let proclamation be made that whosoever shall bring to me a cup of
water from the fountain of youth shall have the Princess for his wife.
So shall I drink of the water and become young again, and that which
was to kill me shall bring me life.'
"Then there was silence awhile till at last an aged Mufti arose.
"'Oh King!' said he, 'Beware how you resist the words of fate. Is it
so easy to live rightly that you would crave for more of life? He who
lengthens the life of this world makes shorter the life of the world to
come. Beware!'
"'Fool!' said the King, 'thou art ten years younger than I. Let it be
as I have said.'
"Soon after this the mermaid said to Ali, 'It is time Prince that you
left us. The King desires a cup of the fountain of youth, and to him
who brings it he will give the Princess. Therefore have no fear, but
take thy sword and this crystal flask, and passing through yonder
gateway journey on until you reach a deep valley, at the bottom of
which you will find the fountain. Drink none, but fill your flask and
hasten to the King without pause or fear.'
"With this counsel the Prince took his sword, and tying the flask about
his neck set out. As he stepped through the gate-way of amber he looked
up and saw above him the splendid blue of the deep sea like one vast
quiet sapphire. Before him a gradual slope led downwards over rocks
and sea grasses which at last ceased, and he came upon a floor of sand
whiter than the purest snow.
"As the descent ended he saw in front of him a majestic angel of vast
height. Her foot rested on a marble skull of huge proportions, and upon
her brow was written _Azrael_.
[Illustration.]
"For a moment the Prince paused in dread; then he took courage and said
humbly,
"'Is this the fountain of youth?' As he ceased the angel murmured,
'_Out of death cometh all life_,' and solemnly struck the skull with
her wand. Instantly a purple liquid gushed from under the skull and
floated in slow spirals upward through the still water.
"With a bound the Prince knelt at the skull, filled his flask and
turned away in haste, for already the purple color was tinting the
whole sea about him, and he remembered well the mermaid's warning.
"Three days after this Ali reached the court of King Omar. To his great
joy he found the court sitting, and the King on his throne.
"So splendid was Prince Ali's dress and so noble his air that no one
stopped him, and he entered freely and unquestioned. Before him sat the
King his uncle. He was very old, but still vigourous enough to live for
many years beyond the common span of human life.
"Ali listened while the Muftis read aloud the promise of the King that
whosoever brought the cup of water from the fountain of youth should
marry the Princess Jessalie.
"No sooner had they ended than Ali bowed before the throne.
"'Oh King!' said he, 'I am the Prince Ali, thy nephew, whom you would
have slain. I have brought to you here a cup of the water of the
fountain of youth, Drink, but read first what words have come on the
flask since I filled it at the fountain. Drink then if you will, and
give me the Princess, for by my sword this is water of the fountain of
youth and none other.'
"'Ha!' said the King, 'Give it to me!' and tottering he arose and
descending a few steps seized the flask. Then he tore from it the
silver cover with which the Prince had sealed it.
"At once a dense purple vapour rose in clouds from the lip of the flask
and curled upwards through the hall. Whosoever breathed of this his
eyes flashed and he dreamed of mornings long ago, and of fair women and
of boyhood, so that all who felt it stood bewildered.
"Then cried the King, 'I drink to youth!' and would have drained the
flask, but Ali held his hand and bade him read the words which were
graven upon the vessel.
'"It is but a moment to wait for youth,' cried the King, and turning to
a magician bade him read the words, 'For,' said he, 'I am old and my
sight fails me.'
"'Oh my master!' said the magician, 'these are the words:
"'He who steals to-morrows
Shall drink the wine of sorrows.'"
"Then the aged counsellor fell back with an altered face as he breathed
the purple fumes, 'Woe is me! I am stronger! I am grown younger! Woe is
me! I am further from Allah.'
"But the King, saying no word, set the flask to his lips and drained
it to the utmost drop. Then with a cry of delight he threw the vessel
away, and shouting aloud, 'I am young again!' bounded up the steps and
pausing faced the mutely wondering crowd.
"When he turned he was seen as a man in the lusty vigour of life,
stalwart and strong of limb.
