diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 14:59:07 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 14:59:07 -0800 |
| commit | 9d7468543aff51913e39c33902e9ce17538c7ab3 (patch) | |
| tree | 0520bd9f3959bdf6f0074c16e5e7dd59e1886d86 | |
| parent | 6b39d0489c37139a9a344e5ac053eacdd4d4c4e1 (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-0.txt | 3416 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-0.zip | bin | 61047 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h.zip | bin | 559512 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/53252-h.htm | 4597 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 96310 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/illus_017.png | bin | 58982 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/illus_050.png | bin | 71178 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/illus_069.png | bin | 69083 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/illus_129.png | bin | 68318 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/illus_168.png | bin | 59128 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/illus_front.png | bin | 60649 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/logo.png | bin | 1211 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53252-h/images/title_pg.png | bin | 6750 -> 0 bytes |
16 files changed, 17 insertions, 8013 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4dcc4c5 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53252 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53252) diff --git a/old/53252-0.txt b/old/53252-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 99b5e52..0000000 --- a/old/53252-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3416 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter, by -Padraic Colum, Illustrated by Dugald Stuart Walker - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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 -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter - - -Author: Padraic Colum - - - -Release Date: October 10, 2016 [eBook #53252] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY APPRENTICED TO AN -ENCHANTER*** - - -E-text prepared by Paul Clark and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team -(http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 53252-h.htm or 53252-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/53252/53252-h/53252-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/53252/53252-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/boyapprenticedto00colu - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - - - - -THE BOY APPRENTICED TO AN ENCHANTER - - - * * * * * * - -[Illustration] - - THE MACMILLAN COMPANY - NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS - ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO - - MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED - LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA - MELBOURNE - - THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. - TORONTO - - * * * * * * - - -[Illustration] - - -THE BOY APPRENTICED TO AN ENCHANTER - -by - -PADRAIC COLUM - -Illustrated by Dugald Stuart Walker - - - - - - - -New York_ -The Macmillan Company -1920 -All rights reserved - -Copyright, 1920, -By the Macmillan Company. - -Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1920. - -Norwood Press -J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. -Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. - - - - - TO - - ELLA YOUNG - - IN MEMORY OF THE MANY STORIES - SHE HAS TOLD ME - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - PROLOGUE PAGE - - THE HORSES OF KING MANUS 11 - - - PART ONE - - THE STORY OF EEAN THE FISHERMAN’S SON 19 - - - PART TWO - - THE STORY OF BIRD-OF-GOLD WHO WAS THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER 71 - - - PART THREE - - THE TWO ENCHANTERS 131 - - - - -PROLOGUE - -THE HORSES OF KING MANUS - - -As for the youth who had tried to steal the white horse that the King -owned, he was bound hand and foot and taken into the castle of the -King. There he was thrown down beside the trestles of the great table, -and the hot wax from the candles that lighted the supper board dripped -down upon him. And it was told to him that at the morrow’s sunrise he -would be slain with the sword. - -Then the King called upon one to finish the story that was being told -when the neigh of the white horse was heard in the stable. The story -could not be finished for him, however, because the one who had been -telling it was now outside, guarding the iron door of the stable with a -sword in his hand. And King Manus, sitting at the supper board, could -not eat nor refresh himself because there was no one at hand to finish -the story for him. - -And that is the way that the story of The Boy Apprenticed to an -Enchanter used to begin. - -But first I shall have to tell you about King Manus and his three -horses. - -King Manus ruled over the Western Island, and he had a castle that was -neither higher nor wider than any other King’s castle. But he had a -stable that was more strongly built than any other King’s stable. It -had double walls of stone; it had oak beams; it had an iron door with -four locks to it. And before this door two soldiers with drawn swords -in their hands stayed night and day. - -In those days, if one went before a King and asked him for a gift the -King might not refuse to give what was asked of him. But King Manus was -hard to come to by those with requests. For before the chamber where he -sat or slept there stood a servant to take the request, and if it were -one that might not be brought to him, to make an excuse for the King. - -It was all because of the King’s three horses--a white horse, a red -horse, and a black horse. The white horse was as swift as the plunging -wave of the sea, the red horse was as swift as fire in the heather, -and the speed of the black horse was such that he could overtake the -wind of March that was before him, and the wind of March that was -behind could not overtake him. - -Many had tried to get one of the King’s horses by request or by -robbery. But those who would ask for a gift were kept away from the -King, while the stone walls, double thick, with the door of iron with -four locks to it, kept robbers outside. Besides there were the two -soldiers with drawn swords in their hands to prevent the horses being -taken out of the stable by any one except their own grooms. And so it -was thought very certain that King Manus would never lose his famous -horses. - -But this very night, when the King and his lords were at supper, -the neigh of a horse in the stable was heard. Then it was that the -story-teller stopped in his story. The trampling of a horse was heard. -Straight out King Manus ran, and his harper and his story-teller and -his lords ran with him. When they came to the stable they saw that the -two soldiers were sitting before the iron door fast asleep, with the -swords on the ground before them. And the locks were off the door of -iron. - -Just as they came there the iron door of the stable opened and the -King’s white horse was led out. He who had the rein was a strange -youth dressed in a foreign dress. The youth was about to spring on the -horse’s back when those who were with the King sprang upon him and held -him and held the bridle of the horse. - -And having secured the youth they went into the stable, and they found -the red horse and the black horse eating at their mangers. They led the -white horse back and put him in his own stall. The watchers who had -been before the stable door could not be wakened, so those who were -with the King carried them to another place, and left two others, the -harper and the story-teller, to keep watch, with the soldiers’ swords -in their hands. As for the youth who had tried to steal the white -horse, he was placed as has been told you, and every one there knew -what doom would befall him. - -It was then that the King called upon one to finish the story that was -being told him when the white horse neighed. It was then that he sat at -the supper board, not able to take rest nor refreshment on account of -his not having heard the story to its end. And it was then that one of -the lords said to the King, “Let the youth who is lying bound beside -the trestles of the table tell us what it was that made him go into -such danger to steal one of the horses of King Manus.” - -The King liked that saying, and he said, “Since my story-teller abides -outside guarding the door of the stable, I will have this youth tell us -the story of why he entered into such danger to steal one of my horses. -And more than that. I declare that if he shows us that he was ever in -greater danger than he is in this night I shall give him his life. But -if it is not so shown the story he tells will avail him nothing, and he -shall perish by the sword at the morrow’s sunrise.” - -Then the youth was taken from where he lay by the trestles of the -table, and the cords that bound him were loosened. He was put in the -story-teller’s place and fresh candles were lighted and set upon the -table. - -“Your danger is great,” said the King, “and it will be hard for you to -show us that you were ever in such danger before. Begin your story. -And if it is not a story of a narrow and a close escape there will be -little time left for you to prepare for your death by the sword.” - -Thereupon the youth in the foreign dress looked long into the wine cup -that was handed him, and he drank a draught of the wine, and he saluted -the King and the lords who sat by the King, and he said: - -“Once I was in greater danger, for its mouth was close to me, and no -hope whatever was given me of my saving my life. I will tell the story, -and you shall judge whether my danger then was greater than is my -danger now.” - -And thereupon the youth in the foreign dress, who had tried to steal -the white horse that King Manus owned, began the story which is set -down here in the very words in which he told it. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -PART I - -THE STORY OF EEAN THE FISHERMAN’S SON - - -I. THE COMING OF THE ENCHANTER - -My father (said the youth) was a fisherman, and he lived on this -Western Island. It may be that he is still living here. His name was -Anluan, and he was very poor. My own name is Eean, and the event that -begins my story took place when I was twice seven years of age. - -My father and I had gone down to the shore of the Western Ocean. He was -fishing in the pools of the sea, and I was putting willow rods into the -mouths of the fish caught so that I might carry them in my hands to the -market that very day and sell them there. I looked out and saw a speck -upon the water, a speck that came nearer. I kept watching it while my -father dragged the pool with his net. The speck became a boat, and the -boat came on without sails or oars. It was a shining boat, a boat of -brass. I called to my father and my father straightened himself up and -watched it. In the boat that came toward us of its own accord there was -a man standing. - -The boat came into the full water between the rocks, and then it sank -down, this boat of brass, until its rim touched the water. It remained -still as if anchored. The man who was in the prow of the boat stepped -out on the sand between my father and me. - -He looked a man of high degree--like a prince or a potentate. He had -a dark face and a dark, curly beard, and he had eyes that were like -hawks’ eyes. He had on a straight coat of a blue material covered all -over with curious figures, and in his hand he held a long polished -staff that had the shape of two serpents twisting together. He looked -at me and I was frightened of him, and I turned to my father. But my -father was standing there, holding the fishing pole in his hands, his -mouth open, gasping like one of the fishes upon the rocks. - -The stranger looked me over again--looked me over from my feet to my -head, and then he said to my father, “There is no need that he should -do aught about these fishes. I have need of an apprentice, and it would -be well for you both if he should come with me.” - -My father then found his voice, and he said, “If my son does not sell -these fishes in the market to-day he cannot bring back the bag of meal -for our household.” - -Said the man from the strange boat, “Bring me to your house and I shall -put down gold for every copper that your son would get in the market.” - -My father made a sign to me to throw the fishes back into the water. -This I did, but I did it fearfully. And then my father stepped out of -the pool of the sea and he made a sign to the stranger to follow us. -We walked from the seashore and up the path of the cliffs, and we went -through the heather of the headlands, following the goat tracks till we -came to the wattled house where we lived. The man from the strange boat -followed my father, and I came last of all. And when I went in and -stood on the floor of our house my heart was thumping within me at the -thought of what was before. - -And there was the pot boiling over the fire with a few green herbs -in it. There was Saba, my mother, stirring the last handful of meal -amongst the green herbs. And there were my brothers, all older than I, -sitting by the fire, waiting for the herbs and the meal to be ready. - -When my mother looked toward us she saw the man from the strange boat. -She thought that some crime had been committed by me or my father to -bring a man of such high degree amongst us. She and my brothers were -greatly afraid, for they were poor, and those who were high were harsh -to them. But the stranger spoke softly, saying, “Good fortune has come -to you from the sea to-day.” And when they all turned toward him he -said, “I who am very knowledgeable will take your son with me as an -apprentice, and I shall instruct him in arts and crafts and mysteries.” - -My mother said, “The boy is young, sir, and we thought he would be with -us for a time longer.” But the man from the strange boat said, “I -would not take him to instruct him in arts and crafts and mysteries if -he were a day older than he is now.” He said no more, but he went to -the table and he laid down on it piece after piece of shining gold. - -My father went to the table and held his hands around the gold. My -mother looked on me who was just twice seven years old that day. I know -she thought that she could never bear to part with me. But then she -looked on her other sons, and she saw that they were men grown, and she -thought they should have more to eat than the meal and the green herbs -that were in the pot. She threw her arms around me and I knew it was a -last clasp. - -“He will have to go into far places to learn the arts and crafts and -mysteries that I would teach him,” the stranger said. “Will he ever -come back to me?” cried my mother. “He will come back to you when his -cunning baffles my cunning,” was what the stranger said. - -My father took the gold that was on the table and made it into a heap. -My mother took her arms from around my neck, and my brothers kissed -me farewell. Then the man from the strange boat opened the door of our -wattled house and went out, and I followed him. - -We did not go back to the place where he had left his boat of brass. -We went to another place where there was a harbor with ships. There we -found a ship ready to sail for Urth. - -My master sent me on board to ask the captain if he would take us on a -voyage beyond Urth. The captain said that if my master would guide them -past the Magnetberg he would give him the ship to sail where he would -after the cargo had been landed. My master said he would do this, and -we went on board the ship. It was evening now, and a breeze came up, -and the ship sailed away, bringing me from the place where I was born -and reared and toward the strange countries that were beyond the rim -of the sea. I asked one of the sailors what was the Magnetberg, and he -told me that it was a mountain of loadstone that drew the iron out of -ships that came near it and left them loosened timbers upon the water. - - -II. THE INACCESSIBLE ISLAND - -You have heard me so far, O King. Know now that the one to whom I was -apprenticed was an Enchanter. His name is Zabulun, and in all the world -there are only three Enchanters more powerful than he. The first is -Chiron the Centaur, who is half man and half horse, and who taught -Achilles and made him the greatest of the princes who had gone against -Troy. The second is Hermes Trismegistus, the wise Egyptian. And the -third is Merlin the Enchanter, whose home is in an island that is west -of your Western Island. - -When the night came on, Zabulun took the steering gear into his hands, -and he steered the ship by a star that he alone knew. When the morning -came we saw on the sea all around us the masts and the spars and the -timbers of ships that had come too near the Magnetberg, and that had -lost their nails and bolts, and had become loosened timbers on the -waters. Those on the ship were greatly afraid, and the captain walked -up and down, pulling at his beard. The night came on, and again my -master took the steering gear into his own hands and steered the ship -by a star that he alone knew of. And when the morning came there were -no masts and spars of ships, and no loosened timbers afloat on the -waters. The captain laughed and made all on the ship rejoice that they -had passed the dangerous neighborhood of the Magnetberg--that mountain -of loadstone that drew the iron out of ships as a magnet draws pins on -a table. - -We came to Urth. The great cargo that was on the ship was for the King -of Urth, and it was taken off and sent over the mountain to the King’s -city in packs that the sailors carried on their backs. Then the captain -gave the ship over to my master to sail it where he would. - -He did not come upon the land nor did he look upon the country at all. -But when the last pack had been carried off the ship, he said to me: - -“You will have to do this, my first command to you. Go on the land. -Stay by a pool that is close to the forest. Birds will come down to -that pool--birds of the whiteness of swans, but smaller. Set snares -and catch some of these birds, not less than four, and bring them to me -uninjured.” - -And I went on the land and came to the pool that was close to the -forest. And there I saw the birds that were of the whiteness of swans, -but smaller. I watched them for a while so that I might know their -ways. Then I made a crib of rods and set it to catch the birds. One -went under the crib, and I pulled the string and caught the first -bird. And then, hours afterward, I caught another. And waiting and -watching very carefully, I caught a third. The fourth bird was wary, -and I feared I should not catch it, for night was coming down and the -birds were making flocks to fly away. One remained near the crib, and -its neck was stretched toward it. But then it shook its wings, and I -thought it was going to fly to the others. It went under the crib. Then -I pulled the string and caught the fourth bird. - -I brought the birds to the ship and my master gave them grains to feed -on. At night we sailed away. My master held the steering gear while -it was dark, but when light came he gave it to me to hold. Then he -unloosed one of the birds. It flew in the middle distance, winging -slowly, and remaining a long time in sight. He told me to hold the -course of the ship to the flight of the bird. - -At night he took the steering gear again into his hands and held the -ship on her course. In the daylight he unloosed another bird and bade -me steer by its flight. And this was done for two more days. - -The morning after the last of the white birds had been freed my master -bade me look out for land. I saw something low upon the water. “It is -the Inaccessible Island,” said my master, “where I have my dwelling -and my working place.” He steered the ship to where the water flowed -swiftly into a great cave that was like a dragon’s mouth. In that cave -there was a place for the mooring of ships. The Enchanter moored the -ship in its place, and then he took me up the rocky landing place. - -There was a flight of great steps leading from the landing place--it -was in a cave as I have told you--up to the light of day. There were -a thousand wide black steps in that flight. The Enchanter took into -his hands the black staff that was shaped as two serpents twisting -together, and he took me with him up the stairway. - -We came out on a level place and I saw a high castle before me. There -was no wall around the castle, and there was no gate to be opened. But -when I came near it I found I could take no step onward. I went up, and -I went down, and I tried to go onward, but I could not. Then Zabulun -the Enchanter said to me: - -“Around this castle of mine is a wall of air. No one can see the wall, -but no one can pass it. And a bridge of air crosses my wall of air. -Come now with me and I will take you over the bridge.” - -As the wall of air that went round the Enchanter’s castle was not to -be seen, neither was the bridge that went across the wall of air. -But I saw my master mounting up and walking across as on a bridge. -And although I saw nothing before me nor beneath me, I mounted upon -something and walked across something. Following him I went downward -and into the courtyard of the castle. - -Within that courtyard there was a horse of brass with a giant man of -brass upon it, the giant man holding a great bow in his hands. My -master said to me, “If one came over the bridge of air without my -authority, the arrow of that bow would be loosened, and he who came -across the bridge would be slain by this giant man of brass.” We went -within the castle. In the hall were benches and tables, and there were -statues holding torches in their hands standing by the wall. Also in -that hall there was the statue of a woman holding a dart in her hand. -When my master came within, the statue that held the dart flung it, and -the dart struck a gleaming carbuncle that was in the wall. Lights came -into the torches that the statues held, and all the hall was lighted up. - -I sat with my master at a table, and the statues moved to us, bringing -us wine and fruits. We ate and drank, and afterward a golden figure -came to the Enchanter, and, sitting down before him, played a game of -chess with him. - -The next day my master showed me more of the wonders of the Inaccessible -Island. No ships came near, for there was no way to come to that island -except by following the birds that were of the whiteness of a swan and -that flew always in the middle distance. On this island Zabulun the -Enchanter had lived for longer than the lifetimes of many men, studying -magic and all the ways of enchantment. And for three years I, Eean, the -son of the fisherman of the Western Island, stayed with him, learning -such things as were proper for one apprenticed to an Enchanter to know. - - -III. THE ENCHANTER GOES TO BABYLON - -In the three years that were passed in the Inaccessible Island, nothing -that is worth my telling happened, O King. But at the end of the three -years my master said to me, “We will leave the Inaccessible Island, for -I have a mighty business before me.” And when I asked, “Where do we -go, O master?” he answered, “We go to Babylon.” - -And then, when it was the first day after the new moon, we descended -the black stairway that led into the cave where the waters came. -There we found a boat of brass that was like the boat that came to -the Western Island on the day when my father and I were fishing in -the pools of the sea. We went into that boat of brass, and it took us -through the water, steering itself. We rested on lonely islands, and -at last we came to a mainland, and there the Enchanter left the boat -to sink beneath the water. As travelers then we went on. We came to -a town, and there my master bought for himself and me the dresses of -merchants. Then we came to the river that flows toward Babylon. Men go -down the river in round boats that are made of rods woven together. -In every boat a live ass is carried, and when the cargo is landed the -boats are broken up, for they cannot go back against the current of the -river. And the cargo is loaded on the ass and brought into the market -in Babylon. And whatsoever the merchants buy in Babylon is loaded on -the ass, and the ass is driven back over the mountains into the country -that they came from, these men. - -And in such boats we went down the river and came into Babylon. No -city in the world is as mighty or as wonderful as Babylon. It has -three hundred and sixty-five streets, and in every street there are -three hundred and sixty-five palaces, and to every palace there are -three hundred and sixty-five steps leading up to its door of gold and -ebony. The streets when we came into them were thronged with mighty, -black-bearded men. I was much in dread when I stood in those great -streets, and looked on the mighty men who went through them. - -In the center of the city were the palace and the wide-spreading -gardens of the King. In those gardens, as my master told me, were one -or two of all the beautiful or terrible animals of the world. Those -gardens I will speak of again, O King, for it was within them that I -came upon the danger that was greater than the danger that I am now in. - -But first the Enchanter showed me that great wonder that was near the -gardens--the Tower of Babylon. It was a red tower mounting very high -into the air. Outside of it there were steps that went round it and -to the very top of it--a thousand steps. And on the top of the tower, -resting against the Spear of Nimrod, was the Magic Mirror of Babylon. -Zabulun the Enchanter made me look to the top, and I was made fearful -by looking so high. - -Oh, that I might tell you, King Manus, of the wonders of the Tower of -Babylon! In the shadow of it there slept two mighty ones--the two Genii -who guarded Babylon, Harut and Marut they were named. Giant beings -they were. As they slept there the beard of each was spread across his -mighty chest, and it was a beard so broad that no horse of the mighty -horses that the King owned could leap across it. Very great but very -old were Harut and Marut, the Genii who guarded Babylon. - -I was made fearful by looking to the top of the tower. And then I was -made still more fearful by the words that Zabulun said to me. “We have -come here,” he said, “to steal the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians. - -“It is there on the top of the tower,” said the Enchanter, “resting -against the Spear of Nimrod. One looking into that mirror sees all the -Kings of the world. The one who threatens Babylon is shown with a spear -raised in his hand. And if a King should bring an army against Babylon, -the number of its men and the ways by which it comes would be shown in -the mirror. The Babylonians, by means of this Magic Mirror of theirs, -are always ready for their enemies, and because of this no King in all -the world will venture to make war on Babylon. - -“But we shall steal the mirror and make the Tower of Babylon fall. Know -that I, Zabulun, was once a Prince of Babylon. They dishonored me, the -men of Babylon, and drove me out of their city. And for that I shall -make an end of their pride and an end of their security. - -“Fear not. It will not be hard to steal the mirror and throw down -the tower. Know that the King of the city is a foolish King, and -that he cares only for his gardens and for the beautiful and terrible -beasts that he can bring into them. And as for the Genii who guard -Babylon--behold them! They are mighty beings, truly, Harut and Marut! -Immeasurably old are they, and they pass their days in sleep beside -the tower that they guard. I say to you that it will not be hard to -overthrow the tower, and take away from the Babylonians the Magic -Mirror that is their security.” - -As Zabulun spoke the terrible beasts in the King’s gardens roared -mightily, and Harut and Marut, the mighty beings who slept in the -shadow of the Tower of Babylon, turned in their sleeping. The flocks -of birds that had built nests in their beards (the oldest owl and the -littlest humming bird were amongst them) flew up and rested on the -steps of the tower. - -The black-bearded men of Babylon passed in their throngs, while he who -was once a prince in their city, and who was now Zabulun the Enchanter, -stood there with his staff in his hands and smiling to himself. And I, -Eean, The Boy Apprenticed to the Enchanter, felt as if I were falling, -falling down from the top of the tower. - - -IV. THE PALACE OF THE KING OF BABYLON - -And now at the supper board of King Manus those who were eating, or -drinking, or whispering to each other as the youth began his story, -became silent and eager when he spoke of Babylon and the Tower of -Babylon. The King himself was fain to hear about that city that was the -greatest in the world, and about the King who was the mightiest of all -Kings, and he commanded the attendants to cease going here and there. -So the servers and chamberlains and stewards, with the dishes, and -napkins, and rods of office in their hands, stood still behind those -who were seated at the table. The lords leaned forward with their eyes -upon the youth who sat in the story-teller’s place, and the King made a -sign for him to tell on. But the youth Eean was speechless for a while. -Such was the memory of the high Tower of Babylon upon him that had he -been standing he would have fallen down. His head sank on the arm rest -of the chair, and those near him who touched his hand felt it chilled. -Then King Manus signed for a chamberlain to go to him, and he went and -wiped Eean’s brow with a napkin, and then brought him a goblet of the -richest wine. He raised up his head and drank, and looked down the -table, and saw the high candles that burned brightly, and saw the face -of the King and the faces of the lords who sat with the King. But for a -while his look was the look of a man whose spirit is in another place. -He heard the words that were spoken around him--words that were about -the King of Babylon, and the King of Babylon’s palace. The youth caught -at these words, and went on to speak of what befell him. - - * * * * * - -The walls of the King’s palace (said Eean, The Boy Apprenticed to an -Enchanter) make seven circles, one wall rising higher than the other, -and each wall having a different color. The first wall is white, the -second wall is black, and the third wall is scarlet; the fourth wall is -blue, the fifth wall is orange, the sixth wall is plated with silver, -and the seventh wall is plated with gold. I was filled with wonder when -I looked on the walls of the King’s palace. - -The Enchanter that day had put on the dress of a merchant, but under -it he had left his own garb--the straight dress that had the curious -figures upon it. He took into his hand the staff that was made of two -serpents twisting together, and he told me that the time had come to go -to the palace and speak with the King. - -At an early hour, before it was yet market time, we went through the -streets of the city. The soldiers let us pass through the Gate of -Brass along a way that has on each side great lions carved in stone. -We came to the palace, and my master spoke to the doorkeepers and they -permitted us to enter. We went through the outer courts where there -were soldiers who carried naked swords in their hands. And because -my master gave himself out to be a merchant from far-off parts, and -because the King greatly desired to speak with those who came from -far-off parts, we were brought into the presence of the King of -Babylon. - -He looked, O King Manus, like a King that was of a long line of Kings. -His black beard was powdered with gold, and spices burned before him. -But his face was white, and it was like to the face of a man in a -dream. Only one person stood near him--a dwarf from the Country of the -Dwarfs. He had on his head a crown of scarlet feathers. - -When we came before him, and after we had bowed, the King looked upon -us. He spoke to my master, and said, “What have you to sell, merchant?” - -And my master, before he spoke, let fall his merchant’s robe, and he -showed himself in the straight garb that was covered with curious -figures--the garb of a Magus it was. - -“What I have to sell,” he said, “is the meaning of dreams, O King.” - -And now, O King Manus, I have to tell of a cheat worked upon a King, -and of a cheat worked by my master, Zabulun the Enchanter, upon the -King of Babylon. Pretending to speak of the meaning of dreams he led -the King to destruction, hoping thereby to encompass the destruction -of Babylon. - -The King turned to his ancient dwarf and he said, “Remind me of my -dreams.” And then the ancient dwarf said to the King, “Of the three -dreams that seemed remarkable to you, O King, the first was the Dream -of the Three Dishes.” - -“It is even so,” said the King. “I dreamed that there were three dishes -set before me, no more than three dishes. And then I dreamed that -afterward these three dishes were hidden from me and were not to be -found. There was no one to tell me the signification of this dream.” - -“The signification of this dream,” said Zabulun the Enchanter -cunningly, “is easy to discover. In the lore of the Chaldeans a dish -signifies a treasure. You have dreamed of a threefold treasure that is -hidden away.” - -But the dwarf who was beside the King spoke up and said, “Why does a -dish signify a treasure?” - -“That is something I may not reveal,” said my master, Zabulun the -Enchanter, and he turned to the dwarf the staff that was formed of two -serpents twisting together. The end of the staff lifted itself as -though the serpents were rising up. The dwarf covered his eyes, and -cried out, “O Magus!” - -“Remind me of the second dream that was considered remarkable,” said -the King. And the dwarf said, “The second dream was the Dream of the -Laden Ass.” - -“It is even so,” said the King. “I dreamed that I looked down the -Way of the Lions, and there came along the way a laden ass. Of that -dream also those skilled in the signification of dreams could tell me -nothing.” - -“And yet the dream is plain,” said the Enchanter, looking full into the -eyes of the King. “A laden ass signifies a treasure found--your dream -is of a treasure being brought into your palace.” - -“It is so,” said the ancient dwarf with the crown of scarlet feathers -upon his head. “In dreams an ass is always laden with treasure.” - -“And what was my third dream?” said the King. - -“Your third dream,” said the ancient dwarf, “was the Dream of the -Arrows.” - -“It is even so,” said the King. “I dreamed of arrows that were shot -upward to a great height.” - -And then the King was silent, and he and the dwarf looked long upon -Zabulun the Enchanter. But Zabulun took a step nearer to them, and he -said: - -“In the lore of the Chaldeans, arrows shot upward signify a very high -tower. I can tell you now the significance of your three dreams, O -King. They are of a treasure that is to come into your possession. -The treasure is hidden. It is hidden beneath a tower. The height to -which the arrows were shot shows that the treasure is hidden under the -highest of towers--under the Tower of Babylon.” - -At the mention of the Tower of Babylon, O King of the Western Island, a -great fear came over me, for I knew that it was now that Zabulun’s plan -for the taking of the Magic Mirror was being put into practice. And it -seemed to me that fear came over the ancient dwarf too, for he fell -down upon his face. But rage grew in the King, and his black brows drew -together in a frown. - -“Are you one who would have the King make search for treasure beneath -the Tower of Babylon?” he cried out. - -“No search need be made there,” said Zabulun the Enchanter. “And yet -if the King should dream of treasure again it is proper that he should -sacrifice a black cock upon the place where the treasure has been shown -to be hidden. If that be done the dream will be banished and will come -to the King no more. I speak as a Magus. But now I have shown you the -meaning of the three dreams, and there is no more to be shown.” And -saying this the Enchanter put the garb of a merchant over the robe of -the Magus. A cup was handed to him and a cup was handed to me also. -This was to signify to us that our speech with the King was at an end. -There was wine in our cups, but bitterness had been mixed with the -wine, to signify that what had been told the King was not pleasing to -him. - -We went from the presence of the King, and when we were far outside -the palace my master said to me: - -“It will come about that the King will search for the treasure that I -have put into his dreams. Moreover, he will speak to others of this -treasure, and they, too, will search for it. It will come about that -these many searchers, digging for the treasure, will break upon the -foundations of the Tower of Babylon. Thereupon I will take the Magic -Mirror and make myself the master of the Babylonians.” - -This he said to me as I went with him from the King’s palace along the -Way of the Lions. I was affrighted, and it seemed to me that the lions -that were in stone looked ragefully down on us as we passed. - - -V. THE KING OF BABYLON - -We lived for a whole moon in Babylon, my master Zabulun and I, before -the danger that was greater than the danger that is upon me now showed -itself to me. Just before the hour of the market we would go through -the streets of the city and toward the great market place. Throngs of -people would be there, gathered together for buying or selling, or for -talk of the happenings of the day before. My master would take me to a -shady place, and we would sit there, resting or refreshing ourselves -with draughts of the wine of the palm. - -And Zabulun would tell me that the King we had spoken with was the most -foolish King who had ever ruled over Babylon. “Great and terrible he -seems when he sits upon his throne in his palace,” Zabulun would say, -“but for all that he is foolish, and he delights more to come into -the market and hear the talk of strangers than to sit in his council -chamber.” - -Again and again Zabulun would speak of the King, and he would say: -“Often he comes here, and he sits in the market place and talks with -all comers, which is against the customs of the Kings of Babylon. We -will see him come here, and we will watch him do what is reported of -him.” - -Seated in the market in a shady place I would watch the throngs that -moved about there. I saw the merchants who had come down the river in -such round boats as we had voyaged in. They brought casks of the wine -of the palm to the market. And I saw those who had come from Arabia -with spices, and my master would tell me how these spices had been -gathered. Some had frankincense that grows on trees that are guarded -by winged serpents. Only with smoke of burning styrax could they drive -the serpents from the trees. And others had cassia that is found in a -shallow lake guarded by fierce, bat-like creatures. To gather it men -have to cover themselves all over with the hides of cattle, leaving -openings for their eyes only. And there are the merchants who have -the ladanum that settles on low bushes, and that sticks to the beards -of he-goats that go amongst the bushes. Others have the cinnamon that -is used by birds to build their nests against high cliffs. Men cannot -climb these cliffs to gather the sticks of cinnamon, but they make the -birds bring into their nests such weights as break the nests down and -so strew on the ground the sticks of cinnamon. They slaughter cattle -under the cliffs, and the birds fly into their nests with great pieces -of the meat, and the weight of these pieces of meat breaks down the -nests. And so men gather cinnamon in Arabia. - -And one day my master showed me the King of Babylon as he came into the -market place. - -He wore a black cloak that had only one stripe of purple in it, and a -boy went beside him holding an Indian hound in a leash. Having come -into the market the King seated himself in a special place, and he -drank wine and ate honey cakes, and talked with the strangers that were -brought before him, and let himself be gaped at by throngs of people. -And then, from one to another of those who were around him, my master -and I heard it said, “The King, surely, has had remarkable dreams.” - -In three days my master was sent for by the King, and he came into -the palace again bringing me with him, and he was saluted as a Magus. -The King’s dreams were told to him. The first dream was of a drinking -cup that blazed with fire, and the second dream was of a ram-headed -man with golden horns, and the third dream was of a soldier in a -black cloak. All those dreams, according to those in the palace who -considered dreams, were of a treasure. Zabulun, my master, agreed that -assuredly they were of a treasure, knowing that whatever the King -dreamed of after he had put the thought of a treasure into the minds of -those in the palace would be thought to be of that and of nothing else. - -Then speaking as a Magus he told them that the blazing fire of the -drinking cup, the golden horns on the ram-headed man, and the blackness -of the soldier’s cloak all signified the Tower of Babylon. The King -and the ancient dwarf became very silent when my master spoke of the -tower. It was then that the Enchanter took the staff that was made of -two serpents twisting together into his right hand, and declared that -in order to make the dream of the tower cease to trouble him, the King -should sacrifice a black cock in the lowest place of the tower. - -[Illustration] - -Wine was brought us then, and my master and I drank, and this time no -bitterness had been put into the wine. We were given permission to -go, and we went from the palace. - -As for the King and the ancient dwarf who was with him, they took -horses and they rode to the Tower of Babylon, the