A Visit to Shadow Land
"This," cheerily explained the Zankiwank, "is Shadow Land, whereeverything is mist, though nothing is ever found, because nothing isever lost, for you cannot lose nothing unless you have nothing to gain.Consequently I shall leave you to find out everything else," with whichnonsensical introduction the Zankiwank caught hold of the wings of ahouse, sprang on to the gables, and flew down the nearest chimney,followed by all the dancers they had seen below, including theJackarandajam and all the residents from Story-Book Land of whom you canthink. But if you cannot think of all of them yourself, ask your sistersto think for you.
It certainly was a Land of Shadows, where revolving lights like flashesfrom a lighthouse sent all sorts of varying rays right through themists, presenting to them a fresh panorama of views every other minuteor so. The shadows danced all through the place, which seemed like alarge plateau or table-land, near a magnificent stretch of ocean whichthey could see before them with ships passing to and fro incessantly.And all the time, goblins, hob, nob and otherwise, red, blue, and green,kept rushing backwards and forwards, sometimes with a whole school ofchildren following madly in their wake. Such a dashing and a crashingwas never seen or heard before, and as each creature carried his shadowwith him, you can just imagine what a lot of lights and shades theremust have been. Occasionally there would be a slight lull in theexcitement, and the racing and the rushing would cease for awhile. Eachtime that there was a pause in the seemingly endless races, a quaintround-faced little person, dressed in short petticoats, sky bluestockings and a crimson peaked hat, stepped from Nowhere in particular,and either sang a song herself or introduced a small girl spirit, orboy spirit, who did so for her.
The first time, she descended on to the plateau on a broom, andintroduced herself by throwing a light from the magic lantern which shecarried, on to a sheet of water which she unfolded, and thereon appearedthis announcement:--
I AM THE GREAT LITTLE WINNY WEG.
But as neither Willie nor Maude knew what a Winny Weg was, they werenecessarily compelled to await further developments. However, as nonecame, they listened carefully to her song, which, as far as I canremember, was like this:--
THE FUNNY LITTLE MAN.
I am going to tell a story of a little girl I knew, She had a little sweetheart no bigger than my shoe; She used to sit and sew all day--he used to run and play, And when she tried to chide him, this is all that he would say:
O my! Here's such a jolly spree! Sally Water's coming with Jack Sheppard into tea, She's bringing Baby Bunting with old Mother Hubbard's Dog, And little Jacky Horner with the Roly Poly Frog. O my! it fills my heart with glee! The House that Jack is building isn't big enough for me!
In time these two got married and they took a little house, And soon a tiny baby came, no bigger than a mouse; But still the little husband played at skipping rope and top With all the little girls and boys, and drank their ginger-pop.
O my! this funny little Sam Thought the world was bread and cheese, and all the trees were jam; He stood his baby on its head, and played at shuttlecock, And then he rocked himself to sleep with cakes of almond-rock. O my! he was a sniggadee! He went to bed at one o'clock and rose at half-past three.
Now once they gave a party, and sweet Cinderella came With Blue Beard and Red Riding Hood and little What's-His-Name; And Nelly Bly who winked her eye and Greedy Tommy Stout, Bo-Peep and Tam O'Shanter, and likewise Colin Clout.
O my! it was a jolly spree! Ev'ry one from Fairy Land and Fiddle Faddle Fee, And Mary brought her Little Lamb, from which they all had chops, While Puck and Cupid served them with some hot boiled acid drops. O my! it was a happy spread, They all sat down on toadstools and in mushrooms went to bed.
As time went on, and he grew grey, he took to flying kites, And then he took to staying out so very late o' nights! One day he thought he was a bird and flew up in the air, And if you listen you will hear singing now up there:--
O my! I'm such a funny Coon, I'm going to get some green cheese away up in the Moon; I'm going to see the Evening Star, to ask him why he blinks, Also the Sun to ascertain about the things she thinks. O my! I feel so gay and free, I'm going to call on Father Time and then return to tea.
The two children were so absorbed in listening to this rhyming rigmarolethat they did not observe the Winny Weg depart, though, when they cameto think of it, the last verse was sung in the clouds, and presumablyby the Funny Little Man himself, and they quite longed for him to paythem a call. But he didn't, so the goblins started off once more ontheir wild career, this time on horseback, making such a hammering and aclattering as almost to deafen them.
