"The mountain-tops are, oh, so high!They make a hole right through the sky.They glow with such a lovely light,And far below them lies the night.Their slopes are clad in fir and pine,The queen has ne'er a dress so fine."And there they've stood, so I've heard say,Ever so long and one long day.And they will stand, so I've heard tell,For ever and one day more as well.So winds blow warm and winds blow coldOver the mountain-tops so old."The mountain-tops so old and proud,They wear a crown of mist and cloud.For they were there when things began,Ages before the oldest man.Oh, mountain-tops, you're older farThan great-great-great-great-grandpapa!"
"The mountain-tops are, oh, so high!They make a hole right through the sky.They glow with such a lovely light,And far below them lies the night.Their slopes are clad in fir and pine,The queen has ne'er a dress so fine."And there they've stood, so I've heard say,Ever so long and one long day.And they will stand, so I've heard tell,For ever and one day more as well.So winds blow warm and winds blow coldOver the mountain-tops so old."The mountain-tops so old and proud,They wear a crown of mist and cloud.For they were there when things began,Ages before the oldest man.Oh, mountain-tops, you're older farThan great-great-great-great-grandpapa!"
"The mountain-tops are, oh, so high!They make a hole right through the sky.They glow with such a lovely light,And far below them lies the night.Their slopes are clad in fir and pine,The queen has ne'er a dress so fine.
"The mountain-tops are, oh, so high!
They make a hole right through the sky.
They glow with such a lovely light,
And far below them lies the night.
Their slopes are clad in fir and pine,
The queen has ne'er a dress so fine.
"And there they've stood, so I've heard say,Ever so long and one long day.And they will stand, so I've heard tell,For ever and one day more as well.So winds blow warm and winds blow coldOver the mountain-tops so old.
"And there they've stood, so I've heard say,
Ever so long and one long day.
And they will stand, so I've heard tell,
For ever and one day more as well.
So winds blow warm and winds blow cold
Over the mountain-tops so old.
"The mountain-tops so old and proud,They wear a crown of mist and cloud.For they were there when things began,Ages before the oldest man.Oh, mountain-tops, you're older farThan great-great-great-great-grandpapa!"
"The mountain-tops so old and proud,
They wear a crown of mist and cloud.
For they were there when things began,
Ages before the oldest man.
Oh, mountain-tops, you're older far
Than great-great-great-great-grandpapa!"
Tom Tiddler's Ground
THEY were now quite close to the mountains, and the witch gave the order to come to earth. The catoplane floated gently down until it came to rest in a beautiful grassy spot all ringed round with trees.
The giant was standing just a little way off, looking around him.
"Can you see Him?" called the witch.
"Yes, He's just coming," cried the giant. "Coo-ee! Coo-ee!"—and he waved his great hand to some one.
The witch, George, Alexander, and the cats all sat down and waited. Presently a funny little man came running along through the trees. He had a queer wrinkled-up face, with a smile in one corner of his mouth. He wore a high sugar-loaf hat with a bunch of feathers stuck in it, and a long golden cloak which floated behind him in the wind.
He stepped right into the middle of their circle, and, taking off his hat, made a low bow.
"Welcome!" he said, "welcome! I hope you are all quite well. So you want to follow your fortune?"—with a queer look out of the corner of his eye at George.
"Yes, please," replied George. "At least, I suppose I'm following it. I don't know where it is or where I am."
"To be sure!" chuckled the little man, sitting down suddenly as if he worked with springs. "Well, of course, you'rehere!"
"I know that," laughed George.
"If you know that, why did you ask me?" said the little man, cocking his hat on one side. "You're here: you might be there, but you're not. Now you knowallabout it.... Would you like something to eat?"
"Oh yes, please!" cried George, "I should like some——" And he stopped for a moment to think what he would like.
"Ask for what you want," said the little man. "I expect it's here. There are all sorts of things lying about if one knows where to look for them."
George looked around him. "I don't see anything——" he began.
"Of course not!" snapped the witch. "How can you when you don't know what to look for."
George did not wait a moment. "A plate of roast beef and potatoes, and a large bone for Alexander, please!"
"Help yourself!" said the little man.
There, sure enough, was a large plate of beef on George's knees, and Alexander was contentedly gnawing a huge bone.
