 CHAPTER 1 THE FIRST ADVENTURE OF THE RAINBOW CAT There was once a cat which was not in the least like any cat you have ever seen, or I either, for the matter of that. It was a very cat, you see, and so you would rather expect it to be different, wouldn't you? It had a violet nose, indigo eyes, pale blue ears, green front legs, a yellow body, orange back legs, and a red tail. In fact, it was colored with all the colors of the rainbow, and on that account it was known as the Rainbow Cat. It lived, of course, in fairyland, and it had all sorts of strange adventures. I am going to tell you some of them, and I think you will agree with me, that it really had a very thrilling time, one way or another. This is the first. The Rainbow Cat was sitting quietly at the door of his house one sunny day. He felt rather bored. Fairyland had been very quiet lately. I think it's time I set out on a voyage of adventure, he said suddenly. I shall get fat and stupid if I don't do something of the sort. So he shut up his house, put a notice on the door to say that he hoped to be back some day, if not sooner, and that letters and parcels were to be thrown down the chimney, and started off on his journey with a nice little wallet of assorted oddments tied to his tail, together with a neat parcel containing his party bow and his dancing slippers. For one never knows, said the Rainbow Cat, whom one may meet, and it is always well to be prepared for anything. He went on and on until he came to the edge of Fairyland, where the clouds began. I may as well pay the cloud folk a visit, thought he, and he began climbing up the clouds. The people who live in the clouds are quite pleasant creatures. They don't do very much, but being idle doesn't seem to make them unhappy. They live in splendid cloud palaces that are even more beautiful on the side, which can't be seen from Earth than on the side which can. Often, one may see them drifting across the sky in companies, or driving their pearly chariots or sailing in their light boats. They live on air, and the only thing they're really afraid of is the thunder giant, who, when he gets angry, which he rather often does, goes stomping over the sky, shouting and knocking their houses about. They greeted the Rainbow Cat kindly and were pleased to see him, for he was an old friend, and they were always glad to welcome visitors from Fairyland. You have come just at the right moment, they said. There is a grand party at the weather clerks. His eldest son, the North Wind, is to be married today to Princess Pearl, the daughter of the King of the Enchanted Isles. The Rainbow Cat was pleased that he had brought his party bow and his best shoes. His bag of oddments might also come in useful, he thought. It was a wonderful wedding. Everybody went. Among the guests there was even a comet. Comets attend none but the smartest gatherings. The Aurora Borealis looked magnificent, so did the bride's father, the King of the Enchanted Isles, who was there with his lovely wife, Mother of Pearl. There were one or two boars present, who had to be asked because they were connected with somebody or other, and another aged relation, anti-cyclone, a most disagreeable old lady, but on the whole it was a charming affair. Princess the Marryment was at its height, and they were all happily feasting and rejoicing. A friendly swallow came flying in with the news that the Thunder Giant was tearing across the sky in a terrible rage because a passing trade wind, who was in a hurry, had trotted on his toe. What shall we do? said everyone. He'll spoil the party. He'll upset everything. And they all ran about in great confusion and distress. But the rainbow cat remained quite calm. He was a very resourceful creature. He retired under a table and opened his little bag and examined its contents, thinking hard all the time. Presently he came out. I think I can manage the Thunder Giant, he said. Prey, go on with the party. I will go and meet him and see what can be done. They were all greatly astonished at his courage and coolness, but they were delighted to think that their party might not be spoiled after all, and they crowded round to watch him go sailing off to meet the Giant, whose shouting and mutterings could by this time be clearly heard in the distance. When the rainbow cat had gone some way and could already see the Giant from afar, he stopped, opened his bag, and drew out a large black cloak. This he put on, pulling the hood well over his ears. He then sat down and appeared to be lost in deep thought. When the Thunder Giant came up, he stood still for a moment to look at the strange object all alone in the middle of the sky. Who are you and what are you doing here, he roared. I'm the celebrated wizard Mupus, replied the cat in a very deep and impressive voice. Mind my bag, there's black magic in it. I have heard of you, O great Thunder Giant. And he got up and bowed three times. The Giant felt rather flattered, but he was still very cross and his foot hurt. I don't think much of wizards, he said. What can you do? I can tell your thoughts, O Giant, was the reply. Oh, laugh the Giant, and pray. What am I thinking at this moment, Mr. Mupus? That is quite easy, said the rainbow cat. You are thinking how your foot is hurting you, and how you would like to get hold of the person who trod on your horns. For the cat had heard all this from the swallow. The Giant was astonished. You're a rather wonderful fellow, he said. It must be useful to be able to do that. Can't you teach me? I daresay I might be able to, said the rainbow cat. I'll see if you show any promise. Sit down, please. The Giant sat down and the rainbow cat walked three times around him, muttering to himself. Now tell me, what am I thinking, said he when he was done? The Thunder Giant sat looking at him rather stupidly. He wasn't a very clever person. I suppose you're thinking what a fool I look sitting here, he said. Wonderful, wonderful, said the cat. You show immense promise, sir. I have never had such an apt pupil. May I try again, said the Giant, who began to think himself very clever. Certainly, said the rainbow cat, what am I thinking of now? The Giant tried to put on a very wise look and stared again at the rainbow cat with his stupid little eyes. Beef steak and onions, he said suddenly. The rainbow cat fell back and pretended to be lost in admiration. Perfectly right, he said. How did you guess such a thing? It just came into my mind, said the Giant modestly. You know, said the cat seriously, you ought to cultivate this gift. It's most unusual. How can I do that, said the Giant eagerly, for he thought it would be very delightful to be able to read people's thoughts. Which shows how stupid he was. Go home, said the cat, and lie down for a couple of hours. Then take these three little pink comforts and lie down for another couple of hours. After that, you may get up and have a cup of tea, but keep very quiet. Before going to bed, eat this other little white comfort, and when you wake up in the morning, you will be able to read people's thoughts. The Giant was all impatient to be gone, but he did not quite forget his manners. I am very much obliged to you, he said. Can't I do anything for you in exchange, Professor Muapas? The rainbow cat pondered for a moment. I should like a bit of lightning, he said. A nice jumpy bit. The Giant put his hand in his pocket. Here's a bundle of it, he said. If you cut the string, you can have quite a jolly little display at any moment. The rainbow cat thanked him, and they parted most amicably. The Giant went back to his castle and did as he was told. Ever since that day, he believes he knows what people are thinking. This makes him feel very superior, and it really doesn't do anyone else any harm. The rainbow cat returned to the party with the bundle of lightning stowed carefully away in his bag. Everyone was most grateful for what he had done, and he was quite overwhelmed with attentions. He enjoyed himself very much in Cloudland and stayed for seven days. At the end of that time, he packed up his little bag and set off once more on his travels. And you shall presently hear what next befell him. End of chapter one. Chapter two of The Rainbow Cat. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Lynette Calkins, Monument Colorado. The Rainbow Cat by Rose Fileman, chapter two. The Princess Who Could Not Cry. There was once a little princess who could not cry. That wouldn't have mattered so very much, but the trouble was that she laughed at everything, often on the most unsuitable occasions. And this was an extremely vexing and awkward habit, especially for a princess. Her parents were very troubled about it, and they called in a wise old fairy in order to get her advice. She went into the matter thoroughly, and finally told them that if the princess could only once be made to cry, the spell would be broken forever, and she would thence forward be just like other people. This wasn't particularly helpful, but it gave them some hope, and they immediately set about the task of making the princess weep. Of course it was a rather difficult matter, because naturally they didn't want her to be really miserable, and they hardly knew how to begin. Finally they offered a reward of 500 crowns to anybody who should succeed in making their daughter cry, without doing her any harm. Wisemen came from all over the kingdom to see what they could do, and many things were tried, but all to no purpose. One of them suggested that she should be shut up in a room by herself, and fed on bread and water for a whole week. The queen thought this very cruel, but the king persuaded her to try it. She insisted, however, that at any rate it should be bread and milk. But every time they came to bring the princess her basin of bread and milk, they found her laughing, and at the end of the week, she was still as cheerful as ever. Look, she said, my feet have grown so thin that I can't keep my slippers on. And she kicked her foot into the air and sent her slipper flying across the room and laughed to see the scandalized face of the butler. But her mother burst into tears. Oh, my poor starved lamb, she said, they shall not treat you so any longer. And she rushed into the kitchen and ordered soup and chicken and pink jelly to be sent up to the princess for her next meal. Another wise man came who said that for six months he had been practicing pulling the most awful faces and making the most terrible noises imaginable in order to be able to cure the princess. Children, he said, were so frightened by him that they had to be carried shrieking and howling from the room, and even grown-up people were so terrified that they wept aloud. He requested that he might be left alone with the princess, but the queen waited outside the door and listened. She trembled with anxiety as she stood there, for the noises the wise man made were so blood-curdling that she could hardly bear to hear them herself, and it seemed dreadful that her child should be left alone to endure such a trial. But in a few minutes she heard peals of laughter coming from inside the room, and presently the wise man opened the door. He was quite done up and blew in the face with the efforts he had been