the iceberg express(冰山直通车)-第11节
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on his lap。
〃Are you very tired？〃 asked Mary Louise。
〃Pretty tired；〃 answered the old man。 〃All these years I've tramped
and played； and now I find myself in a town where they make toys for
children。 But I see no children。 Only playthings which I have no use
for；〃 and the old man sighed and patted the monkey and then he closed his
eyes and fell asleep。 And I guess he was very； very tired。
Then Mary Louise slipped away； out of Toy Town where the dwarfs
and the fairies made all the toys in little workshops； only they had the
shades pulled down so that nobody could see them； for they are queer little
people and don't like to be watched。
〃Oh； dear；〃 sighed Mary Louise； 〃I wish I were home。 Mother will
be dreadfully worried about me。
〃Oh； if I had a Wishing Stone I know what I would do I'd wish for
lots of lovely things； And give a lot to you。 But； Oh； dear me。 I've
never known Where is this wonder Wishing Stone。〃
〃I know；〃 cried a little voice； and then； of course； Mary Louise looked
all around to see who had spoken； but she couldn't see anybody。
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〃Who are you？〃 she asked； halting Dapple Gray on the edge of a big
forest。
〃Here I am；〃 cried the same little voice； and then； quick as a wink； a
tiny fairy jumped out from behind a bush。
〃Don't frighten my pony；〃 said Mary Louise； as Dapple Gray stood up
straight on his hind legs； 〃he isn't used to fairies。〃
〃No； indeed；〃 whinnied the pony； for that is the way a horse talks； you
know。 〃I've met lots of people in dear Old Mother Goose Land； but
never a fairy。〃
〃If you come into this forest you will meet many little people like me；〃
answered the fairy。
〃Will they object if I travel through it？〃 asked little Mary Louise
anxiously。 〃You see； I'm on my way home。〃
〃You have my permission；〃 answered the fairy。 〃I'm queen of the
Forest Fays。 But I thought you were looking for the Wishing Stone？〃
〃Maybe I was；〃 answered Mary Louise。 〃You see； I thought if I
could find it； I'd wish I was home with my dear mother。〃
〃It is not very far from here；〃 said the little fairy。 〃Follow this path
through the trees and by and by you'll come to it。 But let me give you
some advice。 Be sure before you make your wish to say；
〃Rose red； rose white； I will try to do what's right。〃
〃Thank you； I'll remember；〃 answered little Mary Louise； and she
turned Dapple Gray down the path to the woody glen。
Well； by and by； after a while； she saw a big white stone。 It looked
very like a rude stone chair； only of course； it didn't have any nice soft
cushion in it like the one my grandmother used。
With a cry of joy little Mary Louise jumped from the saddle。 〃Now
I'll make my wish！〃 And she sat down in the big stone chair and closed
her eyes。
But； oh dear me。 She had been in such a hurry that she forgot to say
the little fairy verse and when she opened her eyes； there she was in the
very same spot。
And； oh； dear me！ again。 Instead of the Dapple Gray； a little gray
squirrel stood in the very spot where the little pony had been。
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〃If you would have what you would wish You must obey each rule；
No matter whether in your home Or in your Grammar School；〃
sang a little yellow bird； as Mary Louise stared in amazement at the
little gray squirrel。
〃Oh； dear me；〃 she sighed； 〃where is Dapple Gray？〃
〃I was your little pony； And my name was Dapple Gray。 But now I
am a squirrel Because you did not say； 'Rose red； rose white； I will
try to do what's right；'〃
answered the little squirrel。
And then Mary Louise remembered what the little fairy had told her to
say when she made the wish。 Oh； dear me。 How sad she felt！ But it
was too late； and pretty soon the little squirrel ran away； and poor Mary
Louise was left alone in the big Wishing Stone chair。
〃Oh dear me；〃 she sighed again； 〃now what shall I do？〃 But nobody
answered； not even the little yellow bird； so she jumped down and started
off through the wood； and by and by； after a mile； but never a smile； she
heard somebody laughing。 And； oh my； it was a great big； tremendous
hearty laugh。 Why； it made all the leaves tremble and the dry twigs fall
to the ground。 And then； all of a sudden； a giant walked by； carrying on
his big finger the prettiest yellow bird you ever saw。
〃Why bless my big leather belt；〃 he exclaimed； 〃it's little Mary
Louise。〃
〃Oh； Mr。 Giant；〃 said Mary Louise； 〃I've disobeyed the Fairy Queen
and lost my pony Dapple Gray。〃
〃Bless my big hob…nailed club；〃 said Mr。 Merry Laugh； for this was
the giant's name； 〃how did you come to do that？〃
So Mary Louise told him how the Fairy Queen had directed her to the
Wishing Stone； but that she had forgotten to say when making her wish；
〃Rose red； rose white； I will try to do what's right。〃
〃Well； I'll give you another chance；〃 said the big kind giant。 〃Now
let me see；〃 and he took off his big leather cap and scratched his head； and
then he whispered something to the little yellow bird； but his whisper was
so loud that of course Mary Louise heard it； for when a giant whispers it
sounds like a man shouting； so I've been told。
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〃Come with me；〃 said the giant after the little yellow bird had nodded
her head； and pretty soon； not so very long； they came to his castle； where
the giant made Mary Louise very comfortable in a little chair which had
once belonged to his son。
〃Now you rest here while I go and get out my big Gold Book；〃 said Mr。
Merry Laugh。
〃Mr。 Merry Laugh； the Giant； Has a big Gold Book； Bound with
leather hinges And a big brass hook；〃
sang the little yellow bird。
〃Now let me see；〃 said the good； kind giant； opening the book and
turning over the pages with his great immense thumb。 〃Ah； here it is；〃
but before he began to read he took off his spectacles which were as big as
automobile lamps and wiped them carefully on his red silk handkerchief
which was bigger than a sail；
〃Whoever disobeys the queen Can for his guilt atone By making
a little whistle Out of a turkey's bone。〃
〃Ha； ha； ha！〃 roared the giant till the crystal chandelier tinkled like a
million little bells and the portrait of his mother…in…law fell off the wall
with a dreadful crash； 〃I never heard anything so funny before；〃 and he
picked up the portrait and laughed again； only this time even louder； for
his mother…in…law's picture was all smashed to smithereens！
〃Well； that's easy；〃 he said after wiping his eyes。 〃Tomorrow will be
Thanksgiving and you shall dine with me。 And after dinner I'll give you
a magic knife and if you can't make a whistle out of the drumstick bone；
I'll have another portrait made of my mother…in…law。〃
〃That's very good of you；〃 said little Mary Louise。
〃Don't mention it；〃 replied the giant。 〃I have a book that once
belonged to my boy when he was a little fellow。 It's called the Iceberg
Express； and you look so like the little girl on the cover that I'd almost
believe you were she。〃
〃I am； I am；〃 shouted Mary Louise； jumping out of her chair。 〃And
that's the reason I wanted to sit in the big Wishing Stone chair。 I was going
to wish I was home with mother。〃
〃You don't say so；〃 exclaimed Mr。 Merry Laugh。 〃Well； well； well。 It
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takes me back to the time when my boy was a little fellow and sat on my
knee to hear me read Little Journeys to Happyland。