"'Ho!' he said, 'my guard!' but none stirred, for his face was still
changing, and now his beard was gone, and it was a lad who sat upon the
throne, and a lad's voice which cried aloud.
"'This man to the dungeons! What ho! my guard!' And yet they moved not,
for the lad was now a child.
"Still the stern will worked, and the child-King said faintly, 'My
guards! my guards!' till his voice broke into baby lispings, and now it
was an infant who sat upon the throne.
"Then the changes seemed to cease, and the ancient counsellor who had
so wisely warned the King cried aloud, 'Allah il Allah! great and
wonderful are thy ways!'
"When one man had thus broken silence a mighty tumult arose, amidst
which the baby King looked right and left with blue eyes of wonder.
"But Ali drew his sword and in a terrible voice ordered the guard to
clear the hall. Instantly he was obeyed, and then there was great
counsel held as to what should be done with the King. At length it was
decided that he should be sent to the island where Ali had lived, and
be kept there all his days. These indeed proved few, for it is recorded
in the chronicles of the kingdom that he took teething rather hard,
and died in his second summer of malignant whooping-cough.
"As to Prince Ali he married his cousin the Princess Jessalie, and the
mermen and the mermaids came to the wedding and brought with them for
presents pearls and amber and tortoise shells such as folks never see
now-a-days.
"They lived long together, and loved one another well, and they both
died at one and the same moment, which was the happiest thing of all
their happy lives."
* * * * *
The sun was not yet down on the next evening when the young spiders
began to collect around Fuz-buz.
"Tell us," said one of them, "a story about giants."
"There's a jolly idea," cried another. "Is it to be a spider giant?"
"Ahem!" replied Fuz-buz. "I wish there were such giants, and I wish one
of them would come along this very moment and gobble you all up."
This he said in so fierce a voice that the young spiders ran away
squealing so loud that if you had been a spider and had owned an
ear-trumpet, you might have heard them at least three inches off.
As for Mrs. Grabem she hurried in a rage to Fuz-Buz, and gave him a
shake, saying, "Have a care old rascal, how you scare my young ones.
Tell them a story at once, or you shall never tell another on this
earth."
"Yes, madam," answered Fuz-buz very meekly, and as soon as ever he
could get his breath he began as follows, to tell them the story of
Krusstikuss and Growlegrum.
KRUSSTIKUSS AND GROWLEGRUM.
"There have been many giants I believe, but there never were any others
like the great giant Growlegrum and his twin brother Krusstikuss.
"These two giants were both of them Ogres. Their mother was an Afrite,
and their grandfather a Ghoul. On which account they were probably the
most unpleasant giants that anybody ever came across.
"When very young they were tall and stout, but one day unluckily for
Krusstikuss, his grandmother, who was a fat giantess, sat down on him.
"Not feeling anything in particular she fell asleep and did not awaken
for three months.
"Of course it was hard for Krusstikuss to grow while his grandmother
sat upon him, so he began to spread out sideways and never afterwards
got out of the habit. He therefore became as fat as a bun, while his
brother Growlegrum grew as tall as the highest tree.
"So one was tall, and one stout, but both were of the same size in
wickedness, and as to Krusstikuss he liked to eat babies, while
Growlegrum was fond of young ladies, although their hoops sometimes
disagreed with him.
"When these monsters grew up they ate so many people that their father
told them they would cause a famine, and must go away and find another
land where people were more plenty.
"At last they took his advice and started out together to seek a new
home. After eating a great many folks they came to a beautiful country
where lived a King who had a daughter as good as she was pretty.
"When the two giants reached the borders of this land they sat down and
began to talk.
"'I am getting so big,' said Krusstikuss, 'that I find it a labour to
walk about and look for babies. They must be very scarce.'
"'Not more so than young ladies,' cried Growlegrum. 'I should think
they would like to be eaten before they grow to be old and ugly, but
really it does not seem so.'
"While they were thus lamenting the scarcity of food, an old woman with
a red cap and a green kirtle came from the wood and stood before them.
"'Sirs,' said she, 'I am a cousin of yours, and also a witch. Why
should you be troubled about your meals? Order the King Hassan to send
hither twice every day ten fat babies and one young lady.'