making. It's no use, he said rather crossly. No use at all, and went away looking very much annoyed. The princess came running out to her mother. Oh, he was a funny man, she said. Can't he come and do it again? Another wise man suggested that all her favorite toys should be broken up, but when he went into the nursery and began smashing her beautiful dolls and playthings, the princess clapped her hands and jumped about and laughed more hardly than ever. What fun, what fun, she said, and she too began throwing the things about. So that plan had to be given up also. Otherwise men came, but as many of their suggestions were cruel and unkind ones, naturally the king and queen would not hear of them, and at last they began to fear that nothing could be done. Now in a small village on the borders of the king's great park there lived a widow with her little daughter, Marigold. They were very poor, and the mother earned what she could by doing odd jobs of washing, sewing, or cleaning for her neighbors, but she fell ill, and poor Marigold was in great trouble for she had no money to buy comforts for her mother. Their little savings had to go for food to keep them alive, and every day these grew less and less. Marigold knew all about the little princess at the castle. She had often heard speak of her, and had even seen her sometimes writing about the roads on her white pony, and one day as she was cooking the midday meal an idea came into her head. As soon as dinner was over she put on her hat and cloak and told her mother that she was going up to the king's palace to see if she could make the princess cry and so earn the five hundred crowns. Her mother did her best to persuade her not to go. How can you hope to succeed, she said, when so many clever people have tried and failed? You are my own dear little Marigold, but it is useless for you to attempt such a task. Give it up, my child. But Marigold was determined, and when her mother saw this she said no more, but lay and watched her rather sadly as she set bravely off for the castle with her little basket over her arm. When Marigold came to the castle gates she felt frightened. The gates were so big and she was so small. But she thought of her mother and of the five hundred crowns which would buy her everything she needed and she stood on tiptoe on the top step and pulled the bell-handle so hard that she was quite frightened at the noise it made. A very grand footman opened the door, and when he saw Marigold standing there in her woolen frock and cloak with her little basket he said, back entrance, in a loud cross voice, and shut the door in her face. So she went round to the back entrance. This time the door was opened by a red-faced kitchen maid. We've no dripping to give away to-day, she said, and she too was about to shut the door. But the queen happened to be in the kitchen giving her orders for the day and she saw Marigold through the window. She came to the window and called to her. What is it, my child? she asked, for Marigold stood there looking the picture of unhappiness. I've come to make the princess cry, please, your Majesty, she said, and made a curtsy, for the queen looked very magnificent with her crown on her head and her lovely ermine train held up over her arm to keep it off the kitchen floor. When the queen heard what Marigold had come for she smiled and shook her head for how could a little country girl hope to do what so many wise men had been unable to accomplish. But Marigold was so earnest and so sure that she could make the princess cry that at last the queen promised to let her attempt it. You won't hurt her, she said, but she smiled as she said it. Marigold had such a kind little face she did not look as if she could hurt any one. She was taken to the princess's apartments and the queen went with her into the nursery and introduced her to the princess and explained why she had come. The princess was delighted to see a nice little rosy-cheeked girl instead of the dull old men who so often came to visit her. The queen shut the door and left them alone together. By this time the news of the little village girl who had come to make the princess cry had spread all over the palace and presently a whole crowd of people were standing anxiously waiting outside the nursery door. It's such nonsense, said the chamberlain to the prime minister. A village child. I don't suppose she's ever been outside the village. Quiet, ridiculous, whispered the ladies and waiting to the court pages. Do you think she knows how to make a correct curtsy? At last the king and queen could stand the suspense no longer. They quietly opened the door and peeped in. And what do you think they saw? The princess, standing at the table in the middle of the room with Marygold's basket in front of her, busily peeling onions as hard as she could go, while the tears streamed down her face all the while. She was crying at last. The king and queen rushed in and clasped her in their arms, onions in all. The ladies and waiting stood with their perfumed handkerchiefs pressed to their noses. The pages tittered and the cook, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, muttered to himself when he heard the news. Well, I could have done that. While the prime minister rushed about the room with his wig on one side and shook everybody violently by the hand, exclaiming, wonderful, wonderful, and so simple, we must get out of proclamation at once. Where are my spectacles? Where is my pen? And so the princess was cured, and from that time she became like everybody else and cried when she was unhappy and laughed when she was glad, though I am pleased to say that she always laughed a great deal more than she cried. As for Marygold, she got her five hundred crowns, of course, and was able to give her mother everything she needed so that she was soon quite well. The king and queen were most grateful and often invited her up to the palace to play with their little daughter and loaded her with presents. As she was sweet and modest, she didn't get spoiled, but grew up charming, kind, and beautiful. I did hear that in the end she married a king's son and that they had an onion for their crest, but I'm not at all sure about that. CHAPTER III. THE PRINCE AND THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER There was once a prince who was very brave, good, and handsome. He was quite young, too, and before he settled down to learning how to rule the kingdom, which would one day be his, he was sent by his father out travelling into the world. The king gave his son a beautiful white horse and a bagful of big gold pieces, and told him to come back when the money was all spent. His mother made him a blue velvet mantle, embroidered with silver, and she also gave him a hat with a blue feather in it. I want my son to look nice when he goes out riding into the world, she said. He rode away on his white horse and turned away his hand to his mother and father before he went over the hilltop. How handsome he looks, said his mother, wiping away a tear or two. Well that's nothing to cry about, said his father, and blew his nose. Then they went back into the palace and continued ruling. The prince rode on and on. Wherever he went, people were very nice to him, even when he got beyond the borders of his own kingdom where he was no longer known. It is not every day that a handsome prince comes riding along on a white horse, and moreover with a bagful of fine gold pieces to spend. All the girls ran out to look at him as he passed, and when he stayed anywhere, even for a short time, people seemed to get to know about it at once, and asked him to their houses, and gave grand parties in his honour, and made so much of him altogether that he was in some danger of getting thoroughly spoiled. But he had been very well brought up, and he had a naturally amiable disposition. Besides, he had always been told by his mother, if you are a prince, he must try hard to behave as a prince should, and be modest, considerate, and very polite to everyone. One morning, close on midday, he came to a tiny village which he did not know at all. He was rather hungry after his ride, and as he passed down the narrow little street, he became aware of a delicious smell of new bread. He came from the open door of the village bakers, and as he glanced in, he saw a pile of beautiful, crisp, new rolls heaped up in a big white basket. He got down off his horse and went in. I should like to buy one of those nice little rolls, he said to the baker's daughter, who stood behind the counter. She was very pretty. She had blue shining eyes and fair smooth hair, and when she smiled, it was like sunshine on a flowery meadow. The prince ate up his roll, and then another, and yet another, and while he ate, he talked to the baker's daughter, but no one can eat more than three rolls one after another, and at last he felt that the time had come to pay for what he had, and ride on his way. But as it happened, he had no small change, nothing but a gold piece such as those which he had in his bag. The baker's daughter hadn't enough money in the whole shop to change such a big gold piece, her father having set off that very morning with all the money in the till in order to buy a sack of flour from the miller in the next village. She had never even seen so large a gold coin before. She wanted to give him the rolls for nothing, but of course he wouldn't hear of that, and when he said it didn't matter about the change she wouldn't hear of that either. Then there's nothing for it, said the prince, but for me to stay in the village until I have eaten as much as my gold piece will pay for. As a matter of fact, he was really quite glad of an excuse to stay, the baker's daughter was so very pretty and he was getting a little tired of travelling. He potted about in the bake house all the afternoon and watched her making the dough for her delicious rolls he even offered to help her. His blue mantle got rather flowery, but he didn't mind that in the least. The baker's daughter was rather worried that such a fine gentleman should get in such a mess. She didn't know he was a prince, otherwise she might have been more worried still. In the evening, when the baker returned, the prince asked if he could put him up for a couple of nights. The baker was a kindly and simple old soul. Gladly, gladly, he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling, for the village was a small one and they were very poor and he was glad to make a little extra money. The prince stayed a whole week at the baker's house. By that time, what with the bread he had eaten, though he was careful not to eat much and always chose the cheapest, and the price of his lodging about half of the gold piece was spent and the baker's daughter was able to give him the change from the money she had taken in the shop. So he had no excuse for staying any longer, which grieved him because he had grown very fond of the baker's daughter and did not like leaving her. But he had an idea that his mother and father would not think her a very suitable bride for him, for princes cannot always marry whom they please, so he rode sadly away. But the farther he went, the sadder he became and at the end of two