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Page 15
But now they had passed out of the first great hall and into another
that seemed even more vast. At first it seemed quite empty to Doris,
but as soon as her eyes grew accustomed to the strange light, she saw
its walls were flanked by any number of wee spinning-wheels; and above
them on shelves lay stacks of something that looked like golden flax,
and shimmered and glittered in a wonderful way. The floor was carpeted
with something very soft and of a tender, fresh green, and Doris's feet
seemed to sink into it at every step; and then a sweet perfume seemed
to rise up like that one smells on an early spring-day when one goes
into the country and is the first to lay foot on the fresh young grass.
The ceiling was so high that at first Doris thought it was no ceiling
at all, but just the sky itself, and it was a deep, clear blue.
"This is our Spring-room, little Doris," explained the Piper. "Now,
Children!"
And at these words they broke away from him, leaving only Doris by his
side; and each group began a different task. One new to the stacks of
gold and separated them into long, heavy skeins; while another spun the
threads back and forth till they sparkled and danced and seemed to turn
into sunbeams that at length broke away and glanced into the blue
above, where they played about just as the sunlight does on a bright
spring-day. Others, again, knelt down upon the soft carpet, and seemed
to be whispering something very sweet to some one or something hidden
below; and before very long up sprang long, tender shoots, and then
thin buds appeared, and by and by the buds swelled and burst, and then
where every bud had been was a flower. And all this time there had
been a sound as of falling drops that seemed to be keeping time to a
soft little melody the children were crooning.
The Piper, looking at Doris's wondering face, said, smiling: "Thou dost
not comprehend, dear heart? Well, I will explain. As I said, this is
our Spring-room, and in it all the sunshine and flowers and clouds and
rain are made that go to make up a spring day. They," he said,
pointing to the first group, "are separating the golden skeins so that
they can be spun into sunbeams. It takes great patience before they
are completely finished; and if one of the spinners should sigh while
weaving, it would ruin the beam and make it dull and heavy. So, you
see, the sunbeam-children must be very light-hearted. Then those
others are coaxing the flowers to spring up and bud. After they are
all well above ground the flower-children hide a secret in the heart of
each blossom, and a very beautiful secret it is, and so wonderful that
very few ever succeed in finding it out. But it is worth searching
for, and one or two world-people have really discovered it. Thou mayst
guess what a difficult task is that of my flower-children; for at first
the flowers are drowsy and would prefer to slumber yet awhile; and my
children must whisper to them such beautiful thoughts that they forget
everything else and spring up to hear more. The singing thou nearest
is the lullaby the rain-children are singing to the drops. Thou
knowest that the clouds are the rain-cradles, and when my children sing
slumber songs and rock the clouds gently to and fro, the drops grow
sleepy and forget to fall. But sometimes they are too restless to
remain in their beds, and then they fall to earth; and if we could wait
so long we might hear the children teach them their patter-song. But
we have much else to see, and must go forward. Now, Children!"
At this there was a slight commotion while the deft hands put aside
their tasks; but it was over in a moment, and the Piper once more in
the midst of the merry crowd, who laughed gayly and chattered like
magpies, while Doris looked her admiration and delight, and the Piper
smiled approvingly.
"The next is the Summer-room," he said, as they wandered on. "Thou
seest we are never idle. The world is so large, there is always plenty
to do; and what would become of it if it were not for the children?
They are the ones who make the world bright, little Doris; and so
everything depends upon their keeping their hearts glad; and one 's
heart cannot be glad if one's soul is not beautiful. Thou thoughtest
not so much depended upon the children, didst thou, dear heart?"
Oh, the wonders of that Summer-room! The perfect chorus that rose as
the fresh young voices taught the birds to sing; the beauty of the
rainbows, the glory of the sunsets. It was all so wonderful that Doris
scarcely knew how to show her appreciation of it all.
The Autumn-room was scarcely less bewildering, and the Winter-room was
so dazzling that Doris shut up her eyes for very wonder.
In the Autumn-room all the little musicians set about transposing the
melody of the bird-songs from the major to the minor key, and they
taught the Piper to bring his fifing into harmony with their voices.
The small artists began changing the sky-coloring, and brought about
such wonderful effects that it was marvellous to see, and Doris could
scarcely realize at all that such wonders could be.
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