solitude and darkness, till you have
learned to find happiness in
gentle deeds, and forget yourself in giving joy to others. When you
have
learned this, I will set you free."
Then the Brownies bore him to a high, dark rock, and, entering a
little door, led him to a small cell, dimly lighted by a
crevicethrough which came a single gleam of
sunlight; and there, through
long, long days, poor Thistle sat alone, and gazed with
wistful eyes
at the little
opening,
longing to be out on the green earth. No one
came to him, but the silent Brownies who brought his daily food; and
with bitter tears he wept for Lily-Bell,
mourning his
cruelty and
selfishness, seeking to do some kindly deed that might atone for his
wrong-doing.
A little vine that grew outside his prison rock came creeping up,
and looked in through the
crevice, as if to cheer the
lonely Fairy,
who
welcomed it most
gladly, and daily sprinkled its soft leaves
with his small share of water, that the little vine might live,
even if it darkened more and more his dim cell.
The
watchful Brownies saw this kind deed, and brought him fresh
flowers, and many things, which Thistle
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gratefully received, though
he never knew it was his kindness to the vine that gained for him
these pleasures.
Thus did poor Thistle
strive to be more gentle and unselfish, and
grew daily happier and better.
Now while Thistledown was a
captive in the
lonely cell, Lily-Bell was
seeking him far and wide, and sadly traced him by the sorrowing hearts
he had left behind.
She healed the drooping flowers, cheered the Queen Bee's grief,
brought back her
discontented subjects, restored the home to peace
and order, and left them
blessing her.
Thus she journeyed on, till she reached the forest where Thistledown
had lost his freedom. She
unbound the starving dragon-fly, and tended
the wounded birds; but though all
learned to love her, none could tell
where the Brownies had borne her friend, till a little wind came
whispering by, and told her that a sweet voice had been heard, singing
Fairy songs, deep in a moss-grown rock.
Then Lily-Bell went seeking through the forest, listening for the
voice. Long she looked and listened in vain; when one day, as she was
wandering through a
lonely dell, she heard a faint, low sound of
music, and soon a distant voice mournfully singing,--
"Bright shines the summer sun,
Soft is the summer air;
Gayly the wood-birds sing,
Flowers are
blooming fair.
"But, deep in the dark, cold rock,
Sadly I dwell,
Longing for thee, dear friend,
Lily-Bell! Lily-Bell!"
"Thistle, dear Thistle, where are you?"
joyfully cried Lily-Bell,
as she flew from rock to rock. But the voice was still, and she
would have looked in vain, had she not seen a little vine, whose green
leaves fluttering to and fro seemed beckoning her to come; and as she
stood among its flowers she sang,--
"Through
sunlight and summer air
I have sought for thee long,
Guided by birds and flowers,
And now by thy song.
"Thistledown! Thistledown!
O'er hill and dell
Hither to comfort thee
Comes Lily-Bell."
Then from the vine-leaves two little arms were stretched out to her,
and Thistledown was found. So Lily-Bell made her home in the shadow
of the vine, and brought such joy to Thistle, that his
lonely cell
seemed pleasanter to him than all the world beside; and he grew daily
more like his gentle friend. But it did not last long, for one day
she did not come. He watched and waited long, for the little face
that used to peep smiling in through the vine-leaves. He called and
beckoned through the narrow
opening, but no Lily-Bell answered; and
he wept sadly as he thought of all she had done for him, and that now
he could not go to seek and help her, for he had lost his freedom
by his own cruel and
wicked deeds.
At last he
besought the silent Brownie
earnestly to tell him
w
hither she had gone.
"O let me go to her," prayed Thistle; "if she is in sorrow, I will
comfort her, and show my
gratitude for all she has done for me: dear
Brownie, set me free, and when she is found I will come and be your
prisoner again. I will bear and suffer any danger for her sake."
"Lily-Bell is safe," replied the Brownie; "come, you shall learn
the trial that awaits you."
Then he led the wondering Fairy from his prison, to a group of tall,
drooping ferns, beneath whose shade a large white lily had been
placed, forming a little tent, within which, on a couch of thick green
moss, lay Lily-Bell in a deep sleep; the
sunlight stole
softly in,
and all was cool and still.
"You cannot wake her," said the Brownie, as Thistle folded his arms
tenderly about her. "It is a magic
slumber, and she will not wake
till you shall bring
hither gifts from the Earth, Air, and Water
Spirits. 'T is a long and weary task, for you have made no friends
to help you, and will have to seek for them alone. This is the trial
we shall give you; and if your love for Lily-Bell be strong enough
to keep you from all
cruelty and
selfishness, and make you kind and
loving as you should be, she will awake to
welcome you, and love you
still more
fondly than before."
Then Thistle, with a last look on the little friend he loved so well,
set forth alone to his long task.
The home of the Earth Spirits was the first to find, and no one
would tell him where to look. So far and wide he wandered, through
gloomy forests and among
lonely hills, with none to cheer him when
sad and weary, none to guide him on his way.
On he went, thinking of Lily-Bell, and for her sake
bearing all;
for in his quiet prison many gentle feelings and kindly thoughts had
sprung up in his heart, and he now
strove to be friends with all, and
win for himself the love and confidence of those whom once he sought
to harm and
cruelly destroy.
But few believed him; for they remembered his false promises and
evil deeds, and would not trust him now; so poor Thistle found few
to love or care for him.
