Queen Wishtah summons the Four Little Elves.

THE LITTLE ELVES
SEEKING
THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD

A BOOK FOR CHILDREN

BY
LUCY HAMILTON WARNER
Author of
“The Five Little Finger Stories”
And Other Stories

ILLUSTRATED BY GEO. W. BARDWELL

NEW YORK
DUNREATH PUBLISHING CO.
1895

Copyright, 1895,
BY
LUCY HAMILTON WARNER

WYNKOOP & HALLENBECK, NEW YORK.

I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE VOLUME TO
My Father
WHOSE TOUCH OF GENTLENESS AND LOVE EVER
WARMS MY HEART
The Author

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

THE LITTLE ELVES
SEEKING
THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD
PART I

CHAPTER I

The beautiful Queen Wishtah had quite decided to change her home from the Northern to the Southern clime.

She had heard of evergreen groves, where around each pine-tree could be built a palace that would stand for years.

So she summoned to her presence four of her trusty elves, named Spider Eyes, Chip Wing, Pointed Toes and Dusty Cap.

They came and knelt before the throne, waiting her command.

She reached forth her wand and said: “Arise, go seek one of those wonderful pine groves, for therein shall my palace be built. This Norseland is too cold and bleak. I will hold court in a warmer clime.”

The elves arose at their Queen’s bidding, and set off on their journey.

They traveled south, they traveled east, and they traveled west.

THE ELVES’ DEPARTURE

One day, after a longer flight than usual, as they were resting beneath a willow-tree, they saw some children playing, and in their play they called to each other: “Let us go to see the beautiful world,” and with a merry shout they all joined hands, still singing as off they ran: “Let us go, we wish to see the beautiful world.”

Now spoke up Spider Eyes: “That is just what I have been wishing to do. What if we also go to see the beautiful world?”

“We must first make ready the Queen’s palace, then we might leave and go in quest of the beautiful world,” responded Pointed Toes.

“It cannot be far, and it must be very beautiful, for did you not see how joyfully the children all went?” said Spider Eyes.

They then flew into a pine grove, and very soon transformed it into enchanted Elfland.

“Now all is ready for Her Majesty,” said Chip Wing.

“Yes,” answered Spider Eyes, “and as it will be some days before she comes, we will have time to go in search of the beautiful world.”

“I am not going,” said Dusty Cap, “for no one will be here to welcome her when she arrives.”

“O yes,” answered Spider Eyes, “we will soon return, then we will tell her of the beautiful world and she will want to go there also.”

“Come! come! brothers,” exclaimed Chip Wing, “I am in such a hurry. We are only wasting time lingering here.”

So off they flew, Spider Eyes leading the way, although he knew not what direction to take. Suddenly he stopped, saying: “I am going to ask the first one we meet which is the way to the beautiful world?”

CHAPTER II

While Spider Eyes was talking, being quite tired, he sat down on what he thought to be a brown stone, but much to his surprise he felt the stone rising.

He called out in alarm: “Oh! where am I going? The earth is quaking!” He heard a laugh and the stone shook under him. “You sat down on my back, so I thought I would give you a ride,” said the brown creature under him.

Then he saw he was sitting on Mr. Garden Toad, who brought him down to the ground with a flop.

Chip Wing, Pointed Toes and Dusty Cap ran to learn what was the matter, and to see if he was safe.

On a nearer view of Mr. Toad, they thought he was the ugliest thing they had ever seen.

There he sat, all dressed in dirty brown, his big eyes bulging out on either side of his head, and right back of each eye was a big white wart.

He looked so hideous as he opened his mouth to grin that the elves shook with fear.

“Well! well! my little men,” he said, trying to look his best, “what do you want? This is not Elfland. What have you come here for, and where are you going?”

“Oh,” answered Spider Eyes, still quaking, “we want to see the beautiful world. Can you tell us the way?”

“Yes,” replied the toad quickly, “I will gladly do so. I have been there many times. Come, jump upon my back and take a ride. I will hop to the place.”

