The Purple Land: Being the Narrative of One Richard Lamb's Adventures in The Banda Orientál, in South America, as Told By HimselfHudson, W. H. (William Henry)
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The Purple Land: Being the Narrative of One Richard Lamb's Adventures in The Banda Orientál, in South America, as Told By Himself
Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
Adventure stories; British -- Uruguay -- Fiction; Uruguay -- Fiction
“Then the first tree said, 'Ah, she ought to go and ask the fox for some
pretty clothes to wear. The fox always keeps a great store of pretty
things in her hole.'
“Alma had listened to every word of this conversation. She remembered
that a fox lived on the hillside not far off; for she had often seen
it sitting in the sunshine with its little ones playing round it and
pulling their mother's tail in fun. So Alma got up and ran till she
found the hole, and, putting her head down it, she cried out, 'Fox!
Fox!' But the fox seemed cross, and only answered, without coming out,
'Go away, Alma, and talk to little Niebla. I am busy getting dinner for
my children and have no time to talk to you now.'
“Then Alma cried, 'Oh, Fox, Niebla will not play with me because I have
no pretty things to wear. Oh, Fox, will you give me a nice dress and
shoes and stockings and a string of beads?'
“After a little while the fox came out of its hole with a big bundle
done up in a red cotton handkerchief and said, 'Here are the things,
Alma, and I hope they will fit you. But you know, Alma, you really ought
not to come at this time of day, for I am very busy just now cooking
the dinner--an armadillo roasted and a couple of partridges stewed with
rice, and a little omelette of turkeys' eggs. I mean plovers' eggs, of
course; I never touch turkeys' eggs.'
“Alma said she was very sorry to give so much trouble.
“'Oh, never mind,' said the fox. 'How is your grandmother?'
“'She is very well, thank you,' said Alma, 'but she has a bad headache.'
“'I am very sorry to hear it,' said the fox. 'Tell her to stick two
fresh dock-leaves on her temples, and to drink a little weak tea made of
knot-grass, and on no account to go out in the hot sun. I should like
to go and see her, only I do not like the dogs being always about the
house. Give her my best respects. And now run home, Alma, and try on
the things, and when you are passing this way you can bring me back
the handkerchief, as I always tie my face up in it when I have the
toothache.'
“Alma thanked the fox very much and ran home as fast as she could, and
when the bundle was opened she found in it a beautiful white dress,
embroidered with purple flowers, a pair of scarlet shoes, silk
stockings, and a string of great golden beads. They all fitted her very
well; and next day when the white mist was on the Yí she dressed herself
in her beautiful clothes and went down to the river. By and by little
Niebla came flying along, and when she saw Alma she came and kissed
her and took her by the hand. All the morning they played and talked
together, gathering flowers and running races over the green sward: and
at last Niebla bade her good-bye and flew away, for all the white mist
was floating off down the river. But every day after that Alma found her
little companion by the Yí, and was very happy, for now she had someone
to talk to and to play with.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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