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Fairy Realm A Collection Of The Favourite Old Tales Told in Verse - Tom Hood · The Ladies Paradise

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one, Part one of Fairy Realm, a collection of
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  Speaker 1: the favorite old tales told in verse. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Noel Padrian. Fairy Realm by Tom Hood. Preface.
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  Speaker 1: The five favorite fairy legends which Monsieur Gustave d'rre has illustrated,
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  Speaker 1: are so well known, have been so often told and
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  Speaker 1: in so many different ways, that it was a matter
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  Speaker 1: of no small difficulty to determine the best mode of
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  Speaker 1: treating them. The plan I have adopted is to give
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  Speaker 1: the tales in a simple meter and in the most
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  Speaker 1: unpretending manner, going in short, little if anything beyond the
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  Speaker 1: mere recital in easy verse. From performing even this plain task,
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  Speaker 1: as I could have wished, I have been prevented by
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  Speaker 1: ill health, and I fear that what I have written
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  Speaker 1: little deserves the honor of association with works of genius
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  Speaker 1: like Missieur Gustav Dore's pictures. But I have the single
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  Speaker 1: satisfaction of knowing that I have done the best I could.
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  Speaker 1: Tom Hood, November eighteen sixty five. The Sleeping Beauty, Part one.
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  Speaker 1: In that strange region, dim and gray, which lies so
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  Speaker 1: very far away, whose chronicles in prose or rhyme are dated.
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  Speaker 1: Once upon a time there was a land where silence
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  Speaker 1: reigned so deep the ear it almost pained to hear
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  Speaker 1: the nat shrill clarion blow. Though he sleeps heralded. We
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  Speaker 1: know scarce. Would you deem that calm, profound, unbroken by
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  Speaker 1: the ghost of sound, had, like a sudden curtain dropped
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  Speaker 1: upon a revel instant stopped that laugh and shout and
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  Speaker 1: merry rout and hunting song had all died out, stricken
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  Speaker 1: to silence at a touch, a single touch. It was
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  Speaker 1: not much. I'll tell you how it came about. What
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  Speaker 1: bevies of pages of various ages, Princess Pettipath's christening, banqueting gages.
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  Speaker 1: They all look as deeply important as sages. What hundreds
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  Speaker 1: of cooks to judge by their looks, they had written
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  Speaker 1: the very profoundest of books, of course, books like those
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  Speaker 1: by Hobbs, Bacon or Hooker. I mean not mere Kitchener's
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  Speaker 1: essays on cookery as to the carts, from the soup
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  Speaker 1: to the tarts, twould need to detail them a man
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  Speaker 1: of some parts, while to eat of each item, to taste,
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  Speaker 1: just to bite em. The veracious, voracious will own would
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  Speaker 1: affright them. If you want to find out the amount
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  Speaker 1: or about of the salmon, beef, partridges, lobster and sokkrout, macaroni, potatoes,
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  Speaker 1: cream cutlets, ice, trout, lamb blamange, kippered herring, duck, broccoli, sprout,
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  Speaker 1: sheep's trotters, real turtle, tripe, truffles, swine, snout, solo gratais, snails,
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  Speaker 1: birds nests, dutch cheese, whiting, pout, jelly, plovers, eggs, bitters, liqueurs, ales, wine, stout, peas, cheese, frickasses,
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  Speaker 1: and dragou say ragout for the sake of the rime,
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  Speaker 1: and have plenty of tme and a knowledge of figures,
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  Speaker 1: which I call a crime because it's a feat that
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  Speaker 1: would puzzle beginners make out and declare the cube of
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  Speaker 1: the square of twice twenty thousand of Lord Mayor's grand dinners.
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  Speaker 1: The invited guests begin to arrive with nobles and courtiers.
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  Speaker 1: The scene is alive. They hustle and bustle in rich dresses, rustle.
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  Speaker 1: The squeeze for good places is almost a tussle. Precedence
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  Speaker 1: depends not on birth but on muscle. But they are
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  Speaker 1: none of them able to reach the high table for
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  Speaker 1: their grave. Majordomo, perceiving the babel a sufficient space, clears
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  Speaker 1: with the King's musketeers, because he well knows it will
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  Speaker 1: cost him his ears if when the time comes for
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  Speaker 1: the soups and the meats, the twelve fairy godmothers cannot
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  Speaker 1: find seats. At last, there's a bray of trumpets to
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  Speaker 1: say that his Majesty's majesties coming this way, with his
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  Speaker 1: ministers all in their gorgeous array, and the laws of
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  Speaker 1: his council a noble display, and the Queen, who's as
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  Speaker 1: beauteous as blossoms in may, with her ladies in waiting,
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  Speaker 1: so smiling and gay, with a great many more. I
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  Speaker 1: might briefly run o'er if at pageants like this I
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  Speaker 1: were only ou fai. The glittering procession makes stately progression
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  Speaker 1: to the seats that the musketeers hold in possession at
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  Speaker 1: the top of the hall, while the visitors all are
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  Speaker 1: crowded to death. Though the place is not small, but
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  Speaker 1: from all unto all crammed with short folks and tall
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  Speaker 1: who as chances befall, and in various degrees they suffer
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  Speaker 1: the squeeze, ball, brawl, hall, mall, squall, call, fall, crawl
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  Speaker 1: and sprawl. The King's looking pleasant, expecting a present, say knives,
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  Speaker 1: forks and spoons that cost many a peasant for his daughters,
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  Speaker 1: an heiress from each of the fairies, a fay for
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  Speaker 1: a sponsor in these days quite rare is. But fairies,
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  Speaker 1: we know, have gifts to bestow, more precious than silver
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  Speaker 1: and gold ones. And so one gives the bay beauty,
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  Speaker 1: another gives health. This a strong sense of duty that
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  Speaker 1: plenty of wealth five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten add
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  Speaker 1: their presents. But when eleven have endowed her, the last
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  Speaker 1: of the dozen says, I really don't know what to
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  Speaker 1: give her, dear cousin addressing the queen, But the courses
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  Speaker 1: between I shall hit upon something I will not be mean.
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  Speaker 1: So pray take your seats, for I'm not such a
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  Speaker 1: sinner as while I am thinking to keep you from dinner.
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  Speaker 1: The king has taken the highest place beside him. The queen,
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  Speaker 1: in her diamonds and lace. Each fairy godmother sits down
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  Speaker 1: by another, And my lord the archbishop is just saying grace,
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  Speaker 1: when in comes a cook with a very white face,
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  Speaker 1: who cries as he straight up the hall rushes nimbly, Please,
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  Speaker 1: your Majesty, somebody's fell down the chimblely. There's silence in
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  Speaker 1: the hall for half a minute, and not a word
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  Speaker 1: doth fall from those within it. When lo no, and
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  Speaker 1: yet it is so the sound of a foot comes,
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  Speaker 1: heavy and slow up the staircase from down below, and
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  Speaker 1: a figure, ill grown, unattended, alone walks straight through the
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  Speaker 1: guests to the foot of the throne, and then with
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  Speaker 1: a squeak, rising into a shriek, and eyes that with
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  Speaker 1: fury are terribly glistening, cries pray, sir, why was I
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  Speaker 1: not asked to the christening? Twas old Fairy's spite, whom
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  Speaker 1: they did not invite because of her manners, which were
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  Speaker 1: not polite. She led a bad life, was addicted to strife,
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  Speaker 1: and besides, worst of all, she ate peas with a knife.
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  Speaker 1: But twas really no joke her wrath to provoke. So
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  Speaker 1: in hopes to appease her, his Majesty spoke and said,
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  Speaker 1: sore affrighted. They both were delighted to see her that day,
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  Speaker 1: quite charmed. In fact, they couldn't think how it was
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  Speaker 1: she had not been invited, shrieked Spite, silence, Gabby, Let's
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  Speaker 1: look at the Babby. The Queen, in a tremble her
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  Speaker 1: fears to dissemble, said, here is the darling, Papa, she resemble.
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  Speaker 1: You'd like perhaps to take her, but please not to
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  Speaker 1: wake her. She sleeps, sleeps, said Spite, does she really
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  Speaker 1: I'll make her of sleep? Ma'am have plenty here chorus
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  Speaker 1: attente if she touches a spindle before she is twenty.
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  Speaker 1: For if she does a heavy sleep, shall over all
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  Speaker 1: your palace creep, and you, with your whole court, shall
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  Speaker 1: keep buried in leaden fetters deep until here Fairy number twelve, who,
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  Speaker 1: as we know, was forced to shelve her gift because
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  Speaker 1: the banquet waited, broke in and capped what Spite had stated.
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  Speaker 1: Until the Prince shall come to wake the sleeping beauty,
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  Speaker 1: and so break the spell, wherewith old Spite in vain
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  Speaker 1: would her young life for eye and chain. The King
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  Speaker 1: sent heralds through the land, proclaiming Spindle's contraband pronouncing penalties
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  Speaker 1: and pains gainst Distaff's treaddles, rocks and skeins, and so
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  Speaker 1: to spin became a sin. Wheels were bowled out, and
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  Speaker 1: looms came in. No more old women were allowed to
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  Speaker 1: meddle with wheel or treadle. There were no spinsters left
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  Speaker 1: the fair deceivers all became weavers. The very name and
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  Speaker 1: uses of a spindle to nought did dwindle. The fashion
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  Speaker 1: was folks said entirely dead. Expir'd passed human effort to
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  Speaker 1: rekindle times wanted. Pace is not a rapid race. His
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  Speaker 1: motto seems to be festina lente. But yet he passed
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  Speaker 1: away until at length the day approached, on which the
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  Speaker 1: princess would be twenty What consultations, what preparations, What busy
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  Speaker 1: times for people of all stations? What scouring out of
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  Speaker 1: rooms with mops and brooms, What scouring to and fro
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  Speaker 1: of hurried grooms? No leisure, not the least for man
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  Speaker 1: or beast, Because his Majesty had fixed a feast acres
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  Speaker 1: of eatables and seas of ale, a banquet that should
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  Speaker 1: make all others pale. In those of Hiligobalus deceased to
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  Speaker 1: celebrate the day his child was quite beyond the malice
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  Speaker 1: of old fairy spite. It was a scene of bustle
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  Speaker 1: and intrusion, and vast profusion, such game and meat and
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  Speaker 1: fish and rare confections. The tables and the chairs down
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  Speaker 1: and upstairs were packed away, piled up in all directions,
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  Speaker 1: in chaos which the master of a house, whose want
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  Speaker 1: of nous is such that he allows his wife a
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  Speaker 1: soiree discovers round him when tired out and sorry he
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  Speaker 1: fain would sleep, but cannot for the din doze. In short,
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  Speaker 1: that plague a house turned out of windows. No wonder
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  Speaker 1: the Princess, so meek and quiet, should run away from
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  Speaker 1: all the dust and riot. No wonder I repeat, When
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  Speaker 1: all the sweet from the great seal to her, who
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  Speaker 1: made the beds were hardly sure if they were on
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  Speaker 1: their heads or on their feet, No wonder the Princess,
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  Speaker 1: no soul, aware even of those who had her in
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  Speaker 1: their care, stole from her room and upper winding stair
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  Speaker 1: up to the highest turret's tipmost top, without or let
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  Speaker 1: or stop, went to enjoy the scenery and air in
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  Speaker 1: a room at the top of the tower. That day,
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  Speaker 1: merrily merrily turned the wheel, and old Dame span with
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  Speaker 1: never a stay, merrily merrily turned the wheel. The wool
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  Speaker 1: was as white as the driven snow. Merrily merrily turned
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  Speaker 1: the wheel, and she sang merrily, merrily, oh, merrily turned
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  Speaker 1: the wheel. The princess looked in at the door and said,
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  Speaker 1: merrily merrily turned the wheel, What bonny white wool, and
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  Speaker 1: what bonny white thread? Merrily merrily turned the wheel. Come hither, then,
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  Speaker 1: fair one, and make the wheel go merrily merrily turned
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  Speaker 1: the wheel, said ugly old Spite, who sang merrily, oh
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  Speaker 1: merrily turned the wheel. She turns the wheel and wakes
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  Speaker 1: its busy hum. She twists the white wool with her
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  Speaker 1: white fingers. She hears them call her, but she will
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  Speaker 1: not come charmed with the toy. In that small room
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  Speaker 1: she lingers. The wheel runs swiftly, and the distaff's full.
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  Speaker 1: She takes the spindle, heedless of who calls her. Two
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  Speaker 1: tiny drops of blood fall on the wool, and all
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  Speaker 1: that cruel spite foretold befalls her on one, and all
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  Speaker 1: DIDs sudden slumber fall. The steed that in the palace
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  Speaker 1: courtyard cropped the very bird upon the roof, that hopp'd
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  Speaker 1: the cook who mincemeat for the banquet, chopp'd the gardener
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  Speaker 1: who the fruit trees branches lopp'd the huntsman, who his
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  Speaker 1: beaded forehead mopp'd, the gay young lover who the question popp'd,
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  Speaker 1: the damsel who thereat her eyelids dropp'd. The counselor, who
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  Speaker 1: feigned the state had propp'd. The king his measures anxious
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  Speaker 1: to adopt. The courtier in his new court suit be fopp'd,
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  Speaker 1: the toper, whom his beak in Rhenish sopp'd the scullion,
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  Speaker 1: wiping up the sauce. He slopp'd the chamberlain as wise
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  Speaker 1: as ancient copp't. The purblind peer hooed in the fountain flopp'd,
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  Speaker 1: the jester, who that fall with mirth, had topp'd stopp'd,
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  Speaker 1: And over all there came a change, as silence terrible
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  Speaker 1: and strange and wrapp'd the place, while thickets, dens of
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  Speaker 1: thorn and briar grew round it till the topmost spire
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  Speaker 1: they did efface, and only aged crones came nigh to
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  Speaker 1: gather sticks, or passing by some huntsman bowled spying a
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  Speaker 1: tower would ask its tail, and by the shepherds, scared
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  Speaker 1: and pale were then be told how many a prince
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  Speaker 1: of noble blood had striven to penetrate the wood and
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  Speaker 1: reach the keep, where that princess so passing fair with
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  Speaker 1: king and queen and courtiers there lay wrapt in sleep.
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  Speaker 1: But how none ever, yet could make a path through
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  Speaker 1: that thick tangled brake, And none came back, but perish'd
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  Speaker 1: miserably there, and left their bones all bleach'd and bare
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  Speaker 1: in that dark track. It was a solemn place. I
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  Speaker 1: ween wrapped in its shroud of somber green, so hush'd
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  Speaker 1: and still the fall of every leaf you heard. Nor
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  Speaker 1: was there in its shades a bird to cheap and trill.
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  Speaker 1: No cricket chirp'd beneath the hedge, No reed wren rustled
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  Speaker 1: in the sedge, no skylark sword. Only at times where
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  Speaker 1: round the keep did thickest snaky ivies creep, a gray
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  Speaker 1: owl snored, the sunlight slumbered on the wall. The transit
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  Speaker 1: shadow did not crawl, or scarcely crept dreaming. The white
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  Speaker 1: lake lilies lay above their image still as they the
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  Speaker 1: hushed waves slept like hermits dozing in their cells, drowsed
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  Speaker 1: in the drooping blossom bells. The murmurous bees all languidly
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  Speaker 1: the land up cloam around the central palace dome by
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  Speaker 1: slow degrees, But that embower'd pile did seem a cloud
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  Speaker 1: from some fantastic dream, some visioned place. Its towers were
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  Speaker 1: cloth'd in misty sheen, and slumbering forests seemed to lean
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  Speaker 1: about its base. The branches nodded, and the breeze sighed
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  Speaker 1: ceaselessly through the sleepy trees, a long drawn breath. Nature's
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  Speaker 1: warm pulses here seem'd stay'd, steep'd in a trance that
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  Speaker 1: all dismay'd, twas so like death only for ever grew
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  Speaker 1: and spread the somber branches overhead, thick leaf and bloom,
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  Speaker 1: as if to make for nature's sleep, the brooding silence
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  Speaker 1: still more deep, more deep, the gloom into the heart.
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  Speaker 1: A terror sank the vegetation, lush and rank on all sides,
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  Speaker 1: ran and looped and drooped in bine and twine, and
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  Speaker 1: never trace or track or sign of living man. End
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  Speaker 1: of The Sleeping Beauty Part one, Chapter one, Part two
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  Speaker 1: of Fairy Realm by Tom Hood. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Recording by no Orbadrian The Sleeping
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  Speaker 1: Beauty Part two. Down by the river that runs through
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  Speaker 1: the wood, the horns are gaily winding. Tralla la la.
