by Edith Nesbit
‘Yes, indeed,’ said the Crow, and suddenly grew smaller till he could come comfortably through the square opening. He did this, perched on the top bar, and hopped to the floor. And there he got bigger and bigger, and bigger and bigger and bigger. Elsie had scrambled to her feet, and then a black little girl of eight and of the usual size stood face to face with a crow as big as a man, and no doubt as old. She found words then.
‘Oh, don’t!’ she cried. ‘Don’t get any bigger. I can’t bear it.’
‘I can’t do it,’ said the Crow kindly, ‘so that’s all right. I thought you’d better get used to seeing rather large crows before I take you to Crownowland. We are all life-size there.’
‘But a crow’s life-size isn’t a man’s life-size,’ Elsie managed to say.
‘Oh yes, it is — when it’s an enchanted Crow,’ the bird replied. ‘That makes all the difference. Now you were saying you wanted to tame something. If you’ll come with me to Crownowland I’ll show you something worth taming.’
‘Is Crow-what’s-its-name a nice place?’ Elsie asked cautiously. She was, somehow, not so very frightened now.
‘Very,’ said the Crow.
‘Then perhaps I shall like it so much I sha’n’t want to be taming things.’
‘Oh yes, you will, when you know how much depends on it.’
‘But I shouldn’t like,’ said Elsie, ‘to go up the chimney. This isn’t my best frock, of course, but still....’
‘Quite so,’ said the Crow. ‘I only came that way for fun, and because I can fly. You shall go in by the chief gate of the kingdom, like a lady. Do come.’
But Elsie still hesitated. ‘What sort of thing is it you want me to tame?’ she said doubtfully.
The enormous crow hesitated. ‘A — a sort of lizard,’ it said at last. ‘And if you can only tame it so that it will do what you tell it to, you’ll save the whole kingdom, and we’ll put up a statue to you; but not in the People’s Park, unless they wish it,’ the bird added mysteriously.
‘I should like to save a kingdom,’ said Elsie, ‘and I like lizards. I’ve seen lots of them in India.’
‘Then you’ll come?’ said the Crow.
‘Yes. But how do we go?’
‘There are only two doors out of this world into another,’ said the Crow. ‘I’ll take you through the nearest. Allow me!’ It put its wing round her so that her face nestled against the black softness of the under-wing feathers. It was warm and dark and sleepy there, and very comfortable. For a moment she seemed to swim easily in a soft sea of dreams. Then, with a little shock, she found herself standing on a marble terrace, looking out over a city far more beautiful and wonderful than she had ever seen or imagined. The great man-sized Crow was by her side.
‘Now,’ it said, pointing with the longest of its long black wing-feathers, ‘you see this beautiful city?’
‘Yes,’ said Elsie, ‘of course I do.’
‘Well ... I hardly like to tell you the story,’ said the Crow, ‘but it’s a long time ago, and I hope you won’t think the worse of us — because we’re really very sorry.’
‘If you’re really sorry,’ said Elsie primly, ‘of course it’s all right.’
‘Unfortunately it isn’t,’ said the Crow. ‘You see the great square down there?’
Elsie looked down on a square of green trees, broken a little towards the middle.
‘Well, that’s where the ... where it is — what you’ve got to tame, you know.’
‘But what did you do that was wrong?’
‘We were unkind,’ said the Crow slowly, ‘and unjust, and ungenerous. We had servants and workpeople doing everything for us; we had nothing to do but be kind. And we weren’t.’
‘Dear me,’ said Elsie feebly.
‘We had several warnings,’ said the Crow. ‘There was an old parchment, and it said just how you ought to behave and all that. But we didn’t care what it said. I was Court Magician as well as Prime Minister, and I ought to have known better, but I didn’t. We all wore frock-coats and high hats then,’ he added sadly.
‘Go on,’ said Elsie, her eyes wandering from one beautiful building to another of the many that nestled among the trees of the city.
‘And the old parchment said that if we didn’t behave well our bodies would grow like our souls. But we didn’t think so. And then all in a minute they did — and we were crows, and our bodies were as black as our souls. Our souls are quite white now,’ it added reassuringly.