Quickly in the rear of the white horses and the spirits, who all worelittle round caps with tassels at the top, came a procession ofdolls--wax dolls, wooden dolls, and saw-dust dolls, very finely dressed,with here and there a doll who had lost a leg, or an arm, or a head,while some were quite cripples, and had to be carried by a train of tinygirls in very short frocks and very long sashes. At the head of theseappeared the Winny Weg again, and just as they were vanishing in theshadows, a regular shower of broken dolls came down in dreadfuldisorder, causing the children to break from their ranks to gather uptheir property, as the dolls, it was evident, were their own oldcompanions which they had discarded when new ones were given to them.One particularly disreputable doll, with a broken nose and a verybattered body, was claimed by the prettiest child of all, and as shepicked it up, she stepped into the centre of a ring formed by herschool-fellows, and recited to them this pathetic poem:--
THE UNFORTUNATE DOLL.
O poor Dolly! O pitty sing! An' did um have a fall? Some more tourt plaster I must bling Or else oo'll squeam and squall! I never knew a doll like oo-- Oo must have been made yong; I don't fink oo were born twite new-- Oo never have been stwong!
I held oo to the fire one day To make oose body warm; And melted oose poor nose away-- And then oo lost oose form. Yen some yude boy, to my surplise, Said oo had dot a stwint; And yen he painted both oose eyes And wapped oo up in lint.
Your yosey cheeks were nets to fade, Oose blush bedan to do; And now I'm welly much aflaid Oose lost oose big yight toe. Oose left leg is no longer left, Oose yight arm's left oo too; And of your charm oo is beyeft, And no doll tums to woo!
And oose a hollow little fing, Oose saw-dust has yun out; Your stweak is gone, oo cannot sing, Oose lips tan't form a pout. Oose hair is dyed, an' all is done, Oose ears are in oose neck; An' so my Dolly, darling one, Oo _is_ a fearful weck. It is too bad--I loved oo so-- That oo should die so soon, An' to the told, told drave must do This velly afternoon!
After this affecting recital they all took out their "hankelwiches," asthe owner of the Unfortunate Doll said, and placing themselves in line,they followed, as mourners, the remains of the deceased doll to the endof a back garden, which some of the goblins had brought in with them.Then everything faded away again, and more shadows danced on the landand the sea, until nothing was to be seen but the galloping sprites andthe Winny Weg, who was dancing in a corner all by herself.
A pink light now burst through the haze, the goblins rode off, and aperfect fairy-land nursery was unfolded before Maude and Willie, whowere reclining peacefully on a golden couch with silver cushions. Theyhad no desire to talk, but were content to drink in all that they sawrapturously and silently. The nursery was crowded, wee baby-kins werecrawling about everywhere, with a dozen coy cupid-like dots with bowsand arrows. And right away at the back a beautiful garden was disclosed,in which happy young couples were seen perambulating arm-in-arm, talkingsoft nothings to each other. Meanwhile the crawling babies in theUniversal Nursery began to stand up; and then commenced such a game ofleap-frog by these tiny mites, that made even the Cheshire Cat smile. Itwas so funny to hear these dots call out to each other to tuck in their"tuppennies," and to see them flying, without stopping to take breath,over each o
ther's backs. Even the little pink and blue cupids laugheduntil the babies crept back to their cribs once more, and were rockedoff to sleep as the Winny Weg waved her wand, and an unseen choir oflittle girls and boys was heard singing this Lullaby:--
O WE ARE SO SLEEPY!
O we are so sleepy! Blinky, winky eyes: Why are you so peepy Ere the twilight dies? See! the dustman calleth As the shadows creep; Eve's dark mantle falleth, And we long to sleep.
To sleep! To sleep! O we are so sleepy! Blinky, winky eyes: Why are you so peepy Ere the twilight dies?
O we are so sleepy: Nodding is each head, Playing at bo-peepy, Now the day is sped. Birdies in their nesties Rest in slumber deep; Nodland's full of guesties When we go to sleep.
To sleep! To sleep! O we are so sleepy! Blinky, winky eyes: Why are you so peepy When the twilight dies?
The slight mist that had descended went up just like a gauze curtain,bringing into view again the lovely garden reposing in the rear in abeautiful green bath of light.
Then the merry Winny Weg caught hold of the cupids and incited them todance a slow gavotte, and as they danced they warbled lusciously:--
CUPID'S GARDEN.
