Part 4

Dr. Templeton, too, was delighted, and he and his wife came oftener than usual to walk in the garden and admire the beautiful flowers.

One evening at starlight the Captain received a message from the King, saying that before a week would go by he would visit Mount Fern, for he planned to be there on Tuesday next at the full of the moon.

At last the great night arrived, and the elves were all dressed in oak leaves in honor of the King (for the oak is the King’s favorite tree).

And of course they wore their girdles, for on a great occasion an elf would no more think of going without a girdle, than a young lady would think of going to a party without her slippers.

From the entrance to Templeton Garden, all the way to Mount Fern, the path-way was strewn with flowers and studded with arches.

The first arch was made of _laurel_ to show that the elves honored their King: the second was made of _roses_ to show that they loved him: and the third arch was made of _pansies_ to show that they always thought of him.

The arches and shrubbery were hung with silver filigree lanterns, and the glowworms shone and shed their soft lights around.

And Lightning, the messenger-elf, who had been sent out in the evening to watch for the arrival of the King, returned in great haste just at midnight to say that the King was coming--for the King’s herald had blown three blasts on his bugle to proclaim His Majesty’s approach.

Then the Elves of Mount Fern took their silver trumpets and blew three answering blasts as a greeting to all the King’s company.

Two elves were stationed at each of the arches, and they bowed down on bended knee as the King passed by, and cried: “All hail, noble King!”

And when the King and his retinue arrived at Mount Fern, Captain Featherweight was there to receive them.

After the greetings were over, Rainbow and Iris-Wing led the King to a flower-throne which was made of the softest and sweetest of pansies.

Then Rainbow took a golden goblet and bowed down before the King, and said: “Noble King, will you drink?”

“I will,” said the King.

So Rainbow took a pitcher-plant and poured out some sparkling nectar; and the King took the goblet and drank and refreshed himself.

Iris-Wing bowed down before the King and asked:

“Noble King, will you eat?”

“I will,” said the King.

Then Iris-Wing took the freshest and ripest of nuts, and the most luscious of fruits, and brought these to the King. And he ate and enjoyed them.

When the King had partaken of nuts and berries and nectar, he said to the Captain.

“Captain Featherweight, I long have wanted to visit you and your Company, but duties of state have prevented. I am delighted with Mount Fern!

“Your home is a bower; your furnishings dainty and elegant; and your fare is delicious.

“Tomorrow we’ll visit the gardens. This evening we’ll spend in quiet conversing, in puzzles and riddles, conundrums and puns. I love a good joke when I’m tired of affairs of the kingdom.”

Captain Featherweight, bowing low, replied: “Your Majesty’s wish is our pleasure.”

Then the King, looking up at the ceiling, was struck by the soft glow of the filigree lanterns, and asked the Captain what lighting he used.

Bowing low, the Captain replied: “The light of the glowworm.”

The King was delighted and said that he himself had never once thought of glowworms, but had always used firefly lanterns. Then he called his secretary and told him to make a note of the lighting of Mount Fern.

After that he called his musicians and told them to set the lighting of Mount Fern to music, and this was the song that they sang:

“Sparkle, burnished lanterns, Silver lanterns! What a lot of glowworms, Great and small; How your lights are shedding Forth their radiance, Over King and Captain-- And elves all!”

After the music the King called Iris-Wing and asked him what flowers he grew in the garden.

“Noble King,” said the flower-elf, “there are pansies, narcissi and roses, rosemary and rue, and daffodils, lilies and daisies, and violets blue.”

“That is well,” said the King. “Is that all?”

“Not at all,” said the elf.

But just here Touchstone came forward and bowed down before the King and said: “Your Highness, may I be permitted to speak?”

“You may,” said the King.

“Noble King, there are blondes and brunettes in the garden.”

“What! Blondes and brunettes, do you say?”

“Yes, your Highness,” said Touchstone “the brunette is Black-eyed Susan, and Blue-eyed Mary’s the blonde.”

“Ha! Ha!” laughed the King. “I see,” said he, “and what other strange plants do you grow?”

“What is seen on the western sky at sunset,” answered Touchstone.

“And what is that?” asked the King.

“Golden-Glow,” said the elf.

“That is bright,” remarked the King, “and what else do you grow in your garden?”

“We grow animals, too, in the garden!”