"I've got no knife and fork," said George, looking at his plate longingly.
"Why don't you ask for them?" grumbled the witch. "You don't expect knives and forks to come of themselves, do you?"
"A knife and fork, please!" He had hardly spoken when Golden Girl got up—where had she found them?—and handed him a knife and fork; just the right size too!
"Aren't you going to have something to eat?" asked George.
"By and by," replied the witch. "Perhaps I shall eatyouif I get very hungry," and she smiled as if it were a good joke.
There never was such good roast beef, and George was quite sorry when it was all finished.
"Might I have some apple tart—and a spoon," he added quickly, just remembering in time.
The apple tart appeared from nowhere, and George, when he had finished it, said his grace to himself, so as not to make the others feel that they had had no lunch.
The little man had wrapped himself up in his cloak and was sitting quite still. Now he jumped up. "What is your fortune?" he asked George.
"I don't know. No one ever told me—unless, of course, it's money. Father always says he's going to make his fortune some day, and he means money. I should likelotsof money."
"Lots of money, eh?"—and the queer little man smiled a queer little smile. "Well, you've come to the right place forthat!" and they all burst out laughing.
Then the little man sang in a voice like a shrill tin whistle:
"Here we are on Tom Tiddler's ground,Picking up gold and silver,"
"Here we are on Tom Tiddler's ground,Picking up gold and silver,"
"Here we are on Tom Tiddler's ground,Picking up gold and silver,"
"Here we are on Tom Tiddler's ground,
Picking up gold and silver,"
until the echoes answered: "Gold and silver! Gold and silver!"
George stared at him. "AreyouTom Tiddler?"
The little man bowed low. "At your service! This is my land. Make yourself at home, I beg you," and then sat down again.
"But I don't see any gold and silver," said George.
"Pick it up!" replied Tom Tiddler. "You'll see it quick enough then."
George bent down, and there, sure enough, in his hand was a lump of something sparkling in the light.
"Gold!" he cried, and he commenced to pick up more and more. He soon had a large heap by his side.
"How can I carry all this away?" he thought to himself.
Tom Tiddler jumped up and handed him a large sack.
"Oh, thank you!" and George shovelled all the gold and silver into it, while all the otherssat watching him in silence. No one offered to help him, which he thought rather rude.
The sack was very heavy when he had filled it, and he could only just manage to lift it.
"Now that you've found your fortune, what are you going to do?" asked Tom Tiddler. "Go home, I suppose, and spend it." And they all laughed once more.
"I don't see anything to laugh at," said George. "I would go home, only I don't know my way."
"It's straight ahead until you get there, and then you stop," replied Tom Tiddler.
George thought this rather rude and not funny, so he turned and walked away a short distance. He felt as if he would like to cry, and began to wish he were at home again. Something cold touched his hand, and there was Alexander looking up at him, just in the old way, as if he were saying: "I'm here; don't mind what the others say. I'm always your friend."
George stooped down and patted him. "Dear old Alexander! Let us go back now. I don't like Tom Tiddler at all."
Alexander wagged his tail, but said never a word.
There was a suddenwhirr—and there was the witch flying away far above their heads. George was rather glad, for he felt that he wanted only Alexander and nobody else.
Tom Tiddler came up to him again, and said with a bow: "May I show you the way, little master? You mustn't mind their laughter; you will understand better by and by. So many come here, following their fortunes like you, and don't even know what their fortunes are."
With another bow he turned and led the way up a rocky path which seemed to lead right into the heart of the mountains.
George followed him, carrying his bag. How heavy it was and how it hurt his shoulder! He got hot and then hotter, and at last, speaking half to himself, he said: "It is too heavy for me to carry.... I can't carry it any farther.... I'd sooner have no fortune at all if it's as difficult to take away as this is.... Oh, I wish it were gone!" Then, all in a moment, the sack no longer seemed to weigh anything. It might have been empty.
He felt so pleased and happy that he raced along after Tom Tiddler, but he could never quite catch him up, for the little man skipped along, jumping from rock to rock like a younggoat. At last he gave a bigger jump than ever, and—hey presto!—like a Jack-in-the-box he was gone.
