The King was a man that stood well before the world; his smile was
sweet as clover, but his soul withinsides was as little as a pea. He
had two sons; and the younger son was a boy after his heart, but the
elder was one whom he feared. It befell one morning that the drum
sounded in the dun before it was yet day; and the King rode with his
two sons, and a brave army behind them. They rode two hours, and came
to the foot of a brown mountain that was very steep.
"Where do we ride?" said the elder son.
"Across this brown mountain," said the King, and smiled to himself.
"My father knows what he is doing," said the younger son.
And they rode two hours more, and came to the sides of a black river
that was wondrous deep.
"And where do we ride?" asked the elder son.
"Over this black river," said the King, and smiled to himself.
"My father knows what he is doing," said the younger son.
And they rode all that day, and about the time of the sun-setting came
to the side of a lake, where was a great dun.
"It is here we ride," said the King; "to a King's house, and a
priest's, and a house where you will learn much."
At the gates of the dun, the King who was a priest met them, and he
was a grave man, and beside him stood his daughter, and she was as
fair as the morn, and one that smiled and looked down.
"These are my two sons," said the first King.
"And here is my daughter," said the King who was a priest.
"She is a wonderful fine maid," said the first King, "and I like her
manner of smiling."
"They are wonderful well-grown lads," said the second, "and I like
their gravity."
And then the two Kings looked at each other, and said, "The thing may
come about."
And in the meanwhile the two lads looked upon the maid, and the one
grew pale and the other red; and the maid looked upon the ground
smiling.
"Here is the maid that I shall marry," said the elder. "For I think
she smiled upon me."
But the younger plucked his father by the sleeve. "Father," said he,
"a word in your ear. If I find favor in your sight, might not I wed
this maid, for I think she smiles upon me?"
"A word in yours," said the King his father. "Waiting is good hunting,
and when the teeth are shut the tongue is at home."
[Illustration: "HE WAS A GRAVE MAN, AND BESIDE HIM STOOD HIS
DAUGHTER."]
Now they were come into the dun, and feasted; and this was a great
house, so that the lads were astonished; and the King that was a
priest sat at the end of the board and was silent, so that the lads
were filled with reverence; and the maid served them, smiling, with
downcast eyes, so that their hearts were enlarged.
Before it was day, the elder son arose, and he found the maid at her
weaving, for she was a diligent girl. "Maid," quoth he, "I would fain
marry you."
"You must speak with my father," said she, and she looked upon the
ground smiling, and became like the rose.
"Her heart is with me," said the elder son, and he went down to the
lake and sang.
A little after came the younger son. "Maid," quoth he, "if our fathers
were agreed, I would like well to marry you."
"You can speak to my father," said she, and looked upon the ground and
smiled and grew like the rose.
"She is a dutiful daughter," said the younger son, "she will make
an obedient wife." And then he thought, "What shall I do?" and he
remembered the King her father was a priest, so he went into the
temple and sacrificed a weasel and a hare.
Presently the news got about; and the two lads and the first King were
called into the presence of the King who was a priest, where he sat
upon the high seat.
"Little I reck of gear," said the King who was a priest, "and little
of power. For we live here among the shadows of things, and the heart
is sick of seeing them. And we stay here in the wind like raiment
drying, and the heart is weary of the wind. But one thing I love, and
that is truth; and for one thing will I give my daughter, and that is
the trial stone. For in the light of that stone the seeming goes,
and the being shows, and all things besides are worthless. Therefore,
lads, if ye would wed my daughter, out foot, and bring me the stone of
touch, for that is the price of her."
"A word in your ear," said the younger son to his father. "I think we
do very well without this stone."
"A word in yours," said his father. "I am of your way of thinking; but
when the teeth are shut the tongue is at home." And he smiled to the
King that was a priest.
[Illustration: "'MAID,' QUOTH HE, 'I WOULD FAIN MARRY YOU.'"]
But the elder son got to his feet, and called the King that was a
priest by the name of father. "For whether I marry the maid or no, I
will call you by that word for the love of your wisdom; and even now
I will ride forth and search the world for the stone of touch." So he
said farewell and rode into the world.
"I think I will go, too," said the younger son, "if I can have your
leave. For my heart goes out to the maid."
"You will ride home with me," said his father.
So they rode home, and when they came to the dun, the King had his
son into his treasury. "Here," said he, "is the touchstone which shows
truth; for there is no truth but plain truth; and if you will look in
this, you will see yourself as you are."
And the younger son looked in it, and saw his face as it were the face
of a beardless youth, and he was well enough pleased; for the thing
was a piece of a mirror.
"Here is no such great thing to make a work about," said he; "but if
it will get me the maid, I shall never complain. But what a fool is my
brother to ride into the world, and the thing all the while at home."
So they rode back to the other dun, and showed the mirror to the King
that was a priest; and when he had looked in it, and seen himself
like a King, and his house like a King's house, and all things like
themselves, he cried out and blessed God. "For now I know," said
he, "there is no truth but the plain truth; and I am a King indeed,
although my heart misgave me." And he pulled down his temple and built
a new one; and then the younger son was married to the maid.