‘But what was the dreadful thing you’d done?’
‘We’d been unkind to the people who worked for us — not given them enough food or clothes or fire, and at last we took away even their play. There was a big park that the people played in, and we built a wall round it and took it for ourselves, and the King was going to set a statue of himself up in the middle. And then before we could begin to enjoy it we were turned into big black crows; and the working people into big white pigeons — and they can go where they like, but we have to stay here till we’ve tamed the.... We never can go into the park, until we’ve settled the thing that guards it. And that thing’s a big big lizard — in fact ... it’s a dragon!’
‘Oh!’ cried Elsie; but she was not as frightened as the Crow seemed to expect. Because every now and then she had felt sure that she was really safe in her own bed, and that this was a dream. It was not a dream, but the belief that it was made her very brave, and she felt quite sure that she could settle a dragon, if necessary — a dream dragon, that is. And the rest of the time she thought about Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and what a heroine she now had the chance to be.
‘You want me to kill it?’ she asked.
‘Oh no! To tame it,’ said the Crow.
‘We’ve tried all sorts of means — long whips, like people tame horses with, and red-hot bars, such as lion-tamers use — and it’s all been perfectly useless; and there the dragon lives, and will live till some one can tame him and get him to follow them like a tame fawn, and eat out of their hand.’
‘What does the dragon like to eat?’ Elsie asked.
‘Crows,’ replied the other in an uncomfortable whisper. ‘At least I’ve never known it eat anything else!’
‘Am I to try to tame it now?’ Elsie asked.
‘Oh dear no,’ said the Crow. ‘We’ll have a banquet in your honour, and you shall have tea with the Princess.’
‘How do you know who is a princess and who’s not, if you’re all crows?’ Elsie cried.
‘How do you know one human being from another?’ the Crow replied. ‘Besides ... Come on to the Palace.’
It led her along the terrace, and down some marble steps to a small arched door. ‘The tradesmen’s entrance,’ it explained. ‘Excuse it — the courtiers are crowding in by the front door.’ Then through long corridors and passages they went, and at last into the throne-room. Many crows stood about in respectful attitudes. On the golden throne, leaning a gloomy head upon the first joint of his right wing, the Sovereign of Crownowland was musing dejectedly. A little girl of about Elsie’s age sat on the steps of the throne nursing a handsome doll.
‘Who is the little girl?’ Elsie asked.
‘Curtsey! That’s the Princess,’ the Prime Minister Crow whispered; and Elsie made the best curtsey she could think of in such a hurry. ‘She wasn’t wicked enough to be turned into a crow, or poor enough to be turned into a pigeon, so she remains a dear little girl, just as she always was.’
The Princess dropped her doll and ran down the steps of the throne to meet Elsie.
‘You dear!’ she said. ‘You’ve come to play with me, haven’t you? All the little girls I used to play with have turned into crows, and their beaks are so awkward at doll’s tea-parties, and wings are no good to nurse dollies with. Let’s have a doll’s tea-party now, shall we?’
‘May we?’ Elsie looked at the Crow King, who nodded his head hopelessly. So, hand in hand, they went.
I wonder whether you have ever had the run of a perfectly beautiful pal
ace and a nursery absolutely crammed with all the toys you ever had or wanted to have: dolls’ houses, dolls’ china tea-sets, rocking-horses, bricks, nine-pins, paint-boxes, conjuring tricks, pewter dinner-services, and any number of dolls — all most agreeable and distinguished. If you have, you may perhaps be able faintly to imagine Elsie’s happiness. And better than all the toys was the Princess Perdona — so gentle and kind and jolly, full of ideas for games, and surrounded by the means for playing them. Think of it, after that bare attic, with not even a bit of string to play with, and no company but the poor little dead mouse!
There is no room in this story to tell you of all the games they had. I can only say that the time went by so quickly that they never noticed it going, and were amazed when the Crown nursemaid brought in the royal tea-tray. Tea was a beautiful meal — with pink iced cake in it.
