CHAPTER I

ONCE upon a time a wicked Earth Fairy went forth¹ to see what mischief² she could do. She flitted on and on until she came to a House Door. She had come to one of the homes where the good and useful House Fairies dwell. The Door was open, and she crept up to it slyly, and peered in. There she saw a great room, in perfect order, for the House Fairies had put everything to rights before they went away to their tasks upstairs. The floor was swept, the pictures hung trim and straight upon the walls, the chairs were dusted and set about invitingly,[6] and on the Hearth³ the Fire burned warm and clear.

“Hhm!” muttered the Earth Fairy. “Here is the very chance I’ve been looking for!”

She slipped inside the Door and set to work at once. She sprinkled ashes on the clean-swept floor, and set the chairs askew⁴. She pulled the pictures crooked⁵, and turned their faces to the wall. Into every corner of the room she went, making mischief, and leaving disorder⁶ behind her. No one came to interrupt her, so that she kept on and on with her malicious⁷ task until the room was in complete confusion. Wearied with the mischief she had done, she paused and looked about her for a place to rest. On the Hearth lay a great bank of warm ashes, soft as a feather-bed. She went to it at once, and threw[7] herself down upon it, thinking to rest only a moment before she journeyed on. Now this was a very dangerous thing for an Earth Fairy to do, because none but Fire Fairies can safely rest so close to Fire and Flame. But this the Earth Fairy did not know, so she sank down, meaning to rest but for a short time, but she was so weary that before she knew it she had fallen off into a deep sleep, and while she slept the Fire stole from her all her Earth magic, and her Earth powers.

Since the Fire was burning, that Door to the Fire Country was of course wide open, so that King Red Flame riding out that morning on his flame-colored horse caught a glimpse of the Earth Fairy’s yellow hair as she lay in the ashes. He drew near to see who was slumbering⁸ there. At the first[8] glance he knew that she was not a Fire Fairy. It was plain, too, that she was not a House Fairy. Whoever she was, he knew that she was in great danger, and that she must be rescued at once.

He called to her, but she neither answered nor stirred. He alighted from his horse, and bending over her shook her gently, but she gave no sign of life. He shook her more roughly, and called louder, but quite in vain.

“I shall have to take her to the palace,” murmured King Red Flame to himself. “Here I can do nothing. Queen Glow and I must consult together over the matter.”

He lifted the Earth Fairy in his arms, and laid her across his horse. Then mounting again, he rode away with her in the direction of the Palace of Burning Coals, satisfied that there, in counsel[9] with his queen, he could bring succor⁹ to the stranger in her great need.

Queen Glow was a very beautiful fairy, and as wise and good as she was beautiful. Always her thought was how she could help and comfort those who were in trouble or distress¹⁰. As soon as King Red Flame arrived at the palace, Queen Glow had the insensible Earth Fairy carried to her own room, and laid upon her royal bed. Here she bent¹¹ over her, chafing¹² her hands, and trying in every way to revive her.

There was deep silence in the room, except for the suppressed whispering of a little group of Fire Fairies gathered about the door. One by one other fairies that belonged to the palace came to join them, and among the rest came Grey Smoke, old and wise, she who had nursed Queen Glow as a child.

[10]As soon as Grey Smoke saw the Earth Fairy, she said, “She has rested too long on the Hearth. She has rested too long in the heat. Never again can she return to her own life. There is only one thing left for us to do. We must change her into a Fire Fairy. In this way only can she again be wakened into life. Then she can live happily among us, and fill her uses in the Fire Kingdom.”

“How is so great a change as that to be wrought¹³?” asked King Red Flame. “Have you knowledge of such a spell as will accomplish this?”

Dame¹⁴ Grey Smoke shook her head. “No, Your Majesty¹⁵, not I,” she said. “But there is in the palace, greater knowledge than I possess. It was written long ago in the Book of Spells, that lies locked away in your treasury¹⁶.”

“True,” cried the King. “Why had[11] I not thought of that? Let the book be brought!”

The King and Queen waited in silence while a trusted messenger was dispatched to fetch it from the treasure chamber¹⁷ where it lay. When it was brought the King drew from his bosom¹⁸ a tiny key, which hung about his neck from a golden thread. As the King unlocked the book, a thin mist of magic floated out from its pages, and circled about his head for a moment before it disappeared. A thrill of awe¹⁹ passed through the watching fairies.

Slowly the King turned page after page, until at last he paused. “It is here,” said he. He and the Queen stooped above the book, reading the strange and crabbed²⁰ letters written so many ages ago by the masters of fairy magic. When they had read the charm[12] through to the end, the King lifted his head: “None but those who work this charm may see it wrought,” commanded he. Then one by one the fairies passed from the royal bedchamber, leaving the King and Queen alone.

All was silent in the room. The charm had been spoken—the spell had been wrought. The King and Queen stood watching the still motionless form of the Earth Fairy.

At last through her passed a thrill of wakening life. She turned upon her side. Her eyelids²¹ fluttered, then opened wide, and her eyes rested in bewilderment upon the two bending over her. From them her eyes wandered to the room about her. She raised herself upon her elbow. “Where am I?” she demanded in a trembling voice.