dwarf bringing with -him a black cock for the sacrifice. Harut and Marut, the sleeping -guardians of Babylon, they looked on, but they went past them -and within the tower. In the lowest place in the tower they made -preparations for the sacrifice of the black cock. - -Zabulun and I sat in the market place and waited, for my master said to -me, “That which happens to the King, no matter how great it may be, he -will speak of it in the market. We shall wait here and see if the King -will come here on his way back from the tower.” - -So in the market place we sat, my master and I. And in the tower the -King and the ancient dwarf took the black cock and fastened him by a -leg to a ring that was in a very light board in the floor. The cock, -fluttering upward, lifted the board. Looking down they saw a chamber -beneath. They went down into that chamber, the King and the ancient -dwarf, and behold! they found in it a treasure of silver pieces, each -piece marked with the mark of a King of the old times in Babylon. - -Soon Zabulun, seated in the shade in the market place, showed me the -King and the ancient dwarf as they came amongst the throng. The King -seated himself in his special place and drank wine and ate cakes of -honey. My master, watching him from afar, knew that he talked about -the treasure he had found. For the dwarf who went with him opened a -leather bag and showed certain pieces that made those around them gape -in wonder. - -Not long were the King and the ancient dwarf there before the Hour -of the Market came to its close. Those in the market left and went -to their homes. My master and I likewise departed. But those who had -listened to the King brought with them the memory of the wonder they -had been told about. A treasure was hidden beneath the tower--that was -the thought that now possessed every one. And when dusk had fallen -upon the city companies of men made their way toward the tower, -carrying with them spades and mattocks. The next day, when the King -came with the ancient dwarf, he found that all around the tower, and -all around the place where Harut and Marut slept, trenches and holes -had been dug. - -He himself, with a company of men, went down into the lower chamber -where the treasure of silver pieces had been found, and there they -began to delve. The King found no treasure that day. - -When he came out of the lower chamber he found many around the tower -digging and delving. He forbade them to do this, and he set guards -around the tower. But in the night those who were set to guard the -tower began to delve. - -The digging and delving within and around the tower went on in secret -as well as openly. My master took me to show me what was being done. -“Foolish is the King, and foolish are the people of Babylon,” he said. -“What I have told you will befall them. Very soon they will strike at -the foundations of the tower, and the tower will stand no more. Then -will I take to myself the Magic Mirror, and make myself the master of -the Babylonians.” - - -VI. THE GENII WHO GUARDED BABYLON - -O King of the Western Island (said Eean, The Boy Apprenticed to an -Enchanter), I was there in Babylon for the whole of a moon before the -danger that was greater than my present danger overtook me. Often -Zabulun, my master, went to the palace of the King, bringing me with -him. And the King would now receive us in his cool chamber, and he -would permit my master to seat himself on a purple cushion in his -presence. The King would ask him about the ways of governing a kingdom, -or he would tell him of his wonderful gardens, and of the strange and -terrible beasts he had there. Or else he would talk about a mighty -treasure that was to be found, and of the beasts he would buy for his -gardens when that treasure came into his hands. Zabulun would tell -the King of beasts he had seen or heard of--of the aurochs with its -mighty horns, of the unicorn that was so white and so swift, of the -satyr that is so marvelous that no one knew whether it was a wonderful -beast or a wild man. And often, as they sat there talking, the King -would have his servants stir up the beasts in his gardens so that their -roarings might be heard by those in the palace. - -Over the King and the King’s ancient dwarf there had come a change, -I thought. For the dwarf with the crown of crimson feathers on his -head would stand silent before the throne, silent even though the King -spoke to him, silent as if listening to the sound that the spades and -mattocks made on the ground around the Tower of Babylon. And the King -no longer had the look of a ruler on his face, but had the look of a -watcher and a waiter. There had come a change over my master also. -Zabulun the Enchanter had eyes like yellow lamps, and they had become -wider and more gleaming as the digging and delving around the Tower of -Babylon went on. I could see his eyes widening in the dark when I could -hardly see his face. And I began to have a great fear of Zabulun, even -though he was kind to me, and had taught me many things. - -And now I come to the day when that danger beset me that was greater -than my present danger. That morning I had walked in the King’s gardens -with Zabulun, my master. I saw the great palm trees that grew there. -So high and so shapely they grew that I was made to think again of the -Tower of Babylon, and I was shaken by my thought. I looked along the -great avenue of palms, and I saw down to the lake where the King’s blue -herons flew. And from the lake coming toward us I saw a young girl. She -had laid the long blue feathers of the heron across her breast, and I -saw her white forehead and her white knees, for her dress was the dress -of a woman of the mountains. But she, seeing Zabulun and I, sprang as a -young deer springs, and went amongst the palm trees. I kept thinking of -that girl, and how free she was, and how no terror of a falling tower -beset her as she went by the lake where the King’s blue herons flew or -rested. - -Again Zabulun, my master, sat in the King’s presence, and the ancient -dwarf and I attended on them. The dwarf’s head hung down where he -stood, and he muttered. The King’s voice was low when he spoke, but -Zabulun spoke loudly. Also his yellow eyes shone as he twisted around -his finger a purple strip that had been torn off the King’s robe. - -And suddenly there came the mighty roaring of beasts in the King’s -gardens. The dwarf looked at the King, and the King spoke to the -dwarf, and there was astonishment on both their countenances, for no -command had been given to have the beasts stirred up. The King rose -from where he sat and went to the doorway. I, too, saw what he saw. The -doorkeepers, and even the soldiers who had naked swords in their hands, -were fleeing as before some terror. The King shouted his commands, but -no one heeded them. I looked upon the King, and the King’s wrath was -terrible to behold. - -And then I saw the King himself draw back in fear. What was it that -approached? I, too, looked, and there, O King Manus, as I declare -to you, I saw Harut and Marut, the giant guardians of Babylon, come -through the outer courts and toward the chamber where the King stood. - -They were naked but for their great beards and their flowing hair. They -came with great strides, but their heads and their hands were swaying -about like the heads and hands of men suddenly waked out of a deep -slumber. The ancient dwarf saw them approach, and he screamed out and -fled. - -The King went out of the chamber and into the hall where the great -pillars were. I called to my master, and he arose from the cushions -where he sat, and he looked upon the two who came nearer. Along the -line of the pillars Harut and Marut came, but Zabulun the Enchanter -looked upon them without fear. - -The King fell upon his knees as they came near him. My master’s face -did not become fearful, but he, too, went down on his knees as if -powerful and unseen hands had forced him down. His eyes did not lose -their look of scorn, but he knelt even as the King knelt. The King and -the Enchanter were both Princes of Babylon, and when Harut and Marut -showed themselves in their might, there was that within them that -forced them to sink down on their knees. - -And nearer and nearer Harut and Marut came, their heads swaying about -and their arms hanging down. Nearer and nearer they drew. They touched -the head of the King, and the King lay prone on the ground as though -the life had left him. They came to where Zabulun the Enchanter knelt. -But not on Zabulun’s head did they lay their hands. They took him by -the arms and they held him. Turning around they dragged him along the -line of the pillars. I saw him being drawn across the outer court and -through one of the great doorways of the King’s palace. - -And then it seemed that I was the only one left in the palace of the -Kings of Babylon. The King did not stir where he lay prone, and the -dwarf did not return, and the doorkeepers did not show themselves any -more. I ran from the chamber, and out through one of the great doors, -and into a place where branches of trees seemed to shield me from the -terror that had fallen upon the palace. And I did not know then that I -was running from terror clear into the mouth of danger. - -For dire things had happened outside as well as within the palace of -the King. The beasts that were in the gardens had broken out of their -pits and their cages. I saw the beasts and I felt them all around me. -I saw the hippopotami as they lay with their backs against the crimson -wall of the palace. I saw the zebras stamp between the yellow wall and -the blue wall, and ostriches run between the black and the white walls. -And when I looked back from where I was in the gardens I saw monkeys -climb on the golden and silver walls, frightened by the lions that went -roaring through the courts of the palace. I ran on and on, down the -great avenue of palms and toward the lake where the King’s blue herons -flew or rested. - -I ran on. But I had gone aside from the avenue of the palms, seeing a -great buffalo that stood in my way. Something caught at my feet as I -ran on the clear ground, and being pitched I fell into a deep pit. I -lay there, and I looked to the sky, and I saw that the pit narrowed to -the top, and for that reason was hard to climb out of. It was higher -again by my own height, as I saw when I stood upward thinking of a way -that might get me out. - -But then there came a sound that made me look downward, a hissing -sound. And when I looked down I saw into what place I had fallen--into -the Pit of the Serpent. In the shadow of the pit there was a dreadful -snake. It was still in its coils, but its head was raised, and it was -swaying toward me. - -Then, O King of the Western Island, I was in a danger greater than I am -in now. This snake was mighty enough to crush a man, and from that pit -there was no escape without help, and at that moment there was no help. -The snake raised itself higher, and its eyes fastened my eyes. Judge, -then, of my danger, and whether it was not greater than the danger I am -in now as I sit here with the gleam of the slaying sword before my eyes. - -And then I heard a whisper that seemed to come to me from the sky. I -drew my eyes from the snake’s eyes and I looked to the top of the pit. -One was bending from the opening--a girl, and she had in her hands a -little drum. She began to beat on the drum, and the snake’s head that -was swaying toward me began to sway sideways. The girl beat again on -the drum, and the snake’s head swayed and swayed and went down upon its -coils. At last the dreadful head was at rest, and the eyes of the snake -no longer fastened themselves upon my eyes. - -The girl who stood above the pit put down a board for me to climb up -by. I climbed, and I stood outside the pit, and I looked upon the girl, -and I saw the blue heron’s feathers laid across her breast. Then I -sank down on the ground, and for a while I knew no more of the world’s -happenings. - - -VII. AGAIN THE HORSES OF KING MANUS - -It was as if the eyes of the snake were still upon him. Eean stopped -in his story, and his eyes were wide as if they looked upon a terrible -thing. One of the servers brought him a cup of wine and placed it in -his hands, but although he kept his fingers around it, he did not raise -it to his lips. - -Nor did he appear to hear what was being said around the King’s supper -table: “A great danger the boy was in, truly.” “The danger he is in now -is not as great as the danger he has told us of.” “We must hear the end -of this story.” “It seems that he is too fearful to tell us any more.” -This last speech came to the ears of King Manus. “Be not so fearful, -boy,” said the King. “You have been in a greater danger than ever I -heard a man speak of, and by my sword, you are in less danger now than -you were then. Drink the wine that is in it and keep the cup you have -for a remembrance. I would have you at your ease, too, for we will sit -here and listen to the rest of your story.” - -When the King said this the lords who were sitting around the supper -board applauded, and then the stewards signed to the attendants to -bring more lights in. Fresh candles were put upon the board, and fresh -torches were put into the sconces, and fresh logs were put upon the -hearth. When all this was done the King and his lords turned their -faces to Eean, for they were ready to listen to the rest of the story. -But the boy had not seated himself in the story-teller’s chair: still -he was standing with the wine cup between his hands, and still his eyes -were widened as if a terrible thing was before him. - -It was then, as they were waiting for him to begin, that the neigh of -a horse was heard again. It was a very shrill neigh, and every one in -the supper hall was startled by it. Out they rushed, King and lords, -stewards, servers, and attendants, and they neither stopped nor stayed -until they came before the King’s great stable. Then they could hardly -believe what their eyes looked upon: the iron door of the stable was -open wide; the watchers were there, but their heads were bent in sleep -and their swords were upon the ground. Through the open door of the -stable came the whinnyings and the plungings and the tramplings of a -horse. Quickly they went into the stable. There, by the light of the -torches that the attendants held, they saw the white horse and the red -horse still in their stalls, but the black horse they saw rearing above -a figure that was prone upon the ground. - -The blaze of their torches made the black horse swerve so that his -hoofs did not come down upon the figure that was upon the stable floor. -The horse was taken hold of and put back into his stall. Then the -attendants raised up the one who was upon the ground. “Another one come -to steal my horses,” cried King Manus. “Well, this one shall pay the -penalty that the other has been delivered from.” - -They took up the one who was on the floor of the stable. They locked -the stable door again and they put a double watch before it. They -brought the one whom they had taken into the supper hall; a lad, -younger even than Eean, this second robber seemed. - -Eean was standing by the story-teller’s seat as they came into the -supper hall. Looking upon the one they brought in he cried out in -the voice of the heart-broken, “O Bird-of-Gold, why didst thou peril -thyself by staying here? Too faithful to me thou hast been!” Hearing -this speech, all looked on the one who was called Bird-of-Gold: it was -then that they saw they had taken, not a youth as they had supposed, -but a young girl whose dress was a youth’s dress. - -In the light of the torches and candles they looked at her wonderingly. -She had knitted brows and heavy eyelids that gave to her face the look -of one who ponders deeply. And there was such fire behind the depths of -her eyes that it seemed as if her thought was always burning. But her -lips were colorless and her cheeks were thin and sunken; her hair and -her eyes and her eyebrows were dead black. And when they went to bind -her as they had bound Eean they saw that her hands were finely shaped -and yet strong and hard. - -“Who is she?” said King Manus. - -“I have told you of her,” said Eean. “This is she who found me in the -Pit of the Serpent and who drew me away from the venom of the snake.” - -There was silence for a while, and then the King said, “The chance -that was given you shall be given her also. If she can show us that she -was in a danger greater than the danger she is in now her life shall -not be taken. If she cannot show that she shall be slain by the sword -on to-morrow’s sunrise.” - -At that some of the trouble that was on Eean’s face seemed to leave -it. He cried out, “O Bird-of-Gold, tell the King the story of your -adventures from the beginning. Bethink thee, Bird-of-Gold, of the -terrible things you have gone through and speak to the King and the -lords of them. This King is very generous, and you may win our lives -from him.” - -The girl who was called Bird-of-Gold turned to the King her face that -seemed to him to be like the face of a slave and a victorious warrior. -Her hands were bound before her and her black hair fell over her -breast. Like one who was ever ready in deed and word, as soon as King -Manus made a gesture, she began: - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -PART II - -THE STORY OF BIRD-OF-GOLD WHO WAS THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER - - -I. HOW THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER WENT TOWARD HER FORTUNE - -I am called Bird-of-Gold (said the girl, beginning her story), but that -name did not belong to me until I was a girl grown. Before that I had -no name. In the city where I was born and where I lived I was known as -“The bramble gatherer’s child.” - -My father was the poorest of all the men of that town. He gathered -brambles and thorns in the wilderness and brought them in a bundle to -the hut where we lived. Then, while he was gathering another bundle -on another day, I would go through the town selling the brambles and -thorns for stuff for the people’s fires. My mother I never knew. I grew -up with my father, and we two had even less than the sparrows. I had -no playmate nor no friend, and what I got for the thorns and brambles I -sold brought us but little to eat. - -One day as I passed along the street of the city it came into my mind -that I was grown to be a girl. The thought that I should go from the -city grew in me from that time. My father would miss me, but he would -flourish the better if there was one, and not two, to eat the scanty -meal that the price of the brambles and thorns gained for us. - -I got for myself the cap and jacket of a boy. Then one morning when my -father had gone from the hut and had turned his face to the wilderness -and his back to the city, I went out of the door and turned to the -wilderness also. I took a direction that would bring me far from where -my father had gone. I had dressed myself as a boy, and my thought was -that I would come upon a merchant who would let me do service for him, -and who, perhaps, would take me on a voyage. And I thought that I might -win some fortune for myself, and that then I could return and take my -father out of toil and hardship. - -I came to the wilderness and I went through it. When the sun was -halfway in the heavens I came to where there was a road. There was a -pillar before me and that pillar had writing upon it. I read what was -written there. The words were: _They who take the road to the right -will come to their fortune at last, and they who take the road to the -left will be ever as they have been._ When I read that writing I took -the road that was to my right. - -I went along that road thinking every minute that I should come upon -something that would bring me to my fortune. The light faded as I went -along, and soon I had to look about for some tree or cave that would -give me a shelter for the night. At last I saw a hut and I went toward -it. When I came before the broken door I knew the place I had been -brought to. It was my father’s hut--the hut I had left that morning. -And as I stood before it I saw my father coming from the other side -with the bundle of brambles and thorns upon his back. Then I said to -myself, “How lying was the writing that said that they who took the -road to their right would come at last to their fortune.” - -I went into the hut with my father. In the darkness that was there he -did not see that I had on the cap and jacket of a boy. He laid the -bundle of brambles and thorns down on the floor while I went to prepare -the meal for both of us. And while my father was lighting a fire I took -off the cap and jacket of a boy and I put on my girl’s dress. - -My father, when he had eaten his meal, said to me, “To-day when I had -gathered the brambles and had made them into a bundle I lay with my -head on the bundle and went to sleep. I awakened feeling some warmth -near where my head lay. I looked to see if perchance fire had come upon -the brambles and thorns, and, lo! what I saw laid on the bundle was the -egg of a bird. The egg was still warm, and the bird that laid it must -have flown as I awakened.” - -My father showed me the egg. It was strangely marked and was heavy for -its size. I looked at it, and my father said, “Take it to the merchant -to-morrow, and maybe he will give a coin for it, for surely it is -remarkable.” - -The next day, when my father had gone into the wilderness, I went to -the shop of the merchant. I showed him the egg that had the strange -markings upon it, and I asked him if he would give me something for it. -And when the merchant had taken the egg in his hand he said, “This is -something to be shown the King. It is undoubtedly the egg of the Bird -of Gold.” - -I was greatly stirred when I heard the merchant say this, and I thought -that perhaps my fortune would come to me through this egg. I went back -to the hut, and in the morning, before my father started off for his -bramble gathering, two officers came and they took my father and me to -the palace and before the King. And the King said, “It is known that of -all creatures in the world the Bird of Gold is best worth possessing. -For her claws can be made into an amulet that will bring wealth to the -one who wears it, and the one who eats her heart can never be slain by -his enemy. I would have the Bird of Gold whose egg you have found. -You know where she abides. Catch her and bring her to me, and I shall -reward you.” - -So spoke the King of our little country. My father and I went into the -wilderness to search for the Bird of Gold around the place where the -egg had been laid. And in the very place where before he had lain my -father put down his bundle of brambles and thorns. Laying his head upon -the bundle, he went to sleep. - -I watched beside the brambles and thorns. And after a time a bird came -running along the ground, and went fluttering up on the bundle and made -a nest for herself there. Small she was and all golden except for the -blue that was under her throat, and the blue that was upon her feet. As -she was making a nest for herself I put my hands upon her and caught -her. I held her to my breast to keep her from fluttering away. - -And I said aloud, “O bird, now I shall be rewarded for taking thee. For -the King would make an amulet of thy feet that he may have wealth, and -he would eat thy heart that his enemies may not be able to slay him. -Greatly will he reward me for having taken thee, O Bird of Gold.” - -And as I spoke to her and held her to my breast the bird made a cry -that sounded as “Alas, Alas!” I looked upon her again and my heart was -filled with sorrow for the bird I had taken. Why should her claws be -made into an amulet for the King, and why should her heart be eaten by -him? I sat there thinking while my father slept, holding the bird very -gently to my breast. And when she cried again “Alas, Alas!” I opened my -hands and I let her fly away. She fluttered near for a while as if to -show herself to me, and then she rose up and flew away. - -My father awakened, and he said, “It is near dark, and the Bird of Gold -will not come now. Perhaps we will find her on another day. The King -should reward us for our search, and now we will go and tell him of it.” - -So we rose up and we went into the city. And when we came before him, -my father spoke to the King and told him that the Bird of Gold was not -to be seen in the places where we had searched. Then the King would -have sent us away without doing any evil to us only that one who was -near him cried out: “Behold, O King, and decree a punishment for these -two deceivers. One has declared that the Bird of Gold did not come near -where they searched. But look on the dress of the girl: All around her -breast are the feathers of the Bird of Gold.” - -Thereupon I looked down and I saw that the bird’s golden feathers were -all strewn around the place where I had held her to me. I was grasped -by the hands and brought before the King. And he cried out, “Have -you the bird hidden?” I said: “No, O King. I let the bird fly out of -my hands.” Then the King spoke to one who stood beside him, and he -commanded that I should be taken and put upon a ship and thrown into -the depths of the sea. - -I was taken from my father who wept and cried after me, and I was -brought down to the river and put upon a ship. The one who was -commanded by the King to take me and throw me into the depths of the -sea was a man with a great hooked nose and a purple beard. On his hand -was a ring with a great emerald in it. He was the captain of the King’s -ships. - -I was put upon the ship, and the next day we sailed down the river and -came out on the sea. Now, although the King had commanded that I be -thrown into the depths of the sea, I was not then in as great a danger -as I am in now, O King of the Western Island. For the captain of his -ships hated all the words that the King gave him, and those whom the -King would slay he would save, and those whom the King would save he -would have slain. When we came into the open sea, so that he might -obey the King’s word and at the same time make a mock of it, he had me -thrown into the water, but with a rope around my waist. After I had -been plunged into the water he had me drawn out of it, and I was left -living on the ship. And from the captain who had had me plunged into -the sea in such ways and from the sailors on the ship I got the name by -which I have been known ever since--Bird of Gold. - - -II. THE MAN WHO WAS HIGH IN FORTUNE - -We landed in a country (said Bird-of-Gold, continuing her story) that -was three days’ voyage from the river’s mouth. Then the sailors put -swords into their belts and marched toward a mountain that was half a -day’s journey from the coast. They pitched black tents and they built -a citadel, and they made themselves into a band of robbers. He who had -been the captain of the King’s ships was the chief of this band. - -Every day they went off to rob caravans and to make war upon the men -who guarded the caravans. And always they came back, my master and -his forty robbers, with no man of their band slain and with no man -wounded. Very rich and powerful did they grow with the plunder they -took from the caravans, and my master, the man with the hooked nose and -the purple beard, grew to be a King almost. Men far and near sent him -presents and men came to him promising obedience, and he had state such -as had the King of my country. But he kept no men with him except his -forty robbers. - -Every one said of my master, the captain of the band, that nothing -could come to him except good fortune, so great and so prosperous did -he grow. Men marveled that so many good things came to him and so many -evil things were staved off from him. And all his band swore by his -good fortune. But one day a wise King who liked him greatly sent my -master a message that said: “I rejoice in your good fortune, friend, -but am also troubled by it. He who is so lucky must pay a great price -sooner or later for his luck. Pay the price now, before it is exacted -from you, and remain great and prosperous. Let the price you pay be -that possession that is dearest to you.” - -My master, having received this message, paid heed to what was said -in it, for the King who sent it was renowned for his wisdom. He made -up his mind to sacrifice the possession that was dearest to him so -that he might remain great and prosperous. And the possession that he -considered dearest was the ring that he wore with the great emerald -in it. He went down to the seaboard taking me with him, for he would -let none of the forty men know what he was about to do, and he took a -boat and he went, I being with him, over the depths of the sea. Then -he drew from off his finger the ring that had the great emerald in it, -and he let it drop down into the depths of the sea. Afterward he sent a -message back to the King, his friend, saying that he had paid the price -before it was exacted of him, and that his prosperity now would never -fail, and that men would ever swear by his good fortune. - -After that he and his forty men went forth and won more plunder than -ever they had won before. Also more men came from far and near, -bringing him presents and promising him obedience. - -And now, being so prosperous and so feared, my master planned to attack -a city and make himself the master of the King’s treasure. He told his -plan to his forty men and they rejoiced one and all, and they talked to -each other as if that treasure was already in their hands. I prepared -the meal that was to be given him before he collected his men for the -march. - -The meal was of fish. The fisherman who had just come from the sea -laid his net before me and I took out of it an exceedingly large and -beautiful fish. I divided the fish and began to make it clean. I found -within the fish something it had swallowed. It was a ring. And when I -cleaned the ring I found that it was of gold and that in it was a most -precious stone--a stone of emerald. - -I brought the fish to my master cooked. And to make him rejoice I -brought at the same time the ring to him. I told him that for the ring -he had dropped into the depths of the sea another ring had come back to -him, and that this was on account of the great good fortune that was -ever with him. - -He took the ring from me and he looked it all over. He cried out that -this was not another ring but the same ring, and that the characters -of his name were engraved upon it. And he said that it was by no means -on account of his good fortune that this ring had come back to him. -Thereupon he rose up and went outside, and gave command to his band -that they were to disarm themselves and tie up their horses, and hold -themselves back from making any attack that day. He then went into his -tent and sat at the darkest part of it, his purple beard touching the -ground, and all the while lamenting that his dearest possession had -come back to him out of the depths of the sea. - -The forty men disarmed themselves and tied up their horses and sat in -little bands playing games together. I would have stayed about the -encampment making bread for the band, only that as I came near the tent -where the kneading board was I heard a bird’s cry. - -I looked, and I saw on the wellhead near the Bird of Gold. The bird -fluttered and flew as if she wanted me to watch her. I followed where -she went and I was led far from the encampment. At the edge of the -wilderness she went amongst low bushes, and after that I could not see -her any more. - -Because I had seen the Bird of Gold once more I went back toward the -encampment thinking about the days when I had lived in the hut of my -father, the bramble gatherer, and about the day when I had left that -hut, and had gone across the wilderness, and had seen the pillar on -which was written that if I followed the road to the right I should -come to my fortune, and about how I had come, not to my fortune, but -back to the hut I had left; and I went on, thinking of how I had first -heard of the Bird of Gold, and of how I had given her liberty when I -might have held her for the great reward the King would have given. I -went toward the encampment thinking these thoughts about myself, and -thinking, too, of my master who had such fortune that men swore by the -goodness of it. - -I made my way toward the tent where the kneading board was. And then I -saw tents overturned and lying upon the ground. I saw the horses of the -band straying over the plain. And when I looked to the citadel I saw it -smoking with a fire that was burning it. - -There was no stir in all the encampment. I knew then that an army had -come and had attacked my master and his forty men in the time that I -was following the Bird of Gold or coming back from the place where -she had led me. I went amongst the tents and I saw that the men had -been killed. And I saw the purple beard of my master, cut off by some -insolent enemy and left lying upon the ground. - -Then I ran over the trampled grass and made for the wilderness. And -when I came into the wilderness I hid myself amongst the bushes that -the Bird of Gold had flown into. I thought that a great army was -pursuing me, and in truth I was very fearful. - - -III. HOW BIRD-OF-GOLD CAME TO HER FORTUNE - -I hid at the near side of the wilderness (said the girl, Bird-of-Gold), -for I was too fearful to go back to the encampment and too fearful to -go farther on. I ate the wild fruits that grew on the bushes, and at -night I covered myself with dried leaves and branches and slept in a -hole. I thought how he had been destroyed, that man whose good fortune -had been above every one else’s good fortune, and I did not know how -such a one as I could keep alive. I was fearful while I slept, and when -I awoke and sat upon a heap of leaves in that empty wilderness I was -most miserable. I remembered the writing on the pillar that told me to -take the road to the right on the day I left my father’s hut and I put -a curse upon the road I took. I cursed it because it had brought me, -not to my fortune as the writing said it would bring me, but back to -the hut I had left. And things were even worse with me from that time -than they were before, for my return had brought me to the encounter -with the King, and to the voyage with the captain of the King’s ships, -and to the dangerous place where I was now. - -But then I began to think that although that road had brought me to my -father’s hut it had not brought me back to a life that was as it had -been before. What had happened after I had come back to the hut had -brought me farther away than that road could have led to. Perhaps the -writing on the pillar was not lying, after all. It had said: They who -take the road to the right will come at last to their fortune. Perhaps -my fortune was farther away than I had thought. - -Then I said to myself that my journeys were not yet ended, and that -if I went on I should yet come to what the writing on the pillar had -promised. I sat still for a while with this thought in my mind, and -then I rose up and went through the wilderness, going straight on -toward a star that was still in the sky. - -I left the wilderness with its low shrubs at last, and I came out on a -wide, green plain. Before going on that plain I ate again of the wild -fruit that was on the bushes and I brought some of the wild fruit with -me. I went on and on over the miles of grass. And when it was midday I -saw a whiteness upon the plain before me. - -I went toward that whiteness and in a while I saw that it was all in -movement. There were white living creatures there. I went on, and I -came near to where there was a hollow in the plain, and I saw in that -hollow a mighty flock of ducks. They were tame, for they did not rise -up and fly as I came near. - -I looked on them with great astonishment. I had never seen so many -ducks together. I looked them all over and I made a guess that there -were a thousand ducks there. And I had never seen such beauty in ducks -before. For these ducks were of a gleaming whiteness, and moreover they -had a shapeliness that I had never seen in such creatures before. I -thought and thought, but I could not think how they had come into this -unpeopled plain in such a vast flock. - -I sat down on the grass and I watched them feeding, thinking surely -that some one would come and drive the flock to some market or to some -great farm. I watched, and the ducks ate and ate in the hollow where -they stayed. When the darkness came the thousand ducks put their heads -each under a wing and settled down on the ground. I pulled grass to -make a bed for myself, and ate the fruit I had brought with me, and lay -down in a cold place near the hollow. - -I was awakened by the thousand ducks quacking loudly, and I looked and -saw that they had spread themselves over the plain and were moving in -a direction. I thought I should follow the ducks, and I did, and I was -able to chase away two or three foxes that would have hunted them. - -They were beautiful, these thousand ducks, as they went over the green -plain. They were shapely and active, and they had a wonderful soft -whiteness. The drakes were not colored differently, but they had crests -and tails that curled. When they knew I was with them they did not -go straying here and there, but kept themselves together as a flock -and went marching in a direction. I thought that they might bring me -to my fortune. And then I thought that this great flock of ducks, so -strangely without an owner, was my fortune. - -I was faint and hungry, but I went on rejoicing in the beauty of the -ducks. I gave them time to feed and they fed. At last I came to the -gate of a town. The watcher was astonished at the greatness of the -flock and he called to the townspeople to come out and fill their eyes -with the spectacle. They came and asked me, “Who are you, O girl?” and -I made answer, “I am the girl whose fortune is in ducks.” The people -came on the walls of the town and looked over them, while the ducks -spread themselves out, standing still. And more and more the people -marveled at the number and the extraordinary beauty of the ducks. - -The people set a place apart for the ducks and they gave me a shelter -in which I might rest and refresh myself. After a while I heard them -say, “The officers of the great King of Babylon should see this girl -and her ducks. There is a marvel here for the great King to hear -about.” People came to see the ducks as a spectacle, and one would say -to the other, “No prince by any river in China has such a wonderful -collection of ducks.” - -And then I was told that the officers of the great King of Babylon -would come to look on my flock. These officers had come into the -country to get for the King’s gardens birds and beasts that were -remarkable. - -They came and looked on the flock, and marveled that, whether they -rested or were feeding, the thousand ducks harkened to my call and went -as I bade them go. They spoke, admiring their shape and whiteness. And -then a dwarf who had a crown of crimson feathers on his head came -amongst them and the officers spoke to him. This dwarf told me they -would take the flock for the King, and that they would take me also to -the great city, where I would have the office of minding the ducks in -the King’s gardens. - -So I brought the thousand ducks down to a great barge that was on the -river, and I went on the barge, and the officers of the King with the -dwarf that had the crown of crimson feathers on his head went aboard of -it, and we sailed down the river, and we came into the great city. For -two days the King had me show the wondrous flock in the market place as -a spectacle for the people. All Babylon came and admired the number and -the comeliness of the ducks. Afterward they were brought to the lake -that was in the King’s gardens. As time went on many of the flock were -taken by the purveyors and killed and eaten in the palace. But still -they remained a wonder for their number and their comeliness. The King -often came down to look on the thousand ducks, swimming on the water, -or staying in their companies around the lake. - - -IV. BIRD-OF-GOLD IN THE KING’S GARDENS - -No place in the whole world is more beautiful than the King’s gardens -in Babylon (Bird-of-Gold said). My white ducks, when they swam upon the -lake, went amongst water lilies that were silver-white or all golden. -Beside the lake the irises grew, depths and depths of blue and gold and -cloud-colored irises. I should never have left the side of that lake -if I had not wanted to be amongst the trees that grew in the gardens -above--palm trees of many kinds, and great cedar trees in the dark -branches of which the doves built their nests. Greatly did I admire -the trees in the King’s gardens, for I had come from a country where -there were no trees. All the palms were there--the date palm, and the -royal palm, and the palm of the desert. They stood nobly by themselves -or they made solemn avenues that led to monuments of the Kings of -Babylon. In the grass there were golden poppies and little roses that -just lifted themselves above the ground. There were great monuments, -too--statues of Kings and lions and chariots, and these reminded -people of terrors and magnificences, and they were as a great wind that -blew through the gardens. - -And there were tulips on the ground, and there were golden fruits -amongst gleaming leaves, and red pomegranates on the high trees, and -there were spice trees that filled the garments of those who passed -with fragrance. And all in a garden to themselves were the roses--a -thousand rose trees, each tree with a thousand opened flowers. I wept -when I saw that garden of roses, and I do not know why I wept. - -All the birds that were lovely to look at or charming to hear singing -were in that garden. The black birds with golden wings from my own -country were there, and the birds of paradise from