River Legends; Or, Father Thames and Father Rhine
an indignity, I grieve to say that precisely the same punishment was
administered to the old creature, and that so efficaciously that she
presently fled, shrieking and rubbing herself with pain as she left the
castle, which she devoutly wished she had never entered.
The results which I have just described occupied barely ten minutes,
and within a quarter of an hour the three witches, with their attendant
bats, cats, hooded crows, and other animals who had constituted the
reserve, were in full flight from the castle. A certain number of the
snakes also made their escape in a curious manner. A strange-looking
being, in the shape of a man, with a huge vessel before him, had
mysteriously appeared near the castle wall just as the assault began,
and as soon as it was plain that the day was going against the attacking
party, he gathered up as many of the snakes as he could from their
painful position on and about the walls, filled the aforesaid vessel
with them (handling them all the while with the greatest tenderness),
and throwing it on his {202}shoulders, joined the witches in their
headlong flight, keeping up with them in a manner which would have been
marvellous, had not his love for the reptiles under whose form mankind
was first tempted to sin, his wild glances, and, above all, the tail
with which he was adorned, shown pretty clearly that he was Someone
whom no good people can think of without hoping he is very far from
themselves.
As the most formidable of their adversaries thus dashed off in headlong
flight from the castle, a ringing cheer arose from the mannikins within,
and a clear hoot of triumph proceeding from the owl {203}evinced his
sympathy with the victory of his subjects and friends.
All, however, was not over yet. A certain quantity of snakes, who had
either wriggled through holes in which the broken glass had been
less plentifully strewn, or the superior toughness of whose skin had
protected them better than that of their comrades, were still hissing
frightfully in the outer courtyard, which was also occupied by a
considerable number of rats, frogs, and toads. These evil creatures,
being left without the guidance of the witches who had lured them to the
place, were in considerable difficulty what, to do, and their alarm and
horror were great indeed when, loud sounding through the air, the
same voice which had given orders for the lighting up of the castle
pronounced the following words:--
“Those who have sought to enter here,
Protected by the witches’ charm,
May learn that nought can interfere
With power of Owl to work them harm.
Within this castle’s sacred wall,
Though mighty may the witches seem,
Their magic has no might at all--
The Owl and Nature reign supreme.
So, creatures foul, who crouch below,
Your usual instincts quickly take;
Cats, recognise your rat-like foe;
Frogs, tremble at the fangs of snake!”
Even as the voice ceased the creatures to whom the above words were
addressed seemed to feel their effects and to act at once upon the
instructions given. Without any delay, the cats who had dropped down
inside the castle walls on receiving the watery deluge with which the
mannikins had greeted them, rushed with fury upon the {204}unhappy rats
whom they saw before them, apparently forgetful of everything except
those natural instincts which led them to destroy and eat animals whom
they had ever been accustomed to regard as fit objects wherewith to
satisfy their hungry appetites. At the same instant it seemed to strike
the snakes that a perfectly legitimate opportunity had arisen for
feasting upon those frogs who were congregated in their immediate
vicinity, and, acting at once upon the idea, they commenced to swallow
the wretched creatures without any unnecessary delay.
The mannikins calmly looked down meanwhile, and watched their enemies
destroying each other until there was scarcely a live rat or frog left
in the place, and the toads had fled frantically into the wood for fear
the snakes should mistake them for frogs and they should be subjected to
a fate from which all their dabblings in magic art might not have been
able to preserve them. When the cries of the devouring and devoured
creatures below had pretty well ceased, and few save cats and snakes
were any longer to be seen in the courtyard, the owl gave a signal at
which the mannikins turned on the water which, unknown to any person
save themselves and their master, had been laid on to supply the castle
in case of fire, and which by a judicious arrangement of pipes could be
made to flood the courtyard at pleasure. The gorged cats and snakes were
unable to make any effort to escape, although the latter might probably
have swum safely off, many of them being water-snakes, and entertaining
no great objection to the element. But, alas for them! there was
one little circumstance which entirely prevented it. The _water was
boiling_; {205}having been conducted through the kitchen of the castle,
the large boilers of which had, by the owl’s orders, been carefully
heated for the occasion. The shrieks of the wretched animals were
dreadful to hear, when they became aware of the trap in which they had
been Caught and the cruel fate which awaited them, from which escape
was hopeless. They strove in vain to clamber up the walls or to creep
through the holes; wherever they succeeded in raising themselves up from
the water on to the walls, the mannikins with drawn swords and fierce
looks relentlessly pushed them back into the hot bath below, so that,
after a space of some twenty minutes or so, any person who desired a
meal of boiled cat and snake-sauce might have been easily accommodated,
and every one of the wretched creatures had perished.
