Christmas-Tree Land Read online

  CHAPTER X.

  A SAIL IN THE AIR.

  'Bright are the regions of the air, And among the winds and beams It were delight to wander there.'

  SHELLEY.

  'What are you talking about?' said Rollo, sitting up, and in his turnrubbing his eyes. 'Where have "who" gone to?'

  'The birds, of course,' replied Maia. 'You can't be so stupid, Rollo, asnot to have seen them.'

  'I've been asleep,' said the poor boy, looking rather ashamed ofhimself. 'What birds were they? Did you see them? I have a queer sort offeeling,' and he hesitated, looking at Maia as if she could explain it,'as if I had dreamt something about them--as if I heard some sort ofmusic through my sleep. What did _you_ see, Maia? do tell me.'

  Maia described it all to him, and he listened with the greatestinterest. But at the end he made an observation which roused herindignation.

  'I believe you were dreaming too,' he said. 'Nobody ever heard of birdsspeaking like that.'

  'And yet you say you heard something of it through your sleep? Is itlikely we both dreamt the same thing all of ourselves?'

  'But I didn't dream that birds were talking,' objected Rollo. 'Theycan't talk.'

  Maia glanced at him with supreme contempt.

  'Can squirrels talk?' she said. 'Would anybody believe all the things wehave seen and done since we have been in this Christmas-tree land? Thinkof our drives in godmother's carriage; think of our finding our waythrough a tree's trunk; think of godmother herself, with her wonderfulways and her beautiful dress, and yet that she can look like a poor oldwoman! Would anybody believe all that, do you think? And we know it'sall true; and yet you can't believe birds can talk! Oh, you are toostupid.'

  Rollo smiled; he did not seem vexed.

  'I don't see that all that prevents it being possible that you weredreaming all the same,' he said. 'But dreams are true sometimes.'

  'Are they?' said Maia, looking puzzled in her turn. 'Well, what was theuse of going on so about birds never talking, then? Never mind, now;just wait and see if what I've told you doesn't come true. _I_ shall go,Rollo; if the birds come to fetch us to go to see the eagle, _I_ shallgo.'

  'So shall I,' said Rollo coolly. 'I never had the slightest intention ofnot going. But we must go home now, Maia; it's getting late, and youknow we were not to stay long to-day.'

  'Where's Nanni?' said Maia.

  'Perhaps the birds have flown off with her,' said Rollo mischievously.But for a moment or two neither he nor Maia could help feeling a littleuneasy, for no Nanni was to be seen! They called her and shouted to her,and at last a sort of grunt came in reply, which guided them to where,quite hidden by a little nest of brushwood, Nanni lay at full length,blinking her eyes as if she had not the slightest idea where she was.

  As soon as she saw them, up she jumped.

  'Oh, I am so ashamed,' she cried. 'What could have come over me to fallasleep like that, just when I thought I should have got such a greatpiece of Master Rollo's stockings done! And you have been looking forme, lazy girl that I am! But I can assure you, Miss Maia, when I firstsat down I was not here--I was sitting over there,' and she pointed toanother tree-stump a little way off, 'not asleep at all, and knitting sofast. There are fairies in the wood, Miss Maia,' she added in a lowervoice. 'I've thought it many a time, and I'm more sure than ever of itnow. I don't think we should come into the woods at all, I reallydon't.'

  'We shouldn't have anywhere to walk in, then,' said Rollo. 'I don't seewhy you should be afraid of fairies, Nanni, even supposing there areany. They've never done us any harm. Now, have they?'

  But though she could not say they had, Nanni did not look happy. She wasone of those people that did not like anything she did not understand.Maia gave Rollo's sleeve a little pull as a sign to him that he hadbetter not say any more, and then they set off quickly walking back tothe castle.

  For some days things went on as usual, though every morning when she gotup and every evening when she went to bed Maia wondered if the summonswould not come soon. She went all round the castle, peeping up into theeaves to see if she could find the swallows' nest; but she did notsucceed, and it was no wonder, for the solitary nest was hidden away ina corner where even Maia's sharp eyes could not penetrate, and theswallows flew out and in through a hole in the parapet round the roofwhich no one suspected.

  'I know there _are_ swallows here,' she said to Rollo, 'for I've seenthem. But I can't fancy where they live.'

  'Nanni would say they were fairies,' said Rollo, smiling. He was morepatient than his sister, and he was quite sure that godmother would notforget them. And by degrees Maia began to follow his example, especiallyafter Rollo happened to remark one day that he had noticed that it wasalways when they had been working the most steadily at their lessons,and thinking the least of holidays and treats that the holidays andtreats came. This counsel Maia took to heart, and worked so well forsome days that Mademoiselle Delphine and the old chaplain had none butexcellent reports to give of both children, and Lady Venelda smiled onthem so graciously that they felt sure her next letter to their fatherwould be a most satisfactory one.

  One evening--it was the evening of a most lovely spring day--when Rolloand Maia had said good-night in the usual ceremonious way to LadyVenelda, they were coming slowly along the great corridor, white likethe rest of the castle, which led to their own rooms, when a sound atone of the windows they were passing made them stop.