months he could bear it no longer and so one fine morning he turned his horse's head round and rode back the way he had come. She is good and clever and beautiful, he said. What more can one want in a wife? When my mother and father see her, they will love her as much as I do and will be quite willing that I should marry her. Which really was very optimistic of him. But, alas, when he came to the village and sought the baker's shop, he was met by strange faces. The baker had died a month since, he was told, and his daughter had left the village and gone out into the world to work for her living, for she could not manage the baker's house by herself and there was none to help her now that her father was gone. The prince was very, very troubled and unhappy. He tried to find out something more about her, but his efforts were fruitless. No one seemed to know what had become of her. I will search the world over till I find her, he said, even if it takes me the whole of my life. He wandered on and on, always making fresh inquiries, always hoping to hear something of his lost love, but always in vain. And at last he got back to his own kingdom. When his mother and father saw him, they were horrified to find how pale and thin he had grown. Travelling doesn't seem to suit you, my son, said his father, looking at him rather seriously and stroking his beard. The poor boy is tired out, said his mother. He'll look better when he's had a good rest and some proper food. I don't suppose he's ever had a really wholesome meal in those foreign parts. But the prince remained thin and sad and listless, and at last he told his father and mother the cause of his unhappiness. At first they were a little upset at the idea of his wanting to marry so humble a person as the daughter of a village baker. But that, of course, thought the prince, is only because they don't know her. And after a time when they saw how unhappy he was, and that all the distractions with which they had provided him were unavailing, and that his one idea was to go out into the world again and search for the baker's daughter, they were so troubled that they felt they would be only too glad if he could have the wish of his heart fulfilled. And then one day, as the prince was sitting quietly at breakfast with his parents, he jumped up suddenly with an expression of the greatest excitement and joy. What is it, my son? said his astonished mother. The prince couldn't speak for a moment. For one thing he was too excited, and for another his mouth was full of bread, and I told you before how well brought up he was. But he pointed to the dish of breakfast rolls and kept on nodding his head and swallowing as hard as he could. The king and queen thought at first that sorrow had affected his brain, but the prince was able to explain very soon, the rolls, the rolls, he said, her rolls, hers. No one else could make them so good, she must be here. And he rushed off to the kitchen without further ado. And there, sure enough, he found the baker's daughter peeling potatoes over the sink. By the merest chance she had taken a place as kitchen-made in the king's palace, though she hadn't the faintest idea when she did so, that the king's son was the same person as the handsome stranger who had once stayed in her father's house. And though she had been there a month, she had never seen him. How should she? King's palaces are big places, and the kitchen-made stay in the kitchen premises, so that she and the prince might never have come to face at all if it had not happened that, owing to the illness of the royal roll-maker, she had undertaken to make the breakfast rolls that morning. When the king and queen saw how sweet and beautiful she was, they made no objection to her as a bride for their son, and so he asked her at once to marry him, which she consented to do, for she loved him as much as he loved her. I don't know that I should have chosen a baker's daughter for our son's wife, said the queen to her husband when they talked it over that evening, but she's certainly a charming girl and quite nice people go into business nowadays. She'll make him an excellent wife, said the king. Those rolls were delicious. So they got married quite soon after. The wedding was a rather quiet one, because the bride was in mourning for her father, whom she had loved dearly. All the same, it was a very nice affair, and everybody was most jolly and gay. The prince and his wife had a beautiful house, not very far from the palace, and I think it is extremely likely that they lived happily ever after. There was once a fairy who fell into a bramble bush. It was a very closely grown bush, and she could not get out. She was sadly scratched, and the thorns caught her tiny delicate wings, and tore her pretty frail dress into shreds. The bramble bush formed part of a hedge, which ran along the side of an orchard, and presently a horse came sauntering up to the hedge. Oh, please help me, sir, said the fairy. I'm caught in a bramble bush and can't get out. The horse came and looked at her. That's a nasty place to be in, he said. What will you give me if I get you out? I'll give you a golden halter, and a silver bit, said the fairy. The horse shook his head. It's not worth it, he said. I should scratch my face. My master loves me for my beautiful satin skin, and I really can't risk spoiling my appearance. Besides, I have some very nice harness of my own. He says to that, sorry I can't be of any assistance. And he ambled away. A little later, a robin perched on the bramble bush. Oh, please, Mr. Robin, won't you come and help me, said the fairy. I can't get out. What will you give me, said the robin, if I help you out? I'll give you a jacket of gold, and slippers of silver, said the fairy. Thank you very much, said the robin. But I don't think that's quite my style. I have a nice red waistcoat already, and I should hate to look gaudy. Besides, I'm tremendously busy. I've got a young family to look after, and my wife doesn't like me to be away long. And he flew off. There were sheep grazing in the field on the other side of the hedge, and one of them came munching close to the bramble bush. Oh, please, Mrs. Sheep, said the fairy, can you help me out of here? What will you give me, if I do, said the sheep? I'll teach you to sing, as the fairy sing, said the fairy. I will also give you wisdom, for she was getting more and more anxious, and she thought such lovely gifts would tempt the sheep. But the sheep stared stupidly with her glassy eyes. That's all very well, she replied. But I happen to have a very nice voice naturally, and can already sing rather well. As for wisdom, I don't quite know what that is, and I don't think it sounds very interesting. I'd help you gladly, but the thorns would tear my fine woolen coat, and that would never do. Surely a fine woolen coat is worth much more than wisdom. And she moved away. The fairy was beginning to despair. She thought she would never, never be able to get back to Fairyland. But just as she had given up hope, a pig came wandering past, making ugly noises and staring about with his little blue eyes. He spied the fairy, sitting in the midst of the bramble bush with her head down on her knees. What's the matter? said the pig. The fairy raised her head and said, I think I can get you out, he said when she had told him her trouble. I'm not much to look at, but I've got a good tough hide, and at any rate I shan't be afraid of a few scratches spoiling my beauty. So with a good many snuffles and grunts, he pushed his head and shoulders well into the middle of the bush and made a clear way for the fairy to get out. She said, She gave a sigh of relief when she found herself once more free and in the clear sunshine and the pig stood and looked at her admiringly, for she was a dear little thing. He was so conscious of his ugliness beside her pretty grace that he turned away and started off down the orchard. Don't go! Oh, don't go! said the fairy. The pig turned round You've not had your reward, said the fairy. I don't want any reward, thank you, grunted the pig and moved on. But the fairy persisted. She flew after him. You must have a reward, she said. I shall be most unhappy if you don't. But I don't want anything, thank you, said the pig. I have been very glad to help you. The fairy stood in front of him anxiously pondering as to what she could possibly give him that might be of any use. Nobody seemed to want her fairy gifts. She looked him up and down. Wouldn't you like something something to make you more beautiful? She said. She really meant less ugly but she was so grateful to the pig that she was very anxious not to hurt his feelings and so she put it that way. I'm afraid it's rather hopeless, said the pig with half a smile. You see, I'm such an ugly fellow. You'd have to alter me all over. But surely a little something, said the fairy and she looked at him more thoughtfully than ever. Now all this happened a very long time ago when pigs had quite straight tails like most of the other animals and suddenly, looking at his tail, the fairy had an idea. I know. I know, she said. You shall have a curly tail it will be an immense improvement and so uncommon. The pig looked rather pleased. Well, have it your own way, he said. I can't see my own tail in any case but I dare say it wouldn't look bad. So the fairy touched the pig's tail with a wand and it instantly curled up into nice little rings. Ever since that day pigs have had curly tails and they've had curly tails and now you know how they came by this beautiful adornment. End of Chapter 4 Chapter 5 of The Rainbow Cat This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Rainbow Cat by Rose Filman Chapter 5 The Second Adventure of The Rainbow Cat The Rainbow Cat went on and on until at last he came to the country of the tree goblins. The tree goblins are happy people. They live in the trees like birds though they can't fly. They are indeed very friendly with the birds and they understand the bird language so that they are able to send one another messages without any need of the post which is very convenient. When winter comes the goblins go and live in their caves underground. It is a great change after the trees and they are always delighted when spring returns again. There are no animals in tree goblin land but the Rainbow Cat was an old friend here too and was received as kindly as in cloudland. The tree goblins are rather funny little creatures. They like to keep themselves to themselves as the saying goes and there are not even any berries living in their country but they are on very friendly terms with the berry folk and their principal occupation is making berry clothes. These are the tiniest finest little garments imaginable and they are made of all sorts of pretty things. Spider thread of course and moonbeams and soft silk from silkworms and flower petals dipped in magic wells so that they cannot fade and thistle down and moss velvet and foam and lichen oh there is no end to the things that are used to make clothes for the fairies and when they are finished the birds carry them to the fairies and bring back orders. Sometimes when it's a very special occasion the fairies come to be fitted or to choose the