[CHAPTER I] & [CHAPTER II]

[CHAPTER I] Little Ones in Trouble

"SEEMS to me, Chub," said Twinkle, "that we're lost." "Seems to me, Twink," said Chubbins, "that it isn't we that's lost. It's the path." "It was here a minute ago," declared Twinkle. "But it isn't here now," replied the boy. "That's true," said the girl. It really was queer. They had followed the straight path into the great forest, and had only stopped for a moment to sit down and rest, with the basket between them and their backs to a big tree. Twinkle winked just twice, because she usually took a nap in the afternoon, and Chubbins merely closed his eyes a second to find out if he could see that long streak of sunshine through his pink eyelids. Twinkle piscou os olhos apenas duas vezes, porque normalmente dormia a sesta à tarde, e Chubbins limitou-se a fechar os olhos um segundo para ver se conseguia ver aquela longa faixa de sol através das suas pálpebras cor-de-rosa. Yet during this second, which happened while Twinkle was winking, the path had run away and left them without any guide or any notion which way they ought to go.

Another strange thing was that when they jumped up to look around them the nearest trees began sliding away, in a circle, leaving the little girl and boy in a clear space. And the trees continued moving back and back, farther and farther, until all their trunks were jammed tight together, and not even a mouse could have crept between them. E as árvores continuaram a andar para trás e para trás, cada vez mais longe, até que todos os seus troncos ficaram apertados uns contra os outros, e nem um rato conseguiria passar entre eles. They made a solid ring around Twinkle and Chubbins, who stood looking at this transformation with wondering eyes.

"It's a trap," said Chubbins; "and we're in it." "It looks that way," replied Twinkle, thoughtfully. "Isn't it lucky, Chub, we have the basket with us? If it wasn't for that, we might starve to death in our prison." "Oh, well," replied the little fellow, "the basket won't last long. There's plenty of starve in the bottom of it, Twinkle, any way you can fix it." Há muita fome no fundo, Twinkle, de qualquer maneira que possas arranjar". "That's so; unless we can get out. Whatever do you suppose made the trees behave that way, Chubbins?

"Don't know," said the boy. Just then a queer creature dropped from a tree into the ring and began moving slowly toward them. Nesse momento, uma criatura estranha caiu de uma árvore para o ringue e começou a mover-se lentamente na direção deles. It was flat in shape, like a big turtle; only it hadn't a turtle's hard shell. Tinha uma forma achatada, como uma tartaruga grande, só que não tinha a carapaça dura da tartaruga. Instead, its body was covered with sharp prickers, like rose thorns, and it had two small red eyes that looked cruel and wicked. Em vez disso, o seu corpo estava coberto de espinhos afiados, como espinhos de rosas, e tinha dois pequenos olhos vermelhos que pareciam cruéis e perversos. The children could not see how many legs it had, but they must have been very short, because the creature moved so slowly over the ground.

When it had drawn near to them it said, in a pleading tone that sounded soft and rather musical: Quando se aproximou deles, disse, num tom de súplica que soava suave e bastante musical:

"Little girl, pick me up in your arms, and pet me!" "Menina, pega em mim nos teus braços e faz-me festas!" Twinkle shrank back. A Twinkle encolheu-se.

"My! I couldn't think of doing such a thing," she answered. Then the creature said:

"Little boy, please pick me up in your arms, and pet me!" "Go 'way!" shouted Chubbins. "I wouldn't touch you for anything." "Eu não te tocaria por nada." The creature turned its red eyes first upon one and then upon the other. A criatura virou os seus olhos vermelhos primeiro para um e depois para o outro.

"Listen, my dears," it continued; "I was once a beautiful maiden, but a cruel tuxix transformed me into this awful shape, and so must I remain until some child willingly takes me in its arms and pets me. "Escutem, meus queridos", continuou; "Eu já fui uma bela donzela, mas um tuxix cruel transformou-me nesta forma horrível, e assim tenho de ficar até que alguma criança me pegue de bom grado nos braços e me acaricie. Then, and not till then, will I be restored to my proper form." Então, e só então, voltarei à minha forma correcta". "Don't believe it! Don't believe it!" cried a high, clear voice, and both the boy and the girl looked quickly around to see who had spoken. gritou uma voz alta e clara, e tanto o rapaz como a rapariga olharam rapidamente em volta para ver quem tinha falado. But no one besides themselves was in sight, and they only noticed a thick branch of one of the trees slightly swaying its leaves. Mas não se via mais ninguém para além deles, e só repararam num ramo grosso de uma das árvores que balançava ligeiramente as folhas.