  'What was that?' said Maia. 'It sounded like a great flutter of wings.'

  Rollo glanced out of the window. It was nearly dark, but his eyes werequick.

  'It was wings,' he said. 'Quite a flight of birds have just flown offfrom under the roof.'

  'Ah,' said Maia, nodding her head mysteriously, 'I thought so. Well,Rollo, _I_ don't intend to go to sleep to-night, whether you do or not.'

  Rollo shook his head.

  'I shall wake if there's anything to wake for,' he said. 'I'm much moresure of doing that than you can be of keeping awake.'

  'Why, I couldn't _go_ to sleep if I thought there was going to beanything to wake for,' said Maia.

  Before long they were both in bed. Rollo laid his head on the pillowwithout troubling himself about keeping awake or going to sleep. Maia,on the contrary, kept her eyes as wide open as she could. It was amoonlight night; the objects in the room stood out in sharp blackshadow against the bright radiance, seeming to take queer fantasticforms which made her every minute start up, feeling sure that she sawsome one or something beside her bedside. And every time that she foundit a mistake she felt freshly disappointed. At last, quite tired withexpecting she knew not what, she turned her face to the wall and shuther eyes.

  'Stupid things that they all are!' she said to herself. 'Godmother, andthe birds, and Waldo, and Silva, and the old doctor, and everybody.They've no business to promise us treats, and then never do anythingabout them. I shan't think any more about it, that I won't. I believeit's all a pretence.'

  Which you will, I am sure, agree with me in thinking not very reasonableon Maia's part!

  She fell asleep at last, and, as might have been expected, much moresoundly than usual. When she woke, it was from a deep, dreamlessslumber, but with the feeling that for some time some one had beencalling her, and that she had been slow of rousing herself.

  'What is it?' she called out, sitting up in bed, and trying to wink thesleep out of her eyes. 'Who is there?'

  'Maia!' a voice replied. A voice that seemed to come from a greatdistance, and yet to reach her as clearly as any sound she had everheard in her life. 'Maia, are you ready?'

  Up sprang Maia.

  'Godmother, is it you calling me?' she said. 'Oh, yes, it must be you!I'll be ready in a moment, godmother. If I could but find my shoes andstockings! Oh, dear! oh, dear! and I meant to keep awake all night. I'vebeen expecting you such a long time.'

  'I know,' said the voice, quite close beside her this time; 'you havebeen expecting me too much,' and, glancing round, Maia saw in themoonligh
t--right _in_ the moonlight, looking indeed almost as if thebright rays came from her--a shadowy silvery figure, quite differentfrom godmother as she had hitherto known her, but which, nevertheless,she knew in a moment could be no one else. Maia flung her arms round herand kissed her.

  'Yes,' she said, 'now I'm _quite_ sure it's you and not a dream. Nodream has cheeks so soft as yours, godmother, and no one else kisseslike you. Your kisses are just like violets. But what am I to do? Must Iget dressed at once?'

  Godmother passed her hands softly round the child. She seemed to strokeher.

  'You are dressed,' she said. 'The clothes you wear generally would betoo heavy, so I brought some with me. You do not need shoes andstockings.'

  But Maia was looking at herself with too much surprise almost to hearwhat she said. 'Dressed,' yes, indeed! She was dressed as never beforein her life, and though she turned herself about, and stroked herselflike a little bird proud of its plumage, she could not find out of whather dress was made, nor what exactly was its colour. Was it velvet, orsatin, or plush? Was it green or blue?

  'I know,' she cried at last joyously; 'it's the same stuff your reddress is made of, godmother! Oh, how nice, and soft, and warm, and lightall together it is! I feel as if I could jump up to the sky.'

  'And not be seen when you got there,' said godmother. 'The colour ofyour dress _is_ sky colour, Maia. But when you have finished admiringyourself we must go--the others have been ready ever so long. They hadnot been expecting me _too_ much, like you, and so they were ready allthe quicker.'

  'Do you mean Rollo?' said Maia. 'Rollo, and Silva, and Waldo?'

  Godmother nodded her head.

  'I'm ready now, any way,' said Maia.

  'Give me your hand,' said godmother, and taking it she held it firm, andled Maia to the window. To the little girl's surprise it was wide open.Godmother, still holding her hand, softly whistled--once, twice, threetimes. Then stood quietly waiting.

  A gentle, rustling, wafting sound became gradually audible. Maiaremained perfectly still--holding her breath in her curiosity to seewhat was coming next. The sound grew nearer and louder, if one can usethe word loud to so soft and delicate a murmur. Maia stretched out herhead.

  'Here they are,' said godmother, and as she spoke, a large object,looking something like a ship with two great sails swimming through theair instead of on the sea, came in sight, and, as if steered by aninvisible hand, came slowly up to the window and there stopped.

  'What is it?' cried Maia, not quite sure, in spite of godmother's firmclasp, whether she was not a little frightened, for even godmotherherself looked strangely shadowy and unreal in the moonlight, and thegreat air-boat was like nothing Maia had ever seen or dreamt of.Suddenly she gave a joyful spring, for she caught sight of what tookaway all her fear. There in the centre of the huge sails, seated in asort of car, and joyfully waving their hands to her, were Rollo, andSilva, and Waldo.