the Land of the -Burning Mountain. And it was told that the nightingales of Persia and -Babylon and Arabia brought their young here that they might learn to -sing the more perfectly. Also there were mocking birds that mocked -every bird’s song but the song of the nightingale. - -As for the beasts in the King’s gardens, the first one I made friends -with was a lynx. He was not in a cage, but went roaming about, watching -everything with eyes that never winked. And after I had come to know -him and had made friends with him, the lynx brought me to the cages and -the pits of the other beasts and with them I made friends. - -Of all the creatures that were there the one I was most fearful of was -the queen serpent that was in the Pit of the Serpent. But the serpent -allured me, and I used to sit above the pit, the lynx beside me, and -watch her as she uncoiled herself and swayed her head about. And as -I watched her I would beat on a little drum that I carried with me. -I began to see that as I beat the drum and made music for her the -serpent’s head would cease to sway and she would lower it, and then she -would rest upon her coils as if she were sleeping. So I grew to have -power over the serpent, and many times when I saw her try to draw down -a bird that had come to the edge of the pit, I would beat upon the drum -until her head sank down, when the bird would rouse itself out of the -spell that the serpent’s eyes had for it, and fly away. - -So I stayed in the King’s gardens, part of the day with the thousand -ducks that were about the lake, and part of the day with the -ever-watchful lynx that went here and went there. - -One day I came up from the lake after having decked myself with the -blue herons’ feathers that lay about. I saw two where none but the -King or the King’s ancient dwarf ever came. One was a man who wore -a straight garment that had curious figures woven upon it, and who -carried in his hand a staff that was formed of two serpents twining -together. The one who was with him was a boy, and my heart went out to -him because he was young, and I had seen no one who was young in my -days in Babylon. The two walked in the gardens, and I ran and hid from -them. - -A day came soon after when I came up from the lake and did not find the -lynx who was my friend. I went searching for him, and at last I came -upon him. He had gone up into one of the great chariots that were for -a monument to a King. I saw him watching across the chariot. I went -beside him, and the lynx did not move, but kept watching, watching. - -Before I saw what was coming I heard a great trampling noise. I saw -trees break and fall down. Flocks of birds came flying toward me, and -I saw the deer start up and run. Then I saw enormous shapes coming -striding through the gardens. They were as men, but as men high as -towers. As they came on, trees fell down before them, and beasts broke -out of their pits and cages and crouched before them. The beasts were -filled with fear, and they roared and screeched and trumpeted as if -fearful things were about to happen to them. The giant men passed where -I stood in the great chariot and they came to the gateway that led into -the courts of the King’s palace. They put their hands to the stones -above the gateway, and the heavy, mortared stones fell, leaving them a -space high enough for them to pass through. I looked from the King’s -palace toward the city, and I saw the Way of the Lions and it was -black with people that fled from the palace--soldiers and servants and -attendants. I saw the beasts of the gardens bound or crash through the -broken gateway, entering the courts of the palace. - -I saw the giant men come forth from the palace. Now they held a man by -the arms and dragged him along. They crossed the gardens dragging the -man, and for a time I watched the dust that their progress made. - -As I watched I saw some one come fleeing from the palace. He ran on, -coming straight to the place from where I watched. He stumbled as he -ran, and I saw him fall into the Pit of the Serpent. It had seemed -to me as I watched him that this was the boy who had walked with the -strange man in the gardens. - -In my hands I had the little drum whose sound could put a spell upon -the queen serpent. I ran toward the pit holding the drum. And when I -bent over I saw that the head of the serpent was very near to the boy. -I beat upon the drum, and the serpent heard, and her head ceased to -sway about. Then her head went down, and she remained in her coils upon -the ground of the pit. - -I drew the boy up, and I led him to the lake and I bathed his face -and his hands. The day had almost passed before he was able to speak -to me. Then he told me who he was, and what the events were that had -happened in the King’s palace. And that boy is the one who is before -you now, O King of the Western Island, Eean, the fisherman’s son, who -was apprenticed to the Enchanter. - - -V. HOW BIRD-OF-GOLD WENT TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER - -Long did it take Eean to tell me the whole of the story, and when he -had told and I had gathered and put together all of it, I said to him, -“Not yet has the tower fallen, and ere it comes down one might go to -the top and take the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians and put it in the -hands of the King.” - -“The King may be dead,” Eean said, “or else he may be in such a state -that he cannot see or hear any more.” - -We were then sitting under the greatest of the cedar trees, and he was -eating pomegranates from my lap. I looked from out the shade of the -cedar tree, and I saw the King of Babylon walking in his gardens. - -The King was fearful; he looked to the right and to the left as he went -on. When he saw a little deer that was standing still he was startled, -and he turned back. As he came nigh the cedar tree he saw me standing -there before him. I prostrated myself and I said, “O King, fear not -for Babylon. The tower has not yet fallen, and the Magic Mirror will -yet be placed in your hands.” But the King only said, “Go to the tower -and bring back to me the black cock that I tied to a board but did not -sacrifice.” Thereupon the King went within the palace. - -I called upon Eean to come, and we went down the Way of the Lions, and -through the Gate of Brass, and out into the city. It was the Hour of -the Market, but there were no people in the market place. We went on, -Eean and I, and we came before the tower. There we saw a throng such as -would have filled many markets, and they were standing round and gazing -on the tower. - -I had never looked before on the Tower of Babylon. It was built tower -upon tower to the height of four towers, and its color was red. Around -the whole height of it went a stairway showing steps on this side and -that as it went winding around. On the top of the topmost tower I saw a -gleam, and I knew it was the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians. - -That gleam dazzled me and put into my mind the thought of going to the -top of the tower. I, out of all that throng, would go and bring down -the Magic Mirror! I went amongst them and they let me pass, for I had -on me now the dress of one who belonged to the palace. I stood before -the throng and I saw where a great space of rock was worn smooth--it -was the rock against which Harut and Marut had lain. - -I came to the first steps of the tower, and I climbed three of them. I -heard the murmur of those who spoke of me, and I stood still. Then up -the first round of the steps I went, keeping my mind from the thought -of the great height that was above me. I came at last to where the -second tower grew from the top of the first, and I stood and looked -down, and I saw that the men below had already become little. It was -then that I felt terror of the height that was above me. - -I began to climb the steps of the second tower, fearful to look down -and fearful to think of the number of steps that were before me. I went -on and up, all in a terrible silence, and feeling that at the step -above me something unbelievable would happen. - -After a great length of time I came out on the space that was the top -of the second tower. On that breadth I rested. As I waited there the -coldness of death seemed to come over me. - -But the coldness passed, and I felt the air again. I found the steps -that went up and around the third of the towers. As I went on I felt -that those steps leaned down on me and crushed me, and that with my -feet alone I never could surmount them. Then I went down on my hands -and knees and I climbed and climbed until my hands were bruised and the -parts behind my knees ached. I thought that suddenly the steps would -cease to be, and that I should find no place for my hands, and that -thereupon I would fall down all the height I had climbed up. But step -came after step, and at last I came out on that space that was the top -of the third tower. - -Above me was the fourth tower. I stood holding myself against it, and -I looked down all the distance I had climbed. I saw the great river -shining whitely: like pebbles in the bed of a river were the throngs -below. But now my fear went from me. The silence was all around me, -but I was exultant because of the silence through which I climbed. The -height troubled me no more, rather it made me exultant, making me feel -as the eagle feels. I came out on the top of the fourth tower, and -there was nothing above me except the silent sky. - -And there was the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians. It rested against -the great spear that was Nimrod’s, and it was turned toward the city -and toward the King’s palace. - -I looked into the Magic Mirror. As I looked into it I saw a writing -come upon it. I read the writing, and it said: _Bring the Magic Mirror -of the Babylonians to the King of Babylon, but burthen yourself not -with the Spear of Nimrod._ - -And that writing faded, and another writing appeared on the mirror. And -the writing read: _Zabulun the Enchanter has been brought by Harut and -Marut into the cave that is below the sea. For forty days they will -watch over him, but then they will fall into a slumber. Zabulun will -come forth from the cave that is beneath the sea, and in anger he will -pursue him who revealed his plan for the taking of the Magic Mirror. -Take one of the rings that are around the mirror. It will reveal when -Zabulun comes from the cave, and it will show how near he comes in his -pursuit of Eean, the boy who was apprenticed to him._ - -That writing faded, and I saw the rings that were around the mirror. I -loosened one and I took it off the mirror and I put it around the wrist -of my hand. The color of the ring changed to the green of the sea. - -I took the Magic Mirror in my hands and I went down the stairway. Down -I went, from the fourth to the third, and from the third to the second -of the towers. As I went down the stairway around the first of the -towers I heard the murmurs of the throng. High above my head I raised -the Magic Mirror, and I went toward them holding it so. - -And as I went amongst the throng I heard a voice cry out, “The tower -trembles, the tower rocks.” It was the voice of Eean. As the cry arose -the throngs drew back from before the tower. They ran, and I ran -carrying the mirror, and Eean ran beside me. And when we came to the -market place we two were alone. - -We stood in the empty market place and we looked toward the Tower of -Babylon. In its great height it stood there, strong and wonderful. I -heard the shouting of people around it. Then I saw the great tower -swing like a child’s swing. Dust rose up, cloud after cloud, and cloud -over cloud. The cries of people came from out the clouds. - -We stood there until we saw the sun shine through a cloud of dust. -Then we knew that the Tower of Babylon was indeed fallen. Never again -did we go near the place, but from travelers I have heard that where -the tower stood there is emptiness, and that great blocks of stone are -scattered far and wide. - - -VI. HOW EEAN AND BIRD-OF-GOLD WENT FROM BABYLON - -We went into the King’s gardens, carrying with us the Magic Mirror of -the Babylonians. We saw the great cedar tree, and we went and sat under -its branches and spoke of what we should do. The Magic Mirror would -have to be given to the King, but for long Eean was fearful of going -into the palace. - -At last we went to the doors. They were unguarded, and we went within -the palace. We came to the chamber where the King was wont to sit -upon his throne, and we saw the King there, and around him there were -bearded men with fierce eyes; by their fashion of carrying swords we -knew them to be the leaders of the King’s armies. These fierce-eyed men -stood with their feet upon the steps of the throne, speaking in anger -to the King. They did not see us as we came into the chamber. But in a -while one caught sight of us, and he uttered a fierce word. I went to -them, holding the Magic Mirror raised in my hands. The King raised his -head, and he saw the mirror, and he cried out to us. - -I went and left the Magic Mirror on the throne, beside the King. I -lifted my voice and I told him how I had taken the mirror from the top -of the tower, and that now the tower was overthrown, but the mirror was -saved for the Babylonians. Then the King said to the fierce-eyed men, -“This is the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians, and I say to you that -Babylon is yet in safety.” Again he said to them, “Speak now and say -what is to be done about this girl who brought the mirror down from the -tower.” - -One of the fierce-eyed men said, “Who is the boy who is with her?” - -The King looked on Eean and knew who he was. He said, “This is the boy -who was with the Enchanter on whom be evil.” - -The man said, “Banish the girl and the boy also, but do no evil to -them inasmuch as they have brought to us the Magic Mirror of the -Babylonians.” - -The King said, “Take them from the city, but let some treasure be -given to them because they have brought to me the Magic Mirror of the -Babylonians.” - -One of the fierce-eyed men took us, and he brought us into a chamber in -which there were many open jars. In some of the jars there were gold, -and in others there were silver coins. The fierce-eyed man who was with -us spoke to me, and he said I might take from the jar with the gold -coins. I took many of them, and I tied them in different parts of my -dress. Then he bade us follow him, and he led us out of the palace and -to a place where a chariot with two horses was standing. - -He put Eean and me into the chariot, and he bade the charioteer drive -with us out of the city. The charioteer, a silent man, stood up in -his chariot, and lashed the horses. We drove through one street, and -then another and another street, and all the streets were empty. The -charioteer called to the guards of a gateway, and the gate was opened, -and we passed out of the city. We drove on until we came to where there -was a great river. Then the charioteer halted, and he called across the -river, and a man with a ferry came from the other side. He was a very -ancient man, and he had a beard of great length. The charioteer said to -him, “Old Man of the River, take these two across and away from us!” - -We went into the ferry, and the ferryman took his pole and pushed -across to the other side of the river. The man in the chariot turned -his horses and drove back to Babylon. - -When the ferryman had left us on the other side of the river, Eean said -to me, “Where now shall we go?” I made answer and said, “We shall go -to my country, and to the place where my father is. And it may be that -Zabulun when he comes from the cave that is under the sea will not be -able to find you there.” - - -VII. HOW EEAN AND BIRD-OF-GOLD WERE PURSUED BY ZABULUN THE ENCHANTER -AND HOW THEY WENT TO THE CAVE OF CHIRON THE CENTAUR - -O King of the Western Island, our wanderings began on the day when -the ferryman left us on the farther side of the river. We went to the -country where my father dwelt. We found the old man still gathering -brambles and thorns for his livelihood, and out of the treasure -that had been given me I gave him riches, and he had not to go -thorn-and-bramble gathering any more. - -We had only been a little time in the hut that my father built when -a new color came upon the ring I had taken off the Magic Mirror. Its -color had been sea green, but now a red line came across it. By that we -knew that Zabulun the Enchanter had left the cave that was under the -sea. And the red line began to grow over the sea green of the ring, and -we knew by this sign that he had begun to follow on our traces. Then -said Eean to me, “I will go from this place and seek a hiding, and it -may be that I shall baffle Zabulun who follows me.” I said to Eean, “I -shall go with you where you go.” “Nay,” said Eean, “it is not on your -account that Zabulun pursues us. He has no rage nor hatred against you, -O Bird-of-Gold, and if I should go from this place by myself you would -not be troubled by him.” - -Then I said to him, “O Eean, I had no playmate nor companion until I -met you in the King’s gardens. Now I could not bear to see you go from -me, and where you go I shall go too.” - -Afterward I asked him if there were in the world any Enchanters who -were as powerful as Zabulun. He told me of Chiron the Centaur, and of -Hermes Trismegistus, the wise Egyptian, and of Merlin whose home is on -an island that is west of your Western Island. I thought that only from -one of these Enchanters might we get aid against Zabulun. - -The red grew over the sea green of the ring, and we knew that the -farther the red grew the nearer did Zabulun approach us. I wondered -how we might get to one of the great Enchanters. Hermes Trismegistus, -being in Egypt, was far, and Merlin, on the island beyond the Western -Island, was farther still. I thought of Chiron the Centaur, and it -seemed to me that him we might be able to find. - -Now my father had lived a long time in the world, and he had heard many -things, and he had thought over the things he had heard in the years -when he had gathered brambles and thorns in the wilderness. I went to -my father for word of Chiron the Centaur. - -“Chiron the Centaur dwells all alone in a cave that is in the side -of a mountain. The mountain is covered all over with a deep and an -ancient forest,” my father told me. And again he said, “Once I knew the -direction in which that mountain is, and to-morrow I shall go into the -wilderness, and as I walk about it may be that the memory of it will -come back to me.” - -He came back from the wilderness in the evening and he said, “Away -toward where the morning star shines there is a great waste. If one -skirts this waste one comes to a river the waters of which are as cold -as snow. The river flows down from the mountain on the side of which -is the cave of Chiron the Centaur. All this I heard in the days of my -youth.” - -Over more and more of the sea green of the ring the red had grown. By -this sign we knew that Zabulun was coming close to us. I spoke to Eean -and I said that we both should make ready to go to the cave of Chiron -the Centaur. Then when the morning star shone very brightly we took -leave of my father and we went toward where it shone. - -We came to the great waste, and we skirted it as we had been told. On -we went, and we came to the river, the waters of which were cold as -snow. We turned our faces toward the place from which the river flowed -until we saw a mountain that was all covered with forest. - -Deep and ancient and silent was that upward-growing forest. So -frightened of its silence were we that we never let go of each other’s -hands. For days we went seeking the cave, and at last we heard -cries--they might have been from birds, they might have been from the -winds--that said, “Who comes to trouble the rest of Chiron the ancient -Centaur?” - -We went toward where the cries came from and we saw the mouth of the -cave. We mounted the track that led to it, and in fear we went within. - -And there was Chiron the ancient Centaur. His head and his breast, his -shoulders and his arms were a man’s, and his body and his feet and his -tail were a horse’s. His great beard was white, and his horse’s body -was shrunken, but his eyes were like pools in which there are living -fires. The power of all the kings in the world was in his eyes. - -Chiron lay beside a fire in which fragrant woods burned. He turned his -eyes upon it, and we heard cries as if the winds in the cave made them, -“Who comes to trouble the rest of Chiron the ancient Centaur?” - -I went down on my knees and I prayed him, “O Chiron, wisest of all who -deal in enchantments,” I said, “there is one named Zabulun, an evil -Enchanter, who pursues us. We have come to beg you to tell us how we -may escape him.” - -“Not to me should you have come,” the voice of Chiron boomed out. “What -have I to do with men who are as far from wisdom as Zabulun? Only one -who is like him may strive with him. Go to another, go to another.” - -“To whom shall we go, O Centaur?” I prayed. - -“Hermes Trismegistus in Egypt is nearer to Zabulun than I am. Go to him -and he may tell you how to baffle Zabulun. Tell him that you have seen -the Phœnix in the cave of Chiron the Centaur.” - -As he said this there flew into the cave the great bird that is called -the Phœnix. I may not describe her to you, O King. She flew to the fire -of fragrant-smelling woods and she held herself above it. She fanned -the flame with her wings, and the fire rose up and caught her breast. -Then the bird sank down on the fire, and we saw her burn under the eyes -of Chiron the Centaur. The flame died out, and what we saw of the bird -that burned, and the wood that made the fire, was a heap of ashes. - -Then out of that heap of ashes came a bird. It was smaller than the -bird that burned, but more radiant. As the bird stayed with the ashes -beneath her feet she grew by some great thing that was within her, and -then she rose over the ashes and fanned them with her wings. Again I -looked upon the Phœnix. - -“Go to Hermes Trismegistus in Egypt, and tell him that you saw the -long-lived Phœnix burn herself in the cave of Chiron the Centaur, -and come again out of the burning. And when you tell this to Hermes -in Egypt he will tell you what you may do to make yourself free of -Zabulun.” - -The Phœnix flew from the cave. Then Chiron turned his eyes upon us and -he spoke to us of the way we should go to find Hermes Trismegistus in -Egypt. When he had told us all we went backward out of his cave, and -then turned and went through the depths of the silent forest, taking -the way the Centaur bade us take. - - -VIII. HOW EEAN AND BIRD-OF-GOLD CAME TO HERMES TRISMEGISTUS IN EGYPT - -We found a ship, and I paid for the voyage out of the riches I had, and -we came to Egypt. The ring upon my hand showed that we were now far -away from the one who pursued us, from Zabulun the Enchanter. - -But we two lost our way in Egypt, and we wandered about, reaching -nowhere. Then Zabulun gained upon us again, as the ring showed. We hid -in a village by the river, and we stayed there until the season when -the cranes fly overhead on their way to Ethiopia. - -Then we went from that village, and we came again upon the way that had -been lost. We followed that way and we came to the great pyramid in -which Hermes Trismegistus had his cell. Down into the deepest chamber -we went, and we came before Hermes the Egyptian. - -He sat before a table that was of diamond and that had wonderful -figures upon it. He was youthful, and light seemed to come from his -forehead. As wonderful as the eyes of Chiron was the brow of Hermes -Trismegistus. - -We knelt at the threshold of his cell, and I said, “O thrice-great -Hermes! We have been in the cave of Chiron the Centaur, and we have -seen the long-lived Phœnix burn herself to ashes, and come out of the -ashes more radiant than before. Chiron was kind to us, and he sent us -to you, O thrice-great Hermes. We are pursued by an Enchanter whose -name is Zabulun, and we have come to you to pray you to tell us how we -may make ourselves free from him.” - -Hermes Trismegistus said, “I know of Zabulun, the wrong-doing -Enchanter. But what have I to do with one who is so removed from -wisdom?” - -I prayed him again, saying, “Save us from this wrong-doing Enchanter -who would destroy us. He has come near us often, and he will assuredly -overtake us if you do not give us help, O thrice-great Hermes.” - -Then Hermes said, “Near the Western Island there dwells an Enchanter -whose name is Merlin. Not one of the great Enchanters is he, nor like -to Chiron or myself, for he chooses to love rather than to be wise. -He is nearer to Zabulun than we are, but yet he is not a wrong-doing -Enchanter. Go to Merlin and say to him that you have been within the -cell of Hermes Trismegistus, and that you have heard from him the -answer to the riddle that the Sphinx asks, and Merlin will show you how -you both may be saved from Zabulun, the wrong-doing Enchanter. - -“But to come to Merlin’s island, which is west of the Western Island, -you will have first to go amongst the Atlantes, who live by the Western -Ocean. They eat no living thing and they never have dreams. When you -come to them, seek out the wisest amongst them, and ask him to tell you -of Merlin, and of how you may come to him. - -“To come to the Atlantes you will have to pass by the Sphinx in the -desert. Few ever pass her, for she has a riddle that she asks of every -one. And the one who cannot answer her riddle is torn to pieces by the -Sphinx. But I shall tell you the answer to give to the riddle that the -Sphinx asks.” - -Then Hermes, thrice-great Hermes, told us the Sphinx’s riddle and the -answer that we should make to it. He told us the way we should go to -pass by the Sphinx and come to the people that are called the Atlantes. -We left the cell of Hermes, and passed out of the pyramid, and went on -our way. - -We came to where the great Sphinx stretches herself out in the sand, -and by the light of a great moon we saw her lion’s paws and her woman’s -face. We heard the purring sound that comes through the lips of the -Sphinx, and we halted between her paws. - -“What is Man?” said the Sphinx, asking her riddle. - -The paws that stretched alongside of us were quiet, and the voice of -the Sphinx was very quiet. We saw her face far above us, and it was -calm, though there was much scorn and fierceness in it. - -“What is Man?” said the Sphinx. - -Then I replied as Hermes Trismegistus had taught me to reply, “Man is -he whose Mother is the Earth and whose Father is the Stars.” - -“Go,” said the Sphinx. - -Then we clambered across the great paws of the Sphinx, and we went on -our way. Along the border of the desert we went, and when the great -moon had changed herself to a little moon that was hardly to be seen -in the sky we came amongst the Atlantes, the people who eat no living -thing and who never have dreams. - -The ring showed us that Zabulun, the wrong-doing Enchanter, had not -drawn near us for many days. We were far away from him when we came -amongst the Atlantes. But soon he came near us again. By that time I -had found him who was wisest amongst this people, and I asked him to -tell me of Merlin, and of how I might come to him. - -“Not often does the island on which Merlin dwells show itself,” said he -who was wisest amongst the Atlantes. “On the mid day of summer it is to -be seen. Then it draws near to the Western Island, and if you will cast -upon the water nine cocks’ combs and four peacocks’ feathers, Merlin -will let you come upon his island.” - -Thereupon he who was wisest amongst them gave us the cocks’ combs and -four peacocks’ feathers. They reverenced Hermes of Egypt, the people -that are called the Atlantes, and because we had spoken with Hermes and -had been in his cell, they brought us on board a ship that had great -leathern sails, and in that ship they carried us to your island, O King. - - -IX. HOW EEAN AND BIRD-OF-GOLD CAME TO KING MANUS’S STABLES - -We came to your island, O King (said Bird-of-Gold, continuing her -story), but no sooner did we step from the ship to the landing stones -than we suffered a loss. The ring that was around my wrist broke and -fell into the sea, and thereafter we had no sign that would show how -close Zabulun was in pursuit of us. - -We set off for that part of the land that Merlin’s island comes near -to. One day our way was through a dark valley and we lay down there -to sleep. I awakened after some hours of slumber, and I looked toward -Eean, and I saw that he was still sleeping. I left him to his sleep, -but when hours passed I went over to awaken him. But I could not awaken -him from that slumber, do what I would. For three days and three nights -he slept in that valley while I watched beside him. - -At last he awoke saying, “What day is this, and how near is Zabulun to -us?” I told him that we were two days from the mid day of summer, and -that we had no sign now to show us how close the Enchanter might be. -We were greatly troubled, O King, for we knew not how we might come to -Merlin’s island by the mid day of summer. - -It was then that we heard of your horses, King Manus. We were told of -their swiftness, and we said to each other, “Only by the speed of these -horses can we reach the place that Merlin’s island comes near, and by -Merlin’s aid save ourselves from the power of Zabulun, the wrong-doing -Enchanter.” - -At nightfall we came before your palace and your stable. Now it was -not hard for us to open the doors of your stable. Your watchers drank -of a drug that I made, O King. Eean brought a cup to them, and they, -thinking the drink had been sent to them from your supper table, drank -it. At once they fell into a slumber. Then we opened the four locks of -the iron door with the keys that were in their belts. Eean went within -the stable while I kept watch at the gate of the orchard. - -Alas, Eean was taken before he could mount the white horse, and before -I went to take the bridle of the red one. I saw him being brought -within the palace, and I saw two new watchers take their places beside -the door. - -For a long time I stood in the shadow of the orchard gate not knowing -what to do. Then I thought that I should still take one of the horses -and go to the place where Merlin might be spoken to, and so win aid -for Eean, my beloved companion. I made another drug, and I put it into -a drink, and I brought the cup to those who were at the stable door. -These, too, were unsuspecting; they thought I had brought it from the -supper table, and they drank, and they, too, lost their senses. - -Then I opened the iron door of the stable the way we had opened it -before and I went within. I saw the red horse in his stall and I put -my hand upon his neck. As I did this the black horse broke loose, and -he plunged at me, and he caught me by the flesh of the shoulders and -he flung me down. He reared above me, and was about to bring his hoofs -crashing down upon me. Then indeed I should have been trampled to death -but that you and your men came in, O King. - -You came with torches and you drove that fierce black horse away from -my body. Never was I in such danger of death as I was in then. I do -not think I am now in such danger as when I lay under the feet of that -fierce black horse. But it is for you to judge, O King. - - * * * * * - -Bird-of-Gold finished her story, and, closing her eyes, she laid her -head upon her hands. All at that supper table looked toward King Manus. -Eean seemed to hear nothing of her story, for all the time his eyes -were upon the King’s face. - -Said King Manus, “She has been in danger as great as the danger she is -in now, for verily, that black horse of mine is a manslayer. The girl, -too, shall go free.” - -Then the King drank another cup of wine and was silent for a while. -Then he said, speaking again: “They have fled a great way, these two. -I should not be glad if they lost the match with this Zabulun. By the -open hand of my father, they may take my two horses, the white one and -the red one, and ride to that part of the Western Island that Merlin’s -island comes near. For payment to me, let them ask Merlin the Enchanter -what moves I should make in that game of chess that, for half my -lifetime, I have been playing with King Connal.” - -When King Manus said this the last binding was taken off Eean and off -Bird-of-Gold, and they went to him and they kissed his hands. Eean -promised that they would bring the horses back to the stable, and he -promised, too, that he would ask Merlin about the moves in the game of -chess, and would bring back the answer to the King. - -In the middle of it all, one of the stewards came to the King, and -said there was one in the palace who knew the youth Eean and who could -not be withheld from coming to him. As they were speaking about him, -he came into the supper room, an old man, whom they all recognized as -the one who watched before the door of the King’s chamber, to prevent -those who came with requests that might not be granted being brought -before the King. - -He went straight to where Eean stood, and holding up a torch he looked -upon him. He no sooner looked than he cried out, “It is he--indeed, -indeed it is he!” And Eean, his hands grasping the old man, said, “It -is Anluan! It is my father!” - -Then it was told to Eean how Anluan had left the nets of a fisherman -after his son had gone with Zabulun as his apprentice; and it was -told, too, how he had come to the palace, and how he had been made the -officer at the King’s doorway on account of his extraordinary patience, -a patience that he had learned when he handled the net, and that wore -out the most insistent of those who came with requests to the King. - -There was much rejoicing over the meeting between Eean and his -father Anluan. Then Anluan turned to her whose hand Eean held, to -Bird-of-Gold, and having wept over her he began to question her about -her accomplishments. It was at this point that the stewards took Anluan -away, for the pair had now to make ready for their ride to that part -of the Western Island that Merlin’s island came near to on the mid day -of summer which would be the morrow of that very night. Refreshments -were given them at the King’s table, the newest of meats and the oldest -of wines, and they went out of the hall, and they mounted the horses -that the grooms of King Manus now brought out for them, Eean taking the -white horse, and Bird-of-Gold the red horse. A bound and a bound, and -the white and the red started off, spurning the cobblestones of the -courtyard, riding toward their meeting with that Enchanter who would -give them freedom from Zabulun, Merlin, the Enchanter of the Isle of -Britain. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -PART III - -THE TWO ENCHANTERS - - -I. MERLIN AND VIVIEN - -A great Enchanter indeed was Merlin. He served with his enchantments -the King of the Isle of Britain from the time he was a stripling to -the time when he was two score years of age. Then, when he might have -passed from being a lesser to being a great Enchanter, Merlin vanished -altogether and was seen no more at the court of the King of the Isle -of Britain. All the great works he had planned were left undone, all -the instruments he had gathered were left unused, all the books he had -brought together were left unopened, and the King whom he had served so -long was left to whistle for his Enchanter. - -If there were one to blame for that it was the daughter of King Dionas. -She was young, but she was ungentle. What she saw, that she would -have. One day a stranger was passing with her father, and when he -looked on her he said, “A young hawk she is, a young hawk that has -not yet flown at any prey.” That very day the daughter of King Dionas -walked on the plain that was at a distance from her father’s castle. -The stranger who had spoken of her to the King was there, and he looked -long upon her. - -“Who art thou who lookest on me so?” said the child. - -“Thou art Nimiane, who art also called Vivien,” said the stranger. - -“Yea,” said she, “but who art thou, man?” - -“I am called Merlin,” he said, “and I am the Enchanter to the King of -the Isle of Britain.” - -“Show me thine enchantments,” said Vivien, who feared not to speak to -any man. - -Now Merlin had looked on all the ladies who were at the court of -the King of the Isle of Britain, and on the maidens who were in far -countries and distant castles, and besides, the ladies of the times -of old had been shown him in his Magic Glass, but never before had -he seen any one who seemed so lovely to him as this child. She was -bright eyed as a bird. She had a slim body, and pale cheeks, and quick, -quick hands. Her hair was red and in thick tangles. “Show me thine -enchantments,” she cried to him again. - -Merlin bade her come with him and she came. He brought her to a high -place, a place that was of rock with rocks piled all about it. On the -ground he made magical figures. Then he said magical words. And all the -time Vivien, slim Vivien with her tangle of red hair, stood upon the -rocks and kept her eyes upon him. - -Upon the ground that was all rock Merlin made a garden with roses -blowing and clear waters flowing, with birds singing amongst the leaves -and fishes swimming in the streams. He made trees grow, too, with -honey-tasting fruits upon them. - -Vivien went through the garden, plucking the flowers and tasting the -fruits that grew there. She turned to Merlin and looked at him again -with her bright eyes. “Canst thou make a castle for me?” said she. - -Then Merlin made his magical figures and said his magical words over -again. The stones that were strewn about everywhere came together and -built themselves up into a castle. When the castle rose before them -Vivien took Merlin by the hand, and they went through its doorway and -up the stairway and into the castle turret. And when they looked from -the turret Vivien said, “Would that no one should know of this garden -and this castle but thou and I!” - -He told her that the castle and the garden would be hidden. Then when -they were leaving the garden he put a mist all around, a mist that -those who came that way could not see through and were made fearful of -venturing into. - -And so the castle and the garden were all unknown to men. But Vivien -would come, passing through the mist, and going into the garden and up -into the turret. At first she would not have Merlin near her. Afterward -it came to pass that she would summon him. A bugle hung in the turret -of the castle, and she would blow upon it, and he would come and stay -by her. - -He was two score years of age, and she was five years less than a -score. Nevertheless he thought it better to watch her dancing with -bright green leaves in her red hair than to know all that would bring -him from being a lesser to being a great Enchanter. Of the maidens and -great ladies he had seen, some, he told her, were like light, and some -were like flowers, and some were like a flame of fire. But she, he -said, was like the wind. And he took thought no more for the King of -the Isle of Britain, nor for the great work he was to do for him, and -he spent his days in watching Vivien, and in listening to Vivien, and -in making magic things for Vivien’s delight. - -Her father once took her away from the place near where the hidden -garden and the hidden castle stood. Vivien was in another country now. -And when she went amongst those who were strangers to her she found out -that nothing mattered to her except the looks and the words of Merlin. -The castle and the garden--she did not think of them, nor of the magic -things he had made for her. Her thoughts were only on Merlin, who was -so wise and who could do such wonders. - -When she came back, and when she met him in the hidden garden, she -caught hold of his hands, and she would not let go of them. Nor would -she tell Merlin why this change had come over her, and why she would -keep close to him now and not apart. At last she said to him, “What -ladies and what maidens have you known, O my master Merlin?” - -Then Merlin took his Magic Glass into his hands, and in it he showed -her all the ladies who were at the court of the King of the Isle of -Britain, and he showed her all the lovely maidens who lived in far -countries and in distant castles whom he knew. Vivien threw herself -on the ground with her face to the rock after she had looked into the -glass. - -Then afterward she watched him in a way different from the way she had -watched him before. What he said and what he did she remembered well. -Soon she understood his magic figures and could make them. She came to -understand his magic words and to be able to repeat them. And Merlin -would say to her, “O my little hawk, fly at this--and this--and this.” - -One day as they wandered through a forest Vivien asked him to tell her -the mightiest spell that he knew. The Enchanter told it to her. She -stood still, with all her quick mind in her face, while he put aside -the tangles of her red hair and spoke into her ear. - -It was a spell that would hold in a place the one whom it was spoken -over. When he had told her he went at her bidding and seated himself -under a forest tree. Vivien, laughing, made a magic circle around him -and repeated the spell that he had given her. When she did this the -Enchanter was enchanted. Merlin stayed under the forest tree, and there -he would stay, for he could not move until the spell that was said over -him was unsaid by Vivien. - -And Vivien danced around him, her red hair shaking, her bright eyes -gleaming, her quick hands waving. She called to him, “Merlin, Merlin -Enchanter, come to me.” But Merlin, under the forest tree, could not -move. She ran through the woods and he could not follow after her. In a -while she came back and stood beside him. - -Said Merlin to her, “Why have you worked this spell upon me, and why -have you left