Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy,
and my friends and I will be reading you a
sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to
help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From
time to time, we will also read you a relaxing,
peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming.
Once we have read the stories, we will then read
them a second time, but this time they will be
ready even slower. This will help you to relax even more.
Before we begin, I would like you to close your
eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply. Take
a few seconds to inhale, and then hold your breath
for a few seconds more, and then release and breathe out.
Do this a few times if you need to. While
you listen to the music and you listen to my voice,
give yourself time to let your body relax and your
mind settle. It's important that we allow time for us
to feel safe, cozy, and completely at ease. And now
it's time for this week's story.
Speaker 2: The elves and their Antics. The elves are the little
white creatures that live between heaven and Earth. They are
not in the clouds nor down in the caves and mines.
Like the caboters, they are bright and fair, dwelling in
the air and in the world of light. The direct
heat of the sun is usually too much for them,
so they are not often seen during the day, except
towards sunset. They love the silvery moonlight. There used to
be many folks who thought they had seen the beautiful creatures,
full of fun and joy, dancing hand in hand in
a circle. In these old days, long since gone by,
there were more people than there are now who were
sure they had many times enjoyed the sight of the elves.
Some places in Holland show by their names where this
kind of fairies used to live. These little creatures that
looked as thin as gauze were very lively and mischievous,
though they often helped honest and hard working people in
their tasks, as we shall see. But first and most
of all, they were fond of fun. They loved to
vex cross people and to please those who were bonnie
and blithe. They hated misers, but they loved the kind
and generous. These little folks usually took their pleasure in
the grassy meadows, among the flowers and butterflies. On bright
nights they played among the moonbeams. There were certain times
when the elves were busy in such a way as
to make men and girls think about them. Then their
tricks were generally in the stable or in the field
among the cows. Sometimes in the kitchen or dairy, among
the dishes or milk pants. They made an awful mess
for the maids to clean up. They tumbled over the churns,
upset the milk jugs, and played hoops with the round cheeses.
In a bedroom, they made things look as if the
pigs had run over them. When a farmer found his
horse's mane twisted into knots, or two cows with their
tails tied together, he said at once, that's the work
of elves. If the mares did not feel well or
looked untidy, their owners were sure the elves had taken
the animals out and had been riding them all night.
If a cow was sick or fell down on the grass,
it was believed that the elves had shot an arrow
into its body. The inquest held on many a dead
calf or its mother was that it died from an
elf shot. They were so sure of this that even
When a stone arrow head such as are far off
ancestors used in hunting when they were cave men, was
picked up off the ground, it was called an elf
bolt or elf arrow. Near a certain village named Elf
Bird or Elf Hill because there were so many of
the little people in that neighborhood, there was one very
old elf named Stiff, which means stiff, because though so old,
he stood up straight as a lance, even more than
the young elves. He was famous for his pranks. Sometimes
he was nicknamed han a Com or cockscomb. He got
this name because he loved to mock the roosters when
they crowed early in the morning. With his red cap on,
he did look like a rooster. Sometimes he fooled the
hens that heard him crowing. Old Stiff loved nothing better
than to go to a house where was a part indoors.
All the wooden shoes of the twenty or thirty people within,
men and women, girls and boys would be left outside
the door. All good Dutch folks step out of their
heavy timber shoes or clomps before they enter a house.
It is always a curious sight at a country church
or gathering of people at a party to see the
clomps big and little, belonging to baby boys and girls,
and to the big men who wear a number thirteen
shoe of wood. One wonders how each one of the
owners knows his own, but he does. Each pair is
put in its own place. But Old Stiff would come
and mix them all up together and then leave them
in a pile. So when the people came out to
go home, they had a terrible time in finding and
sorting out their shoes. Often they scolded each other, or
some innocent boy was blamed for the mischief. Some did
not find out till the next day that they had
on one foot their own and on another foot their
neighbor's shoe. It usually took a week to get the
clumps sorted out, exchanged, and the proper feet into the
right shoes. In this way, which was a special trick
with him, This naughty elf Stiff spoiled the temper of
many people. Beside the meadow elves, there were other kinds
in elfinland, some living in the woods, some in the
sand dunes. But those called stall cars or elves of
the stall, were Old Stuff's particular friends. These lived in
stables and among the cows, the mossmaidens that could do
anything with leaves, even turning them into money, helped Stiff,
for they too liked mischief. They teased men folks and
enjoyed nothing better than misleading the stupid fellows that fuddled
their brains with too much liquor stuff's. A specially famous
trick was played on misers. Yes it was this. When
he heard of any old fellow who wanted to save
the cost of candles, he would get a carbooter to
lead him off in the swamps where the sooty elves
come out on dark nights to dance, hoping to catch
these lights and use them for candles. The mean fellow
would find himself in a swamp full of water and
chilled to the marrow. Then the caboters would laugh loudly.