George rubbed his eyes. Yes, there was no doubt about it. Unless he had slipped through a hole in the ground or flown away, no one could tell what had become of him. He turned to Alexander, and was just going to ask him what they should do when he saw the great round face of the giant appear, as if it were floating in the air.
"This is a funny place," thought George. "One never knows what is going to happen next. Where did the poor old giant come from, I wonder."
"Hullo!" said the giant as he caught sight of them. "Hullo! Here you are at last. I've been waiting for you. They've all gone, I suppose."
"Yes, they've gone. How did you get here?" asked George.
"Oh, I'm just standing down in the valley below. I can put my head over the edge of the hill, and it's more comfortable for talking. Look over!"
George peeped over the edge of the cliff, and there, sure enough, below them in the valleywere the great feet belonging to the giant. They looked, so far off were they, as if they must belong to some one else.
It was quite a long time before the giant spoke again. "Let us talk. You do want to talk, don't you? I was just thinking over one or two stories to tell you—not the whole of my life, you know—that's very long, as I told you before. It's a queer thing about stories. They grow just as you and I do. Every time I tell a story I find that it has grown longer. Some of them, so I've been told, have no end."
"Oh," said George, "but they must have an end, however long they are! They generally end with 'and so they married and lived happily ever after.'"
"I never heardthatkind of story. It couldn't end that way if you were telling a story about a sausage. Sausages don't marry, do they?" And the giant laughed until all the echoes joined in with "Ha, ha! Ho, ho!"
"Is the story you are going to tell me about a sausage?" asked George.
The giant did not reply, but after a short pause he began: "Once there was a sausage. It was the most beautiful sausage I ever saw. Everybody loved it. It belonged to a princewho was very, very rich. He had so many sausages that he was never able to count them, and he had to go long past twelve times in the multiplication table even then.
"This sausage was large, round, and covered all over with gold paper to keep it from catching cold. It was rather delicate when it was young, but as it grew up——"
"Sausages don't grow up!" exclaimed George in surprise.
"Don't interrupt me," answered the giant. "As it grew up it became stronger and more beautiful every day. The prince was never tired of looking at it and admiring it.
"One day he thought it was time for him to get married, and so he wrote a letter to a lovely princess who lived not far away, and asked her if she would accept his hand and his sausages.
"The princess, however, was not very fond of sausages. She had once been ill after eating them, and had never cared for them since. So she wrote back and said that she was very sorry but she could not accept his kind invitation.
"The prince became very sorrowful when he received her letter, for she was a beautiful princess—almost as beautiful as his sausage. So he made up his mind to go and see where hecould find a wife who would like both him and his sausages.
"He mounted his horse and rode away," continued the giant in a slow, sleepy voice, and George closed his eyes for just one minute, he felt so drowsy....
Hush!You must take forty winksbefore turning over the page. It wouldbe unkind to hear the rest of the storybefore George woke up.
Hush!You must take forty winksbefore turning over the page. It wouldbe unkind to hear the rest of the storybefore George woke up.
Over the Hills and Far Away
GEORGE woke with a start.
"And so the princess said to the prince: 'I had no idea it was agoldensausage. Why didn't you tell me that at first? It makes all the difference.' And so ... and so...." the giant had fallen fast asleep.
"Of course, they married and lived happily ever after!" cried George. "Didn't I tell you so?"
There was no answer. Suddenly he heard what sounded to him like thunder. It rumbled and rolled, nearer and nearer, louder and louder. At last a tremendous clap made thestones roll down the mountain-side, and the trees quivered and shook in fright.
"What shall we do, Alexander?" exclaimed George, for he hated thunder; and he wasn't in bed, so he couldn't bury his head under the clothes. If you do this—as everybody knows—the thunder can't get at you, and just rolls and bumps about under the bed until it gets tired.
Alexander yawned and stretched himself. "Oh, it's only the old giant snoring. I don't wonder, after talking so long about princesses and sausages. Nobody ate a sausage in the whole story. I wish I'd been there, that's all! We'd better be going. He won't wake up for at least a week now."
Sure enough, the poor old giant was fast asleep, and snoring so that you could have heard him twenty miles off. You could hardly hear yourself speak for the noise.
Well, it was no use waiting, so George and Alexander started to follow the little path which wound in and out, like the letter S, up the mountain-side. It was the easiest thing in the world to climb. It was as nice as going upstairs on a very soft carpet, up—up, until they were right above the fir-trees, and itgrew colder and colder. In another moment they were walking on real snow!
