Tales Before Tolkien by Douglas A. Anderson Read Free Book Online

ornament upon her, but she looked as if she had just put off quantities of diamonds and emeralds. Yet here she was in the simplest, poorest little cottage, where she was evidently at home. She was dressed in shining green.
    The girl looked at the lady, and the lady looked at the girl.
    â€œWhat is your name?” asked the lady.
    â€œThe servants always called me Tangle.”
    â€œAh, that was because your hair was so untidy. But that was their fault, the naughty women! Still it is a pretty name, and I will call you Tangle too. You must not mind my asking you questions, for you may ask me the same questions, every one of them, and any others that you like. How old are you?”
    â€œTen,” answered Tangle.
    â€œYou don’t look like it,” said the lady.
    â€œHow old are you, please?” returned Tangle.
    â€œThousands of years old,” answered the lady.
    â€œYou don’t look like it,” said Tangle.
    â€œDon’t I? I think I do. Don’t you see how beautiful I am?”
    And her great blue eyes looked down on the little Tangle, as if all the stars in the sky were melted in them to make their brightness.
    â€œAh! but,” said Tangle, “when people live long they grow old. At least I always thought so.”
    â€œI have no time to grow old,” said the lady. “I am too busy for that. It is very idle to grow old.—But I cannot have my little girl so untidy. Do you know I can’t find a clean spot on your face to kiss?”
    â€œPerhaps,” suggested Tangle, feeling ashamed, but not too much so to say a word for herself—“perhaps that is because the tree made me cry so.”
    â€œMy poor darling!” said the lady, looking now as if the moon were melted in her eyes, and kissing her little face, dirty as it was, “the naughty tree must suffer for making a girl cry.”
    â€œAnd what is your name, please?” asked Tangle.
    â€œGrandmother,” answered the lady.
    â€œIs it, really?”
    â€œYes, indeed. I never tell stories, even in fun.”
    â€œHow good of you!”
    â€œI couldn’t if I tried. It would come true if I said it, and then I should be punished enough.”
    And she smiled like the sun through a summer-shower.
    â€œBut now,” she went on, “I must get you washed and dressed, and then we shall have some supper.”
    â€œOh! I had supper long ago,” said Tangle.
    â€œYes, indeed you had,” answered the lady—“three years ago. You don’t know that it is three years since you ran away from the bears. You are thirteen and more now.”
    Tangle could only stare. She felt quite sure it was true.
    â€œYou will not be afraid of anything I do with you—will you?” said the lady.
    â€œI will try very hard not to be; but I can’t be certain, you know,” replied Tangle.
    â€œI like your saying so, and I shall be quite satisfied,” answered the lady.
    She took off the girl’s night-gown, rose with her in her arms, and going to the wall of the cottage, opened a door. Then Tangle saw a deep tank, the sides of which were filled with green plants, which had flowers of all colours. There was a roof over it like the roof of the cottage. It was filled with beautiful clear water, in which swam a multitude of such fishes as the one that had led her to the cottage. It was the light their colours gave that showed the place in which they were.
    The lady spoke some words Tangle could not understand, and threw her into the tank.
    The fishes came crowding about her. Two or three of them got under her head and kept it up. The rest of them rubbed themselves all over her, and with their wet feathers washed her quite clean. Then the lady, who had been looking on all the time, spoke again; whereupon some thirty or forty of the fishes rose out of the water underneath Tangle, and so bore her up to the arms the lady held out to take her. She carried her back to