The City Curious Part 15

[Ill.u.s.tration: "WE'RE WAITING FOR THE SUN TO GO DOWN"]

"Then," said Smaly, "tell us the whole history of the Prisoner."

"Ah," replied the Tea-Cosy, "the Historian has the monopoly of the local chronicles. We others can't even remember what happens in this country.

But I can tell you what the Prisoner's life was like before he came here and was put in his sugar-cane prison."

"We know that they cut off his head," interrupted Smaly.

"Of course if you know all about it it's not worth while my telling you the story, it will be so short," said the Tea-Cosy huffily.

Smaly managed to soothe the Tea-Cosy, which then told them the following story:

"THE STORY OF DJORAK

"My story begins on a Sat.u.r.day, which was also market-day. There was a great crowd in all the streets. The chariot where Djorak was seated with the Executioner could barely force a way through the ma.s.s of people.

Every one who had the leisure to do so followed the chariot of the condemned; others, who had not, took the time out of their work, or their luncheon hour. Servants out shopping followed it with their laden baskets on their arms. Great ladies sent away their sedan-chairs so that they might fight their way on foot, where no vehicles, however small, could have pa.s.sed, so dense was the crowd.

"When he arrived at the scaffold Djorak sat down. He was a little pale, which is not to be wondered at, for it was enough to put any man out.

"The Executioner vested himself in his red robe, and taking out of his chariot a small grindstone he began to sharpen the pair of scissors with which he was going to cut off Djorak's head.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SERVANTS OUT SHOPPING FOLLOWED IT WITH THEIR LADEN BASKETS ON THEIR ARMS]

"The Prisoner, for his part, was so upset when he saw the scissors being sharpened that he neglected to respond to the farewell salutes of his friends, which they wafted to him across the barrier of policemen that surrounded the scaffold.

"It seemed to Djorak that he must be in a dream.

"Quite little things of no importance from every period of his life pa.s.sed before the eyes of his imagination.

"He found himself thinking of a hen that his parents had possessed when he was a very little boy. This hen had been extremely intelligent.

"One day she had found herself unable to break the sh.e.l.l of a snail, so she had gone to the stock-pot and taken out a lettuce-leaf. She came back, her bright eyes twinkling, laid the leaf down before the snail and hid herself.

"Presently the snail began to shoot out his horns.

"Then his head.

"Then his whole body.

"It was exactly what the hen had wished to see.

"The hen gazed at it.

"The hen laughed.

"The hen opened her beak.

"The hen gobbled the snail up.

"This and equally ridiculous happenings pa.s.sed through the Prisoner's brain. He remembered his mother, and how she used thoughtfully to put an ash-tray in his pocket when----"

[Ill.u.s.tration: HE THRUST HIS FACE INTO ROSES COVERED WITH DEW]

"We know all about the ash-tray," said Smaly and Redy together.

"Very well, very well, I'll leave out the ash-tray," said the Tea-Cosy.

"But do you know also how when he wanted his mother to do anything in particular for him, he thrust his face into roses covered with dew?"

"No, we don't know that."

"Well," continued the Tea-Cosy, "when he withdrew his face it would be covered with dew from the roses, and he would say to his mother:

"'Only look how I am crying....'

"Djorak thought of this and of a thousand other things. He had an excellent memory.

"Meanwhile the moment of his death was approaching.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE EXECUTIONER BANDAGED HIS EYES]

"The Executioner bandaged his eyes, then turned towards the crowd and, according to custom, demanded:

"'Has any one in this town any objection to the way in which I am about to employ this magnificent pair of scissors?'

"The Chief of Police answered, also according to custom: 'Have the scissors been sharpened according to rule?'

"The crowd merely cried out, 'Can they cut?'

"The Executioner thereupon took several old newspapers and, holding them out before the crowd, began to cut them into fine strips. Next he took some old cardboard boxes, which he treated in the same way. Finally he cut up whole logs of wood into thin circles. In order that every one might see, he did these things in front of him, behind him, to the right and to the left.

"These experiments seemed to satisfy the crowd; but the Chief of Police still hesitated. Finally he approached the Executioner and, leaning forward, said in his ear:

"'Excuse me, I beg of you, my dear friend, if I seem indiscreet; but I am merely doing my duty. The King has particularly commanded that all the rules shall be observed. Therefore you will understand that I am bound to ask you three questions to a.s.sure myself that you really have the strength to use these scissors successfully.

"'1. Have you eaten three hard-boiled eggs this morning?

"'2. Have you eaten three rashers of bacon this morning?

"'3. Have you played a game of football this morning?'

"To each question the Executioner replied with a nod of the head.

"'Then get on with it,' said the Chief of Police.

"The Executioner raised the scissors towards the sky, turning himself about to all points of the compa.s.s. Then with a brisk movement he lowered the scissors, opened them and shut them again, and the head of Djorak tumbled to the ground."