"'Good,' said the giants, 'we can lie on these hills and eat and sleep
without labour. So let it be. Go you to King Hassan and tell him to
send us the babies and the young ladies without fail, or else we will
eat him and fry him first.'
"This made the old witch chuckle, and she went away quickly towards
the city with her wicked news. Presently she entered the Palace, for
she was a cousin of the King, and went straight to the garden where
she told King Hassan that the two giants were on the borders of his
country, and must have ten babies and a young lady twice a day or else
they would eat the King and fry him first, which made Hassan feel hot
all over.
"He soon saw that he could do nothing against such vast monsters, and
therefore beat his breast and ordered his captains to take to the
giants the babies and the young ladies.
"You may be sure that when this happened twice a day for a week folks
began to be very much troubled. By and by the mammas hid away the
babies in tree-tops and chimnies and in all sorts of out of the way
places. And as to young ladies there were none to be found, for every
one of them put on her brother's pantaloons, and it was hard work to
catch a woman at all.
"It chanced about this time that the Princess was walking in a wood
near the Palace when she saw a young girl crying. Now as the Princess
was very kind-hearted she stopped at once and said,
"'Why do you cry? What ails you?'
"'Oh dear!' said the other, 'to-morrow I am to be taken by the guard
to be eaten by the Ogres, Growlegrum and Krusstikuss, and when I am
gone who will comfort my old mother, for she has no child but me?'
"When the Princess heard this she told her to wait a little, and went
herself to find the King.
"'Father,' said she, 'it is hard that all the young girls should be
eaten alive by these false giants. Why do not you raise an army and go
and fight and kill them? It is base to give up to them in this way.
Were I a man I would slay them myself.'
"'It would be in vain to try,' answered the King. 'Well,' said the
Princess, 'to-morrow I shall go alone in place of the maiden who is
chosen, and perhaps some good knight will not willingly let me die so
mean a death.'
"The King was very angry, but the Princess was obstinate. Then a young
Prince who was present arose and said,
"'I have come, lady, a thousand miles to help you. My name is Prince
Bluets, and I am the great-grandson of John, who is sometimes called
Jack, the Giant Killer. Go to the giants as you have said and all will
yet be well.'
"Then the Princess looked and saw that the Prince had brave eyes and
was fair of face, so she replied,
"'It shall be as you say.'
"'To-morrow, then,' continued the Prince, 'you shall go to the giants
and I will follow you. But first take this amulet and hang it around
your neck. So long as you wear it all things living and dead will love
you, and no giant will wish to eat you.'
"Thus saying he hung around her neck a gold chain, and at once she went
away and ordered her horse to ride to the giants. Meanwhile it was
proclaimed that out of love for her people the Princess was going to
beg the giants to go away and not to eat any more babies.
"As for the Princess, she sent word to the little maiden in the wood
that she was going in her place, and then bravely mounted her horse and
rode through the town to the gate.
"No sooner did the people see her than they began to follow her,
because the amulet made every one wish to be near to her. But at the
gate she bade them return, and rode away alone into the wood, though
even there the charm still worked, and all things loved her more and
more. The sun stared her in the eyes like a gallant over-bold, and the
wind played with her chestnut hair and was happy, and the leaves bent
down and kissed her, and all the mice and the birds and the bears and
the foxes came out and followed her.
"But when she came near to the two Ogres and saw them sitting on a hill
with their white eyes and rough faces and great black teeth like marble
tombstones, all the animals set up a dismal howl and ran away. Yet
still the lady rode along, and presently the two giants became aware of
her presence.
"Then said Growlegrum, 'Here comes dinner,' but when she drew nearer he
added, 'She's too pretty to eat. Who are you my dear?'
"'I am the Princess Violet,' said she, 'the King's daughter.'
"'Hah!' said both of the Ogres, 'You shall be my wife.'
"'Well,' cried she, 'I cannot have two husbands; put me in a safe place
and after I have known you both for a month I can decide which I will
have for my husband.'