"We're nearly at the top now," said Alexander.
George had never been up to the top of a mountain before. Fancy going home and telling everybody what he'd done! Of course he would have to pretend that it was really very difficult, just as people do in books. But would anyone believe him?
Up—up, until at last there they were right on the very tip-top. Far below for miles and miles stretched a great plain, green and beautiful to behold. Was it fancy, that faint sound of music?
"Alexander, where does that music come from?" asked George.
"It comes from there," replied Alexander. "Over there, you know."
"But I don't know—and where is 'over there,' and why does nobody ever answer questions properly?"
Alexander looked as if he were going to say, "Wait and see," but George looked really vexed—so he didn't.
"We'd better go down and see," he said, and bounded down the mountain-side. Oh, youhave no idea how fast they ran! It was almost like flying.
At last they came to a forest of pine-trees through which the path seemed to lead. Into the forest they ran helter-skelter. There must have been thousands of trees; there seemed to be no end to them, and no way through except by the little path which curled in and out and round about.
Curly paths are the best; they enjoy having a little fun, for just as you think you are getting to wherever you want to go you find that the path has turned itself round and is staring you in the face.
Straight paths just go there. They are rather dull unless you are in a hurry, and then it doesn't matter.
This path was sometimes curly and sometimes not. It never seemed to be quite sure what it wanted to do. At last it made up its mind, unrolled itself, and ran as straight as the straightest line right through the wood and out into the sun again.
"Look there!" cried George, pointing, to the branch of a tree just in front of them. There, perched on it and shining away like anything, was the little weathercock!
"You've come at last," he crowed. "It's just time for tea. Come along!" and he fluttered down to the ground beside them.
"How did you get here?" asked George.
"I've been here all the time," answered the weathercock. "Where else should I be?"
George gazed all round him; then he caught sight of a little house he thought he knew, with the smoke curling up from its chimneys. "Why, that'smyhouse! How did it get here?"
"Really, you do ask a lot of questions," complained the little cock. "The house hasn't moved. You've been moving. Didn't you want to get back here?"
"Yes, of course, but—oh, well, I don't understand. I thought we were going somewhere else all the time."
"There is no such place as 'somewhere else' that I ever heard of," said the cock. "Where did you expect to get to? You said you wanted to get home, and here you are, aren't you?"
Alexander ran on ahead and disappeared through the garden gate. George waited for a moment to watch the cock fly up to his little perch on the roof again, and then went in. Tea was spread on the table just as usual. Oh, it was good to be home again! There was no timefor talking. George put down his sack, which he had held in his hand all this time and quite forgotten. What's the good of talking at tea-time, except to say "Yes, please," and "Thank you"? Besides, it is rude to talk with your mouth full, and if you are enjoying your tea your mouth is full all the time. Anyway, that is what George thought. He didn't even stop to see if Alexander was getting anything to eat.
At last he finished, and Alexander, who had found some biscuits somewhere, licked the last crumb from his nose.
"Don't forget your sack, George," he said, in a queer kind of voice.
George gave a start of surprise, then picked up the sack from the floor. It had grown quite, quite small, and weighed almost nothing at all. He opened it, and there inside was—what do you think?—a heap of golden-coloured leaves!
He burst out laughing! So this was his wonderful fortune!
Alexander gazed at him, and neither of them said a word for a moment.
"I see," said George. "I think I see. My fortune isn't made of gold at all. Well, I don't mind a little bit. The sack was very heavy tocarry at first, and I felt as cross as cross could be. I'll put these leaves on the fire."
"No, no!" cried Alexander. "Don't do that! You mustneverthrow away anything that Tom Tiddler has given you. It might bring you bad luck.... You know, so many people throw away their good fortune, and they never, never get a chance of finding it a second time. And they never find their way back here."
"Do you mean that other people have been here in the house?" asked George.
"No, of course not. This isyourhouse. Every one has his own house here until he—or she—grows up. Then they don't seem to want to come back. They're funny people, these grown-ups. I often wonder whether it's wearing trousers and long skirts that makes such a difference to them."