Old Stiff had the most fun with another stingy fellow
who always scolded children when he found them spending a penny.
If he saw a girl buying flowers or a boy
giving a copper coin for a waffle, he talked roughly
to them for wasting money. Meeting this miser one day,
as he was walking along the brick road leading from
the village, Stiff offered to pay the old man a
thousand gilders in exchange for four striped tulips that grew
in his garden. The miser, thinking it real silver, eagerly
took the money and put it away in his iron
strong box. The next night, when he went, as he
did three times a week, to count and feel and
rub and gloat over his cash, there was nothing but
leaves in a round form. These, at his touch crumbled
two pieces. The moss made laughed uproariously when the mean
old fellow was mad about it. But let no one
suppose that the elves, because they were smarter than stupid
human beings, were always in mischief. No, no, they did
indeed have far more intelligence than dull grown folks, lazy boys,
or careless girls. But many good things they did. They
sewed shoes for poor cobblers when they were sick, and
made clothes for children when the mother was tired. When
they were around, the butter came quick in the churn.
When the blue flower of the flax bloomed in Holland,
the earth in springtime seemed like the sky. Old stiff
then saw his opportunity to do a good thing. Men
thought it a great affair to have even coarse linen
tow for clothes. No longer need they hunt the wolf
and deer in the forest for their garments. By degrees
they learned to make finer stuff, both linen for clothes
and sails for ships. And this fabric they spread out
on the grass until the cloth was well bleached. When
taken up it was white as the summer clouds that
sailed in the blue sky. All the world admired the product,
and soon the word Holland was less the name of
a country than of a dainty fabric, so snow white
that it was fit to robe a queen. The world
wanted more and more of it, and the Dutch linen
weaver grew rich. Yet still there was more to come.
Speaker 1: Now.
Speaker 2: On one moonlight night in summer, the lady elves, beautiful
creatures dressed in gauze and film, with wings to fly
and with feet that made no sound, came down into
the meadows for their fairy dances. But when instead of
green grass they saw a white landscape, they wondered, was
it winter? Surely not, for the air was warm, No
one shivered or was cold. Yet there were whole acres
as white as snow, while all the old fairy rings,
grass and flowers were hidden. They found that the meadows
had become bleaching grounds, so that the cows had to
go elsewhere to get their dinner, and that this white
area was all linen. However, they quickly got over their surprise,
for elves are very quick to notice things. But now
that men had stolen a march on them, they asked whether,
after all these human beings had more intelligence than elves.
Not one of these fairies but believed that men and
women were the inferiors of elves. So then and there
began a battle of wits. They have spoiled our dancing
floor with their new invention, so we shall have to
find another, said the elfin queen, who led the party.
They are very proud of their linen, these men are,
but without the spider to teach them, what could they
have done? Even a wild boar can instruct these human beings.
Let us show them that we also can do even more.
I'll get old Styf to put on his thinking cap.
He'll add something new that will make them prouder yet,
but we shall get the glory of it. The elves
shouted in chorus, Then they left off talking and began
their dances, floating in the air until they looked from
a distance like a wreath of stars. The next day,
a procession of lovely elf maidens and mothers waited on
Stiff and asked him to devise something that would excel
the invention of linen, which, after all men had learned
from the spider. Yes, and they would not have any
grain fields if they had not learned from the wild boar,
added the elf queen. Old Stiff answered yes at once
to their request, and put on his red thinking cap.
Then some of the girl elves giggled, for they saw
that he did really look like a cock's comb. No
wonder they called him han a Kham, said one elf
girl to the other. Now Old Stiff enjoyed fooling just
for the fun of it, and he taught all the
younger elves that those who did the most work with
their hands and head would have the most fun when
they were old. First of all, he went at once
to see fro the spirit of the golden sunshine and
the warm summer showers, who owned two of the most
wonderful things in the world. One was his sword, which
as soon as it was drawn out of its sheath
against wicked enemies, fought of its own accord, and won
every battle. Fro's chief enemies were the frost giants, who
wilted the flowers and blasted the plants useful to man.