“You are in the Kingdom of the Fire[13] Fairies,” answered Queen Glow gently. “But do not be afraid. You are safe here, for we have changed you into a Fire Fairy, and there is now no more danger for you here from heat or flame than there is for our own royal selves.”

The Earth Fairy’s face grew black with anger. “A Fire Fairy!” she cried. “I, a Fire Fairy! That must never be. I am of the Earth. How dared you meddle²² with an Earth Fairy? Let me go instantly. I am going back to my own country—to my own kind.”

“That cannot be,” answered the King. “There is no spell to transform you to what you were, and it was only by changing you into a Fire Fairy that we were able to awaken²³ you from sleep. If we had not done this, you would have slept and slept yourself away into a film of ashes.”

[14]Carefully then he explained to her where he had found her, and how every means had been tried to rouse her, but in vain, and only by the power of the Book of Spells had it been possible to save her. But nothing that the King or Queen could say—no words, however kind or wise, made the slightest difference to the Earth Fairy. She sprang from the bed, and stamped her foot. She wept, she stormed.

By and by, however, she became sulky, and sank into silence, and would not even answer what the King and Queen said to her. They were obliged to leave her alone, and though she ate the food that was presently sent to her, she would neither speak, nor look at the attendants who brought it.

But as time passed the Earth Fairy grew less sullen²⁴, and even seemed to be[15] in some measure content with her new home, and her life in the palace, but Queen Glow felt sorry for her, and kept her near as her own personal attendant. If any difference was made by the Queen between her and the Fire Fairies, it was that she treated her with especial kindness and affection. But the new lady in waiting never forgot her old life, and although she was now a Fire Fairy, she always insisted upon being called Earth Fairy, and that was the name by which everyone knew her.

At last there came a time when she really seemed to respond to kindness, and to feel a certain love for the Queen. She sought to please her, and was always cheerful and complacent²⁵, and on their part the King and Queen trusted her more and more. There was nothing in the palace that they would not[16] have given her, nor anything that they would not have granted to her, if she had asked; that is, nothing that was at all possible.

But as a matter of fact, all this affection and pleasantness was only seeming. The Earth Fairy hated both the King and Queen, and longed to be revenged upon them for the change they had wrought in her, even though it had been done to save her. Constantly her anger burned against them, and she only awaited a chance to wreak²⁶ vengeance²⁷ upon them. The Earth Fairy was crafty²⁸, and had the patience of craft. She was willing to wait and watch a long while if necessary, if only her chance would come in the end.

While waiting she watched and listened, learning such spells as she[17] could from the fairies around her, and practicing them in secret. There was not a book of magic in the Palace of Burning Coals that she did not seek out and pore over; not a wand that she did not try. Only the King’s own Book of Spells was locked away from her, and one precious wand that had belonged to the mother of King Red Flame, and had been left by her in charge of the Fairy Grey Smoke, oldest and wisest of any save one in the Kingdom of the Fire Fairies. No one else, not even the King himself knew of this wand, for his mother had made Grey Smoke promise that she would never tell him of it, nor bring it from its secret hiding-place until some great need arose that called for a spell that nothing could possibly break.

If the Earth Fairy had known of this[18] wand she would have spared no pains to get hold of it; but Grey Smoke was wise and faithful, and kept the trust that the King’s mother had reposed²⁹ in her.

1 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

3 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

4 askew   

adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的

参考例句：

• His glasses had been knocked askew by the blow.他的眼镜一下子被打歪了。
• Her hat was slightly askew.她的帽子戴得有点斜。

5 crooked   

adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
• You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

6 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

8 slumbering   

微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• It was quiet. All the other inhabitants of the slums were slumbering. 贫民窟里的人已经睡眠静了。
• Then soft music filled the air and soothed the slumbering heroes. 接着，空中响起了柔和的乐声，抚慰着安睡的英雄。

9 succor   

n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助

参考例句：

• In two short hours we may look for succor from Webb.在短短的两小时内，韦布将军的救兵就可望到达。
• He was so much in need of succor,so totally alone.他当时孑然一身，形影相吊，特别需要援助。

10 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

11 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

12 chafing   

n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒

参考例句：

• My shorts were chafing my thighs. 我的短裤把大腿磨得生疼。 来自辞典例句
• We made coffee in a chafing dish. 我们用暖锅烧咖啡。 来自辞典例句

13 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

14 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

15 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

16 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

17 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

18 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

19 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

20 crabbed   

adj.脾气坏的；易怒的；（指字迹）难辨认的；（字迹等）难辨认的v.捕蟹( crab的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His mature composi tions are generally considered the more cerebral and crabbed. 他成熟的作品一般被认为是触动理智的和难于理解的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He met a crabbed, cantankerous director. 他碰上了一位坏脾气、爱争吵的主管。 来自辞典例句

21 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

23 awaken   

vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起

参考例句：

• Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
• Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

24 sullen   

adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的

参考例句：

• He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
• Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐，因为昨晚没睡好。

25 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

26 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

27 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

28 crafty   

adj.狡猾的，诡诈的

参考例句：

• He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。
• He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

29 reposed   

v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Cruncher reposed under a patchwork counterpane, like a Harlequin at home. 克朗彻先生盖了一床白衲衣图案的花哨被子，像是呆在家里的丑角。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• An old man reposed on a bench in the park. 一位老人躺在公园的长凳上。 来自辞典例句