Part 10 (1/2)
”Then he must be a fairy in disguise!” announced Hu-lin wisely.
”A fairy! what's that?” questioned Ch'ang, more and more excited.
”Why, you old goose, don't you know what a fairy is?” And Hu-lin laughed outright. By this time she had forgotten her own troubles and was becoming more and more amused at what she had heard. ”Hark!” she said in a low tone, and speaking very slowly, ”a fairy is----” Here she lowered her voice to a whisper.
The gander nodded violently as she went on with her explanation, and when she had finished, was speechless with amazement, for a few moments.
”Well,” he said finally, ”if my master is that kind of man, suppose you slip away quietly and come with me, for, if a fairy is what you say he is, he can save you from all your troubles and make me happy for the rest of my days.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”PUTTING HIS BILL TO HER EAR, HE TOLD HU-LIN OF HIS RECENT DISCOVERY.”]
”I wonder if I dare?” she answered, looking round fearfully towards the houseboat, from the open scuttle of which came the sound of deep snoring.
”Yes, yes, of course!” coaxed Ch'ang. ”He gave you such a beating that he won't be afraid of your taking to your heels again very soon.”
Hurriedly they went to the miser's compound. Hu-lin's heart was beating fast as she tried to decide what to say when she should actually stand before the fairy. The gate was still partly open and the two friends entered boldly.
”Come this way,” said Ch'ang. ”He must be in the back-yard digging in his garden.”
But when they reached the vegetable patch there was no one to be seen.
”This is very strange,” whispered the gander. ”I don't understand it, for I have never known him to grow tired of work so early. Surely he cannot have gone in to rest.”
Led by her friend, Hu-lin entered the house on tiptoe. The door of the miser's bedroom stood wide open, and they saw that there was no one either in that room or any other room of the miserable cottage.
”Come! let's see what kind of bed he sleeps on,” said Hu-lin, filled with curiosity. ”I have never been in a fairy's room. It must be different from other people's rooms.”
”No, no! just a plain brick bed, like all the rest,” answered Ch'ang, as they crossed the threshold.
”Does he have a fire in cold weather?” asked Hu-lin, stooping to examine the small fire hole in the bricks.
”Oh, yes, a hot fire every night, and even in spring when other people have stopped having fires, the brick bed is hot every night.”
”Well, that's rather strange for a miser, don't you think?” said the girl. ”It costs more to keep a fire going than it does to feed a man.”
”Yes, that's true,” agreed Ch'ang, pruning his feathers. ”I hadn't thought of that. It is strange, very. Hu-lin, you're a wise child. Where did you learn so much?”
At that moment the gander turned pale at hearing the gate slam loudly and the bar thrown into place.
”Good gracious! what ever shall we do?” asked Hu-lin. ”What will he say if he finds us here?”
”No telling,” said the other, trembling, ”but, my dear little friend, we are certainly caught, for we can't get away without his seeing us.”
”Yes, and I've already had one beating to-day! And such a hard one that I don't believe I could live through another,” sighed the child, as the tears began to flow.
”There, there, little girl, don't worry! Let's hide in this dark corner behind the baskets,” suggested the gander, just as the master's step was heard at the front door.
Soon the frightened companions were crouching on the ground, trying to hide. Much to their relief, however, the miser did not go into his bedroom, and they soon heard him hard at work in the garden. All that day the two remained in their hiding place, afraid to show themselves outside the door.
”I can't imagine what he would say if he found out that his watch-goose had brought a stranger into the house,” said Ch'ang.