Fro was absent when Stiff came, but his wife promised
he would come next day, which he did. He was
happy to meet all the elves and fairies, and they
in turn joyfully did whatever he told them. Fro knew
all the secrets of the grain fields, for he could
see what was in every kernel of both the stalks
and the ripe ears. He arrived in a golden chariot
drawn by his wild boar, which served him instead of
a horse. Both chariot and boar drove over the tops
of the ears of wheat and faster than the wind.
The boar was named gullen or golden bristles because of
its sunshiny color and splendor. In this chariot, Fro had
specimens of all the grains, fruits, and vegetables known to man,
from which Stiff could choose. For these he was accustomed
to scatter over the earth. When Stiffe told him just
what he wanted to do. Fro picked out a sheaf
of wheat and whispered a secret in his ear. Then
he drove away in a burst of golden glory, which
dazzled even the elves that loved the bright sunshine. These
elves were always glad to see the golden chariot coming
or passing by. Stef also summoned to his aid the kobooters,
and from these ugly little fellows got some useful hints,
for they dwelling in the dark caverns, no many secrets
which men used to name alchemy, and which they now
call chemistry. Then Stiff fenced himself off from all intruders
on the top of a bright sunny hilltop with his
thinking cap on, and made experiments for seven days. No
elves except his servants were allowed to see him. At
the end of a week, still keeping his secret, and
having instructed a dozen or so of the elf girls
in his new art, he invited all the elves in
the low countries to come to a great exhibition which
he intended to give. What a funny show it was
on one long bench where half a dozen washtubs, and
on a table nearby were a dozen more washtubs, and
on a longer table not far away were six ironing
boards with smoothing irons. A stove made hot with a
peat fire was to heat the irons. Behind the tubs
and tables stood the twelve elf maidens, all arrayed in
shining white garments and caps as spotlights as snow. One
might almost think they were white elves of the meadow
and not kabooters of the mines. The wonder was that
their linen clothes were not only as dainty as stars,
but that they glistened as if they had laid on
the ground during a hoar frost. Yet it was still
warm summer, nothing had frozen or melted, and the rosy
faced elf maidens were as dry as an ivory fan.
Yet they resembled the lilies of the garden when pearly
with dewdrops. When all were gathered together, Old Stiff called
for some of the company who had come from Afar
to take off their dusty and travel stained linen garments
and give them to him. These were passed over to
the trained girls waiting to receive them. In a jiffy.
They were washed, wrung out, rinsed, and dried. It was
noticed that those elf maidens, who were standing at the
last hub, were intently expecting to do something great. While
those five elf maids at the table took off the
hot irons from the stove, they touched the bottom of
the flat irons with a drop of water to see
if it rolled off. Hissing, They kept their eyes fixed
on Stiff, who now came forward before all and said
in a loud voice, Elves and fairies, mossmaidens and stall sprites,
one and all, behold our invention, which our great friend
Fro and our no less helpful friends, the Kabooters, have
helped me to produce. Now watch me prove its virtues. Forthwith,
he produced before all a glistening substance, partly in powder
and partly in square lumps as white as chalk. He
easily broke up a handful under his fingers and flung
it into the fifth tub, which had hot water in it.
After dipping the washed garments in the white gummy mass,
he took them up, wrung them out, dried them with
his breath, and then handed them to the elf ironers.
Moments these held up before the company, what a few
minutes before had been only dusty and stained close now
They were white and resplendent. No fuller's earth could have
bleached them thus, nor added so glistening a surface. It
was starch, a new thing for clothes. The fairies one
and all clapped their hands in delight. What shall we
name it, modestly asked Stiff of the oldest known present.
Hereafter we shall call you stiff sterk stiff starch. They
all laughed. Very quickly. Did the Dutch folks, men and women,
hear and make use of the elves invention? Their linen
closets now looked like piles of snow. All over the
low countries, women made caps in new fashions of lace
or plain linen, with horns and wings, flaps and crimps,
with quilling, and with whirligigs. In every town one could
read the sign, here mangled men, here we do ironing.
In time, kings, queens and nobles made huge ruffs, often
so big that their necks were invisible and their heads
nearly lost from sight, in rings of quilled linen or
of lace that stuck out a foot or so. Worldly
people dyed their starch yellow. Zealous folk made it blue,
but moderate people kept it snowy. White. Starch added money
and riches to the nation. King's treasuries became fat with
money gained by taxes laid on ruffs and on the
cargoes of starch, which was now imported by the shipload
or made on the spot in many countries. So out
of the ancient grain came a new spirit that worked
for sweetness and beauty, cleanliness and health. From a useful
substance as old as Egypt was born a fine art
that added to the sum of the world's wealth and pleasure.