  'Come, Maia,' they called out; 'the birds have come to fetch us, yousee. There's a snug seat for you among the cushions. Come, quick.'

  How was she to come, Maia was on the point of asking, when she feltgodmother draw her quickly forward.

  'Spring, my child, and don't be afraid,' she said, and Maia sprangalmost without knowing it, for before she had time to ask or thinkanything about it, she found herself being kissed by Silva, andcomfortably settled in her place by the boys.

  'All right--we're off now,' Waldo called out, and at once, with a steadyswing, the queer ship rose into the air.

  'But godmother,' exclaimed Maia, 'where is she? Isn't she coming withus?'

  'I am with you, my child,' answered godmother's clear, well-known voice.But where it came from Maia could not tell.

  'Godmother is steering us,' said Silva softly, 'but we can't see her.She doesn't want us to see her. But she'll take care of us.'

  'But where are we?' asked Maia bewildered. 'What is this queer ship orballoon that we are in? What makes it go?'

  'Look closer, and you'll see,' said Silva. 'Look at the sails.'

  And Maia looking, saw by the bright moonlight something stranger thanany of the strange things she had yet seen in Christmas-tree land. Thesails were made of an immense collection of birds all somehow or otherholding together. Afterwards Silva explained to her that they were allclinging by their claws to a great frame, round which they were arrangedin order according to their size, and all flapping their wings inperfect time, so as to have much the same effect in propelling thevessel through the air as the regular motion of several pairs of oars inrowing a boat over the sea. And gradually, as Maia watched andunderstood, a soft murmur reached her ears--it was the waft of the manypairs of wings as they all together clove the air.

  'Oh, the dear, sweet birds!' she exclaimed. 'They have planned it allthemselves, I am sure. Oh, Silva, isn't it lovely? Have you ever had asail in the air like this before?'

  'Not exactly like this,' said Silva.

  'We've had _rides_ in the air,' said Waldo mysteriously.

  '_Have_ you?' said Maia eagerly. 'Oh, do tell us about them!'

  But Rollo laid his hand on her arm.

  'Hush!' he said softly; 'the birds are going to sing,' and before Maiahad time to ask him how he knew, the song began.

  'Shut your eyes,' said Waldo; 'let's all shut our eyes. It sounds everso much prettier.'

  The others followed his advice. You can imagine nothing more deliciousthan the feeling of floating--for it felt more like quick floating thananything else--swiftly through the air, with the sweet warbling voicesall keeping perfect time together, so that even the queer sounds whichnow and then broke through the others--a croak from the crow, who wasquite satisfied that he alone conducted the bass voices, or a suddenscreech from an owl, who had difficulty in subduing his tones--did notseem to mar the effect of the whole. The children did not speak; theydid not feel as if they cared to do so. They held each others' hands,and Maia leant her head on Silva's shoulder in perfect content. It waslike a beautiful dream.

  Gradually the music ceased, and just as it did so godmother's well-knownvoice came clearly through the air. It seemed to come from above, andyet it sounded so near.

  'Children,' she said, 'we are going higher. It will be colder for awhile, for we must hasten, to be in good time for the dawn. Wrapyourselves up well!'

  And as she spoke down dropped on their heads a great soft fleecy shawlor mantle. Softer and fleecier and lighter than any eider-down or lambs'wool that ever was seen or felt, and warmer too, for the children hadbut to give it the tiniest pull or pat in any direction and there itsettled itself in the most comfortable way, creeping round them like thegentle hand of a mother covering up the little ones at night.

  'It must be godmother who is tucking us up, though we can't see her,'said Rollo.

  'Dear godmother,' said Maia, and a sort of little echo was murmured allround, even the birds seeming to join in it, of 'dear godmother.'

  It did get colder, much colder; but the well-protected children,nestling in the cushions of their air-boat, did not feel it, except wheninquisitive Maia poked up her sharp little nose, very quickly towithdraw it again.

  'Oh, it _is_ so freezy,' she said. 'My nose feels as if it would dropoff. Do rub it for me, Silva.'

  'I told you it would be cold,' said godmother's voice again. 'Stay whereyou are, Maia; indeed, I think I don't need to warn you now. A burntchild dreads the fire. I will tell you all when the time comes for youto peep out.'

  Maia felt a very little ashamed of her restlessness, and for the rest ofthe journey she was perfectly quiet. Especially when in a few momentsthe birds began to sing again--still more softly and sweetly this time,so that it seemed a kind of cradle song. Whether the children slept ornot I cannot tell. I don't think they could have told themselves; but inany case they were very still for a good long while after the serenadehad ceased.

  And then once more--clearer and more ringing than before--soundedgodmother's voice.

  'Children, look out! The dawn is breaking.'


  And as the strange air-boat slowly relaxed its speed, floating downwardsin the direction of some great cliffs almost exactly underneath where itwas, the four children sat up, throwing off the fairy mantle which hadso well protected them, and gazed with all their eyes, as well theymight, at the wonderful beauty of the sight before them.

  For they had sailed up to the eagles' eyrie in time to see the sunrise!