"What is a tuxix?" asked Twinkle, who was beginning to feel sorry for the poor creature.

"It is a magician, a sorcerer, a wizard, and a witch all rolled into one," was the answer; "and you can imagine what a dreadful thing that would be." "É um mágico, um feiticeiro, um mago e uma bruxa, tudo num só", foi a resposta; "e podes imaginar que coisa terrível seria". "Be careful!" cried the clear voice, again. "It is the tuxix herself who is talking to you. Don't believe a word you hear!" At this the red eyes of the creature flashed fire with anger, and it tried to turn its clumsy body around to find the speaker. A esta altura, os olhos vermelhos da criatura brilharam de raiva e ela tentou virar o seu corpo desajeitado para encontrar o orador. Twinkle and Chubbins looked too, but only heard a flutter and a mocking laugh coming from the trees. Twinkle e Chubbins olharam também, mas apenas ouviram um bater de asas e um riso zombeteiro vindo das árvores.

"If I get my eye on that bird, it will never speak again," exclaimed the creature, in a voice of fury very different from the sweet tones it had at first used; and perhaps it was this fact that induced the children to believe the warning was from a friend, and they would do well to heed it. "Se eu puser os olhos nesse pássaro, ele nunca mais vai falar", exclamou a criatura, numa voz de fúria muito diferente dos tons doces que tinha usado no início; e talvez tenha sido este facto que induziu as crianças a acreditarem que o aviso era de um amigo e que fariam bem em ouvi-lo. "Whether you are the tuxix or not," said Twinkle, "I never will touch you. You may be sure of that." "Nor I," declared Chubbins, stoutly, as he came closer to the girl and grasped her hand in his own. "Nem eu", declarou Chubbins, com firmeza, enquanto se aproximava da rapariga e segurava a mão dela com a sua. At this the horrid thing bristled all its sharp prickers in anger, and said: Perante isto, a coisa horrenda arrepiou-se toda de raiva e disse:

"Then, if I cannot conquer you in one way, I will in another. Go, both of you, and join the bird that warned you, and live in the air and the trees until you repent your stubbornness and promise to become my slaves. Vão, os dois, e juntem-se ao pássaro que vos avisou, e vivam no ar e nas árvores até se arrependerem da vossa teimosia e prometerem tornar-se meus escravos. The tuxix has spoken, and her magical powers are at work. Go!" In an instant Twinkle saw Chubbins shoot through the air and disappear among the leaves of one of the tall trees. Num instante, a Twinkle viu o Chubbins disparar pelo ar e desaparecer entre as folhas de uma das árvores altas. As he went he seemed to grow very small, and to change in shape.

"Wait!" she cried. "I'm coming, too!" She was afraid of losing Chubbins, so she flew after him, feeling rather queer herself, and a moment after was safe in the tall tree, clinging with her toes to a branch and looking in amazement at the boy who sat beside her.

Chubbins had been transformed into a pretty little bird—all, that is, except his head, which was Chubbins' own head reduced in size to fit the bird body. It still had upon it the straw hat, which had also grown small in size, and the sight that met Twinkle's eyes was so funny that she laughed merrily, and her laugh was like the sweet warbling of a skylark. Ainda tinha o chapéu de palha, que também tinha ficado pequeno, e a visão que encontrou nos olhos da Twinkle foi tão engraçada que ela riu-se alegremente, e o seu riso era como o doce zumbido de uma cotovia. Chubbins looked at her and saw almost what she saw; for Twinkle was a bird too, except for her head, with its checked sunbonnet, which had grown small enough to fit the pretty, glossy-feathered body of a lark. Chubbins olhou para ela e viu quase o mesmo que ela; porque a Twinkle também era um pássaro, à exceção da cabeça, com o seu chapéu de sol axadrezado, que tinha crescido o suficiente para caber no bonito corpo de penas brilhantes de uma cotovia.

