CHAPTER XXXV

The Dove-Cot and its Management

My wife took care of my pigeons, and approved of the plan of a dove-cot; consequently the waggon was immediately loaded with provisions, and all that was necessary for an excursion of some days, and we set out for the grotto. As soon as we arrived, I chose that part of the rock next our grotto as the situation of our dove-cot; and as the rock, after the outside layer was pierced, became softer, we soon made an excavation ten feet high, and large enough to contain twenty pairs of pigeons; two perches ran through the whole length, and, projecting out in front, with a board nailed across, formed a platform, which we protected by a slight roof; a door with a hole to admit light closed the front; and a rope ladder suspended from one of the perches enabled us to mount up, and look after the inhabitants. It cost us several weeks of constant labour to finish the construction, fix the boards strongly in their places, cover the inside with a coat of plaster, to prevent humidity, and arrange the perches, the nests, etc.

“There is the edifice,” said I to Fritz; “but where are the inhabitants? We must call into action all our knowledge to find a way to force our wild stranger pigeons to dwell in the new habitation we have provided for them; and, besides, they must not only remain themselves, but must bring their companions with them.”

“It appears to me, father, that nothing short of sorcery will do it.”

“Sorcery or not, difficult as it appears, I am going to try it; and I have strong hopes of succeeding, with the assistance you can afford me. It is to a pigeon merchant that I owe the secret which I am about to put into practice. I will not warrant its success, for I have never tried it; but it consists in perfuming a new dove-cot with anise. The pigeons, it is said, are so fond of the odour of this plant that they will return themselves every night to respire its perfume; and it is in this manner that they insensibly change their country life for that of the pigeon-house.”

“Nothing can be easier,” replied Fritz. “The plant of anise that Jack brought will do the business. We can break the seeds on a stone; and if the oil is not as pure as that of the chemists, it will not be less useful or less aromatic.”

“I think as you do,” I answered; “and I am very glad that I permitted Jack to plant a root that appeared to me to be so valueless.”

We then proceeded to make the oil of anise. I rubbed the door of the dove-cot, the perches, and every place where the pigeons could touch either feet or wings with it. I then mixed a sort of dough with anise, salt, and clay, and, after having placed it in the middle of the dove-cot, we put in the pigeons, which we had kept in willow-baskets while their habitation was building. We shut them up, with provision for two days, and then left them to enjoy at their leisure the odour of the anise.

When our boys had returned from our kitchen-garden at the end of that time, we formally announced to them that the pigeons had taken possession of their new abode. In a moment they flew to the ladder, in eager haste to get a sight of the new inhabitants. The two windows of isinglass which I had placed in the door were raised by the curious, and I saw with pleasure that, instead of being frightened at the new objects that surrounded them, our prisoners appeared to have become quite tame; and when I entered, they took no more notice of me than a domestic pigeon would have done.

Two days more passed away, and I became curious myself to know the result of my sorcery.

On the morning of the third day I awoke Fritz very early, and commanded him to rub anew with anise the door, which was made to rise up and down by means of a pulley. He did it, and we then went, without saying anything about our preparations, to awake the still sleeping family. I then announced that the day of liberty for our prisoners had arrived, and now they were to be free.

All now took their stations. I gave the cord of the door into Jack’s hands; and, scarcely able to keep my countenance, I described a magic circle with a wand, and, after having murmured a pretended conjuration, I ordered Jack to pull up the cord.

The pigeons poked their heads cautiously out of the hole, then advanced on the platform, and suddenly soared up to such a height that they were lost to our sight. But in a few moments they again flew down, and settled, tranquilly, upon the platform they had just quitted.

This incident, which I did not expect, gave new proofs of my dealings in magic, and I cried out, in the most serious manner, “I knew very well, when they flew up in the clouds, that they were not lost.”

“How could you possibly know that?” said Ernest.

“Because my charms have attached them to the dove-cot,” was my answer.

“Charms!” cried Jack; “are you, then, a sorcerer, papa?”

“Simpleton!” replied Ernest; “who ever heard of sorcerers?”

At that moment the pigeons, who had been quietly picking on the ground, attracted our attention. The two Molucca pigeons suddenly quitted their European brothers, and flew off in the direction of Falcon’s Nest, with such rapidity that soon they were lost to our view.

“Adieu, gentlemen,” cried Jack, as they darted away, taking his hat off and making a thousand faces; “adieu, a pleasant trip to you.”

