Chapter VII Accepting an Invitation
The next morning Sara took with her only the Kewpie and the Baby. TheJapanese doll was perfectly willing either to go or stay; he was notat all temperamental, and anything suited him. She could tell from theBilliken's smile that he didn't mind staying in the least; and theBrown Teddy-Bear looked tired. He couldn't talk, of course, on theeveryday-side of the ivory doors; but with the new insight she hadacquired into his character, Sara felt sure his expression meant, "Ithink I'd rather just sit in the corner. At my age a little excitementgoes a long way." As for the Kewpie, Sara was determined to take him,as a reward for the distinguished fortitude he had shown the daybefore; and the Baby, on the other hand, had behaved so badly that shefelt uneasy about leaving him. If he should act that way again--forinstance, when Lucy disturbed him in dusting the room--why, Lucy mightspank him! So the Kewpie was rewarded for being good, and the Baby wasrewarded for being bad, and Sara slipped through the ivory doors withboth of them tucked under one arm.
Almost immediately a Gunkus in livery stepped up and handed her a notefrom Avrillia. He made a low bow, holding his shoe in his right handover his heart.
It was written on a rose-leaf, of course, and it had a delightfulfaint odor, not only of roses, but of isthagaria. Sara opened it, andread,
"We're leaving on the early boat. Would you like to go with us? We'llbe gone all day."
There was no answer to that but to run as fast as she could down thelittle curly path. This morning it was not so much curly as melodious;but Sara was in such a hurry that she hardly noticed. She forgot todismiss the Gunkus, but left him standing in front of thedimple-holder, still bowing low, with his left shoe in his right handover his heart.
Pirlaps was standing on the front steps, all ready to start, andbeside him grinned Yassuh, carrying the step in one hand and anenormous traveling-bag (almost as large as Sara's mother's leatherpurse) in the other.
"Good-morning, Sara," said Pirlaps, in his unfailingly delightful way,"I'm glad you got here in time. Avrillia will be ready in a second ortwo."
Sara could hardly keep from skipping, she was so pleased at theprospect of a day's expedition with Pirlaps and Avrillia. She did notknow where they were going, but that didn't matter: she was sure tosee something interesting. She edged up to Yassuh, taking care,however, not to get close enough to brush against his chocolateoutside, which might come off on her clean apron. "What's in yourbag?" she coaxed, mischievously.
"Only my extra trousers, Sara," said Pirlaps, smiling; and then Sararemembered that, though he did so many useful things (when he was notasleep), she had never once heard Yassuh speak. He only grinned androlled his white eyes as Pirlaps continued, "We're taking twelve extrapairs."
Just then Avrillia came out of the door. Avrillia could not beungraceful or abrupt, but she was evidently in a hurry. Her motionswere rather like that of a wisp of white sea-fog that is blown aheadof a rising wind.
"There was so much to do before I could get off!" she explained alittle breathlessly. "The children came unexpectedly, too, and I hadto vanish them. Then, while I was dressing, I thought of a poem I hadto write about hair-pins--and oh, it almost stuck! It acted as if itwere going to, so I watched it longer than usual. But now I guesswe're off," she ended turning to fasten the door behind her. Saranoticed that she fastened it with a hook and eye exactly like the oneson Mother's prettiest waist--only this one was more valuable, being ofgold.
"Well, it's quite a long walk down to the landing," said Pirlaps,leading the way, "and we don't want to miss the boat."
So they started off in the direction Sara had never gone before,following a path that presently began to wind down among the cliffs,giving them a blue view of the sea. Sara could hardly follow the pathfor looking. Before long they could look back and see Avrillia'sbalcony, with the little box-trees on the marble balustrade, and, farbelow it, the gray abyss of Nothing. It was very strange and beautiful,but it gave Sara a queer, empty feeling somewhere under her littleapron; and she was glad to turn her eyes back to the sea, whichbeckoned far below them, a dancing blueness; and to the golden cliffs,laughing in the sunlight far and near. The path was quite steep andwinding and unexpected, and Yassuh scrambled about a good deal; but hemanaged to keep hold of the step and the bag. As for Sara, she hadnever seen a more fascinating place, and she supposed these greatcliffs must form a part of the walls of the amphitheatre she had seenfrom Schlorge's stump. Presently, at one especially wild, golden place,where the path followed the edge of a chasm, Pirlaps paused a momentand said,
"You can hear a lovely reflection from here, Sara. Shall I call?"
"A reflection?" said Sara, wonderingly.
"Surely," said Pirlaps. "Listen." Then he cupped his hands about hislips and called clearly,
"Avrillia!"
"'Rillia!" came back the wild, eerie syllables, so distinctly thatSara's heart leaped.
"Oh, an echo!" she cried, clapping her hands. "How beautiful!"
