The Gate of the Giant Scissors

by Annie F. Johnston

  CHAPTER II.

  A NEW FAIRY TALE.

  Once upon a time, on a far island of the sea, there lived a King withseven sons. The three eldest were tall and dark, with eyes like eagles,and hair like a crow's wing for blackness, and no princes in all theland were so strong and fearless as they. The three youngest sons weretall and fair, with eyes as blue as cornflowers, and locks like thesummer sun for brightness, and no princes in all the land were so braveand beautiful as they.

  But the middle son was little and lorn; he was neither dark nor fair; hewas neither handsome nor strong. So when the King saw that he never wonin the tournaments nor led in the boar hunts, nor sang to his lute amongthe ladies of the court, he drew his royal robes around him, andhenceforth frowned on Ethelried.

  To each of his other sons he gave a portion of his kingdom, armor andplumes, a prancing charger, and a trusty sword; but to Ethelried he gavenothing. When the poor Prince saw his brothers riding out into the worldto win their fortunes, he fain would have followed. Throwing himself onhis knees before the King, he cried, "Oh, royal Sire, bestow upon mealso a sword and a steed, that I may up and away to follow my brethren."

  But the King laughed him to scorn. "Thou a sword!" he quoth. "Thou whohast never done a deed of valor in all thy life! In sooth thou shalthave one, but it shall be one befitting thy maiden size and courage, ifso small a weapon can be found in all my kingdom!"

  Now just at that moment it happened that the Court Tailor came into theroom to measure the King for a new mantle of ermine. Forthwith thegrinning Jester began shrieking with laughter, so that the bells uponhis motley cap were all set a-jangling.

  "What now, Fool?" demanded the King.

  "I did but laugh to think the sword of Ethelried had been so quicklyfound," responded the Jester, and he pointed to the scissors hangingfrom the Tailor's girdle.

  "By my troth," exclaimed the King, "it shall be even as thou sayest!"and he commanded that the scissors be taken from the Tailor, and buckledto the belt of Ethelried.

  "Not until thou hast proved thyself a prince with these, shalt thou comeinto thy kingdom," he swore with a mighty oath. "Until that far day, nowget thee gone!"

  So Ethelried left the palace, and wandered away over mountain and moorwith a heavy heart. No one knew that he was a prince; no firesideoffered him welcome; no lips gave him a friendly greeting. The scissorshung useless and rusting by his side.

  One night as he lay in a deep forest, too unhappy to sleep, he heard anoise near at hand in the bushes. By the light of the moon he saw that aferocious wild beast had been caught in a hunter's snare, and wasstruggling to free itself from the heavy net. His first thought was toslay the animal, for he had had no meat for many days. Then he bethoughthimself that he had no weapon large enough.

  While he stood gazing at the struggling beast, it turned to him withsuch a beseeching look in its wild eyes, that he was moved to pity.

  "Thou shalt have thy liberty," he cried, "even though thou shouldst rendme in pieces the moment thou art free. Better dead than this craven lifeto which my father hath doomed me!"

  So he set to work with the little scissors to cut the great ropes of thenet in twain. At first each strand seemed as hard as steel, and theblades of the scissors were so rusty and dull that he could scarcelymove them. Great beads of sweat stood out on his brow as he bent himselfto the task.

  Presently, as he worked, the blades began to grow sharper and sharper,and brighter and brighter, and longer and longer. By the time that thelast rope was cut the scissors were as sharp as a broadsword, and halfas long as his body.

  At last he raised the net to let the beast go free. Then he sank on hisknees in astonishment. It had suddenly disappeared, and in its placestood a beautiful Fairy with filmy wings, which shone like rainbows inthe moonlight.

  "Prince Ethelried," she said in a voice that was like a crystal bell'sfor sweetness, "dost thou not know that thou art in the domain of afrightful Ogre? It was he who changed me into the form of a wild beast,and set the snare to capture me. But for thy fearlessness and faithfulperseverance in the task which thou didst in pity undertake, I must haveperished at dawn."

  At this moment there was a distant rumbling as of thunder. "'Tis theOgre!" cried the Fairy. "We must hasten." Seizing the scissors that layon the ground where Ethelried had dropped them, she opened and shut themseveral times, exclaiming:

  "Scissors, grow a giant's height And save us from the Ogre's might!"

