Stories Jolly, Stories New, Stories Strange and True

Epigraph

“For the last hundred years I have tried faithfully to fulfil his wishes. I have carried water to fill the buckets and tubs of all the good neighbours round the Orange Garden; I have watered the gardens of all those who were poor or busy; I have brought fresh life to the plants and flowers.”

Herminé had listened to the Fountain Angel with absorbed interest; now she seized her crutch-stick, and jumped from her seat eagerly.

“Oh, let me help you!” she cried. “I know I can never work as well as other children, because I am lame; but ‘please’ teach me to be useful, and show me what I can do!”

“Yes, you shall help me, little friend,” said the marble child. “Poor old Bernhardt is too old now to water his garden himself, so I do it every night for him, and you shall help.”

He put a watering-can into Herminé’s hand exactly like the one he carried himself, and when she had once filled it at the fountain she noticed that it always remained full of bubbling water.

Note

So there they worked together, the little girl and the Fountain Angel. In and out amongst the banks of flowering bushes tapped Herminé’s crutch, and in and out darted the white form of the marble child, whilst a beautiful scent of fresh, moist earth and orange bloom rose upon the air.