One sunny day, as I was walking through the forest, I spotted a large ball in a glade near the oak-tree under which I usually sat. I ran forward to examine what it was, and found it was a big balloon, not a ball at all, dangling from a branch. I made up my mind that I would have some fun with it and invited all my friends.
But do you think it is easy to fly a big balloon? First of all, no one could see how to tie it to us, and I therefore suggested that we should all get into a large box covered with an embroidered cloth, which I intended to put at the end of a long string, but Caroline said this box was so large that we could never lift it off the ground.
“What about all of us holding the balloon by its string?” suggested Anna.
Then began a dreadful struggle. We had hardly made any way towards the river when Caroline sprained her foot and was obliged to lie down on the grass close to a little stream that bordered the field on which we were walking.
“I’ll go and fetch Mamma,” cried Anna; and soon the good mother came and took Caroline home, but she had hardly quitted us before Jenny fell over a stone and strained her back.
“No, I cannot possibly return,” cried she. “Have you no idea how to manage your balloon yourself?”
“I really have none,” I answered. “Let each of us link arms with the next so that we can all support one another, and then hold fast the balloon by the string. It will take some of the weight off.”
I was soon in the middle of the chain, and when the two ends joined I felt that in this way we should dangle along. But even then we made but little advance, for before we had gone a hundred yards Jenny began to moan and weep and said that her arms and legs were coming out of their sockets.
“Then I think you ought to return home,” I said, adding: “You have done all you could. As for you, Caroline, I am very sorry, but I do not see how we can go without our fifth.”
Angela volunteered all by herself to carry my Ma across the bridge, but I declined to put her to so much trouble, and was still at a loss when who should come along but our big ape. Now, I thought, we shall certainly manage it; but when the balloon was raised and we had got it tied round our stomachs, we had no sort of means left to carry the box under us.
I ran for a wheelbarrow that was standing in a neighbour’s yard, and this enabled us at least to carry the box.
The wheelbarrow was covered in front, and Angela being placed on the top as the lightest of the party, Dagobert took the two handles, and we slowly went along the path leading to the river.
I do not know if you have ever had the feeling of being lifted above the earth and sailing gently through the air. I could not help swinging my legs about when I was seated in the barrow, I was so happy; and on arriving on the banks of the river I got out of the wheelbarrow, which, with great difficulty, Dagobert had pushed across the light foot-bridge that connects the banks of the river.
Here the balloon was untied and filled with gas. We now cut away the bottom of the box, which Dagobert filled with bricks to keep it balanced, and then proceeded to a large green ricefield that was opposite the town. But we were already so high that we could no longer hear Angela calling out that if it became necessary we were to row with our arms like oars, and ascend or descend at our will by taking a little now and then out of the balloon.
At this moment there was a terrible whining and crashing. I was thrown to the bottom of the basket, and neither myself nor the others knew what had become of one another—whether Daeger or Angela had fallen out or whether the rope and the machine to which he was tied had broken. Over us were our bags, and Alexander was obliged to cut the cords. He was the best of little boys. Where had he got up to? But at this instant came such a crash, half the poles of the mast broke across, and there was such a shower of bricks and splinters that we were nearly killed. I was alone in the drift-boat, under the useless Bride of Saint Francis. The sun was setting; dusk came on mud so dark that near the church all the illuminations were being made and the fireworks got ready. Without knowing it before, I was to have an independent kingdom at my disposal, and saw a messenger of the unknown and invisible either Providence or Fate, the unmanegable character of which can be felt within ourselves. The brancard let down in the deserted rice field, awaiting the event. Little by little I stepped on to the parapet of the deserted houses. Then I surveyed the water more at my ease, thought of God’s presence in heaven, and went up to my nursery and bed.