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  Speaker 1: That music good denotes the red deer's finding. Tralla la la, la,
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  Speaker 1: la la la. The echoes repeat the music sweet that
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  Speaker 1: tells of the red deer's finding over the river and
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  Speaker 1: over the plain, through forest vale and hollow. Tralla la la.
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  Speaker 1: That note again bids all good huntsmen follow. Tralla la
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  Speaker 1: la la la la la. The sweet notes fa along
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  Speaker 1: the gale. Then all good huntsmen follow by many a
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  Speaker 1: mile of moorland, vast, by many a mile of forest.
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  Speaker 1: Trallah la la. The huntsman's blast tells where the chase
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  Speaker 1: is sorest. Trallah la la la la la la, Oh,
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  Speaker 1: hapless dear thy fate is near, which vainly thou deploreest
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  Speaker 1: in vain The flying quarry seeks the dark wood's friendly branches.
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  Speaker 1: The chase is done, Its race is run. The dogs
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  Speaker 1: are at its haunches. The prince looks back. He rides alone.
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  Speaker 1: His sweet no longer follow and he can hear no
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  Speaker 1: friendly cheer in answer to his hallo, what a chase,
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  Speaker 1: what a race? What a terrible pace? He's outridden his friends.
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  Speaker 1: It's a very queer case. Where can he have got
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  Speaker 1: what's the name of the place. He'll never be able
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  Speaker 1: his steps to retrace. He pulls up his steed, not
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  Speaker 1: too early, indeed, for the poor beast is finish'd. It
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  Speaker 1: shakes like a reed. If his home lay quite near,
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  Speaker 1: and he knew where to steer, his hoss could not
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  Speaker 1: carry him there. That is clear. Meanwhile, each lengthening shadow
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  Speaker 1: shows that day is drawing to a close. In two
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  Speaker 1: more hours, the glowing sun will down. The western heavens
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  Speaker 1: run and quench its glories, manifold in yon bright sea
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  Speaker 1: of molten gold. Before him, that dense thicket, vast and dim,
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  Speaker 1: spreads out its awful silence and seclusion, and none is
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  Speaker 1: near to tell its tale to him and scare intrusion.
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  Speaker 1: On either side his path, a giant bowl rears its
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  Speaker 1: huge form, a rude, gigantic column. That gloomy portal does
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  Speaker 1: not fill his soul with fancies. Solemn, his step is
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  Speaker 1: light on the luxuriant sod from the green blades, A
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  Speaker 1: thousand dew drops, spurning little. He dreams that path has
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  Speaker 1: near been trod by foot. Returning heedless, he views the
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  Speaker 1: dark nooks in the glades, passing to spots that shafts
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  Speaker 1: of sunlight brighten, nor knows that human bones within those
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  Speaker 1: shades are laid to whiten. For him. There is no
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  Speaker 1: terror in the spot, no hint of deaths to which
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  Speaker 1: its interest sad owes for him, No specters in its
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  Speaker 1: bright sunshine blot or fill its shadows. For him. The
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  Speaker 1: secret of that grove profound is locked away, that tragic tail,
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  Speaker 1: and tearful to him. The death like calm that reigns
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  Speaker 1: around is strange, not fearful. So on he fares through
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  Speaker 1: sunshine and through shade, by paths that near before were
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  Speaker 1: trod by mortal to where the dusky forest's green arcade
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  Speaker 1: leads to a portal along the silent avenue. The young
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  Speaker 1: prince gaily passes tis carpeted with velvet moss beneath the
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  Speaker 1: nodding grasses. The dreamy sunlight through the boughs upon the
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  Speaker 1: green swords streaming sets here and there with radiance rare,
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  Speaker 1: a lingering dewdrop gleaming on either hand, rise lofty stems
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  Speaker 1: above the branch's mingle, and as a glimpse of blue
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  Speaker 1: shuts in the end of some green dingle framed in
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  Speaker 1: an arch of greenery, where that long alley closes, he
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  Speaker 1: sees a flight of steps, a gate or groan with
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  Speaker 1: truant roses, and some one who beside the gate, in
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  Speaker 1: that warm sunshine dozes. Was ever there found a sleeper
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  Speaker 1: sow's sound. He thumps him and shakes him, but that
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  Speaker 1: never wakes him. Not kick, tweak or pinch can stir
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  Speaker 1: him an inch. I don't think he'd stir if you
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  Speaker 1: gave him a pig, an immoderate slice of the coldest
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  Speaker 1: cold pig, cries the Prince, sleeping o'er the page kills
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  Speaker 1: on d'Or so he left the inveterate sleeper to snore
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  Speaker 1: while he ventures on father. The place to explore tis
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  Speaker 1: a very fine place, as one clearly may trace, though
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  Speaker 1: by jove, said the Prince, as he made a wry
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  Speaker 1: face from the dirt that's about it. Don't seem they
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  Speaker 1: can muster so much as a turk's head, or dust
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  Speaker 1: brush or duster. It's quite an inch thick. Oh, wouldn't
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: I lick the minions for playing the slovenly trick? If
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: I were the owner and had a big stick. Look
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: with curtains of velvet and carpets of plush rooms, and
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: yet the floors covered with toadstools and mushrooms. It's well
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: for the parlor maid should not beside her this child
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: when she left that great cobweb and spider its evident cleanliness.
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: Isn't their hobby. With these words, the Prince reached the
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: end of the lobby. From the lobby, he passed to
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: the guard room, and thence to the courtyard and gardens,
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: which both were immense. The palace, he sees, lies back
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: beyond these, apparently rather too darkened by trees. They're not trees, though,
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: he finds, bringing close to his peepers, but ivy and
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: woodbine and other quick creepers, which, with no interference of
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: gardeners to worret, have climbed to the roof of the
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: loftiest turret. How those creepers have turned and twirled, twisted, wondered, rambled,
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: and curled such a place, I ween, had never been
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: seen from basement to roof, in such greenery furld throughout
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: the whole inhabited world. For even that building so widely
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: known for its want of proportion, that vast abortion the
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: Exhibition of sixty two, though quite a monstrosity to the
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: view seemed half so overgrown swift across the court. Now
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: the young Prince's trips sees around a sallyport, hounds asleep
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: in slips, huntsmen bold return'd from sport, all prepar'd to
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: blow a mort snoring horns to lips. There they were becalmed,
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: like ships lying with all sail outspread, lifeless on an ocean. Dead.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: He draws near, there is no one to bar his way.
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: Even the steeds are too sleepy to utter a nigh.
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: While each single hound in the pack I'll be bound
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: is so sound there's no chance of his making a sound,
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: though not wanting in bark, since he's closely bound round
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: with branches of creepers. But then they are boughs that
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: are not the sort to be follow'd by wows. One
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: huntsman would have an ugly fall if he were not
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: upheld by the palace wall. Whence a stray branch of
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: woodbine in pitying scorn for him, has thrown out a
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: trailer that's winding his horn for him. Another one, dropp'd
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: off soundly, is propp'd by a buttress that stand where
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: he steed. By chance stopp'd an odd pillow I vow,
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: for you'll surely allow that, unless of some slumber, your
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: need is the utterest asleep on a buttress, seen anything
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: but rest. Two men in the doorway appear in a
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: poor way, so closely their bound and wound around their
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: feet in fetters, their temples crowned by the snakelike stems
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: in their various inclinings, that they must appear to the Prince.
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: I fear sleeping partners in some branch department of twinings,
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: past grooms, as unawaken'd as sad sinners, past screws of hunters,
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: sound as darby winners, past hounds, as fast no less
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: as the express through Bedfordshire into the land of Nod.
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: The young Prince trod and on through corridors and long arcades,
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: halls wrapped in somber shades, and anter rooms wherein had
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: echo slept so long it scarce awakened as he stepp'd
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: lightly and swiftly o'er the dusty floor that sadly stood
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: in need of being swept, and ever and anon as
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: he passed on in room in hall, on stair, here,
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: there and everywhere, he came on sleepers sleeping with the
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: air of folks at active work by sleep o'ertaken, whom
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: nothing could awaken, not even being like physic with a
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: sediment that to its being swalloweds an impediment well shaken.
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: The housemaid, seeming in fuss and fluster, tripping downstairs with feather,
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: broom and duster, caught unaware upon the bottom stair by
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: sudden slumber, had quite failed to muster sufficient sense to
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: rouse herself to any stir, and so lay dozing up
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: against the banister. A lackey carrying up stairs the coal scuttle,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: had fallen napping and let fall the whole scuttle. A
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: giddy page was with another youngster of his age, playing
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: at fly the garter in the hall, when both asleep
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: did fall one going to take a run, straining to
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: start as when is trained a puppy, any pointer or
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: sporting dog, and there gets up any partridge or pheasant
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: in the slip's heels strain. The other of the twain
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: had fallen asleep while tucking in his tupenny. Within their barracks,
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: several of the guards were quarreling in their slumber over cards.
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: The butler in the cellar at the tap was taking
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: such a nap, he'd filled his silver flagon o'er and o'er,
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: and let the wine run all about the floor until
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: the cask was drained and held no more. But he'd
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: continued after that to snore until he was as dusted
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: and cobwebbed and encrusted as rare old port bottled in
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: thirty four. All these the Prince passed by was stealthy
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: tread as on he sped until he reach'd the grandest
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: room of all, the banquet hall, where on the board
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: a mighty feast was spread. But since the day when
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: first the cloth was laid, time had strange havoc made
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: with dish and dainty on the board array'd had played
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: strange tricks with those some five or six people of
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: station who had been favored with an invitation to dinner
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: with the ruler of the nation, in short to no conclusion,
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: harsh to jump, any person of taste had thought the
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: King disgraced not only by his room, but by his company.
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: Vast mushrooms, spawn of hideous dreams had quickened in the
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: rotting seams and dusty cobwebs, huge wherein did bloated spiders
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: lie and fain to sleep. Were hung on high, but
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: there was neither nat nor fly to catch by supterfuge.
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: The very mice had fallen asleep, that ventur'd in that
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: hall to creep, And where the sun athwart the gloom
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: poured through the pane, a glittering lane like Dreamland's golden bridge,
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: you look'd for stir of life in vain, because the
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: very midge slept in that drowsy room, as silent as
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: the tomb. The king, with half way to his lips,
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: the beaker and head half turning to the latest speaker
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: presiding o'er his banquet, slumber'd there amid like the first
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: Pharaoh sleeping in his pyramid, while the Prime Minister, acute
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: and wise, still saw what must be done with fast
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: shut eyes, and as behooved him in the royal presence,
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: kept nodding to his sovereign acquiescence. The Treasurer and Chancellor
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: of Exchequer was bolt upright and trim as a three
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: decker for raising coin and borrowing. He was meant, and
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: nobody could ever say he lent to right or left
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: e'n when of sense bereft. The Secretary Foreign and Domestic upright,
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: did less stick and being long accustomed to indict inclined
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: to write. Beside the door a sentry stood, like the
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: Roman soldier in the entry discovered in the ruins of
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: Pompey or Herculaneum, which was you see, I have got
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: no book of reference at all here in the country,
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: not even what we'll call, for sake of rhyme, a
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: classical inventory. At any rate, he stood there like a
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: thing of wood, and by his side did stand salver
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: in hand, a servitor whose duty was to cater with flagons,
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: flasks and bowls for all the thirsty souls. He's called
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: a buttery man at Alma Mata. Well there this lad
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: of liquor remained a sticker against the stairfoot, with his
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: laden tray of claret, sherry, Burgundy, touquet, and other wines
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: we'll call et cetera, just like a very image or
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: dumb waiter. Another mid the goblets lay a sprawl. It
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: made the young prince think him o'er come with drink,
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: which really had not been the case at all. Oh
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: come he was. There's no denying, but twas only sleep.
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: For though the glass was cut, he was not even blown.
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: He could have shown he did not owe to any
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: drop his fall through every tiny crevice, nook and cranny.
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: Heaven knows how many of every kind of creeping plant
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: had sprouted and grown and wondered since till the young Prince,
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: if he were in or out of doors, half doubted
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: the clinging tendrils which nature, as an officer his men
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: drills had taught to turn one way and wound and
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: bound the silent sleepers, who all slept so sound. One
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: trailer formed a sort of chain between the foremost maid
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: of honor and the Queen, as if to say to
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: those whose sleeping lay, it's time to rise, good sirs,
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: and go away. In short, the very same remark that
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: made is by stingy hosts, who saved their wines by
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: dint of the discourteous hint. Come, don't you think it's
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: time to join the ladies? The young Prince gazed upon
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: the scene. Amazed, he shouted. Not a single head was raised,
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: no single sound. Upon the silence broke, nobody spoke, All
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: heads alike were bowed. He shouted loud as one who
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: wishes to outroar a crowd, but not a word he heard.
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: No creature stirred the situation rarely seemed absurd. There lay
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: the feast untouched for years at least, and though they'd
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: sat so long, not one of all the throng of
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: feeding seemed inclined to be beginner. And there was the
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: young prince dropped in some minutes since, and making such
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: a din since he'd come in, that he became for
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: them another dinner at last. Tired out of vain attempts
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: by shout and even shake to rout from their deep sleep,
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: the slumberers about the banquet table whether he'd be able
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: ever to wake them. Feeling quite in doubt, the Prince
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: made up his mind to leave them all behind and
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: see if some one waking he could find, And so
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: passed on through halls and quiet cloisters. But everywhere found people, muters, oysters,
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: and sound as tops. But yet he never stops. Though
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: neither man, nor woman, girl, nor boy stirs. All is
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: as still as death, And not a breath stirs the
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: ancestral banners or the arras, No page's voice or grooms
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: heard in the rooms, no maid's shrill tongue, the listener's
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: ears to harras, no step upon the stair, no footfall anywhere,
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: not e'n on what Jane housemaid calls the tarras. But
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: still the Prince's onward course pursu'd, half fearing to intrude,
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: as each fresh chamber, doubtfully he stepp'd in in tiring
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: rooms he views the lady's maids, so tired therein a snooze.
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: Then for a change, through sleeping rooms he'll range, which,
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: by some contradiction very strange, appear the only rooms that
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: are not slept in. Yet onward still he strays, all undecided,
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: and yet his steps are guided. For round his head
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: on airy pinion plays a band of fays, who lead
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: him forward still by devious ways, to where the sleeping
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: beauty lies o'er whose tender violet eyes. For such years
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: the lids have clos'd on her couch while she repos'd
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: come away, sang each fay. Now we hail the happy
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: day when the Prince shall break the spell spoken by
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: old spite. The fell Now sing we merrily for the
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: destined one is he Thus all gladly sung the face,
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: though he could not hear their lays. Wandering on as
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: in a maze, last he reach'd a silent chamber, where
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: through all the woodbine's clamor, and the roses red profusion,
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: and the jasmine silver stars glowed, the glorious sun's intrusion,
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: misty golden bars, touching all with amber. But or ere
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: that room he enter'd where the magic all was center'd
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: for a space in wonder. Dumbly gazed he on that
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: figure comely sleeping in the snowy bed, where the sunshine
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: splendor shed from the casement's picture pane, crimson, blue and
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: yellow stain in a variegated rain, Not all the colors,
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: as we know that in painted windows glow. Can the
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: sun contrive to throw primal tints red, yellow, indigo? Will, however,
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: through a windy go one moment on the threshold, one
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: moment and no more. So like a thing of dreams
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: and fairy land, she seems that he must pause till
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: time his breath restores, and he of life take fresh hold.
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: One moment and no more. And then across the room
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: he bounded to that white bed by clustering bloom surrounded
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: across the startled floor, whence foot had been estranged so
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: long before, and frighten'd echoes that his step awoke seem'd
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: shrieking out to hear when silence broke in her bed
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: as white as snow, softly, had she slumber'd wild old
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: time with silent flow, had the long years number'd quiet
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: as the dead, she lay sleeping all those years away
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: on her pillow wood bine, cumber'd wreathed with flowering may,
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: and her breath so softly slips through the rosy tinted lips,
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: that the white lace seems to rest moveless on her
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: whiter breast, that it scarce appears to stir one of
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: all the fluttering motes that in love to look at
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: her glitter down the golden lanes that the sun pours
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: through the panes, bright with armor, coats drawn by her
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: sweet lips, perfume as a bee to golden broom, when
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: the brays are all in bloom. Stole the prince across
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: the room. Every step he nearer seat op'd, the eyes
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: of violet op'd a little wider, yet till the white
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: lids quite asunder showed the beauties hidden under showed, the
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: soft eyes full of wonder opening towards him, turn'd till
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: their radiance bent upon him from his trance of marvel
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: won him and his bosom burn'd with the passion to
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: outpour all his soul her feet before, careless if she spurn'd,
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: so that he might only tell that he lov'd her.
