On a Pincushion · Through the Fire (3/4)

“That is a mermaid,” said the wind-fairy, “and she is singing until the ship follows the sound. Then she will gradually lead it down into a whirlpool, and there it will be swallowed up, and the poor sailors will never return to their wives and little children. But I will go and blow the ship in another direction, whether it likes it or no, until it is out of the sound of her song, and then it will go on all right. Ah! men little think, when they complain of meeting gales of wind, that it is often for their own good, and that we are blowing them away from danger, not into it.”

“A mermaid!” cried Jack. “I have never seen one. How much I should like to see her!”

“When we have gone to the ship we will go and look at her,” said the wind-fairy. Then he flew to one side, till they came to a ship full of sailors sailing quietly along, and the wind-fairy began to blow with all his might. He blew till the sea rose in great heavy waves. The ship leaned over on one side. The captain shouted. The sailors threw up the ropes, and all trembled for fear. But much against their will the ship had to be turned about and go in another direction, and the wind-fairy never left off blowing till she was many miles away from the sound of the mermaid’s song.

“Now we will go and look at the mermaid,” said he; and back they flew again to the same spot. There, beneath them, resting on the top of the waves, Jack saw a very beautiful maiden. She had sad green eyes and long green hair. When he looked closer he saw that she had a long bright tail instead of legs, but he thought her very beautiful all the same. She was still singing in a sad sleepy voice, and as he listened he began to long to jump into the sea beside her. And the longing grew so strong that he would have thrown himself into her arms at once, had not the wind-fairy seized him and flown off with him before he had time.

How pleased the wind-fairy was about the ship!

“I am so glad we came up,” he said. “A few minutes later and the mermaid would have got it, and I could have done nothing;” and he laughed for pleasure.

Then when Jack thought of the poor ship, and how nearly she had perished, and saw how glad the good little wind-man was that he had saved her, all the naughty thoughts left his mind.

“Surely,” he said to himself, “if this poor silly little wind-fairy can be so glad when he has done a good deed, I ought to be glad to help other people and not to think of myself;” and he made up his mind that whatever happened he would not desert the Princess, but would do exactly what she had told him.

On they went. Presently it began to grow very cold. In the sea beneath were great lumps of floating ice, and all sorts of strange sea monsters were springing about.

“We had better stop here, and I will get out the Princess’s fireball,” said the fairy, and he placed Jack on a great lump of floating ice. On it there sat a family of seals, and much frightened they looked when he was dropped amongst them.

“Don’t you know,” said the old seal, turning sharply to him, “that it is exceedingly rude to come into a person’s block of ice without asking leave?”

“I am very sorry, I am sure,” murmured Jack.

“Let him alone,” said another younger seal; “I am sure he is very nice-looking. Would you like me to fetch you a little fish? I dare say you’re very hungry, and I can catch you some in a moment if you like it.”

Jack had not time to refuse before an older seal turned to him and said⁠—

“I am in want of a servant, if that’s what you are come for, and as you are a nice tidy-looking person, I don’t mind trying you; only I am very particular about my ice being bright, and the water all round it being kept clean.”

They were all crowding round him, when the wind-fairy came up, and with one puff sent them all into the water again.

“See,” he said, taking Jack up again, “I have sent on the ball before us, and it will keep you nice and warm.”

Jack looked in front of him and saw a great ball of light, which the wind-fairy blew along as he went, and which sent out a soft warmth.

“How did you manage to carry it?” he asked of the fairy.

“It was quite a little thing when Princess Pyra gave it to me,” he answered, “no bigger than a spark of light, and I have blown it up to its present size. I doubt if it will keep alight till after we reach the North Pole, but it will keep you warm till then, and I shall be able to bring you back very quickly. Now we are coming to the ice-world.”

Looking about him, Jack saw that the blocks of ice were growing larger and larger as they went on, and the spaces of water less and less, until at last they disappeared altogether, and nothing could be seen but an immense plain of solid ice. The moon shone upon it brightly, and moving noiselessly over the surface were a number of almost transparent forms of men and women, with deadly white faces and cold glittering eyes. They never spoke, but moved about swiftly and silently. They fled at the sight of the fireball, but when they saw Jack some of them stopped and motioned to him to stop too.

“Who are they?” he asked.