stuffs and the styles but not often. They are easy to fit and easy to suit and the birds to the ordering most satisfactorily. The rainbow cat liked being in tree goblin land very much indeed. He lived in a beautiful copper beach when the morning sun shone through the leaves his little house was filled with a lovely rosy light which was most pleasing and becoming. Every morning a chorus of little birds sang songs to him for his delight and every evening they lulled him to sleep with soft lullabies. They thought him a very grand and beautiful person and so indeed he was. When he had been in tree goblin land for two or three days the chief of the goblins came to see him one morning early he was in great trouble. The queen of the fairies had sent an order for rose colored shoes dozens and dozens of pairs she wanted all the court to wear rose colored shoes at her next party and her next party was to take place in three days. We could get the work done said the chief goblin anxiously it isn't that but we haven't got the material you see the roses aren't out yet there's been a great run on pink lately and we've used up all the pink flowers and all our other stuffs of that color we've scarcely got an inch of rose color of any kind and we ought to start it once it'll take us all our time to get them made it would be dreadful to disappoint the queen what are we to do the rainbow cat was more than willing to help but he felt that it was a difficult matter how soon must you have the stuff he asked this afternoon would be the very latest said the goblin I'll see what I can do said the rainbow cat when you're two don't worry it'll be all right meet me here at noon and I'll let you know what I've done the chief goblin went away feeling considerably relieved the rainbow cat seemed so wise just the kind of person to think of something helpful in an emergency and sure enough at twelve o'clock he came to meet the chief of the goblins with a cheerful twinkle in his dark blue eye I've been making a few inquiries he said but I want to make sure that my information is correct sit down and let us have a little quiet talk the chief goblin sat down and waited eagerly he felt more and more hopeful is it true said the rainbow cat is it true that the crooked hawthorn tree in the wishy glen is very bad tempered quite true nobody dares go near him he's such a cross cantankerous creature lots of hawthorns are very nice indeed and we're very fond of them but he's unbearable he'll give anyone a nasty scratch if he gets half a chance he's so spiteful is it true continued the rainbow cat that he's jealous of the other trees because he can't grow tall and big like them and reach up to the sky quite true said the chief goblin he makes everyone round him miserable with his grumbling and scolding hmmm said the rainbow cat and he folded his arms and sat lost and thought for a few minutes would the petals of the hawthorn tree do to make berry shoes off he said at last beautifully but they're white for at that time all hawthorn blossom was white both in fairyland and everywhere else quite true said the rainbow cat can you lend me a mandolin yes I think I can said the goblin and he ran off and came back very soon with a beautiful mandolin all inlaid with silver and ivory pearl thank you said the rainbow cat I think that in half an hour or so I shall be able to let you have all the rose colored petals you want and he hung the mandolin around his neck and set off into the forest presently he came to the wishy glinn sat down a little way off from the hawthorn tree where its thorns could not possibly touch him tuned up his mandolin to sing this little song the oak tree raises his arms on high the pine tree reaches up to the sky the slender birch is a lady fair the poplar has a most elegant air but tell me oh tell me now who is this small and stunted and all a miss who can he be oh who can he be the squat little odd little strange little tree it wasn't very kind of the rainbow cat but the hawthorn tree was a very disagreeable fellow you must remember and nobody could ever do anything to punish him because everyone was so afraid of his sharp thorns anyway by the time the rainbow cat had got to the end of the first verse the hawthorn tree was very angry he could hardly contain himself and he trembled all over when he was in the cat hardly looked at him he went cheerfully on with a song this was the second verse the elm tree stands like a stately king the leaves of the alder dance and sing my lady beech is a courtly dame the chestnut slamps are a shining flame but tell me tell me who can he be that scarcely reaches up to their knee head and crooked up limb what on earth doesn't matter with him the hawthorn tree had grown more and more furious as the song went on the rainbow cat finished up with a beautiful thrill when he got to the matter with him but the hawthorn tree was in no mood to admire his fine singing so great was his rage and he shook so violently that all his petals were shaken down they fell all around him like a shower of rosy rain the rainbow cat waited no longer he ran off as hard as he could to the chief of the goblins still singing as he went and told him that he would find all the stuff he wanted in the wishy-glin so the queen got the rose-colored shoes after all and the tree goblins were most grateful to the rainbow cat and begged him to stay with them as long as he liked but he thanked them and said he must continue his travels they wanted to load him with presents but all he would take was a little bottle of water from the magic well this water has fairy powers if you rub it on your eyes you can see through stone walls which is sometimes very convenient and the rainbow cat was quite pleased to have some they also insisted that he should keep the mandolin this he finally consented to do and ever since that time there have always been pink Hawthorne trees as well as white End of Chapter 5 Chapter 6 of the Rainbow Cat This is a Librivoque recording of the Rainbow Cat This is a Librivoque recording All Librivoque recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Librivoques.org The Rainbow Cat by Rose Filman Meladora There was once a young prince who wished to take a wife so he went to consult his aunt who was by way of being a wise woman Next week he said the king of the land on the other side of the mountains is holding a great festival in honor of the coming of age of his son and he has invited me to stay at the court there will be many beautiful ladies there and I am hoping that I may be able to find a wife among them but how shall I know which to choose You shall have my advice and welcome said his aunt choose a maiden who laughs when others cry and cries when others laugh and you will not go far wrong The prince thanked his aunt for her counsel and went back home he thought the advice she had given him rather strange but he had great confidence in her wisdom and in any case he said I can but go to the festival and see what comes of it there were indeed many lovely ladies at the court of the king on the land of the other side of the mountains the prince was quite dazzled by their beauty and their wit each of them seemed more charming than the last on the second day of the fete a picnic had been arranged which was to take place in a woodland glade some little way from the palace the road bitter was rough and very muddy for there had been much rain the week before the princess and knights rode on horseback the ladies were conveyed in carriages gaily deck with flowers drawn by beautiful prancing horses but it so happened that the horses of one of the carriages became unmanageable it turned over and the six ladies who rode in it were all tumbled into the ditch at the side of the road it was a rather deep ditch and there was water at the bottom of it so that it was quite a business getting them all out though fortunately none of them was seriously hurt the prince who happened to be riding beside the carriage helped to rescue them and escorted them one by one weeping to a seat on the bank where they presented a sorry spectacle with their pretty frocks all muddy and bedraggled and their pretty hats all on one side but when the prince came to the sixth lady he found her to his great astonishment sitting at the bottom of the ditch laughing her hat had come off, her hair had come down she was bedobbed with mud from head to foot and her poor little hands were covered with nettle stings but she laughed all the same we must have looked so funny all tumbling into the ditch, she said I wish I could have seen it we're still rather a funny sight aren't we and she looked down at herself at the weeping ladies on the bank and laughed again there was so much mud on her face that the prince could not see what she really looked like but he remembered the words of his aunt what is the name of the sixth lady he asked when they had all been bundled off home the one who laughed her name is Melodora he was told so in the evening he sought out Melodora and found that she was the most beautiful the charming person he looked back to her forthwith but I must do nothing in a hurry he said to himself after all there is the other half of my aunt's council to be considered in any case it would perhaps seem a little strange if I asked her to marry me quite so soon we will see what happens tomorrow on the next day all the ladies and gentlemen who were staying in the castle were to go out riding in the early morning the prince had slept late and he stood for a moment at his window on the courtyard where there was a great bustling and prancing and making ready through the mist of all this an old peasant woman was making her way she had a basket of eggs on her arm and carefully laid on the top of it was a round flat cake brown and spicy looking with a sugar heart in the middle of it surrounded by pink and white sugar roses she had made it for a birthday gift for the king's son but she was a little confused by all the bustle on the courtyard scurried hither and thither among the horses and people like a frightened hen presently one of the king's servants pushed her out of the way her foot caught on the edge of a stone she tripped and fell the eggs rolled out of the basket plop, plop, they went on the stones there was a fine mess in the beautiful cake clay in the mist of it and fragments the old woman was so vexed and upset that she forgot everything but the misfortune that had befallen her in the middle of the courtyard surrounded by her broken eggs scolding away at the top of her voice and shaking her old umbrella at the whole gate crowd everybody laughed and indeed she was a rather comical side as she stood there shouting and storming somebody threw her a gold piece which was kindly meant but a gold piece wouldn't make her beautiful cake whole again presently the whole party rode away through the courtyard gates all accepting one and the other than Melodora she slipped down from her horse and went swiftly across where the old woman sat upon the stone steps leading up to the big castle doors all her anger was gone but she looked the picture of misery the prince could see how Melodora stooped to pick up the broken cake and tried to put it together again and how kindly