The elves and their antics. The elves are the little
white creatures that live between heaven and Earth. They are
not in the clouds, nor down in the caves and
mines like the cabouders. They are bright and fair, dwelling
in the air and in the world of light. The
direct heat of the sun is usually too much for them,
so they are not often seen during the day, except
towards sunset. They love the silvery moonlight. There used to
be many folks who thought they had seen the beautiful creatures,
full of fun and joy, dancing hand in hand in
a circle. In these old days long since gone by.
There were more people than there are now who were
sure they had many times enjoyed the sight of the elves.
Some places in Holland show by their names where this
kind of fairies used to live. These little creatures that
looked as thin as gauze were very lively and mischievous.
Though they often helped honest and hard working people in
their tasks, as we shall see. But first and most
of all, they were fond of fun. They loved to
vex cross people and to please those who were bonnie
and blithe. They hated misers, but they loved the kind
and generous. These little folks usually took their pleasure in
the grassy meadows, among the flowers and butterflies. On bright
nights they played among the moonbeams. There were certain times
when the elves were busy in such a way as
to make men and girls think about them. Then their
tricks were generally in the stable or in the field
among the cows. Sometimes in the kitchen or dairy, among
the dishes or milk pans. They made an awful mess
for the maids to clean up. They tumbled over the churns,
upset the milk jugs, and played hoops with the round cheeses.
In a bedroom, they made things look as if the
pigs had run over them. When a farmer found his
horse's mane twisted into knots, or two cows with their
tails tied together, he said at once, that's the work
of elves. If the mares did not feel well or
looked untidy, their owners were sure the elves had taken
the animals out and had been riding them all night.
If a cow was sick or fell down on the grass,
it was believed that the elves had shot an arrow
into its body. The inquest held on many a dead
calf or its mother was that it died from an
elf shot. They were so sure of this that even
when a stone arrow head such as are far off
ancestors used in hunting when they were cavemen, was picked
up off the ground, it was called an elf bolt
or elf arrow. Near a certain village named Elfberg or
elf Hill, because there were so many of the little
people in that neighborhood, there was one very old elf
named Stiff, which means stiff because though so old, he's
stood up straight as a lance even more than the
young elves. He was famous for his pranks. Sometimes he
was nicknamed han a Calm or Coxcomb He got this
name because he loved to mock the roosters when they
crowed early in the morning. With his red cap on,
he did look like a rooster. Sometimes he fooled the
hens that heard him crowing. Old Stiff loved nothing better
than to go to a house where was a party indoors,
All the wooden shoes of the twenty or thirty people within,
men and women, girls and boys would be left outside
the door. All good Dutch folks step out of their
heavy timber shoes or clomps before they enter a house.
It is always a curious sight at a country church
or gathering of people at a party to see the clomps,
big and little, belonging to baby boys and girls, and
to the big men who wear a number thirteen shoe
of wood. One wonders how each one of the owners
knows his own, but he does. Each pair is put
in its own place. But Old Stiff would come and
mix them all up together and then leave them in
a pile. So when the people came out to go home,
they had a terrible time in fine and sorting out
their shoes. Often they scolded each other, or some innocent
boy was blamed for the mischief. Some did not find
out till the next day that they had on one
foot their own and on another foot their neighbour's shoe.
It usually took a week to get the clumps sorted out, exchanged,
and the proper feet into the right shoes. In this way,
which was a special trick with him. This naughty elf
Steef spoiled the temper of many people. Beside the meadow elves,
there were other kinds in Elfinland, some living in the woods,
some in the sand dunes. But those called stall cars
or el elves of the stall were Old Stuff's particular friends.
These lived in stables and among the cows. The mossmaidens
that could do anything with leaves, even turning them into money,
helped Stiff, for they too liked mischief. They teased men folks,
and enjoyed nothing better than misleading the stupid fellows that
fuddled their brains with too much liquor. Stuff's especially famous
trick was played on misers. It was this, when he
heard of any old fellow who wanted to save the
cost of candles, he would get a carbooter to lead
him off in the swamps where the sooty elves come
out on dark nights to dance, hoping to catch these
lights and use them for candles. The mean fellow would
find himself in a swamp full of water and chilled
to the marrow. Then the caboters would laugh loudly. Old
Stiff had the most fun with another stingy fellow, who
always scolded children when he found them spending a penny.