It did not take them long to get seated on his back, for they were already quite tired out with their journey.

How tightly they had to hold on with their feet, for, as he kept leaping and leaping, he chuckled so hard that it made his body shake.

Once he stopped, and Spider Eyes, catching his breath, said: “I think we will walk, if you do not mind.”

“Yes,” spoke up Pointed Toes. “It will be very much better to walk than to be shaken to pieces.”

“No, no!” exclaimed the toad. “You must ride, or else you can not go to the beautiful world. We will reach it very soon, my dearies.”

So, against their will, they remained upon his back, as they wanted so much to see the beautiful world.

He hopped, and hopped, and hopped again.

As he was hopping through a hedge, a sharp thistle pierced one of Spider Eyes’ wings.

CHAPTER III

“Oh!” he cried out, “that hurts.”

Dusty Cap, seeing the thistle still sticking in Spider Eyes’ wing, reached across the back of the toad to draw it out.

The more he pulled the more it hurt, and Spider Eyes groaned with pain. Pointed Toes and Chip Wing also tried to assist him.

“What is the matter now?” angrily cried Mr. Toad. “You will break my back. Every time you step, you make a dent in it. My back is surely softer than the ground. Do sit still if you want to see the beautiful world.”

“Oh, oh!” cried Spider Eyes, “I am in such pain I can go no further. With my torn, hurt wing I cannot enjoy seeing the beautiful world. I must go to our uncle, Dr. Spider, with it.”

“Here we are at Dr. Spider’s house,” said Dusty Cap.

“You jump off, and we will fly up and follow you,” said Chip Wing, “for we would not go to the beautiful world without you.”

When the toad was getting ready for another hop, off jumped Spider Eyes, and the rest flew off.

It was well they left Mr. Toad just as they did, for they saw him disappear within a dark hole, where, if they had gone too, they would never have seen the light of day again.

Mr. Toad soon appeared at the mouth of the hole and called out to them: “Come, come, and go to the beautiful world.”

“No, no!” answered Spider Eyes. “My wing is hurt, and I am going to Dr. Spider’s to have it mended.”

The toad grew quite angry when he heard this and said: “You must and shall go with me; I will catch you.”

How his eyes glared! How wide he opened his mouth. He seemed ready to swallow them.

“No,” said Pointed Toes. “We are not going until Spider Eyes’ wing is all right.”

“But I will make you go,” cried the toad, springing towards them in such a rage that they ran to hide.

They knew, then, that he would do them some harm, instead of taking them to the beautiful world.

CHAPTER IV

Spider Eyes hid in a poppy; Dusty Cap in a rose.

Pointed Toes and Chip Wing flew into a large white lily.

When they peeped out to see if they were safe, they beheld Mr. Toad looking all around for them.

He was scolding and scolding, but all in vain.

His eyes, although they were so big, were not sharp enough to see which way they flew.

What a horrible grunt he uttered! and he stuck his tongue far out of his mouth.

What a long tongue! He seemed to be watching something. Lazily flying by was a large blue fly, and as the fly drew near the toad, the toad made a snap and a jump, then all was still: for that was the end of the poor, poor fly.

The elves grew more afraid, and wished the toad would go away. They heard him say as he peered all around:

“I will catch the little fellows yet. How nice they will be for my supper.”

Of course, they were sorry that Spider Eyes’ wing was hurt, yet they could not help feeling glad that all this happened, for it had saved them from such a sad fate.

Dusty Cap looked out from his hiding-place in the rose, and there sat the toad at the foot of the bush.

He smothered a cry and drew back in alarm, hoping the toad had not spied him.

Pointed Toes whispered to Chip Wing: “I wish something would frighten him away.”

And Chip Wing said softly: “I feel very anxious about Spider Eyes.”

They loved the flowers, but they were now tired of staying in them, for they wanted to be on their way to the beautiful world.

Yet there they were, prisoners to the toad! When would he go away!

As they were wishing and waiting, they heard some merry children laughing, and were wondering where they were, when out into the garden came the children, singing as they skipped along, “Let us go to the beautiful world.”

