Wonder-Box Tales   By: Jean Ingelow (1820-1897)

WONDER BOX TALES

by

JEAN INGELOW

With Illustrations by Diantha W. Horne

H. M. Caldwell Co. Publishers New York & Boston

Copyright, 1902 By Dana Estes & Company All rights reserved

[Illustration: "'TO BE SURE I CAN,' REPLIED THE LARK."]

CONTENTS

The Ouphe of the Wood

The Fairy Who Judged Her Neighbors

The Prince's Dream

The Water lily

A Lost Wand

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"'To be sure I can,' replied the Lark"

"So he sat down as close to the fire as he could, and spread out his hands to the flames"

"Coming home on top of it, driving the four gray horses himself"

"While she was fitting on her shoes, she saw the Lark's friend"

"Then he reclined beside the chafing dish and inhaled the heavy perfume"

"'I could not do so,' he replied, 'only that as I go on I keep lightening it'"

"Lived on the borders of one of the great American forests"

"The next moment a beautiful little creature stood upon his hand"

"'Oh, don't go,' cried Hulda. 'I am going up stairs to fetch my wand'"

"The pedlar had now sunk up to his waist"

WONDER BOX TALES

THE OUPHE[1] OF THE WOOD

"An Ouphe!" perhaps you exclaim, "and pray what might that be?"

[Footnote 1: Ouphe , pronounced "oof," is an old fashioned word for goblin or elf.]

An Ouphe, fair questioner, though you may never have heard of him, was a creature well known (by hearsay, at least) to your great great grandmother. It was currently reported that every forest had one within its precincts, who ruled over the woodmen, and exacted tribute from them in the shape of little blocks of wood ready hewn for the fire of his underground palace, such blocks as are bought at shops in these degenerate days, and called in London "kindling."

It was said that he had a silver axe, with which he marked those trees that he did not object to have cut down; moreover, he was supposed to possess great riches, and to appear but seldom above ground, and when he did to look like an old man in all respects but one, which was that he always carried some green ash keys about with him which he could not conceal, and by which he might be known.

Do I hear you say that you don't believe he ever existed? It matters not at all to my story whether you do or not. He certainly does not exist now. The Commissioners of Woods and Forests have much to answer for, if it was they who put an end to his reign; but I do not think they did; it is more likely that the spelling book used in woodland districts disagreed with his constitution.

After this short preface please to listen while I tell you that once in a little black timbered cottage, at the skirts of a wood, a young woman sat before the fire rocking her baby, and, as she did so, building a castle in the air: "What a good thing it would be," she thought to herself, "if we were rich!"

It had been a bright day, but the evening was chilly; and, as she watched the glowing logs that were blazing on her hearth, she wished that all the lighted part of them would turn to gold.

She was very much in the habit this little wife of building castles in the air, particularly when she had nothing else to do, or her husband was late in coming home to his supper. Just as she was thinking how late he was there was a tap at the door, and an old man walked in, who said:

"Mistress, will you give a poor man a warm at your fire?"

"And welcome," said the young woman, setting him a chair.

So he sat down as close to the fire as he could, and spread out his hands to the flames.

[Illustration: "SO HE SAT DOWN AS CLOSE TO THE FIRE AS HE COULD, AND SPREAD OUT HIS HANDS TO THE FLAMES."]

He had a little knapsack on his back, and the young woman did not doubt that he was an old soldier.

"Maybe you are used to the hot countries," she said.