Both of them had to cling fast to the branch with their toes, for their arms and hands were now wings. The toes were long and sharp pointed, so that they could be used in the place of fingers.

"My!" exclaimed Twinkle; "you're a queer sight, Chubbins!" "So are you," answered the boy. "That mean old thing must have 'witched us." "Yes, we're 'chanted," said Twinkle. "And now, what are we going to do about it? We can't go home, for our folks would be scared nearly into fits. And we don't know the way home, either." "That's so," said Chubbins, fluttering his little wings to keep from falling, for he had nearly lost his balance. "É verdade", disse Chubbins, batendo as suas pequenas asas para não cair, pois quase perdeu o equilíbrio. "What shall we do?" she continued.

"Why, fly around and be gay and happy," said a clear and merry voice beside them. "Voem por aí e sejam alegres e felizes", disse uma voz clara e alegre ao lado deles. "That's what birds are expected to do!" [CHAPTER II] The Forest Guardian

Twinkle and Chubbins twisted their heads around on their little feathered necks and saw perched beside them a big bird of a most beautiful blue color. O Pintinho e o Chubbins viraram a cabeça para os seus pescoços emplumados e viram empoleirado ao lado deles um grande pássaro de uma cor azul muito bonita. At first they were a bit frightened, for the newcomer seemed of giant size beside their little lark bodies, and he was, moreover, quite fierce in appearance, having a crest of feathers that came to a point above his head, and a strong beak and sharp talons. No início, ficaram um pouco assustadas, pois o recém-chegado parecia ser um gigante em relação aos seus pequenos corpos de cotovia e, além disso, tinha um aspeto bastante feroz, com uma crista de penas que chegava a um ponto acima da cabeça, um bico forte e garras afiadas. But Twinkle looked full into the shrewd, bright eye, and found it good humored and twinkling; so she plucked up courage and asked: Mas a Twinkle olhou bem para o olho brilhante e perspicaz, e achou-o bem-humorado e cintilante; então ganhou coragem e perguntou:

"Were you speaking to us?" "Very likely," replied the blue bird, in a cheerful tone. "There's no one else around to speak to." "And was it you who warned us against that dreadful creature below in the forest?" she continued.

"It was." "Then," said Twinkle, "we are very much obliged to you." "Don't mention it," said the other. "I'm the forest policeman—Policeman Bluejay, you know—and it's my duty to look after everyone who is in trouble." "We're in trouble, all right," said Chubbins, sorrowfully. "Estamos em apuros, sim senhor", disse Chubbins, com tristeza. "Well, it might have been worse," remarked Policeman Bluejay, making a chuckling sound in his throat that Twinkle thought was meant for a laugh. "Bem, podia ter sido pior," comentou o polícia Bluejay, fazendo um som de riso na garganta que Twinkle pensou que era para rir. "If you had ever touched the old tuxix she would have transformed you into toads or lizards. That is an old trick of hers, to get children into her power and then change them into things as loathsome as herself." Esse é um velho truque dela, colocar as crianças em seu poder e depois transformá-las em coisas tão repugnantes como ela própria." "I wouldn't have touched her, anyhow," said Twinkle. "Nor I!" cried Chubbins, in his shrill, bird-like voice. gritou Chubbins, com a sua voz estridente e parecida com a de um pássaro. "She wasn't nice." "Still, it was good of you to warn us," Twinkle added, sweetly. The Bluejay looked upon the fluttering little things with kind approval. Then he laughed outright.

"What has happened to your heads?" he asked.

"Nothing, 'cept they're smaller," replied Chubbins. "But birds shouldn't have human heads," retorted the bluejay. "I suppose the old tuxix did that so the birds would not admit you into their society, for you are neither all bird nor all human. But never mind; I'll explain your case, and you may be sure all the birds of the forest will be kind to you." "Must we stay like this always?" asked Twinkle, anxiously.