“They are ice-people,” said his guide; “they live on the ice, and never speak, but always glide about as you see them now.”

“Why mayn’t we stop and see them?” said Jack.

His companion said nothing, but pointed down to where some dark heavy-looking figures lay motionless beneath the clear ice.

“Do you see?” he said. “These are the bodies of men and women whom the ice-people have caught and frozen to death. If any unfortunate ship is wrecked among the ice-blocks, the ice-people at once flock round it and seize the passengers, and carry them over here and freeze them. They are as wicked and cruel as the mermaids. If I were to leave you for only a second, you would be frozen, and nothing could save you. Now we are coming near the North Pole. Look over there.”

Jack looked away across the ice, and saw a clear pink light that darted up into the sky in bars. It seemed to come from a curious dark lump in the form of a mushroom, which stood up into the air.

“That is the North Pole,” said his friend, “and the light comes from the old man’s lantern.”

“Does he live there all alone?” asked Jack.

“All alone, and he quarrels with everyone. He used to be very good friends with the old man at the South Pole, and they often slid up and down the Pole to see each other. But one day they had a quarrel, and now they’re not on speaking terms.”

“What did they quarrel about?” inquired Jack.

“How should I know?” said the wind-fairy, a little crossly. “One really can’t be expected to remember all these little things;” for the wind-fairies cannot bear to be reminded of their want of memory. “Now say what you have to say to him quickly, and get it done, and then I’ll take you back.” So saying, he put him down on the ice, and sat down himself a little way off.

Jack looked about him, and began to think he must be dreaming. It was such a strange scene. All round was the clear cold ice, and just in front of him was the great lump in the form of a mushroom, made of some thick shining stuff like ivory, and seated right in the middle of it was a little old man. He nursed his knees with his arms and hugged a huge brown lantern full of holes, from which shot up into the air on each side the long bright pink rays which Jack had seen before. The old man wore a big brown cloak, and on his head a small skullcap, from beneath which fell his long straight white hair.

He was a very ugly old man; there was no doubt about that. His face was almost flat, and he had a large hooknose. He seemed to be asleep, for his head hung over on one side, and his eyes were shut. Jack dared not wake him, and stood watching him, He might have remained there forever; the old man would never have moved of himself, if the wind-fairy had not blown a tremendous gust, which made the pink light in the lantern flicker, and the old man start up and open his eyes and see Jack.

“And who are you?” he asked, in a deep rolling voice. “Come to ask a question, I am sure. No one ever comes to see me unless they want to ask something. Come nearer and let me see you.”

Jack drew near to the old man’s seat, trembling much. He tried to remember what the Princess had told him to say, but somehow or other it had gone out of his head, and he did not know how to begin.

“Now what is it?” asked the old man, with a low chuckle. “Do you want me to tell you how to grow tall and straight, or where to find a big bag of money to take home to your mother? What do you want? Speak out, and don’t be afraid.”

Again the naughty thoughts came back into Jack’s mind. He looked across to where the wind-fairy had fallen asleep on the ice. He gazed up at the pink light shining into the black sky. He thought of his mother, then of the poor fire Princess, and making a violent effort, and shutting his eyes that he might not see the grinning face of the old man, he said⁠—

“I’m come from the fire Princess, Princess Pyra, and she wants to marry the water King’s son, Prince Fluvius, and they’re afraid of touching each other, lest he should be dried up, or she put out. So, please, they want to know what to do.”

Here Jack stopped, and opened his eyes, and saw that the old man was shaking so with laughter that he feared he would tumble off the Pole altogether. He went on chuckling for such a time that Jack thought he would never stop. And when he had done, it was some time before he could find breath to speak, but sat panting and sighing, and every now and then beginning to laugh afresh. After a time, however, he was more calm, and then he said⁠—

“Oh, the stupidity of people! And all this time they are afraid of doing the very thing they ought to do. Of course it’s impossible for them to marry till he is dried up, or she is put out. What puts out fire but water? and what dries up water but fire? Princess Pyra has been educated at a good school. I should think she might have known better. You had better go back to Prince Fluvius, and tell him to give her a kiss;” and then the old man began to laugh again.