Mr. Toad, in his fright, forgot all about the little elves and jumped far away and hid.

Soon everything was so still that Dusty Cap ventured to creep out of the rose, and then he saw that they were free once more. He called:

“Spider Eyes! Chip Wing! Pointed Toes! Come out! There is nothing to fear. The toad has gone.”

Chip Wing and Pointed Toes answered with joy: “We are coming!” and flew out of the lily.

SPIDER EYES ASLEEP IN THE POPPY

CHAPTER V

They waited and listened; still Spider Eyes did not appear.

They turned to each other in alarm, saying, “Where is he? We are sure the toad did not catch him, for we were watching all the while.”

“Spider Eyes! Spider Eyes!” they called; but he did not answer.

“Come,” they said at last, in despair, “we will fly from flower to flower until we find him.”

They searched first in the daisy, then in the hollyhock and the roses all over; then in the trumpet vine.

Still he could not be found.

Pointed Toes and Dusty Cap were about to shout his name again, when they heard Chip Wing loudly call:

“Here he is, and fast asleep! Why did he go in those flowers? for it is said they put people to sleep; and sometimes it is a sleep from which they never waken.”

They flew to Chip Wing, and saw Spider Eyes fast asleep in a gaudy red poppy.

They shook and shook the flower, but still he slept on.

Dusty Cap wrung his hands, saying: “What if he should never wake up!”

Pointed Toes said, “I will arouse him.” And he took from his side his tiny sword and entered the poppy.

It had a strange odor that made him feel faint.

He longed to lie down and go to sleep himself, but he knew that there was danger. So he kept awake with much effort.

He touched Spider Eyes on the forehead.

“What is that?” asked Spider Eyes yawning. “Oh, go away! I am so sleepy.” And he turned himself over for another nap.

But Pointed Toes was in earnest, for he knew the danger, so he touched him again, and before he could think about another nap pulled him to the edge of the poppy, where Dusty Cap and Chip Wing met them and drew Spider Eyes to the ground.

By this time Spider Eyes was fully awake, he turning to his brother, saying:

“Why did you disturb me? I was having such a lovely dream—all about the beautiful world.”

“Oh, Spider Eyes!” exclaimed Dusty Cap, Chip Wing, and Pointed Toes, all, “You would not go without us, would you?”

CHAPTER VI

“You were with me,” laughed Spider Eyes, “but it was all in a dream. Now we must call on Dr. Spider before we set out in earnest to see the beautiful world.”

“He has been watching us from his door,” said Chip Wing. “Why, he is coming to meet us!”

And, sure enough, out came Dr. Spider from his web, that reached from one rose branch to another.

Down he came, swinging on a fine thread; but before he touched the ground the elves ran and called to him to stop.

He paused and asked: “What do you want, my little fellows and nephews? what do you want?”

“Oh, Dr. Spider,” they answered, “we have brought Spider Eyes, who has hurt his wing. We are sure you can heal him.”

“Well, if that is the case,” said Dr. Spider, “I will go back to my office, and I will send down the stairs, so that the hurt one can climb to my web.”

Then he began to spin upward, and soon was seated in the middle of his web.

A gossamer thread now floated down on the air to the little fellows, and they knew it was from Dr. Spider.

Chip Wing caught it, and hand over hand Spider Eyes climbed up. The others flew, more quickly.

When they reached the web they found Dr. Spider waiting for them.

How daintily they stepped on each thread on their way to his office, which was in the middle of the web.

“Well, Spider Eyes,” asked the doctor, “what is the matter with your wing? How did you hurt it?”

“Oh, doctor,” answered Spider Eyes, “we were on our journey to see the beautiful world, and were taking a ride on a toad’s back. He jumped through a thistle hedge, and some of the thistles caught my wing. It does hurt me so.”

“Ah, my little fellow,” said the doctor, “why were you not contented at home? Is not everything beautiful enough in Elfland? Is not Queen Wishtah the kindest and best of Queens?”

