River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-09-16

100 AZ very well AuI ~ low iuOubLH,
put az last he grew quite desperate,
and the ten years seemed like ten ages
IN prospect AT last he made a bold
resolution. One morning, when the
sun was in hurry about going up,
he Just held on by his cobweb harness
till his feet touched the mountain top,
and then quietly slipped off without
the suns having had an idea of his
strange passenger.
The fairy, left alone on the great
earth, felt sudden sense of freedom
and dignity, and drawing himself up TO
his full height, looked about him. The
mountain top was rocky and covered
with thorny bushes; but farther down
toward the valley grew lovely wild
flowers. After n long and wearisome
walk through briars and brambles and
over stones, he reached the valley and
threw himself ON turf of wet green
moss to fest.
He soon fell asleep, and was
only awakened by large rain drop
which fell on his head, nearly suffocat-
ing him. Opening his eyes, he saw the
sky all black with clouds, and knew
that the King of Clotd Land was hav-
ing grand review OF his forces. The
Cloud King is very warlike, and is con-
stantly encroaching ON the rights OF all
ni,elghborlng sovereigns, particularly
those OF the Fairy Queen.
When our little wanderer saw bis
enemies, the rain drops, coming down
in great numbers, he screamed out
with terror. In Fairy Land they can
never dc any harm, for the earth keeps
of all rain, but here was a rare Chance
So they danced gleefully about him,
strangling him with the water they
poured into his mouth, and pelting
him till he was almost stunned. He
looked around for a place of refuge,
and saw large field-lily, into which
he crept, AMI was secure for the time
from the rain drops; but now new
enemy appeared.
A butterfly, with her wings drenched
and dfoopihg put her head into the
lily in an inquiring fndIiiief, and then
composedly seated herself ON the fairy's
chest. The butterflies, in spite of their
beauty, are malicious as well as selfish,
and pride themselves on never obliging
any one ; so she sat still, tanning her
self with the fairy's hat. regardless of
his agonized gasps tor breath, till the
rain ceased, and the sun, now moving
toward the west, looked out once more.
Our fairy, bruised, drenehed and
faint with hunger, had climbed pain
fully down to the ground again, when
kind he irted bee, seeing his misera-
bile plight, offered him some of the
honey she carried, which he gratefully
accepted, though in all his life he had
never eaten anything so coarse before.
He felt slightly refreshed after his
meal; and it was then that little girl,
coming up the valley to pick wild flow.
ers after the rain, found him sitting on
rock trying to dry his dripping green
dress in the sunshine. She warmed
him tenderly in her hands, and by dint
of careful listening made out his pitiful
story. After thinking awhile, she told
BIN she would carry him home with
her to stay all night, and before sun
rise would take him up to the noun
tain, so that he might perstade the
sun to take him as he went up the sky
and carry him home at night.
Early the next morning he was on
the cliffs watching for the sun. As
soon as he put his hand up over the
edge of the world the fairy chung TO
one of his fingers, vaiuly hoping that
he should not be noticed but the sun
was uncommonly bright that nothing,
and saw him In minute. So our fairy
had to begin and tell him the whole
story; but at the end, the sun, who is
very good natured when he isn't angry,
laughed aloud; observing that he had
been punished enough for once, and
that he himself would speak good
word for him TO the Queen when they
got home. Then he tucked the fairy
into his pocket, and went ON his way.
That night the Fairy Queen, who
had grown anxious about the fate of
her little subject, was readily induced
to'pardon him, and gave orders that he
should be carefully nursed. He had
caught rheumatism from sleeping on
the wet moss, and lame side where
the butterfly had sat, and an attack of
Indigestion from eating the honey, and
was miserable enough for several
weeks. His lady-love came to cheer
HIM up, however; and when he was
quite recovered. the Queen ordered
preparations for grand Wedding. The
affair passed of delightfully."-. The sun
honored the occasion with his presence
for few moments, and even the Queen
and the Prime Minister were there.
The next day, when the little girl
went to visit the rock in the valley with
the hope of again seeing the fairy, she
found instead tiny gold box contain
ing a ring set with diamonds, in one of
which could be seen, by her eyes only,
the portrait of her fairy friend, and in
each of the others some scene in Fairy
Land.
And this is the last that she has ever
seen of the fairy, who has probably by
this time forgotten all about his visit
to this inhospitable world.
A. /. M.