Now, all the time that these glorious games had been going on, and this magnificent tea, the wisest crows of Crownowland had been holding a council. They had decided that there was no time like the present, and that Elsie had better try to tame the dragon soon as late. ‘But,’ the King said, ‘she mustn’t run any risks. A guard of fifty stalwart crows must go with her, and if the dragon shows the least temper, fifty crows must throw themselves between her and danger, even if it cost fifty-one crow-lives. For I myself will lead that band. Who will volunteer?’
Volunteers, to the number of some thousands, instantly stepped forward, and the Field Marshal selected fifty of the strongest crows.
And then, in the pleasant pinkness of the sunset, Elsie was led out on to the palace steps, where the King made a speech and said what a heroine she was, and how like Joan of Arc. And the crows who had gathered from all parts of the town cheered madly. Did you ever hear crows cheering? It is a wonderful sound.
Then Elsie got into a magnificent gilt coach, drawn by eight white horses, with a crow at the head of each horse. The Princess sat with her on the blue velvet cushions and held her hand.
‘I know you’ll do it,’ said she; ‘you’re so brave and clever, Elsie!’
And Elsie felt braver than before, although now it did not seem so like a dream. But she thought of the martyrs, and held Perdona’s hand very tight.
At the gates of the green park the Princess kissed and hugged her new friend — her state crown, which she had put on in honour of the occasion, got pushed quite on one side in the warmth of her embrace — and Elsie stepped out of the carriage. There was a great crowd of crows round the park gates, and every one cheered and shouted ‘Speech, speech!’
Elsie got as far as ‘Ladies and gentlemen — Crows, I mean,’ and then she could not think of anything more, so she simply added, ‘Please, I’m ready.’
I wish you could have heard those crows cheer.
But Elsie wouldn’t have the escort.
‘It’s very kind,’ she said, ‘but the dragon only eats crows, and I’m not a crow, thank goodness — I mean I’m not a crow — and if I’ve got to be brave I’d like to be brave, and none of you to get eaten. If only some one will come with me to show me the way and then run back as hard as he can when we get near the dragon. Please!’
‘If only one goes I shall be the one,’ said the King. And he and Elsie went through the great gates side by side. She held the end of his wing, which was the nearest they could get to hand in hand.
The crowd outside waited in breathless silence. Elsie and the King went on through the winding paths of the People’s Park. And by the winding paths they came at last to the Dragon. He lay very peacefully on a great stone slab, his enormous bat-like wings spread out on the grass and his goldy-green scales glittering in the pretty pink sunset light.
‘Go back!’ said Elsie.
‘No,’ said the King.
‘If you don’t,’ said Elsie, ‘I won’t go on. Seeing a crow might rouse him to fury, or give him an appetite, or something. Do — do go!’
So he went, but not far. He hid behind a tree, and from its shelter he watched.
Elsie drew a long breath. Her heart was thumping under the black frock. ‘Suppose,’ she thought, ‘he takes me for a crow!’ But she thought how yellow her hair was, and decided that the dragon would be certain to notice that.
‘Quick march!’ she said to herself, ‘remember Joan of Arc,’ and walked right up to the dragon. It never moved, but watched her suspiciously out of its bright green eyes.
‘Dragon dear!’ she said in her clear little voice.
‘Eh?’ said the dragon, in tones of extreme astonishment.
‘Dragon dear,’ she repeated, ‘do you like sugar?’
‘Yes,’ said the dragon.
‘Well, I’ve brought you some. You won’t hurt me if I bring it to you?’
The dragon violently shook its vast head.
‘It’s not much,’ said Elsie, ‘but I saved it at tea-time. Four lumps. Two for each of my mugs of milk.’
She laid the sugar on the stone slab by the dragon’s paw.
It turned its head towards the sugar. The pinky sunset light fell on its face, and Elsie saw that it was weeping! Great fat tears as big as prize pears were coursing down its wrinkled cheeks.
‘Oh, don’t,’ said Elsie, ‘don’t cry! Poor dragon, what’s the matter?’
‘Oh!’ sobbed the dragon, ‘I’m only so glad you’ve come. I — I’ve been so lonely. No one to love me. You do love me, don’t you?’
‘I — I’m sure I shall when I know you better,’ said Elsie kindly.
‘Give me a kiss, dear,’ said the dragon, sniffing.
