the teeth into snow heaps covering
Iho withered shrubs before tho house, and he Baw that he had
been deceived. Vhen he told Bertha, laughing heartily, of this
occurrence, she looked serious and finally said: 1
"There's somthin' funny about this house, anyway! IV
seen and felt queer things more than once. Sometimes it seemed
to me that the house was really moving, and twice when I felt so
I looked out and it seemed to me that it was just settling down
on tho ground as if it had truly been up in the air."
"Nonsense !" cried Alfred. "How could a house move?"
"I don't care," exclaimed the girl, "I felt it. And always
when I had been sort of making a half-wish that ve were some-,
where else. It seemed to me that my thought moved the whole
house, and that it was going' away with mo slowly."
"I just wish it could move and carry us away to some won
derful land where nfSbody 'round here has ever been and where
we'd have adventures," cried Alfred.
j"Here she goes!" cried the rooster, suddenly. "I feel her
moving."
So, did Alfred, for the little house was surging like- a boat
in a storm. Bertha clutched his arm in affright. The goat looked
nnxiou3, but the cow's face showed no alarm at all. The rooster
laughed.
"Remain where you are and all will come out right." said
the cow. "I have been expecting this for some time, and now
that it has happened I will explain. This used to be the home
of a great conjuror ages ago, and nil sorts of things happened in
it. I was not sure that things would happen again, so I didn't
make any definite predictions, but I see now that they're goini;
to, all right."
In a few minutes, although they felt Wothing,' thev were con
scious that they were in another place. All motion had ceased
and Alfred ran to the door and opened it. He looked out' upon a
tropical night scene; palms as tall as steeples waved over a
white road that ran before the. door into the darknesj while the
moon shone upon a land of fruitful abundance and warm sum
mer zephyrs moved the petals of flowers beside the dxr. Bertha
exclaimed:
"Oh, we have come to Fairyland !"
Neither of them dared to venture from the threshold, hut
stood there gazing until they became sleepy and then turned to
seek their beds, when to their amazement they found that every
article of home-mada 'uiaiturp had been transformed into somo
magnificent carved and upholstered creation fit for a palace,
while the bkekehed walls were covered with gorous tapestr
and pictures. Statues, vases and lamps stood about everywhere,
When they awoke next morning it was broad day. Alfred
looked out and saw a large oval signboard swinging befor tho
palatial edifice, with a picture upon it of a strange bird and the
words in gold letters :
THE SIGN OF THE EVERGREEN GINK."
"It seems that our house ha been turned into some sort of
a tavern or1 inn," said he, "for that's a regular hotel sign that
they used to have in old times." '
Bertha wenfdownstairs and found many servants preparing
breakfast, which delighted her immensely, while Alfred, began
an examination of lie house, assisted by the three animals, who
showed as much interest as lie.
Another night passed, and in the morning Alfred, intending
to take a walk and seo the country, went to tho front door and
found there a man and a woman, both of vhom were very hand
some and noble-looking, but covered with dust from head to foot.
The man asked:
"Is not this tho inn of the Evergreen Gink?"
"It is," replied Alfred, "and I am the inn keeper," he added.
"I am the King of Ililaria and this is the Queen, and we are
fleeing from an ogre out cf whoso house wo escaped yesterday.
He is pursuing us, and the cow eaid that we could find a safe
refuge here."
"Well, I dunno," said Albert, dubiously. "I can't see how we
are going to protect you against an ogre, that is, if it's a real
one, which I have never considered possible."
"Oh, he's real enough," said King Momus. "When you sco
him you will have not the slightest doubt. But let us in, for wo
are faint with hunger and fatigue."
Of course, Alfred admitted them at once, for ho imagined
that 4hey were deluded creatures, but they had scarcely eaten
their breakfast before the ogre was seen approaching at great
Fpeed. Alfred trembled.
They fled at once to the very garret, but they could hear the
ogre dash into th house even from there. He rushed from room
to room seeking them, for like any ogre he could smell them dis
tinctly, but ho could not find them, for the doors in the houso
rnvmcd marvelously and wonderfully arranged to delude and
i mystify ogres. As fast as he entered one door- another appeared
before him, until exhausted anil mortified, for such a thing had
never happeiwd to him before, he stumbled into tho cow's apart
ment, to which she had some time before retired, and was
placidly chewing her cud.
Now the ogro had never before seen such a creature as a
cow, for in this land they get their milk from trees, just as wo
get our maple sugar, and he was frightened at the great horned
beast; but when in her alarm she uttered a loud and prolonged
"moo" he fainted from sheer fright.
Then the? cow ran out, and in a few minutes, when the ogre
had recovered, he did the same tiling, fleeing from that region as
fast as he' could, and he was never seen again. From the top floor
they watched him running away, and not until the cow came up
and explained the matter did they dare go down stairs, but then
they rejoiced.
King Alomua then told them that the ogre had invaded the
kingdom of Ililaria, and after devastating much of the land had
carried away the monarch ymd his wife to his abode in the
mountains, where he daily tortured them by threatening to eat
them raw. Momus offered a large sum to Alfred if he would
procure him the 'menus of returning to his own kingdom, as at
present he was entirely destitute, as well as totally ignorant as
to where he was, but tho boy was as ignorant himself, and all ho
could promise the King was that he could remain in the magic
house until something turned up.
