dared to
venture yet," replied the Queen. "I cannot show the path,
for it is through the air. Dear Ripple, do not go, for you can
never reach that distant place: some harm most surely will befall;
and then how shall we live, without our dearest, gentlest Spirit?
Stay here with us in your own pleasant home, and think more of this,
for I can never let you go."
But Ripple would not break the promise she had made, and besought
so
earnestly, and with such pleading words, that the Queen at last
with sorrow gave consent, and Ripple
joyfully prepared to go. She,
with her sister Spirits, built up a tomb of
delicate, bright-colored
shells,
wherein the child might lie, till she should come to wake him
into life; then, praying them to watch most
faithfully above it,
she said
farewell, and floated
bravely forth, on her long, unknown
journey, far away.
"I will search the broad earth till I find a path up to the sun,
or some kind friend who will carry me; for, alas! I have no wings,
and cannot glide through the blue air as through the sea," said Ripple
to herself, as she went dancing over the waves, which bore her
swiftlyonward towards a distant shore.
Long she journeyed through the pathless ocean, with no friends
to cheer her, save the white sea-birds who went
sweeping by, and
only stayed to dip their wide wings at her side, and then flew
silently away. Sometimes great ships sailed by, and then with
longing eyes did the little Spirit gaze up at the faces that looked
down upon the sea; for often they were kind and pleasant ones, and
she
gladly would have called to them and asked them to be friends.
But they would never understand the strange, sweet language that
she spoke, or even see the lovely face that smiled at them above the
waves; her blue,
transparent garments were but water to their eyes,
and the pearl chains in her hair but foam and sparkling spray; so,
hoping that the sea would be most gentle with them,
silently she
floated on her way, and left them far behind.
At length green hills were seen, and the waves
gladly bore the little
Spirit on, till, rippling
gently over soft white sand, they left her
on the pleasant shore.
"Ah, what a lovely place it is!" said Ripple, as she passed through
sunny valleys, where flowers began to bloom, and young leaves rustled
on the trees.
"Why are you all so gay, dear birds?" she asked, as their
cheerfulvoices sounded far and near; "is there a
festival over the earth,
that all is so beautiful and bright?"
"Do you not know that Spring is coming? The warm winds whispered it
days ago, and we are
learning the sweetest songs, to
welcome her
when she shall come," sang the lark, soaring away as the music gushed
from his little throat.
"And shall I see her, Violet, as she journeys over the earth?" asked
Ripple again.
"Yes, you will meet her soon, for the
sunlight told me she was near;
tell her we long to see her again, and are
waiting to
welcome her
back," said the blue flower, dancing for joy on her stem, as she
nodded and smiled on the Spirit.
"I will ask Spring where the Fire-Spirits dwell; she travels over
the earth each year, and surely can show me the way," thought Ripple,
as she went journeying on.
Soon she saw Spring come smiling over the earth;
sunbeams and
breezes
floated before, and then, with her white garments covered with
flowers, with wreaths in her hair, and dew-drops and seeds falling
fast from her hands the beautiful season came singing by.
"Dear Spring, will you listen, and help a poor little Spirit,
who seeks far and wide for the Fire-Spirits' home?" cried Ripple; and
then told why she was there, and begged her to tell what she sought.
"The Fire-Spirits' home is far, far away, and I cannot guide you
there; but Summer is coming behind me," said Spring, "and she may know
better than I. But I will give you a
breeze to help you on your way;
it will never tire nor fail, but bear you easily over land and sea.
Farewell, little Spirit! I would
gladly do more, but voices are
calling me far and wide, and I cannot stay."
"Many thanks, kind Spring!" cried Ripple, as she floated away on the
breeze; "give a kindly word to the mother who waits on the shore, and
tell her I have not forgotten my vow, but hope soon to see her again."
Then Spring flew on with her
sunshine and flowers, and Ripple went
swiftly over hill and vale, till she came to the land where Summer
was
dwelling. Here the sun shone warmly down on the early fruit,
the winds blew
freshly over fields of
fragrant hay, and rustled with
a pleasant sound among the green leaves in the forests; heavy dews
fell
softly down at night, and long, bright days brought strength
and beauty to the blossoming earth.
"Now I must seek for Summer," said Ripple, as she sailed slowly
through the sunny sky.
"I am here, what would you with me, little Spirit?" said a musical
voice in her ear; and, floating by her side, she saw a
graceful form,
with green robes fluttering in the air, whose pleasant face looked
kindly on her, from beneath a crown of golden
sunbeams that cast
a warm, bright glow on all beneath.
Then Ripple told her tale, and asked where she should go; but
Summer answered,--
"I can tell no more than my young sister Spring where you may find
the Spirits that you seek; but I too, like her, will give a gift to
aid you. Take this
sunbeam from my crown; it will cheer and brighten
the most
gloomy path through which you pass. Farewell! I shall carry
tidings of you to the watcher by the sea, if in my journey round the
world I find her there."
And Summer, giving her the
sunbeam, passed away over the distant
hills, leaving all green and bright behind her.
So Ripple journeyed on again, till the earth below her shone
with ye]low harvests waving in the sun, and the air was filled
with
cheerful voices, as the reapers sang among the fields or in
the pleasant vineyards, where
purple fruit hung gleaming through
the leaves; while the sky above was cloudless, and the changing
forest-trees shone like a many-colored
garland, over hill and plain;
and here, along the ripening corn-fields, with bright wreaths of
crimson leaves and golden wheat-ears in her hair and on her
purplemantle,
stately Autumn passed, with a happy smile on her calm face,
as she went scattering
generous gifts from her full arms.