It is no joke to kiss a dragon. But Elsie did it — somewhere on the hard green wrinkles of its forehead.
‘Oh, thank you,’ said the dragon, brushing away its tears with the tip of its tail. ‘That breaks the charm. I can move now. And I’ve got back all my lost wisdom. Come along — I do want my tea!’
So, to the waiting crowd at the gate came Elsie and the dragon side by side. And at sight of the dragon, tamed, a great shout went up from the crowd; and at that shout each one in the crowd turned quickly to the next one — for it was the shout of men, and not of crows. Because at the first sight of the dragon, tamed, they had left off being crows for ever and ever, and once again were men.
The King came running through the gates, his royal robes held high, so that he shouldn’t trip over them, and he too was no longer a crow, but a man.
And what did Elsie feel after being so brave? Well, she felt that she would like to cry, and also to laugh, and she felt that she loved not only the dragon, but every man, woman, and child in the whole world — even Mrs. Staines.
She rode back to the Palace on the dragon’s back.
And as they went the crowd of citizens who had been crows met the crowd of citizens who had been pigeons, and these were poor men in poor clothes.
It would have done you good to see how the ones who had been rich and crows ran to meet the ones who had been pigeons and poor.
‘Come and stay at my house, brother,’ they cried to those who had no homes. ‘Brother, I have many coats, come and choose some,’ they cried to the ragged. ‘Come and feast with me!’ they cried to all. And the rich and the poor went off arm in arm to feast and be glad that night, and the next day to work side by side. ‘For,’ said the King, speaking with his hand on the neck of the tamed dragon, ‘our land has been called Crownowland. But we are no longer crows. We are men: and we will be Just men. And our country shall be called Justnowland for ever and ever. And for the future we shall not be rich and poor, but fellow-workers, and each will do his best for his brothers and his own city. And your King shall be your servant!’
I don’t know how they managed this, but no one seemed to think that there would be any difficulty about it when the King mentioned it; and when people really make up their minds to do anything, difficulties do most oddly disappear.
Wonderful rejoicings there were. The city was hung with flags and lamps. Bands played — the performers a little out of practice, because, of cour
se, crows can’t play the flute or the violin or the trombone — but the effect was very gay indeed. Then came the time — it was quite dark — when the King rose up on his throne and spoke; and Elsie, among all her new friends, listened with them to his words.
‘Our deliverer Elsie,’ he said, ‘was brought hither by the good magic of our Chief Mage and Prime Minister. She has removed the enchantment that held us; and the dragon, now that he has had his tea and recovered from the shock of being kindly treated, turns out to be the second strongest magician in the world, — and he will help us and advise us, so long as we remember that we are all brothers and fellow-workers. And now comes the time when our Elsie must return to her own place, or another go in her stead. But we cannot send back our heroine, our deliverer.’ (Long, loud cheering.) ‘So one shall take her place. My daughter — —’
The end of the sentence was lost in shouts of admiration. But Elsie stood up, small and white in her black frock, and said, ‘No thank you. Perdona would simply hate it. And she doesn’t know my daddy. He’ll fetch me away from Mrs. Staines some day....’
The thought of her daddy, far away in India, of the loneliness of Willow Farm, where now it would be night in that horrible bare attic where the poor dead untameable little mouse was, nearly choked Elsie. It was so bright and light and good and kind here. And India was so far away. Her voice stayed a moment on a broken note.
‘I — I....’ Then she spoke firmly.
‘Thank you all so much,’ she said—’so very much. I do love you all, and it’s lovely here. But, please, I’d like to go home now.’
The Prime Minister, in a silence full of love and understanding, folded his dark cloak round her.
* * * * *
It was dark in the attic. Elsie crouching alone in the blackness by the fireplace where the dead mouse had been, put out her hand to touch its cold fur.
* * * * *
There were wheels on the gravel outside — the knocker swung strongly—’Rat-tat-tat-tat — Tat! Tat!’ A pause — voices — hasty feet in strong boots sounded on the stairs, the key turned in the lock. The door opened a dazzling crack, then fully, to the glare of a lamp carried by Mrs. Staines.