CLOUD COUNTRY.
“You must have dropped from the clouds,” said Tina.
“So I did.”
“Who is I?”
“Look up, and you will see.”
Tina looked up, and saw nothing but a littlewhite cloud floating along. It came nearer and nearer, and a voice said “Come!”
Tina got up and ran along the road following the little cloud, which seemed to be a few yards ahead of her.
They presently came to the edge of a wood. The cloud suddenly disappeared, and Tina followed a path that led into the wood. The snow had all disappeared, and she saw ahead of her a little spring bubbling out of a rock, and gurgling along till it ran off a little happy brook.
When she reached the spring she saw, seated on a rock near by, a beautiful little creature in soft fleecy white, that floated about her like a cloud. She wore a scarf that looked like a rainbow; stars twinkled in her hair, and in her hands she held a bow like a new moon.
“You certainly must have come from the clouds,” said Tina, “for I never saw anything like you before.”
“Yes,” said she, “I did come from CloudCountry, and I am going to take you back with me. I am one of the little clouds, and my name is ‘Fleecy.’”
“I shall like to go with you,” said Tina. “You are so lovely.”
Fleecy smiled, and, tying one end of her scarf around Tina’s waist, she kissed her cheek, and they rose up in the air.
It was delightful.
Tina felt herself wafted along, and felt as if she could float that way forever.
Up, up they went, till trees looked like bushes, and people like ants, and then they entered the gates of Cloud Country.
These were of pure white; and what a beautiful sight Tina saw as they went in, and the gates rolled together.
Stretching to one side was a wide sea, as blue as blue could be, the shores stretching out of sight. Great rocks towered up all around.
On the other side rose up a gleaming palace.The doors were hung with purple and rose color, and, as the curtains swayed, you caught sight of the dazzling splendor inside.
[Children]
Over the palace a rainbow arched and dipped down into the sea, where little white ships were sailing about.
Fleecy took Tina to the shore of the sea, andshe saw on the rocks several children looking out on the water.
“What are they there for?” asked Tina.
“They are stars,” said Fleecy, “and they are waiting till it is time for them to come out.”
“They don’t look like stars,” said Tina. “They just look like any children. I thought stars must be very beautiful.”
“Some of them are,” said Fleecy, “but these are quite ordinary. Those that attend the moon are very beautiful.”
“Where is the moon?” said Tina.
“She is in the palace,” said Fleecy. “She will come out soon, then you can see her. Maybe she will let you go with her to-night, as you are a stranger here.”
“What shall we do now?” asked Tina.
“Oh, we can slide down the rainbow, or rock in one of the hammocks, or go sailing on the water.”
“I am almost afraid to slide down the rainbow; it goes right into the water.”
“Yes, but you go right through that; it won’t hurt you. When we are in a hurry we go down to earth that way.”
“I think I would rather rock in a hammock.”
“Very well; come with me.”
She took Tina farther away from the sea, and in another moment she was lying on the softest, rosiest cloud, with Fleecy by her side.
“When will the moon be out?” said she. “Isn’t it nearly time?”
“Yes,” said Fleecy. “I see the lights over in the palace now. They are bringing out the chariot.”
“We had better go,” she said to Tina, and they got out of the hammock, and went and stood by the palace steps.
Very soon there was a rustle. It grew lighter and lighter. Down the steps came first a beautiful maiden bearing a lighted taper, that shone with the fairest, purest light.
“That is Venus,” whispered Fleecy. “She isthe Evening Star now, and goes ahead of the queen.”
Then came a procession of other stars, and next them the queen herself.
“How fair and lovely she is!” said Tina.
She wore a dress of spun silver, and a crown of diamonds on her head.
As she passed along, Tina saw quantities of figures on each side the steps, a long procession of them that extended to the sea.
“Those are clouds,” whispered Fleecy, quietly. “Stay here. I must go and take my place among them.”
Tina stood at the foot of the steps. As the queen passed along, the crowd made way, and she went through them until she came to Tina.
She stopped and looked at her.
“You are an earth child,” she said. “You shall go with me in my chariot.” And, taking her by the hand, she led her to a silver chariot that was waiting just beyond.
Taking the taper from Venus, the queen got in, and motioned Tina to follow.