me here so that I cannot move?” She knelt down on the -ground beside where he sat. - -“O Merlin,” said she, “I would leave you here enchanted, for fear you -should leave me and go amongst the maidens and the ladies who are so -lovely.” And when she said that her face was so hard that he knew she -would hold him there. - -But Merlin smiled, and he said to her, “I would stay always where you -are, Vivien, blossom of the furze.” - -“Nay,” said she, “you would go from me. Why should you not? You have -great works to do for the King of the land. And when you see again the -ladies and the maidens who are the loveliest in the world you will not -come back again to Vivien. I shall hate the castle and the garden that -you made for me, and I shall hate every one who will come near me. I -shall hold you, Merlin, here, even until the wolves come out at night -and devour you and me.” - -“I will build a castle for you in an empty country, and no one shall -ever be there but you and me,” said Merlin. - -“Nay,” said Vivien, “they will search the world for you, Merlin, and -when they find you, you will have to go with them.” - -Then Merlin, as if it were a magic thing that would please her, brought -out his thought about the Island of the White Tower. Away beyond the -Western Island, in a sea that is never sailed on, that island lies. -Only on Midsummer Day does it come near to the Western Island so that -men may see it. There, said Merlin, they might go. Those who would -search for him could never come to him there. He told her more and more -about the Island of the White Tower, and Vivien listened in delight -to all he told her. And when he had sworn he would take her to it she -unsaid the spell with which she had bespelled him, and he rose up from -where he had been held, and he sprang across the magic figure that was -drawn upon the ground. And with Vivien Merlin went through the forest. - - * * * * * - -The fishermen who cast their nets by the shores of the Western Ocean -have this story of Merlin and Vivien. They tell how in a boat of -crystal twelve creatures sailed to the Island of the White Tower. And -two were Merlin and Vivien, and nine were the nine prime bards of the -Isle of Britain who went with Merlin, and one was the tame wolf that -was Merlin’s servant. They sailed out upon a Midsummer’s Day, and from -that good day to this no hint or hair of the Enchanter has been seen by -King nor clown in all the Isle of Britain. - - -II. ZABULUN THE ENCHANTER - -It was Anluan, the father of Eean, Anluan who had once been a fisherman -by the shores of the Western Ocean, who told this story of the -Enchanter of the Isle of Britain. The fishermen know the story, and -they, more often than any others, have seen the Island of the White -Tower as it shows itself on the rim of the Western Ocean. - -The story was told after the white horse and the red horse had -clattered across the stones of the courtyard, bringing Eean and -Bird-of-Gold toward their meeting with Merlin. Candles thicker than a -man’s wrist had been put upon the supper table; fresh torches had been -set in the sconces along the walls; and logs of resinous wood had been -piled upon the hearth. All this was done so that the King and his lords -might drink their last cups of wine before they went into the sleeping -chambers. - -And now, in the light of shining candles and blazing torches and -mounting hearth fires, the squires and the servers went amongst the -company filling the wine cups up. Some had already the wine in their -cups, and were waiting for King Manus to raise his in a health. Then -the strangest of strange things happened. No wind came into the hall, -but suddenly the candles upon the table and the torches along the walls -went out. The servers went to relight the torches at the hearth, but -the hearth blaze had died down, and all the logs were black. - -And blackness was in the chamber where, a minute before, candles and -torches and hearth fires were blazing. The King and his lords stood -around the table, while the servers and squires ran through every -chamber of the castle to find a spark of light. - -But not even a spark could they find; not the light of a rush candle -even was to be found in any hall or chamber in the castle. And on every -stairway the same story was told, how suddenly light and fire had gone -black out. - -But now the grooms came in with flints and steel and tow. Every one -tried to strike a spark, but no spark came for all their striking. And -now, all over the castle, there were outbursts of woe: the cooks were -lamenting that they would have no fires, and the women were weeping -because lights could not be brought them. It was then that King Manus -bade his lords stand around laying their hands upon the table. - -The next thing was that a figure appeared at the doorway. All saw it, -for there was a line of faint light around it. It was the figure of -a tall man. “Speak,” said King Manus with his hand stretched to the -figure. - -“If you will have me speak,” said the man. - -“The lights and the fires have been quenched in the castle. How has -this come to be?” - -“It is in the power of an Enchanter of the second degree to quench -light and fire,” said the man in the darkness. “Further, King Manus: -the fire and light that is extinguished cannot be brought back until -the Enchanter lifts his ban.” - -“Have you come to tell me this?” asked the King. - -“I have come to make a request of you, King Manus,” said the man in the -darkness. - -Then Anluan, the father of Eean, he whose duty it was to let none that -might have a request come face to face with the King, groped around the -room that he might place himself before his master. But ere he came to -where King Manus stood the man with the line of light around had come -so close that he and the King looked into each other’s eyes. - -“O King,” said the stranger, “I have answered what you asked of me. Now -I make my request. It is that the black horse that is in your stable be -given to me.” - -There was a stir in the darkened hall, and then there was an outcry. It -was from Anluan, the father of Eean. “O, King Manus, beware of the man -who knows of the powers of Enchanters. He may be the one who would ride -in chase of Eean, my son!” - -“He has made a request of me,” said King Manus. “By the open hand of my -father, it will have to be granted him.” - -“It is for the one horse that can follow the others,” Anluan cried. - -“I have never refused a request! Alas, alas, in one night the three -horses that were my pride are taken from me!” - -“Strike now, and light candle and torch and hearth fire,” said the one -who had come amongst them. - -Flint was struck upon steel; sparks came and made the tow blaze; candle -and torch and hearth fire were lighted again. Then all looked at the -one who had come amongst them. - -Tall he was, with a dark and bony face, and eyes that were like a -hawk’s eyes. His dress was a plain cloak that had a hood that went over -his head. And yet, although he had not the staff nor the robe of an -Enchanter, it did not need Anluan’s cry to tell the company that here -was the one to whom his son had been apprenticed--Zabulun the Enchanter! - -“Why do you go in chase of my son?” Anluan cried. - -“Harut and Marut laid hands upon me. Am I to have no more mastery -because of that?” said Zabulun. “For forty days I was laid in the cave -that is under the sea, and do men think that all power is gone from me -because of that? I thought all that time that what I worked for would -come to pass, and that the Magic Mirror of Babylon would be lost in the -ruin of the Tower of Babylon and that destruction would come upon the -Babylonians. This would have been if the boy who was my apprentice had -been faithful to me. But he spoke the words that restored the mirror -to the Kings of Babylon. And I, whose name, as I thought, would stand -forever as one who had worked a great destruction, am as naught--my -name is a name to laugh at. And shall he pass from my mastership, -the boy who let this befall me? Not so; he has still to be my aid. I -have paid you, his father, gold for his seven years’ service, and his -service still belongs to me.” - -Then, turning to King Manus, Zabulun said, “You have granted my -request. Command now that your grooms go to the stable and bring out -the black horse that I am to ride.” - -King Manus gave the commands. Then out of the door of the castle they -all went and into the courtyard. The still light of the dawn, the dawn -of Midsummer’s Day, was coming over the world. The grooms went to the -stable, and in full sight of all unlocked the great stable door and -brought out the black horse whose swiftness was such that he could -overtake the wind of March that was before him, while the wind of -March that was behind could not overtake him. They brought forth the -black horse and they held him while the dark-faced man put himself -astride. Then the hoofs of the last of the King’s horses struck fire -out of the stones of the courtyard, while a cry went up from Anluan, -the one-time fisherman. - -And away went Zabulun the Enchanter, away, away in pursuit of Eean and -Bird-of-Gold, and the light of the Midsummer Day came into the world. - - -III. THE LAST FLIGHT OF EEAN AND BIRD-OF-GOLD - -As the first light of the Midsummer Day came over the world the two who -were fleeing before him were speaking of Zabulun the Enchanter. “That -we may baffle him,” one said. - -“And what if we cannot baffle him this time?” said the other. - -“Then he will take me and make me do terrible services for him”--it was -Eean who said this--“and, worse than all the services he will make me -do, he will separate us.” - -“No, no,” said Bird-of-Gold. “If he takes us this time, I shall do -everything to make myself useful to the Enchanter. I have thought out -ways in which I can serve him. He will not separate us and we will be -together still.” - -“O, Bird-of-Gold,” said Eean, “I am fearful lest he should slay you for -taking the Magic Mirror off the Tower of Babylon. But I have a sword -and he shall not harm you.” - -“I shall escape him,” Bird-of-Gold said, “and as he followed you and me -across the world, so I shall follow him and you, and we shall never be -apart.” - -They had learnt in their wanderings all ways of guiding themselves, -and as they galloped on they were heading for the Western Ocean. -Darkness was around them at first. But the sky was wide and clear, and -Bird-of-Gold, when she raised her head, could see and name the bright -planets. There was Mars with his red pulse. Bird-of-Gold likened this -planet to the steed that she bestrode, and as she rode on she sang to -herself the song that the shepherd boys in her own country used to sing -about another star: - - That star, I know, is Betelguise; - Yet, as I walk the hills by day, - I hardly know his splendid name-- - That star is far away. - - But when at night I travel on, - Or watch across an empty land, - Then Betelguise, my star of stars, - No thing is nearer hand. - - Then send a ray that I may own - The fortune that is mine: - O Betelguise, my star of stars, - My forehead’s for your sign! - -And after all the countries he had wandered through, Eean was now back -on the ground of his own country. He heard the cry of the curlews -overhead. He saw the lakes that looked as if even the birds had -forgotten them, so lonely they were, lonely, but with deep memories. -He saw the cairns of stones above the long dead heroes. Once he saw a -fox upon a cairn, and it seemed to him that this was the very fox he -had chased away from his mother’s coop the day before the Enchanter had -taken him away from the Western Island. - -With strong hearts King Manus’s horses galloped on. But the heart of -Eean was strained with the thought of the distance that was still -before them. First, a great mountain that had to be crossed. Then a -wide plain. Then that other mountain from the top of which one could -see the Western Ocean in the daylight. And Zabulun the Enchanter might -come upon them in the hills or on the plain and say a word that might -stop their horses’ gallop. - -But they came to the last mountain top, and they saw the waters of -the Western Ocean with gleams of gold coming upon them. Adown the -heather-covered hillside their horses hurried. And as the broad sun -rose over the broad ocean the feet of the white and the red horse were -scattering the foam along the shore. - -And as they watched they saw Merlin’s island grow out of the dimness of -the sea. Then the sun became fuller and it lighted up the White Tower, -and Eean and Bird-of-Gold knew they had come to their journey’s end -indeed. They sprang off their horses, and they dipped their hands in -the sea, and they kissed each other. - -“Now we must cast over on the island the tokens that the Atlantes gave -us,” Eean said, “the cocks’ combs and the peacocks’ feathers. If they -come to Merlin, he will let us cross to his island, and we can swim our -horses over. But how shall we know if the tokens come to him?” - -He raised the bag in which were the cocks’ combs and the four peacocks’ -feathers. He cast the bag toward the island. Through the air it went -like a flying bird. - -They mounted their horses again, ready to swim them across when they -got some signal from the island. And the signal came. It was the howl -of the wolf that was Merlin’s servant. - -Now they were to swim their horses across. As they went into the water, -Bird-of-Gold looked back. Down through the heather of the hillside a -rider was coming. He was on a black horse. They knew him for Zabulun, -the Enchanter from whom they were fleeing. - - -IV. HOW EEAN WON HIS RELEASE FROM ZABULUN THE ENCHANTER - -Merlin, with the tame wolf that was his servant beside him, was -standing by the White Tower on the morning of that Midsummer Day. And -Vivien was upon the tower, singing to her colored birds and looking out -over the sea. - -Vivien, who played with her colored birds, had still the look of a -child in her face. Her hair was no longer in tangles; it was softer -than it was once, and it fell softly over her shoulders. Her eyes, for -all the child’s look that was in her face, were as if they had seen -many things come and change and pass. - -Like a King, or like one who had been always near a King, was Merlin -the Enchanter. He smiled, and his smile was calm and royal. But one -might have said that his eyes were strangely close to each other and -that his lips were strangely red. - -His beard was long and gray. He wore a white robe with a belt of green -leaves around it, and a chaplet of oak leaves was on his head. Vivien -was dressed in green, with a golden belt clasped around her, and with -green leaves in her soft hair. - -So they were standing by and on the tower, Merlin, Vivien, and Merlin’s -tame wolf, when the tokens that were from the Atlantes came. Merlin -laid his hand upon the wolf, and the wolf gave the howl that was the -signal for Eean and Bird-of-Gold to come on the Island of the White -Tower. The Enchanter saw them ride their horses into the water. And -then another token came to him--the token that one magician sends to -another, a Bird of Foam it was, and Zabulun sent it. - -Deep were the waters, but great-hearted were the horses of King Manus, -the white horse and the red horse, and with Eean and Bird-of-Gold -astride of them they swam to the Island of the White Tower. They came -to the sloping shore, and the riders helped the horses up to the hard -ground. The white and the red horse stood shivering from their plunge -into the ocean. Afterward they threw themselves on the grass and lay as -still as if they were dead. - -Not to the horses, but out to the sea did Eean and Bird-of-Gold look. -The black horse with Zabulun astride him was swimming now. Swiftly to -the White Tower where they saw Merlin stand they went. - -“O, Merlin,” Eean cried, “to you we have come to save us from the -Enchanter who has pursued us from one end of the world to the other.” - -“From whom have you come, you who have sent such tokens?” said Merlin. - -“From Hermes Trismegistus in his secret cell. And Hermes bade us say -to you that we have heard from him the answer to the riddle that the -Sphinx asks, and that we crossed the desert to come to you, answering -the Sphinx.” - -“Who is the Magician who pursues you?” - -“Zabulun, once a Prince in Babylon, O Merlin.” - -“Is it he who pursues you?--Zabulun! I shall have a welcome for -Zabulun.” - -“Save us, O Merlin, from Zabulun,” Bird-of-Gold cried. - -Vivien came down from the tower. “It is Zabulun who comes to our island -in chase of these two, my Vivien,” Merlin said. “Now you shall see me -match my power with Zabulun’s.” - -“A match between magicians, how entertaining it will be!” cried Vivien, -clapping her hands. - -“O lady, if Zabulun is not baffled it will be death or separation for -us,” said Bird-of-Gold to her. - -“Merlin will baffle him--you will find that Merlin will baffle him,” -said Vivien. “You see, he has done nothing to impress me for an age.” - -Now Merlin had sent the tame wolf that was his servant upon an errand, -and the wolf at this moment returned leading nine men who wore white -robes and who had chaplets of oak leaves upon their brows. These were -the nine prime bards of the Isle of Britain who had come to the Island -of the White Tower with Merlin, their chief. - -They stood as he bade them, four on one side and five on the other, -with the Enchanter of the Isle of Britain between them. Merlin bade -Eean stand with the four bards. He touched them with his staff, and the -row of bards and Eean with them became all as alike as ten peas in a -pea pod. And Merlin went to Bird-of-Gold and touched her also, and she -became like the lady Vivien exactly. - -Now the black horse that bore Zabulun came to the sloping bank of the -Island of the White Tower, and Zabulun sprang off his back and drew the -black horse up on the bank. The horse breathed mightily, and then like -the others lay down on the grass. - -With great and sure strides Zabulun came to the White Tower where -Merlin stood. “Hail, Merlin,” he cried in a loud voice. - -“Hail, Zabulun.” - -“You know of an apprentice of mine who has come to your island.” - -“Find him, O mighty magician.” - -Zabulun looked and saw the ten men who looked exactly alike, and the -two women whom one could not tell one from the other. He turned to -Merlin then and he said, “What a simple trick you would play upon me! -Nine bards you have, and there are ten before us. One of them is Eean, -the boy apprenticed to me.” - -“Then you will take him, Zabulun.” - -It is certain that Merlin did not think that Zabulun would do what he -did now. He changed himself into a hound. Running amongst the ten that -were there he snuffed at them. By the smell of the horse he had ridden -he would find Eean. - -But as he ran amongst them Merlin touched each of the ten bards and -Eean with them with his staff. They all became pigeons and flew up into -the air. One had a feather awry. This was Eean on whom Zabulun had laid -a paw just as he was being transformed. - -Instantly Zabulun changed himself into a hawk and strove to rise above -the flock of pigeons. As he did he saw the one that had a feather awry. -Over him he came. - -Then Eean, seeing the hawk above him, dropped instantly to the earth. -The others flew down with him, crowding around to hide the ruffled -feather. They came before the door of Merlin’s house. They flew in -and lighted down on the floor while the hawk came sweeping up to the -doorway. - -Merlin touched the pigeons with his staff and again transformed them. -They became ten rings of gold that lay upon the floor. As the hawk -flew in and perched on a chair to fix his eyes upon them, the rings of -gold rolled into the fire. - -Then Zabulun transformed himself into a tongs, and went hunting through -the fire for the rings. He picked up one ring and flung it out on the -floor, he picked up another ring and flung it out on the floor, and so -on, until the ten rings were out of the fire. Merlin touched the rings -with his staff, and they were transformed into ten grains of corn. Upon -these ten grains Vivien and Bird-of-Gold threw handful after handful of -grains of corn. - -But now Zabulun changed himself into a cock with strong legs and -wide claws and a hungry beak. With his claws he scratched through -the heap of grain. With his beak he picked the grains up. Vivien and -Bird-of-Gold kept throwing on the floor handful after handful of corn -to cover the ten grains. - -But the beak of the cock went so fiercely and so hungrily amongst them -that only a few grains more than the ten were left upon the floor when -Vivien and Bird-of-Gold found out they had no more handfuls to fling. -Then it seemed as if the cock with his sharp eye would soon pick out -the grain that was Eean. - -Then with his staff Merlin touched nine of the grains, leaving one -untouched. The one he left untouched was Eean. The nine were changed -into weasels, and they faced the cock fiercely. Then was Zabulun -startled. Instead of picking at the grain that was Eean he fluttered up -from the ground, and went out of the door of the house. - -Merlin touched the grain that was left and Eean stood up. Bird-of-Gold -clapped her hands for joy on seeing him again. But Eean ran out of the -door of the house after the cock that was Zabulun the Enchanter. He -snatched up a strong staff as he ran. - -Zabulun had changed back into his own form. But now Eean had no fear -of him. He ran toward him. And Zabulun took up a staff that was lying -there and made to defend himself. - -Then began the battle between Eean and Zabulun. Eean struck at Zabulun, -and Zabulun struck at Eean, and each defended himself with the staff -that he had. They fought their way across the island, from one side -to the other. They fought until their staves were broken and until -they were covered with bruises. Then they threw away their staves and -gripped one another. All around the island they wrestled. Strong were -the hands of Zabulun upon Eean, and yet Eean was not thrown by Zabulun. -Eean felt his own hands were strong upon Zabulun, and yet he could not -throw him. Soon Eean lost sense of everything except two gripping and -rocking figures. - -They wrestled their way across the island, down to the shore where they -had landed and where the three horses of King Manus were lying. They -wrestled until the sea water came over their feet. Again things became -clear to Eean. He knew that if he could overthrow the Enchanter he -would win his freedom from him. - -He fastened upon Zabulun a grip that seemed to be stronger than his own -life. He heaved with a power that seemed to bring up his last breath. -He bent Zabulun over. He brought him down, his head in the water. He -flung himself upon the prone Enchanter. - -“What would you have of me?” Zabulun said at last. - -“Release. Say you have no more mastership in me.” - -“I say it. I have no more mastership in you. You have release from me.” - -“I let you rise.” - -Then Eean took his grip off Zabulun. The Enchanter rose up and took -himself out of the water. - -So Zabulun was defeated, and so release was given to Eean, The Boy -Apprenticed to the Enchanter. Zabulun mounted the black horse that was -King Manus’s and had him swim the water. He rode across the plain and -over one mountain and another mountain until he came to the castle of -King Manus. There he left the horse to neigh for his grooms. - -What became of Zabulun afterward is not written in the book that is the -History of the Enchanters. Some say that from that Midsummer’s Day he -ceased to be named with the great Enchanters. The powers he had gained, -they say, shrank from him. Afterward a famous juggler appeared in the -world. He used to go into the halls of Kings on festival nights and do -marvelous feats with balls and rings and knives, and play music on all -manner of instruments, going from King’s castle to King’s castle. That -juggler, they say--but they may be mistaken--was Zabulun, once Prince -of Babylon, and once master of the Inaccessible Island. - -Eean and Bird-of-Gold went within the White Tower, and conversed from -noon to dusk with Merlin and the lady Vivien. Before that Midsummer’s -Day had passed into darkness, they mounted the white steed and the -red steed and had them swim across the waters. When they came to the -farther shore they let the horses stand for a while. Then mounting them -again they rode over the mountains and across the plains and came again -to the castle of King Manus. - - -V. THE RETURN OF KING MANUS’S HORSES - -Again Manus, King of the Western Island, sat in his supper hall. The -torches were in their sconces, the candles were lighted on the table, -the hearth fire was blazing on the hearth, and his lords once again -sat to the right and the left of him. But this time they sat without -laughter and without high words. - -The harper and the story-teller were at the table too, but they neither -made music nor told stories. They had tried, both, that evening, but no -one had listened to them. Outside, the iron door of the stable gaped -wide, and the grooms and horse boys and watchers stood idly around or -went quarreling amongst themselves. It was very difficult, as you may -imagine, for the harper to play upon his harp when he would hear the -King say into his wine cup, “O, Raven, my black horse, where art thou -now?” And it was equally difficult for the story-teller to get on with -his tale when he would see the King looking at him with unseeing eyes -and hear him say, “O, my white and my red horses, what would I not give -if I saw you back in my courtyard again?” - -So you can imagine the silence that was upon the supper board that was -wont to resound with conversation and story-telling, with music and -pledges of the wine cup. “O, Raven, my black horse, where art thou -now?” said the King once again; and then, “What would I not give to -have my white and my red horse in the courtyard again?” And these were -all the words that King Manus could be got to say. - -And then, suddenly, a loud neigh was heard outside. Straightway King -Manus ran out of the supper hall. The lords, the minstrel, and the -story-teller, the stewards, servers, and attendants, ran with him. And -when they came as far as the wide door of the castle they ran into the -grooms and the horse boys who were running from the stable. All ran -together. And there, in the middle of the courtyard, without a rider -upon his back, was Raven, the King’s black horse. - -They brought him into his stall in the stable, and they combed him and -they groomed him; they gave him the red wheat and the white barley to -eat and the clear spring water to drink. King Manus could hardly be -prevailed upon to leave Raven’s stall and come back into the supper -hall. But at length they got him back into his seat, and then the -supper board resounded with pledges of the wine cup as the King and his -lords drank to each other merrily. - -Again there was neighing in the courtyard, this time a double neighing. -Straightway the King ran out and all who were near ran with him. They -ran into the grooms and the horse boys who were running from the -stable. There in the courtyard were the white horse and the red horse. -They were not unmounted, however, for Eean and Bird-of-Gold were upon -them. - -This time King Manus grew into such glee that he swore by the open hand -of his father that he would make a duke of every lord who was with him -that night. There were great rejoicings. Some tossed their torches so -high that they frightened the owls out of the cornices on the castle. -The grooms brought the white horse and the red horse into their stalls -in the stable, and they fed them with red wheat and white barley, and -gave them the clear spring water to drink. - -Then they went to carry Eean and Bird-of-Gold into the supper hall. -They were not to be found for a while, for Anluan, Eean’s father, had -led them away. He was seen to weep over Eean, and to take the hands of -Bird-of-Gold and kiss her while he called her daughter. And to Anluan -King Manus gave the privilege of bringing them to the supper board. - -The King put Eean into the story-teller’s seat, but he had Bird-of-Gold -sit beside him on his left hand. The feast began all over again, and -went on from egg to apple. And when wine had been drunk King Manus -called upon Eean to tell the story of his journey to Merlin’s Island -and the full tale of how he had defeated Zabulun the Enchanter. - -When all was told the King gave presents to Eean and Bird-of-Gold and -he swore that for a year and a day he would have them live with him in -his castle. “And,” said he, “this girl, Bird-of-Gold, has been very -loving and faithful to you as you have been to her, and for a further -benefit to you I shall have the old blind sage come down from his attic -in the castle and marry you here and now.” Eean and Bird-of-Gold took -each other’s hands as he said this, and the old blind sage was brought -down from his attic chamber, and he married Bird-of-Gold and Eean by -the rays of the rising sun. - -For a year and a day they lived in King Manus’s royal castle. Now Eean -had learnt so much of the arts and crafts and mysteries that belong to -an Enchanter that he was able to do great works for the King. Castles -he built that gave security, and bridges that brought people together, -and mills that ground for the people abundance of corn. He had become -so strong and so sure of himself since his encounter with Zabulun that -all he set out to perform he did well. And his wife, Bird-of-Gold, -loved him so much that her thought never went back to the country she -had come from. Always, they say, she kept a flock of white ducks; -perhaps they reminded her of the thousand ducks that was the fortune -she brought into Babylon. - -But the story-teller must not forget to tell you about the question -that Eean asked Merlin the Enchanter on King Manus’s behalf. It was -about a game of chess that King Manus had been playing with his -brother-in-law, King Connal, for half their lifetimes without either -having victory in sight. Moreover, they had inherited the game from -their fathers, and it was now being played for fifty years. Merlin -told Eean what the moves should be, and the day after he came to the -castle, Eean took the chess board and showed them to the King. With -that instruction he played. The game of chess was finished three days -afterwards, and great fame and honor came to King Manus. - -[Illustration] - - - Printed in the United States of America. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as -possible. - -The following change was made to the original. The first line is the -original line, the second the corrected one. - -Page 119: -you have heard from him to answer to the riddle -you have heard from him the answer to the riddle - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY APPRENTICED TO AN -ENCHANTER*** - - -******* This file should be named 53252-0.txt or 53252-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/3/2/5/53252 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world 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 www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/53252-0.zip b/old/53252-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f085365..0000000 --- a/old/53252-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h.zip b/old/53252-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b79cb12..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/53252-h.htm b/old/53252-h/53252-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index ca8c115..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/53252-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4597 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> -<head> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> -<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter, by Padraic Colum</title> - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2,h3,h4 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .75em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .75em; -} - -.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} -.p4 {margin-top: 4em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb {width: 45%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%} - -hr.r5 {width: 5%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;} - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - - .tdr {text-align: right;} - .tdc {text-align: center;} -.tdpn { - text-align: right; - vertical-align: bottom; - padding-left: 2em; -} -.tdhang { - padding-left: 2em; - text-indent: -2em; -} -.pt1 { padding-top: 1em; } - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; -} /* page numbers */ - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -.u {text-decoration: underline;} - -/* Poetry */ -.poem { - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} - -/* Transcriber's notes */ -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; } - .poem div.i0 {margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - -.large { font-size: large; } -.xlarge { font-size: x-large; } -.small { font-size: small; } -.smaller { font-size: smaller; } - - hr.full { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter, by -Padraic Colum, Illustrated by Dugald Stuart Walker</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world 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 <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter</p> -<p>Author: Padraic Colum</p> -<p>Release Date: October 10, 2016 [eBook #53252]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY APPRENTICED TO AN ENCHANTER***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Paul Clark<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/boyapprenticedto00colu"> - https://archive.org/details/boyapprenticedto00colu</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="center"> -<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" width="500" height="703" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<h1>THE BOY APPRENTICED -TO AN ENCHANTER</h1> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/logo.png" width="144" height="45" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="center">THE MACMILLAN COMPANY<br /> -<span class="small">NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS<br /> -ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO</span></p> - -<p class="center">MACMILLAN & CO., <span class="smcap">Limited</span><br /> -<span class="small">LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA<br /> -MELBOURNE</span></p> - -<p class="center">THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, <span class="smcap">Ltd.</span><br /> -<span class="small">TORONTO</span> -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a><br /><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/illus_front.png" width="423" height="600" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/title_pg.png" width="301" height="600" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="center xlarge">THE BOY<br /> -APPRENTICED<br /> -TO AN<br /> -ENCHANTER</p> - -<p class="center p2 large">BY<br /> -PADRAIC COLUM</p> - -<p class="center p2">Illustrated by<br /> -DUGALD STUART WALKER</p> - -<p class="center p4"><i>New York</i><br /> -<span class="large">THE MACMILLAN COMPANY</span><br /> -1920</p> - -<p class="center p2"><i>All rights reserved</i> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1920,<br /> -<span class="smcap">By</span> THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.</p> - -<hr class="r5" /> -<p class="center">Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1920.</p> - -<p class="center p4"><i>Norwood Press</i><br /> -J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co.<br /> -Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="center large">TO</p> - -<p class="center large">ELLA YOUNG</p> - -<p class="center">IN MEMORY OF THE MANY STORIES<br /> -SHE HAS TOLD ME -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a><br /><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="TABLE_OF_CONTENTS" id="TABLE_OF_CONTENTS">TABLE OF CONTENTS</a></h2> - -<table summary="Contents"> -<tr><td colspan="2" class="tdc large"><a href="#PROLOGUE">PROLOGUE</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td colspan="2" class="tdr small">PAGE</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdhang"><span class="smcap">The Horses of King Manus</span></td> -<td class="tdpn">11</td></tr> - -<tr><td colspan="2" class="tdc large pt1"><a href="#PART_I">PART ONE</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdhang"><span class="smcap">The Story of Eean the Fisherman’s Son</span></td> -<td class="tdpn">19</td></tr> - -<tr><td colspan="2" class="tdc large pt1"><a href="#PART_II">PART TWO</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdhang"><span class="smcap">The Story of Bird-of-Gold Who Was the Bramble -Gatherer’s Daughter</span></td> -<td class="tdpn">71</td></tr> - -<tr><td colspan="2" class="tdc large pt1"><a href="#PART_III">PART THREE</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdhang"><span class="smcap">The Two Enchanters</span></td> -<td class="tdpn">131</td></tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a><br /><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h2><a name="PROLOGUE" id="PROLOGUE">PROLOGUE</a><br /> -<span class="smaller">THE HORSES OF KING MANUS</span></h2> - -<p>As for the youth who had tried to steal the white -horse that the King owned, he was bound hand -and foot and taken into the castle of the King. -There he was thrown down beside the trestles of -the great table, and the hot wax from the candles -that lighted the supper board dripped down upon -him. And it was told to him that at the morrow’s -sunrise he would be slain with the sword.</p> - -<p>Then the King called upon one to finish the -story that was being told when the neigh of -the white horse was heard in the stable. The -story could not be finished for him, however, -because the one who had been telling it was now -outside, guarding the iron door of the stable with -a sword in his hand. And King Manus, sitting -at the supper board, could not eat nor refresh -himself because there was no one at hand to finish -the story for him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p> - -<p>And that is the way that the story of The Boy -Apprenticed to an Enchanter used to begin.</p> - -<p>But first I shall have to tell you about King -Manus and his three horses.</p> - -<p>King Manus ruled over the Western Island, and -he had a castle that was neither higher nor wider -than any other King’s castle. But he had a stable -that was more strongly built than any other King’s -stable. It had double walls of stone; it had oak -beams; it had an iron door with four locks to it. -And before this door two soldiers with drawn -swords in their hands stayed night and day.</p> - -<p>In those days, if one went before a King and -asked him for a gift the King might not refuse to -give what was asked of him. But King Manus -was hard to come to by those with requests. For -before the chamber where he sat or slept there -stood a servant to take the request, and if it were -one that might not be brought to him, to make an -excuse for the King.</p> - -<p>It was all because of the King’s three horses—a -white horse, a red horse, and a black horse. -The white horse was as swift as the plunging wave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> -of the sea, the red horse was as swift as fire in the -heather, and the speed of the black horse was -such that he could overtake the wind of March -that was before him, and the wind of March that -was behind could not overtake him.</p> - -<p>Many had tried to get one of the King’s horses -by request or by robbery. But those who would -ask for a gift were kept away from the King, -while the stone walls, double thick, with the door -of iron with four locks to it, kept robbers outside. -Besides there were the two soldiers with drawn -swords in their hands to prevent the horses being -taken out of the stable by any one except their own -grooms. And so it was thought very certain that -King Manus would never lose his famous horses.</p> - -<p>But this very night, when the King and his -lords were at supper, the neigh of a horse in the -stable was heard. Then it was that the story-teller -stopped in his story. The trampling of a -horse was heard. Straight out King Manus ran, -and his harper and his story-teller and his lords -ran with him. When they came to the stable they -saw that the two soldiers were sitting before the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> -iron door fast asleep, with the swords on the ground -before them. And the locks were off the door of -iron.</p> - -<p>Just as they came there the iron door of the -stable opened and the King’s white horse was led -out. He who had the rein was a strange youth -dressed in a foreign dress. The youth was about -to spring on the horse’s back when those who were -with the King sprang upon him and held him and -held the bridle of the horse.</p> - -<p>And having secured the youth they went into -the stable, and they found the red horse and the -black horse eating at their mangers. They led -the white horse back and put him in his own stall. -The watchers who had been before the stable -door could not be wakened, so those who were -with the King carried them to another place, -and left two others, the harper and the story-teller, -to keep watch, with the soldiers’ swords in their -hands. As for the youth who had tried to steal -the white horse, he was placed as has been told -you, and every one there knew what doom would -befall him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was then that the King called upon one to -finish the story that was being told him when the -white horse neighed. It was then that he sat -at the supper board, not able to take rest nor -refreshment on account of his not having heard the -story to its end. And it was then that one of the -lords said to the King, “Let the youth who is lying -bound beside the trestles of the table tell us what -it was that made him go into such danger to steal -one of the horses of King Manus.”