  Immediately they grew to an enormous size, and, with blades extended,shot through the tangled thicket ahead of them, cutting down everythingthat stood in their way,--bushes, stumps, trees, vines; nothing couldstand before the fierce onslaught of those mighty blades.

  The Fairy darted down the path thus opened up, and Ethelried followed asfast as he could, for the horrible roaring was rapidly coming nearer. Atlast they reached a wide chasm that bounded the Ogre's domain. Onceacross that, they would be out of his power, but it seemed impossible tocross. Again the Fairy touched the scissors, saying:

  "Giant scissors, bridge the path, And save us from the Ogre's wrath."

  Again the scissors grew longer and longer, until they lay across thechasm like a shining bridge. Ethelried hurried across after the Fairy,trembling and dizzy, for the Ogre was now almost upon them. As soon asthey were safe on the other side, the Fairy blew upon the scissors, and,presto, they became shorter and shorter until they were only the lengthof an ordinary sword.

  "Here," she said, giving them into his hands; "because thou wastpersevering and fearless in setting me free, these shall win for theethy heart's desire. But remember that thou canst not keep them sharp andshining, unless they are used at least once each day in someunselfish service."

  Before he could thank her she had vanished, and he was left in theforest alone. He could see the Ogre standing powerless to hurt him, onthe other side of the chasm, and gnashing his teeth, each one of whichwas as big as a millston.

  The sight was so terrible, that he turned on his heel, and fled away asfast as his feet could carry him. By the time he reached the edge of theforest he was very tired, and ready to faint from hunger. His heart'sgreatest desire being for food, he wondered if the scissors could obtainit for him as the Fairy had promised. He had spent his last coin andknew not where to go for another.

  Just then he spied a tree, hanging full of great, yellow apples. Bystanding on tiptoe he could barely reach the lowest one with hisscissors. He cut off an apple, and was about to take a bite, when anold Witch sprang out of a hollow tree across the road.

  "So you are the thief who has been stealing my gold apples all this lastfortnight!" she exclaimed. "Well, you shall never steal again, that Ipromise you. Ho, Frog-eye Fearsome, seize on him and drag him into yourdarkest dungeon!"

  At that, a hideous-looking fellow, with eyes like a frog's, green hair,and horrid clammy webbed fingers, clutched him before he could turn todefend himself. He was thrust into the dungeon and left there all day.

  At sunset, Frog-eye Fearsome opened the door to slide in a crust and acup of water, saying in a croaking voice, "You shall be hanged in themorning, hanged by the neck until you are quite dead." Then he stoppedto run his webbed fingers through his damp green hair, and grin at thepoor captive Prince, as if he enjoyed his suffering. But the nextmorning no one came to take him to the gallows, and he sat all day intotal darkness. At sunset Frog-eye Fearsome opened the door again tothrust in another crust and some water and say, "In the morning youshall be drowned; drowned in the Witch's mill-pond with a great stonetied to your heels."

  Again the croaking creature stood and gloated over his victim, then lefthim to the silence of another long day in the dungeon. The third day heopened the door and hopped in, rubbing his webbed hands together withfiendish pleasure, saying, "You are to have no food and drink to-night,for the Witch has thought of a far more horrible punishment for you. Inthe morning I shall surely come again, and then--beware!"

  Now as he stopped to grin
once more at the poor Prince, a Fly darted in,and, blinded by the darkness of the dungeon, flew straight into aspider's web, above the head of Ethelried.

  "Poor creature!" thought Ethelried. "Thou shalt not be left a prisonerin this dismal spot while I have the power to help thee." He lifted thescissors and with one stroke destroyed the web, and gave the Flyits freedom.

  As soon as the dungeon had ceased to echo with the noise that Frog-eyeFearsome made in banging shut the heavy door, Ethelried heard a lowbuzzing near his ear. It was the Fly, which had alighted onhis shoulder.

