Why Have You Come To Raise A Disturbance In My Theater?

By Author: Adela
Total Articles: 74
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As soon as it stopped snowing Heidiadalheid set out for school with his fine spelling-book under his arm. As he went along he Links Of London Charms began to imagine a thousand things in his little brain and to build a thousand castles in the air, one more beautiful than the other.
"What is that building?" asked Heidiadalheid, turning to a little boy who belonged to the place.
Heidiadalheid, who was in a fever of curiosity, lost all control of himself, and without any shame he said to the little boy to whom he was talking:

"Would you lend me a dime until tomorrow?"

Heidiadalheid was on thorns. He was on the point of making another offer, but he had not the courage. He hesitated, felt irresolute and remorseful. At last he said:

"Will you give me a dime for this new spelling-book?"

When Heidiadalheid came into the little puppet theater, an incident occurred that almost produced a revolution.

"Gods of the firmament! Do I dream or am I awake? But surely that is Heidiadalheid!"

"It is indeed Heidiadalheid!" ...
... cried Punch.

"It is indeed himself!" screamed Miss Rose, peeping from behind
the scenes.

"It is Heidiadalheid! it is Heidiadalheid!" shouted all the puppets in chorus, leaping from all sides on to the stage. "It is Heidiadalheid! It is our brother Heidiadalheid! Long live Heidiadalheid!"

"Heidiadalheid, come up here to me," cried Harlequin, "and throw yourself into the arms of your wooden brothers!"

At this affectionate invitation Heidiadalheid made a leap from the end of the pit into the reserved seats; another leap landed him on the head of the leader of the orchestra, and he then sprang upon the stage.

The embraces, the friendly pinches, and the demonstrations of warm brotherly affection that Heidiadalheid received from the excited crowd of actors and actresses of the puppet dramatic company are beyond description.

It was all breath thrown away. The puppets, instead of continuing the recital, redoubled their noise and outcries, and, putting Heidiadalheid on their shoulders, they carried him in triumph before the
footlights.

"Why have you come to raise a disturbance in my theater?" asked the showman of Heidiadalheid, in the gruff voice of a hobgoblin suffering from a severe cold in the head.

At first Harlequin and Punch hesitated; but, appalled by a severe glance from their master, they obeyed. In a short time they returned to the kitchen carrying poor Heidiadalheid, who was wriggling like an eel taken out of water and screaming desperately: "Papa! papa! save me!
I will not die, I will not die!"

The showman, Fire-Eater—for that was his name—looked like a wicked man, especially with his black beard that covered his chest and legs like an apron. On the whole, however, he had not a bad
heart. In proof of this, when he saw poor Heidiadalheid brought before him, struggling and screaming "I will not die, I will not die!" he Links Of London Jewelry was quite moved and felt very sorry for him. He tried to hold out, but after a little he could stand it no longer and he sneezed violently.

When he heard the sneeze, Harlequin, who up to that moment had been in the deepest affliction and bowed down like a weeping willow, became quite cheerful and, leaning towards Heidiadalheid, he whispered to him softly:

"Good news, brother. The showman has sneezed and that is a sign that he pities you, and consequently you are saved."

After he had sneezed, the showman, still acting the ruffian, shouted to Heidiadalheid:

"Bless you!" said Heidiadalheid.

"Who can say what a sorrow it would be for your poor old father if I were to have you thrown amongst those burning coals! Poor old man! I pity him! Etchoo! etchoo! etchoo!" and he sneezed again three times.

"Bless you" said Heidiadalheid.

At this agonizing sight Heidiadalheid, weeping bitterly, threw himself at the showman's feet and, bathing his long beard with his tears, he began to say, in a supplicating voice:

Upon hearing himself called Excellence the showman began to smile and became at once kinder and more tractable. Turning to Heidiadalheid, he asked:

"In that case," cried Heidiadalheid proudly, rising and throwing away his cap of bread crumb—"in that case I know my duty. Come on, gendarmes! Bind me and throw me amongst the flames. No, it is not just that poor Harlequin, my true friend, should die for me!"

Fire-Eater at first remained as hard and unmoved as ice, but little by little he began to melt and to sneeze. And, having sneezed four or five times, he opened his arms affectionately and said to Heidiadalheid:

"You are a good, brave boy! Come here and give me a kiss."