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diff --git a/43212.txt b/43212.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 60e20f7..0000000 --- a/43212.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4339 +0,0 @@ - FAIRY TALES FROM SPAIN - - - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - - -Title: Fairy Tales from Spain -Author: J. Munoz Escomez -Release Date: July 13, 2013 [EBook #43212] -Language: English -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES FROM SPAIN *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - - TALES FOR CHILDREN - FROM MANY LANDS - - - - EDITED BY F. C. TILNEY - - - - -[Illustration: He found Himself tied by the Neck, Wings and Feet.] - - - - - FAIRY TALES - FROM SPAIN - - - By - J. MUNOZ ESCOMEZ - - - Illustrated by - W. MATTHEWS - - - - LONDON: J. M. DENT & SONS LTD - NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO. INC. - - - - - _All rights reserved - Made in Great Britain - at The Temple Press Letchworth - for - J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd - Aldine House Bedford St London - First Published in this Edition 1913 - Reissued at a cheaper price 1936 - Reprinted 1940_ - - - - - CONTENTS - -Khing-Chu-Fu -The City of Fortune -The Garden of Health -Carabi! Carabo! -The Author of the Wall -The Devil's Tournament -The Treasure of the Dragon -The Man with the Two Faces -The Treachery of Micifuf -Trompetilla and Trompetin -The Quack Doctor -The Drawing School -The Man with the Nose -The Island of Brilliants -The Judgment of the Flowers -The Three Questions -The Captain's Exploit -The Topsy-Turvy World -Don Suero the Proud - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - -He Found Himself tied by the Neck, Wings, and Feet . . . _Frontispiece_ - -"Rise, Wise Man," said the Empress sweetly - -The Vulture carried Him to the other side of the abyss - -She transformed Herself into a Lovely Girl - -"What are You doing here, Boy?" - -The Quack Doctor. - -He met Two Dwarfs who were playing Marbles - -Pero Gil at one Bound Approached the Statue - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Khing-Chu-Fu] - - - *KHING-CHU-FU* - - -Khing-Chu-Fu, Empress of China, was doing her hair when her maids who, -on their knees witnessed the delicate operation of artistically -arranging the imperial hair of her majesty, burst into cries of -admiration scarcely repressed by the etiquette of the palace. - -"What is the matter?" Khing-Chu-Fu deigned to ask, turning her head. - -"Ah, lady!" exclaimed the maids in a chorus. "Brahma has deigned to -favour you with a sign of his protection." - -"And what is that?" inquired the empress. - -"A silver thread which appears amidst your beautiful hair." - -"That is to say I have a white hair." - -"So it is called amongst simple mortals, but in the Daughter of the Sun -they are threads of silver, to which poets spontaneously sing verses -under the penalty of being quartered like dogs." - -"Let the seers and astrologers come at this very moment. I must know -what this foretells." - -Five minutes afterwards the royal boudoir was full of moustached men -with eye-protectors, who, kneeling, waited to be consulted. - -"To-day a white hair has appeared in my head!" exclaimed the empress. - -The seers tugged at their moustaches in desperation, leaving the floor -covered with hairs. - -"Hail!" said the eldest, "Daughter of the Sun, who hast all the -brilliance of the diamond, the beauty of the iris, the wisdom of -Confucius, and the sweetness of the honey! This silver thread foretells -a terrible calamity in the empire. Know that Brahma has decreed--it -horrifies me to say so!--that one of your imperial teeth will commence -to ache." - -Terror was depicted on every countenance, and all who witnessed this -scene pulled their pigtails, a sign of terrible desperation among the -Chinese. The pages and maids groaned in chorus; the mandarins sat down -on their hats, passing the time by eating tangerine oranges and rubbing -their eyes with the peel. The news spread into the city, and very soon -the whole of Pekin came out into the streets and places weeping salt -tears over the terrible aching of the _too_--, for simple subjects were -forbidden to pronounce completely the names of the imperial members or -other parts of their illustrious sovereign's body. - -"The too--, the too--!" shouted the maddened people, making Pekin seem -like an immense enclosure of bulls: and as if to make the illusion still -more complete, there were not lacking people who produced cattle-bells -with which the faithful are called to the pagoda--the church of the -Chinese. - -In those days there came to Pekin a young Spaniard, a native of Seville, -a sharp and witty youth, who had arrived at the capital of the Chinese -Empire after having wandered over half the world on foot, without money -and without shame. He was thought to be very wide-awake and even -clever, and all because he had been a groom and bull-ring attendant in -his own town where he was nicknamed Pinchauvas. - -Well, our Pinchauvas was astonished to see the desperation of those -Chinese and above all when he heard the sound of too--! too--! which -made him fear he was going to meet a drove of bulls. In case it was so, -he thought it better to climb up to the first window which came to hand. - -He had hardly reached the window, when from the interior of the house -came forth a hand, and then an arm, which, catching hold of him firmly -by the neck, pulled him up and made him enter the house in a most -original way. - -The arm was that of a palace guard who, on seeing our Sevillian climbing -up to a window of one of the imperial rooms, detained him in order to -deliver him up to justice. - -This crime was a terrible one. In China it was something daring to -profane one of the windows of the empress! That crime was punishable, at -the least, with death. - -The worst of it was that Pinchauvas did not know a word of Chinese, and -was therefore amazed when the guard said to him, with a terrible air: - -"Kun-chin-pon-ton!" - -"What is this fellow saying to me?" thought Pinchauvas. "He seems to -have a stomach-ache and is telling me that he has indigestion. Well, -let him get better." And he shrugged his shoulders. - -But the guard was nasty and, seizing him again by the neck, took him -through the passages of the palace to the rooms of the great chancellor. -The latter was found praying to God that the terrible prediction might -not be fulfilled, as it might cost him his destiny. "If the empress's -tooth hurts her, she will hurt me," said he. - -So when he was told of the horrible sacrilege committed by a foreigner, -he became exceedingly angry and wished to have him beheaded. - -"Take me to this youth, that I may settle him," he said to the guard. - -And facing the Spaniard he said sharply: - -"Kun-chin-pon-ton?" - -"Another stomach-ache? The same as the horses in the bull-ring. But -perhaps they have worries!" - -By good fortune the great chancellor spoke broken French and Pinchauvas -also, so that at last they almost came to understand each other. - -"And what may you have been in your country?" asked the chancellor. - -"I? A wise monkey."[#] - -[#] A wise monkey is a boy attendant in a Spanish bull-ring. - -The chancellor did not understand the word monkey, but did understand -the word wise, and full of joy he said: - -"I am going to ask you a question, and if you answer me rightly, count -on my protection." - -The chancellor then informed Pinchauvas of the cause which had sown such -sorrow in Pekin, and the lad, smiling, said to him with the greatest -sang-froid: - -"Is that all? Well I will restore calm to the Chinese Empire. I will -make this white hair disappear and with it the presages of these -charlatans. What has the hair to do with the teeth? Introduce me to -the empress and you will see something interesting." - -"I will, but it would not be well for the empress to see you in these -clothes. May God make your days happy! We must make you look decent!" - -And taking him to the bathroom, he placed him in the hands of his slaves -who, in a twinkling, perfumed and clothed him in beautiful robes of silk -and gold. - -Pinchauvas, accompanied by the great chancellor, went to the imperial -rooms, and there, on account of the person who accompanied him being the -head of the government, had only to wait in eleven ante-chambers, after -which he was shown into the imperial presence. - -"Here I bring you, celebrated princess, the most famous and wise -necromancer of the world," said the chancellor, who must have been fond -of exaggerating. "A whirlwind made him fall on this palace dragging him -from far lands, and in the centre of the whirlwind it seems to me I saw -great Confucius, who held him by the neck." - -"Rise, wise man!" said the empress sweetly. - -[Illustration: "Rise, Wise Man," said the Empress, sweetly.] - -Pinchauvas did not move. - -"Get up, wise man!" repeated the chancellor in French. - -"Do you mean me?" exclaimed Pinchauvas. And with one bound he stood up. - -"Bow down, or you are a dead man," shouted the chancellor to him. - -"I don't want to," answered the youth. - -"What does he say?" inquired the princess. - -"That he must see the silver thread that Brahma presented you with this -morning." - -"Look at it!" said the queen with emphasis. - -And taking out the seven hundred hair-pins and the three hundred packing -needles with which she adorned herself, she let her silky black hair -fall down, and amongst it could be seen one hair as white as snow. - -Pinchauvas advanced, with more fear than shame and his mind made up, -seized the hair, and, making signs as if in prayer, sharply pulled it -out. The queen gave a scream and Pinchauvas, approaching a window, -threw out the white hair, the cause of the misfortune of the Chinese -Empire. - -"Ah!" exclaimed the queen, "do you return Brahma his gift? What a -marvellous man! He deserves a thousand rewards. For the present you -will cede to him your post, and from to-day he will be my chancellor; -and, so that you will not be troubled, I will hang you this afternoon -with a rope that I made for you some days ago." - -"What an honour for the family, lady!" said the chancellor, terrified. -"Do you wish me to translate your proposal to the wise man?" - -"Do so at once." - -The poor man translated with complete fidelity what the queen had said, -and then Pinchauvas told the chancellor that he would only accept his -post on condition that he was given him as his secretary. - -The empress acceded to Pinchauvas' request, and granted him the royal -seal as a sign of his unlimited authority. - -"So that I can do what I like?" he asked. - -"Whatever your highness wishes! Now, I am going to present you to the -high functionaries of the palace." - -He received them all with gestures of amiable protection, and the -chancellor translated what he said. - -"See here," said Pinchauvas, "let them bring me that Chinaman who seized -me by the neck two hours ago." - -"Seized your highness by your venerable neck?" indignantly asked the -secretary. - -"Does your highness wish us to burn him alive or simply to hang him?" - -"I want you to bring him here safe and sound." - -"Really, does your highness wish to strangle him with your own hands? -He does not deserve such an extraordinary honour." - -They brought the poor guard into the presence of Pinchauvas, and when -they told him he was the new chancellor he almost died of terror. - -"And now shall I really give you stomach-ache?" asked Pinchauvas, -deliberately, raising his hand to his neck, which still hurt him. - -The guard thought these were signs to hang him, and they would have done -so, but for the opportune intervention of the brand new chancellor, who, -besides pardoning the unfortunate man, conferred a high post upon him -close to his person. - -Pinchauvas has now learned Chinese and is called Pin-chu-chu, which -means the wisest of the wise. And when he remembers his youth, he says -inwardly: - -"What would those poor horses in the bull-ring of Seville have said if -they had been told that they had had the honour of being guided by the -future Chancellor of China!" - - THE FUTURE - IS A SEALED BOOK - OF WHICH - GOD ALONE - HAS THE KEY - - - - - *THE CITY OF FORTUNE* - - -Once upon a time there was a boy named Rupert, the sharpest and most -prudent lad in his village, and indeed in any of those to be found for -twenty leagues around. - -One night he was with a group of boys of his own age, who, gathered -round the fire, were listening with amazement to a veteran soldier, -covered with scars, which had gained him the modest stripes of a -sergeant pensioner, and who was telling the story of his adventures. -The narrator was at the most interesting point of his tale. - -"The great City of Fortune," he said, "is situated on the summit of a -very high mountain, so steep that only very few have succeeded in -reaching the top. There gold circulates in such abundance that the -inhabitants do not know what to do with the precious metal. Houses are -built of it, the walls of the fortress are of solid silver, and the -cannons which defend it are enormous pierced diamonds. The streets are -paved with _duros_, always new, because as soon as they begin to lose -their brilliance they are replaced by others just minted. - -"You ought to see the cleanliness of it! What dirt there is is pure -gold dust, which the dust carts collect in order to throw in large -baskets into the drains. - -"The pebbles against which we stumble continually are brilliants as -large as nuts, despised on account of the extraordinary abundance with -which the soil supplies them. In a word, he who lives there may consider -the most powerful of the earth as beggars. - -"The worst of it is that the path which leads there is rough and -difficult, and most people succumb without having been able to arrive at -the city of gold." - -Rupert did not let the words of the soldier go in at one ear and out at -the other; and so it was that, hardly had the occasion of being alone -with him arisen before he inquired: - -"Do you know the way to this enchanted city?" - -"I should rather think so, my son; but I do not advise you to try the -journey." - -"Why?" - -"The way is long and rocky. I came back the first day, startled at the -difficulties which must be overcome. But anyhow, if you are resolved to -go, I must give you the following warning. In order to get to Fortune -there are two paths: a very broad one, full of stones and crags; if you -go that way the sharp points of the pebbles will tear your feet to -pieces and you will be crushed by fatigue. A thousand terrible -difficulties will arise to meet you; you will have to struggle with -cruel enemies, and if, at last, you succeed in vanquishing all, you will -arrive at Fortune already old and worn, when riches will be of no use to -you. The other path is level and short, but..." - -"Enough! Do not say any more; show me it now, and I will look after the -rest." - -"All right, all right! I will show it to you, and God grant that your -not having wished to hear me to the end will not bring you suffering." - -And the little rogue, without saying good-bye to his parents or his -brother, began to walk in the direction the old soldier had shown him; -and went on and on, happier than a sand-boy, thinking of the riches -which awaited him, and which he already believed to have within reach of -his hand. - -At the end of two days he arrived at the bank of a large river. On it -was a boat, and in the boat a negro of colossal stature. - -Our lad approached the boatmen and asked him: - -"Good man, is this the way to Fortune?" - -"Yes, little boy, but it is necessary to cross the river." - -"Good, then take me across." - -"Do you know how much it costs?" - -"No." - -"Fifty duros." - -"But do I look as if I had them, or had even seen them in my life? Be -kind and take me over for nothing." - -"This river, my little friend, is never crossed gratis. It is the first -step towards Fortune and it must be paid for somehow. If you have no -money, never mind; let me cut off a little piece of your heart. Perhaps -it will hurt you a bit at first, but later you will feel as if you were -whole." - -Rupert allowed the negro to open his chest and to take out a piece of -his heart. When he crossed to the other side he gave a sigh of -satisfaction. The first step was taken, and he already saw the -beautiful City of Fortune, whose resplendent walls sent out lovely -reflections. But he noticed that he was much less anxious to arrive at -the city of gold and had a strange emptiness in his chest. Withal, he -continued his walk; but he had not taken a hundred steps when a new -difficulty arose to obstruct the way. This stretched between two -inaccessible mountains and the entrance to the defile was kept by -another guardian as black as the one of the boat. - -"Where are you going, boy?" he asked our lad. - -"To the City of Fortune." - -"Quite so, this is the way; but you have to pay for the passage. The -payment is a little piece of heart." - -Without hesitating, Rupert opened his chest and left a handful of fibres -of that organ of life in the hands of the terrible gate-keeper. - -And he went on and on towards the city, which each time showed itself -nearer and more beautiful to his eyes. But each time he felt less -anxiety to arrive. - -Still he had not finished with the difficulties. The path soon -shortened, forming a terrible ravine; only to think of crossing it was -more than he could dream of. Rupert believed his hopes broken, and sat -down disheartened on a stone. - -At that moment a vulture of great size came down from the top of a -mountain and, drawing near him, said: - -"Do you wish to go across? Well, give me a piece of your heart." - -"Take it, and carry me over," said Rupert, desperate. - -The vulture thrust its beak into Rupert's chest and took out a good -piece of heart. At once it seized our lad with its claws and carried -him to the other side of the abyss. - -[Illustration: The Vulture carried Him to the other Side of the Abyss.] - -Now he was at the very gates of Fortune. He could already count the -number of towers which raised themselves above the high walls, and took -his happiness for granted--if that consists in money. At the gate they -stopped him. There heart was contraband, and therefore they took out -what remained of it and put a pretty one inside of him, made of steel, -but hard as a diamond. Only one little fibre escaped their search, which -passed unnoticed behind the metal heart. - -"At last I am inside," said Rupert to himself; but, strangely enough, -the city of gold produced neither surprise nor joy. - -"What do I want riches for?" he exclaimed, "if I have lost my heart and -with it my illusions?" And he walked through the city, looking with -great disdain at those riches which were within reach of his hand and -which so much tempted his ambition before. - -That dazzling brilliance began to disturb him. - -"Here it seems," he said to himself, "there is nothing else but gold. -Cursed metal, which has cost me my heart. Goodness me! Who will give -me back my little heart?" - -He looked for friends, but did not succeed in finding them, because -those people had hearts of steel, and Rupert felt that that little fibre -that remained of his own made him suffer atrociously. - -Without friends or affection, in that city of gold, Rupert remembered -his parents and his brother and bitterly lamented his fate. - -And then he resolved to return to the little white house of his own -village and to live in it as God had ordered. On going out of the city -he felt a strange joy. But that accursed steel heart made him suffer -horribly, only the little fibre which remained of his own beat for joy -in his breast. He took the first path he found, and then encountered no -difficulties. It seemed that wings had grown on his feet. He went down -hill, and so walked very quickly. When he arrived at his village he was -as poor as before, and moreover that cold, hard heart did not let him -breathe. It beat with the regularity of a clock, tic-tac, tic-tac! - -His brother was the first to come out and meet him, full of joy. He -embraced him, kissed him, and accompanied him home, transported with -gladness. - -But the steel heart did not allow Rupert to rejoice. Tears did nor run -to his eyes, and his chest felt as if a hand was pressing on it. - -His old father strained him to his bosom, but not even he succeeded in -moving that hard heart. Rupert felt an extraordinary anguish. - -But his mother arrived running, out of breath, towards her son, and -embraced him weeping, and her tears fell on Rupert's heart. Then, oh, -the power of a mother's love! That steel heart quickened its beats and, -unable to resist any longer, jumped out, just as a broken spring of a -watch jumps out. The little fibre was already a new heart and Rupert a -happy man. - -And when they spoke to him of riches he said: - -"God will give them if he deem it right, but don't seek them by short -cuts at the expense of your heart and illusions." - - - - - *THE GARDEN OF HEALTH* - - -A boy of twelve years, named Enrique, was taking a walk one day in the -outskirts of his village. He was very sad because his little sister was -ill and the doctors said she would soon die. - -"Poor Luisa!" exclaimed the boy sobbing. "So pretty and to have to -leave this world so soon!" - -Enrique sat down on some stones to weep over