If he saw a girl buying flowers or a boy
giving a copper coin for a waffle, he talked roughly
to them for wasting money. Meeting this miser one day,
as he was walking along the brick road leading from
the village, Stiff offered to pay the old man a
thousand gilders in exchange for four striped tulips that grew
in his garden. The miser, thinking it real silver, eagerly
took the money and put it away in his iron
strong box. The next night, when he went, as he
did three times a week, to count and feel and
rub and gloat over his cash, there was nothing but
leaves in a round form. These, at his touch crumbled
two pieces. The mossmaidens laughed uproariously. When the mean old
fellow was mad about it. But let no one suppose
that the elves, because they they were smarter than stupid
human beings, were always in mischief. No, no, they did
indeed have far more intelligence than dull grown folks, lazy boys,
or careless girls. But many good things they did. They
sewed shoes for poor cobblers when they were sick, and
made clothes for children when the mother was tired. When
they were around, the butter came quick in the churn.
When the blue flower of the flax bloomed in Holland,
the earth in springtime seemed like the sky. Old stiff
then saw his opportunity to do a good thing. Men
thought it a great affair to have even coarse linen
tow for clothes. No longer need they hunt the wolf
and deer in the forest for their garments. By degrees
they learned to make finer stuff, both linen for clothes
and sails for ships. And this fabric they spread out
on the grass until the cloth was well bleached. When
taken up it was white as the summer clouds that
sailed in the blue sky. All the world admired the product,
and soon the word Holland was less the name of
a country than of a dainty fabric, so snow white
that it was fit to rope a queen. The world
wanted more and more of it, and the Dutch linen
weaver grew rich. Yet still there was more to come. Now.
On one moonlight night in summer, the lady elves, beautiful
creatures dressed in gauze and film, with wings to fly
and with feet that made no sound, came down into
the meadows for their fairy dances. But when instead of
green grass they saw a white landscape, they wondered, was
it winter? Surely not, for the air was warm, no
one shivered or was cold, yet there were whole acres
as white as snow, while all the old fairy rings,
grass and flowers were hidden. They found that the meadows
had become bleaching grounds, so that the cows had to
go elsewhere to get their dinner, and that this white
area was all linen. However, they quickly got over their surprise,
for elves are very quick to notice things. But now
that men had stolen a march on them, they asked whether,
after all, these human beings had more intelligence than elves.
Not one of these fairies but believed that men and
women were the inferiors of elves. So then and there
began a battle of wits boiled our dancing floor with
their new invention. So we shall have to find another,
said the elfin queen, who led the party. They are
very proud of their linen, these men are, but without
the spider to teach them, what could they have done.
Even a wild boar can instruct these human beings. Let
us show them that we also can do even more.
I'll get old Styf to put on his thinking cap.
He'll add something new that will make them prouder yet,
but we shall get the glory of it. The elves
shouted in chorus. Then they left off talking and began
their dances, floating in the air until they looked from
a distance like a wreath of stars. The next day,
a procession of lovely elf maidens and mothers waited on
Stiff and asked him to devise something that would excel
the invention of linen, which, after all, men had learned
from the spider. Yes, and they would not have any
grain fields if they had not learned from the wild boar,
added the elf queen. Old Stiff answered yes at once
to their request, and put on his red thinking cap.
Then some of the girl elves giggled, for they saw
that he did really look like a cox comb. No
wonder they called him han a Kham, said one elf
girl to the other. Now, old Stiff enjoyed fooling just
for the fun of it, and he taught all the
younger elves that those who did the most work with
their hands and head would have the most fun when
they were old. First of all, he went at once
to see Fro, the spirit of the golden sunshine and
the warm summer showers, who owned two of the most
wonderful things in the world. One was his sword, which,
as soon as it was drawn out of its sheath
against wicked enemies, fought of its own accord and won
every battle. Fro's chief enemies were the frost giants, who
wilted the flowers and blasted the plants useful to man.
Fro was absent when Stiff came, but his wife promised
he would come next day, which he did. He was
happy to meet all the elves and fairies, and they
in turn joyfully did whatever he told them. Fro knew
all the secrets of the grain fields, for he could
see what was in every kernel of both the stalks
and the ripe ears. He arrived in a golden chariot
drawn by his wild boar, which served him instead of
a horse. Both chariot and boar drove over the tops
of the ears of wheat and faster than the wind.
