Bobbie Bubbles, Page 2

didn't much like the looks of theKing of Mars. Anyway, as you know, it was quite impossible for him toleave the bubble.

  "I can't get out, your Majesty," he said; "and besides, I'm not allowedto swear, so it wouldn't be any use to get out for that."

  "Indeed!" cried the king in a great rage. "Indeed! Haven't I conqueredyour whole world and brought you here prisoner?"

  "Why, no," answered Bobbie, frightened to see the king so very angry."You haven't conquered my world at all. You don't think this littlebubble is a world, do you? It's nothing but soap and water and air--afairy balloon, my mother says--though why it's grown so big and sailedoff with me like this, I'm sure I don't; know."

  "Oh, it's water, is it? Well, then, why don't you say flowing? Sayflowing, not sailing. Water doesn't sail, it flows," cried the king."Your language is something terrible. The whole thing's a case for thenaval authorities. Admiral, scuttle this water balloon so the prisonercannot flow away, and put the enemy under guard. But mind you don'twreck the water balloon. We'll use it as a model for our new fleet."Poor little Bobbie! He had stuck a pin in a soap bubble one day, and heremembered how suddenly it collapsed into a little spot of soapy water.If they scuttled his bubble now, how would he ever get home?

  The king's funny little special guard was rushing forward with his spearto pierce the bubble, and Bobbie was almost ready to cry, when he hearda tinkling voice, and looking up he saw the daintiest of little fairiesstanding before the king. Without a doubt she was queen of the fairies.Bobbie seemed to know her quite well, he had seen her picture often inhis picture books at home.

  0030]

  "Your Majesty," she was saying, "this little boy is no enemy of yours.His mother was quite right; what you thought was his world is indeeda fairy balloon, and though he didn't know it, he is on his way toFlowerland at the special wish of the fairies. Will you not let him go?"

  0032]

  Now the King of Mars well knew the power of the fairies, and he usuallylistened to what they said; but it made him so angry to think he'd madesuch a mistake as to believe the fairy balloon a new world he shouted,"No! I'll not let him go! Put him under guard. Put 'em both underguard--put--" But before he could say another word, with a great buzzingand whirring, a whole host of fairy soldiers had fallen upon him. Theystabbed the poor king right and left with their sharp little sabers andbayonets, so that he shrieked with pain and rage and--quite forgettinghis bandaged foot--rushed down from his throne toward the door ofthe palace. Then the fairy soldiers fell upon the king's funny littleadmiral, and all the king's men, and drove them off helter skelter. Thesoldiers followed swiftly after them, and when they rushed past Bobbie,to his surprise he saw they were a swarm of bees!

  0035]

  At the same time the bubble began to rise. As it floated through thewindow Bobbie could see the king and his men tearing madly round andround the palace yard. My! how angry they were, and how their arms andlegs did smart where the soldiers had stabbed them!

  They stabbed the poor king right and left with their sharp littlesabers and bayonets, so that he shrieked with pain and rage and--quiteforgetting his bandaged foot--rushed down from his throne toward thedoor of the palace. Then the fairy soldiers fell upon the king's funnylittle admiral, and all the king's men, and drove them off helterskelter. The soldiers followed swiftly after them, and when they rushedpast Bobbie, to his surprise he saw they were a swarm of bees!

  At the same time the bubble began to rise. As it floated through thewindow Bobbie could see the king and his men tearing madly round andround the palace yard. My! how angry they were, and how their arms andlegs did smart where the soldiers had stabbed them!

  The fairy summoned her soldiers, and the next instant they were allsailing away.

  To Flowerland the wee fairy took Bobbie, and here were sights to gladdenone's heart. As far as he could see, spread great beds of brillianttulips and nodding columbine, towering flowers that Bobbie could notname, and delicate trailing vines. Bees and butterflies half hidden inthe blossoms made fluttering bits of brightness. Beautiful dragon fliesdarted about, and Bobbie could hear the soft whir of the humming birds'wings, though all he could see of them was a gold-green flash as theydarted from flower to flower. The air was sweet with perfume, and asBobbie gazed about there suddenly burst through the blossoms a band ofsmiling fairies.