"I really can't say," answered the policeman. "There is said to be a way to break every enchantment, if one knows what it is. "Diz-se que há uma forma de quebrar todos os encantamentos, se soubermos qual é. The trouble in these cases is to discover what the charm may be that will restore you to your natural shapes. But just now you must make up your minds to live in our forest for a time, and to be as happy as you can under the circumstances." Mas agora têm de se decidir a viver na nossa floresta durante algum tempo e a serem tão felizes quanto possível, dadas as circunstâncias." "Well, we'll try," said Chubbins, with a sigh. "That's right," exclaimed Policeman Bluejay, nodding his crest in approval. "The first thing you must have is a house; so, if you will fly with me, I will try to find you one." "I—I'm afraid!" said Twinkle, nervously.

"The larks," declared the bluejay, "are almost the strongest and best flyers we have. "As cotovias", declarou o gaio-azul, "são quase os mais fortes e melhores voadores que temos. You two children have now become skylarks, and may soar so high in the air that you can scarcely see the earth below you. Vocês, crianças, tornaram-se agora cotovias e podem voar tão alto no ar que mal conseguem ver a terra por baixo de vós. For that reason you need have no fear whatever. Be bold and brave, and all will be well." Sejam ousados e corajosos e tudo correrá bem". He spoke in such a kindly and confident voice that both Twinkle and Chubbins gained courage; and when the policeman added: "Come on!" Falou com uma voz tão gentil e confiante que tanto Twinkle como Chubbins ganharam coragem; e quando o polícia acrescentou: "Vamos!" and flew straight as an arrow into the air above the tree-tops, the two little skylarks with their girl and boy heads followed swiftly after him, and had no trouble in going just as fast as their conductor. e voou a direito como uma flecha para o ar, por cima das copas das árvores, os dois pequenos pássaros com as suas cabeças de menina e de menino seguiram-no rapidamente e não tiveram dificuldade em ir tão depressa como o seu condutor.

It was quite a pleasant and interesting experience, to dart through the air and be in no danger of falling. Foi uma experiência bastante agradável e interessante, lançar-se pelo ar sem correr o risco de cair. When they rested on their outstretched wings they floated as lightly as bubbles, and soon a joyous thrill took possession of them and they began to understand why it is that the free, wild birds are always so happy in their native state. Quando repousavam nas suas asas estendidas, flutuavam tão levemente como bolhas de sabão, e logo se apoderou deles uma emoção alegre e começaram a compreender porque é que os pássaros livres e selvagens são sempre tão felizes no seu estado nativo.

The forest was everywhere under them, for it was of vast extent. Presently the bluejay swooped downward and alighted near the top of a tall maple tree that had many thick branches. Em breve, o gaio-azul desceu e pousou perto do topo de um ácer alto, com muitos ramos grossos.

In a second Twinkle and Chubbins were beside him, their little hearts beating fast in their glossy bosoms from the excitement of their rapid flight. Just in front of them, firmly fastened to a crotch of a limb, was a neatly built nest of a gray color, lined inside with some soft substance that was as smooth as satin. Mesmo à sua frente, firmemente preso à virilha de um membro, estava um ninho bem construído de cor cinzenta, forrado por dentro com uma substância macia e suave como cetim.

"Here," said their thoughtful friend, "is the nest that Niddie Thrush and Daisy Thrush built for themselves a year ago. They have now gone to live in a wood across the big river, so you are welcome to their old home. It is almost as good as new, and there is no rent to pay." "It's awfully small!" "É muito pequeno!" said Chubbins.

"Chut-chut!" "Chut-chut!" twittered Policeman Bluejay. disse o polícia Bluejay no Twitter. "Remember you are not children now, but skylarks, and that this is a thrush's nest. "Lembrai-vos de que já não sois crianças, mas sim cotovias, e que este é um ninho de tordos. Try it, and you are sure to find it will fit you exactly." So Twinkle and Chubbins flew into the "house" and nestled their bodies against its soft lining and found that their friend was right. Assim, Twinkle e Chubbins voaram para a "casa" e aninharam os seus corpos contra o seu forro macio e descobriram que o seu amigo tinha razão. When they were cuddled together, with their slender legs tucked into the feathers of their breasts, they just filled the nest to the brim, and no more room was necessary. Quando estavam aninhados juntos, com as suas pernas esguias enfiadas nas penas dos seus seios, enchiam o ninho até à borda e não era necessário mais espaço.

