The Magic Nuts Read online

  CHAPTER II

  APPLES AND NUTS

  I love old women best, I think; She knows a friend in me.--ASHE.

  It _was_ market-day, to Leonore's great delight, and scarcely less tothat of her governess. The scene was a busy and amusing one, and addedto that was the charm of everything being so new to the little girl. Shewanted to buy all sorts of treasures, but when Fraulein reminded herthat there was no hurry, and that she would probably have plenty ofchances of choosing the things that took her fancy at the yearly fair atDorf, or in the little village shops there, she gave in, and contentedherself with some delicious tiny pots and jugs, which she declared must_really_ have been made by fairies.

  'You are in the country of fairies now,' said Fraulein, smiling. 'NotFairyland itself, of course, but one of the earth countries which lienearest its borders.'

  Leonore looked up gravely. Some feeling of the kind had already comeover her--ever since their arrival the night before at the queer oldinn, she had felt herself in a sort of new world, new to her justbecause of its strange oldness.

  'Oh, Fraulein,' she said, 'I do like you to say that. Do you really meanit? And is Dorf as near Fairyland as this dear old town, do you think?'

  'Quite, I should say,' replied Fraulein, taking up the little girl'sfancy. 'Even nearer, perhaps. There are wonderful old woods on one sideof the village, which look like the very home of gnomes and kobolds andall kinds of funny people. And----' she broke off abruptly, for Leonorehad given her arm a sudden tug.

  'Do look, Fraulein,' she said in a half whisper. '_Isn't_ she like anold fairy? And she's smiling as if she understood what we were saying.'

  'She' was a tiny little old woman, seated in a corner of themarket-place, with her goods for sale spread out before her. These werebut a poor display--a few common vegetables, a trayful of not veryinviting-looking apples, small and grayish, and a basket filled withnuts. But the owner of these seemed quite content. She glanced up asLeonore stopped to gaze at her and smiled--a bright, half-mischievoussort of smile, which was reflected in her twinkling eyes, and made herold brown wrinkled face seem like that of an indiarubber doll.

  Fraulein looked at her too with interest in her own kindly blue eyes.

  'She must be very poor,' she said.

  Fraulein was very practical, though she was fond of fairy stories andsuch things too.

  'Oh, do let us buy something from her,' said Leonore. 'I've plenty ofmoney, you know--and if you'll lend me a little, you can pay yourselfback when you get my English gold pound changed, can't you, dearFraulein? I have spent those funny pretence-silver pennies you gave meyesterday.'

  Fraulein opened her purse and put two small coins into the child's hand.

  'Buy apples with one of these,' she said; 'that will be enough to pleasethe poor old thing.'

  'And nuts with the other?' asked Leonore.

  Fraulein shook her head.

  'Nuts are so indigestible, my little girl,' she replied; 'and thoughthese apples are not pretty, I am not sure but that they may tastebetter than they look. I have a sort of remembrance of some ugly littlegray apples in this neighbourhood which were rather famous.'

  Her 'pretence-silver' penny procured for Leonore a good handful, orhandkerchief-full--for the fruit-seller had no paper-bags to put themin--of the apples. And when she had got them safe, and was turning away,the old woman stretched out a brown wizened hand again with another ofher queer smiles.

  "TAKE THESE," SHE SAID, "FOR GOOD LUCK."]

  'Take these,' she said, 'for good luck.'

  'These' were a few of the nuts. If Leonore had wished to refuse them,she could hardly have done so, for before she had time to do more thanthank the giver politely, the dame was busy talking to some othercustomer, who had stopped in front of her little table.

  Fraulein had walked on. Leonore ran after her.

  'See,' she said, holding out her nuts, 'see what the old woman gave me.What shall I do with them, if I mustn't eat them? I don't like to throwthem away, when she gave me them as a present.'

  'No, of course not,' said Fraulein at once. 'Put them in your jacketpocket, dear, and perhaps you may eat two or three of them when we goin.'

