THE ROSE GARDEN.
Tina thought she had slept some time when she heard a voice singing:
“I must go, I must go,To the Sunset Land;Where the golden riversRoll on golden sand;And the purple mountains,With their peaks so bright,Tower up by mansionsBuilt of clouds of light.Sleep, Tina, sleep,The rivers are deep!I’ll away,I’ll not stay!Fare you well!“Fare you well! Fare you well!I must go, ’tis late;And I see opened wide,The sunlit gateOf that beautiful land,Where the cloud shapes stand,With their robes wind-blown,When the sun goes down.Dream, Tina, dreamsOf those golden gleams.Think of me,When you seeThe Sunset Land.”
“I must go, I must go,To the Sunset Land;Where the golden riversRoll on golden sand;And the purple mountains,With their peaks so bright,Tower up by mansionsBuilt of clouds of light.Sleep, Tina, sleep,The rivers are deep!I’ll away,I’ll not stay!Fare you well!“Fare you well! Fare you well!I must go, ’tis late;And I see opened wide,The sunlit gateOf that beautiful land,Where the cloud shapes stand,With their robes wind-blown,When the sun goes down.Dream, Tina, dreamsOf those golden gleams.Think of me,When you seeThe Sunset Land.”
“I must go, I must go,To the Sunset Land;Where the golden riversRoll on golden sand;And the purple mountains,With their peaks so bright,Tower up by mansionsBuilt of clouds of light.Sleep, Tina, sleep,The rivers are deep!I’ll away,I’ll not stay!Fare you well!
“I must go, I must go,
To the Sunset Land;
Where the golden rivers
Roll on golden sand;
And the purple mountains,
With their peaks so bright,
Tower up by mansions
Built of clouds of light.
Sleep, Tina, sleep,
The rivers are deep!
I’ll away,
I’ll not stay!
Fare you well!
“Fare you well! Fare you well!I must go, ’tis late;And I see opened wide,The sunlit gateOf that beautiful land,Where the cloud shapes stand,With their robes wind-blown,When the sun goes down.Dream, Tina, dreamsOf those golden gleams.Think of me,When you seeThe Sunset Land.”
“Fare you well! Fare you well!
I must go, ’tis late;
And I see opened wide,
The sunlit gate
Of that beautiful land,
Where the cloud shapes stand,
With their robes wind-blown,
When the sun goes down.
Dream, Tina, dreams
Of those golden gleams.
Think of me,
When you see
The Sunset Land.”
But it was some time before she could wake up at all, and then she saw that the little boy had gone, and she was lying with the fan in her hand.
“I don’t remember having this with me,” she said; “but I suppose I must have taken it, or it wouldn’t be here. I wonder where Sunny has gone; it is too bad I couldn’t get to the Sunset Land after all. That must have been he singingto me. But how this fan came here is a mystery to me. There is another face, of course. I knew it. I wonder how this is going to turn out? It looks like a girl, but I’m not so sure that it is. It has a ruffle around its neck—no it isn’t a ruffle. I believe it has wings.”
The wings fluttered, and something flew out.
“Why, you’re a butterfly,” said Tina.
“I know it,” said the creature. “You might as well say to a horse, you’re a horse. Everybody knows I am a butterfly. I don’t see anything so very peculiar in my being a butterfly.”
“Well, you needn’t be so snappish,” said Tina. “I didn’t suppose you were going to take my head off. I’m sorry I spoke.”
“Oh, well, come along,” said the butterfly; and Tina was amazed at finding herself flying through the air after the butterfly.
“I should like to know what I am,” she thought; “but I don’t dare ask any questions—the butterfly has such an unpleasant manner.”
[Birds]
They went flying along, and presently Tina heard the rushing of wings behind, and she saw they were joined by four birds; one of them flew close by Tina. “I wonder if I am a bird?” thought she. “I believe I will ask. Am I a bird?” she said.
“What a question!” answered the bird; “as if you didn’t know. How could you fly, if you were not a bird?”
“I might be a butterfly,” said Tina.
“So you might,” said the bird. “I never thought of that; but you are not, all the same.”
“Then, I suppose I must be a bird,” thought Tina. “I am glad I know.”
It was delightful to go skimming along through the air, and Tina came to the conclusion that to be a bird was better than to be a little girl.
“Where are we going?” she asked the bird, who was flying by her side.
“No one but the butterfly knows,” said the bird.
Pretty soon they came to a forest. “I can go no further with you,” said the butterfly. “I must go find the rose before its petals drop. If you reach the snow in time, turn around and come back! I will be there.”
Then it flew away, and Tina and the other birds went on into the forest. As they went on, they heard sounds of distress, and they saw among the branches of a tree two birds whose nest had been overturned, and the eggs broken. They all gathered around, and asked the pair what had happened.
“He has been here,” said they, chirping pitifully.
“Come with us,” said the birds. “We are going to the North Country, and we can find him. After that we will all be happy in the Rose Garden.”
So the birds went with them, and they all rose up over the tops of the trees, and flew through the air to the north.
It grew colder and colder. Every now and then other birds would join them, when they heard where they were going; and by the time they reached the snow there was a large flock of them.
Tina wondered what they were all going to do, when they all settled down on the snow-covered ground.
There were buildings and trees about; and after a great deal of chattering, some of them flew up on the branches, and others on different places, where they all seemed to be waiting for something.
Finally, they all looked at each other, and said, “Here he comes!”
Tina looked too, and saw a strange creature coming toward them. It looked something like a cat, and something like a snake. She could not tell which it was.
At once there was a great flutter and stir among the birds, and they all flew furiously at the creature.
[Birds]
Tina thought it must be the one that had ruined the eggs, as she saw the pair of birds whose nest it was, seeming very angry.
She joined the others, and they began to battle with the creature, who was so taken by surprise that it did not know what to do.
They pecked at its eyes, they beat it with their wings. At last they all flew up on a tree, and looked at Tina.
“What am I to do?” she said. “You seem to expect something of me.”
“Finish it!” said they. “Finish it!” they all screamed.
“How can I?” said she.
“You know,” they said. “You know best; go on.”
Tina stood still for a moment, and then she picked up a little twig, and flew toward the beast.
It seemed to be greatly afraid when it saw her, and as she waved the twig before its eyes, it sank back and closed them.
[Birds]
There was a scream of delight from the birds, and they all gathered around her twittering and singing.
“Now, to the Rose Garden,” said they, and they flew off, with Tina in their midst.
As they went on, the air grew warm and balmy, and the perfume of flowers became stronger. Soon they saw a row of marble pillars, white as snow.
They all alighted, and the butterfly flew toward them.
“You have done well,” it said to Tina. “Welcome to the Rose Garden.”
Tina looked around and saw that she was in the most enchanting place. Myriads of beautiful birds flew about; butterflies of every hue darted here and there, and there were roses—roses everywhere.
It seemed like Fairy-land; and Tina thought it must be, when she saw she still had the fan, and a little fairy face was looking at her from another slat.