“Oh, yes,” they all said, “we love our homes, but we have heard so much of the beautiful world that we want to see it.”

“Well, well! my little men,” said the doctor, “I think you had better go back to your good homes. Home is the best place for every one.”

Then he looked at poor Spider Eyes’ wing and found it was torn very badly in three different places. No wonder it pained him.

He pulled out a sharp needle from his case, then he drew some fine thread from his body, which he fastened to the side of the wing and began to weave back and forth, over and under, in and out, until the wing looked as it did before.

Then to make it glossy he spat upon it.

“Now my work is done, and my advice to you still is, go home to Elfland, and leave the beautiful world for others to find.”

“Oh, thank you, Dr. Spider, for what you have done, but we must go and see the beautiful world.”

“Well, good luck to you, my little nephews; if you still persist in going, I fear you will have a hard time. I never heard anyone who went upon that journey say on their return that they had found the beautiful world.”

The elves smiled when they bade the doctor good-by, for they thought they knew better than he did.

THE LITTLE ELVES
SEEKING
THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD
PART II

CHAPTER I

On and on they flew; first Chip Wing ahead, then Spider Eyes, as his wing grew stronger.

Finally they came to some crossroads, where they stopped and said one to the other:

“I wonder which road will lead us to the beautiful world?”

“See,” said Spider Eyes, “see that bright fellow; he will surely know the way and with his lantern will guide us.”

“Oh, I am afraid to ask him,” said Chip Wing, “for he may do to us just as the toad tried to.”

“But we will have to ask some one anyhow,” said Spider Eyes, “since we cannot find the way ourselves.”

They started to speak to him, but drew back in fright on seeing that he was not alone.

In the roadway, here and there, glowed many a worm with his little lantern.

Dusty Cap said, “We can never dare to ask them, for there are so many of them, and they will surely do us some harm.”

“Well,” cried Spider Eyes, “I will face the danger; see, I am going.”

He flew in the air and alighted on the ground just before a large glowworm, who said to him:

“Ho, ho! What do you want, my little man?” and he brightened up his light so that it dazzled Spider Eyes.

“When did you come from Elfland, and what can I do for you?” he continued.

“Kind friend,” said Spider Eyes, shading his eyes from the glare of the glowworm’s lantern, “my brothers and I are going to see the beautiful world, and we wish to inquire the way.”

“I do not know anything about the beautiful world myself,” said the glowworm, “but you wait here, and I will ask some of the older glowworms who have traveled more than I have. To me, as I crawl over the ground, the world is dark and brown, so you see I do not pretend to know much about it. Above us are shining so many bright little lights, glittering and sparkling. They seem to journey from one place to another, just as we do with our little lanterns. Then there comes one big light from some far off place we do not know about. How it lights up the whole earth! and it shines so bright that we glowworms hide our lanterns in shame, for they seem so feeble. I suppose if you fly up there, high in the air, you can see the beautiful world. Now I will ask the way for you.”

The glowworm left, and Spider Eyes could hear the buzz of their talk.

CHAPTER II

“What did he tell you?” asked Pointed Toes, coming towards him.

“Which way are we to go?” inquired Dusty Cap.

“Are we on the right road?” questioned Chip Wing.

“He said he had never seen the beautiful world,” answered Spider Eyes. “But there are some bright lights overhead that he thought were the lights of the beautiful world. He was not sure, however, and so he went to ask his friends if they knew the way.”

“Here he comes!” exclaimed Dusty Cap. “How his lantern flickers as he steps along!”

“Well, kind friend,” inquired Spider Eyes, as he turned to the glowworm, “what did you find out? Which is the way?”

“When I asked them,” replied the glowworm, “they all shook their heads. But one glowworm, the oldest one of all, said he would tell you the way to the beautiful world. Here he comes now. He will speak for himself. So good-day to you,” and he left them.

Up crawled the other glowworm, and they could see that he must be old and feeble, for his light burned very dimly.

The elves gathered close around him, asking all together: “Which is the way? Tell us the way, please!”