[Tina]
She did so, and they rolled along toward the sea, the crowd scattering as they passed.
The chariot seemed to have no wheels, and when they reached the blue water, it slipped in and sailed along as easily as a boat.
Tina looked over, and saw that she could look through the water as easily as if there were nothing there.
The whole earth lay quiet before her. She looked down and saw a maiden standing at a window, looking out.
“She is unhappy,” said the queen; “and yet I think she will be glad to see me.” And she turned her face toward the windows where the maiden stood.
She turned and looked up at them, and a faint smile came over her face.
It was so still, that Tina heard her say distinctly, “Oh, fair moon, you have driven away the clouds from the sky. Perhaps there may come some bright hope to drive away the clouds from my life.”
They went sailing on over the blue sea, till they came to land again. They passed by huge masses of gray rocks, and Tina saw ahead of them a pale pink light.
“The sun is coming,” said the moon. “We must hurry home, or I will have to put out my light.”
They soon came in sight of the gleaming palace. Fleecy came to meet them, and the queen went in and left them.
“Now,” said Fleecy, “we will go sailing on the water; and when you get tired, you can just slide down the rainbow to earth again.”
A quantity of little white ships were sailing about. One floated up to them. They got in, and sailed along with the rest.
In every ship there was a little cloud. They all smiled at Tina—sometimes sailing right along by the ship she was in. They were all such happy little clouds.
“Do you always have such a good time?” asked Tina of Fleecy.
“No; sometimes the storms come,” she said, “and they hurry us along, and whirl us about till we hardly know which way to go, and fly as hard as we can to get out of their way.”
Just then thunder was heard in the distance, and Tina began to get frightened. “Oh, I wish I were at home!” she said.
She looked over the side of the ship, and saw that they were directly over a lake on the earth.There was a little boat on it, with some people in it. One end of the rainbow seemed to go down directly into the lake, and the people were looking at it.
“I will go right into the water,” she said.
“Oh, no you won’t,” said Fleecy. “I will watch to see that you get down safely.”
Patter, patter, came big drops of rain.
The little ship sailed up to the rainbow, and Tina got on it, holding on with both hands.
“Good-bye,” called Fleecy.
“Good-bye,” she answered; and down she went through the blue sea. Down—down, so swiftly!
She looked back at Fleecy sitting in the boat, and held on as hard as she could, hoping to be saved from the cold water.
Down she went, and she shut her eyes hard and knew she was lost.
Now how sorry she was that she had left the boat, and trusted herself to the rainbow.
[Children]
“Oh, I shall be drowned!” she cried; and she clung to the rainbow with all her might, but it felt hard, like wood. She rubbed her eyes, looked around, and saw that she was lying on the sofa, in her own parlor at home, holding fast to the fan, surprised to find that a heavy gust had come up, and it was raining hard.
[Dog]
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANYNEW AND BEAUTIFULIllustrated BooksFORTHE LITTLE ONES,Bound in bright and attractive Chromo-Lithograph Board Covers. Large Quarto size.NEW PICTURES.NEW STORIES.AT TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.All Around a Christmas Tree.Winter Snow, Summer Sunshine.Happy Times, Pictures and Rhymes.Oh! So Pretty.Little Baby Buds.Nursery Sunshine and Prattle.AT FIFTY CENTS EACH.At the Seaside.The Wonderful Fan.On the Lawn.AT SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.My Christmas Album.For Mamma’s Darling.AT ONE DOLLAR EACH.Eight Happy Holidays.Daisies and Raindrops.AT ONE DOLLAR AND TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.Sunday, 1882.Little Ones at Play.The Captain’s Children.Aunt Sophy’s Boys and Girls.The Little Brown House.Frisk and his Flock.A Houseful of Children.Pussy Tiptoes Family.AT ONE DOLLAR AND SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.Little Folks in Feathers and FurByOlive Thorne Miller.Queer Pets at Marcy’sByOlive Thorne Miller.⁂Ask Your Bookseller for Dutton’s Books for Children.Any Book on this List sent, postpaid, on receipt of price, by the Publishers.E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY,39 West Twenty-Third Street, NEW YORK.
