The violet fairy book (1906) (14753406385)

Identifier: violetfairybook00lang (find matches)
Title: The violet fairy book
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912 Ford, H. J. (Henry Justice), 1860-1941, ill
Subjects: Folklore Fairy tales
Publisher: London New York : Longmans, Green
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



Text Appearing Before Image:
retched themselves out to sleep. At sunrise the boy got up and led his sheep out tofeed, and for some reason he did not feel tempted to crossinto the grassy meadows belonging to the elves, but let hisflock pick up what pasture they could on Mogarzeas dryground. On the third day he was sitting under the shadow ofa tree, playing on his flute - - and there was nobody in theworld who could play a flute better - - when one of hissheep strayed across the fence into the flowery fields of theelves, and another and another followed it. But the boywas so absorbed in his flute that he noticed nothing tillhalf the flock were on the other side. He jumped up, still playing on his flute, and wentafter the sheep, meaning to drive them back to their ownside of the border, when suddenly he saw before him threebeautiful maidens who stopped in front of him, and began MOGARZEA AND HIS SON 383 to dance. The boy understood what he must do, andplayed with all his might, but the maidens danced on tillevening.
Text Appearing After Image:
Now let me go, he cried at last, for poor Mogarzeamust be dying of hunger. I will come and play for youto-morrow. 384 MOGARZEA AND HIS SON Well, you may go! they said, but remember thateven if you break your promise you will not escape us. So they both agreed that the next day he shouldcome straight there with the sheep, and play to them tillthe sun went down. This being settled, they each re-turned home. J^togarzea was surprised to find that his sheep gave somuch more milk than usual, but as the boy declared hehad never crossed the border the big man did not troublehis head further, and ate his supper heartily. .^fith the earliest gleams of light, the boy was offwith his sheep to the ellin meadow, and at the first notesof his flute the maidens appeared before him and dancedand danced and danced till evening came. Then the boylet the flute slip through his fingers, and trod on it, asif by accident. If you had heard the noise he made, and how hewrung his hands and wept and cried that h