The glowworm answered: “I cannot tell you, but I will take you to Grandfather Grasshopper, who is a great traveler, and he must surely know all about the beautiful world. We will start at once, for Grandfather Grasshopper is at home. I saw him only yesterday.”

The elves were so impatient that they flew on before, but the glowworm called them back, saying:

“You must not go so fast. I can not keep up with you. As I can only crawl, you will have to walk by my side.”

So the elves came back, thinking it was very hard to walk so slow, when the time was going fast, and as they were in such a hurry to find the beautiful world. For they must soon return to their Queen.

Yet they saw they must not make the glowworm angry, for he could go no faster, and their only hope of finding the beautiful world seemed to be through his aid.

On and on they crept, going around this stone and that root, this pool and that stump, until at last they came to a wheatfield.

Here the glowworm crawled under the fence and beckoned them to follow.

They flew over the fence and rested on some tall spears of wheat.

CHAPTER III

He moved onward. They saw him stop and knock on one of the wheat sheaves.

In response to his knock there came forth a large brown grasshopper, who said as he hopped out:

“How do you do, Mr. Glowworm? It is not often you pass here. It must be important business that brings you.”

“True,” answered the glowworm. “I seldom come this way. The air is too dry, and there is not wood enough to roam around in. I have come to-day to bring these four little elves, who wish to see the beautiful world. I thought that you, who are always on the go, and have traveled here and traveled there, would surely know the way to the beautiful world.”

“Hum, hum!” said Grandfather Grasshopper, “the most beautiful world I have ever seen is the wheatfield. And I chirp and sing as I go from one field to another. But come, I would know your friends. Perhaps I can tell them where to find their beautiful world.”

The glowworm then called the elves, who, upon seeing Grandfather Grasshopper, appeared surprised and said:

“We know very well who you are. We have seen you ever so many times. You are one of our Queen’s favorites. Were you not chosen to escort her from the north to the south?”

“Yes,” answered Grandfather Grasshopper, “I know you well. Yes, I wait, with the rest of you, on our beloved Queen Wishtah. Hello! Spider Eyes, you look full of glee. Aha! Pointed Toes, you seem very merry. Chip Wing, did I not see you last as herald to the Queen? And Dusty Cap, are you over your fall? But what are you all doing now, away from the Queen?”

“Going to see the beautiful world,” they all said. “Is it far from here?”

“I do not know anything about your beautiful world,” replied the grasshopper, “but I know one thing: People who try to get there are very apt to come back saying they have not found it. Now, my advice to you is, to go home and take care of our beautiful Queen, instead of searching around to find the beautiful world.”

“Ahem!” said Spider Eyes, “we, thank you very much, but we must go to see the beautiful world.”

“Do just as you please,” answered Grandfather Grasshopper. “As I told you before, I do not know the way, but I will do what I can for you. I will introduce you to Mrs. Field Mouse. Oftentimes she has friends from the great city, and she seems to know everything. I am not, however, very well acquainted with her, but she looks nice. Come, I will go with you to her home.”

They thanked the glowworm and bade him good-by.

“Spider Eyes, you look tired,” said the grasshopper. “You had better jump on my back; the rest can follow us.”

They had to fly fast to keep pace with Grandfather Grasshopper and Spider Eyes.

They went across the field to one corner where the wheat stood close together.

CHAPTER IV

Here Grandfather Grasshopper stopped. The elves could not imagine why. It was so sudden that Spider Eyes lost his balance and was tossed over the grasshopper’s head.

He came down with such a thump that he could hardly tell his head from his heels.

He heard the grasshopper and the elves laughing, but he could not see them, for he was under a sheaf of wheat.

He called out angrily to them: “You may laugh, if you will; but I tell you it is no fun to be thrown in mid air and land on your head. You would not like it a bit, Chip Wing, to be tangled up in this place. I can not get out by myself, so do come and take some of these straws away. They are tearing my wings and my clothes.”

They called, “Where are you, Spider Eyes? We cannot see you; speak again, so that we may find you.”