Long he wandered, and carefully he sought; but could not find the
Earth Spirits' home. And when at length he reached the pleasant
garden where he and Lily-Bell first parted, he said within himself,--
"Here I will stay
awhile, and try to win by kindly deeds the flowers'
forgiveness for the pain and sorrow I brought them long ago; and they
may learn to love and trust me. So, even if I never find the Spirits,
I shall be worthier Lily-Bell's
affection if I
strive to atone for
the wrong I have done."
Then he went among the flowers, but they closed their leaves, and
shrank away, trembling with fear; while the birds fled to hide
among the leaves as he passed.
This grieved poor Thistle, and he longed to tell them how changed
he had become; but they would not listen. So he tried to show, by
quiet deeds of kindness, that he meant no harm to them; and soon
the kind-hearted birds pitied the
lonely Fairy, and when he came near
sang cheering songs, and dropped ripe berries in his path, for he
no longer broke their eggs, or hurt their little ones.
And when the flowers saw this, and found the once cruel Elf now
watering and tending little buds, feeding hungry insects, and
helping the busy ants to bear their heavy loads, they shared the pity
of the birds, and longed to trust him; but they dared not yet.
He came one day, while wandering through the garden, to the little
rose he had once harmed so sadly. Many buds now bloomed beside her,
and her soft face glowed with motherly pride, as she bent
fondly over
them. But when Thistle came, he saw with sorrow how she bade them
close their green curtains, and
conceal themselves beneath the leaves,
for there was danger near; and, drooping still more closely over them,
she seemed to wait with trembling fear the cruel Fairy's coming.
But no rude hand tore her little ones away, no
unkind words were
spoken; but a soft
shower of dew fell
lightly on them, and Thistle,
bending
tenderly above them, said,--
"Dear flower,
forgive the sorrow I once brought you, and trust me now
for Lily-Bell's sake. Her
gentleness has changed my
cruelty to
kindness, and I would
gladly repay all for the harm I have done;
but none will love and trust me now."
Then the little rose looked up, and while the dew-drops shone
like happy tears upon her leaves, she said,--
"I WILL love and trust you, Thistle, for you are indeed much
changed. Make your home among us, and my sister flowers will soon
learn to love you as you
deserve. Not for sweet Lily-Bell's sake,
but for your own, will I become your friend; for you are kind and
gentle now, and
worthy of our love. Look up, my little ones, there is
no danger near; look up, and
welcome Thistle to our home."
Then the little buds raised their rosy faces, danced again upon
their stems, and nodded kindly at Thistle, who smiled on them through
happy tears, and kissed the sweet, forgiving rose, who loved and
trusted him when most
forlorn and friendless.
But the other flowers wondered among themselves, and Hyacinth said,--
"If Rose-Leaf is his friend, surely we may be; yet still I fear he may
soon grow weary of this
gentleness, and be again the
wicked Fairy he
once was, and we shall suffer for our kindness to him now."
"Ah, do not doubt him!" cried warm-hearted little Mignonette; "surely
some good spirit has changed the
wicked Thistle into this good little
Elf. See how
tenderly he lifts aside the leaves that
overshadow pale
Harebell, and listen now how
softly he sings as he rocks little
Eglantine to sleep. He has done many friendly things, though none
save Rose-Leaf has been kind to him, and he is very sad. Last night
when I awoke to draw my curtains closer, he sat
weeping in the
moonlight, so
bitterly, I longed to speak a kindly word to him.
Dear sisters, let us trust him."
And they all said little Mignonette was right; and, spreading wide
their leaves, they bade him come, and drink their dew, and lie among
the
fragrant petals, striving to cheer his sorrow. Thistle told them
all, and, after much whispering together, they said,--
"Yes, we will help you to find the Earth Spirits, for you are striving
to be good, and for love of Lily-Bell we will do much for you."
So they called a little bright-eyed mole, and said, "Downy-Back,
we have given you a pleasant home among our roots, and you are
a
grateful little friend; so will you guide dear Thistle to the
Earth Spirits' home?"
Downy-Back said, "Yes," and Thistle, thanking the kindly flowers,
followed his little guide, through long, dark galleries, deeper
and deeper into the ground; while a glow-worm flew before to light
the way. On they went, and after a while, reached a path lit up by
bright jewels hung upon the walls. Here Downy-Back, and Glimmer,
the glow-worm, left him, saying,--
"We can lead you no farther; you must now go on alone, and the music
of the Spirits will guide you to their home."
Then they went quickly up the winding path, and Thistle, guided
by the sweet music, went on alone.
He soon reached a lovely spot, whose golden halls were bright
with jewels, which
sparkled
brightly, and threw many-colored shadows
on the shining garments of the little Spirits, who danced below
to the
melody of soft,
silvery bells.
Long Thistle stood watching the
brilliant forms that flashed and
sparkled round him; but he missed the flowers and the
sunlight,
and rejoiced that he was not an Earth Spirit.
At last they spied him out, and,
gladly welcoming him, bade him join
in their dance. But Thistledown was too sad for that, and when he
told them all his story they no longer urged, but sought to comfort
him; and one whom they called little Sparkle (for her crown and robe
shone with the brightest diamonds), said: "You will have to work
for us, ere you can win a gift to show the Brownies; do you see
those golden bells that make such music, as we wave them to and fro?