  Leonore slipped the nuts into her pocket as she was told, and soonafter, the clock of the great church striking twelve, she and hergoverness made their way back to the hotel.

  'I do not want you to be tired,' said Fraulein, 'for this afternoon Ishould like to take you to see one or two of the curious old houseshere, as well as the interior of the church'; for the market and theshops had taken up Leonore's attention so much, that they had had notime for anything else in the way of sight-seeing.

  Dinner was rather a long affair, and tried the little girl's patience.There seemed twice or three times as many dishes as were needed, eventhough there were several other guests at the long table besidesthemselves, none of whom, however, were very interesting.

  'I hope we shan't have such a lot to eat at your aunt's house,Fraulein,' said Leonore in a low voice, towards the end of the meal,with a sigh. 'It seems such a pity not to be out-of-doors, when it's sobright and sunny.'

  'We shall have plenty of time, dear,' said her governess. 'See, we areat dessert now. And you will probably feel more tired this evening thanyou expect. No, my aunt lives more simply, though you will like herpuddings and cakes, I am sure.'

  The afternoon passed very pleasantly and quickly, though, as Frauleinhad expected, Leonore did feel more tired when they came in for thesecond time than she had thought she would be, and quite ready forbed-time when it came--indeed, not sorry to allow that the dustman'ssummons was there, half an hour or so earlier than usual.

  'Your eyes are looking quite sleepy, my child,' said Fraulein; 'andthough we have no more long railway journeys before us, we have a driveof some hours to-morrow, and I should like you to reach Dorf feelingquite fresh. It makes such a difference in one's impressions of thingsif one is tired or not, and I do want your first feelings about ourtemporary home to be very pleasant ones.'

  Leonore was used to her governess's rather prim, long-winded way ofsaying things, and had learnt by practice to pick out the kernel--alwaysa kind one--of her speeches very quickly.

  'Yes,' she said, 'I know how you mean. Last night in the railway train,before we got here, I thought everything was perfectly horrid andmiserable and would never get nice again. And to-day I've been sohappy--even though I _am_ tired and sleepy now,' she added, lookingrather puzzled. 'There must be different ways of being tired, Isuppose.'

  'Undoubtedly there are--but we won't talk any more to-night. I am soglad you have been happy to-day.'

  And sleepy Leonore went off to bed, and was soon in dreamland. She hadforgotten all about her apples and nuts--the former Fraulein found tiedup in the handkerchief after the little girl had fallen asleep, and putthem into her travelling-bag, thinking they might be nice to eat duringthe drive the next day, but the nuts did not come into her mind at all.

  'We certainly seem very lucky,' she said to Leonore the next morning, asthey were at breakfast. 'The weather could not be better, especiallywhen we remember that it is already late autumn. My aunt will be sopleased at it; her last letter was full of regrets about the rain andfears of its lasting.'

  Leonore glanced towards the window. The clear gray-blue sky was to beseen above the blinds, and the pale yellow sunshine was straying in asif to wish them good-morning.

  'Is it a very long drive to Dorf?' she asked.

  'About three hours,' Fraulein replied. 'It is longer through beingpartly uphill; but at the steepest bit the road is very pretty, so itmay be pleasant to get out and walk a little.'

  'Yes, I should like that,' said Leonore. And then Fraulein went on totell her that she had arranged for them to have dinner a little earlierthan usual by themselves, so as to start in good time to reach Dorf bydaylight.

  And when they started in a comfortable though rather shabby carriage,with their lighter luggage strapped on behind, the horses' collar bellsring
ing merrily, and the wheels making what Leonore called a lovelyclatter on the old paved streets, the little girl's spirits rose stillhigher, and she began to think that Fraulein's praises of her owncountry had not been too great.

