Chapter I: Front Matter

THE FOREST
BEYOND
THE WOODLANDS

_BORZOI BOOKS FOR CHILDREN_

A LITTLE BOY LOST _by W. H. Hudson_

“In its sense of reality and in the unity of childhood with wild
nature, I know of no book with which to compare it.... I believe
that its appeal will be to children of different ages and to every
grown person who has any love of beauty or remembrance of
childhood. It is a wonderful book to read aloud to
children.”--Annie Carroll Moore in _The Bookman_.

“Miss Lathrop’s illustrations for ‘A Little Boy Lost’ and for ‘The
Three Mulla-Mulgars’ have placed her, at a bound, in the first rank
of American imaginative illustrators.”--_Chicago Evening Post._

_Beautifully illustrated in full color and black and white by Dorothy P. Lathrop._

THE THREE MULLA-MULGARS _by Walter de la Mare_

“The story concerns the adventures of three monkeys of royal blood
who have left their hut in the African jungle to seek the wonderful
kingdom of their Uncle.... A tale of strange creatures and strange
landscapes, of adventures and misadventures in faery forests. One
of those rare books that everyone will love.”--_Chicago Evening
Post._

_Illustrated in full color and black and white by Dorothy P. Lathrop._

THE FOREST BEYOND THE WOODLANDS _by Mildred Kennedy_

“A fairy story made up of the ideally right and reliable magic--the
bird-song guiding like a silver thread, through a quest that
carries us through all manner of portents and crouching perils to
rare delights beyond far horizons.... Made doubly delightful by the
inclusion of fifteen really extraordinary silhouettes done for the
book by Miss Vianna Knowlton.”--_Helen Thomas Follett._

THE WONDER WORLD WE LIVE IN _by Adam Gowans Whyte_

A book that makes the foundations of real science more thrilling,
more romantic, and more simply comprehensible than the usual
pseudo-scientific books for children, and that will delight any
child whose eyes are opening to the wonders of the
world.--_Profusely illustrated._

PRINCE MELODY IN MUSIC LAND _by Elizabeth Simpson_

“A very delightful book for children. The author has translated
much of the dry technique of music lore into a series of connected
fairy stories. Children will enjoy while learning.”--_Philadelphia
Ledger._

_Illustrations by Mary Virginia Martin._

THE FOREST
BEYOND
THE WOODLANDS

A Fairy Tale By
Mildred Kennedy

With silhouettes by
Vianna Knowlton

New York ALFRED·A·KNOPF 1921
]

COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY
ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO

FLORENCE A. BROWNE

THE MOTHER OF

KEN AND DICK

FOR WHOM THIS TALE WAS WRITTEN

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I DAVID 13

II THE BLUE BIRD’S TRAIL 25

III THE LITTLE DOOR IN THE TREE TRUNK 33

IV AT THE COBBLER’S COTTAGE 41

V THE MANSION OF HAPPINESS 57

VI THE PALACE OF THE BRONZE KING 71

VII IN THE PALACE 81

VIII A MESSAGE FROM RUTH 87

IX THE HUT IN THE FOREST 101

X THE WINGED HORSE 111

XI THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING 118

XII THE RESCUE 129

XIII THE BURNING MOUNTAIN 138

XIV THE GARDEN 145

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

“HERE,” SAID DAVID, “TAKE THIS BIRCH CUP--” 22

DAVID RAN TO THE FOOT OF THE TREE, FASTENED THE HEAD OF HIS AX IN THE HOLE 30

“FOLLOW YOUR NOSE TILL YOU GET THERE,” DAVID LOOKED UP AT HIM IN SURPRISE 38

THE MONTHS PASSED BY AND DAVID AND RUTH WORKED AND WORKED FOR THE COBBLER 46

THE NEXT NIGHT THE MOON SHONE BRIGHTLY. DAVID HAD JUST CRAWLED INTO BED 70

SHE ROSE TO HER FEET, STRETCHED HER HANDS TOWARD THE GREAT BRIGHT SUN AND PRAYED 74

THE LARGE ROSE-GARDEN ENCLOSED BY THE HIGH BRICK WALL WAS THE ONLY SPOT OUTSIDE THE PALACE ITSELF, WHERE RUTH WAS PERMITTED TO WANDER 82

FAR AWAY IN THE DISTANCE HE SAW THE PALACE OF THE GREAT BRONZE KING 88

KNEELING BESIDE A LOW OAK CHEST HE TOOK A RUSTY KEY AND FITTED THIS INTO THE WORN KEYHOLE 106

“YOU MUST TAKE ME TO THE BRONZE KING’S DOMAIN” 116

SO SHE SANG ONE AFTER ANOTHER THE SONGS THAT SHE AND DAVID HAD LOVED 122

“THIS WAY, RUTH, THIS WAY,” WHISPERED DAVID 128

THEY TOLD ONE ANOTHER OF ALL THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE 138

“WELCOME, CHILDREN,” SHE SAID, “WELCOME TO YOUR COTTAGE” 150

THE FOREST BEYOND THE WOODLANDS