In which the treasures of King Loc are described as well as
the writer is able
Six years to a day had passed since Honey-Bee had come to live with the
dwarfs. King Loc called her into his palace and commanded his treasurer
to displace a huge stone which seemed cemented into the wall, but which
in reality was only lightly placed there. All three passed through the
opening left by the great stone and found themselves in a fissure of
rock too narrow for two persons to stand abreast. King Loc preceded the
others along the dim path and Honey-Bee followed him holding to a tip of
the royal mantle. They walked on for a long time, and at intervals the
sides of the rocks came so close together that the young girl was seized
with terror lest she should be unable to advance or recede, and so would
die there. Before her, along the dark and narrow road floated the mantle
of King Loc. At last King Loc came to a bronze door which he opened and
out of which poured a blaze of light.
“Little King Loc,” said Honey-Bee, “I had no idea that light could be so
beautiful!”
And King Loc taking her by the hand led her into the hall out of which
the light shone.
“See!” he cried.
Honey-Bee, dazzled, could sec nothing, for this immense hall, supported
by high marble columns, was a glitter of gold from floor to roof.
At the end on a dais made of glittering gems set in gold and silver, the
steps of which were covered by a carpet of marvellous embroidery, stood
a throne of ivory and gold under a canopy of translucent enamel, and
on each side two palm-trees three thousand years old, in gigantic vases
carved in some bygone time by the greatest artists among the dwarfs.
King Loc mounted his throne and commanded the young girl to stand at his
right hand.
“Honey-Bee,” said King Loc, “these are my treasures. Choose all that
will give you pleasure.”
Immense gold shields hung from the columns and reflected the sunlight,
and sent it back in glittering rays; swords and lances crossed had each
a flame at their point.
Tables along the walls were laden with tankards, flagons, ewers,
chalices, pyxes, patens, goblets, gold cups, drinking horns of ivory
with silver rings, enormous bottles of rock crystal, chased gold
and silver dishes, coffers, reliquaries in the form of churches,
scent-boxes, mirrors, candelabra and torch-holders equally beautiful in
material and workmanship, and incense-burners in the shape of monsters.
And on one table stood a chessboard with chessmen carved out of
moonstones.
“Choose,” King Loc repeated.
But lifting her eyes above these treasures, Honey-Bee saw the blue sky
through an opening in the roof, and as if she had comprehended that the
light of day could alone give all these things their splendour, she said
simply:
“Little King Loc, I want to return to earth.”
Whereupon King Loc made a sign to his treasurer who, raising heavy
tapestries, disclosed an enormous iron-bound coffer covered with plates
of open ironwork. This coffer being opened out poured thousands of rays
of different and lovely tints, and each ray seemed to leap out of a
precious stone most artistically cut. King Loc dipped in his hands
and there flowed in glittering confusion violet amethysts and virgins’
stones, emeralds of three kinds, one dark green, another called the
honey emerald because of its colour, and the third a bluish green,
also called beryl, which gives happy dreams; oriental topazes, rubies
beautiful as the blood of heroes, dark blue sapphires, called the
male sapphire, and the pale blue ones, called the female sapphire, the
cymophanes, hyacinths, euclases, turquoises, opals whose light is softer
than the dawn, the aquamarine and the Syrian garnet. All these gems
were of the purest and most luminous water. And in the midst of these
coloured fires great diamonds flashed their rays of dazzling white.
“Choose, Honey-Bee,” said King Loc. But Honey-Bee shook her head.
“Little King Loc,” she said, “I would rather have a single beam of
sunlight that falls on the roof of Clarides than all these gems.”
Then King Loc ordered another coffer to be opened, in which were only
pearls. But these pearls were round and pure; their changing light
reflected all the colours of sea and sky, and their radiance was so
tender that they seemed to express a thought of love.
“Accept these,” said King Loc
“Little King Loc,” Honey-Bee replied, “these pearls are like the glance
of George of Blanchelande; I love these pearls, but I love his eyes even
more.”
Hearing these words King Loc turned his head away. However he opened
a third coffer and showed the young girl a crystal in which a drop of
water had been imprisoned since the beginning of time; and when the
crystal was moved the drop of water could be seen to stir. He also
showed her pieces of yellow amber in which insects more brilliant than
jewels had been imprisoned for thousands of years. One could distinguish
their delicate feet and their fine antennae, and they would have resumed
their flight had some power but shattered like glass their perfumed
prison.
“These are the great marvels of nature; I give them to you, Honey-Bee.”
“Little King Loc,” Honey-Bee replied, “keep your amber and your crystal,
for I should not know how to give their freedom either to the fly or the
drop of water.”
King Loc watched her in silence for some time. Then he said, “Honey-Bee,
the most beautiful treasures will be safe in your keeping. You will
possess them and they will not possess you. The miser is the prey of his
gold, only those who despise wealth can be rich without danger; their
souls will always be greater than their riches.”
Having uttered these words he made a sign to his treasurer who presented
on a cushion a crown of gold to the young girl.
“Accept this jewel as a sign of our regard for you,” said King Loc.
“Henceforth you shall be called the Princess of the Dwarfs.”
And he himself placed the crown on the head of Honcy-Bee.