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Page 4
To-day the fairies are shy; for so many curious inventions of men have
come into use that the wonders of Fairyland are somewhat tame beside
them, and even the boys and girls can not be so easily interested or
surprised as in the old days. So the sweet and gentle little
immortals perform their tasks unseen and unknown, and live mostly in
their own beautiful realms, where they are almost unthought of by our
busy, bustling world.
Yet when we come to story-telling the marvels of our own age shrink
into insignificance beside the brave deeds and absorbing experiences
of the days when fairies were better known; and so we go back to "once
on a time" for the tales that we most love--and that children have
ever loved since mankind knew that fairies exist.
2. The Enchanted Isle
Once there was an enchanted island in the middle of the sea. It was
called the Isle of Yew. And in it were five important kingdoms ruled
by men, and many woodland dells and forest glades and pleasant meadows
and grim mountains inhabited by fairies.
From the fairies some of the men had learned wonderful secrets, and
had become magicians and sorcerers, with powers so great that the
entire island was reputed to be one of enchantments. Who these men
were the common people did not always know; for while some were kings
and rulers, others lived quietly hidden away in forests or mountains,
and seldom or never showed themselves. Indeed, there were not so many
of these magicians as people thought, only it was so hard to tell them
from common folk that every stranger was regarded with a certain
amount of curiosity and fear.
The island was round--like a mince pie. And it was divided into four
quarters--also like a pie--except that there was a big place in the
center where the fifth kingdom, called Spor, lay in the midst of the
mountains. Spor was ruled by King Terribus, whom no one but his own
subjects had ever seen--and not many of them. For no one was allowed
to enter the Kingdom of Spor, and its king never left his palace. But
the people of Spor had a bad habit of rushing down from their
mountains and stealing the goods of the inhabitants of the other four
kingdoms, and carrying them home with them, without offering any
apologies whatever for such horrid conduct. Sometimes those they
robbed tried to fight them; but they were a terrible people,
consisting of giants with huge clubs, and dwarfs who threw flaming
darts, and the stern Gray Men of Spor, who were most frightful of all.
So, as a rule, every one fled before them, and the people were
thankful that the fierce warriors of Spor seldom came to rob them
oftener than once a year.
It was on this account that all who could afford the expense built
castles to live in, with stone walls so thick that even the giants of
Spor could not batter them down. And the children were not allowed to
stray far from home for fear some roving band of robbers might steal
them and make their parents pay large sums for their safe return.
Yet for all this the people of the Enchanted Isle of Yew were happy and
prosperous. No grass was greener, no forests more cool and delightful,
no skies more sunny, no sea more blue and rippling than theirs.
And the nations of the world envied them, but dared not attempt to
conquer an island abounding in enchantments.
3. The Fairy Bower
That part of the Enchanted Isle which was kissed by the rising sun was
called Dawna; the kingdom that was tinted rose and purple by the
setting sun was known as Auriel, and the southland, where fruits and
flowers abounded, was the kingdom of Plenta. Up at the north lay Heg,
the home of the great barons who feared not even the men of Spor; and
in the Kingdom of Heg our story opens.
Upon a beautiful plain stood the castle of the great Baron
Merd--renowned alike in war and peace, and second in importance only
to the King of Heg. It was a castle of vast extent, built with thick
walls and protected by strong gates. In front of it sloped a pretty
stretch of land with the sea glistening far beyond; and back of it,
but a short distance away, was the edge of the Forest of Lurla.
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