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: And how well, Now through the palace woke the stir
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: of life. Both fork and knife were in the banquet
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: hall with vigor plied, while far and wide awoke so
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: great a riot after the quiet, it seem'd as if
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: the household was at strife. Girl, woman, boy, and man
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: bustled about and ran, all hurried, not one plodding, because
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: you see, each thought that he or she had been
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: the only one that had been nodding, and fearful of detection,
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: was bound to strive and look alive in order to
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: escape correction. Meanwhile, the red sun set, and yet the
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: household did not in to order get All was surprise
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: and wonder, error and blunder. The fire was out, the
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: cook was in a pet, the feast was cold. The
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: queen was in a fret. The hunters just returned. They
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: thought from hunting, felt it affronting their game should get
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: so very high and mighty. The housemaid, seeing all the
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: dust and dirt, felt hurt. It drove her almost crazy
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: at least flighty, but over all this din and turmoil.
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: Soon uprose the silver moon, and by its rays shed
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: on the dewy grass. Forth from the palace that young
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: pair did pass and threaded the deep shades in the
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: arcades of somber forests that around them lay. And so
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: they took their way to Fairyland, wherein as legends say,
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: mid mirth and merry, making song and laughter, they married,
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: living happy ever after, And there I'm told their living
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: to this day. End of The Sleeping Beauty, Chapter two
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: of Fairy Realm by Tom Hood. The Sleebrivox recording is
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: in the public domain recording by Noel Padrian. Little red
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: riding hood by the side of a wood, a cottage
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: once stood where a little girl dwelt, who wore a
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: red hood. Her father, of trees in the forest, was cutter,
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: and her mother sold poultry, milk, eggs, cream and butter.
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: The little red hood, it must be understood, belonged to
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: a mantle as pretty and proper, a cloak as ere
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: you set eyes on. In short, a red opera cloak,
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: but operas near that I am aware, had been heard
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: of by any one dwelling round there, whereas every dame
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: had a cloak bright as flame, that she wore when
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: out riding, which gave it its name. For then in
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: those parts they'd no chaises, spring carts, gigs or wagonettes
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: such as farmers now starts. So Hodge, Reuben or Giles
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: went his eight or ten miles by the road or
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: the bridle path, dodging the stiles on his nag gray
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: or brown, to the next market town. And were you
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: to meet him, I'd bet you a crown you would
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: certainly find him. If your sight's not like mine. Dim
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: are jogging along with the good wife behind him, perched
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: up on the pillion of dobbin or dapple, with a
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: cloak like a poppy, and cheeks like an apple, a
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: cloak with a hood that was really some good for use,
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: not for ornament. One that you could, that is, if
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: you would draw over your face quite closely in case
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: the sun was too warm or the rain fell apace
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: a both ears protecting, eye, shading, hair hiding hood. And
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: that's why they called the child little Red riding Hood.
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: By the side of the cot where Red riding Hood
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: dwelt was a garden surrounded by trees. The flowers were
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: the sweetest that ever were smelt, and were greatly beloved
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: by the bees, who led jolly lives in a couple
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: of hives, well sheltered from shower and from breeze. Beyond
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: the small garden, whose flowers were so sweet bees wooed
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: them through long summer days. The woodmen had cleared a
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: small patch for the wheat that as each year came round,
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: he would raise to grind and to bake for bread
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: and for cake, simple wheat, not that wonder a maize.
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: Now the sun rises and the world awakes for morning,
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: like a careless servants breaks and from house hut and
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: cot hind, farmer or what not, each villager his way
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: to labor, takes each stride he makes a thousand dewdra
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: shakes from off the fresh green grass they were besprinkling,
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: and makes them wink and gleam and glance and blink
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: until the peasant in great haste, you think, because he
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: walks the whole way in a twinkling red riding. Hood's
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: father has shouldered his axe and is off to the
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: woods again. And the thwax and the cracks as the
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: timber he hacks, the echoing shades complain, but woe to
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: the stem that his steel attacks, for its murmurs are
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: all in vain. Red riding Hood's mother has risen with
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: day as soon as the hens were awake, and down
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: to the kitchen has taken her way from the hearth
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: all the embers to rake, and the butter and flour
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: on the table to lay. For she's bent upon making
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: a cake. But little Red riding hoods slumbering. Yet she
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: is terribly lazy. I fear for little folks up in
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: the morning should get as soon as the light becomes clear,
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: and not sleep away the best time of the day,
• 49:09
  Speaker 1: which is six or abouts, as I hear, when the
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: cake's nice and brown. The young lady comes down in
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: her white apron and little blue gown, has for breakfast
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: a bowl of fresh milk from the cow. And when
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: she has finished, her mother says, now, just slip on
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: your cloak, dear, and quick as you can. I want
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: you to carry some things to your grannie. Red riding
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: Hood's dressed and looking her best, is only awaiting her
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: mother's behest. On the table is laid the cake that
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: was made. Ere Red riding Hood opened her eyes. I'm afraid,
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: and beside it a pot whose equal could not at
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: Fortnam and Mason's be easily got for, as every one
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: tells me, fine fragrant, fresh honey is not all is obtainable,
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: even for money. There are very few treats in the
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: matter of sweets like the honey one fresh from the
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: honeycomb eats, but fond as I am of a little
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: fresh honey. I can't watch the bees in the wandering
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: sunny without a great risk of a painful disaster, though
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: I think it would trouble the famous bee master as
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: his real names A secret will say, doctor Thingamy, to
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: explain to a fella, quit tam amat viella how it
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: is that the bees make an object to sting o me,
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: Little Red riding Hood, child of mine, said the mother
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: to her daughter, through the forest of beeches and larches
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: and pine, and down by the pool of water, and
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: over the fields to your grandmother's cot with the griddle
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: cakes and the honey pot. Go and tell her what
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: you have brought her. But mind what I say, do
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: not deal, lay to chatter with folks, or pick flowers
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: on the way. Little Red riding Hood promised her mother
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: should not stop on the road to do one or
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: the other such a lurements. I am old enough now
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: to withstand am. So I'll carry the honey and cakes
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: to my grandam, and then you shall see how quick
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: I can be. Good Bye, dearest mother, and off hurried
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: she The fields with butter cups are gold, the hedges
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: white with may. The woodbine trumpets manifold are bright. Beside
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: the way, the foxglove rears its lofty spire, where hang
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: the purple bells in shady quiet nooks retire the modest
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: pimpernels the poppy. The green cornfield decks, The meads are
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: bright with cowslips. She loiters on her way, nor wrecks,
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: how rapidly now slips. She enters now a glade dappled
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: with light and shade, through which the path is to
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: her grand dam's maid. And as she strolls along, singing
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: her careless song, she meets a grim gray wolf. She's
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: not afraid, because close by she hears her father ply
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: his axe and knows heed to the rescue fly. If
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: master wolf should any treason try, and master Wolf knows too,
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: it would not do. Although it's hard with such a
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: meal in view, and so most laudably he makes himself
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: quite pleasant for the present, albeit his stomach's crying cupboard audibly.
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: What a nice cloak of scarlet, How pretty you are?
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: Let me carry that cake or that very big jar.
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: Let me carry it. Pray, are you taking it far?
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: Let me see you safe there, said the wicked old
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: varlet alas for Little Red riding Hood, that she should
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: be naughty instead of good, that she should let the
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: old wolf flatter and allow him to walk by her
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: side and talk when her mother so strictly forbade her
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: to chatter. What your name is, my dear? He said,
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: fain i'd be knowing. I'm Little Red riding Hood. Where
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: are you going? I Am going to my grannies to
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: carry this jar and this cake from my mother? Indeed
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: is it far? Oh? You go through the wood, and
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: a little beyond you'll see a small cottage that stands
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: by a pond. And your grannie lives there. Yes, but
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: now she's so old she can't get out of bed,
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: and she suffers from cold. Poor dear, said the wolf,
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: with a pitying grin. But how does she do about
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: letting you in? When I reach Grannie's cottage, I always
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: take care to knock at the door till she calls out,
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: who's there? Your grandchild who brings you a bite and
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: a sup from her mother, say I, and she's sure
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: to reply. If you pull at the bobbin, the latch
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: will fly up. That's how I get in, oh, said
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: the wolf, in a hurry. This lane is my way.
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: So I'll wish you good day. And he vanished at
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: once in a terrible scurry, said red riding hood. Doesn't
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: he seem in a flurry like a shot from a rifle,
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: or faster a trifle away, goes the wolf. And I'll
• 54:47
  Speaker 1: wager my life'll be up to some mischief or other
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: ear long, for his only delight is in doing what's wrong.
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: Off through the wood, he's up to no good, listening
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: still bent upon ill, round by the pond, to the
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: cottage beyond. He's after some evil. I'll give you my bond,
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: stealing along, intending a wrong towards the Grandam's abode by
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: the skirts of the road. By skirts, I don't mean
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: either muslin or calico. He sneaks to what Shakespeare has
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: called mitching malecho rap tap at the door in the
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: midst of a snore. The old lady woke up with
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: a start and said, Low Red Riding Hood's near knocked
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: so loudly before, Oh, deary me, it cannot be she.
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: I'll pretend I'm still sleeping, and then we shall see
• 55:48
  Speaker 1: rap tap once more. She heard at the door. The
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: wolf rapped so hard that his knuckles were sore. The
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: old woman sleeps like a top what a boar. If
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: she doesn't make haste my time, I shall waste. I
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: shall miss that tit bit who's so much to my taste.
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: Rap tap tap rap. She must wake from her nap,
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: or the child will be here before I can clear her.
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: Foolish old grandmother up every scrap At last, said the grandam.
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: I rather a hand am at sleeping, I know, very soundly,
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: and so perhaps she has waited and knocked there so
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: long that in order to wake me her tap becomes strong.
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: Who's there, then, she cried, said the wolf from outside,
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: disguising his voice the deception to hide, and whispering low
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: with his mouth to a cranny. It's no one but
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: little Red Riding Hood. Grannie. I've brought you some butter,
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: some eggs, and a cake that mother got up in
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: the morning to make. And she sends you beside some
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: nice cream in a cup. If you pull at the
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: barber and the latch will fly up. Wolf pulled at
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: the bobbin, and what a sad job in he went,
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: But no sooner had thrust his grim nob in, but
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: for rhyming instead of knob, I'd say head than the
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: frightened old lady sat bolt up in bed. But before
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: she had time to exclaim, oh my gracious, she was
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: bolted in tire by the monster voracious, who, though the
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: fierce pangs of his hunger were gratified, remarked to himself
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: with the grumble dissatisfied, tough, skinny old folks are not
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: nice things to vittle one. However, no matter here goes
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: for the little one. Then he turned down the bedclothes
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: and quickly jumped in, and Grannie's big nightcap tied under
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: his chin, and he cuddled the clothes close up to
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: his nose, and was speedily off in a very nice doze.
• 57:57
  Speaker 1: For said he for red riding her word. If I'd
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: have any respectable twist, I must first digest Grannie, for
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: though at one meal I could eat child Pa and Mamma,
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: there's a good dealer picking somehow about Grand Mamma little
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: Red riding hood loitered along, stopping to hear while the
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: thrush sang his song. Or list to the craft of
• 58:23
  Speaker 1: the blackbird's clear whistle, or to follow the feathery down
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: of the thistle, or blowing in flocks the seeds from
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: the clocks of the bright dandelions, or searching the docks
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: for the birds whose chief trick is to catch and
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: to stick to one's garments, no matter if thin one's
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: are thick, though it matters to you because they come
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: through supposing your clothes are the former and prick. Why foolish, butterfly,
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: will you skip flutter fly close by the child? You're
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: an idiot a fly she puts down the honey and
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: cake in a trice, and the latter's immediately stolen by
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: the mice. But what does the latter at all to
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: her matter? She's after that butterfly mad as a hatter.
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: It's not clear to me why a hatter should be
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: proverbially call'd a fit subject for de lunitico, so runs
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: the writ inquirendo, but I fancy the hatter. His harsh
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: innuendo must in the first place to a humorous FRIENDO
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: who fain in the sneer, would his gratitude smother for
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: a man who's invariably felt for another. Through pastures and meads.
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: As the butterfly leads, red riding hood follows and little
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: she heeds the orders and warnings a mother that morning
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: had given her or even her grandmother's needs. But when
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: she comes back once again to the track and finds
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: the cake gone, she grows frighten'd a lack, She cries,
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: what a loss? Won't Grannie be cross to breakfast off
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: nothing with honey for sauce. Just then a glittering dragon
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: fly on gare'sy pinion darted by. Oh, he was clad
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: in burnish'd mail. His wing's a fairy galley's sail, and
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: he was twice as big I ween as the biggest
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 1: butterflies she had seen. Soon forgotten the honeys, she's off with.
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: The run is where the dragon fly, glancing so bright
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: in the sun. Is by ditches and hedges, by rushes
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: and sedges, by ponds full of reeds and all sorts
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: of weeds, by pools that are stagnant, and brooks full
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: of water breaks. She chases Lebula eagerly well, ula loud.
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: There must be some awful punishment come when her mother's
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 1: commands in the manner a daughter. But conceive her concern
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: when on her return she finds that an empty jars
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: all she can earn, for the ants had discovered it,
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: placed in a sunny spot, and cleared all the honey
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: and left. But the honey's pot said she lack a day.
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: What will grandmother say? And sha'n't I get scolded for
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: stopping to play. I'd better get on without further delay resolution,
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: how vain, Again and again she loiters in meadow wood
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: highway and lane strays into the coppice to pick the
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: bright poppies, or climbs up the hedge for the nest
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: that atop is, or else she emerges, where widely diverges
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 1: the forest's long avenues, leafy green arches of beeches, of ashes,
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: of elms, and of lodges, which she lingers beneath to
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: pick for a wreath, a bright trail of ivy that
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 1: some lofty stem on is, or with bluebells her apron
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 1: to fill, or anemones, or to watch the quaint habits
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: and ways of the rabbits and the plans of the crows, who,
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: as every one knows, establish their scouts at certain lookouts
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 1: to warn them of danger whenever they've doubts as touching
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: these rooks. Natural history books declare that the thing to
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: their greatest declats the fact which would win them the
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: warmest applause, that nothing they do is ear done without cause.
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: But now she has passed through the forest and fast
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 1: is approaching her grandmother's cottage. At last, what excuse can
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: she make for the honey and cake. At the thought
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: of that scrape, she's beginning to quake. She creeps through
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: the garden, attempting to harden her heart and declare she
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 1: don't care a brass farden. But in spite of her trying,
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: she's very near crying and asking her grannie to grant
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 1: her a pardon. The knock is so faint that the
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: wolf's scarce aware that there's any one knocking, but cries out,
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: who's there? Red riding hood here on her speech broke
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: a sob in come let her see you, said wolf.
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: If you pull at the bobbin, the latch will fly up.
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: So she opened the door and tottered with terrified feet
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: o'er the floor, said Wolf. Where's the cake mother promised
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 1: to make? Please Grannie to day she's not able to
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: bake for love or for money? Then where is my honey?
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: What makes you expect any Grannie? How funny, said little Red,
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: riding hood, trying to smile, although in a terrible fright,
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: all the while. To send me no breakfast, said Wolf.
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: She was silly. I'm feeling so hungry and faint. I'm
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: quite chilly as you've brought me no food. You must
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 1: warm me instead. I'll take you in place of my
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: breakfast in bed. So take off your things, and some
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: help to your granbee, jump into bed, just for once.
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 1: Warming pan to be, She takes off her clothes and
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: into bed goes Old Wolf keeps the counterpane up to
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: his nose, but the child sees with fear that now
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: she's so near her grandmother's looking remarkably queer. She trembles
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: with fright, and in sad perturbation, commences the following brief conversation,
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: Oh Grannie, I view your long years with surprise, there
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: to hear all you say to the letter, Oh Grannie,
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: how fierce and big are your eyes? There to see
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: you all the better Oh Grannie, your teeth are tremendous
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: in size. There to eat you and he ate her.