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANYNEW AND BEAUTIFULIllustrated BooksFORTHE LITTLE ONES,Bound in bright and attractive Chromo-Lithograph Board Covers. Large Quarto size.NEW PICTURES.NEW STORIES.
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANYNEW AND BEAUTIFULIllustrated BooksFORTHE LITTLE ONES,Bound in bright and attractive Chromo-Lithograph Board Covers. Large Quarto size.NEW PICTURES.NEW STORIES.
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
NEW AND BEAUTIFUL
Illustrated Books
FOR
THE LITTLE ONES,
Bound in bright and attractive Chromo-Lithograph Board Covers. Large Quarto size.
NEW PICTURES.NEW STORIES.
AT TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
All Around a Christmas Tree.Winter Snow, Summer Sunshine.Happy Times, Pictures and Rhymes.Oh! So Pretty.Little Baby Buds.Nursery Sunshine and Prattle.
All Around a Christmas Tree.Winter Snow, Summer Sunshine.Happy Times, Pictures and Rhymes.Oh! So Pretty.Little Baby Buds.Nursery Sunshine and Prattle.
All Around a Christmas Tree.Winter Snow, Summer Sunshine.Happy Times, Pictures and Rhymes.Oh! So Pretty.Little Baby Buds.Nursery Sunshine and Prattle.
All Around a Christmas Tree.
Winter Snow, Summer Sunshine.
Happy Times, Pictures and Rhymes.
Oh! So Pretty.
Little Baby Buds.
Nursery Sunshine and Prattle.
AT FIFTY CENTS EACH.
AT FIFTY CENTS EACH.
AT FIFTY CENTS EACH.
At the Seaside.The Wonderful Fan.On the Lawn.
At the Seaside.The Wonderful Fan.On the Lawn.
At the Seaside.The Wonderful Fan.On the Lawn.
At the Seaside.
The Wonderful Fan.
On the Lawn.
AT SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
My Christmas Album.For Mamma’s Darling.
My Christmas Album.For Mamma’s Darling.
My Christmas Album.For Mamma’s Darling.
My Christmas Album.
For Mamma’s Darling.
AT ONE DOLLAR EACH.
AT ONE DOLLAR EACH.
AT ONE DOLLAR EACH.
Eight Happy Holidays.Daisies and Raindrops.
Eight Happy Holidays.Daisies and Raindrops.
Eight Happy Holidays.Daisies and Raindrops.
Eight Happy Holidays.
Daisies and Raindrops.
AT ONE DOLLAR AND TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT ONE DOLLAR AND TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT ONE DOLLAR AND TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
Sunday, 1882.Little Ones at Play.The Captain’s Children.Aunt Sophy’s Boys and Girls.The Little Brown House.Frisk and his Flock.A Houseful of Children.Pussy Tiptoes Family.
Sunday, 1882.Little Ones at Play.The Captain’s Children.Aunt Sophy’s Boys and Girls.The Little Brown House.Frisk and his Flock.A Houseful of Children.Pussy Tiptoes Family.
Sunday, 1882.Little Ones at Play.The Captain’s Children.Aunt Sophy’s Boys and Girls.The Little Brown House.Frisk and his Flock.A Houseful of Children.Pussy Tiptoes Family.
Sunday, 1882.
Little Ones at Play.
The Captain’s Children.
Aunt Sophy’s Boys and Girls.
The Little Brown House.
Frisk and his Flock.
A Houseful of Children.
Pussy Tiptoes Family.
AT ONE DOLLAR AND SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT ONE DOLLAR AND SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
AT ONE DOLLAR AND SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH.
⁂Ask Your Bookseller for Dutton’s Books for Children.Any Book on this List sent, postpaid, on receipt of price, by the Publishers.E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY,39 West Twenty-Third Street, NEW YORK.
⁂Ask Your Bookseller for Dutton’s Books for Children.Any Book on this List sent, postpaid, on receipt of price, by the Publishers.E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY,39 West Twenty-Third Street, NEW YORK.
⁂Ask Your Bookseller for Dutton’s Books for Children.
Any Book on this List sent, postpaid, on receipt of price, by the Publishers.
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY,
39 West Twenty-Third Street, NEW YORK.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTESTypos fixed; non-standard spelling and dialect retained.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES