Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rudyard Kipling
erns. But I knew what it was a sign of, and I followed him the whole slateful. But boy’s Magic doesn’t trouble me—or
like a weasel follows a rabbit. As good a boy as ever lived! I’ve Merlin’s either for that matter. I followed the Boy by the flashes
seen him with Sir Huon and the Lady Esclairmonde stepping and the whirling wildfire of his discontent, and oh, but I
just as they stepped to avoid the track of Cold Iron in a fur- grieved for him! Oh, but I grieved for him! He pounded back
row, or walking wide of some old ash-tot because a man had and forth like a bullock in a strange pasture—sometimes
left his swop-hook or spade there; and all his heart aching to alone—sometimes waist-deep among his shadow-hounds—
go straightforward among folk in housen all the time. Oh, a sometimes leading his shadow-knights on a hawk-winged
good boy! They always intended a fine fortune for him— horse to rescue his shadow-girls. I never guessed he had such
but they could never find it in their heart to let him begin. Magic at his command; but it’s often that way with boys.
I’ve heard that many warned them, but they wouldn’t be ‘Just when the owl comes home for the second time, I saw
warned. So it happened as it happened.
Sir Huon and the Lady ride down my Hill, where there’s not
‘One hot night I saw the Boy roving about here wrapped in much Magic allowed except mine. They were very pleased at
his flaming discontents. There was flash on flash against the the Boy’s Magic—the valley flared with it—and I heard them
clouds, and rush on rush of shadows down the valley till the settling his splendid fortune when they should find it in their
shaws were full of his hounds giving tongue, and the hearts to let him go to act and influence among folk in housen.
woodways were packed with his knights in armour riding Sir Huon was for making him a great King somewhere or
down into the water-mists—all his own Magic, of course. other, and the Lady was for making him a marvellous wise
Behind them you could see great castles lifting slow and splen- man whom all should praise for his skill and kindness. She
did on arches of moonshine, with maidens waving their hands was very kind-hearted.
at the windows, which all turned into roaring rivers; and then ‘Of a sudden we saw the flashes of his discontents turned
would come the darkness of his own young heart wiping out back on the clouds, and his shadow-hounds stopped baying.
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