"Now, I'll mark the nest for you, so that everyone will know you claim it," said the policeman; and with his bill he pecked a row of small dots in the bark of the limb, just beside the nest. "Agora, vou marcar o ninho para que todos saibam que o reclamou", disse o polícia; e com o seu bico fez uma fila de pequenos pontos na casca do tronco, mesmo ao lado do ninho. "I hope you will be very happy here, and this afternoon I will bring some friends to meet you. So now good-bye until I see you again." "Wait!" cried Chubbins. "What are we going to eat?" "Eat!" answered the bluejay, as if surprised. respondeu o gaio-azul, como que surpreendido. "Why, you may feast upon all the good things the forest offers—grubs, beetles, worms, and butterfly-eggs." "Ora, podes banquetear-te com todas as coisas boas que a floresta oferece - arbustos, escaravelhos, vermes e ovos de borboleta." "Ugh!" "Ugh!" gasped Chubbins. "It makes me sick to just think of it." "What!" "You see," said Twinkle, "we are not all birds, Mr. Bluejay, as you are; and that makes a big difference. We have no bills to pick up the things that birds like to eat, and we do not care for the same sort of food, either." Não temos contas para apanhar as coisas que os pássaros gostam de comer, e também não gostamos do mesmo tipo de comida." "What do you care for?" asked the policeman, in a puzzled voice.

"Why, cake and sandwitches, and pickles, and cheese, such as we had in our basket. "Ora, bolo e sanduíches, picles e queijo, tal como tínhamos no nosso cesto. We couldn't eat any live things, you see, because we are not used to it." The bluejay became thoughtful.

"I understand your objection," he said, "and perhaps you are right, not having good bird sense because the brains in your heads are still human brains. Let me see: what can I do to help you?" The children did not speak, but watched him anxiously.

"Where did you leave your basket?" he finally asked.

"In the place where the old witch 'chanted us." "No sítio onde a velha bruxa nos 'cantou'." "Then," said the officer of the forest, "I must try to get it for you." "It is too big and heavy for a bird to carry," suggested Twinkle. "Sure enough. Of course. That's a fact." He turned his crested head upward, trying to think of a way, and saw a black speck moving across the sky. Virou a cabeça para cima, tentando pensar numa maneira de o fazer, e viu uma mancha negra a mover-se no céu.

"Wait a minute! I'll be back," he called, and darted upward like a flash. Volto já", disse ele, e subiu como um relâmpago. The children watched him mount into the sky toward the black speck, and heard his voice crying out in sharp, quick notes. As crianças viram-no subir ao céu em direção à mancha negra e ouviram a sua voz a gritar em notas agudas e rápidas. And before long Policeman Bluejay attracted the other bird's attention, causing it to pause in its flight and sink slowly downward until the two drew close together. Em pouco tempo, o Policeman Bluejay atraiu a atenção da outra ave, fazendo-a parar o seu voo e descer lentamente até os dois se aproximarem. Then it was seen that the other bird was a great eagle, strong and sharp-eyed, and with broad wings that spread at least six feet from tip to tip. Então, viu-se que a outra ave era uma grande águia, forte e de olhos penetrantes, com asas largas que se estendiam, pelo menos, seis metros de ponta a ponta.

"Good day, friend eagle," said the bluejay; "I hope you are in no hurry, for I want to ask you to do me a great favor." "What is it?" asked the eagle, in a big, deep voice. perguntou a águia, com uma voz grande e profunda.

