The
butterfly's home shall be;
And thou shalt find, dear,
faithful flower,
A
loving friend in me."
Then, through the long, bright summer hours
Through
sunshine and through shower,
Together in their happy home
Dwelt
butterfly and flower.
"Ah, that is very lovely," cried the Elves,
gathering round
little Sunbeam as she ceased, to place a
garland in her hair and
praise her song.
"Now," said the Queen, "call
hither Moon-light and Summer-Wind,
for they have seen many pleasant things in their long wanderings,
and will
gladly tell us them."
"Most
joyfully will we do our best, dear Queen," said the Elves,
as they folded their wings beside her.
"Now, Summer-Wind," said Moonlight, "till your turn comes, do you sit
here and fan me while I tell this tale of
LITTLE ANNIE'S DREAM;
OR,
THE FAIRY FLOWER.
IN a large and pleasant garden sat little Annie all alone, and
she seemed very sad, for drops that were not dew fell fast upon the
flowers beside her, who looked wonderingly up, and bent still nearer,
as if they longed to cheer and comfort her. The warm wind lifted up
her shining hair and
softly kissed her cheek, while the
sunbeams,
looking most kindly in her face, made little rainbows in her tears,
and lingered
lovingly about her. But Annie paid no heed to sun,
or wind, or flower; still the bright tears fell, and she forgot
all but her sorrow.
"Little Annie, tell me why you weep," said a low voice in her ear;
and, looking up, the child
beheld a little figure
standing on a
vine-leaf at her side; a lovely face smiled on her, from amid
bright locks of hair, and shining wings were folded on a white and
glittering robe, that fluttered in the wind.
"Who are you, lovely little thing?" cried Annie, smiling through
her tears.
"I am a Fairy, little child, and am come to help and comfort you; now
tell me why you weep, and let me be your friend," replied the spirit,
as she smiled more kindly still on Annie's wondering face.
"And are you really, then, a little Elf, such as I read of
in my fairy books? Do you ride on butterflies, sleep in flower-cups,
and live among the clouds?"
"Yes, all these things I do, and many stranger still, that all
your fairy books can never tell; but now, dear Annie," said the Fairy,
bending nearer, "tell me why I found no
sunshine on your face; why are
these great drops shining on the flowers, and why do you sit alone
when BIRD and BEE are
calling you to play?"
"Ah, you will not love me any more if I should tell you all,"
said Annie, while the tears began to fall again; "I am not happy,
for I am not good; how shall I learn to be a patient, gentle child?
good little Fairy, will you teach me how?"
"Gladly will I aid you, Annie, and if you truly wish to be
a happy child, you first must learn to
conquer many
passions that
you
cherish now, and make your heart a home for gentle feelings and
happy thoughts; the task is hard, but I will give this fairy flower
to help and
counsel you. Bend
hither, that I may place it in your
breast; no hand can take it hence, till I unsay the spell that
holds it there."
As thus she spoke, the Elf took from her bosom a
graceful flower,
whose snow-white leaves shone with a strange, soft light. "This is
a fairy flower," said the Elf, "invisible to every eye save yours;
now listen while I tell its power, Annie. When your heart is filled
with
loving thoughts, when some kindly deed has been done, some duty
well performed, then from the flower there will arise the sweetest,
softest
fragrance, to
reward and gladden you. But when an
unkind word
is on your lips, when a
selfish, angry feeling rises in your heart,
or an
unkind, cruel deed is to be done, then will you hear the soft,
low chime of the flower-bell; listen to its
warning, let the word
remain unspoken, the deed
undone, and in the quiet joy of your own
heart, and the magic
perfume of your bosom flower, you will find
a sweet
reward."
"O kind and
generous Fairy, how can I ever thank you for this lovely
gift!" cried Annie. "I will be true, and listen to my little bell
whenever it may ring. But shall I never see YOU more? Ah! if you
would only stay with me, I should indeed be good."
"I cannot stay now, little Annie," said the Elf, "but when
another Spring comes round, I shall be here again, to see how well
the fairy gift has done its work. And now
farewell, dear child;
be
faithful to yourself, and the magic flower will never fade."
Then the gentle Fairy folded her little arms around Annie's neck,
laid a soft kiss on her cheek, and, spreading wide her shining wings,
flew singing up among the white clouds floating in the sky.
And little Annie sat among her flowers, and watched with wondering joy
the fairy
blossom shining on her breast.
The pleasant days of Spring and Summer passed away, and in
little Annie's garden Autumn flowers were
blooming everywhere,
with each day's sun and dew growing still more beautiful and bright;
but the fairy flower, that should have been the loveliest of all,
hung pale and drooping on little Annie's bosom; its
fragrance seemed
quite gone, and the clear, low music of its
warning chime rang often
in her ear.
When first the Fairy placed it there, she had been pleased with
her new gift, and for a while obeyed the fairy bell, and often tried
to win some
fragrance from the flower, by kind and pleasant words
and actions; then, as the Fairy said, she found a sweet
reward in
the strange, soft
perfume of the magic
blossom, as it shone upon her
breast; but
selfish thoughts would come to tempt her, she would yield,
and
unkind words fell from her lips; and then the flower drooped pale
and scentless, the fairy bell rang
mournfully, Annie would forget
her better resolutions, and be again a
selfish, wilful little child.