"Bless the child!" said Pirlaps, smiling at Avrillia. "You hear areflection, Sara; you see an echo."
"Like the Echo of the Plynck in the pool," supplemented Avrillia."Don't you remember, Sara?"
Sara was sure her father had told her it was just the other way around;but she was too happy to argue. So, to change the subject, she askedPirlaps very respectfully where they were going.
"To Zinariola, Sara--to the City. You've never been there, have you?"
Never, never had Sara been there; and she began immediately trying tobuild that lovely city in her mind--the frail spires, and the richbazaars, dusky and spicy and full of brocades and silks, and thelittle narrow, climbing streets. But, though it was a pleasure to try,she knew she could not imagine anything so strange and charming as thereal City of Zinariola would be.
All this time they had been winding steadily down to the sea. Andpresently they caught sight of the boat, riding at anchor near thelanding place, with a little skiff drawn up on the sand. Of course youknow that the boat was a scallop-shell, with sails of gossamer; butSara had been expecting an ordinary boat, and she was perfectlydelighted. Of course it was large enough to hold Sara, as well as therest of the party; but just barely. And the sailors were no largerthan Pirlaps, though of course more rugged-looking and not sosmooth-shaven. And not one of them said a single word, during theentire voyage, except "Yo-ho!" They sang that out continually; but astheir voices were small and musical (though hoarse) one didn't mindthe monotony of it.
The sea was very smooth that morning, and not one of the party wasseasick; and Sara, who had been gazing, fascinated, into the water infront of the bow was just beginning to suspect that the boat was beingdrawn by a very large amber-colored fish who kept just ahead of it andjust under the surface (with the sails chiefly for ornament) whenAvrillia called suddenly from the stern, "You can see Zinariola now,Sara!"
Ah, there was the magical city!--for that it was magical the mostmatter-of-fact person could see at a glance. Of course it was not justimaginary, like the one Sara had built up in her mind, for this littlecity was shining upon the cliffs; but for all that it was not a commoncity--it was a toy one, and enchanted at that. And it was even morestrange and beautiful than she had dreamed. For streamers of violetfog blew up its streets from the sea, and a wild light from behind thefarthest cliff struck across its green roofs and gilded weather-vanes.Just as they drew up to the quay they heard a tinkling sound of musicand much laughter; and an organ-man with a monkey came spilling out ofone of the little streets, followed by a crowd of clapping children.They were somewhat like Avrillia's children, only quiteforeign-looking, with green and red and yellow kerchiefs. Theorgan-man was not so large as Yassuh, and the monkey was about thesize of a small spider. As for the organ, it looked strangely like themusic-box that belonged to Sara's dolls.
Sara had never before seen a city simply swarming with fairies. Anycity was a wide-eyed place to Sara; so what of the wonder of a fairy
city? To be sure, many of them were foreign-looking, like the ones whofollowed the organ-man, and in other ways, too; still, as Zinariolawas a seaport, it was very cosmopolitan, and one saw all sorts ofpeople on its streets. Many were just natural-looking people, likePirlaps and Avrillia; but some were of chocolate, like Yassuh, andsome were Chinese, with long pigtails of black buttonhole-twist; andsome were Parisians, with hats exactly like the one that the Japanesedoll wore so unbecomingly. (Yes, Sara knew in her heart that it wasunbecoming, though she would not have admitted it, even to you.) Onthe gay Parisian lady-fairies, however, these hats were charming--buthardly more striking than the many-colored headdresses, made ofhumming-bird's feathers, that attracted so much attention when a bandof wild Indians went whooping down one of the principal streets. Andeverywhere one saw sailors--rolling along the sidewalks and greetingeach other with loud "Yo-ho's!" (Loud, that is, for their size, butalways hoarsely musical.)
This visit of Sara's took place before automobiles were introducedinto Zinariola, and the carriages were drawn by devil's horses. Ofthese Sara was frankly afraid--they reared so, and turned their headsso weirdly on their long green necks. Sara noticed one in particular,which was drawing a carriage in a wedding procession that was justleaving a church. This was a closed carriage, occupied by the brideand groom; and the devil's horse was not looking where he went at all;he had turned his head completely around, and was staring through thelittle window straight into the carriage! Sara was afraid to cross thestreet in front of horses that never looked where they stepped. Ittook all her courage to attempt it, and you may be sure she held fastto Pirlaps. And when Pirlaps had to leave them in order to go to abarber-shop (Avrillia had not insisted upon his bringing his shavingthings today, but he went to a barber-shop every two hours) she wouldnot cross the street, but stayed on the sidewalk. Pirlaps changed histrousers at the barber-shop, too, whenever it was necessary; but todaythere were so much to do and see that he did not sit on his step asmuch as usual, and so did not need as many.