his sorrow, and there -prayed to heaven for his sister's life. A kid which was grazing near the -spot heard the sound of his lamentations and drawing near the -disconsolate boy said: - -"Calm yourself and I will try and save Luisa." - -"How?" asked Enrique, startled at hearing the kid speak. - -"You have the remedy within reach of your hand. Look there, to the right -in that spring, and you will see a ring which was left there and -forgotten by the magician Agrajes. Put it on and ask to go to the -Garden of Health, and immediately it will take you there. Ask there for -the Blue Ivy whose juice will cure your sister, and if they deny it to -you, use the ring and you will see." - -"Ay, little kid, anything to please you. Will you tell me who you are?" - -"Well, you can see: a kid with its horns and all." - -"But kids don't speak, and you do." - -"That is because I am a well-bred and compassionate kid. Anyway, I -cannot tell you who I am. If you are grateful you will know. -Meanwhile, don't lose time, and do what I tell you." - -Enrique saw, indeed, a gold ring which was on the edge of the spring: he -seized it and on it saw certain mysterious signs engraved. - -He put it on the ring finger of his left hand and said in a loud voice: -"To the Garden of Health." - -Scarcely had he finished saying these words than a cloud descended and -carried him through the air at lightning speed. - -In a few minutes he found himself at the gates of a beautiful garden -surrounded by a silver fence with golden ornaments. At the gate there -were two maidens, one in white and the other in black. The one in white -had a fresh and smiling face; the other was sad and taciturn. The former -carried an apple in her hand, the latter bore a scythe. - -"Who are you?" asked Enrique. - -"I am Life," said the first. - -"I, Death," replied the second in dismal tones. - -"What have you come here for?" they asked the boy. - -"I have come for a branch of Blue Ivy to cure my sister with." - -"I cannot give it to you without the permission of this maiden," said -Life, motioning towards Death. - -"I will not permit it, because Luisa belongs to me. She is a prize which -I will not give up," growled Death angrily. - -Life smiled sadly and turning to Enrique said: - -"I cannot give you what you wish, but bear in mind that you can take it -without my giving it to you." - -"Well, then, I will enter, cost what it may," exclaimed the boy. - -"You shall not enter alive," shouted Death, brandishing her scythe. - -"Oh, yes, he will, if he is quick," said Life provoked. "Do not meddle -with this boy who is mine for many years." - -"We shall see now." - -Enrique jumped over the threshold of the garden gate and Death dealt him -a terrible blow with her scythe, which would have deprived him of -existence if at that moment Life had not made him smell the apple which -she held in her hand and which quite cured him. - -So Enrique passed between Life and Death into the Garden of Health and -once inside commenced his quest in order to see if he could find the -famous ivy which was to cure his little sister. It was difficult to -find it among so many and such different plants as filled that beautiful -garden where was medicine for every illness; but Enrique was resolved to -find it, and passed through, one after another, the avenues of trees -which crossed the park of health in all directions. - -"I am the Red Celery, that cures all chest diseases," said a highly -coloured celery plant bowing to Enrique. - -"And I am the Spanish Onion, that cures the kidneys." - -"And I am the Valerian, that cures the nerves." - -"And I this, and I the other," cried the other plants and trees. - -"That's enough!" shouted Enrique, "otherwise you will drive me mad." - -"I cure madness," cried a shrub from the bottom of the garden. - -"What I want is the Blue Ivy," exclaimed the boy. - -"Here I am," cried the plant alluded to, "but I am kept closely -guarded." - -Enrique searched everywhere, without ascertaining where the precious -plant was, but he always seemed to hear the noise in different places. - -The trees laughed at Enrique's despair. - -"And who keeps you so hidden?" said Enrique, stopping still for a -moment. - -"Death hides me in order that you may not find me. You have passed near -and have not seen me. Your sister will die if you cannot find me." - -Enrique now did not know what to do, until he presently remembered his -ring. - -"Ring of Agrajes, I want to see the Blue Ivy," he exclaimed. - -Instantly he saw, within reach of his hand, a lovely ivy that, clinging -to an oak, displayed beautiful leaves to the winds. - -"Do not cut me now," cried the Ivy, "because your sister is going to -die, and you will not arrive in time. Death is now close to her -bedside." - -"Ring of Agrajes," exclaimed Enrique at once, "bring Death to me tied -up." - -Hardly had he finished saying it than Death appeared quite dishevelled, -without her scythe, her elbows tied together like a criminal. All the -health-giving plants began to applaud. - -"Bravo, bravo!" they cried. - -"Don't spare her; she is our enemy!" shouted some. - -"Don't let her go, and the world will be grateful to you!" said others. - -"What have you done to my sister?" said Enrique, angrily. - -"Nothing yet, but as soon as you let me go you will see," answered -Death. - -"Well, if you wait until you are free before killing her, my little -sister will die of old age. Ring, give this shameful woman a -thrashing." - -Immediately a number of sticks came through the air and commenced to -bestow a fine thrashing upon Death. - -The latter screamed like a mouse whose tail has been trodden on, and -heaped insults on the boy, threatening to kill him as soon as she was -free. - -"Do not spare her!" said Enrique at each insult. - -And the blows again descended on Death like rain. One knocked an eye -out, another knocked all her teeth out, although it must be admitted -they were false, and another took her hair out by the roots, leaving her -head quite bald. - -Then Enrique cut a sprig of the Ivy and said to the ring, "Take me to my -sister's side." - -Immediately he found himself at the bedside, where all the family were -weeping over the approaching death of the girl. - -"Here is something which will cure my little sister," said the boy. - -And drawing near her, he squeezed into her mouth the juice of the fresh -ivy he had plucked in the Garden of Health. - -The girl at once opened her eyes and called her mother, and, amidst the -general surprise, asked to be dressed. - -The family would not do so until the doctor said that indeed she was -well and sound. They all complimented Enrique enthusiastically, until -at length the boy said: - -"All this is due to a kid, and I must go and thank her." - -He went to the same place where he had met the kid, but did not see her. -In vain he ran about in all directions. But he had not got the ring of -Agrajes for nothing. - -"Ring," he said, "bring me the kid that was here a short time ago." - -And the kid appeared. - -"What do you want of me, Enrique?" asked the animal. - -"To thank you, and to ask how I may serve you," answered Enrique. - -"I see that you are grateful, and I wish you to know who I am. I am -called Atala, and am the daughter of Agrajes, the magician. I put my -father's ring beside you with the object that you might be able to save -your sister." - -"I should like to know you in your real form and not in that of a kid." - -"Well, here I am," exclaimed Atala. - -And thereupon she transformed herself into a lovely girl of more or less -Enrique's age. - -[Illustration: She transformed Herself into a Lovely Girl.] - -"How pretty you are!" exclaimed the boy. "Come home and play with my -little sister, who is now quite well, thanks to you." - -"I can deny you nothing while you wear this ring," answered the girl. - -"No, take it, I beg of you." - -Atala disappeared at once, and when Enrique thought she had gone never -to return, she reappeared smiling, and said: - -"I have been for a moment to ask my father's permission to accompany -you." - -They went to Enrique's house together, and he introduced her to his -parents as Luisa's saviour. They feted her with cakes and sweets, and -on saying good-bye she promised to come back every afternoon to play -with her little friends. - -One day Agrajes himself visited Enrique's home, to make the acquaintance -of the family of which his daughter spoke so much, and on going away he -touched in a special way an old chest. - -"Open it, presently," he said on saying farewell. - -On opening it they found it full to the brim of gold coins. On it there -was a paper which said: "A present from Agrajes to two very nice -children." - -With that money Enrique followed his career and Luisa had a splendid -dowry, and with that and the love of their parents and friends they were -two very happy beings. - - - - - *CARABI! CARABO!* - - -Little Arthur once went out in his garden, and on sitting down at the -foot of an acacia he heard a clover leaf saying: - -"I am Antonio." - -And one of the points of the leaf changed into the head of a small boy. - -"I am Juanita!" exclaimed the second point of the leaf. And a tiny girl -appeared. - -"And I Perico." - -And another head showed itself beside the others. - -"Good gracious!" exclaimed little Arthur, "this could be set to music -like the rats' dance." He approached the clover but now saw nothing: -nor was he quite sure which was the marvellous leaf where he had seen -those three children as small as they were beautiful. - -"Well, I shan't rest until I have seen into this," said the boy. - -So the following day, at the same time, he re-seated himself in the same -place, and presently a sigh: the clover leaf began to tremble and -immediately the little heads appeared in succession, saying, as on the -previous day; - -"I am Antonio." - -"I am Juanita." - -"And I Perico." - -"And I Arthur!" exclaimed the boy, showing himself suddenly, and seizing -the mysterious leaf, "Either you tell me who you are or I will pull you -up by the roots." - -The stem trembled, and from another near by came forth a very sad voice -saying: "Don't kill them for heaven's sake, they are quite innocent of -doing any wrong: come back to-night at twelve o'clock and you will be -amazed at what you see." - -Contented, the boy obeyed, and went away resolved to come back again -that night. And so about half-past eleven Arthur went out into the -garden, and hiding himself amongst a group of magnolias, waited until -the stated hour struck. Scarcely had the church clock chimed the last -stroke of midnight than a noise was heard in the air, and there appeared -on the ground a horse as white as snow and provided with wings which it -shook at the moment of touching the earth. From the wings there came -millions of drops of water which fell in a fine rain on the plants in -the garden. The effect was magical; instantly all the plants took on -the most unexpected forms. The clover leaf was changed into a grand -stand covered with a splendid canopy of velvet and gold, and on three -gilded arm-chairs sat three children of dazzling beauty wearing rich -clothing, in which elegance and sumptuousness struggled for supremacy. - -The acacias were transformed into towers of shining silver full of -soldiers, who presented arms to the children in token of homage. The -group of magnolias was a stone castle, with a steel drawbridge hanging -by chains of red silk interwoven with gold. A crowd of pages in bright -uniforms, soldiers on horseback provided with lances and with glittering -helmets adorned with airy plumes, walked about the garden in all -directions. Life animated all those beings passing before the -astonished eyes of little Arthur, who, hidden behind a tower, could see -what happened without being seen himself. Such was his amazement that, -thinking he was dreaming, he hit himself in the most fleshy part of the -body, and noticing that it hurt, convinced himself that he was not -dreaming. Thereupon the horse neighed, and they all stopped still, full -of terror. - -"Carabi! Carabo! Two minutes are left you of becoming like me," -shouted the horse. - -On hearing him they all wept, except the three princes who rose, -exclaiming: - -"Treacherous magician, God wills that you pay for your crimes." - -The horse rose on two legs and after a terrific neigh shouted: "Carabi! -Carabo!" and immediately they all resumed their original forms. The -horse gave a jump in order to rise in the air and commenced his flight, -but this time he was not alone; for when waving his tail it caught up -good little Arthur, winding itself round his body. The boy clung to it -in order not to fall, and when he tried to find out where he was, he -discovered himself in the air more than a thousand yards from the -ground. Then he yelled with all the strength that fear gives, without -paying any attention to the neighing of the horse which, turning its -head, said to him: "Leave go, or I will dash your brains out with a -kick." - -But little Arthur remembered that if he let go he would certainly be -killed, while it was by no means sure that the horse could reach him -with his feet, because he had climbed up to the top part of the tail, -where he hung on with one hand, while with the other he caught hold of -the other end, so that he sat on the doubled-up tail as on a trapeze. - -The horse landed out half a dozen kicks, which only hurt the clouds; he -turned his head in order to see where to bite that customer who had got -the better of him; but his wings hindered him, and the only other -vengeance he could take was to snort. This he did, making such a noise -that it could have been heard for miles around. - -"What a storm!" exclaimed little Arthur. - -"That is the wind I swallow in my flight," said the horse. - -"That is not wind, it must be a hurricane let loose." - -Then the horse began to descend towards the earth, passing through -clouds and breaking up fogs, until, at dawn, he arrived at a lovely -palace whose roof of gold and precious stones opened of its own accord -to let that singular horse pass through. He alighted on the floor of an -enormous room in the palace, and when on firm ground said: - -"Will you please leave go of me." - -"That depends," said little Arthur, "because I am just beginning to like -this way of travelling." - -"Well, my son, I am sorry, but your goose is cooked for ever." - -So saying he began to butt round the room with the object of smashing -poor little Arthur to pieces; but the latter, firm as firm could be, -would not leave go even if he were killed. Then the horse sat down to -see if he could crush the boy with his weight, but the latter, by a -clever movement, dropped clear of the crupper and sat down on the floor. - -"Here!" he exclaimed, "don't do any more such silly things; if you want -to throw me off, you will have to tear your tail off first." - -"Not if I know it," shouted the magician, "rather let us make an -agreement. What do you want in order to let me go?" - -"First, you must tell me the story of the enchanted children in my -garden." - -"I will not." - -"Well, now I shall pull out a hair of your tail by way of punishment," -and dragging out one of them he made the horse neigh with pain. - -"So, I shall pull them out one by one until you are as hairless as a -hired horse." - -"No, you have persuaded me. Listen to the story you ask me for. You -must know that these youngsters are the children of the great King of -Samarcanda, Ali-Tebelin, who is a great enemy of mine. I was then -condemned to be ridden by any cavalier who wished to do so, thanks to -the enchantment of a relative on my mother's side, who knew how to do -these things better than I. Not finding any better way of passing the -three years as saddle-horse which had been imposed upon me, I entered -the stables of Ali-Tebelin, who several times had me thrashed on the -frivolous pretext that I bit whoever wanted to ride on me, kicked -anybody who came near, and one day gave the king himself a terrible -bite. Angry on account of this injustice I promised myself to have my -revenge, and when the period of my enchantment was finished, I became, -in my turn, an enchanter, and taking a bottle of water gathered by me -from the clouds, I caused the king's court to be transformed into a -garden which I transported to your house. Every night I go to it, and -as my wings are wet with the water from the clouds, which is the thing -that has the property of changing them into their original shapes, I -shake my wings, and after enjoying myself for a while I enchant them -again with my word. Now you know all, will you leave me in peace?" - -"Now less than ever," said the boy: "because if I let you go, you will -be revenged on me as on them, so that I shan't leave you until you take -me back to my home. At this very moment you will give me something to -eat. Go somewhere slowly where there is something to put inside one; if -you don't I will skin you." - -The horse stamped on the floor, and at once several tables covered with -eatables appeared. With one hand, while with the other he held on, -Arthur ate of what seemed best to him, and when he was satisfied, said: -"At this very instant you will take me home." The horse, resigned, took -to flight again, rose up in the air, and flew towards Arthur's garden. -Passing through the clouds, Arthur got all his clothing wet, being -drenched with that precious liquid. When they arrived, and before the -horse had time to turn round, little Arthur ran away and took refuge in -his home. His precaution was very wise, because the magician followed -him with the object of biting him, but when he was ready to do so the -boy was already in the house. The horse had only stretched his wings -and disappeared on the horizon when Arthur went into the garden again, -and shaking his clothes, let the cloud-water with which he was soaked -fall upon the plants. At once all the enchanted beings recovered their -original shape, and saw with surprise that it was not the magician who -disenchanted them. On seeing such surprise, little Arthur advanced -towards the grand stand and said to the princes: - -"Children of Ali-Tebelin, I have the pleasure of informing you that you -are free; but vanish from here quickly, because at twelve o'clock -to-night the magician will return." - -"Thanks, kind boy," said one of the princes, "but we will not go away -from here without giving the magician a surprise and bestowing on him -something that will make him stare." - -So they fastened some strong ropes to the towers, and that night, when -the horse arrived, before he knew what had happened, he found himself -tied by the neck, wings, and feet, and all the warriors and pages, -provided with strong cords, rained such a shower of blows on him that he -did not know where he was. - -"Take that, Carabi!" - -"Take that, Carabo!" they shouted. And the hail of lashes was such that -the magician begged them for pardon. - -"No pardon!" shouted little Arthur, "you can stay there till your feet -drop off." - -Such were his groans that at last little Arthur, full of compassion, -went up to him and said: - -"How can we set you free when we should only be exposing ourselves to -your vengeance?" - -"To avoid that the only thing you have to do is to pull out the longest -feather in each wing, and then I shall be deprived of power." - -This Arthur did, and immediately the magician took human shape, it being -seen that he was a horrid dwarf who could hardly move. They touched him -again with the feathers and he was changed into a caged parrot which -began to shout, "Carabi! Carabo! It's all over with me now!" - -Arthur informed his parents, telling them all about his extraordinary -adventure, and begged them for permission to accompany the princes. -Little Arthur's parents were astonished to see their garden changed into -a fortress; and on becoming acquainted with the series of events which, -without their knowledge, had occurred, granted their permission and at -once the expedition was organised. Little Arthur mounted one of the -magic feathers, bearing the princess behind him. The princes bestrode -the other feather, and all the rest clung to each other. At a given -signal they all flew away, and in a twinkling found themselves in their -own country. - -There little Arthur was splendidly presented with a pair of socks and -several boxes of toys, his efforts being rewarded by a long and happy -life in the bosom of his family. - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to Carabi! Caribo!] - - - - - *THE AUTHOR OF THE WALL* - - -Ninin was reading in a newspaper: "They are beginning to pull down the -great wall of China." - -"Is that so? What! Does the newspaper say so?" - -"Look at it yourself," says Ninin showing me the paper where the news -was printed. - -"Well," I answered, "I am glad, because of what use ... Would you like -me to tell you a story?" - -"Is it about the Chinese wall?" - -"You will see. Once there was a king in the country called -Tsi-Ching-Hoang-Ti (what a name!) with a very long pigtail. The Chinese -are recognised by their pigtails, while, in Spain, we only know -toreadors for the same reason. - -"Well, the king in my story had few teeth, but a very long pigtail, and -had a stomach which could have held half his kingdom. What a wolfish -appetite! Every five minutes he yawned, and in every room of the palace -there were attendants whose only mission was to place a boiled egg in -the monarch's mouth as soon as he commenced to open it. And what a -mouth! Once some one absent-mindedly placed his memorial in it thinking -he was putting it in the letter box. One night, while he was sleeping, -Tsi-Ching-Hoang-Ti (Dear me! what work to call a person thus!) gave a -tremendous kick and, sitting up in bed, shouted: - -"'I have an idea!' - -"The guards, electrified, shouted: - -"'The emperor has an idea!' - -"And all the functionaries of the palace and the imperial family came to -the regal room to congratulate their emperor. - -"'What a happy day!' they exclaimed. 