CHAPTER XVI
OVER THE TREE TOPS
He was waked by Ivra's joyous cries just at dawn, and rolled out of hisshelter, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms and legs. But as soonas his eyes were well open he jumped up and uttered a cry of joyhimself. For hanging just above the water on the edge of the sea was agreat blue sea-shell air-boat with blue sails; and the Tree Mother stoodin it, talking to Helma and Ivra who had run down to the water's edge.
The boat and the sails were blue. Tree Mother's gown was blue. The seaand the sky were blue. Tiny white caps feathered the water. Tiny whiteclouds feathered the sky. And Tree Mother's hair was whiter and morefeathery than either. Her eyes were dark like the Tree Man's, onlykeener and softer, both. And in spite of her being a grandmother herface was brown and golden like a young out-of-door girl's, and she wasslim and quick and more than beautiful. Eric stood beside Ivra, his facelifted up to the Tree Mother's, aglow and quivering.
"She is going to take us home," Ivra said softly.
Then Tree Mother turned the boat, and it drifted in and down on thesand. The children and Helma climbed in. The Tree Mother said verylittle on the long ride, but her presence was enough. The three werealmost trembling for joy, for the Tree Mother's companionship is rare,and one of the splendidest things that can happen to a Forest Person.
The minute they were in the boat, it shot up and away towards home.
"Where are the Blue Water Children?" Eric cried, suddenly rememberingtheir playmates of yesterday.
"Have you been playing with Blue Water Children?" asked Tree Mother."They are gypsy-folk and you never know where you will find them next.They are probably miles away by now."
"Faster, faster, Tree Mother," begged Ivra, who was hanging over theside of the boat and losing herself in joy with the motion and height.
"Faster?" said the Tree Mother. "Then take care! Hold on!"
The boat shot forward with a sudden rush. The spring air changed fromcool feathers to a sharp wing beating their faces. Eric and Ivra slippedto the floor and lay on their backs. They dared not sit up for fear ofbeing swept overboard. They could see nothing but the sky from wherethey lay, but they loved the speed, and clapped their hands, and Ivracried, "Faster, faster!"
The Tree Mother laughed. "These are brave children," she thought. "Shutyour eyes then," she said, "and don't try too hard to breathe."
They swept on more swiftly than a wild-goose, so swiftly that soon thechildren could neither hear, speak nor see. And then at last they weretraveling so fast that it felt as though the boat were standingperfectly still in a cold dark place.
Gradually light began to leak through their shut eyelids, the wing ofthe wind beat away from them, and the boat rocked slower and slower inwarm, spring-scented air. But in that brief time, they had traveledmany, many miles.
Now when the children leaned over the side, they saw that they weresailing slowly over their own Forest. The tree tops were like a restlessgreen sea just a little beneath them. They flew low enough to hear birdcalls and the voices of the streams.
It was then they suddenly noticed that the littlest of the ForestChildren was there curled up fast asleep at Tree Mother's feet. Ivracried to him in surprise, and he woke slowly, stretching his littlebrown legs, shaking his curly head, and lifting a sleepy face. He waspuzzled at seeing others beside Tree Mother in the boat. He had beenriding and awake with her all night up near the stars, and had droppedto sleep as the stars faded.
She bent now and took his hand. "I picked these wanderers up at dawn,"she said, "and now we are all going back together. We are well on theway."
They had left the forest roof and were sailing over open country,--ashort cut, Tree Mother explained.
"Oh, look," cried Ivra excitedly, almost tumbling over the edge in herendeavor to see better, "isn't that the gray wall off there?"
Yes, it was the gray wall, the gray wall that had prisoned their motherall winter. The boat went slower and slower as they neared it and thenalmost hung still over the garden. The garden was full of people, havingsome kind of a party, for many little tables were set there with silverand glass that shone brilliantly in the sun. Servants were hurrying backand forth carrying trays and their gilt buttons sparkled almost as muchas the silver.