This was quite a long speech for Alexander, so he put his head down on his paws and fell fast asleep.
George wanted to ask ever so many more questions, but all of a sudden he felt sleepy too, so he climbed the stairs to the dear little bedroom, lay down on the bed, and fell fast asleep.
TOMMY, Tommy Tiddler,Oh, so bent and old,Will you please to give meHeaps and heaps of gold?No, my little master,If you have the mindTo take away my treasure,Seek, and you will find.Tommy, Tommy Tiddler,Have you got a sack?Too small are all my pocketsTo carry it all back.Here, my little master,This is deep and wide.Pack the treasure safely—Room for all inside.Heavy is my burden,Long and steep the road.Oh, I find my fortuneIs too great a load!
TOMMY, Tommy Tiddler,Oh, so bent and old,Will you please to give meHeaps and heaps of gold?No, my little master,If you have the mindTo take away my treasure,Seek, and you will find.Tommy, Tommy Tiddler,Have you got a sack?Too small are all my pocketsTo carry it all back.Here, my little master,This is deep and wide.Pack the treasure safely—Room for all inside.Heavy is my burden,Long and steep the road.Oh, I find my fortuneIs too great a load!
TOMMY, Tommy Tiddler,Oh, so bent and old,Will you please to give meHeaps and heaps of gold?
TOMMY, Tommy Tiddler,
Oh, so bent and old,
Will you please to give me
Heaps and heaps of gold?
No, my little master,If you have the mindTo take away my treasure,Seek, and you will find.
No, my little master,
If you have the mind
To take away my treasure,
Seek, and you will find.
Tommy, Tommy Tiddler,Have you got a sack?Too small are all my pocketsTo carry it all back.
Tommy, Tommy Tiddler,
Have you got a sack?
Too small are all my pockets
To carry it all back.
Here, my little master,This is deep and wide.Pack the treasure safely—Room for all inside.
Here, my little master,
This is deep and wide.
Pack the treasure safely—
Room for all inside.
Heavy is my burden,Long and steep the road.Oh, I find my fortuneIs too great a load!
Heavy is my burden,
Long and steep the road.
Oh, I find my fortune
Is too great a load!
Sir Tristram
IT must be very queer living in a country where everything happens in a topsy-turvy kind of way. For one thing, there would be no time to get dull. You cannot help feeling a little bit excited if you never know from one minute to another what o'clock it is, where you are, whether you are going to have your dinner or not, and, if you go out for a walk, what strange people you are likely to meet.
George thought about all these things when he woke up. It must have been morning, for it was quite light, and the sun was shining away as it always seemed to shine in this country. Did it ever rain here? If it did, it must havebeen quite a nice, gentle kind of rain—baby showers, not the kind that pours and pours and keeps you waiting with your nose flattened to the window-pane, wishing that it would clear up. It never does—until bed-time.
The night-time is the proper time for the rain, only what would the people do then who sell umbrellas? Fancy a world without umbrellas!
If it ever did rain here, what on earth would the giant do? He would probably catch a dreadful cold, and then, if he began to sneeze, he would blow the roof off one's house! It would be much worse than the worst thunder-storm.
Of course, nobody ever heard of a giant with an umbrella. If it were open, it would darken the whole sky worse than a fog, and fogs are bad enough.
George had now been quite a long time in this country; one, two—well, it was no use counting, for perhaps even numbers weren't the same. It would be very difficult to remember things if the twice-times-two table were turned upside down. Try it and see for yourself!
Still, though many wonderful things had happened, he had not found his fortune; at least—well, there again, those leaves in the sackwhich Alexander had told him not to throw away must be worthsomething, or what was the use of keeping them?
There was no postman either. How was he to write to Mother?—though, after all, George wasn't quite sure if he could write a long letter without any mistakes in spelling. Perhaps there wasn't any spelling in this country. If that were true it would be more delightful than ever.
Suddenly, "Wuff! Wuff!" he heard Alexander's bark! "I'm coming!" he cried, and jumped out of bed. He never could remember whether he had undressed or not when he went to bed. Anyway, his clothes were on—but were they his clothes? Of course they were not!
He was dressed in a suit of brown and green, brown the colour of the sweet-smelling earth and green the colour of the soft grass. A little cloak of the same colours lay neatly folded on the chair beside his bed, and a cap with a long golden feather hung from a peg on the wall.
