Down the Snow Stairs. Alice Abigail Corkran
It ran up the tree that overshadowed the gate, and peered through the branches at Kitty.
“No, you are not Johnnie,” she answered, shaking her head. She was quite sure of that.
Down it jumped and began marching backward and forward with high steps, keeping time as to the sound of music. Its pretty boy-head was thrown back—mischief and sportiveness peeped out of its bright eyes.
Kitty thought she had never seen anything so pretty, playful, and delightful as this elfish being with its pointed ears, its tiny horns, and bit of a tail. “Who are you?” she asked.
“I!” The creature paused in its marching, laughed and sniffed the air, frisking to a measure of its own, first on one horny foot, then on the other, chanting as it frisked:
“I am what makes the kids jump, the kittens tumble, and the children dance.”
“Are you then a sprite?” asked Kitty.
The elfish being laughed louder, showing all its white teeth. Kitty thought it now looked more like an imp, as he went on skipping and chanting.
“I make the magpies steal; I make the goats butt; I make the children disobey.”
Saying this it ran up the tree again, caught at one of the branches, and swung itself backward and forward.
Kitty felt a little afraid on hearing that last speech; but she began to laugh again as she watched the creature darting gay as the birds or the pretty wildlings of the wood.
The next moment it scampered down. “Catch!” it cried, tapping her on the shoulder, and starting off at a run.
Clack! clack! went its bounding heels. The sound set those of Kitty bounding in pursuit. It was the merriest race. She chased her elfish play-fellow round and round the meadow; but she could never catch him. He always escaped her; tossing back his curly black hair and tiny horns. Still they scampered about until Kitty was quite giddy with play.
All at once the creature stopped short, and said:
“I know Johnnie. Come, let us look for Johnnie.”
“For Johnnie!” cried Kitty, bewildered. “Where shall we look for him?”
“In Naughty Children Land, of course!” he answered.
“Oh! Naughty Children Land! Naughty Children Land!” repeated Kitty, who vaguely felt as if she knew the place.
“I am sure Johnnie was naughty. You are naughty. I’ll bring you where all the naughty children are!” The elfin having stretched itself on the ground, put its elbows on the grass and its chin on its brown hands.
Kitty sat down opposite.
“Is the naughtiest child there?” she asked eagerly.
“The naughtiest!—yes, the very naughtiest. The greediest; the vainest; the mischievousest,” answered her elfin comrade, kicking up its heels.
“Are they punished?” asked Kitty.
“Punished! No, they are petted!” the queer creature replied, rolling itself round and round with laughing.
“I think I should like to go,” said Kitty.
“Come along; I’ll take you. It is the most comical place you ever saw;” and the goat-legged being sprang to its feet.
Kitty got up.
Her play-fellow opened the wicket-gate, and they passed out together into a broad and flowery path hand in hand.
Skip, skip, down the path they went together.
Skip, skip, through a lovely wood where grew all Kitty’s favorite flowers. Honeysuckles garlanded the way, and thrust out their waxen blossoms like fingers to catch them as they passed. Wild roses, that looked like fallen stars on the bushes; little pools of blue hyacinths, hosts of golden king-cups, ox-lips, and daisies lined the road.
Skip, skip, past a stream on which the water-lilies floated. Dragon-flies darted zigzag like jewels writing on the air. Butterflies hovered, birds sang. Red squirrels ran up trees and stopped cracking their nuts to look at them. A gray field-mouse peered out, moving its tiny mouth incessantly as if talking to itself. The trees rustled; the shadows waved as the breeze rocked the boughs.
Skip, skip, first on one cloven foot and one tiptoe, then on the other cloven foot and the other tiptoe, went Kitty’s guide and Kitty followed.
Suddenly they came to the oddest place Kitty had ever seen. It was right in the center of the wood on the other side of a ditch. They paused to look at it.
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