But how strange were the people! Eric and Ivra and the littlest ForestChild laughed aloud. They were standing about so straight and stiff,holding their cups and saucers, and their voices rising up to theair-boat in confusion sounded like a hundred parrots.
"Why don't they sit down on the grass to eat?" wondered the littlestForest Child. "And why don't they wash their feet in the fountain? Theylook so very hot and walk as though it hurt!"
"Sitting on the grass and washing their feet in the fountain is againstthe law there," Helma said.
But neither Ivra nor the littlest Forest Child knew what "against thelaw" meant. Eric knew, however, for he had lived nine years, remember,where most everything a little boy wanted _was_ against the law.
"But why do they stay?" Eric asked.
Helma looked a little grave. "Why did you stay, dear, for nine longyears?"
He thought a minute. "I hadn't seen the magic beckoning," he answeredthen.
"Neither have they," she said, "and perhaps never will, for their eyesare getting dimmer all the time."
"But how can they _help_ seeing it?" cried the littlest Forest Child."See, all around the garden!"
It was true. All around the garden the tall trees stood and beckonedwith their high fingers, beckoned away and away with promise of magicbeyond magic. But the people in the garden never lifted their eyes tosee it. They were looking intently into their tea cups as though itmight be there magic was waiting.
"They are prisoners," said Tree Mother, "just as you were, Helma, withthis one difference. You were locked in, but they have locked themselvesin and carry their keys like precious things next their hearts."
Helma sighed and laughed at once. Then she leaned far out and tossed adaffodil she was carrying down on the heads in the garden, shaking hershort, flower petal hair as she did it--she had cut it before startingon the adventure--in a free, glad way.
No one looked up to see where the flower had dropped from. The peopledown there were not interested in offerings from the heavens. So theboat sailed on. Away and away over the canning factory they drifted,where the little girl looked out from her window and up, and waved herhands. "What are you waving at like that?" a man asked who was workingnear. "Oh, just a white summer cloud," she said. For she knew very wellhe did not want the truth. And I might as well tell you here that thatpale little girl was a prisoner who had not turned the lock herself, anddid not carry the key next her heart. Others had done that before shewas born. And she had seen the beckoning in spite of the lock and nowwas only waiting a little while to answer it.
The children were glad to find the forest roof beneath them again. Itwas noon when they sank down in the garden at their own white doorstone. Tree Mother left them there and flew away with the littlestForest Child, the one who liked to wander alone by himself.
Nora was in the house when they ran in. She had cleaned it with adifferent cleaning from what it had had for Helma's first return. Therewere no little foot prints on the floor now, and the window panes shonelike clear pools in sunlight. Three dishes of early strawberries andthree deep bowls of cream were standing on the table before the opendoor. And then besides there was a big loaf of golden-brown bread.
"I thought you would be hungry," said Nora, pointing to the feast.
They were hungry indeed, for they had had nothing at all to eat sinceyesterday's lunch of chocolate. They very soon finished the strawberriesand cream, and a jug of milk besides.
"You are a good neighbor, Nora," Helma said gratefully.
All Nora wanted in return for her labor and kindness was the story oftheir adventure. She listened eagerly to every word. "I shall tell thisto my grandchildren," she said when the story was done, "and they willthink it just a fairy
tale. They'll never believe it's fairy truth! Oh,if they would only stop pretending to be so wise they themselves mightsome time get the chance of a ride over the tree tops with Tree Mother.But they never will. Come play with them again sometime, Eric. Theyoften talk about you."
"I'll come to-day and bring Ivra if they'll play with her, too!"
But Nora shook her head as she went away. "They don't believe in Ivra.How could they play with her? Their grandmother can teach them nothing.But they'll like the story of this adventure none the less for notbelieving it."
When she was gone the three took the dishes into the house and washedthem. Then they went out and worked in the garden until dusk.