How pleased George did feel with himself when he looked in the glass! "I can go and visit the king in this suit," he thought to himself. "I suppose thereisa king in this country. Oh, there's sure to be one somewhere about in acastle, and perhaps there will be a little prince as well."
He went downstairs, two steps at a time. Breakfast was laid as usual, and through the window he could see Alexander lying at full length licking his lips, so he had eaten his bone or whatever else it may have been.
Breakfast was soon over, and George was ready once more for all sorts of adventures. He went out into the garden, but lo and behold, Alexander had disappeared!
He whistled and called for some time, but it was all of no use. Alexander had gone off to look for adventures himself, and would be sure to return by and by.
The little golden cock was turning round in the breeze, but although George waited for some time, hoping that he would fly down to earth again, it was all in vain.
"I suppose I must go out by myself this morning," thought George. "I'll just go straight on as usual until I find a road to somewhere. It's sure to be all right."
He went off toward the wood and turned down the first path he saw. It went straight ahead, for a wonder, and after some time he saw, sure enough, a little sign-post.
Written on it in large letters, so that it was easy enough even for small boys to read, was:
TO THE CASTLE OF THE THOUSAND TOWERS
"I say!" said George. "A thousand towers! Why, that's ten times one hundred! Whoever lives in a castle like that, I wonder."
He lost no time in running on, until he found himself on a broad white road which seemed to stretch for miles and miles ahead as far as he could see. He stood still for a moment, thinking of the best plan for travelling such a long distance. Suddenly he heard aJingle, jingle! Trot, trot!and there, coming toward him out of another part of the wood, was a knight on horseback.
George knew he was a knight, because he had often seen pictures of knights in the olden days, clad in armour, with long plumes flowing from their helmets.
This knight might have stepped out of a picture-book. He wore a great sword at his side, and carried a long spear with a sharp point. When he saw George he pulled up his horse and spoke in a kindly voice: "Well, my young squire, and whither are you bound?"
George took off his cap. "If you please, I am going to the Castle of a Thousand Towers. Can you tell me if it is very far away?"
The knight looked down at him and smiled. "How many miles to Babylon?" he asked.
"Why, that's in the nursery-rhyme book!" cried George.
"Ah!" replied the knight. "It's sure to be true, then. Nothing like a good rhyme, is there? I'm bound in the same direction, so you had better get up behind me and we can travel together."
He bent down and lifted George into the saddle, and off they went.
"I suppose this is a real war-horse—what the books call a charger, isn't it?" asked George, holding on tight.
"Yes, of course," replied the knight. "He's the finest horse in the land. He can carry me for days and days and never tire."
"Do you really ride for days and days on horseback, seeking adventure?" George felt quite excited at the thought.
"Yes. You can't be a knight, you know, unless you seek adventures. I'm looking for dragons at present. You haven't seen one hereabouts, have you?"
George was silent for a moment. What was he to say? If he told the knight about his friend the dragon something horrid was sure to happen, and he was such a friendly dragon too!
At last he said: "I don't expect there are any dragons near here; not anydangerousdragons, I mean. Some dragons are quite friendly, you know."
The knight laughed. "Dragons are meant to be killed. They're always doing wicked things—carrying off beautiful princesses or breathing fire and burning up whole villages. I don't callthatvery friendly, do you?"
After this they rode on for some time in silence. At last George asked: "Have you ever been to the castle?"
"No. I have never been in this part of the country before. I never stay in the same place for long. When I do I shall hang up my sword, spear, and shield and turn my good horse out to rest. My work will be finished then."
They rode on again,jingle, jingle, trot, trot, along the road and across an open plain, with not a house or a human being in sight. The knight began to sing, first in a very low voice as if to himself, and then louder, so that George could hear the words:
"Sword, sword,Gleaming so bright,Sword, sword,Aid me in the fight.Out of the scabbardAnd sturdily smite!"Shield, shield,Guard me 'gainst blow,Shield, shield,Of oncoming foe.Keep me unscathedWherever I go!"Lance, lance,Steady and true,Lance, lance,Pierce through and through.Into the battleI'll charge, lance, with you!"