In the meantime the elder son rode into the world to find the
touchstone of the trial of truth; and whenever he came to a place of
habitation, he would ask the men if they had heard of it. And in every
place the men answered: "Not only have we heard of it, but we alone
of all men possess the thing itself, and it hangs in the side of our
chimney to this day." Then would the elder son be glad, and beg for a
sight of it. And sometimes it would be a piece of mirror, that showed
the seeming of things, and then he would say: "This can never be, for
there should be more than seeming." And sometimes it would be a lump
of coal, which showed nothing; and then he would say: "This can never
be, for at least there is the seeming." And sometimes it would be a
touchstone indeed, beautiful in hue, adorned with polishing, the light
inhabiting its sides; and when he found this, he would beg the thing,
and the persons of that place would give it him, for all men were very
generous of that gift; so that at the last he had his wallet full of
them, and they chinked together when he rode; and when he halted by
the side of the way, he would take them out and try them, till his
head turned like the sails upon a windmill.
"A murrain upon this business!" said the elder son, "for I perceive no
end to it. Here I have the red, and here the blue and the green; and
to me they seem all excellent, and yet shame each other. A murrain on
the trade! If it were not for the King that is a priest, and whom I
have called my father, and if it were not for the fair maid of the dun
that makes my mouth to sing and my heart enlarge, I would even tumble
them all into the salt sea, and go home and be a King like other
folk."
But he was like the hunter that has seen a stag upon a mountain, so
that the night may fall, and the fire be kindled, and the lights shine
in his house, but desire of that stag is single in his bosom.
Now after many years the elder son came upon the sides of the salt
sea; and it was night, and a savage place, and the clamor of the sea
was loud. There he was aware of a house, and a man that sat there by
the light of a candle, for he had no fire. Now the elder son came in
to him, and the man gave him water to drink, for he had no bread; and
wagged his head when he was spoken to, for he had no words.
"Have you the touchstone of truth?" asked the elder son; and when the
man had wagged his head, "I might have known that," cried the elder
son; "I have here a wallet full of them!" And with that he laughed,
although his heart was weary.
And with that the man laughed too, and with the fuff of his laughter
the candle went out.
"Sleep," said the man, "for now I think you have come far enough; and
your quest is ended, and my candle is out."
Now, when the morning came, the man gave him a clear pebble in his
hand, and it had no beauty and no color, and the elder son looked upon
it scornfully and shook his head, and he went away, for it seemed a
small affair to him.
All that day he rode, and his mind was quiet, and the desire of the
chase allayed. "How if this poor pebble be the touchstone, after all?"
said he; and he got down from his horse, and emptied forth his wallet
by the side of the way. Now, in the light of each other, all the
touchstones lost their hue and fire, and withered like stars at
morning; but in the light of the pebble, their beauty remained, only
the pebble was the most bright. And the elder son smote upon his brow.
"How if this be the truth," he cried, "that all are a little true?"
And he took the pebble, and turned its light upon the heavens, and
they deepened above him like the pit; and he turned it on the hills,
and the hills were cold and rugged, but life ran in their sides so
that his own life bounded; and he turned it on the dust, and he beheld
the dust with joy and terror; and he turned it on himself, and kneeled
down and prayed.
"Now thanks be to God," said the elder son, "I have found the
touchstone; and now I may turn my reins, and ride home to the King
and to the maid of the dun that makes my mouth to sing and my heart
enlarge."
Now, when he came to the dun, he saw children playing by the gate
where the King had met him in the old days, and this stayed his
pleasure; for he thought in his heart, "It is here my children should
be playing." And when he came into the hall, there was his brother on
the high seat, and the maid beside him; and at that his anger rose,
for he thought in his heart, "It is I that should be sitting there,
and the maid beside me."
"Who are you?" said his brother. "And what make you in the dun?"
"I am your elder brother," he replied. "And I am come to marry the
maid, for I have brought the touchstone of truth."
[Illustration: "ALL THAT DAY HE RODE, AND HIS MIND WAS QUIET.... 'HOW
IF THIS POOR PEBBLE BE THE TOUCHSTONE, AFTER ALL?' SAID HE."]
Then the younger brother laughed aloud. "Why," said he, "I have found
the touchstone years ago, and married the maid, and there are our
children playing at the gate."
Now at this the elder brother grew as gray as the dawn. "I pray you
have dealt justly," said he, "for I perceive my life is lost."
"Justly?" quoth the younger brother. "It becomes you ill, that are
a restless man and a runagate, to doubt my justice or the King my
father's, that are sedentary folk and known in the land."
"Nay," said the elder brother; "you have all else, have patience also,
and suffer me to say the world is full of touchstones, and it appears
not easily which is true."
"I have no shame of mine," said the younger brother. "There it is, and
look in it."
So the elder brother looked in the mirror, and he was sore amazed; for
he was an old man, and his hair was white upon his head; and he sat
down in the hall and wept aloud.
"Now," said the younger brother, "see what a fool's part you have
played, that ran over all the world to seek what was lying in our
father's treasury, and came back an old carle for the dogs to bark at,
and without chick or child. And I that was dutiful and wise sit here
crowned with virtues and pleasures, and happy in the light of my
hearth."
"Methinks you have a cruel tongue," said the elder brother; and he
pulled out the clear pebble, and turned its light on his brother; and
behold, the man was lying; his soul was shrunk into the smallness of a
pea, and his heart was a bag of little fears like scorpions, and love
was dead in his bosom. And at that the elder brother cried out aloud,
and turned the light of the pebble on the maid, and lo! she was but a
mask of a woman, and withinsides she was quite dead, and she smiled as
a clock ticks, and knew not wherefore.
"Oh, well," said the elder brother, "I perceive there is both good and
bad. So fare ye all as well as ye may in the dun; but I will go forth
into the world with my pebble in my pocket."