“Here I am, right here! Now I will kick, and you will see where to pull away the straws. Quick! I am smothering.”

The elves flew to the top of the sheaf, from where Spider Eyes’ voice sounded, and saw that he had been pitched into a hole, where he lay on his back, fighting and struggling with the straws.

They looked at each other in dismay, asking: “How can we get him out of that hole?”

By this time Grandfather Grasshopper had hopped to the top. He said: “I can tell you how to do it.”

The elves asked quickly, “How?”

“You wait here,” he replied, “and I will hunt through the field for two long and stout straws to bind together.”

Off he started in quest of the straws, and the little elves sat down to wait.

Spider Eyes, who had not heard what the grasshopper said, thought he had lain there long enough, and he cried out to his three companions, “Now, Dusty Cap, Chip Wing, Pointed Toes! I call that mean. I would help you. But you sit chattering, and leave me here in distress.”

Then Spider Eyes kicked away at the straws very impatiently.

“We are very sorry for you,” said Chip Wing. “Help is coming. Grandfather Grasshopper has gone for it.”

“Well,” said Spider Eyes, almost crying, “it is dreadful to lie here. The straws stick into my back and into my ears—even into my eyes—and when I move to get them out of my way, they raise such a dust that it chokes me almost to death; and I cannot see. I wish you would hurry. Do be quick!”

“Here comes Grandfather Grasshopper,” they all cried. “Now you can get out sure.”

Soon Grandfather Grasshopper arrived with the two straws of wheat lying across his back.

They looked like two logs of wood dragging on the ground.

As he came toward the elves he said: “You will have to pull them off. I cannot possibly do it myself. To put them on my back I had to have the help of neighbor Cricket. But he is so slow. He will not be here until we have Spider Eyes out of the hole.”

“Hello, Spider Eyes,” called Grandfather Grasshopper, “are you all ready for us?” and he leaped away.

Where was he going? They watched him in wonder.

He turned round and leaped backward, so that his back was toward the pile.

CHAPTER V

“Come, Dusty Cap! come, Pointed Toes! come on, Chip Wing!”

At that call the elves were on the spot, each ready to take hold of the straws.

“Now,” Grandfather Grasshopper, “what shall we do next?” they all asked as they pulled them off.

“Now,” replied the grasshopper, “we will take the straws and twist them together. That will make a strong, stout rope.”

The elves found it hard work, for the straws were very heavy. How glad they were when they had finished.

“That looks fine!” said the grasshopper. “Now catch hold of this end of the rope and fly over the hole where Spider Eyes lies. Go high in the air, so that the other end will swing clear of everything—then drop it down carefully, keeping fast hold of the end you have.”

The rope was very heavy for the little elves to fly with.

They did their best, however, and succeeded in sending the end into the hole. As it touched him, Spider Eyes growled out:

“What are you doing now? Do you call that help? Am I not teased enough by these straws, without your throwing any more down on me?”

The grasshopper, who stood upon the edge of the hole, answered him: “Do not be cross. Help is coming; help is here. Now all you have to do is to take hold of that straw rope and kick yourself free from the wheat. Chip Wing, Dusty Cap, and Pointed Toes, fly! Pull! Fly upward and pull hard. And you, Spider Eyes, spring! jump! get free! One, two, three! Away you go! I thought that would work.”

Spider Eyes came out of the hole with a spring and a jump. He was so glad to be free he answered the grasshopper with a merry laugh.

The elves then dropped the rope and flew to the ground.

As they came to the grasshopper he asked them:

“What are you going to do now? I think you had better go home.”

“No, no!” they answered. “We are going to see the beautiful world. That is what we started for, and we do not intend to give it up.”

“I am very sorry I cannot help you,” said the grasshopper. “But I will introduce you to Mrs. Field Mouse, as I promised. She may tell you the way. Oh! here we are at her door.”

GRANDFATHER GRASSHOPPER INTRODUCES THE FOUR LITTLE ELVES TO MRS. FIELDMOUSE