Part 7 (1/2)
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Prince Tom, be welcomed to our Lady-bird Kingdom. Long have we waited for you and now respectfully beg you to be our king, rule over our land and take for your wife the true comrade of your youth, who, at the time of the flood, was visiting us and so was saved.
As soon as Seven Spot stopped speaking, the water lily opened and out stepped a golden haired girl in a violet dress. Chrysomela cried Tom and ran to her with open arms.
Long live our King, Little Tom! was shouted on all sides in a loud chorus, while a great crowd of golden flies flew around and around the pool and a merry choir sang to celebrate the fete.
Tom was quite beside himself with happiness. The sad past faded away and he saw only before him the goldenhaired girl, who smiled at him from her blue eyes. They held each other's hands and talked and talked, until Seven Spot interrupted them to ask them to sit down to the banquet and accept the homage of their subjects.
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The banquet was magnificent. Stuffed tiny snails, salad of flower tendrils, a giant whitebait born by four cooks on a dog-rose leaf, mint candies, and, for drinking, blackberry wine drawn directly from a great berry standing on the edge of the leaf.
When they began to feast, beautiful music sounded. It was the famous Gnat Quartette, two gnats playing violins, a small cicada, the cello and a wood-bee, the ba.s.s viol. Joyous strains rang through the warm summer air. Presently, a swarm of gnats hovered over the water close by, dancing a graceful ballet; and, when they had finished, there came a dragonfly who gave an acrobatic performance with giddy jumps and dizzy whirling.
The rest of the kingdom of the lady-birds were sitting all around the sh.o.r.e of the pool on mint and ferns, cheering and shouting with joy. On a fallen trunk by the water, sat a sedate group of water-bugs chewing young tendrils and nodding approval with their beards.
By the time the celebration was finished, evening had come and a serious brown water-bug came up to invite them to visit the wood-bugs mines. In a long procession, they followed him to a powerful, old beech, where he conducted them through deep, long corridors to a hollow in the tree arranged as a beautiful hall, in which Little Tom and Chrysomela might have their home. Tom was wondering how they could live there without furniture or utensils; but when he stepped inside, he was struck with surprise.
The great hall was lighted from above by dry wood, which glowed with a subdued, blue light showing all his own furnis.h.i.+ngs from Castle Easter Egg, neatly arranged around the walls; all the drawers were in the cupboards, all the utensils were there, not even a cup was missing.
By the entrance stood Mirmex, with a whole regiment of his ants. He said, I welcome you to your new kingdom and ask you to be our good neighbor, as we used to be with your father.
When Tom had flown away to the lily pond, the ants had moved all his belongings and arranged everything in the new palace. They knew very well, when Tom had seen Chrysomela, that he would not return to his G.o.dmother.
Tom thanked them all very heartily and Mirmex asked him to visit their Black Town on the morrow, which he gladly promised to do, remembering how his father had planned to send him there to learn how to rule a kingdom.
After all had said good night, Little Tom and Chrysomela remained in their new home while the crickets under the beech sang them a serenade.
In the morning, when they came out of the old beech, they were greeted by a choir of crickets whose music rang clear to the tops of the trees.
Already, Mirmex and some of the ants, were standing before the entrance, among them a brilliant, green rose-bug for carrying Tom to Black Town.
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Many onlookers stood about. The Lady-birds greeted their new king, while snails on the mushrooms stretched up their heads, so that they, too, could see what was going on. Golden flies crowded around in swarms, while on the path stood a line of wood-bugs as a guard of honor.
After saying good-bye to Chrysomela, Tom went down to the moss and greeted his friends the ants. Chrysomela was very sad that he was leaving her so soon and almost wept. She was afraid that she might lose him again, as they were so alone in the great world; but Tom soothed her by saying that he would surely return the next day, and that he was obliged to make this visit to their neighbors to honor them and fulfil his father's wish.
Then they arranged with Seven Spot where they should meet him and Seven Spot proposed that, immediately on his return, Tom and Chrysomela should accompany him to inspect their own kingdom.
When all preparations had been completed, Tom, in full armor, jumped upon the rose-bug, the noisy trumpets of the gadflies sounded and the great procession started for Black Town.
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CHAPTER EIGHT.
THE ANTS' TOWN.
LITTLE TOM GOES INTO THE CITY OF THE ANTS.
MIRMEX TELLS HIM ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF THE ANTS.