The Treasure of the Isle of MistTarn, W. W. (William Woodthorpe)
Science
The Treasure of the Isle of Mist
Tarn, W. W. (William Woodthorpe)
Fairies -- Juvenile fiction; Fairy tales; Fantasy literature
So for the rest of the morning Fiona had not only to interpret but to
make every remark twice over, once in each language. But it will do if
the reader takes this for granted.
"What are we going to do?" asked Apollo.
So Fiona explained to them that she wanted to catch a woodcock and ask
him a question, and she hoped they would help her.
"Of course we will," said Artemis. "We know all about woodcock. When
we go out with himself, we find them for him and stand still, and then
he makes a noise and they fall down dead."
"Sometimes," said Apollo.
"Generally," corrected Artemis, loyally. "Will you make them fall down
dead?"
Fiona explained that she only wanted to catch one and talk to it.
"We never saw that done," said Apollo. "But we will find one, and then
you can catch it."
"It's very early for woodcock," said Artemis. "There won't be any in
the heather on the second of October. But there may be an early pair
in the ferns."
"The first ones always pitch in the ferns on Glenollisdal," said
Apollo.
So to Glenollisdal they went, down the shore road and across the
little bridge and then by the shepherd's track along the top of the
black cliffs, over grass and stones all rough and white with the
frost. The cold morning air was like new wine, and Fiona had to shade
her eyes from the low sun. Then the track left the cliffs and began to
climb up a sunless valley, across little burns beautiful with fading
ferns, till between two great moorland crags it reached the pass, more
a watercourse now than a track; and then came the cairn at the summit
of the pass, with its glorious view of sea and mountain, and down at
one's very feet the deep narrow valley that was Glenollisdal, seamed
from crest to foot by its deep burn, which ran half its length through
faded brown heather and then out to sea through a huge bed of dying
bracken, the whole bathed in the bright morning sun.
"We always come here the first day," said Apollo. "Oh, we are going to
have fun."
The three followed the track down to where it passed the top of the
fern bed. There was a good deal of grass there, dotted with sheep, and
in one place, looking well out to sea, a curious little hard circle
in the grass, where no sheep ever came.
"That is the fairy ring," said Artemis. "Where they dance, you know."
"They dance on All Hallows E'en," said Apollo. "But no one ever sees
them."
"Because everyone's afraid to go and look," said Artemis.
"Please, may we start?" said Apollo.
"All you have to do is to wait till we point," said Artemis, "and then
come to us."
And the two dogs dashed off into the great fern bed, crossing each
other backwards and forwards like a pair of scissors as they quartered
it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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