For they had a good deal of shopping to do, besides showing Sara thesights. In the first place, Avrillia had to go to the stationery storeand get a new supply of swan's-quill pens. "That's one store I alwaysknow where to find," she said. "The others change about so that Ialways have to ask somebody." Then, Pirlaps needed some new trousers(two or three pairs had worn out and he only had forty-four or fiveleft) and some shaving soap. "And besides," said Avrillia, smiling atSara mysteriously, "we want to get some presents."
"And you'll have to make your usual visits of charity. Oh, I know you,Avrillia," said Pirlaps. "If we don't hurry we won't catch the eveningboat."
So they went first to the stationery store (which, just as Avrilliahad said, was in the usual place), and then to a bazaar where theydisposed of their household buying. While Sara was feasting her eyeson the strange, delicious-looking fruits, the old candlesticks, andthe bolts and lengths of rich-looking cloth with stories woven into it,she heard Avrillia say, "Now a set of self-buttoning buttons, please."
The jolly little old leather-colored man who kept the bazaar winked atSara as he brought out the buttons for Avrillia's inspection. Theylooked very much like ordinary buttons, except that they were, ofcourse, more intelligent-looking, and they were on a pink card insteadof a white one; also, they were in a shiny lacquer box, the lid ofwhich was watched over by gold dragons.
"They will do very nicely," said Avrillia. "Now a thimble--a reallygood one, please, that is thoroughly finger-broken, and has atractable disposition and some sense. The one this little girl has nowis simply abominable, and wouldn't push a needle through cobweb--notto mention the heavy textiles they are obliged to use in her country.Now, some knotless thread, please," she continued, having decided upona thimble after much careful thought. "Oh, no--not that! I don't meanthe kind that won't take a knot at the end; what I want is the kindthat won't tangle and snarl, even if a child's fingers are tired.There, that's it!" and she tucked a smiling little spool into Sara'sapron pocket.
"Now, Sara," she asked, "is there any other simple little thing you'dlike to have? They have self-washing hands and self-learning lessons,and such things, but they're very expensive, and I know your motherwouldn't want you to accept expensive presents," and she smiled atSara affectionately.
Sara wanted terribly to ask for a set of self-learning multiplicationtables, but she knew Avrillia was right, and that her mother wouldn'tlike it. Besides, how could she ever get all that furniture home onthe boat?
So she assured Avrillia that she was more than satisfied--as, indeed,being a dear child, she was. And then Avrillia nearly took her breathaway by saying, "Well, then, we'll go up and fit the dollies--just forgood measure. I know a shop where the loveliest doll clothes may bebought for a trifle."
And, would you believe it, that was the first time that Sara hadremembered the Baby doll and the Kewpie! However, one could tell fromthe Kewpie's delighted smile that no harm had been done, so far as hewas concerned; and the Baby, for a wonder, was asleep.
So Avrillia took them to the oddest little shop, the shape of a Dutchteapot, kept by a little old-lady doll who was delighted to show themeverything. They bought a complete wardrobe for the Kewpie, who hadnever had any clothes, and was charmed by the novelty of possessingthem; but the Baby nearly spoiled everything by waking up and kickingand squalling and refusing to try on a thing! "You'd better behave,you little rascal," said Pirlaps, "it will be a long while beforeyou'll ever have another chance like this!" But the Baby only kickedthe harder. However, the little shop-keeper doll was very patient, andby measuring him between kicks they managed to fit him out with a verynice layette. And then Avrillia insisted on buying all sorts of thingsfor the dolls at home--gorgeous oriental costumes for the Japanesedoll, sailor-suits for the Billiken, and a handsome fur overcoat, of aconservative style and cut, for the Brown Teddy-Bear.
"Now," said Pirlaps, "we'll have luncheon--it's getting ratherlate--and then I suppose Avrillia will have to call on her poorfamilies."
He led them to a little Chinese restaurant where a dumb-waiter with apigtail noiselessly served them with very good things to eat--thoughAvrillia said the prices were outrageous. As they were dipping theireyelashes daintily in the finger-bowls, Pirlaps said,
"Well, Sara, shall we go with Avrillia, or would you rather stayhere?"
"Oh, let's go!" cried Sara. She would have stayed anywhere withPirlaps, but if there was more to see, she wanted to see it.
"Have you had the measles?" asked Pirlaps.
Sara had; she could not be mistaken about it.
"And the mumps?" Again Sara nodded, swallowing hard as she thought oflemons and vinegar.
"All right, come ahead," said Pirlaps. And they started off.
"But the Baby hasn't!" suddenly remembered Sara. "The Kewpie has, butthe Baby hasn't."
"Then it will never do to take him," said Pirlaps, decisively. "Here,Yassuh, you stay here and keep the Baby."