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 1: End of Little Red riding Hood, Chapter three of Fairy
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 1: Realm by Tom Hood. This LibriVox recording is in the
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: public domain recording by Noel Padrian puss in Boots. There
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: once was a miller who lived till he died. It's
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: been done by a good many people beside, but this
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: miller you see, in particular, he on the brink of
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 1: the grave, on the banks of the d as a
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: Scotsman would say, v day song Annie Laurie. It north
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 1: country short is for articular mortis made a will whence
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 1: arises the whole of my story. Three sons had this
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 1: miller to whom all his siller stock business premises good
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: will and willier footnote, though with terms Caledonian the story
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: is fill'd you'll find it, I hope only scotch'd and
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: not kill'd, and a footnote a tenure in short, not
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: to spin out my verse on all things. He died
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: seiz'd of both real and personal, exclusive of course, of
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: the very bad cough with which he was seized and
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: which carried him off. He had to devise and as
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: you would surmise would divide in accordance with ages and sighs.
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: But no, not a bit. He hadn't the wit for
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: such a division, or didn't see fit, but made a
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: partitions so strange in condition that to one twas a blow,
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: for the others a hit. It is half after one.
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: The funeral's done. The reading should now of the will
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: be begun. The youngest is crying. The others are trying
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: to think whose most color for praising the dying. Their
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: loss doesn't grieve, since it does not bereave them of
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 1: all their father was able to leave. Though where there's
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: a will, says the proverb, you know, there's always a way,
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: there's not always a woe. When the will is recited,
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 1: they both are delighted, for it proves their young brother
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: is cruelly slighted. For joy they with decency scarce can
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: be mean them when they find that their dad everything
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: that he had has left them. The eldest to own
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: all between them save one thing, and that is only
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: the cat, which he leaves to the youngest, described as
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 1: that brat. The youngest poor lad didn't care what he had.
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: By the loss of a father, not fortune, made sad,
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: but as silent. He sat nursing his cat, and quite
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: at a loss what next he should be at each
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: brother addressing him sternly as Nemesis, who the Greeks say
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: less just and more cruel than themis is said now, then,
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: young lazybones, clear off the premises. He asked for some
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 1: bread and some straw for a bed, and he'd work
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: like a slave for his brothers, he said, But they
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: both answered, no, you'd much better go. We shall have
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: to assist you along if you're slow, so half broken hearted,
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: the poor lad departed, and thus in the world for
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: himself he was started twas a poorish look out of that,
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: there's no doubt he'd not an idea what he'd best
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: set about, so much to be pitied the old mill
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 1: he quitted, the door gave a slam. Not one pang
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: was spared for him. He sat by the dam, and
• 1:09:20
  Speaker 1: that nobody cared for him. He could not help feeling
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: and what was prepared for him. Thus he sat while
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: big tear drops his eyes were suffusing, nor speaking a word,
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: till he suddenly heard, as he was amusing his cat too,
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: a mew sing ah puss. He said, you are unfortunate too.
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: I'm inclined to think yours the more serious disaster in
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: having a penniless wretch for a master. Puss thus address'd
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: his master, caressed, and then in plain language his feelings expressed.
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 1: Dear Master said he just leave it to me. You
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 1: shall see then. I promise what then you shall see,
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: I'll at once undertake your fortune to make and assist
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: you to wreak your revenge on those brutes. And all
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: that I want is a new pair of boots. The
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: notion was funny. He hadn't much money, but as nothing
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 1: more hopeful appear'd to be done, he went off to
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 1: a cobbler who lived in a stall, and ordered the
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: boots to be made rather small new boots too, not shabby, old,
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: worn out and holy uns, but a spick and span
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: pair of resplendent napoleons. The boots arrived, the bill was paid,
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: and Pussy an excursion made some snares. He prepares to
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: take dozens of hares and a wire that will grab
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: its quantum of rabbits with out burning cartridges, catches some
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: partridges and several pheasants, and bears them as presents to
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: the court of the king. I can't tell you his name,
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: but history reports he was partial to game. Day after day,
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 1: the cat brought his prey in numbers sufficient to load
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: a big dray or the cart which they call in
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: the crimea an arabah, and each single thing he brought
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 1: to the king with the loyal respects of the Marquise
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: of Carabas, said the monarch. One day, come tell me,
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: I pray, whereabouts is the Marquis's property? Eh? The cat,
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: as requested, the quarter suggested where the lands lay, whose
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 1: fee in the marquise was vested, said the monarch. Hooray,
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: I'll drive over that way. Tell the master of horse
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: just to bring round the Shais. In a moment at
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: that off, when the cat at what modern slang styles
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: a terrible bat faster and faster till reaching his master,
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: he cried, of your clothes, be at once off a
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: caster and jump in the river that runs by the path.
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: In the river, don't talk, sir, but pray go to
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: bath on the bank. Pussy stayed while his master obeyed,
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: but the royal procession so long was delayed that he
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: felt very cold in the stream. I'm afraid at last
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: here they come, cried pussy. Now, mum is the word,
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: said his master with cold. I am numb, But while
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 1: my chief chatter, so cannot be dumb, said the cat.
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: My young friend to this warning, attend. If you do,
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: it will all turn out well in the end. You've
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: good fortune at hand, and the path's very quick to it.
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: So keep a look out, mind what you're about, and
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: whatever I say, say you likewise and stick to it.
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 1: Then crafty Puss goes and hides all the clothes with
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: grass and dead leaves. And when he perceives the royal
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: coach nearing him, loudly calls thieves. His cries the whole
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: neighborhood round might awaken the Marquis of Carabas. Clothes have
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: been taken, said the king. Dearie me, what is it?
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 1: I see my good friend the cat up a tropical tree. Ah,
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: said the puss. My dear master has had a disaster,
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: for some one has cut cut. Oh here's some court plaster, No, sire,
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: said the cat. He doesn't want that. He needs no
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: court plaster, but needs a court suit, for while he
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: was bathing some mannerless brute who has chosen the reeds
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: and the rushes to lurk in cut away with his hosen,
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: knee breeches and jerkin. Is that all said the king,
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: my servant shall bring whatever is needful cloak, stockings, cap, sword, robe, gloves,
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: collar and doublet In short, a whole wardrobe, each thing
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: that he wants, from casta to pants. Of course, you
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: are aware when a king takes the air, he's provided
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: with changes of clothing to spare at least, so this
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 1: legend would seem to declare the servants produce for the
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: marquis use a rich velvet suit with gold trimmings, profuse
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: a rich velvet mantle with a lining of satin. A
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: diamond brooch stuck a point lace cravatin, while another the
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 1: ostrich plume, fastened the hat. In these elegance clothes were
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: couleur de rose with trimmings of green and with apple
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 1: green hose with noudes of ruber to encasey stout molaise.
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 1: For further particulars, please see Le Foullat. Our hero attired
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: in the garb thus acquired by the King's lovely daughter,
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: was greatly admired, who sat as before I intended to
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: state on the right of her power in the royal Fayaton.
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: But I'm bound to confess our hero no less was
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: charm'd by her grace and her beauty. In turn, for
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: if she liked his looks, he was ravished with herne
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: said the King, My dear Marquise is rarely a treat.
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: Thus to fall in with one I've been dying to meet. Pray,
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 1: take a seat, and let me repeat how much I'm
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 1: obliged for your numerous presents of partridge's rabbits, grousewood cocks
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: and pheasants. We're going for a drive. Pray, enter the carriage.
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: Here's my daughter. She's yours, if you wish it in marriage.
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: Any news none, I fear bread still getting dear, But
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 1: the weather is fine for the time of the year.
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: I suppose we are passing here through your estate. So
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: the King rattled on, but the old miller's son, unable
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: to answer, sets scratching his pate. But Pussy cut in
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: with yes, though he's in doubt of it. And for
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: why dash my wig? Because it's so big he never
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: can tell if he's in it or out of it.
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: But your majesty perhaps will order your chaps to drive
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: to the castle, which certainly caps any castles you'll meet
• 1:16:45
  Speaker 1: in a long summer day, and if you'll allow me,
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 1: I'll show them the way. To Pussy's request, the king
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 1: promptly accedes, bids his coachman to follow wherever he leaves,
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 1: and away the cat sped a long way ahead on
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 1: a road that was bordered by corn land and meads.
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: Pussy well knew that the land they passed through belonged
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 1: to a wizard, a mighty one too, who besides, with
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 1: the evil one being cologuer, don't think I in quoting
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 1: from Arna pogue er, it's what shown the post, says Teffini.
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: The rogue er was that middle aged cannibal known as
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: an ogre. Footnote this expletive used to express utter loathing.
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: I scarce can spell. One really can't tell how to
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: put sounds in it. Imological clothing and a footnote. But
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: we're ere in the fields. As on they kept going,
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 1: they came upon laborers reaping or mowing, or plowing, or harrowing,
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 1: weeding or sowing. The cat ran before and cried out,
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 1: give o'er your master commands and workmen. Forebore, said Puss.
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: He'll approach in a splendid state coach and has sent
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: me before him these tidings to broach and to bid you,
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: unless you wish demons to tease you. If the king
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 1: his companion inquires, who employs you? With one voice? In
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: a moment, men, women and boys, you must haste to
• 1:18:22
  Speaker 1: declare with a satisfied air, the Marquis of Carabas sire,
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: And it please you see the carriage draws near. Come haste,
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: do you hear? Quit all occupations, and haste to your stations,
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: and give him the lowest of low salutations. The poor
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: people afraid his orders obeyed. The Marquise himself became rather dismayed,
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: thinking what was to end all these funny proceedings into
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 1: which he was following Pussy's queer leadings. But he felt
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: he was sinned against, rather than sinning for Pussy's strange
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: fun with the clothes had begun. But what would the
• 1:19:06
  Speaker 1: clothes be of such a beginning? Still on, Pussy speeds
• 1:19:11
  Speaker 1: by pastures and meads, and the coachman still follows wherever
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 1: he leads. Your estates are enormous, pray, Marquis, inform us,
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: if I may inquire, did they come from your sire?
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: He must really have been a most terrible lord, acquiring
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 1: so much by the right of the sword. I'm pleased
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: to perceive, with such riches to leave he, the son
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: of such merit, the wealth to inherit of so mighty,
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: a conqueror and enemy killer. Yes, said the youth, to
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: tell you the truth, My late father had quite a
• 1:19:47
  Speaker 1: renown as a miller. The princess smiled sweetly, as if
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: to hint neatly though she counted the father a conqueror. Rather,
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: she fancied the son had a vict terry one. In fact,
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: she was sure as the smile would infer about one
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 1: of his conquests. And that was of her, for she
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 1: felt he was lord of her bosom completely. And now
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 1: the fields and meads they leave to right and left.
• 1:20:18
  Speaker 1: Huge mountains rise and seem so much their heights deceive
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 1: with lofty crests to touch. The skies, pine forests clothe
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: their somber sides with dark ravines, and gorges frown, and
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 1: many a mountain torrent glides or bounds from ledge to
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: ledge adown their mighty wings. The eagles flap high up
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: among the summits, lone whose peaks the snow's eternal cap
• 1:20:48
  Speaker 1: or where the glacier blows grown. But in the plain
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: about the base of this portentous mountain chain the signs
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: of human toil they trace and find men laboring again. Here,
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: turn'd by some wild torrent's force. Huge wheels revolve with
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: busy hum. There, some vast chasm stops their course, whose
• 1:21:15
  Speaker 1: depths the eye would vainly plum or laden deep on
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: shrieking wheels toil wagons up the steep inclines they loads.
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 1: The mystery reveals this region is a place of mines.
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 1: As soon as Puss got to this desolate spot, addressing
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 1: the miners, he kept up the plot. See your master
• 1:21:39
  Speaker 1: approach in the King's grand state coach. He has sent
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 1: me before him his orders to broach. Then haste to
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 1: your stations and make him the lowest of low salutations.
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: If you don't wish the Nomes and the Cobalds to
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 1: seize you. When asked whom to obey, be so to
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: say the Marquis of Carabas, sire. And it please you
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: when his Majesty's grace appears on the place, you must
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 1: bow till each one touches earth with his face to
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 1: every word that from Pussy. They heard the miners attended
• 1:22:19
  Speaker 1: low bowed and low bended, And when the king came
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: and asked them the name of their master, they answered
• 1:22:26
  Speaker 1: him all just the same, And I'd just hint to
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 1: you that as thus his whole crew of miners obeyed
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 1: miners always should do. But now having passed through this
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 1: wild tract, at last they came to a plain, greenly
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: wooded and vast and spied out half hid a thick
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: forest amid a castle that stood on the crest of
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: a hill, or the brow of a rock. You may
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 1: choose which you will, For the hill was so steep
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 1: the road had to creep round and round from the
• 1:23:02
  Speaker 1: base to the gates of the place. Though Pussy went
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 1: straight up the side at full chase, while slowly around
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 1: the royal coach wound, the horses got pretty well tired.
• 1:23:14
  Speaker 1: I'll be bound, for such rows will even puzzle the nag,
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: that is sound. Half way to the top, Puss in
• 1:23:23
  Speaker 1: boots made a stop, not because he was tired and
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 1: quite ready to drop, but because he encountered a dame
• 1:23:30
  Speaker 1: and her good man and child. By profession, the man
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: was a woodman, and wished to inquire ere he went
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: any higher. If this past all doubt, was the castle
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 1: and dwelling of the wizard of whom I have elsewhere
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: been telling. So making a bow, he said, pray, allow
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 1: me to ask you one question that struck me just now.
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 1: That castle that rises to dazzle our eyes is the
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 1: abode I suppose of a man of position the palace,
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 1: said they, of a mighty magician, so harsh and severe
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: is regarded with fear by all the people who dwell
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: about here. The best course, if you ask us that
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 1: we'd recommend to you, is not to go near him.
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 1: He may put an end to you, said Puss. Never fear,
• 1:24:21
  Speaker 1: for I'll persevere till the neighborhood eye of this wicked
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: one clear. So he went on once more, till reaching
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 1: the door of the castle, he gave with the knocker
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 1: a score of such rattat tat tats to the blush
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 1: as would put men knee thundering knocks by a real
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 1: London footman. The door was flung wide, and push stepped inside.
• 1:24:47
  Speaker 1: But not an attendant. There was to be spied naught
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: but a hand bearing a wand that pointed the way
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 1: with the courtesy bland by corridors, gorgeous up staircases, grand
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: through halls by arched ceilings, all painted o'er spand along
• 1:25:07
  Speaker 1: galleries brilliant with lovely stained windows, whose curtains were made
• 1:25:12
  Speaker 1: of that Indian brocade which Great Britain t is said
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 1: to the conquest of sind O's, though the wizard, of
• 1:25:21
  Speaker 1: course got his curtains by witchcraft, not by merchant ships,
• 1:25:26
  Speaker 1: p and o steamers or sitchcraft. At length doth Puss
• 1:25:31
  Speaker 1: enter a hall in whose center the ogre he spies
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: qui seclupius venta, which translated would mean as a matter
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 1: of taste, his figure and form ran a good deal
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: to waste. He has taken his seat, preparing to eat
• 1:25:51
  Speaker 1: an enormous repast of all manner of meat, beef, mutton,
• 1:25:56
  Speaker 1: and veal, each in separate bowl, and the different beasts
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 1: are served up to him whole. And there's one dish moreover,
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 1: that Puss can discover that strikes him with horror and
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: harrows his soul. Babes of quite slender years that means tender,
• 1:26:15
  Speaker 1: not thin age piled up on a dish, and no
• 1:26:20
  Speaker 1: gammon and spinach footnote in thus making spinach to rhyme
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 1: as with greenwich. I am authorized wholly by Anthony ROWLEI
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: whose edito princeps. Of course it's a folly. O spells
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 1: the word s p I N n A e e,
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: and if any one should know how to spell it,
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 1: twould be he end a footnote puss nothing daunted, although
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 1: it will be granted the sight in some hearts might
• 1:26:53
  Speaker 1: have terror implanted. Walked straight to the board where the
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 1: monster aboard. At the servants attended him, bellowed and roared,
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: and servants sure ne'er on their master attended with such
• 1:27:07
  Speaker 1: an unwilling respect as those men did. Rascals of mine,
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: Bring me some wine, or I'll cut you in sunder.
