Part 3 (2/2)
”Hurrah for my beloved young master, and for dear old Hug-grippy,”
shrieked Chattie in hysteric happiness.
”Don't mention me,” said Bruin softly, with a smile broad and funny.
”Nor me,” said Robin modestly; ”it is due to us all,” added he with a sweet becoming smile.
And the young soldier-teacher, with Chattie on his shoulder and Hug-grippy by his side carrying the gun, went home with glad and exultant heart to the quaint castle.
Silver Ribbon became completely changed, working honestly and well; and from that time forward she was respected and loved.
The awful conflict was never forgotten by the many pets of Castle Frank: they talked over it now and again all their lives, and they thought how good and great was the young master, who went through such trouble and danger for the benefit of creatures so much his inferior.
”I guess,” said Red Ribbon on a certain occasion, ”Master Robin understands that we have feelings as well as human people.”
Chattie, who could quote Scripture, sometimes more appropriately than greater parrots, chimed in--
”A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.”
”Dearie me,” said Green Ribbon, ”I never knew there was a text for us before.”
But Fairyland we now must leave-- The land of Robin's spell.
Adieu! Celeste, magic Queen: We like thy teaching well.
CHAPTER VIII.
ROBIN'S BOOK.
When Robin went to school in a great city, he saw children trifling with their lessons, copying from the workers, and cheating their teachers. They succeeded for a time, but when the day of searching trial came, he saw them fail.
When Robin became a young man, he saw many who, carrying up the craft and ignorance of earlier days, were utterly broken down in the great business of the world. Impressed with the ruin that lies in shunning true and enn.o.bling labor, he wrote a little book, and the t.i.tle was--
”MEN THAT CHEAT THEMSELVES.”
THE SNOW-WHITE FOX.
There was once a lion with a bushy mane, whose name was m.u.f.fler. He lived in a country, called Antartika, where the hills were high, the valleys low, the forests thick, and the waters broad and deep. It was a fertile land, where gra.s.s and fruits and flowers grew in abundance.
It was also a rich, rich country, full of precious stones lying on the ground, s.h.i.+ning in the beds of the rivers, and glittering on the face of the mountains. Antartika was indeed a beautiful land.
But no people lived there, nothing but birds and beasts and fishes, and a wonderful race of tailless apes that died out long ago. And m.u.f.fler, the lion, was king.
On a certain day, a law-court day, m.u.f.fler sat on a diamond rock, and at his back was a rock of ruby blazing in the sun. On his head was a crown of laurel powdered with gold-dust and pearls. Beside him stood Old Primeval the ape, his faithful adviser, wearing on his neck a wreath of white poplar leaves dusted with silver, and holding in his hand a club inlaid with s.h.i.+ning emeralds. On each side of the king and behind him were many young lions looking respectful and brave. Some distance in front was a crowd of all kinds of beasts, such as tigers, panthers, bears, wild-boars, wolves, hyenas, foxes, wild-cats, and even deer, sheep and goats, while the trees around were covered with birds of brilliant plumage. And they were all very quiet, because they were expecting something.
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