'It is the first time that such a -thing has happened in China. To have an idea.' - -"'Yes, dear subjects,' said the monarch tenderly, 'I have an idea to -prevent the disasters caused by the Tartars who fall upon us every -Monday and Tuesday. And this idea is...' (they all knelt down to hear -the sublime words) '... to ask you if anything has occurred to you to -avoid them.' - -"'Well thought out!' said the courtiers in a chorus. - -"'Therefore I will begin by asking the minister of war.' - -"The minister touched the floor with his head and says: - -"'Sire, between now and to-morrow I will answer your majesty: but I have -heard briefly that, in order to avoid being overrun, what we ought to do -is not to let them into the country.' - -"'Eureka!' exclaimed the emperor. 'This being the idea of a minister of -war is not at all bad. Let the audience rise; good-bye till to-morrow.' - -"And chewing a boiled egg which they had just put into his mouth he lay -down in bed again and went to sleep, after having formed that tremendous -idea which had been forty years in coming. - -"That very night the minister of war consulted the captain-generals, -these their lieutenant-generals, these the camp-marshals, and so on -until they came to the sergeants, and these asked the soldiers, without -finding any who dared to propose a plan, until a soldier of the awkward -squad, and the most awkward of the squad, said, 'Well, close the way -with a mud-wall.' - -"'Enough, stupid!' shouted the officer, and gave him a punch. - -"The officer gave the idea as his own to the major, and the latter -passed it on to the lieutenant. The major also appropriated the idea -and they made him a colonel, and so all were advanced except the poor -soldier, who rubbed his face with sand to take away the mark of the -blow. - -"When the minister of war explained how convenient it would be to build -a wall the emperor was charmed, the court was charmed, and everybody was -charmed. - -"'And they said that my army was a flock of geese!' exclaimed the king. - -"Following up the plan, the dimensions of the wall and the materials it -was to be made of were discussed. One engineer said that it had to be -six hundred leagues in length, and that to collect materials for it, it -was necessary to ask the genie of stones for them, this being the only -one who could help them in such an extraordinary enterprise. - -"Moreover, the difficulty was that the emperor himself had to go and ask -this aid: and who would disturb his majesty with such a long journey! - -"'That does not matter!' exclaimed Tsi-Ching-Hoang-Ti, 'provided there -are boiled eggs on the way.' - -"The emperor and the engineer entered a palanquin and shortly afterwards -set out to look for the genie of the stones. Behind followed another -palanquin with a kitchen and then a hundred more palanquins full of -boiled eggs. After twenty days' march the expedition arrived at the -foot of the mountains of Chuang and rested there. Only the emperor and -the engineer could go up to the abode of the genie, situated between -horrible precipices, and therefore his majesty and his companion filled -their pockets with boiled eggs for the journey. When they arrived at -the foot of the grotto where the genie dwelt, a rain of rubbish met them -which nearly swept them away. A bump appeared on the emperor which -looked as if one of the hundred thousand eggs he had eaten had come out -there; a wicked tile had torn out the architect's plait by the roots -which caused the poor man much pain, because his pigtail was already -three yards long and was still growing. The king became angry and went -on valorously disposed to behead the daring rascal who had stoned him, -and at last they found themselves in the chamber of the genie -Marmolillo. The latter received them with great courtesy, asking them -the object of their visit. When the emperor told him, the genie gave -his forehead a slap, which sounded like stones knocking together. - -"'Well, it is true!' he exclaimed. 'And it had not occurred to me! The -truth is that I have a head of stone. Well, all right,' he added, 'I -will help you, and with my aid and that of all the Chinese it may be -that within twenty days you will see it finished.' - -"And so, when Tsi-Ching-Hoang-Ti returned to the court, he arranged that -all Chinamen from fifteen to fifty years should go to the frontier to -begin the work: and in a few days sixty million workmen were working on -the wall and setting themselves to work with truly Chinese ardour. - -"That was twenty-one centuries ago, Mr. Ninin, so that you had not yet -studied the map when the wall was already finished, which, as was seen -afterwards, was of no use only to make the Tartars carry ladders. They -came back and invaded China and made themselves kings of it. The present -dynasty is Tartar, the same as the celebrated sauce which you like so -much." - -"Good, but I should like the story to have some sort of a moral." - -"Well, here is one: that the real walls to defend ourselves from our -enemies are our faith in God and in the justice of our cause." - - - - - *THE DEVIL'S TOURNAMENT* - - -Great anger filled the breast of the very ugly Don Teobaldo de -Miguelturra as he rode his horse at full gallop after a cunning hare. -Lance at rest he pursued it, blind with fury, for the wicked animal from -time to time stopped, sat down on its hind paws, and made amusing -grimaces at its pursuer. - -The latter, filled with wrath, did not leave off using his spurs, and -followed after the animal, loudly calling it a coward, rogue, and thief. - -"Wait, wait!" he shouted; "you will have to pay for all this! What a -fine stew I shall make with you this evening!" - -And he rode on like a madman, leaping streams, rocks, and pits. But it -seemed as if wings had grown on the hare's feet, such were its leaps, -while fleeing from the proposed stew. And at each instant it turned -round and jocularly made signs with its ears and fore-paws, and smiled -in that amusing way which disturbed the knight so much. - -"Even if you hide yourself in the very middle of the earth, I shall -reach you," he roared. - -And he again spurred on his horse, which was nearly frantic, excited by -pain and the shouting of its rider. - -A moment arrived in which the knight almost had it within lance thrust, -but once more it commenced to gain ground. - -"One effort more, my horse," shouted Don Teobaldo, but in vain. In -going up a very steep slope the poor animal fell dead from fatigue, and -the rider also was quite dazed. - -As soon as he could he disengaged himself from the stirrups, and -throwing down his useless lance beside the dead horse, Don Teobaldo -unsheathed his sword, victorious in a hundred fights, in order to pursue -to the very end that hare which had stopped very tranquilly on a rock -from which it made fun of the knight at its ease. - -This raised the hunter's indignation to its highest, and in a moment of -anger he exclaimed: - -"I would give a year of my life to run my sword through you." - -The hare, on hearing this, gave a jump and fell at Don Teobaldo's feet, -who cut it into two pieces. The spitted hare said to him before dying: -"It will cost you a year of your life; don't forget it." - -The man shuddered and would have liked to undo the mischief, but now it -was too late. - -"And to think that such a little beast should make me lose three hundred -and sixty-five days of my life!" he cried. And, full of rage, he -trampled on the hare until he was quite tired. - -But on raising his eyes once more he saw another exactly the same as -that he had killed, and which made the same gestures as the first. - -Then he could not any longer contain himself, and started to run after -the second hare, entangling his spurs in the under-growth and stumbling -and falling at every step. - -Like one who took no interest the hare went slowly to its lair, and -after it our enraged Don Teobaldo, resolved to make a terrible hash of -the jesting animal. - -"This seems to be a thing of the devil," he said. "All the hares have -agreed to make fun of me." - -At length, after a good while, Don Teobaldo, with his tongue hanging -out, arrived at a kind of cave, in the black depths of which he lost -sight of the hare. - -"Well, now, I have to find you even if you are the devil himself in -person." - -"Your servant," said a voice of rare quality; and a man with a strange -face and eyes of fire presented himself before Don Teobaldo, saluting -him with burlesque courtesy. - -"Caramba!" exclaimed Don Teobaldo, without being frightened, because he -was a very valorous man. "If I must tell the truth, I wished to know -you personally." - -"And do you not feel afraid?" - -"Not at all. And since you are so familiar with me, I shall treat you -in the same way. I want to make an arrangement with you." - -"Speak." - -"First answer me: are you the hare that I pursued?" - -"The same. I knew that you were engaged in an affair and wished to -speak to me, and brought you to my house so that we could talk -comfortably." - -And the devil started laughing, flames shooting out of his mouth. It -was a sign that he was happy. - -"Well, you shall see. You must know that to-morrow the tournament in -which the hand of the king's daughter is to be disputed will take place. -The victor will become hereditary prince, and I, frankly, wish to occupy -the post. It is therefore necessary that you make me conquer in the -fray." - -"And what will you give me in exchange?" - -"Whatever you ask me." - -"That you make the princess forget her faith in God. I already have you, -and I want the princess." - -"Agreed." - -"Agreed." - -And the devil and Don Teobaldo shook hands. The latter drew his back, -saying: - -"How you burn." - -The devil said to him: - -"To-morrow, at the hour of the fight, a squire in black armour will come -and see you. I will give you a cuirass made in such a way that it -cannot be pierced through; a shield which will dazzle and stupefy your -adversaries if only looked at; a charmed sword, a touch with which will -produce death; and a horse as black as ebony which has the advantage of -requiring neither curb nor spurs: you will only wear them as -ornaments.... In a word, the horse--will be me." - -"Oh, thanks, but I am sorry to trouble you." - -"Don't let us say a word about this affair. I have resolved to carry -away the soul of this princess, who wearies me with her prayers and -psalms, and I have not been able to make her sin, even in thought." - -And the devil caught up Don Teobaldo with his cape and left him at the -door of his house, after passing through the air at a prodigious speed. -On disappearing, he said in his ear: "Good-bye till to-morrow." - -On the following day the city was decorated with pennons and banners. -The entire population flocked to the place where the hand of the -beautiful princess, whose virtues everybody praised highly, was to be -won in open contest. - -Thirty knights took part in the struggle, and as they were the bravest -in the kingdom the spectacle promised to be interesting, though -barbarous; but such were the customs of those times. - -The king and the court occupied the grand stand, the princess being in -the front row. The public took the rest of the seats, and the heralds -announced that the jousts were about to commence. - -Don Teobaldo appeared in the foreground upon a beautiful black horse, -large black plumes waved over the crest of his helmet, and the armour -which he wore was also black. - -On seeing his proud countenance one could not doubt his certainty of -obtaining the victory. - -The signal was given, and another valiant knight came into the arena and -rushed upon horrible Don Teobaldo at his horse's full gallop. - -When he was near, the devil's friend oscillated his shield, and his -adversary, without being able to prevail, fell to the ground -unconscious. - -Another and another and another, and twenty more, went forth to fight -and suffered the same fate. Whoever resisted the mysterious action of -the shield, fell dead from a blow of the sword, even when only touched -with the flat of it. - -The people gave shouts of despair on account of the horror which that -man inspired in them. The princess was on the point of losing -consciousness from terror on seeing that terrible spouse who was -offering her his disgrace. - -"Heaven!" she exclaimed, "death before being the wife of that wicked -man." - -And now, the last champion having suffered the same defeat as the -others, they were about to proclaim Don Teobaldo conqueror, and -therefore the husband of the princess, when the trumpet sounded, -announcing that a noble knight asked permission to take part in the -struggle. - -The king looked at his daughter and, on seeing her so sorrow-stricken, -gave the desired permission, with the remote hope that the new-comer, -whoever he might be, would vanquish the terrible champion. - -They requested him to tell his name and surname, but the knight said: - -"My name is Miguel; my surname I reserve until after the fight, if I -emerge victorious, but rest assured that there is no one more noble on -earth." - -And he rode into the lists, arousing a murmur of admiration; his armour -was all white as ermine, and the plumes of his helmet were also white. - -White, of a dazzling white, was the beautiful horse he rode. - -Don Teobaldo was greatly impressed by the sight, and more so the devil, -who with a neigh said: "I am glad you have come to fight, Miguel; we -have an old account to settle." - -And turning his head to Don Teobaldo, he added: - -"Pull out one of the hairs of my mane and keep it in your pocket, with -this you will have as much power as I. Try to defend yourself to the -last, for our adversary is terrible." - -No sooner said than done. Don Teobaldo pulled out one of the hairs of -the devil's mane and kept it, and immediately felt strong and powerful. -Blinded by all the pride of the Infernal One, he assailed the knight of -the white armour, trying to fascinate him with his shield. Useless task! - -The knight raised the visor of his helmet and showed the handsomest -countenance that ever was seen. That lovely face sent out celestial -rays. - -"Ah, Luzbel!" cried he. "Do you rebel against me?" - -And, throwing aside his spear, he drew his sword, whose brilliance -eclipsed that of the sun itself, and threw himself upon Don Teobaldo. -The black horse snorted, roared, bounded, evading the blows with -superhuman skill. Don Teobaldo's sword fell upon Miguel's white shield -two hundred times, but in vain, until dazed and vanquished horse and -rider fell at the feet of the handsome knight. - -"Get you hence!" he said in a voice of infinite pity. "Know that you are -my slave until the completion of the centuries, and that you have no -power against God our Lord." - -"Princess," he added, "you are saved. Your prayer reached the Most -High, and I, who am the Archangel Miguel, came to set you free from the -snares of the demon. Continue virtuous and you will receive your -reward." - -And so saying he disappeared. - -Meanwhile the devil wished to vanish, but Don Teobaldo remembered his -deceit, and as he had power over the demon, thanks to the hair that he -had pulled out, began to belabour him with spurs and sword, making him -bounce as high as the highest houses. Don Teobaldo did not move from -the saddle and finished by giving the devil such a superb thrashing as -nearly finished him. - -"Let me be, and I will not trouble you again," cried Luzbel. - -"Will you ask for my soul?" - -"Neither your soul nor your body, but let me alone now." - -Then Don Teobaldo, whose heart had been touched by the glance of the -angel and moved to repentance, dismounted from the horse and left it -free to disappear. - -And so ended those famous jousts, which were never eradicated from the -memory of the public. - -The princess, the following year, married a prince as virtuous as -herself, and Don Teobaldo did penance and became a good Christian who -had a just satisfaction in having administered a sound thrashing to the -devil. - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to The Devil's Tournament] - - - - - *THE TREASURE OF THE DRAGON* - - -An old sailor brought to my town the news of having seen, in a very -distant island, a terrible dragon which guarded an immense treasure. -Half of the body of this guardian was a fish, the other half a lion; it -moreover had such powerful wings that it could rise to an extraordinary -height. Air, water, or land were his elements, and when any ships came -near to the coast they were soon attacked by that ever vigilant monster. - -Many expeditions were made, but all succumbed to the talons of that -invincible animal; moreover, the treasure was so splendid that it -excited the envy of adventurers from all parts of the earth. - -Among the innumerable precious stones which with thousands of gold bars -formed those riches, there was a statue of natural size made out of a -single diamond, and which was worth such a fabulous sum that all the -treasures of the earth would not suffice to buy it. - -The fear of the dragon did not lessen the enthusiasm of the lads of my -town; on the contrary, it was a further stimulus to their bravery and -daring, and so, in little less than a month, an expedition was formed of -the bravest and most ambitious. - -They set out on the 15th of September on a bark named the _Temeraire_--a -handsome brigantine, the swiftest that ever glided over the waves. -After fourteen days' sailing they found themselves at about a league -from the island where the treasure and the dragon were. Behold what -happened! - -The members of the expedition met in council in order to take their -measures, and agreed as follows: to launch some boats in order to land -in three or four places at the same time; to carry a great quantity of -ammunition so as to be able to fire upon the dragon; and, lastly, to -divide the treasure in equal parts and to distribute it among the -expeditionaries. There was only one vote against, that of a cabin boy, -a youth of eighteen, who opposed the dividing of the party, believing it -better to wait for the dragon on board the ship, and from there to fight -it with cannons. - -"If you are afraid, stay behind," they all said to him, and nobody paid -any attention to the cabin boy's scheme. - -As nobody trusted his companions, all embarked in the bunches, fearful -of being cheated if they did not witness the division of the treasure, -leaving on board only the cabin boy and the pilot, a very experienced -old sailor who had not uttered any opinion at the meeting. The launches -being full and the crews armed, they left the ship and rowed near to the -coast. - -Pascual, for so the cabin boy was named, prepared the bow-gun, loading -it up to the mouth, and also seized a strong sharp spear. Then he sat -down in the bows, and from there, with a telescope, watched the progress -of his companions. The latter were about a hundred yards from the coast -when a tremendous roar was heard; he saw the dragon fly up into the air -and fall upon one of the launches. Several gunshots were heard, and -soon the launch disappeared under the water. The bullets glanced off -the skin of the terrible animal, which threw itself in turn upon the -other launches and sank them. - -Its work of extermination finished, the dragon returned to the island, -shaking its wings, reddened by the blood of its victims. - -The pilot, terrified, wished to go back to his country, but Pascual -prevented it, and directed him to go at full sail towards the island. - -The pilot gave way to the solicitations of the cabin boy, who now no -longer thought of the treasure but of avenging the death of his -companions. - -They had arrived at some hundred fathoms from the coast when they saw -the dragon, which was advancing towards them. Pascual rapidly aimed the -small cannon, but the ball struck on some rocks, and the dragon, more -irritated than ever, threw himself upon the brigantine. It described a -couple of circles in the air like an eagle choosing its prey, and at -length threw itself upon Pascual, who, mounted on a round house, -valiantly waited for it. - -Such was the violence of the attack that the dragon, on attempting to -break the spear with which the heroic boy greeted it, sent it quite -through one of its claws, and so great was the pain that it made a -horrible outcry and rose up in the air full of terrible frenzy. The -spear remained fixed in the claw, and to it hung Pascual, who, by his -weight, increased the woes of the dragon. In vain the latter tried to -get rid of that singular guest; all its efforts were useless, Pascual -bestrode his spear like an enthusiastic gymnast. Then becoming furious, -it threw itself into the sea in order to try to drown him. Pascual swam -like a fish and dived like a seal; so his enemy was not able to liberate -itself from him. Being now desperate, it went to the island, dragging -the cabin boy with it; the latter had hardly touched terra firma when, -using the spear as a lever, he gave it a turn with all his might, -twisting the wounded claw in such a way that the pain deprived the -monster of its strength and consciousness. Giving a cry it fell to the -ground defenceless. Pascual then got out his jack-knife and looked with -care for the joints between the formidable scales which served the -dragon as armour. There he thrust it in many times, with the aid of a -stone which he used in place of a hammer. - -The dragon was now dead, and Pascual thought of his companions and went -down to the shore to seek them. His search was useless, for he did not -even find a trace of them. He looked towards the spot where he had left -the brigantine, and that had also disappeared; doubtless the old pilot -was afraid and had gone away with the ship. - -Then our hero decided to seek the treasure, but in vain he went over the -island in all directions: he found not the least sign of it. Then he -returned to the spot where he had seen the dragon lying when they had -approached the island, and he saw that there was an enormous stone which -no doubt covered the entrance of the grotto where the treasure was to be -found. He applied the spear to the joints and succeeded in moving it, -and after some effort he brought into view a winding staircase, down -which he hurriedly went. The first room to which the staircase gave -access had its walls covered with rubies, the second with emeralds, and -the third with pearls and diamonds. In the centre stood the magnificent -statue made out of a single diamond, and which represented a very -beautiful princess. Pascual was astounded at such extraordinary beauty, -and burst into an exclamation of admiration. - -Presently he noticed the pedestal of the statue, on which might be read: - -"In a stone lies the disenchantment." - -Then the cabin boy looked at all the projections of the room, and -pressing one of them heard a creak, and instantaneously, as the scenes -in a fairy comedy are changed, the grotto disappeared; each precious -stone was changed into a human being, and the beautiful princess, again -turned to flesh and blood, came slowly down from her pedestal, and, -giving her hand to the valiant lad, offered to reward his bravery by -giving him all the riches of her kingdom, and with them her heart. Among -the disenchanted beings were all his companions of the expedition, who -embraced Pascual, and, what was very strange, did not envy him, -recognising that his triumph was deserved. All the destroyed boats -appeared on the coast, and in them they embarked, each one going to his -own country and the cabin boy to that of the princess. - -Pascual is now no longer Pascual, but His Highness Prince Pascual I., a -very good man, according to what his subjects say. - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to The Man with Two Faces] - - - *THE MAN WITH THE TWO FACES* - - -Claudio was screaming madly when his grandmother said to him: - -"If you cry any more you will see the man with two faces." - -"Oh, I say, who is he?" - -"Well, he is a very strange being, who laughs with one face and cries -with the other. If a child looks at his smiling face he gives it a toy; -if it looks at his sad face he bites it and tears off the tip of his -ear." - -"Well, then, I wish he would come, because I will be very good and he -will give me a toy." - -"It would be much better if he did not come, because you are very bad -and you would get your ear bitten." - -"But I want to see him," said the boy. - -"Look for him if you like," said the grandmother, "but mind he does not -hurt you." - -Claudio, who was eight years old and very innocent, quite believed in -the man with two faces, and resolved to look for him everywhere. - -That afternoon he went to the outskirts of the town and asked some -woodmen: - -"Where is the man with two faces?" - -And they said to him mockingly: - -"Go to the mountain over there and you will come to him." - -He followed their counsel and climbed up the mountain without finding -anybody. That night he had to spend on the mountain, climbing up to the -top of a tree because the howling of the wolves frightened him so much -that he did not dare to go back to his home. In the morning, on getting -down from the tree, a squirrel saluted him with great ceremony, and said -"Good morning." - -"Listen, squirrel," said Claudio, "do you know where the man with two -faces is?" - -"I do not know, but my friend the eagle knows many things. Come with me -and we will ask him." - -The boy and the squirrel went together and on the top-most part of the -mountain came upon the eagle's nest. The eagle turned towards the -squirrel and asked what he wanted. On being told of what Claudio wanted -he said to him: "I have sometimes heard this man spoken of, but I have -never seen him. I only know that he is very unhappy, because he can -only look at himself in the glass with his sad face, and on seeing -himself so afflicted the poor fellow bursts into tears." - -"And where does he live?" said the boy. - -"He lives so far away that you would never be able to reach the place, -but if you like I will carry you there, through the air, in my claws, -and we shall be there in a twinkling. I cannot do any more for you than -carry you to the door of his house, and I cannot answer for what may -happen to you." - -"Never mind," said the boy; "take me, for I want to see him." - -The eagle caught up the boy by his belt and the squirrel got into one of -Claudio's pockets. The eagle began its flight and the three found -themselves in the air. When Claudio saw that he was so high up he shut -his eyes, full of terror. - -When the squirrel appeared from the boy's pocket the trees looked like -the size of pins, and he went quickly back again for fear of being -seasick. After several hours' flying, the eagle descended on a little -mountain and there left Claudio, startled at his own temerity. - -"When you wish to come back--if they let you--blow on the whistle which -I am carrying round my neck. Keep it, for I have very sharp ears and -can hear the sound of it for five hundred leagues. As soon as I hear it -I will come, and pop! I will take you by the belt to my nest." - -When the eagle had gone the squirrel came out of Claudio's pocket and -said to him: - -"Have we arrived already, my little friend?" - -"Have you come too?" exclaimed Claudio joyfully. - -"Yes, but incognito. I liked the look of you and wish to help you with -my advice: you know that squirrels, modesty apart, are very sharp." - -"All right, what am I going to do now?" - -"Do you not want to see this man? Then let us go on, because I also -would like to know him." - -"And if he wants to hurt us?" - -"Then we will defend ourselves. I will go first and explore the -surroundings, and will come back at once." - -And saying this, the squirrel started to run with the quickness usual to -his race, returning after a little while very much frightened. - -"Do you know," he said, "that the man with the two faces is at the -present moment giving a terrible hiding to some boys that he has shut up -in a cage?" - -"They must be naughty boys, but I am good, and he will give me toys." - -"I don't know about that, because the only thing I have seen him give is -knocks; and do you know what he was saying? - - "'This one I like, that one, no; - But I shall kill them all, O!'" - - -"Was he saying that?" - -"Just what I am telling you. I have only seen his gay face which is in -the back of his head, and on seeing him I closed my eyes and came away -quickly, for if he sees me he will tear me to bits." - -"What are we going to do?" said Claudio, startled. - -"Climb up this pine tree with me and from there we will watch." - -They climbed up a tree and from it saw a house, or rather a great cage, -formed of big iron bars with an iron roof. In the centre was seated the -man with the two faces with a whip in his hand, punishing a number of -boys of all ages who filled the cage. - -The temptation seized Claudio to blow the whistle and make the eagle -come back to fetch him away, but his curiosity overcame his fear, and he -said to himself: - -"After all, I can go away whenever I like." - -A little later they saw the man with two faces come out of the cage and -walk in the direction of the place where Claudio was. On his approach -they saw such a woebegone countenance that Claudio was filled with fear. -As the squirrel saw him shudder, he said to him in a very low voice: - -"Close your eyes or we are lost." - -The boy obeyed and the man with two faces passed close to them without -noticing their presence. When he felt him pass, Claudio half opened his -eyes and saw his gay face. Again he had to close them, for he could -hardly stop laughing, so strange was the face. - -On his disappearing in the distance, both the friends descended from the -tree and went up to the cage. On seeing them the boy prisoners began to -shout, full of joy: - -"Have you come to set us free?" - -"Yes," said Claudio, "but I don't know how to, because you are locked -up. Well, failing the key, let us look for other means." - -And, examining the doors, he came upon one without a lock. He opened it -and went into the cage, but he had no sooner entered than the door -closed of its own accord, leaving him a prisoner. - -"Poor little boy!" shouted the others, "you are quite lost, for this is -a kind of mouse-trap where you can enter but can't get out." - -At this moment, the man with two faces arrived; he opened the door and, -facing Claudio, looked at him with the serious face which made the boy -shut his eyes to keep from crying. - -"What! Have I got one pupil more?" he exclaimed. "Good, now it is your -turn to laugh, as it is the first day." - -And seizing his head with both hands he turned it round so that the gay -face came in front of the boy. The latter looked a moment, and again -shut his eyes to keep from laughing aloud. - -"I see that you are strong, but to-morrow we shall see," said the -monster, and he locked Claudio up with the other little ones. - -Now it was night; all were sleeping, including the horrible gaoler. - -Claudio was half asleep when he heard himself called softly. It was his -friend the squirrel, who had got in through the iron bars and said to -him: - -"Be sure that to-morrow I will save you." - -And without anything more he turned and went out by the way he had -entered. - -The following day, at the usual time, the monster showed his sad face. -The prisoners began to cry. Claudio shut his eyes, and the monster gave -one of his ears a bite and showed him his teeth. - -"That's for to-day; to-morrow there will be more," he said. - -And after throwing a few pieces of bread to the boys he went away. - -No sooner had he gone than millions of squirrels gathered round, and -with the quickness of lightning made an enormous gap. Through this the -boys escaped, and the squirrels entered in their place. The boys hid -themselves in a distant grotto, and there waited to see what would -happen. - -The man with the two faces arrived at the cage and, on seeing the -squirrels there, became extremely angry, and seized a whip with which to -give them the daily beating, when all those little animals came out -through the iron bars. - -The monster, putting on some very high stilts, started to run in search -of the boys, blowing a whistle. They, terror-stricken, were hiding in -the grotto without daring to breathe for fear of being discovered. -After eight or ten hours of giddy running, the man with the two faces -fell down exhausted and went to sleep on the ground near the grotto. -Then the squirrel asked Claudio for the whistle that the eagle had given -him, and without making any noise hung it round the monster's neck. - -Then the latter, awakened by the cold of the night, again caught hold of -the whistle and started to blow it madly. The eagle hastened to the -sound of his whistle, and thinking that it was Claudio, seized the man -with the two faces in his claws and rose up to a great height. - -The eagle soon noticed that his voice was unknown, and without more ado -let go of his load and the monster was dashed to pieces on the rocks -below. - -He flew again towards the place where he had left Claudio. - -"Don't be afraid," said the eagle, "because of the two faces neither -remains. They have just been smashed up against the stones, and he will -never torment anybody any more." - -The children returned to their homes, where their coming was celebrated -with great feasts, and Claudio's grandmother, when she heard what had -happened, after welcoming him on his return, only said to him: - -"Do you want to see the man with two faces again?" - - - - - *THE TREACHERY OF MICIFUF* - - -Rather more than a fortnight ago an importunate guest disturbed my quiet -and would not leave me in peace during those tranquil hours of the night -which I am accustomed to spend in work. - -You will say that I ought to have got rid of him. Nothing more simple, -apparently, than to seize the disturbing guest and to put him on his -feet in the street, saying to him: "Good friend, do me the favour not to -come back to this house while I live in it and while you behave so -badly." - -But with my guest there is no reasoning at all. I begged him, with the -most delicate phrases from the book of courtesy, to go away, or not to -make a noise. On seeing his insistence, I reached, by degrees, from the -simple threat of dismissal to the terrible one (it frightens me to -remember!) of dealing him a vile and treacherous death. To such a point -does hastiness on occasions blind us! Even to crime! - -And to any one in the same circumstances I suspect the same thing would -occur. - -Because what he does is so irritating. At the moment when I compose -myself for writing, at that very moment he makes an unbearable noise -that gets on my nerves and prevents me from writing calmly a single -line, and from even putting together my ideas. When, tired of the -torture, I throw down my pen and go to bed, the mocking noise at once -ceases as if by magic, and the silence of the dead, or of those who -work, reigns again in my room. - -But there is still more! As I leave them scattered on the table, my -poor papers appear the following morning as if they were the remains of -a kite, crumpled and even torn, turning my writing to strange -hieroglyphics, incapable of being read, and my books, my poor books, -which are so dear to me, they are cut as if with a saw, covers and all! - -Such an enemy well deserved the tremendous punishment which my -legitimate indignation prepared for him. I maintain him, but he, -however, illtreats me! Have you ever seen such black ingratitude? - -So I spoke to several friends of mine not long ago, and finding my -pacific and easy-going nature so changed to such a decided and -determined attitude, and to such a fixed project of sanguinary -vengeance, they said to me, quite surprised and bewildered: - -"We did not believe you capable of such thoughts! To assassinate! to -avenge! When, even in extreme cases, it might be legitimate and -honourable it leaves a stain in the mouth and in the mind of him who -thinks it. We do not understand you now, my friend; with such principles -one goes to prison or to the scaffold with surprising ease. If it is an -ingrate who is to be dealt with, turn him ignominiously out of your -house and leave him alone." - -And I noticed in my audience a movement of repulsion that made me feel -uneasy. - -"But now it occurs to me that I have spoken," I added, "without telling -who is the person concerned. It is a mouse which, hidden behind my -bookcase, makes an infernal noise about twelve o'clock at night, the -hour at which I dedicate myself to my work. It is he who destroys -everything within the reach of his nails or teeth, who must have in his -body more letters than a printing press and more paper than a -paper-mill." - -Either it was an old and seasoned mouse, experienced in malicious -tricks, or what he has gnawed has taught him to be on his guard against -everything. Be that as it may, it is certain that there is no -instrument, mouse-trap, or poison which could put the wretch to death -and ensure my tranquillity. - -You ought to have seen me some nights handling an old cavalry sabre, -pursuing the little mouse, which finished by hiding itself between the -bookcase and the wall, laughing at my cutting and thrusting. - -Convinced that there was nothing to be done against such an agile enemy, -I called to my aid a cat who was well known for his courage and hatred -of the mouse tribe, big Micifuf, who, although old and retired from -active life, had no objection to placing himself at my disposal, only on -certain fixed conditions. - -"If you want me to help you," he said to me, "you must entertain me like -a prince; must buy me a fine gilt collar; and when I have killed the -mouse who troubles you, must make me a good present for my family." - -I agreed to all this, provided I was freed of the diabolical creature -and in the belief that that same night it would fall into the power of -my ally. - -After a little time I noticed that the noise disappeared, which was -something of a consolation, and I observed that the good Micifuf was -lying near the bookcase. He looked at me and smiled as if to say, -"There, you see! as soon as they smell me about all is over." - -I do not Know whether it was instinct or suspicion: it is certain and -true that I thought a certain understanding existed between the mouse -and Micifuf, and decided to spy upon them to convince myself of this -treachery. - -"The mouse does not come out," I said to myself, "and if he does not -come out from behind the bookcase for these three or four days and has -not eaten anything all this time, the unhappy creature must be on the -point of dying of hunger, if it is not already dead. Well, then, if it -is alive there is doubtless some trickery here!" - -A few days afterwards I overheard a long conversation between Micifuf -and the mouse. - -Said the former to the latter: "Now you see I don't interfere with you -at all. On the contrary, I myself supply you with food, giving it to -you on the sly as we agreed. But if you make a noise I shall be obliged -to lay hands on you, in which case, frankly, neither you nor I would -derive any benefit--you, because you run the risk of my devouring you at -a mouthful; and I because, once you are dead, the master would send me -away, and I shall not be able to find another fool like this, who keeps -me and treats me famously without my doing any work whatever." - -"For my part," said the mouse, "I don't think I shall break the compact. -I don't move, even to sneeze; so that you ought to be very pleased. By -the way, you might be good enough to increase my rations of cheese, for -you know I like it immensely, and above all Gruyere." - -At this moment I could not restrain my indignation, and calling Micifuf -I said to him: - -"You are a cat without honour; what you have done is a really dirty -trick of the worst kind. I should never have brought you here for that -purpose, for I could have made an arrangement with the mouse myself. I -prefer to keep him rather than to feed you both." - -"Come, come!" exclaimed Micifuf with the utmost coolness. "I see you -have not understood my plan. Listen! By acting so with the mouse, which -is an unhappy creature in the fullest sense of the word, I shall succeed -in getting him out of his haunts, and he will yield himself trustingly -to my claws and teeth." - -So that very night he approached the bookcase and said: - -"Little mouse, my friend! Come out, for now nobody is about and we can -chat at our ease." - -The mouse showed its little snout from behind the bookcase and came out, -little by little, with justifiable fear. - -"Come now, draw near, and don't make me raise my voice, I don't know -whether they can hear us. Listen to what I have to tell you. You must -know, my good friend, that I have always felt a great affection for your -race, by reason of a tradition which has been preserved in my family for -many years. According to this, one of our ancestors, a beautiful Angora -cat--I don't know exactly whether it was my great-grandfather or my -great-great-grandfather--was once very ill and without resources, lying -on the miserable straw of a garret, when a compassionate mouse brought -him some cheese-rinds and, I suppose, some other eatables right up to -his own bed. He was going to take them when another mouse, of -disagreeable appearance, with some red marks on its back, drew near and -took away the food, taking advantage of the fact that my -great-grandfather had rheumatism and could not move. - -"Since then we have decided to kill all the descendants of that wicked -fellow who made our relative die of hunger, and also to reward the one -who was so good to him in time of trouble." - -"That appears quite right to me," said the mouse. - -"Listen, by the by: do you know it seems to me that you have some red -spots on your back?" - -The mouse was startled and said that his good friend the cat must have -cobwebs in his eyes. - -"Really, I am very shortsighted, and it would not be at all -extraordinary if I were mistaken. I will come near in order to -recognise you better." - -He had no sooner approached than, seizing him with his claws, he began -to shout: - -"Master! Master! Here is the mouse!" - -I hastened at the call, and, if the truth must be told, far from being -pleased, the deed troubled me in the highest degree. - -The little mouse lay dead in Micifuf's claws, and the cat was showing -himself off, proud of his achievement. - -"I hope," said he, "that you will give me the reward agreed on." - -Then I could no longer restrain my indignation, and, seizing a stick, I -began to whack the traitor, saying to him: - -"Wretch! At first you would have deceived me, and now, by practising -the wiles of traitors, you have murdered him to whom you offered -protection. Take the reward which all traitors receive." - -At each blow with the stick Micifuf snorted, leaping high into the air, -until at length he dashed through a pane of the window and threw himself -out into the street. I did not wish to know whether he was killed or -not. He well deserved to be killed. - -And since then, everybody who has recourse to deceit seems hateful to -me, even though they deceive for the purpose of killing the most -troublesome of little mice. - - - - - *TROMPETILLA AND TROMPETIN* - - -"What are you doing here, boy?" asked a venerable friar of Rupert, who -was sitting near his accordion in the neighbourhood of a wood as if he -were preparing himself to give a solemn performance to the oaks. - -[Illustration: "What are You doing here, Boy."] - -"I was resting after a long walk," answered the boy, "and as they say -that sleep is food, I wished to forget in slumber that not a mouthful -has passed my lips for many hours." - -"Poor little boy," exclaimed the father; "if you want a sumptuous meal -go near the third cork-tree on the right-hand side; go round the tree -three times, playing the accordion, and a door will open. Pass through -it and you shall eat splendidly." - -Rupert went to the spot indicated and, playing a "Habanera" dance, made -the three turns prescribed; a piece of bark came away and disclosed a -little iron door, artistically ornamented. He pushed it gently; it -opened noiselessly, and there was Rupert inside a beautiful palace, -whose magnificent rooms were illuminated with hidden fires, which, while -giving light, sent out sweet fragrance. "These smells are not bad," said -Rupert, "but I would rather they came from a nicely cooked chop." - -At that moment a hundred succulent chops which were saying "Eat me!" -began to balance themselves in space. Being neither stupid nor lazy, -Rupert tried to get hold of the nearest, but they all began a frantic -career round the room. In the centre of the latter appeared a table -covered with appetising eatables, but as soon as Rupert went near they -once more took to flight as if on invisible wings. A magnificent -stuffed turkey hit him on the nose; the breast of a chicken nearly -knocked him over; all this while the boy was running, like a mad thing, -after those exquisite dainties, hungrier than a bear after a fortnight's -fast. - -"This is only an invitation to see!" exclaimed the lad. "It is enough -to make one's teeth grow longer!" - -He had hardly uttered these words than his teeth began to grow in such a -disordered fashion, and so quickly, that the shortest was not less than -three yards long. The viands were caught on them as if on lances, a -further difficulty for Rupert, who could not succeed in seizing the -coveted prey which was fixed on his own teeth. - -On this a monkey appeared, and climbing on to the boy's teeth, began -very impudently to eat those exquisite viands, making signs of -satisfaction which threw Rupert into a rage. - -"You great thief!" he cried. "What do you mean by laughing at me?" - -And catching up his accordion he threw it at the animal with such -accuracy that, hitting him on the head, it knocked him senseless. A -great noise was heard, the monkey disappeared, Rupert's teeth grew -shorter, and while the accordion played, of its own accord, the -celebrated air "No me matas," a woman appeared in the middle of the room -who, for size, looked like a whale, and who would have been beautiful if -she had not had a turned-up nose and fixed eyes, one weeping oil and the -other vinegar, and who would certainly have had a fine head of hair if -she had not been bald, and a fine set of teeth if a single tooth had -remained in her head. - -"Who are you?" asked Rupert, a trifle startled. - -"I am the witch Trompetilla, the daughter of the celebrated Trompeton -and grand-daughter of Trompetazo, and am looking for my son Trompetin -everywhere, without being able to find him." - -"Why do you speak to me about Trompetilla and Trompetin when I never -played a trumpet in my life?" - -"Ah, unhappy me!" sobbed the witch. "In vain I have offered a -pennyworth of toasted chick peas and a measure of tiger nuts to the -mortal who discovers the whereabouts of my son. I have wept so much oil -and vinegar that I have spoilt all the furniture in my house." - -"What a fine salad you could make if you bought some lettuces!" - -"You will get a salad made of blows if you don't help me to look for my -Trompetin, and if we find him I will invite you to supper, and moreover -will give you a penny so that you need never do any more work in your -life." - -Roused by such a magnificent promise, Rupert offered to look for -Trompetin, even if he were under a cruet. - -"What is he like?" he asked. - -"The size of a pea, a head like that of a pin, and legs like needles." - -"Well, then, he must be sticking in a pin cushion or in a needle-case." - -"A needle-case would not hold him, for he has a beard two yards long." - -"It must trail on the ground!" said Rupert, full of astonishment. - -"Well, now," said the witch, "while I go and mend some clothes, begin to -look for my pet." - -This said, she disappeared. - -The boy was confused by so many comings and goings, appearances and -disappearances; but as hunger afflicted him, he proposed to find -Trompetin, and taking a turn round the room, began to shout: - -"Trompetin, where are you?" - -"Here!" groaned a tiny voice. - -"Where? I can't see you." - -"In this crack," replied the voice. - -Rupert searched, and at last found the witch's son in a crack between -two bricks. The enormous beard was a hair two yards long, which grew -out of his nose. - -Rupert took him up carefully, and placing him on his hand, asked him: - -"Are you Trompetin, the son of Trompetilla?" - -"The same." - -"Why have you been lost so long?" - -"Because my mother is deaf and cannot see well, so that, although I -shouted a lot, she did not hear me." - -"Well, now, tell me who the monkey is that climbed up on to my teeth?" - -"It is a wizard, nastier than medicine, who is angry with us because his -grandfather died from a trumpet-blast that my great-great-grandfather -sounded in his ear. It was he who made your teeth grow, and didn't -allow you to eat. Knock on this wall and he will reappear, then pull -out my hair and thrash him with it." - -"A fine thrashing to be given with a hair!" - -"Try, and you will see!" - -Rupert struck the wall, and at once the monkey appeared, sparks flying -from his eyes. He was about to throw himself on Rupert, but the boy -pulled out Trompetin's hair, which turned itself into a fine cudgel, -with which he dealt the monkey a vigorous hiding. The animal leapt high -into the air several times, but that was useless, as the stick -lengthened as if it were elastic and reached him wherever he was. When -the monkey could resist no longer, he took human shape, and going on his -knees begged Rupert not to grind his ribs, and in return he offered to -give him as much wealth as he might desire. - -"Call Trompetilla," exclaimed the lad, "and let us have a talk." - -The witch appeared, this time crying with joy at seeing her son, and -after kissing him, stuck him in her dress so that he should not be lost -again. The wizard gave Rupert a lot of money and the witch gave him a -splendid supper of stew and hemp-seed. - -When supper was over they affectionately took leave of one another, and -the wizard took Rupert out into the fresh air, carrying him carefully to -the same spot in which he was when he met the priest. There he left the -boy sleeping soundly, dreaming of a sweet awakening--the dream of the -person who sees his future assured by reason of not having done anything -wrong. - - - - - *THE QUACK DOCTOR* - - -I do not know whether it was true or not, but as it was told to me so I -tell it to you. - -There used to pass through the goodly streets, whether of Constantinople -or Babylon I am not sure which--however, it makes no difference to my -story--a quack doctor who, while beating a drum and clashing a pair of -cymbals, announced his medicines and practised his cures. - -You must place the action of this story in a place where there are no -medical men, for if there were, certainly they would put the quack in -prison where he would not see daylight for a long time. And the fact is -that, with all his quackery, the man had acquired great fame in the -difficult art to which he devoted himself. His adaptability was -extraordinary. It was just the same to him to extract a big man's tooth -as to pull out a knife and cut off anybody's leg without stopping for a -moment. - -For shamelessness this man could not be beaten. It is related that in -the times when our quack wandered through the streets and towns, the -emperor's son fell ill of a great and persistent melancholy. The youth -was sad and weak, and even when he felt no pain his depression was -alarming. The court doctors, who were important people, held a -consultation, and, as always happens in these cases, each one put -forward a different opinion from that of his companions. - -"It appears to me," said one, putting on his spectacles, "saving the -estimable opinion of my fellow-professors, that his highness the -hereditary prince is suffering from his liver. Broth of green beans -would be a good thing." - -"Gently, wise companion," exclaimed another. "I maintain that his -highness suffers from his spleen; and as what is good for the liver is -bad for the other organ, I do not believe that green beans would be any -good; roasted chick peas are wanted." - -"Well, gentlemen, may I be hanged if the prince's illness is not in his -feet. Ask him if he has chilblains, and, in that case, we all know what -to do: wool, plenty of wool, and watercress, plenty of watercress." - -The discussion took a threatening turn; each doctor, in support of what -he affirmed, cited three or four authorities and even brought books to -prove and demonstrate it. The dispute waxed so hot that it ended by the -doctors throwing the books at each other's heads. A book broke the -spectacles of one of the doctors, and a little more would have knocked -out one of his eyes; another fell like a mace on the bald head of the -oldest and crashed into his brain, his skull not being of the hardest. - -At this moment the emperor entered the room where the three Hippocrates -were killing each other, and when informed of the cause of the dispute -became cold all over. - -"It is a bad sign when you do not agree. My son is in danger of dying." - -And the poor father went away, saddened and disheartened, to his -apartments. - -History says that not a bit of the doctors remained. On seeing the -emperor so grief-stricken there was no lack of courtiers who had the -courage to speak to him of the advisibility of calling in the quack. - -"Impossible," said the monarch. "If those three shining lights of -medicine could not save him, how can I possibly expect that the quack -can cure him?" - -However, the courtiers were so persistent that the emperor consented to -call in the quack, but on one condition: before taking up the cure of -the prince, he must heal five sick people who had been given up by the -doctors. - -They looked for the five invalids and had them brought into the palace. -The quack, obeying the emperor's orders, arrived shortly after. The -latter said to him: - -"Do you dare to undertake the prince's cure?" - -"Yes, sire." - -"Well, in order to convince me of what you know, you will heal five men -who are seriously ill and whom I will show you. If you do not cure them -I will have your head cut off, but if you make them well I will -thenceforward put his highness' health in your charge." - -"Can you not make it four instead of five, sire?" - -"No, five; and if not, you know what to expect." - -"Well, then, I will cure them. Where are they? I must speak to them -alone." - -With the emperor's permission he went to the room where the hopeless -cases were. Even the most healthy of them had only two or three days to -live. - -[Illustration: The Quack Doctor.] - -On seeing them our quack almost fell in a faint. - -"Gentlemen," he said, "I am going to cure you in the only possible way. -The great magician Faramalla has taught me a wonderful system of curing. -There is no invalid who cannot be healed by it. Hear it: - -"It is necessary for me to kill one of you and burn his heart. Its -ashes serve to make such a pomade that on applying it to any diseased -part it heals as if by magic, without any need of medicine. You," he -added, facing one of the hopeless ones, "are very ill, what does it -matter to you if you die now or within two days? I shall kill you and -burn your heart to cinders in order to cure the rest." - -"I say, good friend," cried the threatened man, "do you say I am very -ill? Why, there is nothing the matter with me. My family persists in -saying that I am consumptive, but, thank God, I am as sound as a bell." - -"All right, all right," said the quack, "it makes very little difference -to me; but you leave on this condition, that you tell the emperor that -you are cured." - -The consumptive, hardly noticing the half-opened door, dashed madly -homewards. - -"How are you?" the emperor asked him. - -"I am sound and well," exclaimed the consumptive, without ceasing to -run. - -"This is marvellous," thought the emperor. - -"He is a very learned man," said the courtiers. - -The other invalids did the same as the first. Provided that they were -not killed at once, they swore by all they held sacred that they had -never felt stronger and better in their lives. And they darted out of -the palace like arrows from a bow, leaving the emperor and the doctors -amazed. - -The monarch then thought of trusting him with the cure of his son, when -a loud burst of laughter interrupted the grave and ceremonious etiquette -of the court. Who was the daring man who thus failed in due respect? - -The emperor in person, full of ire, went out into the ante-room and -there met the disturber. It was the imperial prince himself, who was -rolling on a sofa unable to restrain his outbursts of laughter. The -emperor was delighted to see the sadness, which had so alarmed him, -dissipated so unexpectedly. To what was this extraordinary event due? - -The prince told him. "On seeing those unhappy invalids run out so -quickly, I asked the quack the cause of their flight, and the latter -told me with a wealth of detail." - -It had amused him so much that the black melancholy which was -undermining his existence was dissipated. - -"You will remain with my son," said the emperor to the quack, "not as a -doctor but as a friend. You are a witty man and wit deserves to be -rewarded." - - - - - *THE DRAWING SCHOOL* - - -Once there was a boy so fond of spoiling walls, doors, and windows with -grotesque drawings that there was no way of stopping him from practising -his silly cleverness wherever he was. And I say silly, because from his -hand came forth some primitive dolls, with heads as round as a billiard -ball, eyes and nose forming a sort of cork, and arms and legs like thin -thread, terminating in hands and feet which required an inscription in -order not to be taken for scourges. - -One afternoon he approached the very wall of the school, and there, with -the greatest coolness, commenced to draw with a piece of charcoal some -of his strange figures. Perico, for so the boy was called, traced the -figure of the head of a puppet, made the eyes and the mouth, and, oh, -how strange! the doll began to wink and open its mouth and put its -tongue out like anything. - -Perico was not timid, and therefore the moving of the eyes and mouth did -not startle him, and so without paying attention continued with his -sketching the arms and the rest of the body. But he had hardly finished -when the doll's hand came out and gave him such a tremendous knock that -it made him lose his balance, and he would even have fallen to the -ground if another blow with the other hand and on the opposite cheek had -not kept him on his feet. And as if this was not enough, the legs sprang -out of the wall, and two vigorous kicks that Perico received in the pit -of the stomach quite convinced him that there was one too many, and he -was the one. Thus convinced he was about to run away when the whole -doll came away from the stone, and at a bound leapt on his shoulders and -began to bite him in the back of the head. - -Perico ran towards his house like a greyhound, feeling on his neck the -weight of that unexpected load, when the latter grew heavy, as if, -instead of a charcoal picture, he had to deal with a bronze statue. - -The poor little boy sank to the ground, and on getting up saw at his -side, in the middle of the square, the doll in question, as tall as a -giant and changed into a motionless iron statue. - -He tried to fly, but the statue caught him with its great hands by the -neck and, raising him up, placed him on its shoulders, and this being -done commenced to run in the direction of the country. Its footsteps -produced a very disagreeable noise of ironmongery, something like a sack -of nails being shaken up. - -It was night-time and our giant, with Perico on its shoulders, ran as -fast as anything to a neighbouring mountain, until he came to a dark -grotto into which he penetrated without any need of matches, because -intense lights shone from his eyes. - -During all this Perico, needless to mention, was more afraid than -ashamed, and did not know, nor could even imagine how, it was going to -end. - -At length, after some minutes' walk in the grotto, the iron man -straightened himself, and turning the light of his eyes towards a -corner, lighted up by a glance the lamp which hung down from the rocky -ceiling, and this being done, took Perico down from his shoulders and -sat down. - -"You do not know who I am," said the doll, opening his mouth with a -horrible smile; "but when you do know, it will make your hair stand on -end from fright." - -"I am sure it won't," said the lad, "because it is already doing so; and -as I cannot be any more afraid than I am now, on account of being so -much afraid the fear which I felt is passing away." - -"Well, then, I am the magician Adefesio, and I am tired of your drawing -me so ugly and so similar to all the boys. The thing which puts me out -most is that you draw my eyes without pupils and my nose without -nostrils. Moreover, the ears which you sketch look like jug handles, -and I am sick of my portrait going about the world so disfigured and so -badly done. Could you not have learnt to draw a little before -commencing these pictures? Well, the punishment that I reserve for you -is to draw your portrait every day." - -"What a punishment!" exclaimed Perico. - -"The fact is that I do not know how to draw either," answered the man of -iron, "and the worst of it all is that while I am drawing you, you will -grow like my sketch, so that in a twinkling you will be disfigured. -There, does not that seem a severe punishment to you? Well, you will -see!" - -And seizing Perico by one arm he pulled the lamp which hung down. Then -a hole opened in the ceiling and the lamp went up, dragging the doll and -Perico through the air. - -The light continued to rise through a sort of well which was lighted up, -and whose walls were lined with books full of badly-made drawings, -spoilt plans, pieces of forms with engravings made with penknives, and -table-covers destroyed through having been drawn on. That was the -museum of the man of iron, and each time he saw it he was filled with -anger towards the young draughtsmen who spoilt everything. - -Soon they found themselves in a spacious room decorated in Arabian style -and furnished most luxuriously. In the background there was an easel of -great size, and on it a blackboard on which were drawn a lot of dolls of -the same sort that Perico drew. - -"Dear me, how fine!" said the boy looking at the sketches; "it seems -that I did them." - -"Well, now you will see the consequences," and snapping his fingers he -produced a metallic sound, and immediately a multitude of boys of -different ages came through a door. But what funny boys! All had round -heads, eyes like fishes, flat noses, and mouths like letter boxes, wide -open and showing teeth like saws. Their arms were thin as wire, ending -in long fingers without joints. Perico was not startled when they came -in. - -"Well, that is how you will look in a little while," said the iron man. - -"He always exaggerates!" exclaimed Perico aside, "but seeing is -believing." - -The man of iron seized a piece of chalk, and going near to the board -began to draw Perico's head; but the latter called the doll's attention, -and when he looked the other way rubbed out what he had drawn. - -The man could not have seen very well because he went on drawing very -tranquilly, and Perico continued rubbing out what the