Jack stood by, sorely puzzled; yet he dared not ask again. Then the old man turned to him, and said⁠—

“And now what do you want to ask next? Let it be something for yourself this time, my little man. What shall it be? I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

A dozen questions flashed into Jack’s mind at once. How he longed to ask them! But he remembered the Princess’s warning, and held his tongue. He looked at the wind-fairy, who was still asleep, and wondered how he could wake him. The ice was so slippery that he dared not walk upon it. He was just trying to move off gently, when the old man caught him by his wrist with a long skinny hand, and held him firmly back.

“Come, now,” he said, coaxingly, while his eyes sparkled cunningly; “you’ll never go back after asking only one question, when you have come so far. That would be very foolish. Ask something else while you are here.”

He held Jack so tightly that he began to be frightened, and gave a violent wriggle, which knocked over the old man’s lantern. It fell with an enormous crash, and woke the wind-fairy, who was at his side in an instant.

“Well,” he said, “are you ready?”

“Quite,” said Jack, his teeth chattering with fear, for the old fellow had flown into a violent rage, and was stretching out his long thin arms to catch him; but the wind-fairy blew in his face till he was forced to shut his eyes, and turn his head away. Then he took Jack on his shoulders, and flew off with him without another word.

“The fireball is gone out,” he said to Jack, after they had gone a little way; “so I’m afraid you’ll be cold. If you feel sleepy you may as well go to sleep. I won’t let you fall; and I am about to go so quickly that you won’t see anything we pass.”

Jack did feel both sleepy and cold, and was very glad to fall into a doze, although he woke every now and then to ask if they were getting near home. At last the fairy said, “Now we are over London, and you’ll be home in a few minutes.”

“I hope my mother isn’t come home yet,” said Jack. “She’d be so frightened if she came back, and didn’t find me.”

“Come back!” laughed the fairy. “Why, it isn’t twelve o’clock yet, and the New Year is not come in. Here is the street where you live.”

Jack could not believe that they had not been gone more than an hour. It seemed more like twenty.

From outside the window he could see the Prince kneeling on the sill in exactly the same position as when he had left him, and he wondered if the Princess was still sitting in the fire. Yes. When the wind-fairy placed him in the middle of the room, there she was in exactly the same place, with her golden hair falling over the bars.

“Well,” cried she and the Prince together, “what did he say, little Jack? Tell us at once.”

“I’m so cold,” said Jack; “I’m almost frozen.”

The Princess made a great blaze in the coals till the room was quite light. Then she turned to Jack again.

“Now,” she said, “you must be warm. Do not keep us any longer in suspense.”

Jack hesitated for a minute; then he looked at the Princess, and repeated what the old man had said. “ ‘What puts out fire but water? what dries up water but fire? Tell him to give her a kiss!’ ”

Both Prince and Princess were silent when they heard this. Then the Prince said, with a sigh⁠—

“It is as I thought. He means that there is no hope for us, and that we must perish together. For my part, I am quite willing, as anything would be better than life without you, my Pyra.”

“He meant no such thing,” cried the Princess. “And I think now I begin to understand him. We must both be changed before we can be happy. Come, then, my Prince; I have no fear, and will willingly risk being quenched altogether, if there is a chance of our union.”

So saying, the Princess rose up, and stepped lightly from the grate on to the floor, surrounded by a halo of shining flame.

Jack screamed aloud, afraid lest the room should take fire; but in the same moment the Prince swept down from the window, and a flood of water splashed on to the floor. Then, without another word, the two rushed into each other’s arms.

A great crash⁠—a sound like a clap of thunder; then the room was filled with smoke, through which Jack could see nothing. He felt frightened, and inclined to cry; but in a minute or two he heard the soft voice of the Princess, calling to him⁠—

“Jack, Jack!” and he saw the smoke clearing away.

There, in the middle of the room, stood the Princess Pyra⁠—the same, yet not the same; and beside her was Prince Fluvius, like himself in face and figure, and yet altered. His arm was about the Princess, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

She was no longer surrounded by flames, and the weird brightness had passed from her face and dress.

Her hair looked softer and glittered less, and her eyes no longer seemed to burn, but beamed on Jack with a soft, mild light. The coloured catherine-wheel had disappeared from her bosom, and in its place was a bunch of real water-lilies. The Prince was no less changed. His eyes were bright and clear, his hair had lost its wet gloss, and was dry and curly; his clothes looked crisp and firm.