Yellow-Cap and Other Fairy-Stories For ChildrenHawthorne, Julian
Science
Yellow-Cap and Other Fairy-Stories For Children
Hawthorne, Julian
Fairy tales
'You really are the handsomest and dearest boy in the world, and so
the mirror will tell you,' said Callia; and she held it up before him
as she spoke. Calladon looked; and certainly the mirror did show him
the image of a very charming little face and figure. It told the
truth, and the truth was very agreeable.
'I am glad of it for your sake, Callia,' said Calladon. 'I hope I
shall always be as handsome as you want me to be.'
'I don't mind whether you are handsome or not, as long as you are
Calladon,' she answered.
'It seems to me, Callia, that if I have you, and you have me, we do
not need anything else.'
'And it would not make any difference whether we were in Abra or not.'
'I should hardly mind even if the lamp were to go out,' said
Calladon.
'I only care for the lamp because it lets me see you,' she answered.
'And because it lets me see myself in the mirror.'
'Why should you believe the mirror more than me?' asked Callia.
'Well, if you think I am handsome, it is not so much matter whether
the mirror tells me I am or not,' returned Calladon.
And with this they kissed each other, and fell asleep.
CHAPTER IV.
THE OUTER ROOMS.
When they awoke next day, Calladon stretched himself, and shivered a
little. The lamp seemed to be burning rather more dimly than usual,
and the air seemed thin and cold. Glancing at Callia, who was lying
with her eyes still half closed, his eye caught the sparkle of the
mirror round her neck, and he took a peep into it. It seemed to him
that his cheeks looked pale, and his eyes dull.
'Callia!' he exclaimed, 'Callia! wake up, and tell me how I look.'
'You look just the same,' answered she, opening her eyes and sitting
up. 'But don't you think it is colder than it was yesterday?'
'I was sure it was; and if you feel it too, it must be so. But are you
quite certain that I look as well and handsome as when you first saw
me? because, in the mirror, I seemed to be pale and dull.'
'The mirror must be wrong, then,' said Callia; 'for I can see you with
my own eyes, and of course I should know if there were any
difference.'
'Well,' said Calladon, 'I suppose it is time we had our breakfast.'
The breakfast was there, but it was neither so good nor so plentiful
as before; and Calladon and Callia felt comparatively little appetite.
This displeased them; and they began to ask each other how they should
contrive to amuse themselves during the day. They proposed many
things, but afterwards rejected them, either because they had done
them yesterday, or because they did not find them any longer
attractive.
'This is rather a small room, after all, for two people to pass their
lives in,' remarked Calladon at last.
'Especially when there are two other larger ones outside,' added
Callia.
'It would be good fun to explore them, wouldn't it?' said Calladon.
'Why shouldn't we do it?' asked Callia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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