other drew; and -when he thought that he had finished he caught up the boy, brought him -to the light, and imagine his surprise on seeing him the same as before. -He went back, full of rage, to the blackboard; but Perico tripped him -up, and did it so well that he fell down. Then he threw the board and -easel on him, and climbing on top, began to jump on the doll, and -calling to his companions, shouted: - -"Come here so that he will not be able to run away!" - -The boys drew near and, climbing on the blackboard, by their weight -prevented the iron doll from moving. - -But things did not rest thus, because Perico was a very daring boy, and -taking up a rope, which was close at hand, hung the iron man by the neck -to the lamp, and pulling on the other end of the rope, hauled him up -with the help of his companions. - -As he was made of iron he was not choked, but hanging up he could do -nothing except make grimaces like a jack-in-the-box, which was just what -he looked like hanging in the air. - -"Let me down!" shouted the unhappy man, "and you may draw whatever you -like." - -"That won't do, my friend," answered Perico, laughing at the doll's -movements. "I should not be so stupid as to let you escape." - -So that, as the song says: - - "Here, sirs, came to an end - The life of Don Crispin." - - -"Do you think I have forgotten the punch you gave me?" - -The other boys tied the rope to a sofa so as not to get tired, and led -by Perico began to explore the rooms of the cave. They were all -beautiful save that the ornaments on the walls were of dolls as -grotesque as the master. - -The way out of the grotto could not be seen anywhere. And the reason was -simple, as the means of exit was by the lamp to which the doll was -hanging; but the boys did not like the idea of going down one by one, -with a great risk of breaking their heads. - -Perico, now uneasy, recommenced to run about the rooms, and troubled by -seeing on the walls what recalled his unfortunate adventure, pulled out -his handkerchief and rubbed out all the drawings, seeing, with -extraordinary surprise, that the boys recovered their original shapes. -On rubbing out the last drawing a formidable noise was heard: the iron -man vanished as if he were smoke, the palace disappeared, and they found -themselves at the entrance to the cave. From there they marched to the -town, where their parents were anxiously waiting for them, and there -they related what had occurred. - -All returned thanks to God and promised not to draw dolls again -anywhere. - -Perico became a very honourable man, devoted himself to drawing, and -became a great artist, but he never forgot those dolls, which might have -cost him so dear. - - - - - *THE MAN WITH THE NOSE* - - -The King of Persia, Abe-lan-fui, was sitting one day with his august -feet in a basin of rose-water, an ingenious method which he employed in -order to cause happy ideas to occur to him when he was troubled. Half -slumbering by reason of the sublime thoughts which crowded to his brain, -he nodded two or three times, rubbed his eyes, and reclining his head on -a cushion, fell asleep. The court with silent respect contemplated the -gentle sleep of his majesty, when a loud sneeze filled the courtiers -with horror and suddenly awakened his majesty. - -"Who was it?" asked the monarch. - -"Sire!" exclaimed a youth, "it was I. I could not help it." - -"Shall I hang him?" asked the grand vizier. - -"Not yet; wait. You have just interrupted the sweetest dream of my -life. I was just thinking how to marry Princess Chan-ta-lan to a prince -of her rank when your tempestuous sneeze caused it all to go out of my -head. Your duty now is to guess my dream. If you can remind me of it, -I forgive you; but if not, I will have your nose shortened so that you -will never sneeze again as long as you live." - -"Sire!" answered the unhappy courtier, seizing his nose as if to bid it -a last farewell, "my nose and my person belong to your majesty, but no -doubt, if you grant me five minutes' reflection, with the help of God I -will make you remember your dream." - -When the brief respite granted by the king had expired, the courtier -daringly approached the steps of the throne and spoke as follows: - -"Mighty monarch! here is the only dream worthy of your illustrious -talent. You dreamed that twelve princes solicited the white hand of the -august Princess Chan-ta-lan; that eleven of them were graceful, but one -had a defect; the former were powerful, and the latter of meagre -fortune; however, your majesty chose the defective candidate as -hereditary prince." - -"If you tell me why I chose him," interrupted the monarch, "the nose is -yours." - -"You chose him, your majesty, for his surpassing genius, and for having -vanquished his rivals in tests to which your majesty submitted them." - -"Excellent. Now I remember it perfectly. May God preserve your nose -for centuries and centuries, and my treasurer shall give you a thousand -pieces of gold as a reward for your extraordinary understanding." - -The court greeted this act of the monarch with a murmur of approval, -and, at once, all those who a few minutes before fled from the young -courtier as from a plague approached and felicitated him. - -"Well, then," exclaimed the monarch, "I wish to follow the inspirations -of the dream, whose description you have heard. From now on, the -competition for aspirants to the hand of Chan-ta-lan is open. Proclaim -it, grand vizier, to all my ambassadors, and let all courts know what my -decision is. A necessary condition for the princes who aspire to be my -successor is to send their portraits without delay. - -"And now," he added, addressing the minstrels of the palace, "I permit -you to sing my praises; and you," he said, facing his courtiers, "I -tolerate to applaud me for the great talent that God has given me." - -"Bravo! Bravo!" exclaimed the courtiers all together. - -"You are half-hearted!" said the king. "Applaud with more enthusiasm, -then I promise you not to get angry even when you shock my modesty." - -"Hurrah! Splendid! Wonderful!" cried the people of the court, -applauding as if they were the claque of a theatre. "What genius! What -penetration! What a pity if it should fail us!" - -"Don't be afraid, it will continue to be your pride and the rejoicing of -this land of fools and brutes." - -"Oh, what a good lord! What a delicate compliment!" - -The ambassadors announced the wish of their lord in all the capitals of -the neighbouring kingdoms, and very soon letters and portraits of -princes in all imaginable attitudes began to arrive. Some were twirling -their moustaches with a martial air; others scratched their chins as if -they were irritated; and others with one hand on the hilt of their -swords but wearing a magnanimous air, as if they would spare everybody's -life. So the King of Persia gathered a varied collection. But amongst -them one excelled for his awful simplicity, that of the Prince of Tokay, -who appeared in full profile, showing such a deformed nose as had never -been seen, not only in that town, but if you searched for ten leagues -around you would not find another to approach it. And saying it is -different from seeing it. For that immense, colossal nose measured from -the base to the tip nearly a yard in the measure of that country, which -is equal to two in Castilian measure. It was as thick as it was large, -which almost caused the other features of the countenance to disappear. -The painter, who undoubtedly was very clever, had expressed the air of -weariness which that badly balanced weight produced in the prince, and -which cried aloud for a counter weight at the back of his head. - -The king laughed very much to see this phenomenon, and on seeing him -laugh the courtiers also dared to laugh at the prince; but the princess, -called to see the portrait of that aspirant to marriage, far from -laughing, commenced to cry disconsolately and nearly fainted. - -"I do not wish to see the man with the nose!" she cried. "What great -folly! With this face he dares to ask for my hand! Papa, declare war -against him, take him prisoner, and do him the favour of trimming his -nose, if only to oblige me!" - -The court also laughed at the remarks of the princess; for to some -people there is nothing more amusing than to laugh at others. - -The king did not dare to disregard the Prince of Tokay, and, moreover, -greatly wished to see closely that elephant's trunk; so it was that he -authorised his ambassador to invite him to come to Persia to the place -arranged for the other aspirants. - -All Teheran was burning with desire to know the princes, and especially -the big-nosed one: and so on the day of his arrival all the town crowded -to the gate by which he was to enter the capital. The Prince of Tokay, -accompanied by his inseparable nose and a modest escort, entered the -city and proceeded directly to the palace. - -"What beauty!" cried the people. "With such a nose, well distributed, -there would be an end to all the pug-nosed people in the world." - -The king, who came out to receive him, wished to embrace him as -etiquette required, but knocked against his nose and nearly tore out his -eye. At last a courtier held carefully aside the nose and he was able -to accomplish the palatine ceremony. - -"His nose is tremendous," said the king, putting wet cloths on his -injured eye; "but it does not seem to me so large as the one in the -portrait." - -"I am of the same opinion," added the princess. "It seems to me three -or four inches shorter than that the painter represented. If an artist -here had done the same to me as he did to the Prince of Tokay I am sure -that I should order him to receive a sound thrashing!" - -"Then, to blow his nose how many handkerchiefs are wanted!" said a -courtier. - -"He blows his nose on a sheet," added another. - -The following day all the princes were summoned to give proof of their -talents. All went about very thoughtfully except he of Tokay, who -arrived with a most natural and quiet demeanour. - -"My lord princes," said the sovereign, taking his seat on the throne, -"in order to decide who is the son-in-law who suits me best I have -arranged to put your knowledge to a test, now that your personal charms -are to be seen." - -All the spectators looked at the big-nosed prince, who seemed as -tranquil as if he were not the object of general curiosity. - -"Here are the questions that you have to answer. Which is the most -valuable thing in the world? How many baskets full of earth could be -taken from the mountain which is to be seen from the palace? And who is -the most treacherous companion that we all have?" - -He granted them an hour in which to think out the answers, each being -shut up separately. He formed a tribunal composed of the wisest men of -his kingdom, and afterwards compared the aspirants to his daughter's -hand one with the other. - -Some stated that these questions were too difficult for such rapid -answers; others said what they thought about them in such a stupid way -that the tribunal and the court could not refrain from laughter. - -At length it came to the turn of the Prince of Tokay, who, bowing -respectfully, answered, "The most valuable thing in the world is life, -because it is God's most wonderful work. The mountain which is to be -seen from the palace has exactly two baskets full of earth, provided a -basket is made large enough to hold half the mountain. And the most -treacherous companion is time, which is our friend in youth, our -companion in middle age, and finally kills us treacherously in old age." - -The king smiled, the tribunal approved, and the court applauded. The -princess herself appeared enchanted. - -"Without any doubt," said the monarch, "you are the the victor in this -contest of intelligence; now it remains for you to vanquish in strength -and skill." - -A stand was erected in the public place for the king, the judges, and -the court, and shortly afterwards the princes, bearing their arms and -mounted on superb horses, rode into the lists. - -Each one was given a lance and the struggle began. The first of the -princes fought with the second, the conqueror with the third, and so on. - -The Prince of Muscovy, who was a robust man, won the greater part of the -contest, wounding his adversaries seriously by lance-thrusts, throwing -them from their horses, and making them declare themselves vanquished -under the threat of finishing them off like lambs. When the last one -appeared, the feeble Prince of Tokay, a murmur of pity went round the -spectators. He of Muscovy had nothing even to start on! Moreover, as -that nose could not be covered by any known helmet, the prince kept it -outside with his visor raised. This was a manifest disadvantage, for -the other was cased in armour from top to toe. - -He of Muscovy approached the stand where the princess was and said to -her: - -"Beautiful Chan-ta-lan, I know that you have a whim to have the Prince -of Tokay's nose shortened, and I intend to pull it out by the roots and -offer it to you as a wedding gift." - -And saying this, he attacked his adversary, who was quietly awaiting -him. Their lances struck against their shields and broke into -splinters; the horses reared, but neither one nor the other moved from -the saddle. The lances being broken, they seized their swords and -struck at each other furiously until the blades were broken also. The -Prince of Tokay approached his adversary, and with only one -hand--incredible strength!--took him from the saddle and threw him -rolling on the ground. - -Tremendous applause followed, and the Prince of Tokay was cheered on all -sides. The latter alighted from his horse, and drawing near to his -enemy, who was not yet able to rise, made him admit his defeat. The -princess looked at him in amazement and confusion, and the king said to -her: "So you have got to have the big-nosed one! However, console -yourself, we will give him a case for it." - -The prince approached the stand, and after receiving the king's -congratulations, the princess said to him: - -"I confess, Prince of Tokay, that you are not handsome, that you lack -something, or rather that you have something too much, but such proofs -have you given of your ingenuity and strength that I will be your wife -without feeling any repugnance." - -"My beautiful princess," exclaimed the knight, "I am so grateful for -your kindness that I do not wish to embitter your happiness without -making you a present which I think will be very much to your taste. My -adversary offered to give you my nose, the cause of your past antipathy, -and now that he has not succeeded in his project, may I be permitted to -present it to you myself." - -So saying, to the great surprise of every one, he gave a sharp tug at -his nose, tearing it off at one stroke. The crowd gave a shout, -believing that the man was going to die, when to the general -astonishment it was seen that under that cardboard nose he wore his own -natural nose, which was so delicate and well proportioned that he had no -need to envy even the best shaped of noses. The Prince of Tokay was -none other than the courtier of the sneeze. - -"I appealed to this expedient," he said, "because I wished you to know -and love me only for my qualities, and not for my face, for beauty -passes away quickly, and talent is a divine gift and much more lasting." - -The princess nearly died of joy on seeing her sweetheart so clever, and -the rare event formed the conversation of all the city. - -The wedding was celebrated with great pomp, and the new couple were very -happy, according to what the chronicles of Persia say. - -In one of the princess's rooms, under a pretty lantern, was the -cardboard nose of the false Prince of Tokay. Under it was the following -inscription: "Physical defects count as nothing when the heart is -generous and noble and the understanding clear." - - - - - *THE ISLAND OF BRILLIANTS* - - -The bark _Esperanza_ with all canvas spread was sailing the China Sea, -when a violent storm overtook her. The event was so rapid that it gave -no time to be foreseen, and the captain, who was an old sea-dog, as -sailors are called who have become inured to dangers, did not foresee -that the breeze of an instant ago would change so soon into a violent -hurricane. The rudder was broken by the force of the waves, and the -ship was driven by the cyclone without means of defence--the crew and -the bark were lost. - -All believed their last moment had come, since without doubt the boat -would go to pieces on the rocks which could be seen at a short distance, -when the captain gave a shout which calmed the anxiety of all hearts. - -"The Island of Brilliants!" he exclaimed, and instantly all appeared in -order to contemplate it. - -"Good," said a sailor. "That may be the Island of Brilliants, but if -striking against it breaks my head, I don't care whether it is against a -stone worth twopence or against a diamond worth ten millions." - -"You are right," answered the captain, "but the storm has abated a -little, and it remains for us to launch the boats and approach the coast -in them." - -This was done. A few minutes afterwards all the sailors save one -embarked in the boats and went to the island, which was visible not far -off. - -In the bark there remained an Aragonese passenger called Antonio, who -had set his heart on getting to Manila, and who said he would continue -on the ship even if he arrived alone at the capital of the Magallanico -archipelago. - -"But," said they to him, "don't be mad. Don't you see that you will -certainly perish?" - -"That we shall see; for I am going to Manila even if I have to swim -there." - -And there was no means of convincing him; therefore they left him to his -fate. The boats separated from the ship and went off to the Island of -Brilliants. - -The captain, meanwhile, said to his shipwrecked companions: - -"The island is inhabited by ill-tempered dwarfs who kill those who cause -them inconvenience, and, on the other hand, to those who appear amiable -they grant whatever they are asked. So, gentlemen, I recommend -moderation." - -This they promised him, and in a little while the boats touched dry -land. - -They disembarked, running the boats aground so that the surf should not -break them up, and penetrated into the island. - -They had gone scarcely a mile when they saw some little white houses of -brick, white as snow, and of a singular shape. They looked like jars -turned upside down. All the houses had very small windows and a small -door. - -"This must be," said the captain, "the dwarfs' city. Be very careful -now, because this is a dangerous moment." - -"But where are the brilliants?" asked a sailor. - -"They are on that mountain which begins at the side of the town. It is -quite inaccessible except by a narrow path whose entrance is carefully -and strongly defended by the dwarfs." - -At this moment a kind of bugle sounded and an arrow appeared from each -little window. They had given the alarm and the dwarfs hastened to the -defence. - -The captain tied a handkerchief to the end of a stick, and with this -improvised flag made signals that his intentions were pacific. - -Then a committee of dwarfs came out to talk matters over with them, -making themselves understood by signs, and at last agreed to let the -shipwrecked men enter the town, but blindfolded. - -They submitted to this condition, and immediately were surrounded by a -good number of guards, who manacled them and presently imprisoned them -in some very small cells, so small that the new-comers were obliged to -cower down almost all day because they touched the roof with their -heads. - -On the following day they were taken into the presence of the chief of -the dwarfs, who was the youngest of all, but who must have been the most -learned, because, after having asked them in several languages what -their nationality was, spoke to them in Spanish as follows: - -"What brought you to this island? Do you not know that he who comes to -it never returns? Perhaps the desire for wealth has moved you? If so, -you were much mistaken, because the riches which exist here are for us. -So that now you know what your fate must be--either to die or to be our -slaves." - -And at this a crowd of dwarfs approached the surprised sailors, and -without giving them time to defend themselves, tied them up and led them -back again to their prisons. - -All this while the bark _Esperanza_ was going along abandoned to the -mercy of the elements, and our Aragonese, fearing nothing, sat -tranquilly in the bows, saying to the ship: - -"I must go to Manila; so now you know what to do." - -The wind and the waves were driving the ship forward, until one morning, -the tempest now being over, Antonio found himself in a sort of natural -harbour where the ship ran on to the sand. - -"Well, this must be Manila!" he exclaimed, and throwing himself over the -side into the water, he reached dry land in two strides, not without -having previously taken, as a measure of precaution, a revolver, a gun, -a cutlass, and a pouch full of cartridges. - -"They won't throw me out of Manila for want of arms!" he said, and going -on and on, our good Antonio with his gun on his shoulder commenced to -look for people to ask the way to the capital of the archipelago, now -lost to the Spaniards. - -After several hours' walk he met two dwarfs who, seated on the ground, -were playing marbles with some stones whose brilliance