she put her arm round the old woman's shoulder coaxing her with friendly words and when presently he came down into the courtyard to see what more might be done the sun shone upon Melodora's gentle face and he saw that her eyes were full of tears then the prince knew that he had indeed found the one whom he sought for here was a maiden who not only laughed when others cried but who also cried when others laughed the old woman was taken to the king's son where she was so kindly received that she forgot all her troubles but the prince waited no longer the day he asked Melodora to marry him and as she loved him as much as he did her they got married very soon and lived happily ever after End of Melodora Chapter 7 Of the Rainbow Cat This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Nemo The Rainbow Cat by Rose Filman The Clock There once was a little clock which had gone steadily for years and years it was a good conscientious little thing pretty too but very modest and it had always kept splendid time then it stopped suddenly one day exactly at eleven its works were worn out and the clockmaker to whom it was sent for repairs returned it with a message that it was not possible to make it go again the people to whom it belonged decided to leave it on the mantel shelf where it had always stood it's such a nice little thing they said and some day we can have new works put into it so there it stood without making a movement or uttering the faintest tick but it was very unhappy it felt that it was of no real use in the world the other things in the room weren't very nice about it they used to whisper to one another and the little clock caught an unkind word now and then that made it unhappier than ever I don't know why they keep it there what on earth's the good of it if it doesn't go said the big grandfather clock it never was much use anyway no chime and a very poor tick of course it's got no constitution to speak of and his brazen face grew even shinier than it had been before and he gave a self-satisfied little cough and then saying out his quarters as loudly as ever he could the cuckoo clock which lived in the hall and used to join in the talk when the door was open actually went so far is to make up a little rhyme about it cuckoo cuckoo it sang what's the use of you what's the use of you cuckoo cuckoo the chairs which were Chippendale and tremendously proud of the fact were quite as rude there's no doubt about it they said quality is what tells you can't expect a thing to last unless it is really well made inside and out perfect workmanship will wear practically forever and they held up their backs as straight as could be and curved their shapely arms and legs to the most elegant lines imaginable the little Chelsea flower seller and flute player who stood on each side of the clock on the mantel shelf were much kinder and did their best to console it they had always been unfriendly terms with it and they used to peep round it and smile and wave to one another the fairy queen is probably coming to see us soon so the flower seller perhaps she may be able to help you the little clock felt happier it would be wonderful to be introduced to the fairy queen who had often been to see the Chelsea figures but had so far never taken notice of any of the other things you see those two were old friends of hers they came from fairy land originally but the tale went that a wicked witch had cast a spell over them just to last for 777 years at the end of that time they would be able to go back to fairy land but meanwhile the queen used to come and visit them now and then in order to cheer them up sure enough the very next time she came the flower seller remembered about the little clock and told her how unhappy it was the queen came and stood in front of it and stroked its face with her tiny hand and patted its pretty ormaloo pillars finally she sat down on the little green marble slab on which it stood and asked it to tell her all its troubles and the little clock opened its heart to her and told her how miserable it was to think that it would never never be able to tell the time again but you will said the queen every night at 11 o'clock you will be exactly right none of the other clocks she glanced round almost contemptuously at the grandfather can be quite sure ever being perfectly right but you will be why it must be about 11 now she pulled a dandelion clock from her pocket and began to blow into count 1, 2, 3, 4 the white darts floated away and went drifting about the room at last only one remained at that moment the cuckoo clock was heard striking in the hall the queen stopped blowing to listen he's fast she said and waited till he had finished 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 she went on and as she ended the last white morsel of down rose in the air she glanced at the little clock you see you're quite right she said triumphantly and tomorrow morning you'll be right again at 11 o'clock the little clock beamed and it beamed still more when the fairy queen opened its glass door and gently clasped its hands in hers and said how much she looked forward to seeing it again just then the grandfather cleared his throat and went through his pompous performance of chiming out the quarters and hour you're five minutes slow said the queen and she waved her hand and vanished through the ventilator end of the clock chapter 8 of the rainbow cat this is a LibriVox recording LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Nemo The Rainbow Cat by Rose Filman The Moon The Moon, of course is a big golden penny hung up in the sky every month when it is at the full the fairies stand in the fields and gaze at it and feel in their empty pockets there are so many things they want to buy rainbow ribbon from the weather clerk for sashes silk and thread from the spider for weaving into shawls pearl varnish from the snail for doing up their wings and little red feathers from the robin for wearing in their Sunday bonnets at last they can barret no longer they all go flying into the sky and unhook the moon and carry it off to go marketing with and when they are tired of spending they hang what is left of it up again in the sky and go home to bed but the next night they fetch it again and spend a little more they go on doing this night after night for nearly a fortnight and the moon gets smaller and smaller until at last there is nothing left of it at all and when the fairies realize what they have done they get frightened we've spent all the moon they say suppose it never grew again wouldn't it be dreadful and they all hide away in the forest and don't come out for several nights but at last one of them takes courage and puts his head out a tiny bit of moon shining in the sky whereupon he gives a shout and claps his hands and goes running around to the houses of all the other fairies to tell them the good news the moon's growing again he says come quick and look and they all come out to look at it and caper about and are as pleased as pleased can be we'll never take it again they say they'll grow next time but at the end of a fortnight they have worn all their prettys a little shabby and they want some more and by that time the moon has grown so big that they feel they must spend a little of it and would you believe it they end up by doing all over again just exactly what they did before they've been going on like this for ages and that's more they're beginning to take it for granted that the moon will grow again and so I don't suppose they'll ever get cured but it's very tiresome of them we could quite well do with all the moon always besides some day it really might not grow again and what then end up chapter nine of the rainbow cat this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the rainbow cat by Rose Fileman chapter nine the third adventure of the rainbow cat when the rainbow cat left the land of the tree goblins he traveled for some time until he came to a delightful country called the bountiful land it was a marvelous country there were deep forests there and great mountains full of the loveliest flowers such as only grow in gardens in other countries the sky was nearly always blue and the people who lived in that land were happy and contented that is to say they would have been one thing in the very middle of the country there was a great castle built high upon a rock and in this castle so the inhabitants of the place told the rainbow cat there lived a cruel and wicked giantess who terrorized over the people and constantly took away their goods sometimes even their children the rainbow cat did not meet with anyone who had originally seen the giantess face to face but terrible tales were told of her doings and of her horrible appearance she was three times the height of an ordinary man it was said her hair was like knotted ropes her eyes flamed fire when she blew her nose the sound was like thunder when she sneezed forests swayed as beneath her hurricane when she stamped her foot whole villages collapsed besides being a giantess she was reported to be able to work magic and that frightened the people more than anything else on dark nights she would come down from her castle they told him in a chariot drawn by six dragons and when the people heard the noise of it they fled into their houses and locked the doors and barred the windows from within they could hear their barns and granaries being ransacked and the opening of the doors of sheds and stables whence their best cattle and horses were carried off but sometimes a great voice shouting in the dark throw out your treasures or I will take your children then the terrified people opened their windows and threw out their treasures in fear and trembling and notices would mysteriously appear in the villages threatening that unless certain things were delivered up at the castle gates the giantess would come down and take a terrible revenge the things were conveyed up the rocky path by terrified villagers who left them in front of the gates as commanded they always came back with most alarming stories of what they had observed one man had seen the giantess shoes being cleaned by a servant in the courtyard they were as big he said as a hay wagon another was so frightened by the sight of her washing the line that he ran all the way home and did not get over it for weeks but the worst thing of all was that children who had wandered a little way from home disappeared and never came back others who escaped would tell how an enormous cloaked figure had suddenly sprung out from behind a tree seized one of their comrades and made off into the woods the thing had grown so big that people dare not let their children out of their sight for a moment and they were growing so afraid of the visits of the giantess that all happiness was rapidly vanishing out of the land the fame of the rainbow cat's wisdom had already reached this country and the people were delighted to see him and implored him to come to their assistance the rainbow cat felt that this was a very serious matter indeed but he was exceedingly sorry for the people and promised to do all he could to help them so on the evening of the second day after his arrival he took his little bag which contained