"Sword, sword,Gleaming so bright,Sword, sword,Aid me in the fight.Out of the scabbardAnd sturdily smite!"Shield, shield,Guard me 'gainst blow,Shield, shield,Of oncoming foe.Keep me unscathedWherever I go!"Lance, lance,Steady and true,Lance, lance,Pierce through and through.Into the battleI'll charge, lance, with you!"
"Sword, sword,Gleaming so bright,Sword, sword,Aid me in the fight.Out of the scabbardAnd sturdily smite!
"Sword, sword,
Gleaming so bright,
Sword, sword,
Aid me in the fight.
Out of the scabbard
And sturdily smite!
"Shield, shield,Guard me 'gainst blow,Shield, shield,Of oncoming foe.Keep me unscathedWherever I go!
"Shield, shield,
Guard me 'gainst blow,
Shield, shield,
Of oncoming foe.
Keep me unscathed
Wherever I go!
"Lance, lance,Steady and true,Lance, lance,Pierce through and through.Into the battleI'll charge, lance, with you!"
"Lance, lance,
Steady and true,
Lance, lance,
Pierce through and through.
Into the battle
I'll charge, lance, with you!"
The horse seemed to trot in time with the melody, and George nodded his head as he had seen Father doing when he was listening to Mother playing the piano after dinner.Nid, nod, nid, nod—he kept on nid-nodding until he woke up with a jerk and found that he must have been half asleep.
"Look, there's the castle!" said the knight, pointing straight in front of him.
There it was, sure enough! It stood all by itself on a hill, round whose grassy sides a roadwound and curved up to the great gates. These gates were made of some bright metal, and on the top of each was carved a great crown. Whether there were really one thousand towers or not it is impossible to say, but there were towers everywhere, all shining like burnished gold in the bright sunshine.
As they drew nearer they could hear the blare of trumpets. Presently the gates swung open without a sound, and the trumpeters, mounted on white horses, came riding through, playing such stirring music that George felt as if he wanted to wave his cap and cheer.
They formed up in two lines, one on each side of the road; the knight rode through the gates into the courtyard. Here he dismounted and lifted George down from the saddle.
"Here we are at last!" he said.
A long flight of marble steps led up to the entrance. The knight took George by the hand, and up they went, ever so high, together. At the top stood two soldiers in armour. They saluted, and the door of the castle opened as if by magic.
At Court
THEY found themselves in a great hall. It was so great that they could only see the roof by almost bending backward. If you imagine that it was anything like the hall at home you are greatly mistaken.
The floor was made of shining wood, and marble pillars of different colours towered up above them to the great glass-domed roof. It would take a whole week to tell you all the wonders there were to be seen. Pictures of kings and queens, of knights in armour and lovely ladies; mirrors, fountains full of goldfish, cages full of singing-birds—all the riches of the world seemed to be here.
The two walked on hand in hand for a long way without meeting a single person, and George was just going to ask if anybody lived there when from behind a curtain there came toward them a man clad in scarlet and gold, carrying a long white wand in his hand. He bowed solemnly and, holding back the curtain, said: "The King, my master, bids you welcome. Be pleased to enter and refresh yourselves after your journey."
He stood on one side to let them pass through into the dining-room, where a meal was already laid. After taking off his armour the knight sat down, looking as if he were quite accustomed to dining in castles. He told George later on that kings always expected you to eat and drink directly you arrived, and were very vexed if you didn't.
"I don't think people can go and dine with our King like this," said George, "but I expect that's because there are no knights. At least, I haven't heard of any."
"I expect you would find them if you knew where to look for them," replied his friend.
"There used to be knights in King Arthur's time," said George. "Mother reads to me all about the Round Table out of a book at home.There was Sir Launcelot and Galahad; and oh, please, would you mind telling me your name? Mine is George."
"A very good name too. My name—but I cannot tell you that yet awhile. I am on a quest, and my real name I may not tell."
George gazed at him. "I think you look like Sir Tristram. May I call you by that name, please?"
The knight smiled. "'Tis a great name, and a great knight bore it; so, if it please you, Tristram I will be to you, but to you alone."
"Oh, it's a secret between ourselves then!... Will you take me with you on your quest?"
"You are full young to be a squire, but you too are in search of adventure, are you not?" asked Sir Tristram.