was dazzling. - -[Illustration: He met two Dwarfs who were playing Marbles.] - -The Aragonese approached the players and bade them good afternoon; the -dwarfs raised their heads and looked at him contemptuously and continued -to play. - -"Look here, I said 'Good afternoon' to you," shouted the Aragonese, "and -in my country when an insult is offered one knows what happens." - -The dwarfs turned to look at him without having understood, and then -Antonio, with two superb punches, knocked the presumptuous dwarfs to the -ground. One remained stunned and could not move himself; but the other -began to run away, uttering cries, and disappeared. - -The Aragonese brought round the dwarf and detained him. - -For several days they went about the mountain, and during this time -Antonio succeeded in learning a few phrases of the strange language -which the dwarf spoke, and the latter learned several others in Spanish, -with which they came to understand each other perfectly. The two -friends related their respective histories to one another. That of the -dwarf was short; he was called Fu-fei, and he was a captain of the -Cuirassiers of the Guard; and as they had no real horses they rode some -made of cane so prettily that they attracted attention. He narrated, -moreover, that some days before, some giants who had arrived then were -made prisoners, and were to be killed or made slaves. As soon as he gave -these details of the prisoners Antonio cried, "These are my people. I -will not go to Manila until they are out of trouble." - -"While you are here," said Fu-fei, "don't run any risks; because my -companions never go up the mountains, as it makes them tired, and they -are under the care of the doctor who prevents them from tiring -themselves; but if you go down to the plain they will attack you, and -they are more than three thousand." - -"I don't care; I shall know how to defend myself." - -"Then let me recommend you to do one thing. When you begin to fight I -will signal to you which is the company of archers who use poisoned -arrows. Shoot at them, and you can laugh at the rest." - -And so it was. At the moment when he went down the mountain, Antonio -found himself attacked by the outposts of the dwarfs' army. Fu-fei -pointed out the company of the terrible arrows, and the Aragonese -destroyed it by shots from his gun and blows with his cutlass. - -"There is our king!" cried Fu-fei, pointing to a little dwarf who was -scarcely sixteen inches in height. - -"Then I will talk things over with your king immediately." - -And, gently taking hold of him by the neck so as not to hurt him, he put -the king in his pocket. Arriving at an oak-tree which would be about -two yards high, and sitting down in the shade, he took the king out of -his pocket and said: - -"Where are the prisoners? Either give them back to me or this is the -moment when you lose your position, your crown, and your life." - -The dwarf king answered in Spanish that he would give the prisoners up -and whatever they might wish in exchange for his liberty! And so our -hero with his two dwarfs under his arm walked on to Dwarftown, as the -town was called. Once inside he put the king on the ground in order to -recover all his dignity, and the monarch ordered the Spanish prisoners -to be set free. - -When the latter recognised their liberator, they did not know what to do -to show their gratitude. - -"Don't you know how?" asked Antonio. "Well, take me to Manila, for I am -in a hurry." - -"But," answered the captain, "would you go away from this island without -carrying off any diamonds?" - -"Where are they?" asked the Aragonese. - -"There, on the top of that mountain," they said to him. - -"Good gracious! Just now I was in the midst of them and didn't notice. -The truth is," he added, "that what I wanted was something to eat, and -for half a pound of roasted meat I would have given all the diamonds of -the earth." - -Finally they all went to the mountain, gathered the diamonds in -handfuls, and when they could carry no more, they went back towards the -spot where the bark was ashore, and there after several months' work -they succeeded in fixing a new rudder and some masts, which although -small were sufficient to make the boat go. They put out to sea and at -last arrived at Manila, to the great satisfaction of the Aragonese, who -exclaimed: - -"Did I not tell you that the ship would bring me to Manila?" - -The dwarf Fu-fei had not wished to part with his friend and accompanied -him everywhere, exciting attention by his long beard and tiny stature. -The poor fellow was obliged to go about the streets singing, so that -people should avoid treading on him. - -They all soon returned to Spain, where they sold their diamonds and -bought fine farms, founding an agricultural colony, in which they all -lived together like brothers. - - - - - *THE JUDGMENT OF THE FLOWERS* - - -"Is it true that the rose is the queen of the flowers?" asked Richard of -his papa. - -And the latter said to him jokingly: - -"Ask them themselves, they ought to be better informed." - -Richard took what his father told him literally, and going down into the -garden, approached a plum-tree which gallantly waved to and fro in the -wind, and taking off his hat with great respect, asked it: - -"Mr. Plum-tree, will you be good enough to tell me if the rose is the -queen of the flowers?" - -But the plum-tree continued to move to and fro in the wind without -answering him. - -And drawing near to an almond tree, whose white blossoms had just -opened, he repeated his question. - -"Mr. Almond-tree, is it true that the rose is the queen of the flowers?" - -The almond-tree remained silent, but its blossoms went red with envy. - -"The almond-tree is also unprincipled," thought Richard. "All these -trees have a discourteous tone. Let us ask the plants." - -A splendid double pink, which raised its splendid corolla with a -gallantry worthy of its nobility, as soon as he heard the question, -graciously bowed upon his stalk and answered: - -"Quite so, the rose is our beloved queen, on account of being so -beautiful and because her delicate aroma has no rival. But if you wish -to know more, come back to-night at twelve o'clock and notice what -happens in your garden." - -"Thank you, kind pink. I will not miss to-night." - -Richard went to bed at the usual time, but he could not sleep. At -half-past eleven he dressed himself again, and slipping secretly down -stairs arrived in the garden and awaited events. On the last stroke of -midnight a bright light appeared from the sky and that ray of light -condensed on the earth, taking the figure of a beautiful woman crowned -with flowers, who carried in her hand a little golden wand which gave -off brilliant reflections. The fairy extended her hand and immediately -an unusual movement was produced among the plants. The pinks turned -into elegant gentlemen in bright costumes of ruby, pink, and green; the -hyacinths and jasmines into gallant little pages with fair hair; the -white lilies were pale ladies of singular beauty, dressed in white; the -dahlias wore long trains and at the neck a ruffle of delicate lace of -colours which recalled the flowers which had preceded; the violet -modestly tried to hide her beautiful countenance of velvety skin and her -eyes of gentle aspect among a group of poppies, who passed arm-in-arm, -attracting attention by their blood red costumes. Finally from amongst -a group of mournful evergreens, who were chatting with some beautiful -pansies, appeared the queen of the fete, the rose. Her presence -produced a murmur of admiration, never had she been so lovely. Her face -held the freshness of the flower, and her pink dress with a long train -was of very fine silk which rustled as the sovereign walked. An -olive-tree turned into a throne and dais, and the rose, without any -other ceremony than a general greeting, took her seat on the throne. -She raised her arm, imposing silence, and everybody became silent. - -"Gentlemen," said the queen, "once again the good magician Spring has -re-animated our hearts. We have not met since last year and there are -several grave matters to resolve, but the most important is the manner -of defending ourselves from the bees, wasps, and butterflies who -continually sip our honey, accelerating our end. On this point I have -already begged Spring to have the accused appear before me, so that this -gathering is really an oral judgment." - -At a signal from the magician the accused appeared in costumes of -etiquette, the butterfly wearing its finest clothes. - -It appeared before the queen with its head modestly bent and its face -lighted up by a blush. - -"What does your majesty wish?" it asked. - -"To inquire the motive why you presume to take away our nectar," said -the rose. - -"Ah, madam!" replied the butterfly, touched, "little harm I do you, -because I never take more than is necessary to feed myself, and I have -never abused your hospitality." - -"That is well; we will take that into account as an extenuating -circumstance for you. Let the wasp approach." - -The wasp entered in a black dress-coat and a yellow necktie striped with -black. - -"I," it said, "gather nectar from you because I have proposed to work -like the bee, although I have not yet succeeded in doing so since the -beginning of the world, but still not much time has passed and I hope to -learn." - -"How can you hope to learn," interrupted the queen, "if all that you do -is to eat it all without having any to make honeycombs? Your case is a -very bad one. As you have not a good lawyer you are lost. Fetch the -bee." - -The latter appeared, her presence awakening a general murmur. It wore -neither a dress-coat nor a frock-coat, nor even a lounge-coat; it was -wearing a blouse covered with stains of honey and wax. All drew away -from the bee for fear of getting soiled. - -"Now I know what I am coming to," it said without keeping quiet. "It is -always the same song: that we do take away, that we do not take away the -nectar from the flowers. Good, what about it? We do not do so for -ourselves, but for our master. All the sweet syrup of your corollas we -enclose in the hive, and from there every year it comes out so that Man, -our master, rejoices his palate with it and embalms his breath with your -aroma. After dying in summer and losing your green leaves in autumn, -you still live in us, that we may make your remembrance lasting. And -still you complain! You, it is true, give your blood, but it would be -worth nothing if we did not gather it in order to store it. The work is -ours, and the work is worth as much as your nectar. If you have to -condemn me, do so quickly, I beg of you, as I am losing a great deal of -work time, and we are somewhat behindhand with the work." - -The rose called the pink and the violet, discussed the case with them, -and after some minutes' reflection, spoke in this manner: - -"The wasp is an unconscientious glutton who, under the pretext of making -honeycombs, which she never succeeds in doing, robs us. Give her five -hundred hard lashes." - -On hearing this a deadly nightshade seized the wasp and carried her away -to bestow the correction. - -"The butterfly's innocence and moderation favour her," said the queen, -"therefore I declare her absolved with all favourable pronouncements." - -The butterfly bowed respectfully and kissed the sovereign's hand. Her -golden feelers glistened, she shook her wings, filling the ambient air -with diamond dust, and took to flight showering cascades of light. - -"With regard to the bee," continued the rose, "not only do I find her -without any guilt, but wish that henceforth you do not close your petals -to her, but leave her at liberty to carry away the honey that she -requires. As a reward for her laboriousness, and as a symbol of -perpetual friendship between us, I am going to give her a kiss." - -The bee, much moved, advanced, and placing her blushing forehead within -reach of the queen's lips, received a kiss of peace, which made tears of -gratitude gather in her eyes. - -A delicious perfume invaded the garden, the fairy raised her wand, and -each flower returned to its post, recovering its original form. - -The magician flew into space, wrapped in a moonbeam, and Richard -remained alone, pensive in the recollection of what he had seen. - -"What a beautiful lesson!" he said. "Even in the kingdom of flowers -work gains the most precious reward." - - - - - *THE THREE QUESTIONS* - - -In the history of Spain, King Pedro I. of Castile, son of Alfonso XI. -the _Just_, is known by the surname of the _Cruel_. - -And his fame as a heartless man was such that his subjects, on whom he -satisfied his terrible thirst for blood and violence, held him in great -terror. - -One day while hunting, of which sport he was very fond, King Pedro lost -his way in the wood, and came to rest himself--the night being well -advanced--in an hospitable convent, where without being known he was -offered food, bed, and shelter. - -Hardly returning thanks, he passed into the refectory, and on entering -was recognised by a lay brother, who knew that the king suffered from a -certain illness called synovitis, the principal effect of which was that -the malady produced, when he was walking, a strange sound of bones -knocking together. - -By this noise he was recognised by the lay brother. - -Instantly informing the community, due homage was hastily rendered to -the monarch; but King Pedro was in a bad temper, and facing one of the -reverend fathers, said to him in a disconcerting tone: - -"How fat you are, Father Prior! Study makes no hollows in you, from -which I gather that you cannot be so wise as the people hereabout say." - -The community was so taken aback, that no one dared to say a word to -that monster of a king. - -"Well, if you wish to please me," he continued, "I summon you to come to -my palace within ten days, and to answer satisfactorily the following -questions: First, what is the distance between the earth and the sun? -Second, how much am I worth? And third, what do I believe which is -false? If you do not answer me to my taste I will have you beheaded at -once." - -And saying this, he went away. - -Needless to say the poor friar was frightened, for he knew only too well -that King Pedro was quite capable of doing what he threatened. - -And he devoted himself to thinking day and night about the questions, -without hitting upon any answers. - -At the time when King Pedro reigned the distance between the planets had -not been discovered, so there were many discussions between the brethren -over the questions of the king. They were still disputing when the day -arrived on which the prior was summoned to the palace. And even yet he -did not know what to answer. In his distress he invoked the Holy Virgin, -certain that She would not refuse to help him. - -After which he was about to set out for Seville when one of the lay -brothers, a sharp and daring lad, said to him: - -"Father Prior, your reverence and I are about the same height, and even -look somewhat alike. Why not let me go in your place, father, and -answer the king?" - -On seeing him so resolved he did not doubt for a moment that the lay -brother had been inspired by God to save him, and after hearing him, -allowed him to go to Seville. - -At the moment in which he arrived at the palace and announced himself, -the king gave orders for him to be allowed to enter. - -"Have you thought out the answers to the questions that I asked you?" -asked King Pedro. - -"Yes, sire." - -"Well, begin then. What is the distance between the earth and the sun?" - -"Eight hundred and forty-seven thousand leagues. Not one more, nor one -less. And if your majesty does not believe me, have it measured." - -As this was impossible, the king was obliged to say that he was -satisfied. - -"Not bad," he said. "Now the second: How much am I worth?" - -"Twenty-nine pieces of silver." - -"And why twenty-nine pieces?" - -"Because your majesty is not worth so much as our Saviour, Jesus Christ, -and He was sold for thirty." - -"And what do I think which is not true?" exclaimed King Pedro, somewhat -piqued. - -"Well, your majesty thinks that I am the prior, and I am not." - -The king was surprised at the ingenuity of the lay brother and pardoned -the substitution, and heaped both with favours. - -This proves that the fiercest men are overcome and appeased by the -forces of ingenuity. - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to The Captain's Exploit] - - - *THE CAPTAIN'S EXPLOIT* - - -"What ruins are those which are to be seen on the top of that ridge?" -asked a genteel captain of the policeman of a village. - -"The accursed ruins!" answered the first authority of the village with -extreme terror. "Many years ago," he said, "there used to be a fine -castle there, inhabited by a feudal lord who was more avaricious than -anybody in the world before. There stands his statue amidst the -rubbish, and terrible stories are told about it which frighten all the -neighbours. - -"In the archives of the town several curious documents are kept, and if -your worship, Sir Captain, wishes to read them, I will lend them to you -with great pleasure." - -The soldier smiled disdainfully on hearing the policeman, and begged him -to let him see those curious documents, because he had the idea of -visiting the ruins and removing for ever the superstitious fear that -they inspired. - -That night he received a bundle of yellowed papers falling to pieces -through age and dampness, and shut up in his room he read them from -beginning to end. - -The following morning when Captain Pero Gil--for such was his name--went -out into the square, the hollows of a night of insomnia and fever were -clearly seen in his face. What had happened to him? - -Among the papers which formed the bundle, one above all had attracted -his attention. It ran more or less as follows: - -"It is said by neighbour Nuno Perez that in the castle, at the foot of -the tower of Homage, there must be an immense treasure, but it is -guarded by one hundred dwarfs with long beards who strike anybody who -comes near. - -"At twelve o'clock in the night a gap opens in the ground which gives -access to enormous riches piled up in the cellar; but exactly at one -o'clock the earth closes up until the following night. If, instead of -one person, two or three go to the place, then the earth does not open -and the treasure remains hidden. - -"That is the news which, on the evidence of an eyewitness, has reached -me, and which I certify.