Белая птичка
Lock-Out Time
IfonsuchanightwecouldremainbehindintheGardens,asthefamousMaimieManneringdid,wemightseedelicioussights,hundredsoflovelyfairieshasteningtotheball,themarriedoneswearingtheirwedding-ringsroundtheirwaists,thegentlemen,allinuniform,holdinguptheladies’trains,andlinkmenrunninginfrontcarryingwintercherries,whicharethefairy-lanterns,thecloakroomwheretheyputontheirsilverslippersandgetaticketfortheirwraps,theflowersstreamingupfromtheBabyWalktolookon,andalwayswelcomebecausetheycanlendapin,thesupper-table,withQueenMabattheheadofit,andbehindherchairtheLordChamberlain,whocarriesadandeliononwhichheblowswhenHerMajestywantstoknowthetime.
Thetable-clothvariesaccordingtotheseasons,andinMayitismadeofchestnut-blossom.Thewaysthefairy-servantsdoisthis:Themen,scoresofthem,climbupthetreesandshakethebranches,andtheblossomfallslikesnow.Thentheladyservantssweepittogetherbywhiskingtheirskirtsuntilitisexactlylikeatable-cloth,andthatishowtheygettheirtable-cloth.
Theyhaverealglassesandrealwineofthreekinds,namely,blackthornwine,berberriswine,andcowslipwine,andtheQueenpoursout,butthebottlesaresoheavythatshejustpretendstopourout.Thereisbreadandbuttertobeginwith,ofthesizeofathreepennybit;andcakestoendwith,andtheyaresosmallthattheyhavenocrumbs.
