Part 34 (1/2)
Bethsaba thought, ”You must be he, or you would never have dared to utter such blasphemy.” She went further; she wanted to catch the Evil One in his own net.
”You have too much to do; may I not help you? If you would let me, I would wash and dress the children, too. I should like to do it; it is so amusing.”
”Yes, indeed,” said Zeneida, merrily. ”Why not? It will give you something to do; and I, by-the-way, must go and see that we have enough to eat for all our mult.i.tude. I leave you in charge of the nursery.”
So saying she gave up her seat to Bethsaba, and, bidding the many unwashed little folk to be good, left the bath-room with a smile.
Bethsaba's first care was to make the children all kneel down. Then, kneeling in their midst, she said the Lord's Prayer with them--”Deliver us from the Evil One. Amen.”
Now he must be effectually quashed!
Then she began her task of was.h.i.+ng and dressing the little ones.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE STORY OF THE MAN WITH THE GREEN EYES
But the small mites were not as good with their new nurse as they had been with the old one. A look from Zeneida had been enough to still their moanings and whimperings; but Bethsaba was little more than a child herself, they were not in the least awed by her. One child set up the cry, the others following in chorus, ”Where is baba? where is pata?”
and she might have gone on forever was.h.i.+ng the tears from the little faces.
Well, pata and baba she could not give back to them; but she remembered what her nurses had done when she was a little child and used to cry for her mamma. They had told her fairy tales.
”Don't cry! Be good and sensible, and I will tell you the story of _The Man with the Green Eyes_. It's such a lovely story. Now listen!”
The children were quiet as mice; they cl.u.s.tered up to Bethsaba, clinging to her dress, resting their chins on her knees, and listened.
”A long, long time ago there was a little prince, as little as you are, Struwelpeter, here at my feet. He had a good papa and a good baba, who loved him very much. But one day they had to go a long journey, and were laid in long metal boxes, and the lids were shut down upon them. Then they were carried out and placed upon two grand gold and silver coaches, each drawn by six horses, and, amid bands of music, firing of cannons, and great crowds of people, they were driven away.
”When the little prince was left alone he asked his Grand Vizier, 'To what land did my father and mother go?'
”And the Grand Vizier answered, 'Ah, little prince, to a land far away.
To another world.'
”'And why did they go to that other world?'
”'Because it is much better there than in ours!' the vizier explained.
”Upon which the little king's son asked, 'If that world is so much better, why did they not take me with them?'
”'Because you have yet much to work, battle, and suffer in this world before you will be worthy to reach that other one whither your father and mother went.'
”This admonition did not please the little prince at all, and he thought to himself, 'We'll see. I _will_ get to papa and baba in the other world, whatever he may say!'
”And, taking his little gun, he went out into the woods, as if to shoot birds. There he stayed so long that he was caught in a thunder-shower; and to avoid getting wet he looked about for a hollow tree to shelter in. He had found one, and was looking in, when he saw that some one was already there. Now, Struwelpeter, what would you have done in such a case?”
”I should have cried out loud.”
”Well, now, the little king's son did not do that; but, like a man, he spoke up to the intruder: 'I say, you fellow, this wood is my wood, and this tree is my tree, and I don't allow you to live in it. But if you can tell me where that better land is to which papa and baba have gone I will make you a present of wood and tree, and you shall live in them.'