</p> - -<p>The King liked that saying, and he said, “Since -my story-teller abides outside guarding the door -of the stable, I will have this youth tell us the story -of why he entered into such danger to steal one of -my horses. And more than that. I declare that -if he shows us that he was ever in greater danger -than he is in this night I shall give him his life. -But if it is not so shown the story he tells will -avail him nothing, and he shall perish by the sword -at the morrow’s sunrise.”</p> - -<p>Then the youth was taken from where he lay -by the trestles of the table, and the cords that -bound him were loosened. He was put in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> -story-teller’s place and fresh candles were lighted -and set upon the table.</p> - -<p>“Your danger is great,” said the King, “and it -will be hard for you to show us that you were -ever in such danger before. Begin your story. -And if it is not a story of a narrow and a close -escape there will be little time left for you to prepare -for your death by the sword.”</p> - -<p>Thereupon the youth in the foreign dress looked -long into the wine cup that was handed him, and -he drank a draught of the wine, and he saluted -the King and the lords who sat by the King, and -he said:</p> - -<p>“Once I was in greater danger, for its mouth -was close to me, and no hope whatever was given -me of my saving my life. I will tell the story, -and you shall judge whether my danger then was -greater than is my danger now.”</p> - -<p>And thereupon the youth in the foreign dress, -who had tried to steal the white horse that King -Manus owned, began the story which is set down -here in the very words in which he told it.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/illus_017.png" width="520" height="600" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a><br /><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="PART_I" id="PART_I">PART I</a><br /> -<span class="smaller">THE STORY OF EEAN THE FISHERMAN’S -SON</span></h2> - -<h3>I. <span class="smcap">The Coming of the Enchanter</span></h3> - -<p>My father (said the youth) was a fisherman, and -he lived on this Western Island. It may be that -he is still living here. His name was Anluan, -and he was very poor. My own name is Eean, -and the event that begins my story took place -when I was twice seven years of age.</p> - -<p>My father and I had gone down to the shore of -the Western Ocean. He was fishing in the pools -of the sea, and I was putting willow rods into the -mouths of the fish caught so that I might carry -them in my hands to the market that very day -and sell them there. I looked out and saw a speck -upon the water, a speck that came nearer. I kept -watching it while my father dragged the pool with -his net. The speck became a boat, and the boat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> -came on without sails or oars. It was a shining -boat, a boat of brass. I called to my father and -my father straightened himself up and watched it. -In the boat that came toward us of its own accord -there was a man standing.</p> - -<p>The boat came into the full water between the -rocks, and then it sank down, this boat of brass, until -its rim touched the water. It remained still as -if anchored. The man who was in the prow of the -boat stepped out on the sand between my father -and me.</p> - -<p>He looked a man of high degree—like a prince -or a potentate. He had a dark face and a dark, -curly beard, and he had eyes that were like hawks’ -eyes. He had on a straight coat of a blue -material covered all over with curious figures, -and in his hand he held a long polished staff -that had the shape of two serpents twisting together. -He looked at me and I was frightened of -him, and I turned to my father. But my father -was standing there, holding the fishing pole in -his hands, his mouth open, gasping like one of the -fishes upon the rocks.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> - -<p>The stranger looked me over again—looked me -over from my feet to my head, and then he said -to my father, “There is no need that he should -do aught about these fishes. I have need of an -apprentice, and it would be well for you both if -he should come with me.”</p> - -<p>My father then found his voice, and he said, -“If my son does not sell these fishes in the market -to-day he cannot bring back the bag of meal for -our household.”</p> - -<p>Said the man from the strange boat, “Bring me -to your house and I shall put down gold for every -copper that your son would get in the market.”</p> - -<p>My father made a sign to me to throw the fishes -back into the water. This I did, but I did it -fearfully. And then my father stepped out of the -pool of the sea and he made a sign to the stranger -to follow us. We walked from the seashore and -up the path of the cliffs, and we went through the -heather of the headlands, following the goat -tracks till we came to the wattled house where we -lived. The man from the strange boat followed -my father, and I came last of all. And when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> -I went in and stood on the floor of our house my -heart was thumping within me at the thought of -what was before.</p> - -<p>And there was the pot boiling over the fire with -a few green herbs in it. There was Saba, my -mother, stirring the last handful of meal amongst -the green herbs. And there were my brothers, -all older than I, sitting by the fire, waiting for -the herbs and the meal to be ready.</p> - -<p>When my mother looked toward us she saw the -man from the strange boat. She thought that -some crime had been committed by me or my father -to bring a man of such high degree amongst us. -She and my brothers were greatly afraid, for they -were poor, and those who were high were harsh -to them. But the stranger spoke softly, saying, -“Good fortune has come to you from the sea -to-day.” And when they all turned toward him -he said, “I who am very knowledgeable will take -your son with me as an apprentice, and I shall -instruct him in arts and crafts and mysteries.”</p> - -<p>My mother said, “The boy is young, sir, and we -thought he would be with us for a time longer.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> -But the man from the strange boat said, “I would -not take him to instruct him in arts and crafts and -mysteries if he were a day older than he is now.” -He said no more, but he went to the table and he -laid down on it piece after piece of shining gold.</p> - -<p>My father went to the table and held his hands -around the gold. My mother looked on me who -was just twice seven years old that day. I know -she thought that she could never bear to part with -me. But then she looked on her other sons, and -she saw that they were men grown, and she thought -they should have more to eat than the meal and -the green herbs that were in the pot. She threw -her arms around me and I knew it was a last -clasp.</p> - -<p>“He will have to go into far places to learn the -arts and crafts and mysteries that I would teach -him,” the stranger said. “Will he ever come back -to me?” cried my mother. “He will come back -to you when his cunning baffles my cunning,” -was what the stranger said.</p> - -<p>My father took the gold that was on the table -and made it into a heap. My mother took her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> -arms from around my neck, and my brothers -kissed me farewell. Then the man from the -strange boat opened the door of our wattled house -and went out, and I followed him.</p> - -<p>We did not go back to the place where he had -left his boat of brass. We went to another place -where there was a harbor with ships. There we -found a ship ready to sail for Urth.</p> - -<p>My master sent me on board to ask the captain -if he would take us on a voyage beyond Urth. -The captain said that if my master would guide -them past the Magnetberg he would give him the -ship to sail where he would after the cargo had been -landed. My master said he would do this, and we -went on board the ship. It was evening now, and -a breeze came up, and the ship sailed away, -bringing me from the place where I was born and -reared and toward the strange countries that were -beyond the rim of the sea. I asked one of the -sailors what was the Magnetberg, and he told me -that it was a mountain of loadstone that drew the -iron out of ships that came near it and left them -loosened timbers upon the water.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> - -<h3>II. <span class="smcap">The Inaccessible Island</span></h3> - -<p>You have heard me so far, O King. Know -now that the one to whom I was apprenticed was -an Enchanter. His name is Zabulun, and in all -the world there are only three Enchanters more -powerful than he. The first is Chiron the Centaur, -who is half man and half horse, and who -taught Achilles and made him the greatest of the -princes who had gone against Troy. The second -is Hermes Trismegistus, the wise Egyptian. And -the third is Merlin the Enchanter, whose home -is in an island that is west of your Western -Island.</p> - -<p>When the night came on, Zabulun took the -steering gear into his hands, and he steered the -ship by a star that he alone knew. When the -morning came we saw on the sea all around us the -masts and the spars and the timbers of ships that -had come too near the Magnetberg, and that had -lost their nails and bolts, and had become loosened -timbers on the waters. Those on the ship were -greatly afraid, and the captain walked up and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> -down, pulling at his beard. The night came on, -and again my master took the steering gear into -his own hands and steered the ship by a star that -he alone knew of. And when the morning came -there were no masts and spars of ships, and no -loosened timbers afloat on the waters. The -captain laughed and made all on the ship rejoice -that they had passed the dangerous neighborhood -of the Magnetberg—that mountain of -loadstone that drew the iron out of ships as a -magnet draws pins on a table.</p> - -<p>We came to Urth. The great cargo that was on -the ship was for the King of Urth, and it was taken -off and sent over the mountain to the King’s -city in packs that the sailors carried on their backs. -Then the captain gave the ship over to my master -to sail it where he would.</p> - -<p>He did not come upon the land nor did he look -upon the country at all. But when the last -pack had been carried off the ship, he said to me:</p> - -<p>“You will have to do this, my first command to -you. Go on the land. Stay by a pool that is -close to the forest. Birds will come down to that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> -pool—birds of the whiteness of swans, but smaller. -Set snares and catch some of these birds, not less -than four, and bring them to me uninjured.”</p> - -<p>And I went on the land and came to the pool -that was close to the forest. And there I saw the -birds that were of the whiteness of swans, but -smaller. I watched them for a while so that I -might know their ways. Then I made a crib of -rods and set it to catch the birds. One went under -the crib, and I pulled the string and caught the -first bird. And then, hours afterward, I caught -another. And waiting and watching very carefully, -I caught a third. The fourth bird was wary, -and I feared I should not catch it, for night was -coming down and the birds were making flocks to -fly away. One remained near the crib, and its -neck was stretched toward it. But then it shook -its wings, and I thought it was going to fly to the -others. It went under the crib. Then I pulled -the string and caught the fourth bird.</p> - -<p>I brought the birds to the ship and my master -gave them grains to feed on. At night we sailed -away. My master held the steering gear while it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> -was dark, but when light came he gave it to me to -hold. Then he unloosed one of the birds. It -flew in the middle distance, winging slowly, and -remaining a long time in sight. He told me to -hold the course of the ship to the flight of the -bird.</p> - -<p>At night he took the steering gear again into -his hands and held the ship on her course. In the -daylight he unloosed another bird and bade me -steer by its flight. And this was done for two -more days.</p> - -<p>The morning after the last of the white birds -had been freed my master bade me look out for -land. I saw something low upon the water. “It -is the Inaccessible Island,” said my master, -“where I have my dwelling and my working place.” -He steered the ship to where the water flowed -swiftly into a great cave that was like a dragon’s -mouth. In that cave there was a place for the -mooring of ships. The Enchanter moored the -ship in its place, and then he took me up the rocky -landing place.</p> - -<p>There was a flight of great steps leading from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> -the landing place—it was in a cave as I have -told you—up to the light of day. There were a -thousand wide black steps in that flight. The -Enchanter took into his hands the black staff -that was shaped as two serpents twisting together, -and he took me with him up the stairway.</p> - -<p>We came out on a level place and I saw a high -castle before me. There was no wall around the -castle, and there was no gate to be opened. But -when I came near it I found I could take no step -onward. I went up, and I went down, and I -tried to go onward, but I could not. Then -Zabulun the Enchanter said to me:</p> - -<p>“Around this castle of mine is a wall of air. -No one can see the wall, but no one can pass it. -And a bridge of air crosses my wall of air. -Come now with me and I will take you over the -bridge.”</p> - -<p>As the wall of air that went round the Enchanter’s -castle was not to be seen, neither was -the bridge that went across the wall of air. -But I saw my master mounting up and walking -across as on a bridge. And although I saw<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> -nothing before me nor beneath me, I mounted -upon something and walked across something. -Following him I went downward and into the -courtyard of the castle.</p> - -<p>Within that courtyard there was a horse of brass -with a giant man of brass upon it, the giant man -holding a great bow in his hands. My master -said to me, “If one came over the bridge of air -without my authority, the arrow of that bow would -be loosened, and he who came across the bridge -would be slain by this giant man of brass.” We -went within the castle. In the hall were benches -and tables, and there were statues holding torches -in their hands standing by the wall. Also in that -hall there was the statue of a woman holding a -dart in her hand. When my master came within, -the statue that held the dart flung it, and the -dart struck a gleaming carbuncle that was in the -wall. Lights came into the torches that the -statues held, and all the hall was lighted up.</p> - -<p>I sat with my master at a table, and the statues -moved to us, bringing us wine and fruits. We ate -and drank, and afterward a golden figure came to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> -the Enchanter, and, sitting down before him, -played a game of chess with him.</p> - -<p>The next day my master showed me more of -the wonders of the Inaccessible Island. No ships -came near, for there was no way to come to that -island except by following the birds that were of -the whiteness of a swan and that flew always in -the middle distance. On this island Zabulun -the Enchanter had lived for longer than the lifetimes -of many men, studying magic and all the -ways of enchantment. And for three years I, -Eean, the son of the fisherman of the Western -Island, stayed with him, learning such things as -were proper for one apprenticed to an Enchanter -to know.</p> - -<h3>III. <span class="smcap">The Enchanter Goes to Babylon</span></h3> - -<p>In the three years that were passed in the Inaccessible -Island, nothing that is worth my telling -happened, O King. But at the end of the three -years my master said to me, “We will leave the -Inaccessible Island, for I have a mighty business -before me.” And when I asked, “Where do we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> -go, O master?” he answered, “We go to Babylon.”</p> - -<p>And then, when it was the first day after the new -moon, we descended the black stairway that led -into the cave where the waters came. There we -found a boat of brass that was like the boat that -came to the Western Island on the day when my -father and I were fishing in the pools of the sea. -We went into that boat of brass, and it took us -through the water, steering itself. We rested -on lonely islands, and at last we came to a mainland, -and there the Enchanter left the boat -to sink beneath the water. As travelers then -we went on. We came to a town, and there -my master bought for himself and me the dresses -of merchants. Then we came to the river that -flows toward Babylon. Men go down the river -in round boats that are made of rods woven together. -In every boat a live ass is carried, and -when the cargo is landed the boats are broken up, -for they cannot go back against the current of the -river. And the cargo is loaded on the ass and -brought into the market in Babylon. And whatsoever -the merchants buy in Babylon is loaded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> -on the ass, and the ass is driven back over the -mountains into the country that they came from, -these men.</p> - -<p>And in such boats we went down the river and -came into Babylon. No city in the world is as -mighty or as wonderful as Babylon. It has three -hundred and sixty-five streets, and in every street -there are three hundred and sixty-five palaces, -and to every palace there are three hundred and -sixty-five steps leading up to its door of gold and -ebony. The streets when we came into them -were thronged with mighty, black-bearded men. I -was much in dread when I stood in those great -streets, and looked on the mighty men who went -through them.</p> - -<p>In the center of the city were the palace and the -wide-spreading gardens of the King. In those -gardens, as my master told me, were one or two of -all the beautiful or terrible animals of the world. -Those gardens I will speak of again, O King, -for it was within them that I came upon the -danger that was greater than the danger that -I am now in.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> - -<p>But first the Enchanter showed me that great -wonder that was near the gardens—the Tower -of Babylon. It was a red tower mounting very -high into the air. Outside of it there were steps -that went round it and to the very top of -it—a thousand steps. And on the top of -the tower, resting against the Spear of Nimrod, -was the Magic Mirror of Babylon. Zabulun the -Enchanter made me look to the top, and I was -made fearful by looking so high.</p> - -<p>Oh, that I might tell you, King Manus, of the -wonders of the Tower of Babylon! In the shadow -of it there slept two mighty ones—the two Genii -who guarded Babylon, Harut and Marut they were -named. Giant beings they were. As they slept -there the beard of each was spread across his -mighty chest, and it was a beard so broad that -no horse of the mighty horses that the King owned -could leap across it. Very great but very old -were Harut and Marut, the Genii who guarded -Babylon.</p> - -<p>I was made fearful by looking to the top of the -tower. And then I was made still more fearful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> -by the words that Zabulun said to me. “We have -come here,” he said, “to steal the Magic Mirror -of the Babylonians.</p> - -<p>“It is there on the top of the tower,” said the -Enchanter, “resting against the Spear of Nimrod. -One looking into that mirror sees all the Kings -of the world. The one who threatens Babylon -is shown with a spear raised in his hand. And if -a King should bring an army against Babylon, -the number of its men and the ways by which it -comes would be shown in the mirror. The Babylonians, -by means of this Magic Mirror of theirs, -are always ready for their enemies, and because of -this no King in all the world will venture to make -war on Babylon.</p> - -<p>“But we shall steal the mirror and make the -Tower of Babylon fall. Know that I, Zabulun, -was once a Prince of Babylon. They dishonored -me, the men of Babylon, and drove me out of their -city. And for that I shall make an end of their -pride and an end of their security.</p> - -<p>“Fear not. It will not be hard to steal the mirror -and throw down the tower. Know that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> -King of the city is a foolish King, and that he -cares only for his gardens and for the beautiful -and terrible beasts that he can bring into them. -And as for the Genii who guard Babylon—behold -them! They are mighty beings, truly, Harut and -Marut! Immeasurably old are they, and they -pass their days in sleep beside the tower that they -guard. I say to you that it will not be hard to overthrow -the tower, and take away from the Babylonians -the Magic Mirror that is their security.”</p> - -<p>As Zabulun spoke the terrible beasts in the -King’s gardens roared mightily, and Harut and -Marut, the mighty beings who slept in the shadow -of the Tower of Babylon, turned in their sleeping. -The flocks of birds that had built nests in their -beards (the oldest owl and the littlest humming -bird were amongst them) flew up and rested on the -steps of the tower.</p> - -<p>The black-bearded men of Babylon passed in -their throngs, while he who was once a prince in -their city, and who was now Zabulun the Enchanter, -stood there with his staff in his hands and -smiling to himself. And I, Eean, The Boy Ap<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>prenticed -to the Enchanter, felt as if I were falling, -falling down from the top of the tower.</p> - -<h3>IV. <span class="smcap">The Palace of the King of Babylon</span></h3> - -<p>And now at the supper board of King Manus -those who were eating, or drinking, or whispering -to each other as the youth began his story, became -silent and eager when he spoke of Babylon and -the Tower of Babylon. The King himself was -fain to hear about that city that was the greatest -in the world, and about the King who was the -mightiest of all Kings, and he commanded the -attendants to cease going here and there. So the -servers and chamberlains and stewards, with the -dishes, and napkins, and rods of office in their -hands, stood still behind those who were seated at -the table. The lords leaned forward with their -eyes upon the youth who sat in the story-teller’s -place, and the King made a sign for him to tell -on. But the youth Eean was speechless for a -while. Such was the memory of the high Tower -of Babylon upon him that had he been standing -he would have fallen down. His head sank on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> -the arm rest of the chair, and those near him who -touched his hand felt it chilled. Then King -Manus signed for a chamberlain to go to him, and -he went and wiped Eean’s brow with a napkin, -and then brought him a goblet of the richest wine. -He raised up his head and drank, and looked down -the table, and saw the high candles that burned -brightly, and saw the face of the King and the -faces of the lords who sat with the King. But for -a while his look was the look of a man whose spirit -is in another place. He heard the words that were -spoken around him—words that were about the -King of Babylon, and the King of Babylon’s -palace. The youth caught at these words, and -went on to speak of what befell him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The walls of the King’s palace (said Eean, The -Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter) make seven -circles, one wall rising higher than the other, and -each wall having a different color. The first -wall is white, the second wall is black, and the -third wall is scarlet; the fourth wall is blue, the -fifth wall is orange, the sixth wall is plated with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> -silver, and the seventh wall is plated with gold. -I was filled with wonder when I looked on the walls -of the King’s palace.</p> - -<p>The Enchanter that day had put on the dress -of a merchant, but under it he had left his own -garb—the straight dress that had the curious -figures upon it. He took into his hand the staff -that was made of two serpents twisting together, -and he told me that the time had come to go to -the palace and speak with the King.</p> - -<p>At an early hour, before it was yet market -time, we went through the streets of the city. The -soldiers let us pass through the Gate of Brass along -a way that has on each side great lions carved in -stone. We came to the palace, and my master -spoke to the doorkeepers and they permitted us -to enter. We went through the outer courts where -there were soldiers who carried naked swords in -their hands. And because my master gave himself -out to be a merchant from far-off parts, and -because the King greatly desired to speak with -those who came from far-off parts, we were brought -into the presence of the King of Babylon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> - -<p>He looked, O King Manus, like a King that was -of a long line of Kings. His black beard was powdered -with gold, and spices burned before him. -But his face was white, and it was like to the face -of a man in a dream. Only one person stood -near him—a dwarf from the Country of the -Dwarfs. He had on his head a crown of scarlet -feathers.</p> - -<p>When we came before him, and after we had -bowed, the King looked upon us. He spoke to -my master, and said, “What have you to sell, -merchant?”</p> - -<p>And my master, before he spoke, let fall his -merchant’s robe, and he showed himself in the -straight garb that was covered with curious figures—the -garb of a Magus it was.</p> - -<p>“What I have to sell,” he said, “is the meaning -of dreams, O King.”</p> - -<p>And now, O King Manus, I have to tell of a -cheat worked upon a King, and of a cheat worked -by my master, Zabulun the Enchanter, upon the -King of Babylon. Pretending to speak of the -meaning of dreams he led the King to destruction,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> -hoping thereby to encompass the destruction of -Babylon.</p> - -<p>The King turned to his ancient dwarf and he -said, “Remind me of my dreams.” And then the -ancient dwarf said to the King, “Of the three -dreams that seemed remarkable to you, O King, -the first was the Dream of the Three Dishes.”</p> - -<p>“It is even so,” said the King. “I dreamed that -there were three dishes set before me, no more than -three dishes. And then I dreamed that afterward -these three dishes were hidden from me -and were not to be found. There was no one to -tell me the signification of this dream.”</p> - -<p>“The signification of this dream,” said Zabulun -the Enchanter cunningly, “is easy to discover. -In the lore of the Chaldeans a dish signifies a treasure. -You have dreamed of a threefold treasure -that is hidden away.”</p> - -<p>But the dwarf who was beside the King spoke -up and said, “Why does a dish signify a treasure?”</p> - -<p>“That is something I may not reveal,” said my -master, Zabulun the Enchanter, and he turned to -the dwarf the staff that was formed of two ser<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>pents -twisting together. The end of the staff -lifted itself as though the serpents were rising -up. The dwarf covered his eyes, and cried out, -“O Magus!”</p> - -<p>“Remind me of the second dream that was -considered remarkable,” said the King. And the -dwarf said, “The second dream was the Dream of -the Laden Ass.”</p> - -<p>“It is even so,” said the King. “I dreamed that -I looked down the Way of the Lions, and there -came along the way a laden ass. Of that dream -also those skilled in the signification of dreams -could tell me nothing.”</p> - -<p>“And yet the dream is plain,” said the Enchanter, -looking full into the eyes of the King. -“A laden ass signifies a treasure found—your -dream is of a treasure being brought into your -palace.”</p> - -<p>“It is so,” said the ancient dwarf with the crown -of scarlet feathers upon his head. “In dreams an -ass is always laden with treasure.”</p> - -<p>“And what was my third dream?” said the -King.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Your third dream,” said the ancient dwarf, -“was the Dream of the Arrows.”</p> - -<p>“It is even so,” said the King. “I dreamed -of arrows that were shot upward to a great height.”</p> - -<p>And then the King was silent, and he and the -dwarf looked long upon Zabulun the Enchanter. -But Zabulun took a step nearer to them, and he -said:</p> - -<p>“In the lore of the Chaldeans, arrows shot upward -signify a very high tower. I can tell you -now the significance of your three dreams, O King. -They are of a treasure that is to come into your -possession. The treasure is hidden. It is hidden -beneath a tower. The height to which the arrows -were shot shows that the treasure is hidden under -the highest of towers—under the Tower of Babylon.”</p> - -<p>At the mention of the Tower of Babylon, O -King of the Western Island, a great fear came over -me, for I knew that it was now that Zabulun’s -plan for the taking of the Magic Mirror was being -put into practice. And it seemed to me that fear -came over the ancient dwarf too, for he fell<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> -down upon his face. But rage grew in the King, -and his black brows drew together in a frown.</p> - -<p>“Are you one who would have the King make -search for treasure beneath the Tower of Babylon?” -he cried out.</p> - -<p>“No search need be made there,” said Zabulun -the Enchanter. “And yet if the King should -dream of treasure again it is proper that he should -sacrifice a black cock upon the place where the -treasure has been shown to be hidden. If that -be done the dream will be banished and will come -to the King no more. I speak as a Magus. But -now I have shown you the meaning of the three -dreams, and there is no more to be shown.” And -saying this the Enchanter put the garb of a merchant -over the robe of the Magus. A cup was -handed to him and a cup was handed to me also. -This was to signify to us that our speech with -the King was at an end. There was wine in our -cups, but bitterness had been mixed with the wine, -to signify that what had been told the King was -not pleasing to him.</p> - -<p>We went from the presence of the King, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> -when we were far outside the palace my master -said to me:</p> - -<p>“It will come about that the King will search -for the treasure that I have put into his dreams. -Moreover, he will speak to others of this treasure, -and they, too, will search for it. It will come -about that these many searchers, digging for -the treasure, will break upon the foundations of -the Tower of Babylon. Thereupon I will take the -Magic Mirror and make myself the master of the -Babylonians.”</p> - -<p>This he said to me as I went with him from the -King’s palace along the Way of the Lions. I was -affrighted, and it seemed to me that the lions that -were in stone looked ragefully down on us as we -passed.</p> - -<h3>V. <span class="smcap">The King of Babylon</span></h3> - -<p>We lived for a whole moon in Babylon, my -master Zabulun and I, before the danger that was -greater than the danger that is upon me now -showed itself to me. Just before the hour of the -market we would go through the streets of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> -city and toward the great market place. Throngs -of people would be there, gathered together for -buying or selling, or for talk of the happenings -of the day before. My master would take me to -a shady place, and we would sit there, resting or -refreshing ourselves with draughts of the wine of -the palm.</p> - -<p>And Zabulun would tell me that the King we -had spoken with was the most foolish King who -had ever ruled over Babylon. “Great and terrible -he seems when he sits upon his throne in his -palace,” Zabulun would say, “but for all that he -is foolish, and he delights more to come into the -market and hear the talk of strangers than to sit -in his council chamber.”</p> - -<p>Again and again Zabulun would speak of the -King, and he would say: “Often he comes here, -and he sits in the market place and talks with all -comers, which is against the customs of the Kings -of Babylon. We will see him come here, and we -will watch him do what is reported of him.”</p> - -<p>Seated in the market in a shady place I would -watch the throngs that moved about there. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> -saw the merchants who had come down the river -in such round boats as we had voyaged in. They -brought casks of the wine of the palm to the market. -And I saw those who had come from Arabia with -spices, and my master would tell me how these -spices had been gathered. Some had frankincense -that grows on trees that are guarded by -winged serpents. Only with smoke of burning -styrax could they drive the serpents from the trees. -And others had cassia that is found in a shallow -lake guarded by fierce, bat-like creatures. To -gather it men have to cover themselves all over -with the hides of cattle, leaving openings for their -eyes only. And there are the merchants who have -the ladanum that settles on low bushes, and that -sticks to the beards of he-goats that go amongst -the bushes. Others have the cinnamon that is -used by birds to build their nests against high -cliffs. Men cannot climb these cliffs to gather the -sticks of cinnamon, but they make the birds bring -into their nests such weights as break the nests -down and so strew on the ground the sticks of -cinnamon. They slaughter cattle under the cliffs,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> -and the birds fly into their nests with great pieces -of the meat, and the weight of these pieces of meat -breaks down the nests. And so men gather cinnamon -in Arabia.</p> - -<p>And one day my master showed me the King -of Babylon as he came into the market place.</p> - -<p>He wore a black cloak that had only one stripe -of purple in it, and a boy went beside him holding -an Indian hound in a leash. Having come into -the market the King seated himself in a special -place, and he drank wine and ate honey cakes, -and talked with the strangers that were brought -before him, and let himself be gaped at by throngs -of people. And then, from one to another of -those who were around him, my master and I -heard it said, “The King, surely, has had remarkable -dreams.”</p> - -<p>In three days my master was sent for by the -King, and he came into the palace again bringing -me with him, and he was saluted as a Magus. -The King’s dreams were told to him. The first -dream was of a drinking cup that blazed with fire, -and the second dream was of a ram-headed man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> -with golden horns, and the third dream was of a -soldier in a black cloak. All those dreams, according -to those in the palace who considered -dreams, were of a treasure. Zabulun, my master, -agreed that assuredly they were of a treasure, -knowing that whatever the King dreamed of after -he had put the thought of a treasure into the minds -of those in the palace would be thought to be of -that and of nothing else.</p> - -<p>Then speaking as a Magus he told them that -the blazing fire of the drinking cup, the golden -horns on the ram-headed man, and the blackness -of the soldier’s cloak all signified the Tower of -Babylon. The King and the ancient dwarf became -very silent when my master spoke of the -tower. It was then that the Enchanter took the -staff that was made of two serpents twisting -together into his right hand, and declared that in -order to make the dream of the tower cease to -trouble him, the King should sacrifice a black cock -in the lowest place of the tower.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/illus_050.png" width="421" height="600" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>Wine was brought us then, and my master and -I drank, and this time no bitterness had been put<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a><br /><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> -into the wine. We were given permission to go, -and we went from the palace.</p> - -<p>As for the King and the ancient dwarf who was -with him, they took horses and they rode to the -Tower of Babylon, the dwarf bringing with him a -black cock for the sacrifice. Harut and Marut, -the sleeping guardians of Babylon, they looked on, -but they went past them and within the tower. -In the lowest place in the tower they made preparations -for the sacrifice of the black cock.</p> - -<p>Zabulun and I sat in the market place and -waited, for my master said to me, “That which -happens to the King, no matter how great it may -be, he will speak of it in the market. We shall wait -here and see if the King will come here on his way -back from the tower.”</p> - -<p>So in the market place we sat, my master and -I. And in the tower the King and the ancient -dwarf took the black cock and fastened him by -a leg to a ring that was in a very light board in -the floor. The cock, fluttering upward, lifted the -board. Looking down they saw a chamber beneath. -They went down into that chamber, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> -King and the ancient dwarf, and behold! they -found in it a treasure of silver pieces, each piece -marked with the mark of a King of the old times -in Babylon.</p> - -<p>Soon Zabulun, seated in the shade in the market -place, showed me the King and the ancient dwarf -as they came amongst the throng. The King -seated himself in his special place and drank -wine and ate cakes of honey. My master, watching -him from afar, knew that he talked about the -treasure he had found. For the dwarf who went -with him opened a leather bag and showed certain -pieces that made those around them gape in -wonder.</p> - -<p>Not long were the King and the ancient dwarf -there before the Hour of the Market came to its -close. Those in the market left and went to their -homes. My master and I likewise departed. -But those who had listened to the King brought -with them the memory of the wonder they had -been told about. A treasure was hidden beneath -the tower—that was the thought that now possessed -every one. And when dusk had fallen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> -upon the city companies of men made their way -toward the tower, carrying with them spades and -mattocks. The next day, when the King came -with the ancient dwarf, he found that all around -the tower, and all around the place where Harut -and Marut slept, trenches and holes had been -dug.</p> - -<p>He himself, with a company of men, went down -into the lower chamber where the treasure of -silver pieces had been found, and there they began -to delve. The King found no treasure that day.</p> - -<p>When he came out of the lower chamber he found -many around the tower digging and delving. He -forbade them to do this, and he set guards around -the tower. But in the night those who were set -to guard the tower began to delve.</p> - -<p>The digging and delving within and around the -tower went on in secret as well as openly. My -master took me to show me what was being done. -“Foolish is the King, and foolish are the people -of Babylon,” he said. “What I have told you -will befall them. Very soon they will strike at -the foundations of the tower, and the tower will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> -stand no more. Then will I take to myself the -Magic Mirror, and make myself the master of -the Babylonians.”</p> - -<h3>VI. <span class="smcap">The Genii Who Guarded Babylon</span></h3> - -<p>O King of the Western Island (said Eean, The -Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter), I was there in -Babylon for the whole of a moon before the danger -that was greater than my present danger overtook -me. Often Zabulun, my master, went to the -palace of the King, bringing me with him. And -the King would now receive us in his cool chamber, -and he would permit my master to seat himself -on a purple cushion in his presence. The King -would ask him about the ways of governing a -kingdom, or he would tell him of his wonderful -gardens, and of the strange and terrible beasts -he had there. Or else he would talk about a -mighty treasure that was to be found, and of the -beasts he would buy for his gardens when that -treasure came into his hands. Zabulun would -tell the King of beasts he had seen or heard of—of -the aurochs with its mighty horns, of the uni<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>corn -that was so white and so swift, of the satyr -that is so marvelous that no one knew whether -it was a wonderful beast or a wild man. And -often, as they sat there talking, the King would -have his servants stir up the beasts in his gardens -so that their roarings might be heard by those in -the palace.</p> - -<p>Over the King and the King’s ancient dwarf -there had come a change, I thought. For the -dwarf with the crown of crimson feathers on his -head would stand silent before the throne, silent -even though the King spoke to him, silent as if -listening to the sound that the spades and mattocks -made on the ground around the Tower of Babylon. -And the King no longer had the look of a ruler on -his face, but had the look of a watcher and a -waiter. There had come a change over my master -also. Zabulun the Enchanter had eyes like yellow -lamps, and they had become wider and more -gleaming as the digging and delving around the -Tower of Babylon went on. I could see his eyes -widening in the dark when I could hardly see his -face. And I began to have a great fear of Zabulun,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> -even though he was kind to me, and had taught -me many things.