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CHAPTER VII
FLORIMEL IS ADOPTED BY KING STANISLAUS
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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.
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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.
While they were making their first awkward overtures of friendship the attention of all was suddenly diverted to two ordinary Brownies rolling a watermelon up the steep hill. The melon was perhaps thrice their size, and they puffed and grunted over what to them was a herculean task.
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Just when their labor promised to be light, with the crest of the hill almost reached, they stopped to take their breath, and in doing so relinquished their hold on the melon.
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Bumpety-bumpety! it started rolling down the hill. Both ran after it in pursuit, then realizing that they were being distanced stood stock-still with horror on their faces. Bumpety-bumpety! came the big melon, with ever increasing momentum, while the eyes of Florimel and all the rest followed its erratic course down the hill--bumpety-bumpety!--with leaps and bounds--bumpety-bumpety!--first to one side, then to another, bumpety-bumpety!--till it finished with an extra high bound and squashed all to pieces right in their very midst. Little jets of sweet water shot in all directions from its sides as though projected from a syphon, and out from the juicy, luscious, red pulp exposed to view there crawled sheepishly on his hands and knees a little weazened old fellow who wore an ermine cape and gold crown.
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"Hail, Your Majesty!" shouted all the Brownies, and the little old fellow stood up, rubbed himself, and said, rather ruefully:
"No, I'd rather reign!"
Then the Brownies, under the leadership of the Dude, yelled, in perfect unison:
"'Rah! 'rah! 'rah!
Stan-is-laus!
Siss-boom-ah!"
"Thanks!" graciously acknowledged His Majesty, adding by way of explanation:
"I chose this watermelon green To shun the treacherous submarine!"
Then a puzzled expression came to his face as his eye suddenly observed Florimel.
"Why, who's this fellow?" he demanded. "You're not trying to make a Brownie of him, are you?"
Florimel's heart sank, for he realized that here was the king himself, whose word was absolute law to all these little people.
If he frowned down on any plans they had made in his behalf, all the hopes that had sprung up in his breast would be ruthlessly shattered.
The Brownies seemed troubled too, for they would not have brought displeasure to King Stanislaus for all the world.
While the new-comer stood looking timidly down, without daring to meet the questioning gaze of that kindly but august monarch, his little companions made bold to extol his virtues real and imaginary till their tongues were all wagging at such a great rate that Florimel could not help but furiously blush.
First they pointed to the crescent moon, still pierced by the arrow, averring earnestly that it was Florimel's accomplishment, and the sudden start King Stanislaus gave when he beheld this marvel showed that he was properly impressed.
Then they called his attention to the eagles' nest high up in the tree, explaining that it was there they first saw the stranger, after which they waited anxiously as did Florimel to hear what His Majesty would say.
King Stanislaus looked not displeased, and one and all took heart.
"If Moses was found among the frogs, and Romulus among the wolves," said the monarch, with great deliberation, "then an eagles' nest is a fitting cradle for a Brownie prince!"
This speech caused the Brownies to burst into a sudden wild cheer that made the welkin ring, for they realized that not only had King Stanislaus set approval on what they had done, but he had gone much further.
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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?"
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"I fell off the palace-wall last night, Your Majesty, when I was tacking up the placard."