  "Let an insect in its gratitude teach you this," buzzed the Fly."To-morrow, if you remain here, you must certainly meet your doom, forthe Witch never keeps a prisoner past the third night. But escape ispossible. Your prison door is of iron, but the shutter which bars thewindow is only of wood. Cut your way out at midnight, and I will have afriend in waiting to guide you to a place of safety. A faint glimmer oflight on the opposite wall shows me the keyhole. I shall make my escapethereat and go to repay thy unselfish service to me. But know that thescissors move only when bidden in rhyme. Farewell."

  The Prince spent all the following time until midnight, trying to thinkof a suitable verse to say to the scissors. The art of rhyming had beenneglected in his early education, and it was not until the firstcock-crowing began that he succeeded in making this one:

  "Giant scissors, serve me well, And save me from the Witch's spell!"

  As he uttered the words the scissors leaped out of his hand, and beganto cut through the wooden shutters as easily as through a cheese. In avery short time the Prince had crawled through the opening. There hestood, outside the dungeon, but it was a dark night and he knew notwhich way to turn.

  He could hear Frog-eye Fearsome snoring like a tempest up in thewatch-tower, and the old Witch was talking in her sleep in sevenlanguages. While he stood looking around him in bewilderment, a Fireflyalighted on his arm. Flashing its little lantern in the Prince's face,it cried, "This way! My friend, the Fly, sent me to guide you to a placeof safety. Follow me and trust entirely to my guidance."

  The Prince flung his mantle over his shoulder, and followed on with allpossible speed. They stopped first in the Witch's orchard, and theFirefly held its lantern up while the Prince filled his pockets with thefruit. The apples were gold with emerald leaves, and the cherries wererubies, and the grapes were great bunches of amethyst. When the Princehad filled his pockets he had enough wealth to provide for all his wantsfor at least a twelvemonth.

  The Firefly led him on until they came to a town where was a fine inn.There he left him, and flew off to report the Prince's safety to the Flyand receive the promised reward.

  Here Ethelried stayed for many weeks, living like a king on the moneythat the fruit jewels brought him. All this time the scissors werebecoming little and rusty, because he never once used them, as the Fairybade him, in unselfish service for others. But one day he bethoughthimself of her command, and started out to seek some opportunity tohelp somebody.

  Soon he came to a tiny hut where a sick man lay moaning, while his wifeand children wept beside him. "What is to become of me?" cried the poorpeasant. "My grain must fall and rot in the field from overripenessbecause I have not the strength to rise and harvest it; then indeed mustwe all starve."

  Ethelried heard him, and that night, when the moon rose, he stole intothe field to cut it down with the giant scissors. They were so rustyfrom long idleness that he could scarcely move them. He tried to thinkof some rhyme with which to command them; but it had been so long sincehe had done any thinking, except for his own selfish pleasure, that hisbrain refused to work.

  However, he toiled on all night, slowly cutting down the grain stalk bystalk. Towards morning the scissors became brighter and sharper, untilthey finally began to open and shut of their own accord. The whole fieldwas cut by sunrise. Now the peasant's wife had risen very early to godown to the spring and dip up some cool water for her husband to drink.She came upon Ethelried as he was cutting the last row of the grain, andfell on her knees to thank him. From that day the peasant and all hisfamily were firm friends of Ethelried's, and would have gone throughfire and water to serve him.

  After that he had many adventures, and he was very busy, for he neveragain forgot what the Fairy had said, that only unselfish service eachday could keep the scissors sharp and shining. When the shepherd lost alittle lamb one day on the mountain, it was Ethelried who found itcaught by the fleece in a tangle of cruel thorns. When he had cut itloose and carried it home, the shepherd also became his firm friend, andwould have gone through fire and water to serve him.

  The grandame whom he supplied with fagots, the merchant whom he rescuedfrom robbers, the King's councillor to whom he gave aid, all became hisfriends. Up and down the land, to beggar or lord, homeless wanderer orhigh-born dame, he gladly gave unselfish service all unsought, and suchas he helped straightway became his friends.

  Day by day the scissors grew sharper and sharper and ever more quick tospring forward at his bidding.

  One day a herald dashed down the highway, shouting through his silvertrumpet that a beautiful Princess had been carried away by the Ogre. Shewas the only child of the King of this country, and the knights andnobles of all other realms and all the royal potentates were prayed tocome to her rescue. To him who could bring her back to her father'scastle should be given the throne and kingdom, as well as thePrincess herself.