“What? Animals, too, in the garden!”

“Yes, your Highness,” said Touchstone, “we grow the Bear-berry, the Tiger-Lily and the Dande-Lion!”

“How true!” laughed the King, “and what next?”

“A knave in church,” said the jester.

“Very many, I fear,” the King agreed. “But what is yours?”

“Why, Jack-in-the-Pulpit,” said he.

“Ha! Ha!” laughed the King, “you’ve done well, and now I am most anxious to examine that wonderful garden of yours.”

“Will your Majesty go to the garden _now_?” asked the flower-elf.

“I will,” said the King.

Then Captain Featherweight and Iris-Wing escorted the King all over the garden and grounds around Templeton Hall. And the King was delighted, and gave the Captain and the flower-elf much praise.

“Yours is the best-kept garden I’ve seen in my travels,” said he, “and as a reward for your diligence, interest, and skill, I’ll give _you_, Iris-Wing, a girdle of gold.”

Now in Elfland a golden girdle is scarcely ever worn except by the Captain of a Company. And to be presented with one was in itself a great honor; but to be presented with a golden girdle by the _King_ was a very great honor indeed!

Then the flower-elf bowed low to the King of the elves, and made answer: “Your Highness, you honor me greatly.”

“Arise,” said the King, “you are worthy. I’ll have the girdle designed by the Dwarfs of the Court, and you and the elves of Mount Fern will come there to receive it one year from today.”

When they had made a tour of the flower garden they went into the orchard; and they found that the woodpeckers, nut-hatches and creepers had done their work thoroughly, for there was not a sign of a caterpillar anywhere, nor the eggs of any insect.

The lawns too were just as well kept, for they were all smooth and velvety, and not a weed could be found.

And the more he examined the grounds, the more pleased was the King, and he constantly cried: “Captain Featherweight, I am delighted.”

As soon as he had returned to Mount Fern he said to the Captain: “Let your elves be seated around me on the soft rose-petals so lavishly strewn on the floor, as a carpet.”

Then he told them all how delighted he was with his visit to Mount Fern; and how much he enjoyed the birds, the trees and the flowers in Templeton Garden.

“And do not forget that a year from to-night you’re to come to the Court of the King of the elves, where the flower-elf shall receive a golden girdle for work well done in the garden.

“And all the other elves of Mount Fern shall receive a prize for work well done in the Company.

“And--as this is the best-trained Company I have seen in my travels--I shall give you, Captain Featherweight, an old and priceless Egyptian amulet worth more than its weight in rubies.

“But now I must say good-night, for tomorrow I’m off to the woodlands.”

When the King had retired for the night, Captain Featherweight made a motion to Slumber to go to the King of the elves, and help him dream pleasant dreams.

Then Slumber sat by his bedside and helped him to dream this dream:

The King dreamed he sat by a running river that sparkled and shone in the moonlight, as it rolled over the stones at the bottom in ripples of gleaming silver. And on either side of the flowing river were the softest, greenest, freshest moss-covered banks; while at a little distance magnificent oaks and elms cast their beautiful shadows beneath. And the birds sang in the tree-tops and carolled gaily with health and happiness.

The air was cool and sweet; the flowers were bright and gay; all nature was glad; and the King of the elves was happy.

And soon he saw coming toward him a chariot of roses drawn by thirty-three humming-birds, three in a row.

The chariot stopped near the King, and one of the humming-birds bowed and said:

“Noble King, your Empire is all the world; and we have come to take you over land and sea; over high mountains, and rocky billows, to the land of the rising sun. Arise and sit in our chariot.”

Then the King arose and sat in the chariot, and the birds flew ever onward--past snow-clad peaks and tall cathedral spires, past green fields and rustling corn--on, on, on through the bright clear air till they came to the land of the rising sun.

And as soon as they entered there they heard the blowing of trumpets and beating of drums, and a million voices cried:

“Hail, King of the elves! Noble King of the elves!”

And the sweetest flowers nodded their beautiful heads, and welcomed the King and cried:

“Our noble protector, all hail!”

The next evening at starlight the King of the elves set off for the woodlands. And Captain Featherweight and his Company escorted him and his retinue far past the walls of Templeton Garden before they returned to Mount Fern.

THE END

End of Project Gutenberg's The Elves of Mount Fern, by Katherine Creighton