• 1:27:15
  Speaker 1: From head piece to chine. Alarmed at the speaker, one
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 1: brought a big beaker of wine. One tenth part had
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: flawed any one weaker. But the ogre held up the
• 1:27:28
  Speaker 1: great glass to his eye in a critical way, smacked
• 1:27:32
  Speaker 1: his lips just to say that'll do. Then all at
• 1:27:36
  Speaker 1: one gulp, drain'd it dry, and set down the goblet.
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 1: I cannot see why it is called so and count
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: as a regular puzzle it, for since it's to drink,
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 1: not to eat from, you'd think they'd instead of a goblet,
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 1: call it a guzzlet. Drawing near the huge chair with
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 1: a reverent air, with knee he lowly bent, hand on
• 1:28:02
  Speaker 1: heart and head bare, quite delighted. I'm sure so, Puss
• 1:28:07
  Speaker 1: courteously spake the acquaintance of one so distinguished to make
• 1:28:12
  Speaker 1: for skill that's gigantic in arts, necromantic, whose fame not
• 1:28:18
  Speaker 1: to speak it in terms sycophantic is driving with envy
• 1:28:22
  Speaker 1: all wizards quite frantic, European, nor Asian, or en transatlantic.
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 1: Here Puss bowed again, with a courtier like antic. Even wizards,
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: I fear, or so twould appear cannot always unmoved artful flattery.
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 1: Here the ogre said, ugh, pray, who are you in
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 1: return for these compliments? What can I do for? Since
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 1: I'm not vain, it seems pretty plain you would not
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: tell me this without some hope of gain, says Pussy.
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 1: Quite right, you're very polite of your magical powers. I'd
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 1: fain have a sight. There's one now reports as is yours,
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: the which borders on what is impossible. Pray, give your orders,
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 1: and I'll open your eyes with a little surprise and
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 1: prove that report does not always tell lies, well, since
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: you're so kind. What a wonderful dodge I call is
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 1: the power of assuming all shapes zoological ape, bear, lion, elephant, wolf, hippopotamus,
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: the latter a beast scarcely known in the least till
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 1: the Pasha of Egypt obligingly gottemus, tiger, peckery, leopard, gnoo, paradoxurus,
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 1: or even if you wish a bird or a fish
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 1: the penguin, for instance, or Buckland's Cidurus, said the ogre.
• 1:29:57
  Speaker 1: He he you quickly shall see that's only child's play
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: to a wizard like me. So without more ado hands
• 1:30:06
  Speaker 1: and knees on he sunk. His ears turned to flaps,
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 1: and his nose to a trunk, and his form all
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 1: at once took so quickly to swelling he threatened to
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 1: knock off the roof of his dwelling. Bravo, cried the cat.
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 1: That's capital that you're almost as big as the Heidelberg vat.
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 1: But can you now please was just as much ease
• 1:30:32
  Speaker 1: into smaller dimensions at once yourself. Squeeze, say, turn from
• 1:30:38
  Speaker 1: the elephant big as the house sends any embarrassment into
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 1: a mouse bulk, big legs and trunk immediately shrunk. In
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 1: three seconds, no more was a mouse on the floor
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 1: where the elephant stood, but an instant before at one bound,
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 1: quick as thought the mouse pussy court, and before any
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 1: aid from his charms could be sought or help could
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 1: be had from the spirits who followed him, had given
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 1: the magician one grip and then swallowed him. Then back
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: to the door, Puss hastened once more, just in time
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 1: to receive the state carriage, and four he helped to
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 1: descend his master and friend, who was still in bewilderment
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: how it would end, and proceeded to bring the princess
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 1: and the king through all the grand rooms, where pages
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 1: and grooms, who were glad with the marquis their old
• 1:31:36
  Speaker 1: situations to hold in the castle, made low salutations to
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: cut my tail short. They returned to the court, and
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 1: since nobody wished their attachment to thwart, the young folks
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 1: were married, and he his bride carried to his castle,
• 1:31:55
  Speaker 1: where happily ever they tarried, and the cat was provided.
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 1: The king so decided with a cushion of silk and
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: a gallon of milk every day of his life till
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: the day that he died dead I've only to add
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 1: the fortunate lad sent and fetched his two brothers so
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 1: cruel and bad, and recalling the past to their memory,
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: at last told his present good fortune, which made them aghast,
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: and then bidding them better in future behave them. He
• 1:32:30
  Speaker 1: nobly revenged on them both he forgave them and of
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 1: Puss in boots Chapter four of Fairy Realm by Tom Hood.
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 1: Noel Badrian Cinderella. There once was a baron who dwelt
• 1:33:02
  Speaker 1: at the top of a rock by the rhine, whence,
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: when near hid incline upon travelers that way, he was
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: ready to drop and lighten their purses, which brought many
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: curses on the head of the Baron of Snitherumpop, for
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 1: a practice which now we shouldn't allow, And in fact
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 1: the police would immediately stop hard by where the barrion
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: these strange tricks did carry on. Footnote at this new
• 1:33:32
  Speaker 1: mode of spelling the word don't feel shy. I have
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 1: seen a baron with more than one eye and a footnote.
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 1: There lived a young prince who, by flourish of Clarion
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 1: proclaimed unto all both great folks and small. He intended
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: to give a great banquet and ball, or to use
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: modern language, a spread and a hop. Twas good news
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: for the daughters of snitherumpopp For the baron you see
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: had daughters three, the two eldest, as ugly as ugly
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: can be, and prouder than lucifer. No, I must scratch
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 1: that through, for they'd waited so long for a catch.
• 1:34:15
  Speaker 1: It's not true that their pride was above any match.
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 1: But the youngest was fair, with beautiful hair. Her sisters
• 1:34:25
  Speaker 1: looked on her with rage and despair, and that they'd
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 1: have no chance, they declared, past a doubt if that
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: forward young minx was allowed to come out, so for
• 1:34:35
  Speaker 1: fear of her beauty, their lovers bewitching. They compelled her
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 1: to stop in that wretched cook's shop, which is by
• 1:34:43
  Speaker 1: its own denizens christened the kitchen in clothes very mean.
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: They compelled her to clean pots, kettles, and pans, implements
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 1: de cuisine in her paws, worn out gloves. She polish'd
• 1:34:59
  Speaker 1: the stoves, poker, shovel and tongs and whatever belongs to
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 1: the roll of what stubs calls say poverts Enphong's. The
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: general servants or maids of all work. Though this last
• 1:35:14
  Speaker 1: is a name, they seem anxious to shirk, or at
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 1: least as a rule in advertisements Burke footnote of scene's
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: continental poor Stubbs has been viewer but once, though he
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 1: speaks of estrippers, mung to er and a footnote, though
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: far from robust. She'd to sweep and to dust, and
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 1: to seed dinner cook'd when skewer'd rightly, or trust though
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: dining herself of a scrap and a crust, while if
• 1:35:45
  Speaker 1: are turned out wrong by her power. She was cussed
• 1:35:49
  Speaker 1: not to mention, en passant the fact that she must
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 1: chairs and tables are just and from last, and to
• 1:35:56
  Speaker 1: fust see that all things were clean from dirt but
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: mildew or rust. For this last she used paper, which
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: is unless memory deserts. This poor brain altogether called Emery
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: n b Any doubt on the point to enlighten, I
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 1: don't mean the actor, although he's are bright un When
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: the ball was announced off, the two sisters bounced to
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: send their best dresses to have them re flounced, and
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 1: soon became clowers from various drawers of fans. Flowers gloves
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 1: by the shopmen styled strawers, trimmings, ribbons and laces to
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 1: add to the graces of their very poor forms and
• 1:36:41
  Speaker 1: their very poor faces. I must own that they were
• 1:36:46
  Speaker 1: since plain speaking derrigueurs what tradesmen denominate marked in plain figures.
• 1:36:54
  Speaker 1: One routs out a scarf, One contrives to unearth a
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 1: compound of two and ribbons, which you here describe by
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 1: your sister or wife as a bertha. The eldests inclined
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 1: to declare for a tarlatan either an emerald green or
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 1: a scarleton with a silk under petticoat known as a slip,
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 1: while the second decides double skirts are the tip. What
• 1:37:21
  Speaker 1: the tip means? You know, though one can't see the
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: point of it, I'd not use the slang, save that
• 1:37:28
  Speaker 1: rhyme makes a joint of it. At last draws near
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: the festal day the balls to last three nights. They say,
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: what a hustle and bustle, Oh dear, what a fussle
• 1:37:43
  Speaker 1: be made? When the ball dressers whisper and rustle. I'll
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: warrant that scuffle and noise quite enoughfle be made. When
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 1: along the oak floors their feet shuffle while the band
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: are all playing as hard as they're able the popular
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 1: waltz of the season, The Mabel. While her unprepossessing two
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: sisters are dressing, Cinderella to do all the work I'm
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 1: afraid is made not only of general servant, but lady's maid.
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 1: She lays out the robes by which each so much
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: store sets, takes things down to air, cleans their shoes,
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: curls their hair, pins their sleeves, hooks their dresses, and
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 1: laces their corsets. And now they're both dressed, each looking
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 1: her best, is prepared to become at the Prince's a guest.
• 1:38:36
  Speaker 1: They're gone, and yet neither her thanks has conveyed to
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: poor Cinderella for lending her aid. They've not wished her
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: good night. They have not even kissed her. Though for
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 1: once they've bellowed her to act as a sister. She
• 1:38:54
  Speaker 1: could not but feel it, her heart being tender. So
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: she sat down and had a good cry on the fender.
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 1: When as good missus Brown of world wide renown, whose
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 1: figures a speech may without any bosh be described as
• 1:39:11
  Speaker 1: the things that come home from the wash, says, all
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 1: of a sudden the room was a flooding of light.
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: Cinderella surprised said, oh, Jimney, the soot must have caught
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: and set fire to the chimney. But no, twas not so.
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 1: The beautiful glow was not due to an accident. Quite
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 1: the contrary. Altogether, another affair and a fairy Cinderella had
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 1: got what nowadays not very often has fallen to any
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 1: one's lot. As I fancy you can't but instantly grant
• 1:39:48
  Speaker 1: when you learn it's a fairy by way of an aunt.
• 1:39:53
  Speaker 1: This benevolent Fay has called in in this way to
• 1:39:57
  Speaker 1: hear what her favorite niece has to say, and to
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 1: send her, if any desire, she evinces to share in
• 1:40:04
  Speaker 1: the fun to the ball at the Prince's. When she said,
• 1:40:08
  Speaker 1: will you go? She didn't say no, but answered, just
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 1: shouldn't I Aunt, adding, oh, how I wish i'd a
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 1: ball dress one fit for a bell aer white muslin
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: with tucks. So you shall, Cinderella, But first we must
• 1:40:26
  Speaker 1: get you in a kippage proper. You'll find some black
• 1:40:29
  Speaker 1: beetles down there by the copper. There's a rat in
• 1:40:33
  Speaker 1: the trap, and some mice too, mayhap. And there's also
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: a lizard a little green chap on the grass plot
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 1: before the scullery door. Bring them here there's a deer. Stay.
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 1: I want one thing more, a pumpkin, and yonder I see,
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: if my eyes don't deceive me, a pumpkin exactly the size.
• 1:40:56
  Speaker 1: Cinderella soon sought the things out and brought to Aunt, who,
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 1: by magic as rapid as thought, turned the beetles to pages,
• 1:41:05
  Speaker 1: and made of the rat a coachman, all powder, bauquet
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 1: and lace hat. As for the mice, they became in
• 1:41:12
  Speaker 1: a trice, eight cream colored galloways worth any price. And
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 1: the lizard, she made that most active of friskers, a
• 1:41:21
  Speaker 1: footman with livery calves and big whiskers. And now dear,
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: said she, for a coach. We must see now pumpkins,
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 1: some fryum, some boil em, some stewum. But no one
• 1:41:38
  Speaker 1: before ever made one of bruum footnote. No, but at
• 1:41:44
  Speaker 1: the Adelphi, some folks I've heard tell on, are often
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 1: quite carried away by a melon and a footnote at once.
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 1: Although strange, you may fancy the change, And I think
• 1:41:58
  Speaker 1: I am drawing a bow at long range. The pumpkin
• 1:42:03
  Speaker 1: of that, as cocksure as a bantamime turned to a coach,
• 1:42:07
  Speaker 1: like a trick in a pantomime. When the worthy old
• 1:42:11
  Speaker 1: fay touched her niece's array, rags and tatters, all vanish'd
• 1:42:15
  Speaker 1: at once quite away, and lo in their lieu. She
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 1: appear'd to the view in a ball dress of fashion,
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: the newest of new. She'd such lovely jewels, she thought
• 1:42:28
  Speaker 1: of them cruels. Not at Hancocks or Riders, or h Emmanuel's,
• 1:42:33
  Speaker 1: or the shops of some forty more, say, Store and Mortimore,
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 1: Hunt and Rascal, or any besides of the many where
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 1: on things of the sort you may spend a nice penny.
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 1: Could you ever procure such pearls, diamonds and topaz? I
• 1:42:50
  Speaker 1: very much doubt if they equalled the Pope has, though
• 1:42:54
  Speaker 1: there are so I've read in a newspaper par a
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 1: good many gems in the page Potillara. But what sort
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 1: of shoes had the sweet Cinderella? Polished leather, white satin,
• 1:43:07
  Speaker 1: French kid or Prunella? No, not one of those? Hid
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: her dear little toes she wore. Can't you guess? Now?
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 1: What do you suppose she wore? Come? You know what
• 1:43:21
  Speaker 1: she had? Poor cessauliers she wore, as a ward would remark,
• 1:43:27
  Speaker 1: twas peculiar. She wore to be brief. Then a pair
• 1:43:32
  Speaker 1: of glass slippers, and what vulgar rapture calls regular clippers.
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 1: And now said her aunt. Your sisters may flaunt and
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 1: fancy they'll catch the young prince, but they sha'n't. There's
• 1:43:47
  Speaker 1: one thing, however, I'm anxious to mention, and I beg
• 1:43:50
  Speaker 1: you will give to my words your attention. If you
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 1: stop at the ball till the hours that are small,
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 1: your jewels and finery'll vanish all. So when twelves drawing near,
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: be careful, my dear, and to get away safely, take
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 1: five minutes clear, yes, at five minutes too, pray take
• 1:44:12
  Speaker 1: your adieu, or something may happen. You'll long have to rue. Cinderella,
• 1:44:19
  Speaker 1: quite charmed with her gorgeous array, Scarce had patience to
• 1:44:23
  Speaker 1: hear what her aunt had to say, but the moment
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: she seemed to be making an end to it, kissed
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: her and promised she'd strictly attend to it. Cinderella steps
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 1: into her carriage and eight tantara tantara tar With coachmen
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 1: and footmen and pages of state, she is driven away
• 1:44:44
  Speaker 1: to the Prince's grand gate. Tantara tantarah tar Oh. Didn't
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 1: they think she was somebody great Tantara Tantara Tar. The Princess.
• 1:44:56
  Speaker 1: Lord Chamberlain rushed to the door Tantara Tantara Rata and
• 1:45:01
  Speaker 1: bowed very low that fair lady before while retainers and
• 1:45:06
  Speaker 1: gods crowded round by the score Tantara Tantara Tar, and
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 1: even the solemn old porter said law, Tantara Tantarah Tar.
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 1: The Prince, when he heard all the hubbab and din
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 1: Tantara Tantara Tar, came down the grand staircase and held
• 1:45:24
  Speaker 1: out his fin to the fair Cinderella and welcomed her
• 1:45:28
  Speaker 1: in Tantara Tantarah Tar, and a very sweet smile was
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 1: so blest as to win Tantara Tantarah Tar. He leads
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 1: her to the ball room. As they enter at once
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 1: all lies on Cinderella center. Each noble of the land,
• 1:45:48
  Speaker 1: well born or grand, desires the honor of her tiny hand.
• 1:45:54
  Speaker 1: The women are all on the hook's styled tender to
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 1: learn who she can be, though so really they can't
• 1:46:01
  Speaker 1: see like female jealousy, there's no fermenta for turning tempers
• 1:46:06
  Speaker 1: naturally placid into a bitterly corrosive acid. What all the
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 1: men could find in her to praise, they'd ne'er met
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: one more plain in all their days. Her clothes were
• 1:46:20
  Speaker 1: fine and did with jewels shine, But then you know
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 1: they'd probably been lent her. What need to enlarge? It
• 1:46:29
  Speaker 1: appears woman's duty to differ from us on questions of beauty.
