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  [Illustration: The Zankiwank & The Bletherwitch]



  The Zankiwank
  and
  The Bletherwitch

  An Original Fantastic Fairy Extravaganza



  "_Imagination is always the ruling and divine power,
  and the rest of the man is only the instrument which
  it sounds, or the tablet on which it writes._"
                                              JOHN RUSKIN.



  [Illustration]



  THE ZANKIWANK & THE BLETHERWITCH

  BY S.J. ADAIR FITZGERALD

  WITH PICTURES BY ARTHUR RACKHAM

  [Illustration]

  LONDON J.M. DENT & Co.
  ALDINE HOUSE E.C. 1896



  _All Rights Reserved_



  To
  MY BLANCHE

  I AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBE
  THIS LITTLE BOOK




CONTENTS


  PART I
    A TRIP TO FABLE LAND                       1

  PART II
    THE FAIRIES' FEATHER AND FLOWER LAND      33

  PART III
    A VISIT TO SHADOW LAND                    91

  PART IV
    THE LAND OF TOPSY TURVEY                 119




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


                                                                  PAGE

  EVERYBODY MADE A RUSH FOR THE TRAIN                   _Frontispiece_

  THE ZANKIWANK AND THE BLETHERWITCH                      _Title Page_

  THE JACKARANDAJAM                                                  5

  MR SWINGLEBINKS                                                    7

  THEY WERE RUN INTO BY A DEMON ON A BICYCLE                        17

  BIRDS, BEASTS AND FISHES WERE HURRYING BY IN CONFUSING MASSES     19

  THE FROGS... PLAYING "KISS IN THE RING"                          24

  THEY WERE GLUED TO THE EARTH                                      27

  THE ELFIN ORCHESTRA                                               37

  I HAVE DISPATCHED THE JACKARANDAJAM AND MR SWINGLEBINKS IN A
    FOUR-WHEELED CAB                                                41

  A COMPANY OF FAIRIES... LEAPT FROM THE PETALS OF THE FLOWERS     45

  THE SLY JACKDAWS AND THE RAVENS... EVIDENTLY PLOTTING MISCHIEF   51

  ONE OF THE PRETTIEST DANCES YOU EVER SAW                          55

  TITANIA ARRIVED... WITH A FULL TRAIN OF FAIRIES AND ELVES        61

  WILLIE PINCHED HIS EXCEEDINGLY THIN LEGS, MAKING HIM JUMP
    AS HIGH AS AN APRIL RAINBOW                                     64

  PEASEBLOSSOM AND MUSTARD SEED                                     71

  QUEEN TITANIA AND HER COURT OF FAIRIES WERE EATING PUDDINGS
    AND PIES                                                        75

  THE TWO CHILDREN TUMBLED OFF NOTHING INTO A VACANT SPACE          79

  "KEEP THE POT A-BOILING," BAWLED THE ZANKIWANK                    83

  SO INTO SHADOWLAND THEY TUMBLED                                   87

  A WHOLE SCHOOL OF CHILDREN FOLLOWING MADLY IN THEIR WAKE          95

  THE GOBLINS STARTED OFF ON HORSEBACK                             101

  "THE UNFORTUNATE DOLL"                                           103

  THE WINNY WEG WAS DANCING IN A CORNER ALL BY HERSELF             106

  MAUDE AND WILLIE WERE RECLINING PEACEFULLY ON A GOLDEN COUCH
    WITH SILVER CUSHIONS                                           107

  A GAME OF LEAP-FROG                                              108

  A GREAT RED CAVERN OPENED AND SWALLOWED UP EVERYTHING            117

  "NOW THEN, MOVE ON!"                                             123

  THE WIMBLE AND THE WAMBLE                                        126

  JORUMGANDER THE YOUNGER... APPROACHED THEM WITH A CASE OF PENS  133

  "WHY, HERE HE IS!"                                               138

  THE ZANKIWANK ARGUING WITH THE CLERK OF THE WEATHER AND THE
    WEATHER COCK                                                   145

  TIME WAS MEANT FOR SLAVES                                        151

  CHILDREN WITH THE ODDEST HEADS AND FACES EVER SEEN          158, 159

  IT WAS A SORT OF SKELETON                                        163

  THE GRIFFIN AND THE PHOENIX                                      170

  THEY SPRANG INTO THE HASH                                        173

  DR PAMPLETON                                                     177

  NO ONE INDIVIDUAL GOT HIS OWN PROPER LIMBS FASTENED TO HIM       183

  THERE WAS JOHN OPENING THE CARRIAGE DOOR FOR THEM TO GET OUT     187




Part I

A Trip to Fable Land


  _By the Queen-Moon's mystic light,
  By the hush of holy night,
  By the woodland deep and green,
  By the starlight's silver sheen,
  By the zephyr's whispered spell,
  Brooding Powers Invisible,
  Faerie Court and Elfin Throng,
  Unto whom the groves belong,
  And by Laws of ancient date,
  Found in Scrolls of Faerie Fate,
  Stream and fount are dedicate.
  Whereso'er your feet to-day
  Far from haunts of men may stray,
  We adjure you stay no more
  Exiles on an alien shore,
  But with spells of magic birth
  Once again make glad the earth._
                                             PHILIP DAYRE.




A Trip to Fable Land


"Well," said the Zankiwank as he swallowed another jam tart, "I think we
had better start on our travels at once."

They were all standing under the clock at Charing Cross Station when the
station was closed