among other things the lightning which the thunder giant had given him and the bottle of fairy water from Tree-Godland land he said nothing of his purpose to the kind of folk with whom he was staying he knew it would only make them fearfully anxious he just said he was going out for a little walk in order to think the matter over he climbed lightly and softly up the rocky path until he came right under the castle walls there were two immense stone towers one at each end of the castle and from the high chimney of one of them great clouds of evil looking smoke were pouring forth green and purple and black aha said the rainbow cat to himself that's where she's busy and her horrible tricks is it so he sat down outside the tower opened his bag and dabbed his eyes with water from his little bottle right through the wall into the inside of the tower to his great astonishment he saw no giantess but a very nasty looking old wizard with a long grey beard and an enormously tall hat who set in a large room in front of a great open fire all manner of strange and terrible looking things hung upon the walls of the room or were stored away in cupboards and the floors and tables were piled with books of magic a great bunch of keys hung from the girdle of the wizard who was busily stirring something which was bubbling over the fire in a big black pot from which came the smoke that the rainbow cat had noticed pouring from the chimney the fire light shown on the labels of the keys so that the rainbow cat was able to read what was written on them gold chest silver chest jewel chest giantess's room prisoner's room giantess's garden these were some of the names he read on the labels and he began to understand things a little better but he thought he would make a few more investigations so he picked up his little bag and walked softly off to the other end of the castle and sat down on the ground at the foot of the tower there and again bathed his eyes with fairy water this time he found himself looking into a big room full of children they were all very busy some of them were sorting strange looking herbs some of them were grinding queer substances with heavy stones some of them were anxiously measuring out liquids drop by drop from one bottle into another they all looked pale and tired they did not laugh and talk over their work as one would expect children to do and then the door of the room opened and end walked who but the giantess herself but imagine the surprise of the rainbow cat upon discovering that although she was indeed immensely tall she was otherwise by no means a terrible looking person but had on the contrary a sweet and charming face and beautiful golden hair the children all came running up to her as soon as she appeared and seemed delighted to see her she bent down and lifted some of them up into her arms and was so gentle and sweet with them all that it was a joy to see her the rainbow cat lost no further time he took his mandolin and sitting there at the foot of the tower he began playing a little tune he dared not play very loud for fear the wizards should hear him in the other tower but fortunately the wind was in the right direction and in any case he felt pretty certain that the wizard was too much taken up with his enchantments to pay attention to anything else but the giantess heard for of course giantesses have very much larger ears than ordinary people and heard much better and she put her head out of the window and saw the rainbow cat sitting there in the dusk and asked him who he was and what he was doing I am a friend said the rainbow cat help me to come up the giantess let down her ribbon waist belt with the bag she kept her handkerchief in tied to the bottom of it and this was so large that the rainbow cat was easily able to get into it together with his precious bag and mandolin the giantess hauled him up to the window seal and asked him to come in and sit down and tell her what he was doing there and all about himself as an ordinary creature and when he explained to her why he was there and what he had learned in the bountiful country she told him her own tale how the wicked magician had stolen her away from home when she was quite young and had brought her to this castle and how he kept her shut up while with his magic spells he did all sorts of evil things I know that people think it is all my doing said the poor giantess he can turn an old wash tub and six beans into a chariot drawn by flaming dragons and when he flies out he wears a great cloak over his tall hat so that everyone takes him for me he makes these poor children help him in his wicked work and keeps them prisoners just as he does me he does not even give us enough to eat if we are not soon rescued we shall all die he grows worse every day big tears fell from the giantess's eyes each one made a little pool where it fell don't cry said the rainbow cat all will yet be well my magic is stronger than his when once I get at him I'll soon finish him off will you take me to him when once was afraid she said she dare not disturb him besides he would never let you in he is so suspicious it's got to be done somehow said the rainbow cat if you are to be set free he set softly strumming on his mandolin and thinking and suddenly the giantess had an idea he loves music he says it helps his brain to work if you could pretend to be a wandering musician the rainbow cat leapt with joy the very thing my dear he said have you by any chance got a peacock's feather to lend me this the giantess was able to provide thank you very much said the rainbow cat you will see in an hour's time you will all be free goodbye for the present he was so excited he was seen out of the window mandolin bag and all but he was quite all right you know even ordinary cats are supposed always to fall on their feet and of course a fairy cat when he reached the ground he wrapped himself in his cloak pulled his hat well over his eyes and stuck the peacock's feather in the front of it now I look just like a wandering musician and he went boldly up to the door of the wizard's tower and pulled the bell the magician himself came to the door but he opened it only the tiniest little bit who are you and what do you want he said in a very gruff voice I am a poor wandering musician said the cat may I come in and give you a tune the wizard looked at him suspiciously what have you got in that bag he asked giving it a kick with his foot so that the bundle of lightning made a rattling noise I've got all the major minor keys in there said the rainbow cat and a bunch of them that's what makes such a rattle but I can't do without them sing me a song said the wizard and then I'll see whether I'll let you in or not so the rainbow cat and sang this little song and the wizard stood just inside the door and listened the song of the goose there once was a goose who lived on a green gold was his beak and his feathers were clean a handsome creature there never was seen hey little hoe never was seen he lived on a green and he waddled about for he said to be sure I don't want to get stout and anyway exercise keeps off the gout hey little little hoe keeps off the gout I don't think much of that song said the wizard the next verse is very good but I'm not going to sing it out here in the cold night air I shall ruin my voice well come in said the wizard for he wanted to hear the end of the song but no sooner were they inside the wizard's room then the rainbow cat opened his bag and pulled out the bundle of lightning and let it loose all over the place you never heard such a commotion meanwhile he threw off his cloak leapt upon the table and stood there with his hair all standing on end and his eyes darting green and blue fire while the lightning flashed all round him and round the terrified wizard who threw himself down on his knees crying mercy, mercy for he had never seen anything like it before and he was anyway but a cowardly creature at heart presently the wizard's attendants came running to see what was the matter they dare not come into the room but stood trembling in the doorway tie him up commanded the rainbow cat with a great loud voice the attendants were not at all fond of their master but in any case they were so frightened of the strange and terrible creature on the table that they did not dare to disobey so the wizard was tied to the table and the rainbow cat took all his wicked books and his pots and pans and the rest of his nasty paraphernalia and threw them out of the window onto the ground below where they were burnt later on in a great bonfire by this time the news had spread all over the castle and presently the giantists came in with the children trooping behind her the wizard had grown black in the face with rage he knew that even if he were set free he would be utterly powerless for he had lost all his magic and he was truly rather a stupid wizard and could do absolutely nothing without them as a matter of fact the gentle giantists didn't want him to be punished and in the end he was conducted to the borders of the country and threatened with instant death if ever he returned but that of course was later the excitement there was in the land when the rainbow cat appeared the next day walking down the road from the castle with the giantists by his side and all the children running in front and the wicked magician led behind in chains the rainbow cat having finished his task soon made his friends goodbye and set out once more on his travels the giantists made him a present of the gold ring which she wore with his little finger he would take nothing else he wore it as a collar round his neck where it was always greatly admired she herself soon became a great favorite among the people of the bountiful land they loved her dearly and were very proud of her but she always had to be very careful not to sneeze or stamp people even came from other countries to see her so that in the end she was able to do the same but in time a giant who had heard much of her beauty and gentleness traveled all the way from giant land to visit her and he married her and took her away to his own home her trousseau took some making I can tell you all the women in the district sewed at it for six months and even then she was able to have only six of everything at the end of Chapter 9 Chapter 10 of The Rainbow Cat this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Nemo The Rainbow Cat by Rose Filman Almond Blossom Long ago the leaves and blossoms of the almond tree came out together like those on other trees but now the blossoms come out first shall I tell you why one day in early spring the fairy queen was writing about the country oh dear she said I'm so tired of this wintery weather I wish the flowers were out and next week is my birthday the fairy queen you must know has birthdays much oftener than ordinary people my first spring birthday this year then there are still only a few primroses and violets how I should love to see some pink flowers I'm so fond of pink the little buds of the almond tree heard her can't we manage it they said to their mother the tree will be out in time for the queen's birthday next week you can try said their mother but what about your brothers the leaves you know how