He did not tell the King anything about the wonderful dwell
ing, however, feeling that it should be kept a secret, and he per
mitted the monarch to imagine that he had either built it or had
inherited it.
In the afternoon another man stopped before the inn
and Alfred hurried o meet him. This :nau was old and
vr.s dressei! in a large robe of crimson, all covered
with strange figures of animals, 11190ns, stars, s;.ns, triangles
and queer wriggling symbols. His hat was tall and pointed, and
from its tip hung a green tassel by a long eilk cord. In his hand
was a mammoth book with greafbrass clasps, tho weight of which .
caused him to loan over. His eyes were black and piercing; be
side they filled Alfred with a sort of terror, as if the man could
reed his very thoughts. lie said to the lad:
"JIa! I have sought you long! This houso has been hero
but a few days. Whence came you with it?'
"I-7I found it in tho wood," stammered Alfred. 'Ts it
yours?" Ilovfelt that at last the owner of the mystic dwelling had
arrived.?
"It will now bonine," replied the man with the Awful eyes,
fixing a stern look upon the boy. "It belonged to Brother Jusi
pius Verspickeu, who was a 'anions magician, even as I myself,
but he was not as great as I. lly name 13 Doldcruinnus; perhaps
3 ou havo heard of me I' . ''
. A If red Imd lot, his voice from terror, therefore he said noth
ing. Ihe miiy ieiaii did not wait for a reulv. but entered tha
house. He smiled as he sow the magnificent interior, and walk
ing to a corner of the room tapped on the wall at a spot whera
a grea t rose was carved in the wood, and a door promptly opened,
revealing shelves filled with gold coins in row after row!
"Ha! it is still hero. Jusipius was a saving bodyl I h&VQ
need of all this and more."
Then he went into a room, but left tho door open, so that"
he could see what was going on outside. He threw himself upon
the bed, but, to his amazement, it began to tp.n around with him
like a top. lie shouted incantations nd spells, but it spun ,
faster and faster until it threw him out, not on the floor, but up
to tho ceiling, where he stuck like a fly.
He bent down to seize tho book, which had descended
to the floor before the fireplace. Just then tho goat, who had
smelled the odor of burning hair, entered the room; and, seeing
that form attired in provoking red in such a tempting and in
viting attitude, ho darted at him and butted him-heartily.
It was like tho shock of a battering ram, and the magician
shot into tho fire. In an instant he shriveled up liko a sheet of
tissue paper.
Alfred, who had been attracted by the noise, took the book
and went to the King. Said he:
"We have been saved by an accident, but somehow I think
wo would do well to leave this placo. I wish there were some way
of getting to your kingdom."
"Why, blesj my soul, wo are moving!" cried the monarch, and
the next moment he declared that he saw his own palace op
posite. Sure enough, there it was, for tho magic house had in
stantly moved to Ililaria. The king and queen hurried out, and, :
then tho air was filled with tho rejoicings of their subjects, who
lied been mourning their absviice and suffering sadly. ;
Thev remained there for a long time, long enough for Alfred! .
to fall deeply in love with the Princess Hazeline, daughter c
King Glomus, and for her to love him so fondly that she de
clared no other should possess her, although twenty princes of
neighboring realms strove with each other for one glance from,
her violet, eyes.
The King, although he had expressed great gratitude to Al
fred for rescuing him from the ogre, was unwilling, to havo a
mere American, without royalty or even noble blood, for a son- ,'
in-law, and he refused to consent to their marriage. He did not
refuse to allow Hazeline to visit Bertha, nnd therefore the lovers "
decided that they would defy the monarch and marry in. spite of
his wishes; so everything was arranged for the wedding. -
The secret leaked out, however, and before the minister ar- '"
rived on tho scene the mansion was surrounded by the king's
soldiers who were instructed to arrest Alfred and take him to
the royal prison. Bertha saw them march up and realized in a 1
moment what wos about to happen. Running to Alfred, she told ,
him to escape by the back way, but her brother said:
"No. Hazeline ij here, and, although wo perhaps may ha -' '
hindered, the marriage shall not be prevented. All is not lost
vet, bv a jugful. We will move the house again!"
"Oh." be careful!" cried Bertha. "You can't tell where it
will take us!"
'I wish it to tako us immediately back to our clearing in the
woods!" said Alfred, and in tho twinkling1 of an eye it was there
and even while they gazed out jf the window the saw the scr "
vants shoveling snow from the walks that led from the magio
house to the dark pine woods surrounding tho clearing. Tho !
rooster was crowing loudly, and they saw tho cow loading two
persons' toward the mansion in her udunl polito foahion.
In another instant Be.-tha recognized her father ni.d mother
and ran wildly down to meet them."
They had both been quarantined by the Health Board W- '
cause a smallpox sufferer had ridden in the'atage with them, and
had not been allowed to writo home until a long period had,
passed. . '4 V
Alfred takes mighty pood care never to make 3 wish in that '
strange house, although sometimes the Princess hints that n
visit to lier own laud would, be a v.clconlo change ,
- Alfred will not tako any chances in that direction, uiiT.-ju
receives a letter from King Ifomus telling him that ell i i-:,t-civen,
for one' exhibition of tho monarch' ingrntltuhj v..u
enough fur him.
1VALT JIcDOC'U.UX.