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: The men were enchanted. The lady said, well, a more
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: brazen faced thing, meaning poor Cinderella. The dissension of bells,
• 1:46:47
  Speaker 1: as experience tells, is one of the oldest of horrid
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 1: do bella. The Prince claimed her hand for the very
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 1: next dance. Cinderella consented, but gave him a glance that
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: set his heart, dancing with passion and pleasure, much faster
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 1: by far than his feet danced the measure. Now's your chance, miss,
• 1:47:09
  Speaker 1: to dance. Hark they play the mabel? Who'll be false
• 1:47:14
  Speaker 1: to such a waltz? If to spin he's able faster
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 1: they ought to play? Can't they do it quicker? Know
• 1:47:23
  Speaker 1: that as the double bass, he's far gone in liquor.
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 1: O'er the floor one round more will not tire. I
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: trust you only one, and now it's done, I'll sit down.
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 1: Oh must you for dance? After dance's delight? To enhance?
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 1: The prince asked her hand. No one else has a chance.
• 1:47:49
  Speaker 1: While young ladies and old left out in the cold
• 1:47:52
  Speaker 1: shake their heads at such doings and say that it's bold.
• 1:47:57
  Speaker 1: But the Prince doesn't care for any one there but
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 1: his own darling partner, so gentle and fair, which is
• 1:48:04
  Speaker 1: more than his conduct is, so, they declare. At last,
• 1:48:08
  Speaker 1: Cinderella looked up at the clock. One minute to twelve.
• 1:48:12
  Speaker 1: What a terrible shock. In two seconds more, she is
• 1:48:16
  Speaker 1: out at the door. She has no time to wait,
• 1:48:18
  Speaker 1: but runs to the gate. It's well, no one sees
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: her because she's too late. The clock has struck twelve.
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 1: The enchantment is over. The guards, who were stationed each
• 1:48:29
  Speaker 1: side of the portal, when questioned, said they had seen
• 1:48:33
  Speaker 1: none pass that way except yes one's scullery maid, a
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 1: poor mortal, all rag patch and tatter, but didn't look
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 1: at her. The porter declared he knew nought of the matter.
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 1: At the door, as he sat, he'd seen nothing thereat
• 1:48:50
  Speaker 1: but a pumpkin, a lizard, some mice, and a rat.
• 1:48:54
  Speaker 1: The Prince had rushed out to look after his partner
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 1: and hand her downstairs to her carriage, declares he can't
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 1: make it out. It is quite a disheartner. However, next
• 1:49:07
  Speaker 1: night he feels it's all right when he sees her
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 1: again at his palace, alight once more by his side
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: through the hall, she will glide, and if he's a
• 1:49:17
  Speaker 1: chance in the midst of the dance, he'll ask her
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 1: permission to make her his bride. Cinderella taught wisdom by
• 1:49:25
  Speaker 1: yesterday's scrape. Though enjoying the ball, watched the clock on
• 1:49:29
  Speaker 1: the wall, and in plenty of time from the room
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 1: made escape. But the prince, looking out very sharply no doubt,
• 1:49:38
  Speaker 1: saw what his mysterious guest was about. So sent for
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 1: a follower, trusty, and tried, and said he was yearning
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 1: the name to be learning of the lady just gone
• 1:49:47
  Speaker 1: to her carriage outside, and so he must ride a
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 1: little way on, say, just down the next turning, and
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 1: follow the coach. Let whatever be tied. The prince then
• 1:50:00
  Speaker 1: conducted the fair to her coach, But in vain did
• 1:50:03
  Speaker 1: his vassal await its approach to ride in its track.
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 1: So at last he came back. At the news of
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 1: his failure, his master looked black, and instead of a
• 1:50:13
  Speaker 1: money bag, gave him the sack. The next night came
• 1:50:18
  Speaker 1: round once more the prince found his love at the ball,
• 1:50:22
  Speaker 1: and his heart gave a bound in the midst of
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 1: the hop. The question to pop he determined, and naught
• 1:50:29
  Speaker 1: his intentions could stop. How sweet are love's first tender words?
• 1:50:36
  Speaker 1: As on the ear they fall, more musical than song
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 1: of birds, more sweet than way, more soft than Kourd's.
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 1: So welcome to us all and ah to Cinderella's ear,
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: who'd heard so little love? How were the Prince's accents, dear,
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: which her fond heart could plainly hear all other sounds
• 1:51:02
  Speaker 1: above her aunt's directions to her niece, Young Cupid makes
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 1: her shelve when suddenly her joy must cease. The clock
• 1:51:12
  Speaker 1: upon the mantel piece is on the stroke of twelve.
• 1:51:16
  Speaker 1: One run two through three. The four door five look
• 1:51:24
  Speaker 1: alive if you do not contrive to be out o
• 1:51:28
  Speaker 1: the palace. Ere the clock strikes twice six. I guess miss,
• 1:51:33
  Speaker 1: you'll be in a tall sort of a fix. She
• 1:51:37
  Speaker 1: is off and away without any delay. Ere the Prince
• 1:51:41
  Speaker 1: can get rid of his fear and dismay off down
• 1:51:45
  Speaker 1: the stairs like a mad thing. She tears when one
• 1:51:48
  Speaker 1: of her slippers small blame for that same slipp'd off
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 1: altogether quite true to its name. So the prince, when
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 1: he came to the top of the staircase is love
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: to pursue, found that she was a slipper, but left
• 1:52:03
  Speaker 1: him a shoe. What was he to do? He put
• 1:52:07
  Speaker 1: to and two together at once, calculating like Babbage, and
• 1:52:11
  Speaker 1: as Taylor would say in adapting a play, remarked, if
• 1:52:16
  Speaker 1: that shoe, I will make it my cabbage. The guards
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 1: were all questioned, but none could he glean. They had
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 1: carefully watched, but had nobody seen except one poor beggar girl,
• 1:52:29
  Speaker 1: ragged and mien, who so one observed from her beautiful
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 1: color he thought had been scrubbing the pans in the scullery.
• 1:52:40
  Speaker 1: The very next day, in the usual way his nobles,
• 1:52:43
  Speaker 1: he sent with a herald to say that the fortunate
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 1: fair who could easily wear the slipper, which they on
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: a cushion then carried, would be by the prince instantaneously married. Pooh,
• 1:52:57
  Speaker 1: say the ladies, as each trial may only fit for
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 1: Chang's lady that shoe we're afraid is. You'd better convince
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: that foolish young prince if he waits till it's fitted
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: the fact not to mince, he'll finish at last by
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 1: not marrying at all. The slipper is really too foolishly small.
• 1:53:19
  Speaker 1: But in spite of their sneers, they were all half
• 1:53:22
  Speaker 1: in tears, and to get on the Slipper had given
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 1: their ears. Indeed, they were those who cut off their
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: toes to try and contrive it. Or so the tale goes.
• 1:53:37
  Speaker 1: Cinderella's two sisters were fiery as blisters and abused the
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 1: young prince and his learned ministers altogether as tool was observed,
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 1: just to go in it, because if you please. When
• 1:53:50
  Speaker 1: each tried to squeeze the shoe on, she scarcely could
• 1:53:54
  Speaker 1: get her big toe in it. When they'd done, Cinderella
• 1:53:58
  Speaker 1: sat down in the chair. Oh, didn't they stare with
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 1: contemptuous air, while each to the other said, well, I declare.
• 1:54:07
  Speaker 1: But when the lords put the shoe on her foot,
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: without any ado, it slipped into the shoe, said the
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: prince in a trice, I'll wed none love, but you
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 1: what more? The good fairy returned on the scene, and
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 1: instead of the garb, which was really not clean, at
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 1: a touch of her wand in a dress of rare
• 1:54:30
  Speaker 1: sheen presented a niece to the prince, who had been
• 1:54:33
  Speaker 1: so faithful and fond, and who made her his queen.
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: From the post you will all the particulars glean of
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: the marriage, performed the two parties between by a bishop,
• 1:54:46
  Speaker 1: assisted by Canon and Dean. Her sisters were very near
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 1: dying of spleen, and thought their aunt's conduct remarkably mean,
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 1: but lived as neglected old maids, spare and le though
• 1:55:01
  Speaker 1: they'd never acknowledge to more than nineteen. So there's no
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 1: more to tell her about sweet Cinderella, whose life was
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 1: quite happy, in fact, all serene. End of Cinderella, Chapter six,
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 1: Part one of Fairy Realm by Tom Hood. This LibriVox
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain recording by no Badrian
• 1:55:36
  Speaker 1: hop O my Thumb, Part one upon a forest thick
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 1: and gloomy. A cottage the reverse of RUMI, to put
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 1: it plainly, just a hut and nothing better dead a
• 1:55:50
  Speaker 1: butt twas built of clay and roofed with straw. The
• 1:55:55
  Speaker 1: walls had many a gap and floor. The chimney wouldn't
• 1:55:59
  Speaker 1: always straw. The floor was damp, the ceiling leaky with
• 1:56:04
  Speaker 1: stains of rains. The walls were streaky. Around the hearth
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: where seldom smiled. A blazing fire were faggots piled as
• 1:56:14
  Speaker 1: if for fuel, Oh mockery cruel, For they were heaped
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 1: from floor to raft ers as a check upon the draft.
• 1:56:24
  Speaker 1: The fires that used that draft to flicker to consisted
• 1:56:29
  Speaker 1: only of a stick or two, enough to warm a
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 1: mess of pottage shaw. Why waste time in spinning rime
• 1:56:38
  Speaker 1: when one can easily contrive to picture it with words
• 1:56:42
  Speaker 1: just five the usual English laborer's cottage. There dwelt a
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 1: good wife and her good man, who by profession was
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 1: a woodman, but was so poor and so prolific a
• 1:56:58
  Speaker 1: family of sevens terrific to one whose trade is not
• 1:57:02
  Speaker 1: first chop that oft when trees hid, limb and lop
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 1: he wished his lot? Did him appall so that he
• 1:57:11
  Speaker 1: could cut his own stick? Also? But while he in
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 1: the woods was hewing? What think you the poor wife
• 1:57:20
  Speaker 1: was doing, who had to sit at home and see
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 1: her children gather round her knee with looks that plain
• 1:57:28
  Speaker 1: as words could utter, said, please, we want some bread
• 1:57:32
  Speaker 1: and butter. What could she do but sit and sigh,
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: while bitter tears bedewed her eye. His was the hue,
• 1:57:42
  Speaker 1: but hers the cry. Her household duties were but few
• 1:57:48
  Speaker 1: when she had clothed the infant crew. The toils that,
• 1:57:52
  Speaker 1: as a rule belonged to cooking did not take her long.
• 1:57:57
  Speaker 1: They never tasted meat, to vary and eternal diet vegetarian,
• 1:58:03
  Speaker 1: and well we know to rear a troop on turnip
• 1:58:07
  Speaker 1: broth and carrot soup and near taste pieces of resistance.
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 1: Is vegetation, not existence, said the husband one night, as
• 1:58:19
  Speaker 1: they sat by the light of a fire that for
• 1:58:22
  Speaker 1: them was uncommonly bright. Footnote how it flickered and fled
• 1:58:28
  Speaker 1: has been drawn connamore by that notable artist of artists, G.
• 1:58:33
  Speaker 1: Dorey end a footnote, My dear, we have got one
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 1: carrot and not a single scrap more to put into
• 1:58:44
  Speaker 1: the pot. We're as poor as church mice, and there's
• 1:58:49
  Speaker 1: nothing much surer than that. We every day shall grow
• 1:58:53
  Speaker 1: poorer and poorer. And what for our brats can we do?
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 1: My love, that's the that gnaws at my heart like
• 1:59:02
  Speaker 1: green rats. It's long since we've had any victuals to carve,
• 1:59:07
  Speaker 1: but now we've got no soup to spoon out for
• 1:59:10
  Speaker 1: the group. What is to be done? For we can't
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 1: see them starve? The wife shook her head and mournfully said,
• 1:59:19
  Speaker 1: if we have not the food. Why they cannot be
• 1:59:23
  Speaker 1: fed unless we find the heart to intrust them all
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 1: seven to the power that feeds and attends to the
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 1: needs of the wild things of earth and the winged
• 1:59:35
  Speaker 1: things of heaven, said the father. That's true, it's what
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 1: we must do. We'll take to the forest the poor
• 1:59:44
  Speaker 1: little crew by roundabout ways, all the more to confuse them,
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 1: and then when we find they are not looking, we'll
• 1:59:52
  Speaker 1: lose them. Here the reader politle, allow the recital to
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 1: pause while they're set selling a question. So vital, and
• 2:00:03
  Speaker 1: I in requital to make it all right, will explain
• 2:00:07
  Speaker 1: how my story has come by its title. The last
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 1: child that was born to this couple, Forlorn, was tiny
• 2:00:16
  Speaker 1: in figure, not very much bigger than the we dancing
• 2:00:20
  Speaker 1: dolls that one sees in an organ, or rather so
• 2:00:25
  Speaker 1: small that no figure at all heed, I think have
• 2:00:28
  Speaker 1: been called by Professor do Morgan, but devoted to fractions
• 2:00:33
  Speaker 1: most infinitesimal, that diminutive point, which is known as a decimal.
• 2:00:39
  Speaker 1: So though he was a boy, and we do not
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 1: employ says the grammar that eaten lads always enjoy for
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 1: the masculine omni quad exit in um. They christened the
• 2:00:51
  Speaker 1: little one hop o' my thumb. The father regarded the
• 2:00:55
  Speaker 1: child with surprise, and his mother, poor woman, shed tears
• 2:01:00
  Speaker 1: for his size, for she felt, as she looked at
• 2:01:03
  Speaker 1: her babe, the misgiving that so little a boy could
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 1: but make a small living. And as he grew older
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 1: still every beholder that he didn't grow bigger at all
• 2:01:16
  Speaker 1: always told her. But then as some comfort, they all
• 2:01:21
  Speaker 1: of them found him possessed of great nouse, though the
• 2:01:24
  Speaker 1: size of a mouse, For though he was little, they
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 1: couldn't get round him. Now, it chanced, on the night
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: that begins my narration, when his parents were holding this
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 1: grave consultation, sleep would not come to hopp O my thumb.
• 2:01:41
  Speaker 1: He was on the alert a remarkable sum So he
• 2:01:45
  Speaker 1: sat up in bed, and there by the red and
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 1: flickering light that around it was shed by the glare
• 2:01:52
  Speaker 1: of the log, saw the cat and the dog. She
• 2:01:56
  Speaker 1: was poor as a rat. He'd a waist like a
• 2:01:59
  Speaker 1: frog or a greyhound. But due to the absence of progue,
• 2:02:04
  Speaker 1: not the presence of breed, he resembled, indeed, the nags
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 1: that you see in the cab driver's stud whose points
• 2:02:12
  Speaker 1: are all owing to bone, not to blood. There his
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 1: father and mother too sat by each other, conversing in
• 2:02:21
  Speaker 1: tones they seemed anxious to smother. And he saw on
• 2:02:25
  Speaker 1: her cheek a tear drop glisten, so he hid himself
• 2:02:29
  Speaker 1: under her chair to listen. What did he hear? He
• 2:02:33
  Speaker 1: regarded with fear being left in the forest, so dismal
• 2:02:37
  Speaker 1: and drear, and all for no good. For twas likely
• 2:02:41
  Speaker 1: he should get wholly mislaid, like the babes in the
• 2:02:45
  Speaker 1: wood whom sea story with leaves the kind robin alac
• 2:02:51
  Speaker 1: berries when they eat by mistake deadly nightshade for blackberries.
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 1: In a state of disc bear hidden under the chair,
• 2:03:02
  Speaker 1: poor Hopper my Thumb heard his parents declare that the
• 2:03:06
  Speaker 1: first thing next day they would make the excursion, which,
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 1: so they determined, should end in desertion. What's to be done?
• 2:03:15
  Speaker 1: This is really no fun. I'm the wretchedest mortal that's
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 1: under the sun. To bed I must creep, but awake
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 1: I will keep, For what I've to do is to think,
• 2:03:27
  Speaker 1: not to sleep, said Hopper my Thumb when his father
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 1: said Mum to his mother, intending that she should be
• 2:03:36
  Speaker 1: dumb on the subject that late had formed their debate.