  So from far and near, indeed from almost every country under the sun,came knights and princes to fight the Ogre. One by one their brave headswere cut off and stuck on poles along the moat that surroundedthe castle.

  Still the beautiful Princess languished in her prison. Every night atsunset she was taken up to the roof for a glimpse of the sky, and toldto bid good-by to the sun, for the next morning would surely be herlast. Then she would wring her lily-white hands and wave a sad farewellto her home, lying far to the westward. When the knights saw this theywould rush down to the chasm and sound a challenge to the Ogre.

  They were brave men, and they would not have feared to meet the fiercestwild beasts, but many shrunk back when the Ogre came rushing out. Theydared not meet in single combat, this monster with the gnashing teeth,each one of which was as big as a millston.

  Among those who drew back were Ethelried's brothers (the three that weredark and the three that were fair). They would not acknowledge theirfear. They said, "We are only waiting to lay some wily plan tocapture the Ogre."

  THE PRINCESS.]

  After several days Ethelried reached the place on foot. "See him,"laughed one of the brothers that was dark to one that was fair. "Hecomes afoot; no prancing steed, no waving plumes, no trusty sword;little and lorn, he is not fit to be called a brother to princes."

  But Ethelried heeded not their taunts. He dashed across the drawbridge,and, opening his scissors, cried:

  "Giant scissors, rise in power! Grant me my heart's desire this hour!"

  The crowds on the other side held their breath as the Ogre rushed out,brandishing a club as big as a church steeple. Then Whack! Bang! Theblows of the scissors, warding off the blows of the mighty club, couldbe heard for miles around.

  At last Ethelried became so exhausted that he could scarcely raise hishand, and it was plain to be seen that the scissors could not do battlemuch longer. By this time a great many people, attracted by the terrificnoise, had come running up to the moat. The news had spread far andwide that Ethelried was in danger; so every one whom he had ever serveddropped whatever he was doing, and ran to the scene of the battle. Thepeasant was there, and the shepherd, and the lords and beggars andhigh-born dames, all those whom Ethelried had ever befriended.

  As they saw that the poor Prince was about to be vanquished, they allbegan a great lamentation, and cried out bitterly.

  "He saved my harvest," cried one. "He found my lamb," cried another. "Heshowed me a greater kindness still," shouted a third. And so they wenton, each telling of some unselfish service that
the Prince had renderedhim. Their voices all joined at last into such a roar of gratitude thatthe scissors were given fresh strength on account of it. They grewlonger and longer, and stronger and stronger, until with one great swoopthey sprang forward and cut the ugly old Ogre's head from his shoulders.

  Every cap was thrown up, and such cheering rent the air as has neverbeen heard since. They did not know his name, they did not know that hewas Prince Ethelried, but they knew by his valor that there was royalblood in his veins. So they all cried out long and loud: "_Long live thePrince! Prince Ciseaux!_"

  Then the King stepped down from his throne and took off his crown togive to the conqueror, but Ethelried put it aside.

  "Nay," he said. "The only kingdom that I crave is the kingdom of aloving heart and a happy fireside. Keep all but the Princess."

  So the Ogre was killed, and the Prince came into his kingdom that washis heart's desire. He married the Princess, and there was feasting andmerrymaking for seventy days and seventy nights, and they all livedhappily ever after.

  When the feasting was over, and the guests had all gone to their homes,the Prince pulled down the house of the Ogre and built a new one. Onevery gable he fastened a pair of shining scissors to remind himselfthat only through unselfish service to others comes the happiness thatis highest and best.

  Over the great entrance gate he hung the ones that had served him sovaliantly, saying, "Only those who belong to the kingdom of lovinghearts and happy homes can ever enter here."

  One day the old King, with the brothers of Ethelried (the three thatwere dark and the three that were fair), came riding up to the portal.They thought to share in Ethelried's fame and splendor. But the scissorsleaped from their place and snapped so angrily in their faces that theyturned their horses and fled.

  Then the scissors sprang back to their place again to guard the portalof Ethelried, and, to this day, only those who belong to the kingdom ofloving hearts may enter the Gate of the Giant Scissors.