[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

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: The Zankiwank and The Bletherwitch by Fitzgerald
• 2: Found in Scrolls of Faerie Fate
• 3: They remembered Charing Cross Station quite well
• 4: Had been on a visit to their grandmama
• 5: To Charing Cross return Nay
• 6: I am afraid she is rather giddy
• 7: Anybody can be a Zoo but only one can be AEsop
• 8: They turned to consult King AEsop
• 9: And Maude and Willie finding themselves free
• 10: And trip about with mincing ging
• 11: Do you know what a conundrum is though
• 12: Maude took Willie's hand and urged the Zankiwank forward
• 13: With his pleasant little song of Chiff chaff
• 14: And the Jasmine shook with glee
• 15: Mocked the impudent Robin Goodfellow
• 16: And wanted to make their poems all licence
• 17: Although Queen Titania had declared that it was Midsummer
• 18: Sweet little posy Come to our garden fete
• 19: At this Robin Goodfellow grew nervous
• 20: The balloon burst against the wall
• 21: But as neither Willie nor Maude knew what a Winny Weg was
• 22: Oose left leg is no longer left
• 23: Winky eyes Why are you so peepy Ere the twilight dies
• 24: Hiding everything and everybody except the Winny Weg
• 25: I'll send her some cough lozenges
• 26: While the Wamble is differently constituted
• 27: Therefore he is my grandfather
• 28: But crammer is the correct word
• 29: He ought to have been a postman
• 30: Though personally he did not know the Clerk of the Weather
• 31: Prognostication ten minutes now
• 32: Or the bicycles will start without us
• 33: And who he stands still withal
• 34: In frocks just reaching to their knees
• 35: But it was not a Mahatma it was in fact Nobody
• 36: Responded the Phoenix somewhat hoarsely
• 37: A noun is the name of a person
• 38: To happily confirm my worst suspicions
• 39: Said the Court Physician promptly