</p> - -<p>And now I come to the day when that danger -beset me that was greater than my present danger. -That morning I had walked in the King’s gardens -with Zabulun, my master. I saw the great palm -trees that grew there. So high and so shapely -they grew that I was made to think again of the -Tower of Babylon, and I was shaken by my -thought. I looked along the great avenue of -palms, and I saw down to the lake where the King’s -blue herons flew. And from the lake coming -toward us I saw a young girl. She had laid the -long blue feathers of the heron across her breast, -and I saw her white forehead and her white knees, -for her dress was the dress of a woman of the mountains. -But she, seeing Zabulun and I, sprang as -a young deer springs, and went amongst the palm -trees. I kept thinking of that girl, and how free -she was, and how no terror of a falling tower -beset her as she went by the lake where the King’s -blue herons flew or rested.</p> - -<p>Again Zabulun, my master, sat in the King’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -presence, and the ancient dwarf and I attended -on them. The dwarf’s head hung down where he -stood, and he muttered. The King’s voice was -low when he spoke, but Zabulun spoke loudly. -Also his yellow eyes shone as he twisted around -his finger a purple strip that had been torn off the -King’s robe.</p> - -<p>And suddenly there came the mighty roaring -of beasts in the King’s gardens. The dwarf -looked at the King, and the King spoke to the -dwarf, and there was astonishment on both their -countenances, for no command had been given to -have the beasts stirred up. The King rose from -where he sat and went to the doorway. I, too, -saw what he saw. The doorkeepers, and even the -soldiers who had naked swords in their hands, were -fleeing as before some terror. The King shouted -his commands, but no one heeded them. I looked -upon the King, and the King’s wrath was terrible -to behold.</p> - -<p>And then I saw the King himself draw back in -fear. What was it that approached? I, too, -looked, and there, O King Manus, as I declare<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> -to you, I saw Harut and Marut, the giant guardians -of Babylon, come through the outer courts -and toward the chamber where the King stood.</p> - -<p>They were naked but for their great beards and -their flowing hair. They came with great strides, -but their heads and their hands were swaying about -like the heads and hands of men suddenly waked -out of a deep slumber. The ancient dwarf saw -them approach, and he screamed out and fled.</p> - -<p>The King went out of the chamber and into the -hall where the great pillars were. I called to my -master, and he arose from the cushions where he -sat, and he looked upon the two who came nearer. -Along the line of the pillars Harut and Marut -came, but Zabulun the Enchanter looked upon -them without fear.</p> - -<p>The King fell upon his knees as they came near -him. My master’s face did not become fearful, -but he, too, went down on his knees as if powerful -and unseen hands had forced him down. His -eyes did not lose their look of scorn, but he knelt -even as the King knelt. The King and the Enchanter -were both Princes of Babylon, and when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> -Harut and Marut showed themselves in their -might, there was that within them that forced -them to sink down on their knees.</p> - -<p>And nearer and nearer Harut and Marut came, -their heads swaying about and their arms hanging -down. Nearer and nearer they drew. They -touched the head of the King, and the King lay -prone on the ground as though the life had left -him. They came to where Zabulun the Enchanter -knelt. But not on Zabulun’s head did they lay -their hands. They took him by the arms and they -held him. Turning around they dragged him -along the line of the pillars. I saw him being -drawn across the outer court and through one of -the great doorways of the King’s palace.</p> - -<p>And then it seemed that I was the only one left -in the palace of the Kings of Babylon. The King -did not stir where he lay prone, and the dwarf -did not return, and the doorkeepers did not show -themselves any more. I ran from the chamber, -and out through one of the great doors, and into a -place where branches of trees seemed to shield me -from the terror that had fallen upon the palace.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> -And I did not know then that I was running from -terror clear into the mouth of danger.</p> - -<p>For dire things had happened outside as well -as within the palace of the King. The beasts -that were in the gardens had broken out of their -pits and their cages. I saw the beasts and I felt -them all around me. I saw the hippopotami as -they lay with their backs against the crimson wall -of the palace. I saw the zebras stamp between -the yellow wall and the blue wall, and ostriches -run between the black and the white walls. -And when I looked back from where I was in the -gardens I saw monkeys climb on the golden and -silver walls, frightened by the lions that went -roaring through the courts of the palace. I ran -on and on, down the great avenue of palms and -toward the lake where the King’s blue herons flew -or rested.</p> - -<p>I ran on. But I had gone aside from the avenue -of the palms, seeing a great buffalo that stood in my -way. Something caught at my feet as I ran on the -clear ground, and being pitched I fell into a deep -pit. I lay there, and I looked to the sky, and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> -saw that the pit narrowed to the top, and for that -reason was hard to climb out of. It was higher -again by my own height, as I saw when I stood -upward thinking of a way that might get me -out.</p> - -<p>But then there came a sound that made me look -downward, a hissing sound. And when I looked -down I saw into what place I had fallen—into -the Pit of the Serpent. In the shadow of the pit -there was a dreadful snake. It was still in its -coils, but its head was raised, and it was swaying -toward me.</p> - -<p>Then, O King of the Western Island, I was in a -danger greater than I am in now. This snake was -mighty enough to crush a man, and from that pit -there was no escape without help, and at that -moment there was no help. The snake raised -itself higher, and its eyes fastened my eyes. Judge, -then, of my danger, and whether it was not greater -than the danger I am in now as I sit here with the -gleam of the slaying sword before my eyes.</p> - -<p>And then I heard a whisper that seemed to come -to me from the sky. I drew my eyes from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> -snake’s eyes and I looked to the top of the pit. -One was bending from the opening—a girl, and -she had in her hands a little drum. She began -to beat on the drum, and the snake’s head that -was swaying toward me began to sway sideways. -The girl beat again on the drum, and the snake’s -head swayed and swayed and went down upon its -coils. At last the dreadful head was at rest, and -the eyes of the snake no longer fastened themselves -upon my eyes.</p> - -<p>The girl who stood above the pit put down a -board for me to climb up by. I climbed, and I -stood outside the pit, and I looked upon the girl, -and I saw the blue heron’s feathers laid across her -breast. Then I sank down on the ground, and -for a while I knew no more of the world’s happenings.</p> - -<h3>VII. <span class="smcap">Again the Horses of King Manus</span></h3> - -<p>It was as if the eyes of the snake were still upon -him. Eean stopped in his story, and his eyes -were wide as if they looked upon a terrible thing. -One of the servers brought him a cup of wine and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> -placed it in his hands, but although he kept his -fingers around it, he did not raise it to his lips.</p> - -<p>Nor did he appear to hear what was being said -around the King’s supper table: “A great danger -the boy was in, truly.” “The danger he is in -now is not as great as the danger he has told us -of.” “We must hear the end of this story.” -“It seems that he is too fearful to tell us any -more.” This last speech came to the ears of -King Manus. “Be not so fearful, boy,” said the -King. “You have been in a greater danger than -ever I heard a man speak of, and by my sword, -you are in less danger now than you were then. -Drink the wine that is in it and keep the cup you -have for a remembrance. I would have you at -your ease, too, for we will sit here and listen to -the rest of your story.”</p> - -<p>When the King said this the lords who were -sitting around the supper board applauded, and -then the stewards signed to the attendants to -bring more lights in. Fresh candles were put -upon the board, and fresh torches were put into -the sconces, and fresh logs were put upon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> -hearth. When all this was done the King and his -lords turned their faces to Eean, for they were -ready to listen to the rest of the story. But the -boy had not seated himself in the story-teller’s -chair: still he was standing with the wine cup -between his hands, and still his eyes were widened -as if a terrible thing was before him.</p> - -<p>It was then, as they were waiting for him to -begin, that the neigh of a horse was heard again. -It was a very shrill neigh, and every one in the -supper hall was startled by it. Out they rushed, -King and lords, stewards, servers, and attendants, -and they neither stopped nor stayed until they -came before the King’s great stable. Then they -could hardly believe what their eyes looked upon: -the iron door of the stable was open wide; the -watchers were there, but their heads were bent -in sleep and their swords were upon the ground. -Through the open door of the stable came the -whinnyings and the plungings and the tramplings -of a horse. Quickly they went into the stable. -There, by the light of the torches that the attendants -held, they saw the white horse and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> -red horse still in their stalls, but the black horse -they saw rearing above a figure that was prone -upon the ground.</p> - -<p>The blaze of their torches made the black horse -swerve so that his hoofs did not come down upon -the figure that was upon the stable floor. The -horse was taken hold of and put back into his -stall. Then the attendants raised up the one who -was upon the ground. “Another one come to -steal my horses,” cried King Manus. “Well, this -one shall pay the penalty that the other has been -delivered from.”</p> - -<p>They took up the one who was on the floor of the -stable. They locked the stable door again and -they put a double watch before it. They brought -the one whom they had taken into the supper hall; -a lad, younger even than Eean, this second robber -seemed.</p> - -<p>Eean was standing by the story-teller’s seat as -they came into the supper hall. Looking upon -the one they brought in he cried out in the voice -of the heart-broken, “O Bird-of-Gold, why didst -thou peril thyself by staying here? Too faithful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> -to me thou hast been!” Hearing this speech, all -looked on the one who was called Bird-of-Gold: -it was then that they saw they had taken, not a -youth as they had supposed, but a young girl -whose dress was a youth’s dress.</p> - -<p>In the light of the torches and candles they -looked at her wonderingly. She had knitted -brows and heavy eyelids that gave to her face -the look of one who ponders deeply. And there -was such fire behind the depths of her eyes that -it seemed as if her thought was always burning. -But her lips were colorless and her cheeks were -thin and sunken; her hair and her eyes and her -eyebrows were dead black. And when they went -to bind her as they had bound Eean they saw that -her hands were finely shaped and yet strong and -hard.</p> - -<p>“Who is she?” said King Manus.</p> - -<p>“I have told you of her,” said Eean. “This -is she who found me in the Pit of the Serpent -and who drew me away from the venom of the -snake.”</p> - -<p>There was silence for a while, and then the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> -King said, “The chance that was given you shall -be given her also. If she can show us that she -was in a danger greater than the danger she is in -now her life shall not be taken. If she cannot -show that she shall be slain by the sword on to-morrow’s -sunrise.”</p> - -<p>At that some of the trouble that was on Eean’s -face seemed to leave it. He cried out, “O -Bird-of-Gold, tell the King the story of your adventures -from the beginning. Bethink thee, Bird-of-Gold, -of the terrible things you have gone -through and speak to the King and the lords of -them. This King is very generous, and you may -win our lives from him.”</p> - -<p>The girl who was called Bird-of-Gold turned -to the King her face that seemed to him to be -like the face of a slave and a victorious warrior. -Her hands were bound before her and her black -hair fell over her breast. Like one who was ever -ready in deed and word, as soon as King Manus -made a gesture, she began:</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a><br /><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/illus_069.png" width="559" height="600" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a><br /><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="PART_II" id="PART_II">PART II</a><br /> -<span class="smaller">THE STORY OF BIRD-OF-GOLD WHO WAS -THE BRAMBLE GATHERER’S DAUGHTER</span></h2> - -<h3>I. <span class="smcap">How the Bramble Gatherer’s Daughter -Went toward Her Fortune</span></h3> - -<p>I am called Bird-of-Gold (said the girl, beginning -her story), but that name did not belong to me -until I was a girl grown. Before that I had no -name. In the city where I was born and where -I lived I was known as “The bramble gatherer’s -child.”</p> - -<p>My father was the poorest of all the men of that -town. He gathered brambles and thorns in the -wilderness and brought them in a bundle to the -hut where we lived. Then, while he was gathering -another bundle on another day, I would go through -the town selling the brambles and thorns for stuff -for the people’s fires. My mother I never knew. -I grew up with my father, and we two had even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> -less than the sparrows. I had no playmate nor -no friend, and what I got for the thorns and -brambles I sold brought us but little to eat.</p> - -<p>One day as I passed along the street of the city -it came into my mind that I was grown to be a -girl. The thought that I should go from the city -grew in me from that time. My father would miss -me, but he would flourish the better if there was -one, and not two, to eat the scanty meal that the -price of the brambles and thorns gained for us.</p> - -<p>I got for myself the cap and jacket of a boy. -Then one morning when my father had gone from -the hut and had turned his face to the wilderness -and his back to the city, I went out of the door and -turned to the wilderness also. I took a direction -that would bring me far from where my father had -gone. I had dressed myself as a boy, and my -thought was that I would come upon a merchant -who would let me do service for him, and who, -perhaps, would take me on a voyage. And I -thought that I might win some fortune for myself, -and that then I could return and take my father -out of toil and hardship.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> - -<p>I came to the wilderness and I went through it. -When the sun was halfway in the heavens I came -to where there was a road. There was a pillar -before me and that pillar had writing upon it. -I read what was written there. The words were: -<i>They who take the road to the right will come to -their fortune at last, and they who take the road -to the left will be ever as they have been.</i> When I -read that writing I took the road that was to my -right.</p> - -<p>I went along that road thinking every minute -that I should come upon something that would -bring me to my fortune. The light faded as I -went along, and soon I had to look about for some -tree or cave that would give me a shelter for the -night. At last I saw a hut and I went toward -it. When I came before the broken door I knew -the place I had been brought to. It was my -father’s hut—the hut I had left that morning. -And as I stood before it I saw my father coming -from the other side with the bundle of brambles -and thorns upon his back. Then I said to myself, -“How lying was the writing that said that they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> -who took the road to their right would come at last -to their fortune.”</p> - -<p>I went into the hut with my father. In the -darkness that was there he did not see that I had -on the cap and jacket of a boy. He laid the bundle -of brambles and thorns down on the floor while I -went to prepare the meal for both of us. And -while my father was lighting a fire I took off the -cap and jacket of a boy and I put on my girl’s -dress.</p> - -<p>My father, when he had eaten his meal, said to -me, “To-day when I had gathered the brambles -and had made them into a bundle I lay with my -head on the bundle and went to sleep. I awakened -feeling some warmth near where my head lay. I -looked to see if perchance fire had come upon the -brambles and thorns, and, lo! what I saw laid on -the bundle was the egg of a bird. The egg was -still warm, and the bird that laid it must have -flown as I awakened.”</p> - -<p>My father showed me the egg. It was strangely -marked and was heavy for its size. I looked at it, -and my father said, “Take it to the merchant to-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span>morrow, -and maybe he will give a coin for it, for -surely it is remarkable.”</p> - -<p>The next day, when my father had gone into -the wilderness, I went to the shop of the merchant. -I showed him the egg that had the strange markings -upon it, and I asked him if he would give me something -for it. And when the merchant had taken -the egg in his hand he said, “This is something to -be shown the King. It is undoubtedly the egg -of the Bird of Gold.”</p> - -<p>I was greatly stirred when I heard the merchant -say this, and I thought that perhaps my fortune -would come to me through this egg. I went back -to the hut, and in the morning, before my father -started off for his bramble gathering, two officers -came and they took my father and me to the palace -and before the King. And the King said, “It -is known that of all creatures in the world the -Bird of Gold is best worth possessing. For her -claws can be made into an amulet that will bring -wealth to the one who wears it, and the one who -eats her heart can never be slain by his enemy. -I would have the Bird of Gold whose egg you have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> -found. You know where she abides. Catch -her and bring her to me, and I shall reward -you.”</p> - -<p>So spoke the King of our little country. My -father and I went into the wilderness to search -for the Bird of Gold around the place where the -egg had been laid. And in the very place where -before he had lain my father put down his bundle -of brambles and thorns. Laying his head upon -the bundle, he went to sleep.</p> - -<p>I watched beside the brambles and thorns. -And after a time a bird came running along the -ground, and went fluttering up on the bundle and -made a nest for herself there. Small she was and -all golden except for the blue that was under her -throat, and the blue that was upon her feet. As -she was making a nest for herself I put my hands -upon her and caught her. I held her to my -breast to keep her from fluttering away.</p> - -<p>And I said aloud, “O bird, now I shall be rewarded -for taking thee. For the King would make -an amulet of thy feet that he may have wealth, -and he would eat thy heart that his enemies<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> -may not be able to slay him. Greatly will he -reward me for having taken thee, O Bird of -Gold.”</p> - -<p>And as I spoke to her and held her to my breast -the bird made a cry that sounded as “Alas, Alas!” -I looked upon her again and my heart was filled -with sorrow for the bird I had taken. Why should -her claws be made into an amulet for the King, -and why should her heart be eaten by him? -I sat there thinking while my father slept, holding -the bird very gently to my breast. And when she -cried again “Alas, Alas!” I opened my hands and -I let her fly away. She fluttered near for a while -as if to show herself to me, and then she rose up -and flew away.</p> - -<p>My father awakened, and he said, “It is near -dark, and the Bird of Gold will not come now. -Perhaps we will find her on another day. The -King should reward us for our search, and now we -will go and tell him of it.”</p> - -<p>So we rose up and we went into the city. And -when we came before him, my father spoke to the -King and told him that the Bird of Gold was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> -to be seen in the places where we had searched. -Then the King would have sent us away without -doing any evil to us only that one who was near -him cried out: “Behold, O King, and decree a -punishment for these two deceivers. One has -declared that the Bird of Gold did not come near -where they searched. But look on the dress of the -girl: All around her breast are the feathers of the -Bird of Gold.”</p> - -<p>Thereupon I looked down and I saw that the -bird’s golden feathers were all strewn around the -place where I had held her to me. I was grasped -by the hands and brought before the King. And -he cried out, “Have you the bird hidden?” I -said: “No, O King. I let the bird fly out of my -hands.” Then the King spoke to one who stood -beside him, and he commanded that I should be -taken and put upon a ship and thrown into the -depths of the sea.</p> - -<p>I was taken from my father who wept and -cried after me, and I was brought down to the -river and put upon a ship. The one who was commanded -by the King to take me and throw me into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> -the depths of the sea was a man with a great -hooked nose and a purple beard. On his hand was -a ring with a great emerald in it. He was the captain -of the King’s ships.</p> - -<p>I was put upon the ship, and the next day we -sailed down the river and came out on the sea. -Now, although the King had commanded that I -be thrown into the depths of the sea, I was not -then in as great a danger as I am in now, O King -of the Western Island. For the captain of his -ships hated all the words that the King gave him, -and those whom the King would slay he would -save, and those whom the King would save he -would have slain. When we came into the open -sea, so that he might obey the King’s word and at -the same time make a mock of it, he had me thrown -into the water, but with a rope around my waist. -After I had been plunged into the water he had me -drawn out of it, and I was left living on the ship. -And from the captain who had had me plunged into -the sea in such ways and from the sailors on the -ship I got the name by which I have been known -ever since—Bird of Gold.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> - -<h3>II. <span class="smcap">The Man Who Was High in Fortune</span></h3> - -<p>We landed in a country (said Bird-of-Gold, continuing -her story) that was three days’ voyage from -the river’s mouth. Then the sailors put swords -into their belts and marched toward a mountain -that was half a day’s journey from the coast. -They pitched black tents and they built a citadel, -and they made themselves into a band of robbers. -He who had been the captain of the King’s ships -was the chief of this band.</p> - -<p>Every day they went off to rob caravans and to -make war upon the men who guarded the caravans. -And always they came back, my master and his -forty robbers, with no man of their band slain -and with no man wounded. Very rich and powerful -did they grow with the plunder they took from -the caravans, and my master, the man with the -hooked nose and the purple beard, grew to be a -King almost. Men far and near sent him presents -and men came to him promising obedience, and he -had state such as had the King of my country. But -he kept no men with him except his forty robbers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> - -<p>Every one said of my master, the captain of -the band, that nothing could come to him except -good fortune, so great and so prosperous did he -grow. Men marveled that so many good things -came to him and so many evil things were staved -off from him. And all his band swore by his good -fortune. But one day a wise King who liked -him greatly sent my master a message that said: -“I rejoice in your good fortune, friend, but am -also troubled by it. He who is so lucky must pay -a great price sooner or later for his luck. Pay -the price now, before it is exacted from you, and -remain great and prosperous. Let the price you -pay be that possession that is dearest to you.”</p> - -<p>My master, having received this message, paid -heed to what was said in it, for the King who sent -it was renowned for his wisdom. He made up -his mind to sacrifice the possession that was dearest -to him so that he might remain great and prosperous. -And the possession that he considered -dearest was the ring that he wore with the great -emerald in it. He went down to the seaboard -taking me with him, for he would let none of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> -forty men know what he was about to do, and he -took a boat and he went, I being with him, over -the depths of the sea. Then he drew from off -his finger the ring that had the great emerald in -it, and he let it drop down into the depths of the -sea. Afterward he sent a message back to the -King, his friend, saying that he had paid the price -before it was exacted of him, and that his prosperity -now would never fail, and that men would ever -swear by his good fortune.</p> - -<p>After that he and his forty men went forth and -won more plunder than ever they had won before. -Also more men came from far and near, bringing -him presents and promising him obedience.</p> - -<p>And now, being so prosperous and so feared, my -master planned to attack a city and make himself -the master of the King’s treasure. He told his -plan to his forty men and they rejoiced one and -all, and they talked to each other as if that treasure -was already in their hands. I prepared the -meal that was to be given him before he collected -his men for the march.</p> - -<p>The meal was of fish. The fisherman who had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> -just come from the sea laid his net before me and -I took out of it an exceedingly large and beautiful -fish. I divided the fish and began to make it -clean. I found within the fish something it had -swallowed. It was a ring. And when I cleaned -the ring I found that it was of gold and that in it -was a most precious stone—a stone of emerald.</p> - -<p>I brought the fish to my master cooked. And -to make him rejoice I brought at the same time -the ring to him. I told him that for the ring he -had dropped into the depths of the sea another -ring had come back to him, and that this was on -account of the great good fortune that was ever -with him.</p> - -<p>He took the ring from me and he looked it all -over. He cried out that this was not another ring -but the same ring, and that the characters of his -name were engraved upon it. And he said that it -was by no means on account of his good fortune -that this ring had come back to him. Thereupon -he rose up and went outside, and gave command to -his band that they were to disarm themselves and -tie up their horses, and hold themselves back<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> -from making any attack that day. He then went -into his tent and sat at the darkest part of it, -his purple beard touching the ground, and all the -while lamenting that his dearest possession had -come back to him out of the depths of the sea.</p> - -<p>The forty men disarmed themselves and tied -up their horses and sat in little bands playing -games together. I would have stayed about the -encampment making bread for the band, only that -as I came near the tent where the kneading -board was I heard a bird’s cry.</p> - -<p>I looked, and I saw on the wellhead near the -Bird of Gold. The bird fluttered and flew as if -she wanted me to watch her. I followed where -she went and I was led far from the encampment. -At the edge of the wilderness she went amongst -low bushes, and after that I could not see her any -more.</p> - -<p>Because I had seen the Bird of Gold once more -I went back toward the encampment thinking -about the days when I had lived in the hut of my -father, the bramble gatherer, and about the day -when I had left that hut, and had gone across the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> -wilderness, and had seen the pillar on which was -written that if I followed the road to the right I -should come to my fortune, and about how I had -come, not to my fortune, but back to the hut I -had left; and I went on, thinking of how I had -first heard of the Bird of Gold, and of how I -had given her liberty when I might have held her -for the great reward the King would have given. -I went toward the encampment thinking these -thoughts about myself, and thinking, too, of my -master who had such fortune that men swore by -the goodness of it.</p> - -<p>I made my way toward the tent where the kneading -board was. And then I saw tents overturned -and lying upon the ground. I saw the horses of -the band straying over the plain. And when I -looked to the citadel I saw it smoking with a fire -that was burning it.</p> - -<p>There was no stir in all the encampment. I -knew then that an army had come and had attacked -my master and his forty men in the time -that I was following the Bird of Gold or coming -back from the place where she had led me. I went<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> -amongst the tents and I saw that the men had been -killed. And I saw the purple beard of my master, -cut off by some insolent enemy and left lying upon -the ground.</p> - -<p>Then I ran over the trampled grass and made -for the wilderness. And when I came into the -wilderness I hid myself amongst the bushes that -the Bird of Gold had flown into. I thought that -a great army was pursuing me, and in truth I was -very fearful.</p> - -<h3>III. <span class="smcap">How Bird-of-Gold Came to Her Fortune</span></h3> - -<p>I hid at the near side of the wilderness (said the -girl, Bird-of-Gold), for I was too fearful to go back -to the encampment and too fearful to go farther -on. I ate the wild fruits that grew on the bushes, -and at night I covered myself with dried leaves and -branches and slept in a hole. I thought how he -had been destroyed, that man whose good fortune -had been above every one else’s good fortune, and -I did not know how such a one as I could keep alive. -I was fearful while I slept, and when I awoke -and sat upon a heap of leaves in that empty wilder<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>ness -I was most miserable. I remembered the -writing on the pillar that told me to take the road -to the right on the day I left my father’s hut and -I put a curse upon the road I took. I cursed it -because it had brought me, not to my fortune as -the writing said it would bring me, but back to -the hut I had left. And things were even worse -with me from that time than they were before, for -my return had brought me to the encounter with -the King, and to the voyage with the captain of -the King’s ships, and to the dangerous place where -I was now.</p> - -<p>But then I began to think that although that -road had brought me to my father’s hut it had not -brought me back to a life that was as it had been -before. What had happened after I had come -back to the hut had brought me farther away -than that road could have led to. Perhaps the -writing on the pillar was not lying, after all. It had -said: They who take the road to the right will -come at last to their fortune. Perhaps my fortune -was farther away than I had thought.</p> - -<p>Then I said to myself that my journeys were not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> -yet ended, and that if I went on I should yet come -to what the writing on the pillar had promised. -I sat still for a while with this thought in my mind, -and then I rose up and went through the wilderness, -going straight on toward a star that was still -in the sky.</p> - -<p>I left the wilderness with its low shrubs at last, -and I came out on a wide, green plain. Before -going on that plain I ate again of the wild fruit -that was on the bushes and I brought some of the -wild fruit with me. I went on and on over the -miles of grass. And when it was midday I saw a -whiteness upon the plain before me.</p> - -<p>I went toward that whiteness and in a while I -saw that it was all in movement. There were -white living creatures there. I went on, and I -came near to where there was a hollow in the -plain, and I saw in that hollow a mighty flock of -ducks. They were tame, for they did not rise -up and fly as I came near.</p> - -<p>I looked on them with great astonishment. I -had never seen so many ducks together. I looked -them all over and I made a guess that there were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> -a thousand ducks there. And I had never seen -such beauty in ducks before. For these ducks -were of a gleaming whiteness, and moreover they -had a shapeliness that I had never seen in such -creatures before. I thought and thought, but -I could not think how they had come into this -unpeopled plain in such a vast flock.</p> - -<p>I sat down on the grass and I watched them feeding, -thinking surely that some one would come and -drive the flock to some market or to some great -farm. I watched, and the ducks ate and ate in the -hollow where they stayed. When the darkness -came the thousand ducks put their heads each -under a wing and settled down on the ground. I -pulled grass to make a bed for myself, and ate the -fruit I had brought with me, and lay down in a cold -place near the hollow.</p> - -<p>I was awakened by the thousand ducks quacking -loudly, and I looked and saw that they had -spread themselves over the plain and were moving -in a direction. I thought I should follow the ducks, -and I did, and I was able to chase away two or -three foxes that would have hunted them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span></p> - -<p>They were beautiful, these thousand ducks, -as they went over the green plain. They were -shapely and active, and they had a wonderful soft -whiteness. The drakes were not colored differently, -but they had crests and tails that curled. -When they knew I was with them they did not go -straying here and there, but kept themselves together -as a flock and went marching in a direction. -I thought that they might bring me to my -fortune. And then I thought that this great -flock of ducks, so strangely without an owner, was -my fortune.</p> - -<p>I was faint and hungry, but I went on rejoicing -in the beauty of the ducks. I gave them time to -feed and they fed. At last I came to the gate of a -town. The watcher was astonished at the greatness -of the flock and he called to the townspeople -to come out and fill their eyes with the spectacle. -They came and asked me, “Who are you, O girl?” -and I made answer, “I am the girl whose fortune -is in ducks.” The people came on the walls of -the town and looked over them, while the ducks -spread themselves out, standing still. And more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> -and more the people marveled at the number and -the extraordinary beauty of the ducks.</p> - -<p>The people set a place apart for the ducks and -they gave me a shelter in which I might rest and -refresh myself. After a while I heard them say, -“The officers of the great King of Babylon should -see this girl and her ducks. There is a marvel -here for the great King to hear about.” People -came to see the ducks as a spectacle, and one -would say to the other, “No prince by any river -in China has such a wonderful collection of -ducks.”</p> - -<p>And then I was told that the officers of the great -King of Babylon would come to look on my flock. -These officers had come into the country to get -for the King’s gardens birds and beasts that were -remarkable.</p> - -<p>They came and looked on the flock, and marveled -that, whether they rested or were feeding, the thousand -ducks harkened to my call and went as I -bade them go. They spoke, admiring their shape -and whiteness. And then a dwarf who had a -crown of crimson feathers on his head came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> -amongst them and the officers spoke to him. This -dwarf told me they would take the flock for the -King, and that they would take me also to the -great city, where I would have the office of minding -the ducks in the King’s gardens.</p> - -<p>So I brought the thousand ducks down to a great -barge that was on the river, and I went on the -barge, and the officers of the King with the dwarf -that had the crown of crimson feathers on his head -went aboard of it, and we sailed down the river, -and we came into the great city. For two days the -King had me show the wondrous flock in the market -place as a spectacle for the people. All Babylon -came and admired the number and the comeliness -of the ducks. Afterward they were brought to the -lake that was in the King’s gardens. As time went -on many of the flock were taken by the purveyors -and killed and eaten in the palace. But still -they remained a wonder for their number and -their comeliness. The King often came down to -look on the thousand ducks, swimming on the -water, or staying in their companies around the -lake.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> - -<h3>IV. <span class="smcap">Bird-of-Gold in the King’s Gardens</span></h3> - -<p>No place in the whole world is more beautiful -than the King’s gardens in Babylon (Bird-of-Gold -said). My white ducks, when they swam upon -the lake, went amongst water lilies that were -silver-white or all golden. Beside the lake the -irises grew, depths and depths of blue and gold and -cloud-colored irises. I should never have left -the side of that lake if I had not wanted to be -amongst the trees that grew in the gardens above—palm -trees of many kinds, and great cedar -trees in the dark branches of which the doves built -their nests. Greatly did I admire the trees in the -King’s gardens, for I had come from a country -where there were no trees. All the palms were -there—the date palm, and the royal palm, and -the palm of the desert. They stood nobly by -themselves or they made solemn avenues that led -to monuments of the Kings of Babylon. In the -grass there were golden poppies and little roses -that just lifted themselves above the ground. -There were great monuments, too—statues of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> -Kings and lions and chariots, and these reminded -people of terrors and magnificences, and they were -as a great wind that blew through the gardens.</p> - -<p>And there were tulips on the ground, and there -were golden fruits amongst gleaming leaves, and red -pomegranates on the high trees, and there were spice -trees that filled the garments of those who passed -with fragrance. And all in a garden to themselves -were the roses—a thousand rose trees, each tree -with a thousand opened flowers. I wept when I -saw that garden of roses, and I do not know why -I wept.</p> - -<p>All the birds that were lovely to look at or charming -to hear singing were in that garden. The black -birds with golden wings from my own country -were there, and the birds of paradise from the -Land of the Burning Mountain. And it was told -that the nightingales of Persia and Babylon and -Arabia brought their young here that they might -learn to sing the more perfectly. Also there were -mocking birds that mocked every bird’s song but -the song of the nightingale.</p> - -<p>As for the beasts in the King’s gardens, the first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> -one I made friends with was a lynx. He was not -in a cage, but went roaming about, watching everything -with eyes that never winked. And after I -had come to know him and had made friends with -him, the lynx brought me to the cages and the pits -of the other beasts and with them I made friends.</p> - -<p>Of all the creatures that were there the one I -was most fearful of was the queen serpent that was -in the Pit of the Serpent. But the serpent allured -me, and I used to sit above the pit, the lynx beside -me, and watch her as she uncoiled herself -and swayed her head about. And as I watched -her I would beat on a little drum that I carried -with me. I began to see that as I beat the drum -and made music for her the serpent’s head would -cease to sway and she would lower it, and then she -would rest upon her coils as if she were sleeping. -So I grew to have power over the serpent, and -many times when I saw her try to draw down a bird -that had come to the edge of the pit, I would beat -upon the drum until her head sank down, when the -bird would rouse itself out of the spell that the -serpent’s eyes had for it, and fly away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> - -<p>So I stayed in the King’s gardens, part of the -day with the thousand ducks that were about the -lake, and part of the day with the ever-watchful -lynx that went here and went there.