But when the wandering Spirit came to her, and asked for what she
sought, this season, like the others, could not tell her where to go;
so, giving her a yellow leaf, Autumn said, as she passed on,--
"Ask Winter, little Ripple, when you come to his cold home; he knows
the Fire-Spirits well, for when he comes they fly to the earth,
to warm and comfort those
dwelling there; and perhaps he can tell you
where they are. So take this gift of mine, and when you meet his
chilly winds, fold it about you, and sit warm beneath its shelter,
till you come to
sunlight again. I will carry comfort to the
patient woman, as my sisters have already done, and tell her you are
faithful still."
Then on went the never-tiring Breeze, over forest, hill, and field,
till the sky grew dark, and bleak winds whistled by. Then Ripple,
folded in the soft, warm leaf, looked sadly down on the earth,
that seemed to lie so
desolate and still beneath its
shroud of snow,
and thought how bitter cold the leaves and flowers must be; for the
little Water-Spirit did not know that Winter spread a soft white
covering above their beds, that they might
safely sleep below till
Spring should waken them again. So she went sorrowfully on, till
Winter, riding on the strong North-Wind, came rushing by, with
a sparkling ice-crown in his streaming hair, while from beneath his
crimson cloak, where glittering frost-work shone like silver threads,
he scattered snow-flakes far and wide.
"What do you seek with me, fair little Spirit, that you come
so
bravely here amid my ice and snow? Do not fear me; I am warm
at heart, though rude and cold without," said Winter, looking kindly
on her, while a bright smile shone like
sunlight on his pleasant face,
as it glowed and glistened in the
frosty air.
When Ripple told him why she had come, he
pointedupward, where the
sunlight dimly shone through the heavy clouds, saying,--
"Far off there, beside the sun, is the Fire-Spirits' home; and the
only path is up, through cloud and mist. It is a long, strange path,
for a
lonely little Spirit to be going; the Fairies are wild, wilful
things, and in their play may harm and trouble you. Come back with
me, and do not go this dangerous journey to the sky. I'll
gladlybear you home again, if you will come."
But Ripple said, "I cannot turn back now, when I am nearly there.
The Spirits surely will not harm me, when I tell them why I am come;
and if I win the flame, I shall be the happiest Spirit in the sea,
for my promise will be kept, and the poor mother happy once again.
So
farewell, Winter! Speak to her
gently, and tell her to hope still,
for I shall surely come."
"Adieu, little Ripple! May good angels watch above you! Journey
bravely on, and take this snow-flake that will never melt, as MY
gift," Winter cried, as the North-Wind bore him on, leaving a cloud
of falling snow behind.
"Now, dear Breeze," said Ripple, "fly straight
upward through the air,
until we reach the place we have so long been seeking; Sunbeam shall
go before to light the way, Yellow-leaf shall shelter me from heat and
rain, while Snow-flake shall lie here beside me till it comes of use.
So
farewell to the pleasant earth, until we come again. And now away,
up to the sun!"
When Ripple first began her airy journey, all was dark and
dreary;
heavy clouds lay piled like hills around her, and a cold mist
filled the air but the Sunbeam, like a star, lit up the way, the leaf
lay warmly round her, and the
tireless wind went
swiftly on. Higher
and higher they floated up, still darker and darker grew the air,
closer the damp mist gathered, while the black clouds rolled and
tossed, like great waves, to and fro.
"Ah!" sighed the weary little Spirit, "shall I never see the light
again, or feel the warm winds on my cheek? It is a
dreary way indeed,
and but for the Seasons' gifts I should have perished long ago; but
the heavy clouds MUST pass away at last, and all be fair again.
So
hasten on, good Breeze, and bring me quickly to my journey's end."
Soon the cold vapors vanished from her path, and
sunshine shone
upon her
pleasantly; so she went gayly on, till she came up among
the stars, where many new, strange sights were to be seen. With
wondering eyes she looked upon the bright worlds that once seemed dim
and distant, when she gazed upon them from the sea; but now they moved
around her, some shining with a
softlyradiant light, some circled
with bright, many-colored rings, while others burned with a red,
angry glare. Ripple would have
gladly stayed to watch them longer,
for she fancied low, sweet voices called her, and lovely faces
seemed to look upon her as she passed; but higher up still, nearer
to the sun, she saw a
far-off light, that glittered like a brilliant
crimson star, and seemed to cast a rosy glow along the sky.
"The Fire-Spirits surely must be there, and I must stay no longer
here," said Ripple. So
steadily she floated on, till straight
before her lay a broad, bright path, that led up to a golden arch,
beyond which she could see shapes flitting to and fro. As she drew
near, brighter glowed the sky, hotter and hotter grew the air, till
Ripple's leaf-cloak shrivelled up, and could no longer
shield her from
the heat; then she unfolded the white snow-flake, and,
gladly wrapping
the soft, cool
mantle round her, entered through the shining arch.
Through the red mist that floated all around her, she could see
high walls of changing light, where orange, blue, and
violet flames
went flickering to and fro, making
graceful figures as they danced
and glowed; and
underneath these
rainbow arches, little Spirits
glided, far and near, wearing crowns of fire, beneath which flashed
their wild, bright eyes; and as they spoke, sparks dropped quickly
from their lips, and Ripple saw with wonder, through their garments
of
transparent light, that in each Fairy's breast there burned a
steady flame, that never wavered or went out.
As thus she stood, the Spirits gathered round her, and their
hot
breath would have scorched her, but she drew the snow-cloak
closer round her, saying,--
"Take me to your Queen, that I may tell her why I am here, and ask