My wife and Francis commenced to deplore the loss of our two handsome pigeons, while I, preserving as serious a look as possible, stretched out my hands, and, turning to the direction in which the pigeons flew, I murmured, half aloud, the following words:

“Fly, little ones, fly far, far away; till to-morrow you may stay; but then, return with your companions.”

I then turned toward my family, who stood stupefied with astonishment, not knowing what to make out of my serious address to the departed pigeons.

As for the other pigeons, they did not seem disposed to follow their companions, but appeared completely tamed: they had found the dove-cot of Europe with its shelter, and there they gladly remained.

We passed the rest of the day in the neighbourhood of the dove-cot, conversing on sorcery and the question of the pigeons; we often strained our eyes in the direction of Falcon’s Nest, but nothing appeared. The evening came, and the European pigeons slept alone in their palace. We supped gaily, and retired to rest in anxious expectation of the morrow, which must establish either my defeat or my triumph.

We renewed, the next day, our habitual occupations; and though I felt a little doubtful about the return of the birds, I said nothing, but anxiously awaited the evening; when, about noon, we saw Jack running furiously toward us, clapping his hands, and screaming out:

“He has returned! he has returned!”

“Who? who?” was eagerly asked.

“The blue pigeon!” he answered, “the blue pigeon! Quick! quick! come and see him!”

We ran to the dove-cot, and, besides the blue pigeon, we found with him, on one of the exterior perches of the house, his mate, whom he was endeavouring to persuade to venture into the interior. He would put in his head, and then return to her, until at last he prevailed, and we had the satisfaction of seeing her enter the pigeon-house.

My sons would have immediately closed the door, but I prevented them, saying that some time or other it must be opened; “and besides,” I added, “how are the other pigeons to enter if we close the door?”

“I begin to think,” said my wife, at last, “that there is something extraordinary in this; and, unless you have used some enchantment, I cannot comprehend it.”

“It is chance—pure chance,” interrupted Ernest.

“Chance!” replied I, laughing; “that will do very well for one time, but when the other pigeon returns this evening, with his mate, will you think that chance?”

“Impossible!” answered he; “the same phenomenon could not happen twice in a day.”

While we were thus speaking, Fritz suddenly interrupted us: his eagle eyes had perceived the birds we were expecting.

“What do you say now, my little doctor?” said I to Ernest: “both pairs of pigeons have now returned.”

“I do not know what to say,” he answered seriously; “it certainly appears very extraordinary; but as for any sorcery or magic being employed, I will not believe it.”

“It gives me pleasure to see that you are not credulous; but if a third pair of Molucca pigeons should visit us to-day, would you call that chance also?”

Ernest did not answer; but his silence showed that he was far from being convinced.

We returned to our occupations, leaving Francis and his mother to provide a dinner for us. We had worked about two hours, when we saw our little Francis come running towards us. When he came near he drew up his little form, and, bowing haughtily, commenced the following speech:

“Most high and mighty lords, I am here to invite you, on the part of my good mother, to come and behold the prince of pigeons, who, with his noble spouse, has come to take possession of the magnificent palace you have provided for him.”

“You are welcome for your good news, Mr. Messenger,” was the universal answer.

We hastened to the dove-cot, where my wife, after cautioning us to make no noise, pointed out to us two superb birds, whom those in the interior were endeavouring to persuade to enter.

“I give up,” said Ernest, at last; “my little knowledge cannot comprehend it. I beg of you, papa, to explain all.”

I explained to him, in detail, all that we had done. Jack laughed heartily on hearing that his plant of anise had been the charm which had so puzzled them; and I tried to persuade him to follow the example of Ernest, and not believe everything so readily.

The following days were devoted to bringing our dove-cot as near as possible to perfection; and we saw, with joy, that the new inhabitants were permanently settled, and had already begun to construct their nests. I observed among the articles they gathered for that purpose, a sort of long, grey moss, which I had seen hanging from the branches of old trees. I recognized it as being the same thing as is exported from India as a substitute for horse-hair, in the manufacture of mattresses. The Spaniards make cords also of it, which are so light that a piece twenty feet in length, if suspended from a pole, will float, like a flag, in the air.

I made this discovery known to my good wife, and one can easily imagine my news was well received; for it added another treasure to our domestic riches, and afforded promise of some fine mattresses.

We found, from time to time, in the soil of the dove-cot, nutmegs, which, doubtless, the pigeons of Molucca had brought over. We washed them, and, although they were deprived of their silky covering, we committed them to the earth, without much hope of their ever germinating.