At last she tried no longer, but grew angry with the
faithful flower,
and would have torn it from her breast; but the fairy spell still
held it fast, and all her angry words but made it ring a louder,
sadder peal. Then she paid no heed to the
silvery music sounding
in her ear, and each day grew still more
unhappy, discontented,
and
unkind; so, when the Autumn days came round, she was no better
for the gentle Fairy's gift, and longed for Spring, that it might
be returned; for now the
constant echo of the
mournful music made her
very sad.
One sunny morning, when the fresh, cool Winds were blowing,
and not a cloud was in the sky, little Annie walked among her flowers,
looking carefully into each, hoping thus to find the Fairy, who alone
could take the magic
blossom from her breast. But she lifted up their
drooping leaves, peeped into their dewy cups in vain; no little Elf
lay
hidden there, and she turned sadly from them all,
saying, "I will
go out into the fields and woods, and seek her there. I will not
listen to this
tiresome music more, nor wear this withered flower
longer." So out into the fields she went, where the long grass
rustled as she passed, and timid birds looked at her from their nests;
where lovely wild-flowers nodded in the wind, and opened wide their
fragrant leaves, to
welcome in the murmuring bees, while butterflies,
like
winged flowers, danced and glittered in the sun.
Little Annie looked, searched, and asked them all if any one
could tell her of the Fairy whom she sought; but the birds looked
wonderingly at her with their soft, bright eyes, and still sang on;
the flowers nodded
wisely on their stems, but did not speak,
while
butterfly and bee buzzed and fluttered away, one far too busy,
the other too idle, to stay and tell her what she asked.
Then she went through broad fields of yellow grain, that waved
around her like a golden forest; here crickets chirped, grasshoppers
leaped, and busy ants worked, but they could not tell her what
she longed to know.
"Now will I go among the hills," said Annie, "she may be there."
So up and down the green hill-sides went her little feet; long she
searched and
vainly she called; but still no Fairy came. Then
by the river-side she went, and asked the gay dragon-flies, and the
cool white lilies, if the Fairy had been there; but the blue waves
rippled on the white sand at her feet, and no voice answered her.
Then into the forest little Annie went; and as she passed along the
dim, cool paths, the wood-flowers smiled up in her face, gay squirrels
peeped at her, as they swung amid the vines, and doves cooed
softlyas she wandered by; but none could answer her. So, weary with
her long and
useless search, she sat amid the ferns, and feasted
on the rosy strawberries that grew beside her, watching meanwhile
the
crimson evening clouds that glowed around the
setting sun.
The night-wind rustled through the boughs, rocking the flowers
to sleep; the wild birds sang their evening hymns, and all within
the wood grew calm and still; paler and paler grew the
purple light,
lower and lower drooped little Annie's head, the tall ferns bent
to
shield her from the dew, the whispering pines sang a soft lullaby;
and when the Autumn moon rose up, her silver light shone on the child,
where, pillowed on green moss, she lay asleep amid the wood-flowers
in the dim old forest.
And all night long beside her stood the Fairy she had sought, and
by elfin spell and charm sent to the
sleeping child this dream.
Little Annie dreamed she sat in her own garden, as she had often
sat before, with angry feelings in her heart, and
unkind words upon
her lips. The magic flower was ringing its soft
warning, but she paid
no heed to anything, save her own troubled thoughts; thus she sat,
when suddenly a low voice whispered in her ear,--
"Little Annie, look and see the evil things that you are
cherishing;
I will clothe in
fitting shapes the thoughts and feelings that now
dwell within your heart, and you shall see how great their power
becomes, unless you
banish them for ever."
Then Annie saw, with fear and wonder, that the angry words she uttered
changed to dark, unlovely forms, each showing
plainly from what fault
or
passion it had
sprung. Some of the shapes had scowling faces and
bright, fiery eyes; these were the spirits of Anger. Others, with
sullen,
anxious looks, seemed
gathering up all they could reach, and
Annie saw that the more they gained, the less they seemed to have;
and these she knew were shapes of Selfishness. Spirits of Pride were
there, who folded their
shadowy garments round them, and turned
scornfully away from all the rest. These and many others
little Annie saw, which had come from her own heart, and taken form
before her eyes.
When first she saw them, they were small and weak; but as she looked
they seemed to grow and gather strength, and each gained a
strange power over her. She could not drive them from her sight,
and they grew ever stronger, darker, and more unlovely to her eyes.
They seemed to cast black shadows over all around, to dim the
sunshine,
blight the flowers, and drive away all bright and lovely
things; while rising slowly round her Annie saw a high, dark wal],
that seemed to shut out everything she loved; she dared not move,
or speak, but, with a strange fear at her heart, sat watching the dim
shapes that hovered round her.
Higher and higher rose the
shadowy wall, slowly the flowers near her
died, lingeringly the
sunlight faded; but at last they both were gone,
and left her all alone behind the
gloomy wall. Then the spirits
gathered round her, whispering strange things in her ear, bidding her
obey, for by her own will she had yielded up her heart to be their
home, and she was now their slave. Then she could hear no more, but,
sinking down among the withered flowers, wept sad and bitter tears,
for her lost liberty and joy; then through the gloom there shone
a faint, soft light, and on her breast she saw her fairy flower,
upon whose snow-white leaves her tears lay shining.
Clearer and brighter grew the
radiant light, till the evil spirits
turned away to the dark shadow of the wall, and left the child alone.
The light and
perfume of the flower seemed to bring new strength
to Annie, and she rose up,
saying, as she bent to kiss the
blossomon her breast, "Dear flower, help and guide me now, and I will listen
to your voice, and
cheerfully obey my
faithful fairy bell."