Страница 15 из 35
“Spring following spring a pair of missel thrushes built their nest upon a branch low down, and the ring doves nested and cooed higher up. Starlings and nuthatches reared their broods in holes about the trunk; the great cedar was large enough for all. The grove was carpeted with flowers, ground ivy, forget-me-nots, blue periwinkle. Amongst the bushes grew peonies and sweet-smelling day-lilies of the old garden, along with wild flowers; cow parsley, and white stitchwort that we called ‘milk maids,’ and pink ragged-robin, and cuckoo pint that is called ‘lords and ladies’; and everywhere primroses amongst the moss.
“IN A NEST THATCHED WITH BROWN CHESTNUT LEAVES I WAS BORN.”
“There, in a nest thatched with brown chestnut leaves, I was born; I and my little dormouse sister and brother.” “What were their names, Xarifa?”But Xarifa continued – “Never, never anywhere have I seen so many flowers or listened to so many birds. Even at night when it was dark, and our mother had closed up the opening of our nest with plaited leaves and grass – even in the deep black velvety darkness came the low slow note of a bird. I do not think that the nightingale’s is actually sweeter than a blackbird’s song; but it is weird and wonderful to hear it in the black silence of the night. There are no nightingales up here in the north, Tuppe
“Tell me about the nest and your little dormouse brother and sister?”But Xarifa did not answer; she had fallen fast asleep, dreaming peacefully of springtime in Birds’ Place.
“Tuppe
The leaves were green leaves, veined and pencilled, like as if marked by leaf tu
CHAPTER VIII
The Pigmy Elephant
Paddy Pig was an important member of the circus company. He played several parts – the Learned Pig that could read, in spectacles; the Irish Pig that could dance a jig; and the Clown in spotty calico. And he played the Pigmy Elephant. It was done in this way. He was the right elephant colour – shiny black, and he had the proper flap ears, and small eyes. Of course, his nose was not nearly long enough and he had no tusks. So tusks were shaped from white peeled sticks out of the hedge, and a black stocking was stuffed with moss for a trunk. The tusks and trunk were fastened to a bridle, which Paddy Pig wore on his head. His own nose was inside the stocking, so he could move the sham trunk a little bit. One time when there was too much moss stuffing in the stocking, Paddy Pig started sneezing, and he sneezed so violently that he sneezed the stocking off altogether. Fortunately, this happened at Fold Farm where the audience was only calves and poultry; they knew so little about elephants that they thought it was part of the performance. Paddy’s thin legs were clothed with black calico trousers, long enough to hide his small feet, and he learned to walk with a slow swinging gait. His worst fault was forgetting to let his tail hang down.
Upon his back he carried a howdah made of a brightly coloured tin tea caddy. The lid was open; and inside upon a cushion sat the dormouse, as“Princess Xarifa.” She had a doll’s parasol, a blue dress and a crimson shawl; and a lace handkerchief across her nose, with her black beady eyes peeping over it (provided she was not asleep).
After Tuppe
THE CIRCUS SHOW!
And most audiences were completely deceived by the Pigmy Elephant. It is true there was once some dissatisfaction. It was on an occasion when other pigs were present. During the first part of the programme they behaved well. They squealed with delight when Sandy stood on his head on the back of Billy the pony; and when the pony jumped through a hoop, rolled a barrel about, and went down on one knee – the four little pig’s applauded vociferously.
Pony William and Sandy went out of the ring at a canter, and disappeared under the canvas flap door of the tent. There was rather a long interval. (The fact was a brace button had come off the elephant’s trousers; and Xarifa, the dormouse, who did all the mending, was sewing it on again.)
The four little pigs began to fidget and play jinks; they tickled one another and disturbed several hens and two rabbits who were sitting in the front row. Then one of them jumped up and ran to the tent, and peeped under the flap. Sandy bit his nose.
Whether because he had seen something, or because his nose smarted, it is certain the four little pigs commenced to behave badly. The entrance of the Pigmy Elephant drew exclamations of awe from the rest of the audience; but the four little pigs sniffed, and whispered together. “I say, Mister!” said a pig to Sandy, as he stalked past, leading the elephant by a string, “I say, Mister! What’s the matter with your elephant’s tail?” Sandy ignored the question; but as soon as they were out of hearing at the opposite side of the ring, he whispered to the elephant – “Uncurl it, Paddy, you stupid! hang your tail down!” The elephant obediently allowed his tail to droop. “I say, Mr. Elephant!” said another little pig as the procession marched round a second time – “I say, Mr. Elephant! have a potato?” Now Paddy Pig would have liked to accept the potato which they offered to the toe of his stocking trunk, but he was quite unable to grasp it. “There is something fu