O chaste and sweet are the flowers that blow In Cupid's Garden fair; Shy Pansies for thoughts in clusters grow, And Lilies pure and rare. Violets white, and Violets blue, And budding Roses red, With Orange-bloom of tend'rest hue Their fragrance gently spread.
Other voices, which seemed to belong to the lads and lasses in thegarden, joined in the chorus:--
Love is born of the Lily and Rose, Love in a garden springs; With maidens pure and bright it grows, And in all hearts it sings.
Love lies Bleeding with Maiden's Blush, Sighing Forget-me-not; While the Gentle Heart with crimson flush Peeps from its cooling grot. And Love lies dreaming in idleness To gain its own Heart's-Ease; The Zephyrs breathe with shy caress, Each youthful breast to please.
Love is born of the Lily and Rose, Love in a garden springs; With maidens pure and bright it grows, And for all hearts it sings.
How delicious and soothing Shadow Land was! Shadow Land! The Land ofYesterday, To-Day and To-morrow. The Land of Hope, and Joy and Peace.The two children wandered off, as it were, into a dream for a time, andwhen they gazed again, the garden was more delightful than ever--ajoyous blend of Spring and Summer seemed to invade the grounds, whilemany of the flowers and trees showed slight signs of Autumn tinting. Inone corner of the garden a magnificent marble and bronze fountainunexpectedly sprang up through the ground and played unceasingly to theethereal skies. Merry children danced and played around its base, andlovers young and old promenaded affectionately up and down theinnumerable groves, stopping now and then to offer each other a draughtof the sparkling water that fell so deliciously into the amber cups.
There were no shadows now. All was bright and glorious; sunlight andpleasure reigned supreme. From the clouds unseen singers sang softly tothe people as they passed and repassed, and this was the story of theirsong:--
In a garden stood a fountain, Sparkling in the noon-day sun, Rising like a crystal mountain-- Never ceasing--never done! Happy children came there playing, Laughing in their frolic glee; 'Mong the flow'rs and brambles straying, Tasting life's sweet ecstasy.
O fountain pure and bright, Dance in the joyous sun; And sparkle in your might, Until all life is done.
In the summer came the lovers, Plighting troth beneath its shade; Warm heart's secret each discovers-- Happy youth and happy maid! Plays the fount so soft and featly In the breeze of waning day, As the lovers whisper sweetly, "I will love you, love alway."
O fountain pure and bright, Dance in the joyous sun; And sparkle in your might Until all life is done.
In the winter, cold and dreary, Cease the waters in their play; But the lovers, grey and weary, Seek the tryst of yesterday! Time and tide flow on for ever, Heedless of man's joy or pain; But beyond the tideless river Trusting hearts will meet again.
O fountain pure and bright, Dance in the joyous sun; And sparkle in your might, Until all life is done.
The voices faded and died away; the scene changed and a purple curtaindescended, hiding everything and everybody except the Winny Weg. Anextraordinary commotion outside warned the half-dozing children that afresh flight of goblins might be expected. And sure enough in stalked anarmy of giants from one side, who were met by an army of dwarfs from theother, the latter on stilts. But the curious thing about them was thatthe giants had only got one eye, which was stuck on the ends of theirnoses, while the dwarfs had their eyes where their ears ought to be, andtheir ears in the place usually reserved for the eyes. Besides whichthey each had a large horn fixed in the middle of their foreheads.
Both armies expressed surprise at seeing each other, the leaders ofwhich said quite calmly, as though they were asking one another to havea penny bun cut up in four between them--both said quite calmly--
"I suppose we must fight now we have met?"
Upon hearing this the Winny Weg mounted her broom-stick and flew up outof harm's way.
And then commenced the most terrible battle ever seen on land or sea.They fought with penknives and darning-needles, the battle lasted halfan hour, and only one stilt was injured. So they began again, using coalscuttles and tongs, and the din was so fearful, and the giants and thedwarfs got so mixed up that a railway train filled with Shadows of thePast rushed on and sent both armies flying. Then the shadows deepenedand deepened, and the lightning flashed, the thunders crashed, the searoared, and a great red cavern opened and swallowed up everything,including Maude and Willie, who certainly were not quite awake to whatwas going forward, and all they could recollect of the occurrence wasthat they saw the winkles and the shrimps on the sea-shore playing atbowls with the cockles.