lazy they are and you can't come out without them you would look funny the little pink buds did all they could they caught every bit of sunshine they sucked up every drop of moisture they grew and grew and their lazy brothers would not buster themselves they kept tight folded in their winter jackets it's too cold they said why should we hurry and so when the queen's birthday came of course they were not ready though the pink blossoms were all waiting to burst into bloom presently the queen came riding through the forest the sun was shining and the sky was blue she halted under the almond tree inside a little I've had some lovely presents she said a necklace of dew drops from the early morning a blue velvet cloak from the night and a basket full of perfumed kisses from the south wind who came such a long long way to bring them I should be perfectly happy if only I had some pink flowers the buds of the almond blossom heard her and quivered with excitement they could wait no longer with one accord they all burst forth into full bloom the scent of them was like the smell of honey the queen looked up oh you darlings she said darlings I'll have my birthday party under your tree it will be the prettiest spring party I have ever had and ever since that day the pink blossoms have always come out in time for the queen's first spring birthday without waiting for their lazy little brothers and every year the fairies hold their earliest revels under the blossoming boughs of the almond tree end of almond blossom Chapter 11 of The Rainbow Cat this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Nan Dodge The Rainbow Cat by Rose Filaman The Rondelle There was once a princess who dwelt in a castle in the midst of a great park she lived hidden away from the world in her quiet home and was scarcely ever seen by strangers rumors of her charm and loveliness and of her wonderful golden hair spread far and wide over the land and she was always known and spoken of as princess golden bright but her real name was gentle all around the castle were lovely pleasure gardens in which were gay flower beds and slender dancing fountains but the princess's favorite spot was a circle of ash trees which stood in the park some small distance away from the castle on a little grassy hill with a path leading up to it it was called the Rondelle in the middle of the circle of trees stood a table with a seat running round it was carpeted with soft moss and the tree trunks stood up straight and tall like marble pillars the princess loved nothing better than to sit in the Rondelle in the warm weather with her books and embroidery it was like being in a little house with a high green roof to it moreover it was a fairy place and the ash trees would often tell her the most delightful stories of what was going on outside the walls of the park for they were so tall that they could see a long way they learned many things too from the birds who loved to perch among their branches and to chatter away to one another about their adventures in the big world the princess very rarely went beyond the walls of the park for she was quite happy among the birds and flowers but because the beauty of princess gold and bright was famed throughout the land except to ask for her hand in marriage some of them even came in person but the princess would have nothing to do with any of them I am quite happy she said I do not want a husband however when she was twenty years old her fairy godmother came to pay her a visit and talked to her most earnestly upon this very subject of getting married telling her that it was exceedingly foolish of her to refuse to see these suitors my dear gentle she said whoever heard of a princess who was an old maid I don't say you need to choose in a hurry but I certainly think you ought at least to see these gentlemen you may very possibly find one among them whom you like and the ash trees will help you to choose if you should be in doubt so the princess promised to do as her godmother wished and after her departure she made it known by proclamation the princess golden bright was willing to receive any suitable person who might wish to pay her his addresses the day after this was done she went as usual to sit in the rondelle and while she busied herself with her embroidery she talked over this matter of the suitors with her beloved ash trees how shall I know whom to choose said the princess I have no experience at all if I must have a husband I should like to be sure that he is the right one do not be afraid dear princess replied the ash trees you know that who so ever stands beneath our bows is bound to speak the truth you need asked but one question of each of the suitors according to his answer you will be able to judge of his suitability as a husband what shall I ask him said the princess ask him replied the ash trees what he most desires and a wife that will be quite sufficient so the princess sat and waited presently she heard a whispering among the leaves over her head there's one coming they said we can see him riding along the high road oh what is he like said the princess he is a very fine looking gentleman indeed said the ash trees he rides on a great black crancing horse and a company of twenty nights rides behind him he wears shining armor the harness of his horse is studded with jewels and the hilt of his sword blazes in the sunshine it sounds very exciting said the princess and she put down her stitching and smoothed her golden hair and spread out the folds of her blower embroidered gown for naturally she wanted to look her best before long the prince arrived at the castle gates and the messenger came out into the park to tell the princess that he had come from the neighboring kingdom to seek her hand I will see him here said the princess so the prince came riding through the park with his knights all jingling behind him each of them bearing a golden casket containing a present for the princess when the prince reached the foot of a little hill on which the rondelles stood and saw the princess under the trees he dismounted from his horse and came on foot to where she sat the knights waited at the bottom of the hill the princess received him graciously and he stood before her in the shadow of the ash trees and asked if she would marry him I have a great kingdom said he great riches and great power and my enemies all fear me I am much honored said the princess but I should like to ask you one question what do you most desire in a wife obedience said the prince without an instance hesitation for he was obliged to speak the truth the princess smiled a little and what would you do if your wife disobeyed you she asked whip her said the prince I am much obliged to you said the princess but I am afraid that I might not always be obedient I would like to be whipped good day so the prince rode away home again with his knights and the princess went on with her sewing before long she again heard a whispering among the trees another suitor is riding along the road they said oh and what does he like said the princess he rides on a white horse said the ash trees and he wears a blue velvet cap with a white feather in it roses in his hand and behind him ride six gentlemen and gaily colored mantles with guitars slung over their shoulders he has all-burned hair and blue eyes they ride at the trot he sounds rather pleasing said the princess and she picked the flower from the syringa bush which grew at the entrance to the rondelle and stuck it in her hair the blue eyed prince was also come out to the rondelle and he too dismounted from his horse at the foot of the little hill and came gaily walking up the path till he stood beneath the branches of the ash trees he bowed low before the princess and laid his bunch of roses on the table in front of her she smiled graciously for he was a comely young man and he thereupon offered her his hand in exceedingly beautiful language if you will marry me he said I will spend my days making verses about you they will be sung throughout my kingdom I will make a whole book of them it shall be called songs of clean gold and bright the princess thought this sounded rather attractive one does not so often come across a prince who is also a poet but the ash trees rustled softly above her head and she remembered the question that she was to ask will you tell me what you most desire in a wife she said beauty said the prince promptly what supposing said the princess that your wife fell downstairs and broke her nose so that her beauty was spoiled what then oh then of course I shouldn't be able to make up any more verses about her said the prince I should get very irritable how can I bear to look at a wife she would certainly have to be most careful not to break her nose the princess laughed I think you'd better get married to a waxen lady she said if you kept her in a glass case out of the sun she would remain beautiful forever then there would be no fear of her nose getting broken thank you very much for coming I fear that we are not quite suited to one another good day the prince bowed low a bunch of roses and rode off again through the park with his white feather streaming behind him in the wind I'm sorry said the princess he looked so very nice and I'm sure he must make lovely songs but I should always have been afraid of breaking my nose and she laughed again and took up her embroidery several more suitors came during the day to ask for the hand of the princess one of them gave a satisfactory answer to the question one of them thought it above all things desirable in a wife that she should be able to make a good pudding another required that she should talk very little which I certainly couldn't promise said the princess another considered it most important that she should have 12 bags full of gold pieces they all had to tell the truth when they stood under the branches of the ash trees and some of them really had the most curious ideas at last just as the sun was going down there came a prince riding on a chestnut horse and attended only by one squire he had come a long way from a far off country and he had ridden hard for he had heard much about the lovely princess golden bright and was afraid that he might be too late in spite of his dusty and stained appearance the princess was pleased with the look of him for he was tall and slender and had dark curling hair and pleasant gray eyes and she hoped very much that he would answer the question satisfactorily when he came to the top of the little hill and saw the princess he fell on his knee and could find no word to say for she was so much more beautiful than he could ever have imagined but she smiled kindly at him and he took courage and told her how for a long time he had wanted to come to see her and that now he feared he had come too late the princess asked him many questions but she hesitated to ask the most important of all for she liked him better every minute and was afraid he might not give the right answer the ash trees rustled and rustled as if a wind were blowing through them and at last he felt she must wait no longer will you tell me she said softly what it is that you most desire and a wife the prince was perplexed truly he had never thought about