</p> - -<p>One day I came up from the lake after having -decked myself with the blue herons’ feathers that -lay about. I saw two where none but the King -or the King’s ancient dwarf ever came. One was -a man who wore a straight garment that had -curious figures woven upon it, and who carried in -his hand a staff that was formed of two serpents -twining together. The one who was with him -was a boy, and my heart went out to him because -he was young, and I had seen no one who -was young in my days in Babylon. The two -walked in the gardens, and I ran and hid from -them.</p> - -<p>A day came soon after when I came up from the -lake and did not find the lynx who was my friend. -I went searching for him, and at last I came upon -him. He had gone up into one of the great chariots -that were for a monument to a King. I saw him -watching across the chariot. I went beside him,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> -and the lynx did not move, but kept watching, -watching.</p> - -<p>Before I saw what was coming I heard a great -trampling noise. I saw trees break and fall down. -Flocks of birds came flying toward me, and I saw -the deer start up and run. Then I saw enormous -shapes coming striding through the gardens. -They were as men, but as men high as towers. -As they came on, trees fell down before them, and -beasts broke out of their pits and cages and -crouched before them. The beasts were filled with -fear, and they roared and screeched and trumpeted -as if fearful things were about to happen to them. -The giant men passed where I stood in the great -chariot and they came to the gateway that led -into the courts of the King’s palace. They put -their hands to the stones above the gateway, and -the heavy, mortared stones fell, leaving them a -space high enough for them to pass through. I -looked from the King’s palace toward the city, -and I saw the Way of the Lions and it was black -with people that fled from the palace—soldiers -and servants and attendants. I saw the beasts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> -of the gardens bound or crash through the broken -gateway, entering the courts of the palace.</p> - -<p>I saw the giant men come forth from the palace. -Now they held a man by the arms and dragged -him along. They crossed the gardens dragging -the man, and for a time I watched the dust that -their progress made.</p> - -<p>As I watched I saw some one come fleeing from -the palace. He ran on, coming straight to the -place from where I watched. He stumbled as he -ran, and I saw him fall into the Pit of the Serpent. -It had seemed to me as I watched him that this -was the boy who had walked with the strange man -in the gardens.</p> - -<p>In my hands I had the little drum whose sound -could put a spell upon the queen serpent. I ran -toward the pit holding the drum. And when I -bent over I saw that the head of the serpent was -very near to the boy. I beat upon the drum, and -the serpent heard, and her head ceased to sway -about. Then her head went down, and she remained -in her coils upon the ground of the pit.</p> - -<p>I drew the boy up, and I led him to the lake<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> -and I bathed his face and his hands. The day -had almost passed before he was able to speak to -me. Then he told me who he was, and what the -events were that had happened in the King’s -palace. And that boy is the one who is before you -now, O King of the Western Island, Eean, the -fisherman’s son, who was apprenticed to the -Enchanter.</p> - -<h3>V. <span class="smcap">How Bird-of-Gold Went to the Top of -the Tower</span></h3> - -<p>Long did it take Eean to tell me the whole of the -story, and when he had told and I had gathered -and put together all of it, I said to him, “Not yet -has the tower fallen, and ere it comes down -one might go to the top and take the Magic Mirror -of the Babylonians and put it in the hands of the -King.”</p> - -<p>“The King may be dead,” Eean said, “or else -he may be in such a state that he cannot see or -hear any more.”</p> - -<p>We were then sitting under the greatest of the -cedar trees, and he was eating pomegranates<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> -from my lap. I looked from out the shade of -the cedar tree, and I saw the King of Babylon -walking in his gardens.</p> - -<p>The King was fearful; he looked to the right -and to the left as he went on. When he saw a -little deer that was standing still he was startled, -and he turned back. As he came nigh the cedar -tree he saw me standing there before him. I -prostrated myself and I said, “O King, fear not for -Babylon. The tower has not yet fallen, and the -Magic Mirror will yet be placed in your hands.” -But the King only said, “Go to the tower and bring -back to me the black cock that I tied to a board -but did not sacrifice.” Thereupon the King went -within the palace.</p> - -<p>I called upon Eean to come, and we went down -the Way of the Lions, and through the Gate of -Brass, and out into the city. It was the Hour of -the Market, but there were no people in the market -place. We went on, Eean and I, and we came -before the tower. There we saw a throng such -as would have filled many markets, and they -were standing round and gazing on the tower.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> - -<p>I had never looked before on the Tower of Babylon. -It was built tower upon tower to the height -of four towers, and its color was red. Around the -whole height of it went a stairway showing -steps on this side and that as it went winding -around. On the top of the topmost tower I saw -a gleam, and I knew it was the Magic Mirror of -the Babylonians.</p> - -<p>That gleam dazzled me and put into my mind -the thought of going to the top of the tower. I, -out of all that throng, would go and bring down the -Magic Mirror! I went amongst them and they -let me pass, for I had on me now the dress of one -who belonged to the palace. I stood before the -throng and I saw where a great space of rock was -worn smooth—it was the rock against which -Harut and Marut had lain.</p> - -<p>I came to the first steps of the tower, and I -climbed three of them. I heard the murmur of -those who spoke of me, and I stood still. Then -up the first round of the steps I went, keeping my -mind from the thought of the great height that -was above me. I came at last to where the second<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> -tower grew from the top of the first, and I stood -and looked down, and I saw that the men below had -already become little. It was then that I felt -terror of the height that was above me.</p> - -<p>I began to climb the steps of the second tower, -fearful to look down and fearful to think of the -number of steps that were before me. I went on -and up, all in a terrible silence, and feeling that -at the step above me something unbelievable would -happen.</p> - -<p>After a great length of time I came out on the -space that was the top of the second tower. -On that breadth I rested. As I waited there the -coldness of death seemed to come over me.</p> - -<p>But the coldness passed, and I felt the air again. -I found the steps that went up and around the -third of the towers. As I went on I felt that those -steps leaned down on me and crushed me, and that -with my feet alone I never could surmount them. -Then I went down on my hands and knees and I -climbed and climbed until my hands were bruised -and the parts behind my knees ached. I thought -that suddenly the steps would cease to be, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> -that I should find no place for my hands, and that -thereupon I would fall down all the height I had -climbed up. But step came after step, and at last -I came out on that space that was the top of the -third tower.</p> - -<p>Above me was the fourth tower. I stood holding -myself against it, and I looked down all the -distance I had climbed. I saw the great river -shining whitely: like pebbles in the bed of a river -were the throngs below. But now my fear went -from me. The silence was all around me, but I -was exultant because of the silence through which -I climbed. The height troubled me no more, -rather it made me exultant, making me feel as the -eagle feels. I came out on the top of the fourth -tower, and there was nothing above me except the -silent sky.</p> - -<p>And there was the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians. -It rested against the great spear that -was Nimrod’s, and it was turned toward the city -and toward the King’s palace.</p> - -<p>I looked into the Magic Mirror. As I looked -into it I saw a writing come upon it. I read the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> -writing, and it said: <i>Bring the Magic Mirror of the -Babylonians to the King of Babylon, but burthen -yourself not with the Spear of Nimrod.</i></p> - -<p>And that writing faded, and another writing -appeared on the mirror. And the writing read: -<i>Zabulun the Enchanter has been brought by Harut -and Marut into the cave that is below the sea. For -forty days they will watch over him, but then they -will fall into a slumber. Zabulun will come forth -from the cave that is beneath the sea, and in anger -he will pursue him who revealed his plan for the -taking of the Magic Mirror. Take one of the rings -that are around the mirror. It will reveal when -Zabulun comes from the cave, and it will show how -near he comes in his pursuit of Eean, the boy who -was apprenticed to him.</i></p> - -<p>That writing faded, and I saw the rings that -were around the mirror. I loosened one and I -took it off the mirror and I put it around the -wrist of my hand. The color of the ring changed -to the green of the sea.</p> - -<p>I took the Magic Mirror in my hands and I went -down the stairway. Down I went, from the fourth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> -to the third, and from the third to the second of -the towers. As I went down the stairway around -the first of the towers I heard the murmurs of the -throng. High above my head I raised the Magic -Mirror, and I went toward them holding it so.</p> - -<p>And as I went amongst the throng I heard a -voice cry out, “The tower trembles, the tower -rocks.” It was the voice of Eean. As the cry -arose the throngs drew back from before the tower. -They ran, and I ran carrying the mirror, and Eean -ran beside me. And when we came to the market -place we two were alone.</p> - -<p>We stood in the empty market place and we -looked toward the Tower of Babylon. In its -great height it stood there, strong and wonderful. -I heard the shouting of people around it. Then I -saw the great tower swing like a child’s swing. -Dust rose up, cloud after cloud, and cloud over -cloud. The cries of people came from out the -clouds.</p> - -<p>We stood there until we saw the sun shine -through a cloud of dust. Then we knew that the -Tower of Babylon was indeed fallen. Never again<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> -did we go near the place, but from travelers I -have heard that where the tower stood there is -emptiness, and that great blocks of stone are -scattered far and wide.</p> - -<h3>VI. <span class="smcap">How Eean and Bird-of-Gold Went from -Babylon</span></h3> - -<p>We went into the King’s gardens, carrying with -us the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians. We -saw the great cedar tree, and we went and sat -under its branches and spoke of what we should -do. The Magic Mirror would have to be given -to the King, but for long Eean was fearful of going -into the palace.</p> - -<p>At last we went to the doors. They were unguarded, -and we went within the palace. We -came to the chamber where the King was wont to -sit upon his throne, and we saw the King there, -and around him there were bearded men with -fierce eyes; by their fashion of carrying swords -we knew them to be the leaders of the King’s -armies. These fierce-eyed men stood with their -feet upon the steps of the throne, speaking in anger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> -to the King. They did not see us as we came into -the chamber. But in a while one caught sight -of us, and he uttered a fierce word. I went to -them, holding the Magic Mirror raised in my hands. -The King raised his head, and he saw the mirror, -and he cried out to us.</p> - -<p>I went and left the Magic Mirror on the throne, -beside the King. I lifted my voice and I told him -how I had taken the mirror from the top of the -tower, and that now the tower was overthrown, but -the mirror was saved for the Babylonians. Then -the King said to the fierce-eyed men, “This is the -Magic Mirror of the Babylonians, and I say to you -that Babylon is yet in safety.” Again he said -to them, “Speak now and say what is to be done -about this girl who brought the mirror down from -the tower.”</p> - -<p>One of the fierce-eyed men said, “Who is the -boy who is with her?”</p> - -<p>The King looked on Eean and knew who he was. -He said, “This is the boy who was with the Enchanter -on whom be evil.”</p> - -<p>The man said, “Banish the girl and the boy also,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> -but do no evil to them inasmuch as they have -brought to us the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians.”</p> - -<p>The King said, “Take them from the city, but -let some treasure be given to them because they -have brought to me the Magic Mirror of the -Babylonians.”</p> - -<p>One of the fierce-eyed men took us, and he -brought us into a chamber in which there were -many open jars. In some of the jars there were -gold, and in others there were silver coins. The -fierce-eyed man who was with us spoke to me, and -he said I might take from the jar with the gold -coins. I took many of them, and I tied them in -different parts of my dress. Then he bade us -follow him, and he led us out of the palace and -to a place where a chariot with two horses was -standing.</p> - -<p>He put Eean and me into the chariot, and he -bade the charioteer drive with us out of the city. -The charioteer, a silent man, stood up in his -chariot, and lashed the horses. We drove through -one street, and then another and another street,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> -and all the streets were empty. The charioteer -called to the guards of a gateway, and the gate -was opened, and we passed out of the city. We -drove on until we came to where there was a great -river. Then the charioteer halted, and he called -across the river, and a man with a ferry came from -the other side. He was a very ancient man, -and he had a beard of great length. The charioteer -said to him, “Old Man of the River, take these -two across and away from us!”</p> - -<p>We went into the ferry, and the ferryman took -his pole and pushed across to the other side of the -river. The man in the chariot turned his horses -and drove back to Babylon.</p> - -<p>When the ferryman had left us on the other side -of the river, Eean said to me, “Where now shall -we go?” I made answer and said, “We shall go -to my country, and to the place where my father -is. And it may be that Zabulun when he comes -from the cave that is under the sea will not be able -to find you there.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> - -<h3>VII. <span class="smcap">How Eean and Bird-of-Gold Were Pursued -by Zabulun the Enchanter and how -They Went to the Cave of Chiron the -Centaur</span></h3> - -<p>O King of the Western Island, our wanderings -began on the day when the ferryman left us on -the farther side of the river. We went to the -country where my father dwelt. We found the -old man still gathering brambles and thorns for -his livelihood, and out of the treasure that had -been given me I gave him riches, and he had not -to go thorn-and-bramble gathering any more.</p> - -<p>We had only been a little time in the hut that -my father built when a new color came upon the -ring I had taken off the Magic Mirror. Its color -had been sea green, but now a red line came across -it. By that we knew that Zabulun the Enchanter -had left the cave that was under the sea. And -the red line began to grow over the sea green of -the ring, and we knew by this sign that he had -begun to follow on our traces. Then said Eean -to me, “I will go from this place and seek a hiding,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> -and it may be that I shall baffle Zabulun who -follows me.” I said to Eean, “I shall go with you -where you go.” “Nay,” said Eean, “it is not on -your account that Zabulun pursues us. He has -no rage nor hatred against you, O Bird-of-Gold, -and if I should go from this place by myself you -would not be troubled by him.”</p> - -<p>Then I said to him, “O Eean, I had no playmate -nor companion until I met you in the King’s -gardens. Now I could not bear to see you go -from me, and where you go I shall go too.”</p> - -<p>Afterward I asked him if there were in the world -any Enchanters who were as powerful as Zabulun. -He told me of Chiron the Centaur, and of Hermes -Trismegistus, the wise Egyptian, and of Merlin -whose home is on an island that is west of your -Western Island. I thought that only from one -of these Enchanters might we get aid against -Zabulun.</p> - -<p>The red grew over the sea green of the ring, and -we knew that the farther the red grew the nearer -did Zabulun approach us. I wondered how we -might get to one of the great Enchanters. Hermes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> -Trismegistus, being in Egypt, was far, and Merlin, -on the island beyond the Western Island, was -farther still. I thought of Chiron the Centaur, -and it seemed to me that him we might be able to -find.</p> - -<p>Now my father had lived a long time in the -world, and he had heard many things, and he had -thought over the things he had heard in the years -when he had gathered brambles and thorns in the -wilderness. I went to my father for word of -Chiron the Centaur.</p> - -<p>“Chiron the Centaur dwells all alone in a cave -that is in the side of a mountain. The mountain -is covered all over with a deep and an ancient -forest,” my father told me. And again he said, -“Once I knew the direction in which that mountain -is, and to-morrow I shall go into the wilderness, -and as I walk about it may be that the memory of -it will come back to me.”</p> - -<p>He came back from the wilderness in the evening -and he said, “Away toward where the morning -star shines there is a great waste. If one skirts this -waste one comes to a river the waters of which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> -are as cold as snow. The river flows down from -the mountain on the side of which is the cave of -Chiron the Centaur. All this I heard in the days -of my youth.”</p> - -<p>Over more and more of the sea green of the ring -the red had grown. By this sign we knew that -Zabulun was coming close to us. I spoke to -Eean and I said that we both should make ready -to go to the cave of Chiron the Centaur. Then -when the morning star shone very brightly we -took leave of my father and we went toward where -it shone.</p> - -<p>We came to the great waste, and we skirted it -as we had been told. On we went, and we came -to the river, the waters of which were cold as snow. -We turned our faces toward the place from which -the river flowed until we saw a mountain that was -all covered with forest.</p> - -<p>Deep and ancient and silent was that upward-growing -forest. So frightened of its silence were -we that we never let go of each other’s hands. -For days we went seeking the cave, and at last -we heard cries—they might have been from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> -birds, they might have been from the winds—that -said, “Who comes to trouble the rest of -Chiron the ancient Centaur?”</p> - -<p>We went toward where the cries came from and -we saw the mouth of the cave. We mounted the -track that led to it, and in fear we went within.</p> - -<p>And there was Chiron the ancient Centaur. -His head and his breast, his shoulders and his -arms were a man’s, and his body and his feet and -his tail were a horse’s. His great beard was white, -and his horse’s body was shrunken, but his eyes -were like pools in which there are living fires. The -power of all the kings in the world was in his eyes.</p> - -<p>Chiron lay beside a fire in which fragrant woods -burned. He turned his eyes upon it, and we heard -cries as if the winds in the cave made them, “Who -comes to trouble the rest of Chiron the ancient -Centaur?”</p> - -<p>I went down on my knees and I prayed him, -“O Chiron, wisest of all who deal in enchantments,” -I said, “there is one named Zabulun, an -evil Enchanter, who pursues us. We have come -to beg you to tell us how we may escape him.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Not to me should you have come,” the voice -of Chiron boomed out. “What have I to do with -men who are as far from wisdom as Zabulun? -Only one who is like him may strive with him. Go -to another, go to another.”</p> - -<p>“To whom shall we go, O Centaur?” I prayed.</p> - -<p>“Hermes Trismegistus in Egypt is nearer to -Zabulun than I am. Go to him and he may tell you -how to baffle Zabulun. Tell him that you have -seen the Phœnix in the cave of Chiron the Centaur.”</p> - -<p>As he said this there flew into the cave the great -bird that is called the Phœnix. I may not describe -her to you, O King. She flew to the fire -of fragrant-smelling woods and she held herself -above it. She fanned the flame with her wings, -and the fire rose up and caught her breast. Then -the bird sank down on the fire, and we saw her -burn under the eyes of Chiron the Centaur. The -flame died out, and what we saw of the bird that -burned, and the wood that made the fire, was a -heap of ashes.</p> - -<p>Then out of that heap of ashes came a bird. It -was smaller than the bird that burned, but more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> -radiant. As the bird stayed with the ashes beneath -her feet she grew by some great thing that was -within her, and then she rose over the ashes and -fanned them with her wings. Again I looked upon -the Phœnix.</p> - -<p>“Go to Hermes Trismegistus in Egypt, and tell -him that you saw the long-lived Phœnix burn -herself in the cave of Chiron the Centaur, and -come again out of the burning. And when you -tell this to Hermes in Egypt he will tell you what -you may do to make yourself free of Zabulun.”</p> - -<p>The Phœnix flew from the cave. Then Chiron -turned his eyes upon us and he spoke to us of the -way we should go to find Hermes Trismegistus -in Egypt. When he had told us all we went backward -out of his cave, and then turned and went -through the depths of the silent forest, taking the -way the Centaur bade us take.</p> - -<h3>VIII. <span class="smcap">How Eean and Bird-of-Gold Came to -Hermes Trismegistus in Egypt</span></h3> - -<p>We found a ship, and I paid for the voyage out -of the riches I had, and we came to Egypt. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> -ring upon my hand showed that we were now far -away from the one who pursued us, from Zabulun -the Enchanter.</p> - -<p>But we two lost our way in Egypt, and we wandered -about, reaching nowhere. Then Zabulun -gained upon us again, as the ring showed. We -hid in a village by the river, and we stayed there -until the season when the cranes fly overhead on -their way to Ethiopia.</p> - -<p>Then we went from that village, and we came -again upon the way that had been lost. We followed -that way and we came to the great pyramid -in which Hermes Trismegistus had his cell. Down -into the deepest chamber we went, and we came -before Hermes the Egyptian.</p> - -<p>He sat before a table that was of diamond and -that had wonderful figures upon it. He was youthful, -and light seemed to come from his forehead. -As wonderful as the eyes of Chiron was the brow -of Hermes Trismegistus.</p> - -<p>We knelt at the threshold of his cell, and I said, -“O thrice-great Hermes! We have been in the -cave of Chiron the Centaur, and we have seen the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> -long-lived Phœnix burn herself to ashes, and come -out of the ashes more radiant than before. Chiron -was kind to us, and he sent us to you, O thrice-great -Hermes. We are pursued by an Enchanter -whose name is Zabulun, and we have come to you -to pray you to tell us how we may make ourselves -free from him.”</p> - -<p>Hermes Trismegistus said, “I know of Zabulun, -the wrong-doing Enchanter. But what have I -to do with one who is so removed from wisdom?”</p> - -<p>I prayed him again, saying, “Save us from this -wrong-doing Enchanter who would destroy us. -He has come near us often, and he will assuredly -overtake us if you do not give us help, O thrice-great -Hermes.”</p> - -<p>Then Hermes said, “Near the Western Island -there dwells an Enchanter whose name is Merlin. -Not one of the great Enchanters is he, nor like to -Chiron or myself, for he chooses to love rather -than to be wise. He is nearer to Zabulun than -we are, but yet he is not a wrong-doing Enchanter. -Go to Merlin and say to him that you have been -within the cell of Hermes Trismegistus, and that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> -you have heard from him the answer to the riddle -that the Sphinx asks, and Merlin will show you -how you both may be saved from Zabulun, the -wrong-doing Enchanter.</p> - -<p>“But to come to Merlin’s island, which is west -of the Western Island, you will have first to go -amongst the Atlantes, who live by the Western -Ocean. They eat no living thing and they never -have dreams. When you come to them, seek out -the wisest amongst them, and ask him to tell you -of Merlin, and of how you may come to him.</p> - -<p>“To come to the Atlantes you will have to pass -by the Sphinx in the desert. Few ever pass her, -for she has a riddle that she asks of every one. -And the one who cannot answer her riddle is torn -to pieces by the Sphinx. But I shall tell you the -answer to give to the riddle that the Sphinx -asks.”</p> - -<p>Then Hermes, thrice-great Hermes, told us the -Sphinx’s riddle and the answer that we should -make to it. He told us the way we should go to -pass by the Sphinx and come to the people that -are called the Atlantes. We left the cell of Hermes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> -and passed out of the pyramid, and went on our -way.</p> - -<p>We came to where the great Sphinx stretches -herself out in the sand, and by the light of a great -moon we saw her lion’s paws and her woman’s -face. We heard the purring sound that comes -through the lips of the Sphinx, and we halted -between her paws.</p> - -<p>“What is Man?” said the Sphinx, asking her -riddle.</p> - -<p>The paws that stretched alongside of us were -quiet, and the voice of the Sphinx was very quiet. -We saw her face far above us, and it was calm, -though there was much scorn and fierceness in it.</p> - -<p>“What is Man?” said the Sphinx.</p> - -<p>Then I replied as Hermes Trismegistus had -taught me to reply, “Man is he whose Mother is -the Earth and whose Father is the Stars.”</p> - -<p>“Go,” said the Sphinx.</p> - -<p>Then we clambered across the great paws of the -Sphinx, and we went on our way. Along the -border of the desert we went, and when the great -moon had changed herself to a little moon that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> -was hardly to be seen in the sky we came amongst -the Atlantes, the people who eat no living thing -and who never have dreams.</p> - -<p>The ring showed us that Zabulun, the wrong-doing -Enchanter, had not drawn near us for many -days. We were far away from him when we came -amongst the Atlantes. But soon he came near us -again. By that time I had found him who was -wisest amongst this people, and I asked him to -tell me of Merlin, and of how I might come to -him.</p> - -<p>“Not often does the island on which Merlin -dwells show itself,” said he who was wisest amongst -the Atlantes. “On the mid day of summer it is -to be seen. Then it draws near to the Western -Island, and if you will cast upon the water nine -cocks’ combs and four peacocks’ feathers, Merlin -will let you come upon his island.”</p> - -<p>Thereupon he who was wisest amongst them -gave us the cocks’ combs and four peacocks’ -feathers. They reverenced Hermes of Egypt, -the people that are called the Atlantes, and because -we had spoken with Hermes and had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> -in his cell, they brought us on board a ship that had -great leathern sails, and in that ship they carried -us to your island, O King.</p> - -<h3>IX. <span class="smcap">How Eean and Bird-of-Gold Came to -King Manus’s Stables</span></h3> - -<p>We came to your island, O King (said Bird-of-Gold, -continuing her story), but no sooner did -we step from the ship to the landing stones than we -suffered a loss. The ring that was around my -wrist broke and fell into the sea, and thereafter -we had no sign that would show how close Zabulun -was in pursuit of us.</p> - -<p>We set off for that part of the land that Merlin’s -island comes near to. One day our way was -through a dark valley and we lay down there to -sleep. I awakened after some hours of slumber, -and I looked toward Eean, and I saw that he was -still sleeping. I left him to his sleep, but when -hours passed I went over to awaken him. But I -could not awaken him from that slumber, do what -I would. For three days and three nights he slept -in that valley while I watched beside him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p> - -<p>At last he awoke saying, “What day is this, -and how near is Zabulun to us?” I told him that -we were two days from the mid day of summer, -and that we had no sign now to show us how close -the Enchanter might be. We were greatly -troubled, O King, for we knew not how we might -come to Merlin’s island by the mid day of -summer.</p> - -<p>It was then that we heard of your horses, King -Manus. We were told of their swiftness, and we -said to each other, “Only by the speed of these -horses can we reach the place that Merlin’s -island comes near, and by Merlin’s aid save -ourselves from the power of Zabulun, the wrong-doing -Enchanter.”</p> - -<p>At nightfall we came before your palace and -your stable. Now it was not hard for us to open -the doors of your stable. Your watchers drank -of a drug that I made, O King. Eean brought a -cup to them, and they, thinking the drink had been -sent to them from your supper table, drank it. -At once they fell into a slumber. Then we opened -the four locks of the iron door with the keys that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> -were in their belts. Eean went within the stable -while I kept watch at the gate of the orchard.</p> - -<p>Alas, Eean was taken before he could mount the -white horse, and before I went to take the bridle -of the red one. I saw him being brought within -the palace, and I saw two new watchers take their -places beside the door.</p> - -<p>For a long time I stood in the shadow of the -orchard gate not knowing what to do. Then I -thought that I should still take one of the horses -and go to the place where Merlin might be spoken -to, and so win aid for Eean, my beloved companion. -I made another drug, and I put it into a -drink, and I brought the cup to those who were -at the stable door. These, too, were unsuspecting; -they thought I had brought it from the supper -table, and they drank, and they, too, lost their -senses.</p> - -<p>Then I opened the iron door of the stable the -way we had opened it before and I went within. -I saw the red horse in his stall and I put my hand -upon his neck. As I did this the black horse -broke loose, and he plunged at me, and he caught<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> -me by the flesh of the shoulders and he flung me -down. He reared above me, and was about to -bring his hoofs crashing down upon me. Then -indeed I should have been trampled to death -but that you and your men came in, O King.</p> - -<p>You came with torches and you drove that -fierce black horse away from my body. Never -was I in such danger of death as I was in then. -I do not think I am now in such danger as when -I lay under the feet of that fierce black horse. -But it is for you to judge, O King.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Bird-of-Gold finished her story, and, closing -her eyes, she laid her head upon her hands. All -at that supper table looked toward King Manus. -Eean seemed to hear nothing of her story, for all -the time his eyes were upon the King’s face.</p> - -<p>Said King Manus, “She has been in danger as -great as the danger she is in now, for verily, that -black horse of mine is a manslayer. The girl, -too, shall go free.”</p> - -<p>Then the King drank another cup of wine and -was silent for a while. Then he said, speaking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> -again: “They have fled a great way, these two. -I should not be glad if they lost the match with -this Zabulun. By the open hand of my father, -they may take my two horses, the white one and -the red one, and ride to that part of the Western -Island that Merlin’s island comes near. For -payment to me, let them ask Merlin the Enchanter -what moves I should make in that game of chess -that, for half my lifetime, I have been playing -with King Connal.”</p> - -<p>When King Manus said this the last binding -was taken off Eean and off Bird-of-Gold, and they -went to him and they kissed his hands. Eean -promised that they would bring the horses back -to the stable, and he promised, too, that he would -ask Merlin about the moves in the game of chess, -and would bring back the answer to the King.</p> - -<p>In the middle of it all, one of the stewards came -to the King, and said there was one in the palace -who knew the youth Eean and who could not be -withheld from coming to him. As they were -speaking about him, he came into the supper room, -an old man, whom they all recognized as the one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> -who watched before the door of the King’s chamber, -to prevent those who came with requests -that might not be granted being brought before -the King.</p> - -<p>He went straight to where Eean stood, and holding -up a torch he looked upon him. He no sooner -looked than he cried out, “It is he—indeed, -indeed it is he!” And Eean, his hands grasping -the old man, said, “It is Anluan! It is my -father!”</p> - -<p>Then it was told to Eean how Anluan had left -the nets of a fisherman after his son had gone with -Zabulun as his apprentice; and it was told, too, -how he had come to the palace, and how he had -been made the officer at the King’s doorway on -account of his extraordinary patience, a patience -that he had learned when he handled the net, -and that wore out the most insistent of those who -came with requests to the King.</p> - -<p>There was much rejoicing over the meeting between -Eean and his father Anluan. Then Anluan -turned to her whose hand Eean held, to Bird-of-Gold, -and having wept over her he began to ques<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>tion -her about her accomplishments. It was at -this point that the stewards took Anluan away, -for the pair had now to make ready for their ride -to that part of the Western Island that Merlin’s -island came near to on the mid day of summer -which would be the morrow of that very night. -Refreshments were given them at the King’s -table, the newest of meats and the oldest of wines, -and they went out of the hall, and they mounted -the horses that the grooms of King Manus now -brought out for them, Eean taking the white -horse, and Bird-of-Gold the red horse. A bound -and a bound, and the white and the red started -off, spurning the cobblestones of the courtyard, -riding toward their meeting with that Enchanter -who would give them freedom from Zabulun, -Merlin, the Enchanter of the Isle of Britain.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/illus_129.png" width="550" height="600" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a><br /><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="PART_III" id="PART_III">PART III</a><br /> -<span class="smaller">THE TWO ENCHANTERS</span></h2> - -<h3>I. <span class="smcap">Merlin and Vivien</span></h3> - -<p>A great Enchanter indeed was Merlin. He -served with his enchantments the King of the -Isle of Britain from the time he was a stripling -to the time when he was two score years of age. -Then, when he might have passed from being a -lesser to being a great Enchanter, Merlin vanished -altogether and was seen no more at the court -of the King of the Isle of Britain. All the great -works he had planned were left undone, all the -instruments he had gathered were left unused, -all the books he had brought together were left -unopened, and the King whom he had served so -long was left to whistle for his Enchanter.</p> - -<p>If there were one to blame for that it was the -daughter of King Dionas. She was young, but -she was ungentle. What she saw, that she would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> -have. One day a stranger was passing with her -father, and when he looked on her he said, “A -young hawk she is, a young hawk that has not -yet flown at any prey.” That very day the -daughter of King Dionas walked on the plain that -was at a distance from her father’s castle. The -stranger who had spoken of her to the King was -there, and he looked long upon her.</p> - -<p>“Who art thou who lookest on me so?” said -the child.</p> - -<p>“Thou art Nimiane, who art also called Vivien,” -said the stranger.</p> - -<p>“Yea,” said she, “but who art thou, man?”</p> - -<p>“I am called Merlin,” he said, “and I am the -Enchanter to the King of the Isle of Britain.”</p> - -<p>“Show me thine enchantments,” said Vivien, -who feared not to speak to any man.</p> - -<p>Now Merlin had looked on all the ladies who -were at the court of the King of the Isle of Britain, -and on the maidens who were in far countries and -distant castles, and besides, the ladies of the times -of old had been shown him in his Magic Glass, but -never before had he seen any one who seemed so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> -lovely to him as this child. She was bright eyed -as a bird. She had a slim body, and pale cheeks, -and quick, quick hands. Her hair was red and -in thick tangles. “Show me thine enchantments,” -she cried to him again.</p> - -<p>Merlin bade her come with him and she came. -He brought her to a high place, a place that was -of rock with rocks piled all about it. On the -ground he made magical figures. Then he said -magical words. And all the time Vivien, slim -Vivien with her tangle of red hair, stood upon the -rocks and kept her eyes upon him.</p> - -<p>Upon the ground that was all rock Merlin made -a garden with roses blowing and clear waters -flowing, with birds singing amongst the leaves -and fishes swimming in the streams. He made -trees grow, too, with honey-tasting fruits upon -them.</p> - -<p>Vivien went through the garden, plucking the -flowers and tasting the fruits that grew there. -She turned to Merlin and looked at him again -with her bright eyes. “Canst thou make a -castle for me?” said she.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> - -<p>Then Merlin made his magical figures and said -his magical words over again. The stones that -were strewn about everywhere came together and -built themselves up into a castle. When the -castle rose before them Vivien took Merlin by -the hand, and they went through its doorway and -up the stairway and into the castle turret. And -when they looked from the turret Vivien said, -“Would that no one should know of this garden -and this castle but thou and I!”</p> - -<p>He told her that the castle and the garden would -be hidden. Then when they were leaving the -garden he put a mist all around, a mist that those -who came that way could not see through and -were made fearful of venturing into.</p> - -<p>And so the castle and the garden were all unknown -to men. But Vivien would come, passing -through the mist, and going into the garden and -up into the turret. At first she would not have -Merlin near her. Afterward it came to pass -that she would summon him. A bugle hung in -the turret of the castle, and she would blow upon -it, and he would come and stay by her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - -<p>He was two score years of age, and she was -five years less than a score. Nevertheless he -thought it better to watch her dancing with bright -green leaves in her red hair than to know all that -would bring him from being a lesser to being a -great Enchanter. Of the maidens and great -ladies he had seen, some, he told her, were like -light, and some were like flowers, and some were -like a flame of fire. But she, he said, was like the -wind. And he took thought no more for the -King of the Isle of Britain, nor for the great work -he was to do for him, and he spent his days in -watching Vivien, and in listening to Vivien, and -in making magic things for Vivien’s delight.</p> - -<p>Her father once took her away from the place -near where the hidden garden and the hidden -castle stood. Vivien was in another country now. -And when she went amongst those who were -strangers to her she found out that nothing -mattered to her except the looks and the words -of Merlin. The castle and the garden—she did -not think of them, nor of the magic things he -had made for her. Her thoughts were only on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> -Merlin, who was so wise and who could do such -wonders.</p> - -<p>When she came back, and when she met him -in the hidden garden, she caught hold of his hands, -and she would not let go of them. Nor would she -tell Merlin why this change had come over her, -and why she would keep close to him now and not -apart. At last she said to him, “What ladies -and what maidens have you known, O my master -Merlin?”