"Yes, I'm seeking my fortune," replied George.
"I expect it's not far off. We will look for it together," and the knight smiled kindly.
Then they set to work and ate all the good things which had been provided for them. The gentleman in scarlet and gold—who, Sir Tristram told George in a whisper, was the chamberlain—reappeared, and bowing solemnly, said: "The King hopes that you are feeling refreshedfrom your journey, and wishes to hear of your adventures." He then turned and led the way through another door.
They followed him down a long passage and found themselves in the presence of the King. He was standing quite alone and without his crown on, but you could see that he was arealking. He bade them welcome and listened attentively while Sir Tristram related his adventures.
"And you, young squire?" he said, turning with a smile to George. "Are you, too, following a quest?"
"I am seeking my fortune, your Majesty," replied George.
The King was silent for a while, as if in thought.
The windows of the room looked out upon a fair country of great forests, fields of waving corn, and hills covered with vineyards. George thought that it would be a splendid place to come to for the summer holidays.
"To-night," said the King, "I hold my court, and all those who seek their fortunes or are looking for adventure are welcome. I shall hope to see you both," and with a kindly nod he bade them farewell.
George dined again with Sir Tristram, and the dinner was delicious. He wondered what was going to happen, but didn't like to ask any questions. He felt just a little bit lonely, too, without Alexander.
After dinner was over the chamberlain led them down the hall and up a great staircase, so wide that eight people abreast could have walked up it. He paused for a moment before two folding doors, over which hung thick curtains edged with gold embroidery, and then, bowing low, said: "I pray you enter."
The doors flew open and the two friends entered. They found themselves in a great room ablaze with light, but without a single person in it. Suddenly George caught sight of the King sitting on a throne at the far end of the room. He looked so lonely and tired that George felt ever so sorry for him.
At the foot of the throne stood two trumpeters, who played delightful music as George and Sir Tristram stepped toward the King and bowed low.
"Welcome!" said the King. "Welcome! Ye seek adventure, noble knight and squire, in which to gain renown for your arms. Here ye will find adventure enough for the bravest."
He bade them be seated, and then he spoke as follows:
"Many years ago, when my father reigned over this country, there lived a mighty magician. He was very rich, much richer than my father, and very proud. His wife was dead, and he lived with an only daughter, who was said to be very beautiful butverybad-tempered.
"My father had never seen them, but my grandfather had often told him that this magician, who was called Xystipos, might come to pay a visit as soon as his daughter was fully grown up.
"But alas! there came a great sickness, and my father and mother both died and left me to reign alone.
"Now there lived in a country not far from here a princess, the daughter of my father's old friend the king of that country. Both her parents and my parents wished us to marry, and indeed we were both willing, for we loved one another.
"When I became King I paid a visit to their country, and the marriage was then arranged to take place in a few weeks.
"But shortly after my return a messenger arrived who announced that Xystipos was on hisway to pay me a visit. He arrived the next day. Nobody saw him enter the castle, or knew how he had travelled such a great distance.
"He was a tall, dark man, with a long black beard and eyes which glowed like fire. His voice was deep and mysterious. He spoke but seldom, and seemed as if he could read one's very thoughts.
"I wondered why he had come, until one day he said to me: 'Why have you not married? This country needs a queen.'
"I told him that I was soon to marry the Princess Fortunata, to which he replied: 'No, that will never do. She is too young, too poor. You need a wife who is rich, beautiful, wise. Such a maid is my daughter. Marry her, and you shall be the richest and most powerful king in this land.' He smiled a smile that made me shiver with fear.
"'I cannot!' I cried. 'I love the Princess Fortunata!'
"He smiled again and said no more.
"But the next day, and every day for a week, he asked me to marry his daughter. I told him each time that it was quite impossible.
"At last he said: 'I return now to my home. Youshallmarry my daughter in the end whetheryou like it or not. Farewell!' He was gone before I could say a word in reply.
"Now on the very day on which the Princess and I were to be married there arose a great storm, and darkness fell over the whole city. When the sky grew clear again the Princess had vanished. Although we searched high and low, nobody could find her.
"I returned at last to my home, miserable and heart-broken. There I found a letter from Xystipos. No one knew how it had come. In it was written: 'If you would win back your Princess, you must seek and find her.' That was all."