Pirlaps saw a look of doubt and reluctance in Sara's eyes as he wasabout to consign the Baby to Yassuh's sticky care. So he handed theBaby back to Sara and darted into a store near by where he got someclean wrapping-paper. He then rolled the Baby, in its nice white dress,up in the paper, taking care to leave its nose out, so it couldbreathe. Then he handed it over to Yassuh, and Sara felt quitecomfortable and contented. "Keep out of the sun," he called back toYassuh, "and mind you don't melt!"
The next thing, Avrillia said, was to stop in a drug store. They foundone quite readily, and Sara watched with astonished eyes whileAvrillia purchased a very large stock of drugs. Even a fairy drugstore is a disagreeable place to a child with a past like Sara's, andif this one had not had a show-case full of candies for her to look atshe would have been exceedingly restless. But the bonbons werecharming--of all shapes and colors, and almost as large as a pinhead.
Sara was really suffering from curiosity to know what Avrillia wasgoing to do with the medicines, but she had already asked so manyquestions that she thought she wo
uld try to be very polite, and wait.Waiting was made easier by the fact that the poorer quarter of thecity, through which they were now walking, was very queer andinteresting. It was like most such places, but Sara had not seen many,and she was fascinated by the babies tumbling about on the sidewalk,and the clothes-lines on the upstairs porches with clothes drying onthem. Once a goat in an alley looked up and spoke to her--but she didnot understand what he said. His mouth was full; for he was eating atin can that looked strangely like Sara's old thimble.
Presently they stopped before a mean-looking house and Avrilliaknocked. Now, you often hear that word applied to quite innocenthouses that are only plain and poor; but this one really wasmean-looking. And Sara noticed with wonder that there was a red flagover the door.
A disagreeable-looking woman with watery eyes and her handkerchief toher nose opened the door; and then, at the sound of Avrillia's voice,there swarmed out from the rooms on both sides of the hall a crowd ofthe most unattractive children! They fairly mobbed Avrillia, alltalking at once and snatching at the bottles which they could seesticking out of Avrillia's basket. They had the reddest faces Sara hadever seen, and no manners at all; for without even asking permissionthey began to drink out of the bottles, quarreling among themselvesinto the bargain.
Sara drew as far away from them as she could; and while Avrillia wastalking kindly to the woman and the children (who didn't listen to her),and also to an old man who sat hunched over a stove in the corner,she whispered to Pirlaps, "Who are they?"
"Why, the Measles, of course," said Pirlaps. "I told you we werecoming to see them! They live with their mother, Mrs. Sneeze, andtheir grandfather, Old Man Cough. Avrillia thinks she can help them,but they're a shiftless lot. Haven't a particle of get-up-and-go!Always waiting for somebody to take 'em!"
Avrillia was too much interested to notice what Sara and Pirlaps weredoing. "Now, children," she was saying kindly but severely, "I shallexpect to find you better the next time I come. No, you can't havethat bottle--that's for the Mumps."
Sara found, as they left the house, that the Mumps were an old couplewho lived only a few doors down the same street. Old Mr. Mump had oncemade a fortune in the pickle-business; but he had had reverses, andwas now very old and poor.
They found the old couple sitting in front of their rickety grate,with their jaws tied up in red flannel. The old man evidently had avicious temper, but he was plainly glad to see Avrillia. The old ladywas more mild and tearful; and both were overjoyed to get themedicine.
As they went out into the street again, Sara gave a sigh of relief;but Avrillia looked quite rapt and uplifted.
Sara was anxious to see if any mishap had overtaken Yassuh and theBaby; but when they had hurried back to the restaurant they foundYassuh still awake and the Baby still asleep. Pirlaps took off thesticky paper and handed him, as clean as ever, back to Sara, who wasvery glad that she had not exposed him to those dreadful diseases.
They caught the scallop-shell boat, though they had to run for it, andthey were quite quiet all the way home. Avrillia sat by the rail,watching the gulls, and dreaming; and Sara strained her eyes for along time to catch the last glimpse of the little magic, toy City ofZinariola. She was still lost in memories when the boat scraped on thebeach; and then they climbed the little path among the cliffs throughthe sunset. As soon as they reached the house Pirlaps sat emphaticallydown on his step, remarking, "My, but it's good to be at home!" ButAvrillia hurried off to her balcony, murmuring absent-mindedly, "Imust write a poem about streets!"
As for Sara, she sped along the little curly path in the dusk towardthe ivory doors. And there, in front of the dimple-holder, stood theGunkus in livery, still bowing low, holding his left shoe in his righthand over his faithful heart.
Sara was much ashamed of having forgotten him, and she had no moneywith her; but she had a postage stamp in her pocket, from which thepuppy had licked the mucilage. This she gave him.
It was, in all other respects, a perfectly good stamp. And thefaithful Gunkus seemed much pleased.
The Garden of the Plynck Page 12