• 2:03:40
  Speaker 1: I think you had better get breakfast. At eight, the
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 1: boy stole to bed to turn oh in his head
• 2:03:48
  Speaker 1: the things which his father and mother had said, and discover,
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 1: if possible, cute little chap as well as he can,
• 2:03:55
  Speaker 1: some snug little plan to guard him and brothers against
• 2:03:59
  Speaker 1: a mishap. One thing was clear when they started from here.
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 1: He some landmarks must leave by which homeward to steer,
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 1: For if he'd the means to discover the track again,
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 1: go where they would, he would find his way back again.
• 2:04:16
  Speaker 1: But in vain to devise some guide post, he tries
• 2:04:20
  Speaker 1: till he's quite wearied out and sleep closes his eyes.
• 2:04:25
  Speaker 1: But while he still sleeps on a moonbeam, down sweeps
• 2:04:29
  Speaker 1: a fairy beneath his closed eyelids. She peeps, and, finding
• 2:04:33
  Speaker 1: him busy on all sorts of schemes to aid his
• 2:04:37
  Speaker 1: escape from to morrow's sad scrape, she a cunning suggestion,
• 2:04:41
  Speaker 1: slips into his dreams, where lofty oaks, deep shadows make
• 2:04:48
  Speaker 1: and ceaselessly the aspens quake, where ancient elms their branches spread,
• 2:04:54
  Speaker 1: and ashes whisper overhead. Within the forest's darkest glades, there
• 2:05:00
  Speaker 1: flows a stream among the shades. Above its wave, a
• 2:05:05
  Speaker 1: hoary group of melancholy willows droop. The kingfisher its waters
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 1: loves tis haunted by the startled doves, and free of fear.
• 2:05:18
  Speaker 1: Beside its brink, the dappled fawn oft stops to drink,
• 2:05:23
  Speaker 1: tis fed by twenty tinkling rills. And here and there
• 2:05:27
  Speaker 1: where sunlight spills through openings in the bowserhead, a halo yellow,
• 2:05:33
  Speaker 1: azure red, a tiny rainbow, bright and small hangs o'er
• 2:05:39
  Speaker 1: the mimic waterfall, where through the over arching green, bright
• 2:05:44
  Speaker 1: glimpses of the sky are seen The dancing waters as
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 1: they go mirror the snatch of blue below. Long mosses
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 1: wave within its stream, and silvery fishers glance and gleam,
• 2:05:58
  Speaker 1: and water lilies float and sail. But these do not
• 2:06:02
  Speaker 1: concern my tail. My point the mystery to unravel is
• 2:06:08
  Speaker 1: that the bed of it is gravel, and that its
• 2:06:11
  Speaker 1: bays and banks abound in pebbles, small and smooth and
• 2:06:16
  Speaker 1: round by the side of the stream. As he walked
• 2:06:20
  Speaker 1: in his dream, it appeared that the pebbles all set
• 2:06:23
  Speaker 1: up a scream. Hop o my thumb, Come hither, boy, Come,
• 2:06:28
  Speaker 1: if we cannot show you the way it is rum
• 2:06:32
  Speaker 1: footnote at the slang. The stones speak, don't I pray
• 2:06:37
  Speaker 1: be offended? How their schoolings neglected must be recollected. Just
• 2:06:43
  Speaker 1: remember how often roads have to be mended. And a footnote.
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 1: At the first streak of day, he is up and away.
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 1: He creeps out of the house through a crack in
• 2:06:56
  Speaker 1: the clay, off like a rock, to fill every pocket
• 2:07:01
  Speaker 1: with stones, precious stones, though not fit for a locket, brooch, bracelet,
• 2:07:08
  Speaker 1: or ring, or any such thing, but precious to him,
• 2:07:11
  Speaker 1: for the help they will bring away. Must he go
• 2:07:16
  Speaker 1: like arrow from bow, yet all in a quiver, and
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: reaches the river. The scene is a taking one, though
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: this is a giver of peaceful delight, full of charm,
• 2:07:27
  Speaker 1: for the sight that reads all the beauty of nature.
• 2:07:30
  Speaker 1: Aright on the banks of the stream breasts one fleeting gleam,
• 2:07:35
  Speaker 1: where the bluebells and dainty anemones team, and there rises
• 2:07:40
  Speaker 1: o'er them the gray hollow stem of an old pollard willow,
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 1: while many a gem from the waters is hung leaf
• 2:07:48
  Speaker 1: and blossom among For tis here that the stream's sweetest
• 2:07:53
  Speaker 1: madrigals sung. But what does he care for song, bluebell
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 1: or pollard? There are the jockeys that have to be
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 1: collar'd down on his knees, he went, if you please,
• 2:08:05
  Speaker 1: and oblivious to sunshine and blossoms and trees where the
• 2:08:09
  Speaker 1: waterfall piped in the shrillest of trebles, hop O my
• 2:08:13
  Speaker 1: thumb filled his pocket with pebbles. Then homeward he stole,
• 2:08:18
  Speaker 1: returned through the hole and crept into bed, not disturbing
• 2:08:22
  Speaker 1: a soul, but feeling the danger completely forestalled, curled up
• 2:08:27
  Speaker 1: and slept soundly until he was called. At eight o'clock.
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 1: The mother rose and, donning mournfully her clothes, lit up
• 2:08:37
  Speaker 1: some sticks, and put the kettle on, as she and
• 2:08:39
  Speaker 1: he did last night. Settle on the water boiling in
• 2:08:44
  Speaker 1: Go's souse, the one last carrot in the house. The
• 2:08:49
  Speaker 1: hapless mother can't but feel, in any case, it's their
• 2:08:53
  Speaker 1: last meal, for even if they now gave up the
• 2:08:57
  Speaker 1: plan on which they had agreed, there's nothing left, nor bite,
• 2:09:01
  Speaker 1: nor sup Her hungry starving babes to feed less pain
• 2:09:06
  Speaker 1: twill be. She feels, poor mother to lose them one
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 1: way than another. And so this poor hagar prepares her soupmagra,
• 2:09:18
  Speaker 1: while grief and perplexity harris and plague her, and soon
• 2:09:22
  Speaker 1: as their eyes are open with cries of oh, we're
• 2:09:26
  Speaker 1: so hungry. The little ones rise, while the father, who's
• 2:09:31
  Speaker 1: not very great at a plot, conceives that his plan
• 2:09:34
  Speaker 1: some more treachery lacks, so in order to hatch it,
• 2:09:38
  Speaker 1: goes out with his axe and makes an attempt at
• 2:09:42
  Speaker 1: restoring his mind's tone by setting the edge of the
• 2:09:45
  Speaker 1: blade to the grindstone. The poor little souls sit down
• 2:09:50
  Speaker 1: to their bowls and eat up their pottage without any rolls.
• 2:09:55
  Speaker 1: It's not a remarkably nourishing diet, but it eases the
• 2:09:59
  Speaker 1: pang's of hunger's sharp fangs, and the wolf in the
• 2:10:03
  Speaker 1: stomach keeps partially quiet. But the mother's afraid it's far
• 2:10:08
  Speaker 1: from well made, for the carrot's fine flavor and strength
• 2:10:12
  Speaker 1: haven't stopped in it, and it's rather too salt from
• 2:10:16
  Speaker 1: the tears that have dropped in it. However, no matter,
• 2:10:21
  Speaker 1: they clear out each platter in expecting a share of
• 2:10:24
  Speaker 1: the soup, dog and cat err If they want a
• 2:10:28
  Speaker 1: first course, they must even lick the dish for it,
• 2:10:31
  Speaker 1: and as for the second, they'll have to go fish
• 2:10:33
  Speaker 1: for it. A third they'll not meet with, however they
• 2:10:37
  Speaker 1: wish for it. So the table was cleared, the cloth disappeared,
• 2:10:43
  Speaker 1: and then came what hopper my thumb had so feared,
• 2:10:46
  Speaker 1: said the father, Come, children, I'm off to the wood,
• 2:10:49
  Speaker 1: and i'll take you all with me, providing your good.
• 2:10:53
  Speaker 1: There are lots of wild fruits. Not to mention, the
• 2:10:56
  Speaker 1: roots and the hawthorns are putting forth midsummer shoots. You'll
• 2:11:00
  Speaker 1: have plenty to eat. Twill be rarely a treat. So
• 2:11:04
  Speaker 1: run to your mother, and all be made neat off.
• 2:11:08
  Speaker 1: They ran in great glee to their mother, and she
• 2:11:11
  Speaker 1: did the best that she could for the boys. But
• 2:11:14
  Speaker 1: you see, a respectable look's not the easiest of matters
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 1: to give to clothes maids of shreds, patches and tatters. However,
• 2:11:24
  Speaker 1: at last, inspected and passed, they set out for the forest,
• 2:11:28
  Speaker 1: so gloomy and vast. The father goes first, with his
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 1: axe on his shoulder. The next place was the mother's,
• 2:11:35
  Speaker 1: and then all the others. First he of the brothers,
• 2:11:39
  Speaker 1: who is than the rest of the family older, And
• 2:11:43
  Speaker 1: so from the tallest right down to the smallest, on
• 2:11:46
  Speaker 1: a scale that would greatly amuse a beholder, And pray,
• 2:11:50
  Speaker 1: who last of all should come but the might of
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 1: the family. Hopper my thumb trudging along, humming a song
• 2:11:58
  Speaker 1: as if he were quite unsay, aspecting of wrong, but
• 2:12:02
  Speaker 1: keeping an eye very much on the sly for the
• 2:12:05
  Speaker 1: various objects the road took them by, and here and
• 2:12:09
  Speaker 1: there along the track, dropping a pebble to guide him
• 2:12:12
  Speaker 1: back on. They went still, mounting a hill in the
• 2:12:17
  Speaker 1: sort of locality papers call ill, that retired kind of
• 2:12:21
  Speaker 1: spot you would look on as not an unsuitable place
• 2:12:24
  Speaker 1: for the scene of a mirtherer up the steep, gloomy slope.
• 2:12:29
  Speaker 1: They stumble and grope. They'd come to a fir wood,
• 2:12:32
  Speaker 1: but still they went further. At last the old woodcutter
• 2:12:37
  Speaker 1: cried out a halt, set the children to play, and
• 2:12:41
  Speaker 1: then stole away with his wife. When he fancied they'd
• 2:12:45
  Speaker 1: all be at fault, and so they were. Rather When
• 2:12:49
  Speaker 1: weary of playing and running and straying, they hunted in
• 2:12:52
  Speaker 1: vain for their mother and father. Oh where could they be?
• 2:12:57
  Speaker 1: In bush, thicket and tree they searched, but their parents
• 2:13:01
  Speaker 1: they nowhere could see, and some of them cried, oh
• 2:13:05
  Speaker 1: where do you hide? As young Lovell remarked to his
• 2:13:09
  Speaker 1: beautiful bride, who got in the wrong box while the
• 2:13:12
  Speaker 1: key was outside, and suffered such pains in the chest
• 2:13:16
  Speaker 1: that she died. They ran to and fro, and searched
• 2:13:21
  Speaker 1: high and low, and exerted themselves till near ready to drop.
• 2:13:26
  Speaker 1: Whereupon little hop O my thumb, who till then held
• 2:13:30
  Speaker 1: his tongue, called out stop. This was done to deceive us.
• 2:13:35
  Speaker 1: They meant thus leave us. But I, if you'll just let
• 2:13:39
  Speaker 1: me manage the jar, will soon help you all out
• 2:13:42
  Speaker 1: of this queer looking hobble. End of hopp O my Thumb,
• 2:13:49
  Speaker 1: Part one, Chapter six, Part two of Fair Realm by
• 2:14:01
  Speaker 1: Tom Hood. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain
• 2:14:07
  Speaker 1: recording by nol Badrian Hopper my Thumb Part two. That night,
• 2:14:16
  Speaker 1: the sad sire sat down by the fire, and the
• 2:14:20
  Speaker 1: mother sat near him in agony dire, and though they'd
• 2:14:25
  Speaker 1: not dined, felt far from inclined to eat of the loaf,
• 2:14:29
  Speaker 1: led the good luck to find where some gay picnic
• 2:14:32
  Speaker 1: party had left it behind, just as they well a
• 2:14:36
  Speaker 1: day as the Madrigal say, had left their poor children
• 2:14:40
  Speaker 1: behind in dismay. Ratat tat what is that? Said the sire,
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 1: as he sat on the desolate hearth TwixT the dog
• 2:14:51
  Speaker 1: and the cat. A knock at the door, and without
• 2:14:56
  Speaker 1: any more adieu, it was opened and low on the floor,
• 2:15:00
  Speaker 1: or stood those desolate ones his seven little sons, with
• 2:15:05
  Speaker 1: Hopper my son walking coolly. Before there was naught to
• 2:15:10
  Speaker 1: be said, they put them to bed. You can't solve
• 2:15:13
  Speaker 1: a riddle by scratching your head, or that farther distressed
• 2:15:17
  Speaker 1: would have certainly guessed all the family Herald's most puzzling
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 1: and best. But he said to his wife, though it's
• 2:15:27
  Speaker 1: much to our sorrow, we'll lose the young rascals once more,
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 1: dear to morrow. But for fear that again of our
• 2:15:35
  Speaker 1: scheme naught should come. Just keep a sharp eye on
• 2:15:39
  Speaker 1: that hopper my thumb. The very next day he led
• 2:15:44
  Speaker 1: them away in a different part of the forest, to stray,
• 2:15:48
  Speaker 1: where the foliage was thicker and darker and denser. And
• 2:15:53
  Speaker 1: if I'm permitted the term much immenser, any chance to
• 2:15:58
  Speaker 1: provide from the rivulets sighed any pebbles to hopp O
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 1: my thumb was denied. But the youngster was one not
• 2:16:07
  Speaker 1: easily done, said he I'll contrive it as sure as
• 2:16:12
  Speaker 1: a gun. So into his pocket, unnoticed the crust he
• 2:16:16
  Speaker 1: had given him for breakfast, he quietly thrust, And when
• 2:16:21
  Speaker 1: onward they strode by this different road he dropped crumbs
• 2:16:25
  Speaker 1: all along that had certainly showed very well the way back,
• 2:16:30
  Speaker 1: as had been his intention. But for one little fact,
• 2:16:34
  Speaker 1: I am going to mention that the thrush and the blackbird,
• 2:16:38
  Speaker 1: the woodlark and linnet discovered his strewing of bread in
• 2:16:42
  Speaker 1: a minute, and, alighting at once, ate up all of
• 2:16:46
  Speaker 1: the crumbs and ruined this plan of poor hopper my Thumbs.
• 2:16:52
  Speaker 1: Now the boys didn't mind if they were left behind,
• 2:16:56
  Speaker 1: thinking hopp O my thumb would the road for them find.
• 2:17:00
  Speaker 1: But alas when they thought it was late and they
• 2:17:03
  Speaker 1: ought to get home, and he failed to find out
• 2:17:06
  Speaker 1: what he sought a pretty to do, and a frightened
• 2:17:10
  Speaker 1: boo hoo were set up all at once by the
• 2:17:13
  Speaker 1: terrified crew. Twas useless to search, they were left in
• 2:17:18
  Speaker 1: the lurch. They were lost in the forest, as safe
• 2:17:22
  Speaker 1: as the church. What a terrible plight it was getting
• 2:17:26
  Speaker 1: towards night. And although they might not be so whisper'd
• 2:17:30
  Speaker 1: their fright wild beasts in the forest about, Yet there
• 2:17:35
  Speaker 1: might the sun adown the western sky, in dying glory,
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 1: rolled and turn'd the forest upmost leaves to fluttering flecks
• 2:17:44
  Speaker 1: of gold. The twilight shadows deepened round and filled the
• 2:17:49
  Speaker 1: violet sky, till springing out of depths profound the stars
• 2:17:55
  Speaker 1: were in the sky. A purple pall fell over all.
• 2:18:01
  Speaker 1: The last ray faded soon, and like a galley far
• 2:18:06
  Speaker 1: and small appear'd the thread of moon. All noises died,
• 2:18:13
  Speaker 1: save winds that sighed among the somber trees and nightingales.
• 2:18:19
  Speaker 1: Sad song allied in melody to these huddling shoulder to shoulder,
• 2:18:26
  Speaker 1: and not growing bolder. As the breezes moaned louder, the
• 2:18:31
  Speaker 1: moon shone out colder. Those poor little brothers in terrors.