Thus the castle was rid of the last of its invaders, and the mannikins
had only to let the water off, which they did by means of a large sewer
underneath the courtyard, the stone covering of which having been lifted
by means of a spring worked from above, the bodies of the slain were
washed below, and all traces of the battle and its victims were swept
away from that part of the castle in an incredibly short space of time.
Victory, entire and complete, now rested with the defenders of the
castle, and their joy may he easily imagined. Not a mannikin had been
slain or hurt, so effectually had they been protected by the power of
the great owl, and the defeat and loss which had been inflicted upon
their enemies had been of a character to prevent, or at all events
greatly to lessen, the probability of any future attacks.
The {206}little people passed the rest of the night in the most sensible
and proper way possible; that is to say, they put out the lights and
went to bed, which is a thing which every reasonable creature should do
at a proper hour, unless he happens to be desirous of weakening mind and
body by depriving both of their natural rest, and thereby shortening the
term of his existence.
The mannikins were astir early the next morning, putting everything
to rights after the confusion of the night’s adventures. The glass
was carefully picked out of the holes in the wall, the courtyards were
cleaned, the bodies of those of the enemy who had fallen outside
were decently buried, and the whole place resumed its former peaceful
appearance within a very few hours. Then the mannikins returned to their
usual lives; their swords were put away, their angry feelings forgotten,
and their time spent in singing, dancing, and merriment as heretofore.
Meanwhile the three witches were in a frame of mind by no means
enviable. Dame Stokes and Mother Wandle still smarted considerably from
the effects of the severe whipping which they had each received; and
although Goody Tickleback had, by her superior cunning, escaped that
disagreeable punishment, she suffered bitterly from mortified vanity and
disappointment at having been so entirely defeated in the attack which
she had planned against the castle of the mannikins. The three old women
took counsel together as to whether there was anything more to be done
against those whom they chose to consider their deadly enemies, or
whether they had better give it up as a bad job. Evil, however, never
sleeps or remains quiet if it can possibly help it, and {207}so strong
was the spirit of evil’s power over these wretched creatures that they
felt themselves constrained to go on with their wicked work, and to plot
and scheme something more against the innocent objects of their hatred.
Their proceedings, however, had been rendered somewhat more difficult by
the total failure which they had just experienced. They found the cats
resolute in their refusal to embark in any further enterprises of a
similar character to the last. The toads glared and spat dreadfully
from fright when the subject was merely alluded to; and as to the rats,
snakes, and frogs, they had suffered so heavily in the recent disaster
that it was impossible to expect that anything short of absolute
compulsion would induce a single one of them to take the field.
Under these circumstances the witches had recourse to the stoats and
polecats, who were a fierce and bloodthirsty race, and might be of
essential service if they could be persuaded to undertake the matter.
Indeed, Goody Tickleback bit her lips with vexation at having forgotten
to secure these powerful allies before, as she felt that they would have
materially contributed to the strength of her former expedition, and
consequently to its chance of success. Accordingly, having bribed them
with large promises of tender young rabbits, and having paid a portion
of the bribe in advance, which the cunning creatures insisted upon as a
condition of their doing anything at all, the wicked old women succeeded
in bringing a considerable army of stoats into the field, together with
a small but compact band of polecats. The wily dames had sorely tempted
the foxes and badgers of Windsor forest, but the former animals made
various {208}excuses, and the latter, having consulted a famous old
badger who lived at that time in the Brocas clump, declined altogether
to have anything to do with the matter. So the three witches led forth
their army, composed only of the animals I have mentioned, and arranged
to cross the river upon a certain evening. The particular place upon
which they had fixed to cross was at a considerable distance from any
bridge, and some of these animals therefore had to swim, whilst those
who could not or would not do so were provided with boats and rafts
constructed by the magic powers of the old women. They themselves
flew over in the usual manner, one as a bat, another on her famous
broomstick, and the third on her awful steed. Then they stood on the
opposite bank, awaiting their army, who, when they had finished all
their preparations, sharpened their teeth and claws, and made other
necessary arrangements, plunged into the river, and began to follow
their leaders.
And now occurred one of the most singular scenes which it has ever been
my good fortune to witness since I first presided over the destinies of
this noble river. I have seen a great many strange things and people,
Brother Rhine, and been a spectator of a great many curious sights.
Moreover, during a long period of years, I have carefully inquired into
and studied the natural habits and ways of living which distinguish the
numerous animals, birds, and beasts which inhabit the banks and waters
of my stream, in all of whom, indeed, I have ever taken that lively
interest which becomes a person in my position. But I may as well
frankly tell you at once that nothing ever astonished me more than the