FLORIMEL IS ADOPTED BY
KING STANISLAUS

Delighted beyond measure were all the Brownies with Prince Florimel’s most amazing feat, and their pleasure manifested itself in broad smiles upon smug faces, the nodding of round little heads, the slapping of hands on each other’s backs, and the good-natured poking of fists in each other’s stomachs.

They pressed close to Florimel and kept wringing his hand in congratulation. Not even a Brownie could do what he had done.

All wanted to examine the bow that had accomplished a result so wonderful. But it was just like the ordinary bow of any archer, and its wood and gut presented no solution of the remarkable happening; it was no story, they saw it themselves.

Then, noting that Florimel’s attire was torn in many places, and that here and there his fair flesh showed, they stripped him of his garments, replacing them with skin-tight trousers that with the greatest difficulty they drew over his legs, long, tapering shoes, a jacket with big buttons, and a pinnacle-shaped cap whose top could not sustain itself but fell over on his head.

Many nimble hands attended to his valeting, and though Florimel observed that he was garbed as an ordinary Brownie, of which there were a large number, he was rejoiced at the eagerness they now displayed to transform him to a Brownie, and make him one of themselves. Yet he could not help thinking, as he glanced first at them, and then at himself, how different he was from them all.

Try as they might they could not bestow on him the pop eyes, big ears, and broad, distended mouth that parted in a smile so evident of inward satisfaction. He was as fair and sightly as one could wish to be, yet he would rather have looked like a Brownie. Only in size did he resemble one.

Some such thought must have been in the minds of the Brownies too, for they seemed puzzled as they inspected their new comrade.

He had made Florimel his heir by adoption, and successor to the Brownie throne! “See that he is properly attired,” was the royal command, and once more Florimel’s appearance underwent a swift and startling change.

From some invisible source fresh wardrobe was supplied, and from a plain, ordinary Brownie he was transformed into a handsome, dashing little prince as pert and pretty a sprig of royalty as one could see in many a long journey over lands where there were kings and queens with large, flourishing families—in trunks, doublet, and cape, with a cap that perched jauntily upon his roguish curls.

Filled with gratitude was he over this great, this unexpected honor that had befallen him and he expressed his thanks as best he could feeling that the words he used were poor at best, but vowing loyalty and obedience in all things evermore to his gracious foster-parent.

“It will not be so very long, my son, before you occupy the throne,” said King Stanislaus, and his voice took on a rather pensive tone. “A few short years—a couple of thousands or so—and I shall have passed away. When I am gone I shall leave to you all-out-doors and the love of children, a priceless heritage which you must treasure tenderly and never lose.”

Then came the Brownies with pledges of fealty to their prince, and Florimel smiled back into their smiling faces, while all were glad.

The Policeman limping slightly came and offered him his club, but Florimel good-humoredly refused it, and waved him aside. The Sailor came next with his spy-glass, but Florimel laughingly declined it also.

Each of the band in a free-hearted way evinced a desire to surrender to him his most cherished possession, and much touched was he by their expressions of good will. But the most he would accept was an eagle’s feather which had been dropped by one of the birds to the ground, and which the Dude stuck in his cap.

Soon matters took on their usual routine, and, noticing that the Policeman limped, King Stanislaus asked:

“Officer, what’s the matter?”

“I fell off the palace-wall last night, Your Majesty, when I was tacking up the placard.”

“What did you fall against?”

“I fell against my will. One of the fairy guards mistook me for an enemy, and fired a charge of shot at me.”

“Did you press a complaint?”

“No, I withdrew the charge.”

Into an admiring group some distance off the well-informed Dude was instilling the first principles of etiquette.

“It is not good form to try to eat your peas with a knife,” he told them. “You should spear them with a fork.”

And the Sailor was growling to the German:

“Avast there, you lubber! A dog-watch isn’t a chronometer.”

The Indian with a flourish of his tomahawk came running to King Stanislaus, and imparted the surprising intelligence:

“The dromedary’s swallowed all the door-knobs, and the knobs are in his stomachs.”

“Which one of his stomachs?”

“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

“Can’t you see which looks the knobbiest?”

Florimel could not but admire the shrewdness of King Stanislaus in disposing of all matters great and small, and he did not feel that he could ever reign and be as wise as he.

The little monarch held his subjects under most admirable control, and in arguments that sometimes rose between them one word from his lips would effectually settle all dispute.

And so they wandered on and on, hiding away from sight ere the first rays of the morning sun could strike them, and sallying forth again when the stars began to shine at night.

Many a harmless prank they played, and helpful deed they did, in which Florimel took hearty part, and he grew to love them more and more, as they did him.

One thing was a source of great surprise to him, yet, after he considered, it was not surprising, which was that all dumb creatures, whether of the fields or air, were the Brownies’ friends, and loved them.

In countless ways they all evinced delight whenever these good-natured little goblings were at hand, for they knew that they would help instead of harm them.

Even the savage animals that had so lately thirsted for Florimel’s blood proved tractable, and neither they nor the Brownies showed the slightest fear of each other. The beasts grovelled and rolled over with pleasure when the Brownies playfully yanked and pulled their tails.

All was harmony between them, and the industrious animals went on with their task of gathering bones without caring whether the Brownies were near or far.