The boar was named gullen or golden bristles because of
its sunshiny color and splendor. In this chariot, Fro had
specimens of all the grains, fruits, and vegetables known to man,
from which Stiff could choose. For these he was accustomed
to scatter over the earth. When Stiff told him just
what he wanted to do, Fro picked out a sheaf
of wheat and whispered a secret in his ear. Then
he drove away in a burst of golden glory, which
dazzled even the elves that loved the bright sunshine. These
elves were always glad to see the golden chariot coming
or passing by. Stiff also summoned to his aid the kobooters,
and from these ugly little fellows got some useful hints,
for they, dwelling in the dark caverns, know many secrets
which men used to name alchemy and which they now
call chemistry. Then Stiff fenced himself off from all intruders
on the top of a bright, sunny hilltop with his
thinking cap on, and made experiments For seven days. No
elves except his servants were allowed to see him. At
the end of a week, still keeping his secret, and
having instructed a dozen or so of the elf girls
in his new art, he invited all the elves in
the Low countries to come to a great exhibition, which
he in tended to give. What a funny show. It
was on one long bench where half a dozen washtubs,
and on a table nearby were a dozen more washtubs.
And on a longer table not far away, were six
ironing boards with smoothing irons. A stove made hot with
a peat fire, was to heat the irons. Behind the
tubs and tables stood the twelve elf maidens, all arrayed
in shining white garments and caps. As spotless as snow.
One might almost think they were white elves of the
meadow and not kabooters of the mines. The wonder was
that their linen clothes were not only as dainty as stars,
but that they glistened as if they had laid on
the ground during a hoar frost. Yet it was still
warm summer. Nothing had frozen or melted, and the rosy
faced elf maidens were as dry as an ivory fan.
Yet they resembled the lilies of the garden when pearly
with dewdrops. When all were gathered together, Old Stiff called
for some of the company who had come from Afar
to take off their dusty and travel stained linen garments
and give them to him. These were passed over to
the trained girls waiting to receive them. In a jiffy.
They were washed, wrung out, rinsed, and dried. It was
noticed that those elf maidens who were standing at the
last hub were intently expecting to do something great. While
those five elf maids at the table took off the
hot irons from the stove, they touched the bottom of
the flat irons with a drop of water to see
if it rolled off, hissing. They kept their eyes fixed
on Stiff, who now came forward before all and said
in a loud voice, elves and fairies, mossmaidens and stall sprites,
one and all, behold our invention, which our great friend
fro and our no less helpful friends, the kabooters have
helped me to produce. Now watch me prove its virtues. Forthwith,
he produced before all a glistening substance, partly in powder
and partly in square lumps as white as chalk. He
easily broke up a handful under his fingers and flung
it into the fifth tub, which had hot water in it.
After dipping the washed garments in the white gummy mass,
he took them up, wrung them out, dried them with
his breath, and then handed them to the elf ironers.
In a few moments, these held up before the company
what a few minutes before had been only dusty and
stained clothes. Now they were white and resplendent. No fuller's
earth could have bleached them thus, nor added so glistening
a surface. It was starch, a new thing for clothes.
The fairies one and all clapped their hands in delight.
What shall we name it, modestly asked Stiff, of the
oldest gnome present hereafter, we shall call you stiff sterk
stiff starch. They all laughed. Very quickly. Did the Dutch folks,
men and women hear and make use of the elves
invention Their linen closets now looked like piles of snow.
All over the low countries, women made caps in new
fashions of lace or plain linen, with horns and wings,
flaps and crimps, with quilling, and with whirly gigs. In
every town one could read the sign, here mangled men,
here we do ironing. In time, kings, queens and nobles
made huge ruffs, often so big that their necks were
invisible and their heads nearly lost from sight. In rings
of quilled linen or of lace that stuck out a
foot or so. Worldly people dyed their starch yellow. Zealous
folk made it blue, but moderate people kept it snowy.
White starch added money and riches to the nation. King's
treasuries became fat with money gained by taxes laid on
ruffs and on the cargoes of starch, which was now
imported by the shipload or made on the spot in
many countries. So out of the ancient grain came a
new spirit that worked for sweetness and beauty, cleanliness, and health.
From a useful substance as old as Egypt was born
a fine art that added to the sum of the
world's wealth and pleasure.
Speaker 1: At the
Speaker 2: Sid