  The first half of the way was fairly level, and not, so it seemed toLeonore, very unlike the part of England where she had spent most of herlife, except, that is to say, the two or three villages through whichthey passed. These reminded her of pictures of Switzerland which shehad seen--the houses having high pointed roofs, with deep eaves, andmany of them little staircases outside. Some of them too were gailypainted in colours on a white ground, which she admired very much. Andafter a time the road began gently to ascend, and then indeed, asFraulein said, the likeness to Switzerland grew greater. For now itskirted pine woods on one side, and on the other the ground fell awaysharply, here and there almost like a precipice; and before very longthe driver pulled up, getting down to push a heavy stone behind thewheel, to prevent the carriage slipping back while he gave the horses arest.

  'Mayn't we get out here and walk on a little way?' asked Leonore, andFraulein said 'Yes,' it was just what she had been intending.

  'It _is_ pretty here,' said Leonore, looking about her withsatisfaction; 'the woods are so thick and dark--I love Christmas-treewoods--and the road goes winding such a nice funny way. And see,Fraulein, there's another little well, all mossy, and the water _so_clear. Doesn't the running and trickling sound pretty? And, oh yes,there are goats down there, goats with bells. I hear them tinkling, andthe man with them has some kind of a music-pipe--listen, Fraulein.'

  They stood still for a moment, the better to catch the mingled softsounds which Leonore spoke of. And behind them, some little way off,came the tingling of their horses' louder bells, and the voice of thedriver talking to them and cracking his whip encouragingly.

  'It _is_ nice,' said Leonore. 'I'm getting to be very glad papa settledfor me to come here with you, Fraulein.'

  The good lady's eyes sparkled with pleasure.

  'And I am glad too, more glad than I can say,' she replied, 'and so willmy kind aunt be, if we can make you really happy at Dorf.'

  'Are we half-way there yet?' asked Leonore.

  'Quite that, but the rest of the way is mostly uphill, so it takeslonger, you see.' As she spoke, Fraulein drew something out of thelittle bag on her arm which she was seldom without. It was one of thesmall grayish apples which they had bought from the old woman in themarket-place. 'You forgot these,' she said, holding the apple out toLeonore. 'I found them last night after you were asleep, and I thoughtyou might like one or two on our way to-day. I believe they will provevery good.'

  'How stupid of me to have forgotten them,' said the little girl, as shebit off a piece. 'Yes,' she went on, 'it is very good indeed--you wouldnot believe how sweet and juicy it tastes. Won't you eat one yourself?'

  Fraulein was quite willing to do so, and soon got out another. 'Therest,' she said, 'are in my travelling-bag in the carriage. I am glad Iwas not mistaken,' she went on. 'I felt sure they were the same uglylittle apples I remember as a child.'

  'And oh,' said Leonore, suddenly diving into her jacket pocket, 'thatreminds me, Fraulein--where are the nuts she gave me? They're not inthis pocket, and,' feeling in the other, 'oh dear! they must havedropped out; there are only three left, and I am sure she gave me atleast twenty.'

  'Well, never mind, dear,' said the governess, who was contentedlymunching her apple. 'They would not have been good for you to eat--youwould have had to throw them away, and so long as the poor old dame'sfeelings were not hurt, it really is of no consequence.'

  But Leonore was still eyeing the three nuts in her hand with a look ofregret.

  'I don't know,' she said. 'I might have used them for counters, orplayed with them somehow. It seems unkind to have lost them--do you wantme to throw these last three away?' she went on rather plaintively.

  'Oh no,' said Fraulein, 'you may keep them certainly if you like. Andeven if you eat them, _three_ can't do you much harm.'

  'I don't want to eat them,' said Leonore, 'but I should like to _keep_them,' and she stowed them away in her pocket again with a moresatisfied look on her face.

  As she did so, a sound, seemingly quite near, made her start and lookround. It was that of a soft yet merry laugh, low and musical and clear,though faint.

  'Did you hear that, Fraulein?' said the little girl.

  'What?' asked her governess.

  'Somebody laughing, close to us--such a pretty laugh, like little silverbells.'

