of Beauty, where the queen of the fairies held her court. Some said Rose had fallen asleep there one day, when she had grown tired of chasing a butterfly, and that the queen had dipped her in an immortal fountain, from which she had risen with the beauty of an angel.* Marion often asked questions about this story, but Rose always replied that she had been forbidden to speak of it. When she saw any uncommonly brilliant bird or butterfly, she would sometimes exclaim, "O, how much that looks like fairy land!" But when asked what she knew about fairy land, she blushed, and would not answer. "Why Marion thought a great deal about this. cannot I go to the Palace of Beauty?" thought she, "and why may not I bathe in the Immortal Fountain ?" One summer's noon, when all was still, save the faint twittering of the birds, and the lazy hum of the insects, Marion entered the deep grotto. She sat down on a bank of moss. The air around her was as fragrant as if it came from a bed of violets; and with the sound of far-off music dying on her ear, she fell into a gentle slumber. When she awoke, it was evening, and she found herself in a small hall, where opal pillars supported a rainbow roof, the bright reflection of which rested on crystal walls, and a golden floor inlaid with pearls. All There was a superstition, that whoever slept on fairy ground was carried away by the fairies. around, between the opal pillars, stood the tiniest vases of pure alabaster, in which grew a multitude of brilliant and fragrant flowers. Some of them, twining around the pillars, were lost in the floating rainbow above. The whole of this scene of beauty was lighted by millions of fireflies, glittering about like wandering stars. While Marion was wondering at all this, a little figure, of rare loveliness, stood before her. Her robe was of green and gold; her flowing gossamer mantle was caught upon one shoulder with a pearl, and in her hair was a solitary star, composed of five diamonds, each no bigger than a pin's point; and thus she sung: "The fairy queen Hath rarely seen Within her door, On pearly floor, Inlaid with shining gold. Mortal, all thou seest is fair; Quick thy purposes declare." As she concluded, the song was taken up, and thrice repeated by a multitude of soft voices in the distance. It seemed as if birds and insects joined in the chorus. The clear voice of the thrush was distinctly heard; the cricket kept time with his tiny cymbal; and ever and anon between the pauses, the sound of a distant cascade was heard, whose waters fell in music. All these delightful sounds died away, and the queen of the fairies stood patiently awaiting Marion's answer. Courtesying low, and with a trembling voice, the little maiden said, "Will it please your majesty to make me as handsome as my sister Rose?" The queen smiled. "I will grant your request," said she, "if you will promise to fulfil all the conditions I propose." Marion eagerly promised that she would. "The Immortal Fountain," replied the queen, "is on the top of a high, steep hill. At four different places fairies are stationed around it, who guard it with their wands. None can pass them except those who obey my orders. Go home now. For one week, speak no ungentle word to your sister; at the end of that time, come again to the grotto." Marion went home light of heart. Rose was in the garden, watering the flowers; and the first thing Marion observed, was that her sister's sunny hair had suddenly grown as long and beautiful as it had ever been. The sight made her angry; and she was just about to snatch the water-pot from her hand with an angry expression, when she remembered the fairy, and passed into the castle in silence. The end of the week arrived, and Marion had faithfully kept her promise. Again she went to the grotto. The queen was feasting when she entered the hall. The bees brought honey-comb, and deposited it on the small rose-colored shells which adorned the crystal table. Gaudy butterflies floated about the head of the queen, and fanned her with their wings. The cucullo and the lantern-fly stood at her side, to afford her light. A large diamond. beetle formed her splendid footstool, and when she had supped, a dew-drop on the petal of a violet was brought for her royal fingers. When Marion entered, the diamond sparkles on the wings of the fairies faded, as they always did in the presence of any thing not perfectly good; and in a few moments all the queen's attendants vanished, singing as they went, — "The fairy queen Hath rarely seen Within her door, On pearly floor, Inlaid with shining gold." "Mortal! hast thou fulfilled thy promise?" asked the queen. "I have," replied the maiden. "Then follow me." The Marion did as she was directed, and away they went over beds of violets and mignonette. birds warbled over their heads, butterflies cooled the air, and the gurgling of many fountains came with a refreshing sound. Presently they came to the hill, on the top of which was the Immortal Fountain. Its foot was surrounded by a band of fairies clothed in green gossamer, with their ivory wands crossed to bar the ascent. The queen waved her wand over them, and immediately they stretched their thin wings and flew away. The hill was steep, and far, far up they went; and the air became more and more fragrant, and more and more distinctly they heard the sound of waters falling in music. At length they were stopped by a band of fairies clothed in blue, with their silver wands crossed. Here," said the queen, "our journey must end. You can go no farther until you have fulfilled the orders I shall give you. Go home now for one month. Do by your sister in all respects as you would wish her to do by you, were you Rose and she Marion." Marion promised, and departed. She found the task harder than the first had been. She could not help speaking; but when Rose asked her for any of her playthings, she found it difficult to give them gently and affectionately, instead of pushing them along. When Rose talked to her, she wanted to go away in silence; and when a pocket-mirror was found in her sister's room, broken into a thousand pieces, she felt sorely tempted to conceal that she did the mischief. But she was so anxious to be made beautiful, that she did as she would be done by. All the household remarked how Marion had changed. "I love her dearly," said Rose, "she is so good and amiable." |