Josef Kožíšek

“ The fat aunts whirl in the corners and the thin aunts spin in the middle of the dance floor. Outside, under the windows, spreading their flowery skirts in the soft moonlight, the grandmothers twist and turn like coffee-mills.
Forward, backward, point your toe! Even the babies on the benches are part of the rhythm with their little gurgles and waving arms.
Midnight! The harebells chime the hour. The feasting is begun. Sweet wine and wedding cake, wedding cake and wine. The Maestro is a wonderful leader of music. The Maestro is a wonderful leader of eating. ”

“ CRICKET’S MAGIC FIDDLE.
Fire in the clearing! Cricket’s house burned down. By the time Hedgehog and Frog arrived, nothing was left but a little heap of ashes. Something had burst into flames among the dry leaves, and the little red fire had darted through the grasses and over Cricket’s home, and lapped it up in a twinkling. Poor Cricket! ”

“ How Knight Hedgehog appears, to slay him in fight,
Which to the small children may seem a sad sight.
But that he really is dead do not fear
For after the show most alive he’ll appear.
And everything then will be happy and grand
And you’ll think you’ve been living in fairy land.
Now come see our show, when the sun is down.
The big ones, one ducat, the children, one crown.
And those who’ve no money we’ll surely not see,
Just jump on the benches and so get in free. ”

“ The Cricket who raked the leaves, the one who hoed the ground, the one who piled the brush; they all came, and when they saw that fine new house and Cricket himself, his hard work done, they laughed and shouted with joy. They waved their arms. They doubled their legs. They scraped their little brown bodies, making the magic music they had come to dance to.
»You see I was wise to save that fiddle,« said Cricket. »Anyone can build a house, you know, but not everyone can have a magic fiddle. ”

“ Not little Brown Mouse from the field, nor Grey Mouse from the house, but dainty Princess White Mouse who has married White-foot Wood Mouse at sunset. They march under the arch of sword grass and wild rose garlands to the festooned cottage of the happy couple. ”

“ Joy is like an empty well. The wedding cake is cut in such thin slices he must munch platters of them. Never mind the dancers! Everyone must eat and drink. After the others are finished and waiting for more music, Maestro must still eat and drink. ”

“ There is no treasure in the world can equal my long lost little daughter, Tiny.«
»You sound like a story-book, Father Frog,« laughed Jumping Jack. »We found Tiny, and knew that some day you would leave that old swamp and come to a less golden but more peaceful home under the lilies so we kept your sweet little singer safely for you.«
»My treasure,« whispered Mother Frog softly.
»No, OUR treasure, our treasure,« said Father. »For the first time, I can call myself a rich man, a rich man, a rich man. ”

“ Dentist Mole lived beside Red Rock on the other side of the clearing, but Old Mole tore across the space without stopping to catch his breath. He darted into Doctor Mole’s and sank into the first chair, howling so loudly that the dentist could scarcely get reason or sense from him. After every tooth was looked at carefully, Doctor Mole shook his head. »This is really very strange,« he said. »There’s not a bad tooth in your head, sir. You must have been bad to your own teeth. Did you crunch anything not intended for Mole and molar teeth? ”

“ The Crickets strummed with their wings and legs, and before they knew what they were doing they were playing away on hidden magic fiddles of their own. For courage and hope, for beauty and joy, for happiness, patience and the harvest moon, and for dancing on a Saturday night, they have all been fiddling merrily ever since. ”

“ Old Mole had the unhappy failing of being much too fond of baby rabbits and young nestlings. He just couldn’t resist them! After he had eaten them, he would cry and make a solemn promise to never do so again, but alas! he always broke it.
One summer night he sprang from his bed with a shriek of pain, and clutched his face. Between his yells, Goodwife Mole discovered he had a toothache. Poor fellow! First Goodwife ran with hot applications, then with cold; she put poultices outside and drops inside. Nothing seemed to help him in the least. ”

“ At last he had learned where the young rabbits romped through the cornfield. He cared never a bit for his patient, but he did care for the fine feast he looked forward to having by himself. That is why he ordered Old Mole to bed. He wanted no interruptions in the marauding expeditions.
Early next morning, Old Mole went to see Doctor Mole, happy that his aches and pains had completely disappeared, and willing to pay whatever the dentist asked. When he entered the office, there sat Doctor Mole, his head bound in poultices and mufflers, his eyes red with pain, and his throat swollen and sore. ”

“ I’ve hunted everywhere to find out where that fruit grows, but it’s only to be found in Man’s house. Just you taste it, Marmot.« She broke off a bit of the cheese, but the other animals would not venture. They were content with the bread, the cake and the nuts. As for Cricket and Bee, they nibbled at the strawberries.
It was Frog who ate the least, so he sat thinking and planning. He was sure the Children would come for the food and the basket.
»Good!« he exclaimed at last. »I have a plan. We can pay for the things. People like pay for things, and they’ll take anything for pay. ”

“ Dr. Maybug wiped it off as he said sorrowfully, »Alas, he still lies in his thistle-down bed, all a-shake and a-shiver. Nothing will cure him, I fear.«
Just then Cockchafer bustled in, and in either hand she carried an acorn cup. »This is terrible,« she chattered. »Poor Flicker so sick, and the other fireflies all sitting outside on the honeysuckle vine, mourning. The forest is black as pitch! But no need to worry longer, for I have brought just the thing. See? A cup of camomile tea, and a cup of peppermint tea. Give them both to him, Dr. Maybug. ”

“ The animals thought a long time about their rights to the lunch, for they were very fair little folk, and had long since learned to let Man’s things alone. It was true Mouse went into the pantries and Marmot into the rye fields, but neverthless they liked to believe they only took what was their own. ”

“ He never had anything himself, and couldn’t give away on feast days so much as a mosquito’s ear. Yet somehow he always managed to point out food and shelter to all who came his way, and could tell anyone anything about the entire swamp. ”

“ Should they stay at home in their stuffy houses, when they could be down here in the clearing in the dingle dell, listening to our marvellous work, then I’m sure all we can say is that we’ve done our best. ”

“ He went out before me this morning, and I forgot all about him, for I was on my way to Hare’s to see what he wanted of me. When I saw those carrots, I remembered that he left early. I know Fox has eaten him by this time.«
»Perhaps yes, perhaps no,« chuckled Hedgehog. »Five are better than four; four are better than three; three are better than two; two are better than one. Let’s search for them all together. But first, let’s stop in and see Hare a minute. It’s his birthday, and I’ve some fine presents for him. ”

“ The two little sisters stared with their big eyes, then ran to their mother with their aprons full of fern and poppy seed. The poor patient woman brewed a tea of it, and the three held a cupful to Flicker’s lips. ”

“ It was this star-gold Frog counted as his, swelling with pride and croaking to himself over it, night after night when the weather was fine.
»No one is more rich than I, than I, than I,« he rumbled over and over. »Mother shall make me a bag, a bag, a bag, for my golden ducats. ”

“ She began spinning a web over the opening of the water jug to show her skill. The animals all began thinking of things to do while building the Animals’ Theatre, and elected Frog as Manager and Firefly as the Stage Light. ”

“ But he had!
»Don’t I give you the best of food.« Goodwife cried. »Barley broth, rye rolls, seed cakes and what not? Some day you’ll be punished for eating the poor little innocents,« she wailed. »And you promised last time you never would again. ”

“ Gold Bug in the lilac tree.«
»Someone must defend the clearing,
Though he need not forfeit life.
Otherwise, this time to-morrow
Those not killed will die of sorrow,
Mourning husband, children, wife! ”