  'Most likely it was the bells, the goats' little bells. I heard nothingelse,' Fraulein replied.

  Leonore shook her head.

  'No,' she said,' it was different from that, quite different. And thegoats are some way off now; listen, you can only just hear them. And thelaughing was quite near.'

  But Fraulein only smiled.

  'There could not have been any one quite near without my hearing ittoo,' she replied, 'even if----' but here she stopped. She had saidenough, however, to rouse her pupil's curiosity.

  'Even if what?' repeated Leonore; 'do tell me what you were going tosay, dear Fraulein.'

  'I was only joking, or going to joke,' her governess answered. 'It cameinto my head that the woods about here--as indeed about most parts ofthis country--are said to be a favourite place for the fairies to visit._Some_ kinds of fairies, you know--gnomes and brownies and such like.The kinds that don't live in Fairyland itself make their homes in thewoods, by preference to anywhere else.'

  'And do you think it _might_ have been one of them I heard laughing?'asked Leonore eagerly. 'Oh, how lovely! But then, why didn't you hear ittoo, Fraulein, and what was it laughing at, do you think? I wasn'tsaying anything funny. I was only----'

  'Dear child,' said Fraulein, 'do not take me up so seriously. I amafraid your papa and your aunts would not think me at all a sensiblegoverness if they heard me chattering away like this to you. Of course Iwas only joking.'

  Leonore looked rather disappointed.

  'I wish you _weren't_ joking,' she said. 'I can't see that people needbe counted silly who believe in fairies and nice queer things like that._I_ think the people who don't are the stupid silly ones. And you willnever make me think I _didn't_ hear some one laugh, Fraulein--I justknow I did.' Then after a little pause she added, 'Would your old auntthink me very silly for believing about fairies? If she has lived sonear Fairyland all her life I shouldn't think she would.'

  This was rather a poser for poor Fraulein.

  'She would not think you _silly_!' she replied; 'that is to say, sheloves fairy stories herself. Life would indeed be very dull if we had nopretty fancies to brighten it with.'

  'Oh, but,' said Leonore, 'that's just what I don't want. I mean I don'twant to count fairy stories _only_ stories--not real. I like to thinkthere _are_ fairies and brownies and gnomes, and all sorts of goodpeople like that, though it isn't very often that mortals'--she saidthe last word with great satisfaction--'see them. I am always hopingthat some day _I_ shall. And if this country of yours, Fraulein dear, ison the borders of Fairyland, I don't see why I don't run a very goodchance of coming across some of them while we are here. They are muchmore likely to show themselves to any one who does believe in them, Ishould say. Don't you think so?'

  Fraulein laughed.

  'I remember feeling just as you do, my child, when I was a little girl,'she said. 'But time has gone on, and I am no longer young, and I amobliged to confess that I have never seen a fairy.'

  'Perhaps you didn't believe _enough_ in them,' said Leonore sagely; andto herself she added, 'I have a sort of idea that Fraulein's aunt knowsmore about them than Fraulein does. I shall soon find out, though Iwon't say anything for a day or two till I see. But nothing will evermake me believe that I didn't hear somebody laughing just now.'

  Her hand had strayed again to her jacket pocket as she said this toherself, and her fingers were feeling the nuts.

  'It is funny that just three are left,' she th
ought, 'for so often infairy stories you read about three nuts, or three kernels. I won'tcrack _my_ nuts in a hurry, however.'

  A few minutes more brought them to the summit of the steep incline, andsoon the driver's voice and the cracking of his whip as he cheered uphis horses sounded close behind them. He halted for a short time to givehis animals a little rest, and then Fraulein and Leonore got back intothe carriage.

  'The rest of the way is almost level,' said the former; 'quite so as weenter Dorf. You will see, Leonore, how fast we shall go at the end. Thedrivers love to make a clatter and jingle to announce their arrival. Nodoubt my aunt will hear it, and be at the gate some minutes before shecan possibly see us.'