  0037]

  There were seven of them, dressed in the seven colors of the rainbow,and as the dew-drops fell from the flowers upon their wings theysparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.

  0039]

  Half flying, half dancing, they circled round Bobbie and his fairy andled them to a tiny bower overhung with vines. In the center stood agreat toadstool that served as a table, and around it smaller toadstoolchairs. Upon the table was spread a wondrous banquet. There was honey indainty flower cups, and the most delicious-looking food that Bobbie hadever seen. Gay-winged butterflies with lily-pad trays and little butlerbees in smart striped waistcoats hovered about to serve the banquet.

  As Bobbie and the queen approached the table, five other fairies cametripping into the bower. "These are my faithful helpers, Bobbie," saidthe queen, "my Right-hand Fairies. Thumb, how went the day?"

  "Most happily, your Majesty," answered a little fairy in a tight-fittingsuit, and as he spoke he made a quick bow backwards, for all the worldlike a thumb straightening up stiffly.

  "And yours, Pointer?" asked the queen.

  [Ill 8040]

  "The same, your Majesty," answered the fairy next to Thumb, and as shespoke she made a most curious bow with her whole body bent over from theankles, so that she looked like a finger pointing straight and stern.

  "And Middleman?" asked the fairy queen, addressing the tallest of thefive.

  "Most excellently, your Majesty," replied Middleman. He was so tall anddignified he scarcely bowed at all.

  "Circlet next," said the queen, and the fourth little fairy made acorrect bow from the waist, like a polite gentleman at a ball.

  "Delightfully, your Majesty," he said. "And how did your day go, LittleOne?" said the queen, turning to the smallest of the fairies.

  8041]

  "It was a beautiful day, your Majesty," she replied, and made a littlecurly looking bow so that her hair touched the floor.

  "Ah, then," said the queen, "let us refresh ourselves."

  So they all gathered around the table and the bees and butterflies beganto serve them--all but Bobbie; for the bubble was still as smooth asglass. He remembered how he had tried to get a drink in the Milky Way,and looked at the queen questioningly. She turned to him.

  "You cannot leave your fairy balloon, Bobbie," she said, "unless youwill stay with us a hundred years. But you need only wish for whateveryou would like to eat, and you will find it in your hand."

  0043]

  So Bobbie wished for one delicious thing after another, and each tastedbetter than the last. As the sun went down, fireflies danced into thebower and lighted it with their tiny candles until the moon spread itssoft white light over all the land.

  Then, the fairy banquet finished, the queen rose from the table. "Nowfor a frolic," she said to Bobbie, and as the Right-hand Fairies circledabout them she led the way to where all the fairies of Flowerland weredancing on the green. Bobbie, of course, could not dance, shut up in thebubble, but Bobbie wished for one delicious thing after another he wasso interested in watching the fairies' graceful, fantastic figures andmischievous pranks, he never thought of dancing himself; and when atcockcrow the fairies suddenly slipped out of sight in the flowers, hecould scarcely believe it was day.

  0044]

  Back to the bower floated the bubble, and Bobbie slept until the sun washigh in the morning sky. Then the fairy queen called him, and he awoketo see the Rainbow Fairies just outside. They were seated on brilliantbutterflies which were harnessed to a spiderweb net.

  "To-day you shall visit the Rainbow," said the queen.

  "And see the pot of gold?" asked Bobbie.

  "Yes," a
nswered the fairy, "and all the countless treasures the RainbowDwarf guards there."

  [Ill 945]

  Then the Rainbow Fairies slipped down from the butterflies and threw thesilken strands of the spiderweb net over the bubble.

  The fairy queen mounted her own golden butterfly, and away they flew.

  0047]

  They hadn't gone very far when they met the four little Breezesfrolicking in the air. They bobbed their heads up and down three timesout of respect to the fairy queen, but all the time they were lookingout of the corners of their eyes at Bobbie.

  "These are the Breezes, Bobbie," said the fairy, "the sons of the fourWinds," and turning to them, she added, "But perhaps you know