• 2:18:36
  Speaker 1: The sorest went wandering on through the gloom of the forest,
• 2:18:41
  Speaker 1: free from dismay, gallant and gay. Hop O, my thumb
• 2:18:45
  Speaker 1: marching first led the way. But they hadn't got the
• 2:18:50
  Speaker 1: same spirit, not they. At last he espies a trunk
• 2:18:56
  Speaker 1: of huge size, said he in the world. This will
• 2:19:00
  Speaker 1: give me a rise. I can see by ascending it
• 2:19:04
  Speaker 1: how the land lies. So without wasting time, he hastes
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 1: to the climb his own elbows and knees, with some
• 2:19:12
  Speaker 1: limbs of the trees assisting him up to the top
• 2:19:15
  Speaker 1: by degrees. He contrives on a bough very lofty to
• 2:19:20
  Speaker 1: sit him and views all the darkness of night will
• 2:19:23
  Speaker 1: permit him, while his brothers conjure him to tell what
• 2:19:27
  Speaker 1: he sees far away shines a single ray, But what
• 2:19:34
  Speaker 1: it may be, I can't venture to say. It looks
• 2:19:37
  Speaker 1: rather far. But since here we are without any voice
• 2:19:42
  Speaker 1: in the matter or choice, whatever the distance, we ought
• 2:19:45
  Speaker 1: to rejoice for, whether the night be a melter or pelter,
• 2:19:50
  Speaker 1: if it's muggy as beer, or it rains, helter skelter,
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 1: we mustn't make light of a light that means shelter.
• 2:19:59
  Speaker 1: On when the children still shoulder to shoulder, as frightened
• 2:20:03
  Speaker 1: as bricks, and then stones vastly colder and much more alarm'd,
• 2:20:08
  Speaker 1: for a stone is oft bolder, arm in arm, in alarm,
• 2:20:13
  Speaker 1: expecting some harm in a terror no words of their
• 2:20:17
  Speaker 1: brothers could charm. They walked towards the light gleaming out
• 2:20:21
  Speaker 1: through the night, and as fearful to turn, as if
• 2:20:24
  Speaker 1: playing at fright, through break and through mire, beginning to tire,
• 2:20:30
  Speaker 1: trudged the sorrowful sons of a sorrowful sire. On wonder'd
• 2:20:36
  Speaker 1: they in pursuit of array? Though girls more than boys
• 2:20:40
  Speaker 1: think of dress, So they say, till at length at
• 2:20:45
  Speaker 1: the great front door, post gate, or whatever twas called
• 2:20:49
  Speaker 1: at that very vague date of a castle or mansion,
• 2:20:54
  Speaker 1: a building gigantic design'd on the model of dwellings, Romantic Gothic,
• 2:21:00
  Speaker 1: solid and strong, that lasts ever so long, not sham
• 2:21:05
  Speaker 1: gothic run up on that very bad plan tick twas
• 2:21:10
  Speaker 1: terribly high. It wearied the eye to follow its turrets
• 2:21:14
  Speaker 1: up into the sky how many feet I don't care
• 2:21:19
  Speaker 1: to repeat. I'm a bad hand at figures of which
• 2:21:23
  Speaker 1: to be sparing twas as high as the grovener or
• 2:21:26
  Speaker 1: langham or charring footnote. The poet who sighed is depicted
• 2:21:34
  Speaker 1: as thin. The warmest of welcomes to find at an
• 2:21:37
  Speaker 1: inn might equal in panting the size of a banting
• 2:21:41
  Speaker 1: to learn that these inns are prepar'd in kind thrift,
• 2:21:46
  Speaker 1: to give to those guests who are poorest a lift.
• 2:21:50
  Speaker 1: End of footnote. They none of them knew what course
• 2:21:55
  Speaker 1: to pursue, till hopp o' my thumb found a horn
• 2:21:58
  Speaker 1: which ye blew, whereon some one the bolts, bars and
• 2:22:04
  Speaker 1: fastenings withdrew and came out with a light, very vivid
• 2:22:09
  Speaker 1: and bright, on the top of the steps at the
• 2:22:11
  Speaker 1: head of the flight, and they saw to their joy
• 2:22:15
  Speaker 1: not a man nor a boy, but one of a sex,
• 2:22:19
  Speaker 1: for which terms we employ of a tenderer sort in short,
• 2:22:23
  Speaker 1: one to court in short not at all, but a
• 2:22:28
  Speaker 1: tall one in short, for she was a giantess, being
• 2:22:33
  Speaker 1: in figure than Chang, the tremendous, an actually bigger. Who
• 2:22:41
  Speaker 1: are you, you, queer little crew, said hopper my thumb,
• 2:22:45
  Speaker 1: Madame pray, how d'ye do we, people so small have
• 2:22:50
  Speaker 1: come for a call. We want a night's lodging and supper,
• 2:22:54
  Speaker 1: that's all, alas, said the dame. I can't promise the same,
• 2:23:00
  Speaker 1: though your lonely condition to pity lay's claim but to
• 2:23:04
  Speaker 1: grant your entreaty were really a sin in receiving you here.
• 2:23:09
  Speaker 1: I should take you all in, Please Madame do, said
• 2:23:13
  Speaker 1: the terrified crew, who fancied. Each moment, much darker it grew,
• 2:23:19
  Speaker 1: and gazing with awe believed that they saw while beasts
• 2:23:23
  Speaker 1: coming after with ravenous more. Not to mention such trifles
• 2:23:28
  Speaker 1: as jaw pow or claw and specter's enough all their
• 2:23:32
  Speaker 1: marrow to thaw. So closer and closer together they drew,
• 2:23:37
  Speaker 1: repeating the chorus of please Madame do, My poor children,
• 2:23:43
  Speaker 1: said she. I've a husband, and he is an ogre,
• 2:23:47
  Speaker 1: as savage as savage can be. His appetites great, and
• 2:23:52
  Speaker 1: when hungry he's sweet on boys, so bored lodging and clothing.
• 2:23:58
  Speaker 1: He'll give you for nothing besides education, because you'll be eaten. Boys.
• 2:24:06
  Speaker 1: These words they don't like, but the terror they strike,
• 2:24:10
  Speaker 1: not being so near as the darkness they fear, they
• 2:24:14
  Speaker 1: beg her once more to their prayer to give ear footnote, pray,
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 1: pardon the rhyme, which it's terribly clear, is a rhyme
• 2:24:25
  Speaker 1: to the eye, not a rhyme to the ear. If
• 2:24:29
  Speaker 1: in thus fitting clothing you fancy I fail, or am
• 2:24:34
  Speaker 1: making a botch, say twas done by a tail or.
• 2:24:39
  Speaker 1: End a footnote. Please, ma'am, do, said the terrified crew.
• 2:24:45
  Speaker 1: We're prepared to be eaten were in such a stew. Besides, ma'am,
• 2:24:50
  Speaker 1: you might put us out of his sight. We only
• 2:24:54
  Speaker 1: want shelter and food for the night. Let our prayers
• 2:24:58
  Speaker 1: and our tears and our woes your hearts soften, some supper,
• 2:25:02
  Speaker 1: provide us and hide us. Please hide us. We're quite
• 2:25:07
  Speaker 1: used to it. Father has done it so often. Moved
• 2:25:12
  Speaker 1: by their tears, she flung open the door and gave
• 2:25:16
  Speaker 1: them some food. But in five minutes more ere they'd
• 2:25:19
  Speaker 1: finished their bread and gloster. She said, here's the Ogre approaching.
• 2:25:23
  Speaker 1: Get under the bed unless you feel gridiron like, or stewpanish,
• 2:25:29
  Speaker 1: or would like to be fried with the onions called Spanish.
• 2:25:33
  Speaker 1: They were oft in a jiffy, as promptly as if
• 2:25:36
  Speaker 1: he were Colonel Stodari, and had said to them vanish.
• 2:25:41
  Speaker 1: But scarce were they hidden away? I declare than the
• 2:25:45
  Speaker 1: giant came in with a curious air. All his wife's
• 2:25:49
  Speaker 1: kind precautions were very well meant, but he, like a
• 2:25:52
  Speaker 1: jew who is going to do a bill, was not
• 2:25:56
  Speaker 1: easily sent off the scent fee for fum said he
• 2:26:02
  Speaker 1: there are some little children about, Yes, I knows there are, ma'am.
• 2:26:09
  Speaker 1: No sooner said than by arm, leg or head, he
• 2:26:13
  Speaker 1: dragged all the urchins from under the bed. Each began
• 2:26:16
  Speaker 1: to entreat him, to please not to eat him, but
• 2:26:21
  Speaker 1: the ogre replied he'd be happy to meet him. So
• 2:26:25
  Speaker 1: he sharpened his knife to take ev'ry life, as he
• 2:26:29
  Speaker 1: would have done had it not been for his wife,
• 2:26:33
  Speaker 1: who showed him the supper she'd got. Wasn't that enough?
• 2:26:37
  Speaker 1: If so? She was willing to feed up for the
• 2:26:40
  Speaker 1: killing the children, whom now he could see were not
• 2:26:44
  Speaker 1: fat enough, said the Ogre, that's true, the supper will do.
• 2:26:50
  Speaker 1: We'll fatten the brats for a week or perhaps two. Meanwhile,
• 2:26:55
  Speaker 1: since late hours make them tasteless and flabby, let them
• 2:26:59
  Speaker 1: all go to bed without waking the babby away. They
• 2:27:04
  Speaker 1: all sped and hurried to bed, for fear his opinion
• 2:27:07
  Speaker 1: should change on that head. But hopp o, my thumb.
• 2:27:11
  Speaker 1: While his brothers were weeping everywhere, peeping stealthily creeping, found
• 2:27:17
  Speaker 1: seven young ogrelings cozily sleeping in the very next bed,
• 2:27:21
  Speaker 1: on a pillow of down, and each of them wearing
• 2:27:24
  Speaker 1: a little gold crown. Cried hopp O, my thumb. On
• 2:27:28
  Speaker 1: perceiving those bright caps, We've not been accustomed to sleep
• 2:27:32
  Speaker 1: without night caps. So he took the gold circlets away
• 2:27:36
  Speaker 1: from the others and put them instead on himself and
• 2:27:39
  Speaker 1: his brothers. By and bye. The ogre so sigh, who
• 2:27:45
  Speaker 1: had made up his mind to a little boy pie
• 2:27:48
  Speaker 1: for his breakfast, comes up in the dead of the
• 2:27:50
  Speaker 1: night with his very sharp knife, but without any light,
• 2:27:54
  Speaker 1: and so in the dark, as pitched as the ark
• 2:27:58
  Speaker 1: begins fumbling and feeling about for his mark, comes to
• 2:28:03
  Speaker 1: the bed, but feels on Hop's head a crown, so
• 2:28:07
  Speaker 1: goes off to his children instead, and at once for
• 2:28:11
  Speaker 1: at slaughter, you see he a dabby's he cuts all
• 2:28:15
  Speaker 1: the throats of his slumbering babbies, for which, since here reader,
• 2:28:21
  Speaker 1: you coroner, are dic't eight salve him right. It's the
• 2:28:26
  Speaker 1: usual vardict hop O my thumb heard all, but kept mum.
• 2:28:32
  Speaker 1: And as soon as the first streak of daylight was come,
• 2:28:35
  Speaker 1: and the dawn breaking fast in the heavens, he saw
• 2:28:39
  Speaker 1: the night was quite done if the morning was raw,
• 2:28:43
  Speaker 1: woke his brothers at once, and they all crept downstairs,
• 2:28:47
  Speaker 1: climbed up to a window by aid of some chairs,
• 2:28:50
  Speaker 1: got easily out through a large broken pane, jumped down
• 2:28:54
  Speaker 1: on the grass, and were free once again. Off went
• 2:28:58
  Speaker 1: each churchen and left ut the lurchin the Ogre, who
• 2:29:02
  Speaker 1: still his bed slept like a churchin. And well may
• 2:29:06
  Speaker 1: they run, for as sure as a gun the Ogre
• 2:29:09
  Speaker 1: will wake and find out what he's done, and at once,
• 2:29:13
  Speaker 1: setting forth from his castle to Catchem, in spite of
• 2:29:16
  Speaker 1: their start, will be sure to outmatch em. They may
• 2:29:19
  Speaker 1: run like the wind, but the horrible brutes possessed of
• 2:29:23
  Speaker 1: a pair of charmed seven league boots. Yes, dread and fear.
• 2:29:29
  Speaker 1: Already they hear the giant pursuing them coming more near.
• 2:29:34
  Speaker 1: They must try to conceal themselves closely. That's clear. They
• 2:29:39
  Speaker 1: endeavor to save themselves in a cave. The ogre approaches,
• 2:29:44
  Speaker 1: and even the brave little hopper my thumb feels a
• 2:29:47
  Speaker 1: tremor of dread when the giant, who suffers most frightful
• 2:29:52
  Speaker 1: fatigues from striding across at each step seven leagues sits
• 2:29:56
  Speaker 1: down on the rock that is over their head. But
• 2:30:00
  Speaker 1: it's not long before his beginning to snore, and hop
• 2:30:03
  Speaker 1: O my thumb plucks up courage once more. Now while
• 2:30:08
  Speaker 1: he's asleep, we must quietly creep from our hiding and
• 2:30:12
  Speaker 1: bolt like a parcel of sheep out scrambled a boy's
• 2:30:17
  Speaker 1: without making a noise, And while this way or that way,
• 2:30:21
  Speaker 1: each rapidly shoots off, hop O my thumb takes the
• 2:30:24
  Speaker 1: seven league boots off. To finish my story scriptry oh
• 2:30:31
  Speaker 1: Morey with the boots was our hero at once in
• 2:30:34
  Speaker 1: his glory. He return'd at full speed to the house
• 2:30:38
  Speaker 1: of the Giant, and finding the wife to his order's compliant,
• 2:30:42
  Speaker 1: made her hand him more treasure at once from the
• 2:30:45
  Speaker 1: coffer than the whole bank of England is able to offer,
• 2:30:49
  Speaker 1: and took it straightway to his parents, by which he
• 2:30:53
  Speaker 1: made like a stickler good joke the poor rich so
• 2:30:58
  Speaker 1: his and his brothers and fathers and mother's good fortune
• 2:31:01
  Speaker 1: he made, not to name any others. And as for
• 2:31:06
  Speaker 1: the Ogre, what chance to become of him? I know not.
• 2:31:10
  Speaker 1: I never asked Hopper my Thumb of him. But one
• 2:31:14
  Speaker 1: can't suppose that such giants, as those which in nursery
• 2:31:18
  Speaker 1: legends and stories one knows, by defaming the race must
• 2:31:22
  Speaker 1: inflict quite a pang on the large hearts of giants
• 2:31:26
  Speaker 1: like Annak and Chang, though their size for their suffering,
• 2:31:30
  Speaker 1: some remedy gives, since one learns the more patience the
• 2:31:34
  Speaker 1: longer one lives. So we'll trust that this giant, so
• 2:31:39
  Speaker 1: fierce and defiant, got punished. Indeed, on one fact, I'm
• 2:31:44
  Speaker 1: reliant his gold was all taken by Hopper my Thumb,
• 2:31:49
  Speaker 1: and so being left with a very small sum, namely
• 2:31:53
  Speaker 1: nothing tis likely ere long he began to fall in
• 2:31:56
  Speaker 1: a rear, and so sank to a van A poor
• 2:32:01
  Speaker 1: sort of coup in which he'd to stoop. Even the
• 2:32:04
  Speaker 1: greatest must bow if their fortunes will droop. Then at
• 2:32:09
  Speaker 1: revels and fares, he'd be shown as a sight as
• 2:32:12
  Speaker 1: a giant sea handbills unrivaled in height, allowed on all sides,
• 2:32:18
  Speaker 1: to be taller than any that ever existed. Admission one
• 2:32:23
  Speaker 1: penny n b. Babies in arms free of charge are admitted,
• 2:32:29
  Speaker 1: in which case, e'en a monster like that's to be
• 2:32:32
  Speaker 1: pitied l'a'mvois. Five favorite fairy fables old the efforts of
• 2:32:40
  Speaker 1: a muse which eke our efforts to amuse are told,
• 2:32:45
  Speaker 1: And my farewell tis time to speak. Since ended. Now
• 2:32:51
  Speaker 1: this book of mine is with one more f fort
• 2:32:55
  Speaker 1: adding phinis n of hop O my thumb, and end
• 2:33:02
  Speaker 1: of Fairy Realm. A collection of the favorite old tales
• 2:33:06
  Speaker 1: told in verse by Tom Hood