</p> - -<p>Then Merlin took his Magic Glass into his hands, -and in it he showed her all the ladies who were -at the court of the King of the Isle of Britain, -and he showed her all the lovely maidens who -lived in far countries and in distant castles whom -he knew. Vivien threw herself on the ground with -her face to the rock after she had looked into the -glass.</p> - -<p>Then afterward she watched him in a way -different from the way she had watched him before. -What he said and what he did she remembered -well. Soon she understood his magic figures and -could make them. She came to understand his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> -magic words and to be able to repeat them. And -Merlin would say to her, “O my little hawk, fly -at this—and this—and this.”</p> - -<p>One day as they wandered through a forest -Vivien asked him to tell her the mightiest spell -that he knew. The Enchanter told it to her. She -stood still, with all her quick mind in her face, -while he put aside the tangles of her red hair and -spoke into her ear.</p> - -<p>It was a spell that would hold in a place the -one whom it was spoken over. When he had told -her he went at her bidding and seated himself -under a forest tree. Vivien, laughing, made a -magic circle around him and repeated the spell -that he had given her. When she did this the -Enchanter was enchanted. Merlin stayed under -the forest tree, and there he would stay, for he -could not move until the spell that was said over -him was unsaid by Vivien.</p> - -<p>And Vivien danced around him, her red hair -shaking, her bright eyes gleaming, her quick hands -waving. She called to him, “Merlin, Merlin Enchanter, -come to me.” But Merlin, under the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> -forest tree, could not move. She ran through -the woods and he could not follow after her. In a -while she came back and stood beside him.</p> - -<p>Said Merlin to her, “Why have you worked -this spell upon me, and why have you left me here -so that I cannot move?” She knelt down on -the ground beside where he sat.</p> - -<p>“O Merlin,” said she, “I would leave you here -enchanted, for fear you should leave me and go -amongst the maidens and the ladies who are so -lovely.” And when she said that her face was -so hard that he knew she would hold him there.</p> - -<p>But Merlin smiled, and he said to her, “I -would stay always where you are, Vivien, blossom -of the furze.”</p> - -<p>“Nay,” said she, “you would go from me. -Why should you not? You have great works to -do for the King of the land. And when you see -again the ladies and the maidens who are the -loveliest in the world you will not come back again -to Vivien. I shall hate the castle and the garden -that you made for me, and I shall hate every one -who will come near me. I shall hold you, Merlin,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> -here, even until the wolves come out at night and -devour you and me.”</p> - -<p>“I will build a castle for you in an empty -country, and no one shall ever be there but you -and me,” said Merlin.</p> - -<p>“Nay,” said Vivien, “they will search the world -for you, Merlin, and when they find you, you will -have to go with them.”</p> - -<p>Then Merlin, as if it were a magic thing that -would please her, brought out his thought about -the Island of the White Tower. Away beyond the -Western Island, in a sea that is never sailed on, -that island lies. Only on Midsummer Day does -it come near to the Western Island so that men -may see it. There, said Merlin, they might go. -Those who would search for him could never -come to him there. He told her more and more -about the Island of the White Tower, and Vivien -listened in delight to all he told her. And when -he had sworn he would take her to it she unsaid -the spell with which she had bespelled him, and -he rose up from where he had been held, and he -sprang across the magic figure that was drawn<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> -upon the ground. And with Vivien Merlin went -through the forest.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The fishermen who cast their nets by the shores -of the Western Ocean have this story of Merlin -and Vivien. They tell how in a boat of crystal -twelve creatures sailed to the Island of the White -Tower. And two were Merlin and Vivien, and -nine were the nine prime bards of the Isle of -Britain who went with Merlin, and one was the -tame wolf that was Merlin’s servant. They -sailed out upon a Midsummer’s Day, and from -that good day to this no hint or hair of the Enchanter -has been seen by King nor clown in all the -Isle of Britain.</p> - -<h3>II. <span class="smcap">Zabulun the Enchanter</span></h3> - -<p>It was Anluan, the father of Eean, Anluan who -had once been a fisherman by the shores of the -Western Ocean, who told this story of the Enchanter -of the Isle of Britain. The fishermen -know the story, and they, more often than any -others, have seen the Island of the White Tower<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> -as it shows itself on the rim of the Western -Ocean.</p> - -<p>The story was told after the white horse and -the red horse had clattered across the stones of -the courtyard, bringing Eean and Bird-of-Gold -toward their meeting with Merlin. Candles -thicker than a man’s wrist had been put upon the -supper table; fresh torches had been set in the -sconces along the walls; and logs of resinous wood -had been piled upon the hearth. All this was -done so that the King and his lords might drink -their last cups of wine before they went into the -sleeping chambers.</p> - -<p>And now, in the light of shining candles and -blazing torches and mounting hearth fires, the -squires and the servers went amongst the company -filling the wine cups up. Some had already the -wine in their cups, and were waiting for King -Manus to raise his in a health. Then the strangest -of strange things happened. No wind came into -the hall, but suddenly the candles upon the table -and the torches along the walls went out. The -servers went to relight the torches at the hearth,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> -but the hearth blaze had died down, and all the -logs were black.</p> - -<p>And blackness was in the chamber where, a -minute before, candles and torches and hearth -fires were blazing. The King and his lords stood -around the table, while the servers and squires -ran through every chamber of the castle to find a -spark of light.</p> - -<p>But not even a spark could they find; not the -light of a rush candle even was to be found in any -hall or chamber in the castle. And on every -stairway the same story was told, how suddenly -light and fire had gone black out.</p> - -<p>But now the grooms came in with flints and steel -and tow. Every one tried to strike a spark, but -no spark came for all their striking. And now, -all over the castle, there were outbursts of woe: -the cooks were lamenting that they would have -no fires, and the women were weeping because -lights could not be brought them. It was then -that King Manus bade his lords stand around -laying their hands upon the table.</p> - -<p>The next thing was that a figure appeared at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> -the doorway. All saw it, for there was a line of -faint light around it. It was the figure of a tall -man. “Speak,” said King Manus with his hand -stretched to the figure.</p> - -<p>“If you will have me speak,” said the man.</p> - -<p>“The lights and the fires have been quenched -in the castle. How has this come to be?”</p> - -<p>“It is in the power of an Enchanter of the -second degree to quench light and fire,” said the -man in the darkness. “Further, King Manus: -the fire and light that is extinguished cannot -be brought back until the Enchanter lifts his -ban.”</p> - -<p>“Have you come to tell me this?” asked the -King.</p> - -<p>“I have come to make a request of you, King -Manus,” said the man in the darkness.</p> - -<p>Then Anluan, the father of Eean, he whose -duty it was to let none that might have a request -come face to face with the King, groped around -the room that he might place himself before his -master. But ere he came to where King Manus -stood the man with the line of light around had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> -come so close that he and the King looked into -each other’s eyes.</p> - -<p>“O King,” said the stranger, “I have answered -what you asked of me. Now I make my request. -It is that the black horse that is in your stable be -given to me.”</p> - -<p>There was a stir in the darkened hall, and then -there was an outcry. It was from Anluan, the -father of Eean. “O, King Manus, beware of -the man who knows of the powers of Enchanters. -He may be the one who would ride in chase of -Eean, my son!”</p> - -<p>“He has made a request of me,” said King -Manus. “By the open hand of my father, it will -have to be granted him.”</p> - -<p>“It is for the one horse that can follow the -others,” Anluan cried.</p> - -<p>“I have never refused a request! Alas, alas, -in one night the three horses that were my pride -are taken from me!”</p> - -<p>“Strike now, and light candle and torch and -hearth fire,” said the one who had come amongst -them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> - -<p>Flint was struck upon steel; sparks came and -made the tow blaze; candle and torch and hearth -fire were lighted again. Then all looked at the -one who had come amongst them.</p> - -<p>Tall he was, with a dark and bony face, and eyes -that were like a hawk’s eyes. His dress was a -plain cloak that had a hood that went over his -head. And yet, although he had not the staff -nor the robe of an Enchanter, it did not need -Anluan’s cry to tell the company that here was -the one to whom his son had been apprenticed—Zabulun -the Enchanter!</p> - -<p>“Why do you go in chase of my son?” Anluan -cried.</p> - -<p>“Harut and Marut laid hands upon me. Am -I to have no more mastery because of that?” -said Zabulun. “For forty days I was laid in -the cave that is under the sea, and do men think -that all power is gone from me because of that? -I thought all that time that what I worked for -would come to pass, and that the Magic Mirror -of Babylon would be lost in the ruin of the Tower -of Babylon and that destruction would come upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> -the Babylonians. This would have been if the -boy who was my apprentice had been faithful to -me. But he spoke the words that restored the -mirror to the Kings of Babylon. And I, whose -name, as I thought, would stand forever as one -who had worked a great destruction, am as naught—my -name is a name to laugh at. And shall -he pass from my mastership, the boy who let -this befall me? Not so; he has still to be my aid. -I have paid you, his father, gold for his seven -years’ service, and his service still belongs to me.”</p> - -<p>Then, turning to King Manus, Zabulun said, -“You have granted my request. Command now -that your grooms go to the stable and bring out -the black horse that I am to ride.”</p> - -<p>King Manus gave the commands. Then out -of the door of the castle they all went and into the -courtyard. The still light of the dawn, the dawn -of Midsummer’s Day, was coming over the world. -The grooms went to the stable, and in full sight -of all unlocked the great stable door and brought -out the black horse whose swiftness was such -that he could overtake the wind of March that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> -was before him, while the wind of March that -was behind could not overtake him. They brought -forth the black horse and they held him while the -dark-faced man put himself astride. Then the -hoofs of the last of the King’s horses struck fire -out of the stones of the courtyard, while a cry -went up from Anluan, the one-time fisherman.</p> - -<p>And away went Zabulun the Enchanter, away, -away in pursuit of Eean and Bird-of-Gold, and the -light of the Midsummer Day came into the world.</p> - -<h3>III. <span class="smcap">The Last Flight of Eean and Bird-of-Gold</span></h3> - -<p>As the first light of the Midsummer Day came -over the world the two who were fleeing before -him were speaking of Zabulun the Enchanter. -“That we may baffle him,” one said.</p> - -<p>“And what if we cannot baffle him this time?” -said the other.</p> - -<p>“Then he will take me and make me do terrible -services for him”—it was Eean who said this—“and, -worse than all the services he will make -me do, he will separate us.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> - -<p>“No, no,” said Bird-of-Gold. “If he takes us -this time, I shall do everything to make myself -useful to the Enchanter. I have thought out -ways in which I can serve him. He will not -separate us and we will be together still.”</p> - -<p>“O, Bird-of-Gold,” said Eean, “I am fearful -lest he should slay you for taking the Magic Mirror -off the Tower of Babylon. But I have a sword and -he shall not harm you.”</p> - -<p>“I shall escape him,” Bird-of-Gold said, “and as -he followed you and me across the world, so I shall -follow him and you, and we shall never be apart.”</p> - -<p>They had learnt in their wanderings all ways of -guiding themselves, and as they galloped on they -were heading for the Western Ocean. Darkness -was around them at first. But the sky was wide -and clear, and Bird-of-Gold, when she raised -her head, could see and name the bright planets. -There was Mars with his red pulse. Bird-of-Gold -likened this planet to the steed that she -bestrode, and as she rode on she sang to herself -the song that the shepherd boys in her own country -used to sing about another star:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="i0">That star, I know, is Betelguise;</div> -<div class="i0">Yet, as I walk the hills by day,</div> -<div class="i0">I hardly know his splendid name—</div> -<div class="i0">That star is far away.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="i0">But when at night I travel on,</div> -<div class="i0">Or watch across an empty land,</div> -<div class="i0">Then Betelguise, my star of stars,</div> -<div class="i0">No thing is nearer hand.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="i0">Then send a ray that I may own</div> -<div class="i0">The fortune that is mine:</div> -<div class="i0">O Betelguise, my star of stars,</div> -<div class="i0">My forehead’s for your sign!</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>And after all the countries he had wandered -through, Eean was now back on the ground of -his own country. He heard the cry of the curlews -overhead. He saw the lakes that looked as if -even the birds had forgotten them, so lonely they -were, lonely, but with deep memories. He saw -the cairns of stones above the long dead heroes. -Once he saw a fox upon a cairn, and it seemed to -him that this was the very fox he had chased away -from his mother’s coop the day before the Enchanter -had taken him away from the Western -Island.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p> - -<p>With strong hearts King Manus’s horses galloped -on. But the heart of Eean was strained with the -thought of the distance that was still before them. -First, a great mountain that had to be crossed. -Then a wide plain. Then that other mountain from -the top of which one could see the Western Ocean -in the daylight. And Zabulun the Enchanter -might come upon them in the hills or on the plain -and say a word that might stop their horses’ gallop.</p> - -<p>But they came to the last mountain top, and -they saw the waters of the Western Ocean with -gleams of gold coming upon them. Adown the -heather-covered hillside their horses hurried. And -as the broad sun rose over the broad ocean the -feet of the white and the red horse were scattering -the foam along the shore.</p> - -<p>And as they watched they saw Merlin’s island -grow out of the dimness of the sea. Then the -sun became fuller and it lighted up the White -Tower, and Eean and Bird-of-Gold knew they had -come to their journey’s end indeed. They sprang -off their horses, and they dipped their hands in -the sea, and they kissed each other.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Now we must cast over on the island the tokens -that the Atlantes gave us,” Eean said, “the -cocks’ combs and the peacocks’ feathers. If they -come to Merlin, he will let us cross to his island, -and we can swim our horses over. But how shall -we know if the tokens come to him?”</p> - -<p>He raised the bag in which were the cocks’ combs -and the four peacocks’ feathers. He cast the bag -toward the island. Through the air it went like -a flying bird.</p> - -<p>They mounted their horses again, ready to -swim them across when they got some signal -from the island. And the signal came. It was -the howl of the wolf that was Merlin’s servant.</p> - -<p>Now they were to swim their horses across. As -they went into the water, Bird-of-Gold looked -back. Down through the heather of the hillside -a rider was coming. He was on a black horse. -They knew him for Zabulun, the Enchanter from -whom they were fleeing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> - -<h3>IV. <span class="smcap">How Eean Won His Release from -Zabulun the Enchanter</span></h3> - -<p>Merlin, with the tame wolf that was his servant -beside him, was standing by the White Tower on -the morning of that Midsummer Day. And -Vivien was upon the tower, singing to her colored -birds and looking out over the sea.</p> - -<p>Vivien, who played with her colored birds, had -still the look of a child in her face. Her hair was -no longer in tangles; it was softer than it was -once, and it fell softly over her shoulders. Her -eyes, for all the child’s look that was in her face, -were as if they had seen many things come and -change and pass.</p> - -<p>Like a King, or like one who had been always near -a King, was Merlin the Enchanter. He smiled, -and his smile was calm and royal. But one might -have said that his eyes were strangely close to -each other and that his lips were strangely red.</p> - -<p>His beard was long and gray. He wore a white -robe with a belt of green leaves around it, and a -chaplet of oak leaves was on his head. Vivien<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> -was dressed in green, with a golden belt clasped -around her, and with green leaves in her soft hair.</p> - -<p>So they were standing by and on the tower, -Merlin, Vivien, and Merlin’s tame wolf, when -the tokens that were from the Atlantes came. -Merlin laid his hand upon the wolf, and the wolf -gave the howl that was the signal for Eean and -Bird-of-Gold to come on the Island of the White -Tower. The Enchanter saw them ride their -horses into the water. And then another token -came to him—the token that one magician sends -to another, a Bird of Foam it was, and Zabulun -sent it.</p> - -<p>Deep were the waters, but great-hearted were -the horses of King Manus, the white horse and -the red horse, and with Eean and Bird-of-Gold -astride of them they swam to the Island of the -White Tower. They came to the sloping shore, -and the riders helped the horses up to the hard -ground. The white and the red horse stood -shivering from their plunge into the ocean. -Afterward they threw themselves on the grass -and lay as still as if they were dead.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p> - -<p>Not to the horses, but out to the sea did Eean -and Bird-of-Gold look. The black horse with -Zabulun astride him was swimming now. Swiftly -to the White Tower where they saw Merlin stand -they went.</p> - -<p>“O, Merlin,” Eean cried, “to you we have -come to save us from the Enchanter who has -pursued us from one end of the world to the other.”</p> - -<p>“From whom have you come, you who have -sent such tokens?” said Merlin.</p> - -<p>“From Hermes Trismegistus in his secret cell. -And Hermes bade us say to you that we have -heard from him the answer to the riddle that the -Sphinx asks, and that we crossed the desert to -come to you, answering the Sphinx.”</p> - -<p>“Who is the Magician who pursues you?”</p> - -<p>“Zabulun, once a Prince in Babylon, O Merlin.”</p> - -<p>“Is it he who pursues you?—Zabulun! I -shall have a welcome for Zabulun.”</p> - -<p>“Save us, O Merlin, from Zabulun,” Bird-of-Gold -cried.</p> - -<p>Vivien came down from the tower. “It is -Zabulun who comes to our island in chase of these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> -two, my Vivien,” Merlin said. “Now you shall -see me match my power with Zabulun’s.”</p> - -<p>“A match between magicians, how entertaining -it will be!” cried Vivien, clapping her hands.</p> - -<p>“O lady, if Zabulun is not baffled it will be -death or separation for us,” said Bird-of-Gold to -her.</p> - -<p>“Merlin will baffle him—you will find that -Merlin will baffle him,” said Vivien. “You see, -he has done nothing to impress me for an age.”</p> - -<p>Now Merlin had sent the tame wolf that was -his servant upon an errand, and the wolf at this -moment returned leading nine men who wore -white robes and who had chaplets of oak leaves -upon their brows. These were the nine prime -bards of the Isle of Britain who had come to the -Island of the White Tower with Merlin, their chief.</p> - -<p>They stood as he bade them, four on one side -and five on the other, with the Enchanter of the -Isle of Britain between them. Merlin bade Eean -stand with the four bards. He touched them -with his staff, and the row of bards and Eean with -them became all as alike as ten peas in a pea pod.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> -And Merlin went to Bird-of-Gold and touched her -also, and she became like the lady Vivien exactly.</p> - -<p>Now the black horse that bore Zabulun came -to the sloping bank of the Island of the White -Tower, and Zabulun sprang off his back and drew -the black horse up on the bank. The horse -breathed mightily, and then like the others lay -down on the grass.</p> - -<p>With great and sure strides Zabulun came to -the White Tower where Merlin stood. “Hail, -Merlin,” he cried in a loud voice.</p> - -<p>“Hail, Zabulun.”</p> - -<p>“You know of an apprentice of mine who has -come to your island.”</p> - -<p>“Find him, O mighty magician.”</p> - -<p>Zabulun looked and saw the ten men who -looked exactly alike, and the two women whom one -could not tell one from the other. He turned to -Merlin then and he said, “What a simple trick -you would play upon me! Nine bards you have, -and there are ten before us. One of them is Eean, -the boy apprenticed to me.”</p> - -<p>“Then you will take him, Zabulun.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> - -<p>It is certain that Merlin did not think that -Zabulun would do what he did now. He changed -himself into a hound. Running amongst the ten -that were there he snuffed at them. By the smell -of the horse he had ridden he would find Eean.</p> - -<p>But as he ran amongst them Merlin touched -each of the ten bards and Eean with them with -his staff. They all became pigeons and flew up -into the air. One had a feather awry. This was -Eean on whom Zabulun had laid a paw just as he -was being transformed.</p> - -<p>Instantly Zabulun changed himself into a hawk -and strove to rise above the flock of pigeons. As -he did he saw the one that had a feather awry. -Over him he came.</p> - -<p>Then Eean, seeing the hawk above him, dropped -instantly to the earth. The others flew down with -him, crowding around to hide the ruffled feather. -They came before the door of Merlin’s house. -They flew in and lighted down on the floor while -the hawk came sweeping up to the doorway.</p> - -<p>Merlin touched the pigeons with his staff and -again transformed them. They became ten rings<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> -of gold that lay upon the floor. As the hawk -flew in and perched on a chair to fix his eyes upon -them, the rings of gold rolled into the fire.</p> - -<p>Then Zabulun transformed himself into a tongs, -and went hunting through the fire for the rings. -He picked up one ring and flung it out on the -floor, he picked up another ring and flung it out -on the floor, and so on, until the ten rings were -out of the fire. Merlin touched the rings with his -staff, and they were transformed into ten grains of -corn. Upon these ten grains Vivien and Bird-of-Gold -threw handful after handful of grains of corn.</p> - -<p>But now Zabulun changed himself into a cock -with strong legs and wide claws and a hungry beak. -With his claws he scratched through the heap of -grain. With his beak he picked the grains up. -Vivien and Bird-of-Gold kept throwing on the floor -handful after handful of corn to cover the ten grains.</p> - -<p>But the beak of the cock went so fiercely and -so hungrily amongst them that only a few grains -more than the ten were left upon the floor when -Vivien and Bird-of-Gold found out they had no -more handfuls to fling. Then it seemed as if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> -the cock with his sharp eye would soon pick out -the grain that was Eean.</p> - -<p>Then with his staff Merlin touched nine of the -grains, leaving one untouched. The one he left -untouched was Eean. The nine were changed into -weasels, and they faced the cock fiercely. Then -was Zabulun startled. Instead of picking at the -grain that was Eean he fluttered up from the -ground, and went out of the door of the house.</p> - -<p>Merlin touched the grain that was left and -Eean stood up. Bird-of-Gold clapped her hands -for joy on seeing him again. But Eean ran out of -the door of the house after the cock that was -Zabulun the Enchanter. He snatched up a strong -staff as he ran.</p> - -<p>Zabulun had changed back into his own form. -But now Eean had no fear of him. He ran -toward him. And Zabulun took up a staff that -was lying there and made to defend himself.</p> - -<p>Then began the battle between Eean and -Zabulun. Eean struck at Zabulun, and Zabulun -struck at Eean, and each defended himself with -the staff that he had. They fought their way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> -across the island, from one side to the other. -They fought until their staves were broken and -until they were covered with bruises. Then they -threw away their staves and gripped one another. -All around the island they wrestled. Strong were -the hands of Zabulun upon Eean, and yet Eean -was not thrown by Zabulun. Eean felt his own -hands were strong upon Zabulun, and yet he could -not throw him. Soon Eean lost sense of everything -except two gripping and rocking figures.</p> - -<p>They wrestled their way across the island, -down to the shore where they had landed and -where the three horses of King Manus were lying. -They wrestled until the sea water came over their -feet. Again things became clear to Eean. He -knew that if he could overthrow the Enchanter he -would win his freedom from him.</p> - -<p>He fastened upon Zabulun a grip that seemed -to be stronger than his own life. He heaved with -a power that seemed to bring up his last breath. -He bent Zabulun over. He brought him down, -his head in the water. He flung himself upon the -prone Enchanter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What would you have of me?” Zabulun said -at last.</p> - -<p>“Release. Say you have no more mastership -in me.”</p> - -<p>“I say it. I have no more mastership in you. -You have release from me.”</p> - -<p>“I let you rise.”</p> - -<p>Then Eean took his grip off Zabulun. The Enchanter -rose up and took himself out of the water.</p> - -<p>So Zabulun was defeated, and so release was -given to Eean, The Boy Apprenticed to the Enchanter. -Zabulun mounted the black horse that -was King Manus’s and had him swim the water. -He rode across the plain and over one mountain -and another mountain until he came to the castle -of King Manus. There he left the horse to neigh -for his grooms.</p> - -<p>What became of Zabulun afterward is not -written in the book that is the History of the -Enchanters. Some say that from that Midsummer’s -Day he ceased to be named with the -great Enchanters. The powers he had gained, -they say, shrank from him. Afterward a famous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> -juggler appeared in the world. He used to go -into the halls of Kings on festival nights and do -marvelous feats with balls and rings and knives, -and play music on all manner of instruments, -going from King’s castle to King’s castle. That -juggler, they say—but they may be mistaken—was -Zabulun, once Prince of Babylon, and once -master of the Inaccessible Island.</p> - -<p>Eean and Bird-of-Gold went within the White -Tower, and conversed from noon to dusk with -Merlin and the lady Vivien. Before that Midsummer’s -Day had passed into darkness, they -mounted the white steed and the red steed and -had them swim across the waters. When they -came to the farther shore they let the horses stand -for a while. Then mounting them again they -rode over the mountains and across the plains -and came again to the castle of King Manus.</p> - -<h3>V. <span class="smcap">The Return of King Manus’s Horses</span></h3> - -<p>Again Manus, King of the Western Island, sat -in his supper hall. The torches were in their -sconces, the candles were lighted on the table,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> -the hearth fire was blazing on the hearth, and his -lords once again sat to the right and the left of -him. But this time they sat without laughter -and without high words.</p> - -<p>The harper and the story-teller were at the table -too, but they neither made music nor told stories. -They had tried, both, that evening, but no one -had listened to them. Outside, the iron door of -the stable gaped wide, and the grooms and horse -boys and watchers stood idly around or went -quarreling amongst themselves. It was very -difficult, as you may imagine, for the harper to -play upon his harp when he would hear the King -say into his wine cup, “O, Raven, my black -horse, where art thou now?” And it was equally -difficult for the story-teller to get on with his tale -when he would see the King looking at him with -unseeing eyes and hear him say, “O, my white -and my red horses, what would I not give if I -saw you back in my courtyard again?”</p> - -<p>So you can imagine the silence that was upon -the supper board that was wont to resound with -conversation and story-telling, with music and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> -pledges of the wine cup. “O, Raven, my black -horse, where art thou now?” said the King once -again; and then, “What would I not give to have -my white and my red horse in the courtyard -again?” And these were all the words that King -Manus could be got to say.</p> - -<p>And then, suddenly, a loud neigh was heard -outside. Straightway King Manus ran out of -the supper hall. The lords, the minstrel, and the -story-teller, the stewards, servers, and attendants, -ran with him. And when they came as far as -the wide door of the castle they ran into the grooms -and the horse boys who were running from the -stable. All ran together. And there, in the -middle of the courtyard, without a rider upon his -back, was Raven, the King’s black horse.</p> - -<p>They brought him into his stall in the stable, -and they combed him and they groomed him; -they gave him the red wheat and the white barley -to eat and the clear spring water to drink. King -Manus could hardly be prevailed upon to leave -Raven’s stall and come back into the supper -hall. But at length they got him back into his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> -seat, and then the supper board resounded with -pledges of the wine cup as the King and his lords -drank to each other merrily.</p> - -<p>Again there was neighing in the courtyard, -this time a double neighing. Straightway the -King ran out and all who were near ran with him. -They ran into the grooms and the horse boys who -were running from the stable. There in the -courtyard were the white horse and the red horse. -They were not unmounted, however, for Eean -and Bird-of-Gold were upon them.</p> - -<p>This time King Manus grew into such glee that -he swore by the open hand of his father that he -would make a duke of every lord who was with -him that night. There were great rejoicings. -Some tossed their torches so high that they -frightened the owls out of the cornices on the -castle. The grooms brought the white horse and -the red horse into their stalls in the stable, and -they fed them with red wheat and white barley, -and gave them the clear spring water to drink.</p> - -<p>Then they went to carry Eean and Bird-of-Gold -into the supper hall. They were not to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> -found for a while, for Anluan, Eean’s father, had -led them away. He was seen to weep over Eean, -and to take the hands of Bird-of-Gold and kiss -her while he called her daughter. And to Anluan -King Manus gave the privilege of bringing them -to the supper board.</p> - -<p>The King put Eean into the story-teller’s seat, -but he had Bird-of-Gold sit beside him on his left -hand. The feast began all over again, and went -on from egg to apple. And when wine had been -drunk King Manus called upon Eean to tell the -story of his journey to Merlin’s Island and the -full tale of how he had defeated Zabulun the -Enchanter.</p> - -<p>When all was told the King gave presents to -Eean and Bird-of-Gold and he swore that for a -year and a day he would have them live with him -in his castle. “And,” said he, “this girl, Bird-of-Gold, -has been very loving and faithful to you as -you have been to her, and for a further benefit -to you I shall have the old blind sage come down -from his attic in the castle and marry you here -and now.” Eean and Bird-of-Gold took each<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> -other’s hands as he said this, and the old blind -sage was brought down from his attic chamber, -and he married Bird-of-Gold and Eean by the -rays of the rising sun.</p> - -<p>For a year and a day they lived in King Manus’s -royal castle. Now Eean had learnt so much of -the arts and crafts and mysteries that belong to -an Enchanter that he was able to do great works -for the King. Castles he built that gave security, -and bridges that brought people together, and -mills that ground for the people abundance of -corn. He had become so strong and so sure -of himself since his encounter with Zabulun that -all he set out to perform he did well. And his -wife, Bird-of-Gold, loved him so much that her -thought never went back to the country she had -come from. Always, they say, she kept a flock -of white ducks; perhaps they reminded her of the -thousand ducks that was the fortune she brought -into Babylon.</p> - -<p>But the story-teller must not forget to tell you -about the question that Eean asked Merlin the -Enchanter on King Manus’s behalf. It was about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> -a game of chess that King Manus had been playing -with his brother-in-law, King Connal, for half -their lifetimes without either having victory in -sight. Moreover, they had inherited the game -from their fathers, and it was now being played -for fifty years. Merlin told Eean what the moves -should be, and the day after he came to the castle, -Eean took the chess board and showed them to -the King. With that instruction he played. The -game of chess was finished three days afterwards, -and great fame and honor came to King Manus.</p> - -<div class="center"> -<img src="images/illus_168.png" width="600" height="394" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="p2 center small">Printed in the United States of America. -</p> - -<p> </p> -<hr /> -<p> </p> - -<div class="transnote"><h3>Transcriber's Note:</h3> - -<p>Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as -possible.</p> - -<p>The following change was made to the original. The first line is the -original line, the second the corrected one.</p> - -<p>Page 119:<br /> -you have heard from him <span class="u">to</span> answer to the riddle<br /> -you have heard from him <span class="u">the</span> answer to the riddle</p> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY APPRENTICED TO AN ENCHANTER***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 53252-h.htm or 53252-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/3/2/5/53252">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/2/5/53252</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. -</p> - -<h2>START: FULL LICENSE<br /> -<br /> -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE<br /> -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</h2> - -<p>To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license.</p> - -<h3>Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works</h3> - -<p>1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8.</p> - -<p>1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.</p> - -<p>1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others.</p> - -<p>1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States.</p> - -<p>1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:</p> - -<p>1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed:</p> - -<blockquote><p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United - States and most other parts of the world 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 <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you - are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws - of the country where you are located before using this - ebook.</p></blockquote> - -<p>1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.</p> - -<p>1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work.</p> - -<p>1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.</p> - -<p>1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License.</p> - -<p>1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.</p> - -<p>1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.</p> - -<p>1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that</p> - -<ul> -<li>You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation."</li> - -<li>You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works.</li> - -<li>You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work.</li> - -<li>You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.</li> -</ul> - -<p>1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.</p> - -<p>1.F.</p> - -<p>1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment.</p> - -<p>1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE.</p> - -<p>1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem.</p> - -<p>1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.</p> - -<p>1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions.</p> - -<p>1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. </p> - -<h3>Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm</h3> - -<p>Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life.</p> - -<p>Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org.</p> - -<h3>Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation</h3> - -<p>The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.</p> - -<p>The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact</p> - -<p>For additional contact information:</p> - -<p> Dr. Gregory B. Newby<br /> - Chief Executive and Director<br /> - gbnewby@pglaf.org</p> - -<h3>Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation</h3> - -<p>Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS.</p> - -<p>The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/donate">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>.</p> - -<p>While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate.</p> - -<p>International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.</p> - -<p>Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate</p> - -<h3>Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.</h3> - -<p>Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support.</p> - -<p>Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition.</p> - -<p>Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org</p> - -<p>This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.</p> - -</body> -</html> - diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/53252-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c38096d..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/illus_017.png b/old/53252-h/images/illus_017.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d5b94e5..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/illus_017.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/illus_050.png b/old/53252-h/images/illus_050.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 74ec180..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/illus_050.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/illus_069.png b/old/53252-h/images/illus_069.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 407e656..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/illus_069.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/illus_129.png b/old/53252-h/images/illus_129.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 287feb9..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/illus_129.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/illus_168.png b/old/53252-h/images/illus_168.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e02e777..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/illus_168.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/illus_front.png b/old/53252-h/images/illus_front.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8cc5921..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/illus_front.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/logo.png b/old/53252-h/images/logo.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c7b00d3..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/logo.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/53252-h/images/title_pg.png b/old/53252-h/images/title_pg.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cd35c8e..0000000 --- a/old/53252-h/images/title_pg.png +++ /dev/null |