--Inigo Lopez, the constable." - -The captain remained perplexed for a good while, and at last said to -himself resolutely: "To-morrow night I will go to the tower of Homage at -the foot of the castle." - -Indeed, at twelve o'clock in the night he went out of the house where he -lodged and went towards the ruins, first making sure that his sword came -out of the sheath without difficulty, and that the pistols which he wore -in his belt were well loaded. - -At eleven o'clock, or a little later, he arrived at the castle. A -splendid moon was shining, which gave the landscape a melancholy -appearance. The captain hid himself behind some stones close to the big -tower, and there waited, twisting his moustache, to see the marvel take -place. The village clock struck twelve, and on the last stroke the -earth opened and a crowd of dwarfs, with beards down to the ground, came -out of the narrow gap. They were armed with thick sticks, and began to -dance round the entrance of the vault, singing: - - "Let us defend the treasure, - Let us defend our gold - Against every mortal - Not knowing the signal." - - -The captain advanced quickly, and taking up his place at the side of the -circle of little men, saluted the dwarfs with great courtesy. - -"Good evening, friends," - -"Daring man!" said the tiny men. "Who are you? What have you come here -for?" - -And armed with their thick sticks they rushed towards the intruder. But -the latter, without being frightened, unsheathed his sword, and said to -them very calmly: - -"Let us be serious, comrades, and leave off making bad-natured jokes, -because I will cut down any one who comes too near me. Are you willing -to let me have the treasures?" - -"Never!" they exclaimed. "It is necessary for you to give us the -signal. If you do not know it, we shall kill you." - -"That is easier said than done," said Pero Gil, with great deliberation. -"You must grow a little before you can put a man like me in pickle. If -your height had grown as much as your beard, it might have been -different." - -"Let us kill him," shouted the dwarfs. "He does not know the signal!" - -And they threw themselves upon the captain. But the latter drew out a -pistol, and with one shot the most daring of them fell to the ground, -which checked the rest. - -"It seems that I came off best," said the captain, laughing. "What I -have done to this fellow I will do to the remainder if you come near. -Therefore let me pass without hindrance." - -"We would let ourselves be killed before permitting you to get to the -treasure, unless you gave us the signal." - -"And what signal is that?" - -"We cannot tell you." - -"It seems to me that I shall not require it for grinding up your ribs." - -"Away! Away!" said the little men; and armed with their sticks they -rushed upon Pero Gil. The latter fired off his second pistol, bowling -over another, but they threw themselves upon him, until his back looked -like a snake turning round amidst the crowd of those who were attacking -him. At last he saw that he was surrounded and defenceless, and -therefore was obliged to jump over the wall at the risk of being dashed -to pieces, and so left the place, ashamed of his defeat. - -"My goodness! what can the signal be?" he asked himself while on his way -to the village. - -The following morning he returned to the ruins, armed with a lever, and -recognised the place where on the previous night he had seen the -opening. There was nothing there! However much he poked about he could -not find the least sign which showed the entrance to the mysterious -vault; and what was still stranger, he could not distinguish the -slightest trace of the past fight. - -Then he resolved to try if cunning could succeed where strength had -failed. - -The following night he hid himself in the ruins and watched the place -where the marvellous event took place. The dwarfs came out with their -accustomed dance and song: - - "Let us defend the treasure, - Let us defend our gold - Against every mortal - Not knowing the signal." - - -The dance over, one of them said: - -"The captain will not return, but if he does come back we will kill -him." - -"It would be better to allow him to enter the vault and there let him -die of hunger." - -"And if he seizes the bell?" - -"Then we are lost." - -"But he must first give the statue of the old master of the castle a -thrust with his sword." - -Pero Gil did not wait to hear any more, and at one bound approached the -statue, which was situated in what used to be the armoury of the -fortress, and struck it a stout blow with his blade. - -[Illustration: Pero Gil at one Bound approached the Statue.] - -The statue fell down flat as if struck by lightning, and at once the -dwarfs surrounded the captain and forced him down a flight of steps. - -Hardly had he entered than the gap closed up and the captain found -himself alone in a cave which was lighted by a lamp hanging from the -ceiling. On the floor there were great heaps of gold and precious -stones, but this was not the thing that claimed the captain's attention. -He was looking for the bell which he had heard the dwarfs speak about. - -For half an hour his search was fruitless. He turned over the yellow -piles of money and the sacks of gems, but the desired object was not to -be found. - -Weary and perspiring he threw himself down on a pile of gold bars, and -there rested before again returning to his task. - -The mysterious bell had to be found. - -Persuaded that it was not to be come across in a visible spot, he began -to strike the walls, until at last one of them sounded hollow. With his -sword he made a hole and from it drew out a leaden bell of a very rare -shape, which in a good sale might be worth as much as four farthings. - -"And now what must I do?" thought the captain. He carefully examined the -object he had found, which bore the following inscription, "Do not ring -me unless you know how." But the captain was not a man to hesitate, and -rang the bell. Immediately the walls closed together, threatening to -crush him by their enormous mass. Without being daunted he gave another -ring, and then a thousand points of steel came forth from the walls as -if they were going to pass through him. Then he gave a third ring, and -immediately the vault returned to its original form. - -At the fourth the dwarfs humbly presented themselves and said to him: - -"What do you want of us? Command us as your slaves." - -"In the first place, to dance the saraband in order to amuse me, as a -compensation for the unpleasant time you have given me." - -And the dwarfs danced like anything for a good while, until Pero Gil -told them to stop. - -"Now you will take the sacks of money and carry them to my house." - -The dwarfs obeyed without making the slightest observation, loading up -those precious things. - -"Leave us the bell," they said, "since you take away the riches." - -Pero Gil was going to leave it, when he suddenly had a presentiment and -thought better of it. - -"This talisman shall never leave me." - -Then the dwarfs carried the riches to his house, singing on the way: - - "Don't let us guard the treasure now, - For it is being taken away - By this fortunate mortal - Who knows the signal." - - -So Captain Pero Gil became master of immense riches, which he -distributed among his soldiers, naturally keeping for himself the -largest part. - -And whenever he thought of that famous adventure, he rightly used to -say, "After all, the true talisman to get what we want is cunning and -bravery." - - - - - *THE TOPSY-TURVY WORLD* - - -I don't know why, but it is a fact that Providence one day decreed that -everything should turn upside down. The picture that the world -presented could not have been more extraordinary: the fishes flew -through the air like swarms of butterflies; in place of linnets and -nightingales, the sharks and whales sang. The birds swam on the bosom -of the waters, like Pedro for his house; it was glorious to see the -dives they made. A donkey in the porch of an Inn played on a clarinet -the "No me matas, no me matas," while another who was apparently in a -good position, came out of a restaurant picking his teeth with a Toledo -sword. - -It is related that a boy who lived at that time, and whose name was, if -I remember right, Manolo, had, among other grave defects, that of -ill-treating animals; his parents and masters reprimanded him in vain, -and from time to time even gave him a flogging that would have set fire -to tinder: but it did not make the boy any better. Whenever he saw an -ass tied to a fence he untied it and rode it for a good while, hitting -it a whack to make it trot. When he met a dog the least that he did was -to fetch it a smack that made it go away at more than a walking pace -with its tail between its legs. More than one cat he chased about after -having tied a sardine tin to its tail; in short, he was a little demon. - -But now it must be remembered that all things were changed, and that on -waking up one morning he found, at the head of his bed, one of his dogs, -which, giving him a punch, said: - -"Little friend, on getting up you have got to clean my boots;" and as -the boy hesitated, the dog hit him two punches which made him get up -more than quickly. What was his surprise to notice that he could only -go on four feet! He wished to speak, but a bark came from his lips; he -tried to bite the dog, and the latter rained blows upon him. - -He rushed out of the house, and found other boys as mischievous as -himself punished in the same way. In Oriente Place, Carlos and Pepe -were pulling a little carriage, and in it were riding the two goats that -usually drew the vehicle. Several of those water-carriers who carry -their water-skins on the loins of a donkey which they almost kill by -blows, went about themselves bent down under the load, getting a blow -each time they sucked their thumbs. Their former slaves went on two -feet behind them, saying: "Gee up, donkey, you are more stupid than a -post." - -Manolo went on his way, on four feet of course, and even these seemed -few enough to run with, when on crossing a street he met a friend and -schoolmate, with whom he opened, by barks, the following dialogue: - -"Bernardo, as I live! Have you seen what has happened to us?" - -"Yes, of course I see it! For am I not changed into a poodle?" - -"Here you see me in a fix; I don't know where to hide myself so that the -old dogs won't be able to take their revenge for the tricks I used to -play on them when I was a person." - -At this moment a noise was heard, and on turning round they saw a -tramcar drawn by some of those drovers who are always complaining, and -on the platform was a mule coquettishly adorned with a cocked hat, -driving the car, which was full of all kinds of animals. - -"My boy," said Manolo to Bernardo, "do you know that instead of a -tramcar that looks more like Noah's Ark!" - -He had hardly uttered these words when he felt himself seized and -secured, and his shirt was pulled out at the back, and to the tail of it -was tied a petrol can. He turned his head, and then saw all the dogs -gathered together which formerly he used to hurt, and who now were -celebrating with great laughter the happy event of making Manolo run -with the can tied to his tail. Two kicks well given rid him of all -doubt and made him start running as fast as he could. - -On passing close to a tank he saw some fishes which, with a rod under -their fins, were angling for boys who were swimming about. At last he -stopped half dead from fatigue, being taken up by an old, blind horse, -which sported eye-protectors, and which, in exchange for some crusts, -made him learn some exercises with which to amuse the appreciative -audience of bears, monkeys, dogs, cats, and other distinguished people. - -The horse, seated on the ground, with a silk hat which resembled a -concertina, played on a little drum "The Paraguay Polka," while Manolo -danced to it. So much dancing made him tired, and one day he gave the -old horse the slip, leaving him alone with the drum. Naturally the loss -was announced in the _Gazette_, and a reward was even offered to any one -who found him, but all was useless, because the latter hid himself in -order not to get caught. - -One afternoon he saw many people--if we can call cats, dogs, mules, -etc., people--gather together and enter a large building. - -"Dear me!" said Manolo, "this is the bull-ring! All right, as a dog I -can go in and see the fight free." - -And slipping between two animals who acted as porters, he went into the -ring and took a seat. - -Divine Power! What a spectacle! A fat donkey, which acted as master of -ceremonies, had at his side in the box another as asinine as himself, -and it was the latter who told him when it was necessary to change the -programme. - -A number of peacocks adorned with airy mantles filled the boxes, and -with opera-glasses and lorgnettes looked at each other, criticising and -ridiculing each other disparagingly. How many animals there were in all -parts of the ring! Round the arena barrier it was crowded with bears -carrying leather bottles filled with wine, which they delicately raised. -There was great confusion, until a band, or rather an orchestra, of -ostriches played a gay double step, the toreadors appearing immediately -after. What a fight it was! Twelve bulls from the most celebrated -breeding studs came out on two feet with the red cloth airily placed -between their horns. Those which acted as spearmen rode on the boys who -clean up the ring, and carried very long spears. The trumpet sounded, -and the first animal appeared in the arena; it was a German, who -attacked the spearmen, overthrowing two boys. The master of ceremonies -made a sign that it was now time to use the darts. The audience -protested, shouting: "Donkey, donkey! you don't understand!" The donkey -M.C. took off his hat, and the audience asked that the darts should be -stuck in the toreadors. Cuernosgrandes, who was the first killer, tried -to fix his pair, as badly, more or less, as the old toreadors, when a -horrible shouting arose in the arena, and such formidable fighting took -place that two monkeys, who had been beautiful English girls, seated at -Manolo's side, fainted, and the audience rushed to the doors of the -bull-ring: the German had jumped over the barrier. Manolo felt two -kicks behind, and without even turning his head to see who gave them, -rushed into the street like a mad animal. - -Then came the worst. Some geese with Roman helmets on their heads, -riding upon sardine tins, were pretending to maintain order with their -sabres, and playing a number of foolish tricks upon the authorities. -They soon knocked down poor little Manolo, who was obliged to seek -refuge in a doorway, when a camel stopped him by laying a hand on him, -saying: - -"Thank goodness, I have a little dog." - -The wretched camel put on a lady's veil, took Manolo in its arms as if -he were a wee baby, and taking up its place in a corner, began to sing -in a falsetto voice: - - "I was born in a wood of cocoanut trees - One morning in the month of April." - - -"Gentlemen," it added, "alms for this poor mother who has a child to -support." But Manolo, who did not wish to play the part of an infant in -arms, gave the camel a bite in the arm and ran away to the outskirts of -the town. In a cottage he found two doves, which, on seeing him so thin -and hollow-cheeked, offered him their assistance and gave him something -to eat. A sympathetic swallow gently looked after him, and the lullaby -of its song made the poor boy sleep soundly. A feeling of sweet -well-being pervaded his little body, he saw in his dreams a cloud of -rose and gold, and in it the white figure of an angel which, gently -moving its wings, arrived at his side and in a melodious voice said to -him: - -"Manuel, your sufferings have ended; let what you have seen be a warning -to you, and try to be good to everybody, including animals." - -The boy woke up, looked around him and found himself in his own bed, and -soon the servant came in to tell him that it was now time to go to -school. Manolo, who had not got over his astonishment, dressed himself -quickly, noticing, full of surprise, that he went on two legs--as if he -had gone all his life on four. - -He never ill-treated an animal again, for this was what he said: - -"Besides it being cowardly to ill-treat defenceless beings, is it not -dangerous to expose oneself to the risk of the tables being turned and -finding oneself in the same disagreeable position?" - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Don Suero the Proud] - - - *DON SUERO THE PROUD* - - -Once there was, in very remote times, a knight named Don Suero de las -Navas, feudal lord of a number of Spanish villages, with a quantity of -titles sufficient to fill one of the biggest pages, so many and so long -were they. - -Now, this knight was so proud that he thought it was a great dishonour -to learn how to read and write things which he considered not only -useless for a man of his accomplishments, but even shameful for a noble -so rich as he was, who could indulge in the luxury of a secretary. And -so it was indeed, that a poor man, who on account of his humble -condition was obliged to learn those trifling necessities, went, like a -vagabond, behind his master, pen and ink in satchel, ready to put into -good Castilian the thousand and one mistakes that Don Suero frequently -made. - -On a certain occasion the king summoned the powerful Don Suero to go -with his soldiers to the war, and as it could not be otherwise, the poor -secretary, carrying a pen instead of a sword and a horn inkstand instead -of an arrow, was obliged to place himself at the side of his lord and to -march to the war. - -At the beginning all went well. The orders and the letters acquainting -the king with the results of the struggle were written by the hand of -the unfortunate secretary, who earned each month, if my particulars are -not wrong, the enormous sum of two silver threepenny pieces. Enough to -have a carriage and to build good castles--in the air! - -But an arrow shot at hazard in the fury of the fight against the Moors -put Don Lesmes, for so the secretary was called, out of action, and Don -Suero was under the necessity of seeking a new dependant who knew how to -read and write--not an easy matter at that time. - -He could not find one, to his great unhappiness; and if he had not had -that quantity of pride in his body, he would surely have felt his lack -of education, which might place him in an awkward situation, which -happened soon afterwards. - -He was engaged in a campaign against the Moors, who occupied a great -part of Spain, when he received a packet from the king. And here the -difficulty began. What did he say in those pot-hooks written on an -enclosed parchment? To advance? To retreat? It was difficult to -guess. The messenger had confined himself to delivering the packet and, -putting spurs to his horse, disappeared in a cloud of dust. - -Don Suero, perplexed, found himself with the parchment in his hand, -turning it round and round, without knowing what it said. He made a man -of a neighbouring village come to him, a man who was an enemy of his -because of a certain thrashing which he had ordered him to be given some -days before, and said: - -"I have been told that you know how to read and write, and as nobody -else here knows how to, you will read to me what this document from the -king says, and if you do not tell me the truth I will have you skinned -alive. Moreover, I require from you absolute secrecy. What is said -here only you and I must know." - -The offended peasant promised him all, but with the idea of taking -complete vengeance. And indeed hardly had he cast a glance at the -document than he exclaimed in accents of the greatest surprise: - -"The king orders you to give up the command of the troops and to go -immediately to the court, where you have been accused of treason." - -"I a traitor! Ah, what scoundrels are those who have said that of me! -I will cut off their ears with my own hand." - -No sooner said than done; he at once left the command of his troops and -started on his march to the court. - -The journey was long and wearisome, and our Don Suero was obliged to -halt in an uninhabited place, to dismount from his horse and to sleep on -the blessed ground, neither more nor less than if he had been the -poorest of peasants. - -So he passed the night, until dawn surprised him. On collecting himself -he saw a large board close to a ditch situated at the side of the road. -What might that say? It ought to be something important when it was -written in such large letters. He went as near as he could to see if -any sign, which was not in writing, might indicate something to him of -what the board said; but, alas! on going nearer he slipped and fell -headlong into the ditch. - -The notice said, "Take care in approaching!" - -It cost him no little work to get out of it, and still the shock left -him so weak that he could hardly move. - -As well as he could, he approached the nearest village and got into bed. -The first person whom he met was the cunning peasant who had so badly -translated his majesty's letter. He was flying from Don Suero and had -come face to face with him where he least expected to. - -On seeing his good-natured gesture, he knew that his deceit had not been -discovered, and, without trembling, he approached the noble knight. - -"You can be useful to me," said the latter. "I do not feel disposed to -go to the court. Write to the king what has happened to me and tell him -that as soon as I am a little better I will come and confound those who -have calumniated me." - -But the peasant wrote what he liked and sent off the letter. - -In it he heaped insults on the king, with the object of causing the -latter to have the knight's head cut off. - -The effect that the insulting letter produced was so great that the king -rose in his anger and commanded Don Suero to be brought dead or alive, -and that if he resisted he was to be tied to the tail of a horse. - -The knight was imprisoned, but as he was so proud he would not give the -king any explanations, and the latter commanded him to be tortured. - -Not even the severest tortures could succeed in taming that will of -iron. He was innocent, and would not ask grace of the king, who -condemned him without any further motive. At length they were going to -sentence him to death for his insults to the king, when one of the -judges mentioned to the king the possibility of Don Suero having put his -seal at the foot of a document he had not signed. - -"Because," he said, "it is stated he does not know how to read and -write." - -"What!" angrily exclaimed the king. "Did I pass five long years in -learning how to spell, and that silly Don Suero does not know how to do -it? I do not believe it. If you cannot prove to me that the letter in -which he calls me a weak and stupid king is unknown to him, I will have -him killed to-morrow." - -The judge did not neglect to see. He wrote out the sentence of death -and took it to the prison, saying to the knight: - -"Sign this and you are free!" - -"What is this?" - -"A writing in which you say to the king that you are innocent of what -you are accused." - -"If that is so, bring it and I will sign it." - -And he put a cross and his seal at the foot of it. - -The judge bore to the king that sentence that the prisoner had signed, -believing it to be his salvation, and then the king, convinced of his -innocence, commanded him to be set free and returned all his honours to -him. - -After that the knight dedicated himself to learning reading and writing, -and made such progress that, after eight years of lessons, he already -knew which was the letter O, both capital and small, which indeed showed -a progress not too rapid. - -And the peasant? He was sought for, being a wicked man, and as soon as -he was caught he was put into prison, where he finished his life. - -Ignorance is bad, but the wicked are worse than the ignorant. - - - - - Made At The - Temple Press - Letchworth - Great Britain - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES FROM SPAIN *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43212 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. 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