the matter he looked down at the ground and then he looked up at the trees and as he did so they all began to whisper softly gentle gentle they said why of course at the prince began at the princess and smiled there is one thing I desire above all else and a wife she must be gentle and what better answer could he have given for gentle indeed she was the princess stood up and held out her hands to him her embroidery fell to the ground he'll do he'll do rustle the ash trees but the princess didn't even hear them she had already made up her mind she had already made up her mind End of Chapter 11 Chapter 12 of The Rainbow Cat this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Nan Dodge The Rainbow Cat by Rose Filamon Jam and the Magic Pencil Jam and the Magic Pencil there was once a little boy called Jam who lived in a country village one day he had the good luck to be able to help a fairy out of a ditch where she had got stuck in the mud the fairy was very grateful to Jam and promised him as a reward for his kindness that he should have what he most wished for in the world Jam was not a very clever boy and at first he couldn't think of anything to wish for there was a farmer and Jam had a good home and plenty to eat and drink his only real trouble was that he was always at the bottom of his class at school his father scolded and his mother wept but Jam always stuffed at the bottom he wasn't so bad at reading and writing but he simply could not do arithmetic his sums were always wrong even the quite easy ones so when he had thought for a few minutes and the fairy was beginning to grow impatient he decided that the best thing for him to wish for was that he might be able to get his sums right the fairy accordingly gave him a magic slate pencil which possessed the power of being able to do any kind of arithmetic without ever making any mistake you simply held it in your hand and it would write down the answer on your slate almost before you had time to read over the figures Jam was delighted with his present which he put carefully away in his pencil box he could hardly believe that it would do such wonderful things but sure enough he found he could do all his sums without the slightest effort and that every one of them was right addition, subtraction, multiplication it made nothing of them all even those dreadful long division sums were no trouble to the magic pencil it danced nimbly down the slate without stopping even for a second and the answers were always right Jam's schoolmaster was astonished so were his parents and delighted too when by the end of the week Jam had risen to the top of the school what a good teacher I am after all said the schoolmaster to himself I have even been able to teach arithmetic to a boy who was so hopelessly stupid over it he couldn't add up two and two correctly he was so proud of this that he actually invited the principal people in the neighborhood to come in and see his wonderful scholar and so it happened that the doctor the lawyer, the priest the mayor and one or two other important folk from round about arrived at the schoolhouse one fine day all a god to see the schoolmaster's wonderful pupil here Jam said the schoolmaster and show these gentlemen what you can do and he wrote out a long psalm on the blackboard an addition psalm in twenty rows all bristling with eights and nines poor Jam came forward in fear and trembling I'd rather do it on my slate he said but his schoolmaster wouldn't hear of that so Jam had to stand up in front of the blackboard with a piece of chalk in his hand of course he couldn't do the psalm at all he took him a dreadfully long time and not one figure was right the boys nervous at the doctor you've been overtaxing him the lawyer smiled and took a pinch of snuff I had an idea that our friend the schoolmaster was rather drawing the long bow he whispered to the mayor the priest came and patted Jam's head try again my child he said you'll do better next time but Jam did no better the next time if anything he did even worse the schoolmaster was much annoyed it made him look so foolish when the visitors had gone he gave Jam a good caning and sent him home in disgrace his father and mother were very disappointed too when they heard what had happened I always knew the lad was a dullard said his father Jam wandered disconsolently out into the sunshine it's not nice to be called a dullard particularly when you've been top of your school for a whole month his mother came after him you shall have a hot apple pasty for your supper she said it's in the oven now but even apple pasty couldn't console Jam he went into the lane and sat down near the place where he had seen the ferry he rather hoped he might see her again sure enough he hadn't been there five minutes when he felt a light touch on his shoulder and there she was perched on a swaying wild rose spray in the hedge close beside him oh come she said when Jam had told her his trouble we can soon remedy that and she gave him a piece of chalk to keep in his pencil box together with his very slate pencil now you will be able to do sums on the blackboard on your slate she said Jam thanked her and went home feeling quite happy so that he was able thoroughly to enjoy his supper and his apple pasty things went swimmingly for a while Jam did more wonderful sums than ever both on the blackboard and on his slate the schoolmaster was more careful this time but he called in first one person and then another to see what Jam could do and now he was no longer disappointed even the lawyer had to acknowledge that the boy was indeed a marvel but alas and alas after a little time Jam became so conceded that he was quite unbearable he gave himself the most extraordinary airs he would hardly condescend to speak to the other boys he even patronized his own father and mother no boy in the whole country is as clever as I he said the king ought to see what I can do I must certainly go to the court how they will open their eyes and so one fine day he prepared to set off to the court to show the king what he could do now the king of that country was a rather cantankerous old gentleman and made short work of anyone who displeased him Jam's mother didn't very much like the idea of his going the man would not be dissuaded you will see mother he said I shall come home with a bag full of gold and perhaps the king will want me to stay at his court when I am grown up I shall marry one of the princesses and you will be able to ride in a golden coach and to wear a mantle of blue velvet trimmed with ermine all the neighbors will curtsy to you and call you madame wouldn't you like that imagine that she would like that very much but she thought it was rather sweet of Jam to think so much of his mother and she gave him a kiss and one of his father's best linen shirts and bade him be sure not to get his feet wet so Jam set off to the palace and when he got there he sent in a message by the beautiful footmen who opened the door that Jam the erythmetical wonder had come to show the royal family what he could do it was a dull rainy afternoon and so it happened that the king queen and the two princesses were sitting at home in their state apartments feeling rather bored the Lord Chamberlain who generally amused them on wet days by asking them riddles had gone to bed with a very bad cold in his head and they had nothing to do shall we have him in said the king to the queen made dull said the younger princess who was busy making pale blue rosettes for her bedroom slippers better than nothing said her sister who had just finished reading all the love letters that had come by the morning's post and was pasting the prettiest ones into an album which he kept for that purpose so Jam was ushered into the royal apartments and he told the king and queen of his attainments how he could do any sum however difficult as quickly as it could be written down almost more quickly indeed he was a nice looking lad and he had no end of assurance and brought with him moreover letters from all manner of important personages who had tested his wonderful powers an attendant was sent to fetch the great court account tablets which were made of ivory inlaid with silver and the king offered Jam gold and pencil with rubies and diamonds round the top thank you very much said Jam I prefer a plain slate or a blackboard and I always use my own pencil prefer indeed said the king with a great black frown what business have you to prefer anything slates and blackboards I'd have you know that this is the king's palace and not a village school house if a gold pencil and ivory tablets are not good enough for you you can go and do your sums on the dungeon walls Jam was very frightened he didn't at all like the idea of a dungeon so there was nothing for it but to brave it out as best he might one of the lords in waiting was bid him to write down the sums and poor miserable Jam wildly scribbled down the answers as fast as he could with the eyes of the king the queen and of their two lovely daughters and all the lords and ladies in waiting riveted upon him but as it happened the only person at the court who was any good at arithmetic was the Lord Chamberlain and he as you know was in bed with a cold it is much easier to put down sums than to work them out and not one member of the royal family had the faintest idea as to whether Jam's answers were right or wrong the king looked as wise as he could very good very good he kept saying the princesses clapped their hands they had never been able to get their sums right but after all what does it matter whether a princess can do arithmetic or not if one or two of the court ladies and gentlemen had a suspicion that the figures were not quite correct they daren't suggest such a thing if the king said the answers were right it was as much as their lives were worth to say they were wrong but of course Jam knew nothing of all this he wrote on and on and all the time only one thought was in his mind how wonderful how wonderful he kept saying to himself I have grown so clever that I can do the sums by myself I shall never need to bother again about the stupid old pencil and chalk I really am the cleverest boy in the whole kingdom he did not stay very long at the palace and he was a little disappointed to find that no one offered him a post at court and that he was not even presented with a bag of gold pieces everyone thanked him politely and he was given a good tea in the housekeeper's room and the king and queen shook hands with him and gave him a pretty silver brooch to wear in his cap while the princesses smiled pleasantly and wished him a good journey but he was buoyed up by his wonderful discovery he went singing along the road and when he presently came to a deep pond he threw his slate pencil and his bit of chalk into the middle of it and continued gaily on his way you may imagine how badly he wanted them back again the next day and for many many days after for of course he was as bad as ever at arithmetic and went straight to the bottom of the class where he stayed many times he went to the place where he had met the fairy but she never came again for if you once throw away fairy gifts you never, never get them back again End of Chapter 12