"Please go to a part of the forest with me and carry a basket to some friends of mine. I'll show you the way. It is too heavy for me to lift, but with your great strength you can do it easily." "It will give me pleasure to so favor you," replied the eagle, politely; so Policeman Bluejay led the way and the eagle followed with such mighty strokes of its wings that the air was sent whirling in little eddies behind him, as the water is churned by a steamer's paddles. "Então, o polícia Bluejay abriu caminho e a águia seguiu-o com golpes tão poderosos das suas asas que o ar se agitou em pequenos remoinhos atrás dele, tal como a água é agitada pelas pás de um barco a vapor. It was not very long before they reached the clearing in the forest. Não demorou muito até chegarem à clareira na floresta. The horrid tuxix had wriggled her evil body away, to soothe her disappointment by some other wicked act; but the basket stood as the children had left it. O horrendo tuxixe tinha-se afastado com o seu corpo maligno, para acalmar a sua desilusão com outro ato perverso qualquer; mas o cesto ficou como as crianças o tinham deixado.

The eagle seized the handle in his stout beak and found it was no trouble at all for him to fly into the air and carry the basket with him. A águia agarrou a pega com o seu bico robusto e viu que não lhe custava nada voar no ar e levar o cesto consigo.

"This way, please—this way!" chirped the bluejay; and the eagle bore the precious burden safely to the maple tree, and hung it upon a limb just above the nest. chilreou o gaio azul; e a águia levou o precioso fardo em segurança até ao ácer e pendurou-o num ramo mesmo por cima do ninho.

As he approached he made such a fierce fluttering that Twinkle and Chubbins were dreadfully scared and flew out of their nest, hopping from limb to limb until they were well out of the monstrous bird's way. Quando se aproximou, fez um barulho tão feroz que a Sininho e o Chubbins ficaram terrivelmente assustados e voaram do seu ninho, saltando de galho em galho até estarem bem longe do caminho da ave monstruosa. But when they saw the basket, and realized the eagle's kindly act, they flew toward him and thanked him very earnestly for his assistance. "Goodness me!" "Valha-me Deus!" exclaimed the eagle, turning his head first on one side and then on the other, that both his bright eyes might observe the child-larks; "what curious creatures have you here, my good policeman?" "Why, it is another trick of old Hautau, the tuxix. She found two children in the forest and enchanted them. She wanted to make them toads, but they wouldn't touch her, so she couldn't. Then she got herself into a fine rage and made the little dears half birds and half children, as you see them. Depois, ficou furiosa e transformou os queridinhos em metade pássaros e metade crianças, como se vê. I was in a tree near by, and saw the whole thing. Because I was sorry for the innocent victims I befriended them, and as this basket belongs to them I have asked you to fetch it to their nest." Por ter pena das vítimas inocentes, fiz amizade com elas e, como este cesto lhes pertence, pedi-lhe que o levasse ao seu ninho". "I am glad to be of service," replied the eagle. "If ever you need me, and I am anywhere around," he continued, addressing the larks, "just call me, and I will come at once." "Se alguma vez precisarem de mim, e eu estiver por perto", continuou, dirigindo-se às cotovias, "chamem-me, e eu virei imediatamente". "Thank you," said Twinkle, gratefully. "We're much obliged," added Chubbins. Then the eagle flew away, and when he was gone Policeman Bluejay also bade them good-bye. Depois a águia voou e, quando se foi embora, o polícia Bluejay também se despediu deles.

"I'll be back this afternoon, without fail," he said. "Just now I must go and look over the forest, and make sure none of the birds have been in mischief during my absence. "Agora mesmo tenho de ir dar uma vista de olhos à floresta e certificar-me de que nenhum dos pássaros andou a fazer travessuras durante a minha ausência. Do not go very far from your nest, for a time, or you may get lost. The forest is a big place; but when you are more used to it and to your new condition you can be more bold in venturing abroad." "We won't leave this tree," promised Twinkle, in an earnest voice. "Não vamos sair desta árvore", promete a Sininho, com uma voz séria. And Chubbins chimed in with, "That's right; we won't leave this tree until you come back." E o Chubbins respondeu: "É verdade, não vamos sair desta árvore até tu voltares". "Good-bye," said the policeman. "Good-bye," responded Twinkle and Chubbins. So the bluejay darted away and was soon lost to sight, and Twinkle and Chubbins were left alone to seriously consider the great misfortune that had overtaken them. Assim, o gaio-azul fugiu e perdeu-se de vista, e a Sininho e o Chubbins ficaram sozinhos a pensar seriamente na grande desgraça que os tinha apanhado.