"'Good,' returned Krusstikuss, 'So let it be.' Then they lifted her
gently and put her near by in a castle whose owner they had devoured,
and every day they brought her goodies to eat, enough for twenty
dinners.
"In the morning came Growlegrum and looked over the castle wall and
said, 'I love you my dear.' But in the afternoons came Krusstikuss and
said, 'Bless me! how I love you!' Now the Princess knew that within a
month she should hear of Prince Bluets.
"As for that Prince he went away to a magician and asked him how he
could become thin.
"'There are four ways,' answered the magician,
'Eat nothing,
'Fall in love,
'Become jealous, and
'Think ever so much.'
"Then said the Prince, 'The advice is good,' and so saying he gave him
three links of a gold chain which he wore, and mounted his horse and
rode swiftly until he came to a high hill which at a great distance
overlooked the castle where the lady was. Here he sat down and with his
spy-glass looked until he saw Krusstikuss kissing his great hand to the
lady.
"This made him horribly jealous, and at once he began to get thin. Then
for four days he ate nothing and so became thinner and thinner. Of
course he was miserably in love, and this also made him lose flesh.
"After four days he was still too fat, so he began to think of all
the hard conundrums and riddles and charades that ever were heard of,
but at last when he had been two days thinking how to make apple pies
out of donkies he became so thin that his bones were no thicker than
walking sticks, and when he stood sideways he had no shadow at all.
"Then he took his sword and walking carefully for fear of breaking into
halves or of being blown away, he descended the hill, and late at night
knocked at a side door of the castle where the Princess Violet now
lived.
"As soon as she heard the noise she came to the door and said,
"'Who is it?'
"'It is I,' answered the Prince, but his voice was so thin that he
could hardly be heard, and if the Princess had not loved him she never
would have been able to hear a word he said.
"'My love,' he cried, 'It is I, Prince Bluets. Presently I shall
squeeze my head through the key-hole, and you must then seize me by the
hair and drag me in.'
"Of course giants' castles have very large key-holes, and as the Prince
was as thin as could be he easily pushed his head through the key-hole,
when the Princess took hold of his hair, and pretty soon drew him into
the castle.
"She was very much amazed when she saw him so lean and meagre, but the
Prince explained it all and they sat down and had a good talk until
morning, when the Prince hid away in a corner under some hay.
"By and by came Krusstikuss, and looking over the castle wall said in a
large voice, 'I love you my dear. Here are some nice little dishes for
breakfast!' and so saying, he emptied his pockets of about two wagon
loads of cakes and candy and bon-bons and all kind of goodies such as
Princesses eat.
"'Sir,' said the Princess, 'If I am to be a giant's wife, I must learn
to eat babies. If you love me you will bring me all the babies you get,
that I may keep them until they get so fat and tender that I shall be
tempted to eat them.'
"'But what shall I live on myself?' cried Krusstikuss.
"'Oh!' said the Princess, 'if you are in love you will not care to
eat.'
"'That's queer,' returned the giant, 'but I suppose it won't hurt me to
suck my paws for awhile like the bears.'
"Then he took four babies out of his hat and two out of his pockets,
saying, 'I am sorry, but I ate four on the way. To-morrow you shall
have all, and when you get them fat enough I will come and dine with
you.'
"After this he went away leaving the babies to the Princess, who put
them all in a row and fed them with nine dough-nuts apiece, so that if
they did not get fat it was not her fault.
"In the afternoon came Growlegrum, who was as big in length as
Krusstikuss was sideways.
"'My love,' said he, when he had peeped over the wall, 'What's this?
Babies.'
"'Sir,' she replied, 'Your brother loves me, and has promised me all
the babies, that I may fatten them. If you also love me at all, you
will give me the young ladies you were to eat every day, that I may
have some one to take care of the babies and feed them.'
"'Ah me!' said the giant, 'I shall die of starvation.'
"'Don't, if you love me,' said Violet.
"'Enough,' cried Growlegrum. 'Here lovely Princess is the first, and
every day you shall have another.'
"So saying, he jerked a beautiful young lady out of his pocket and set
her down inside of the castle.
[Illustration]
"'Good-bye,' said the Princess.
"'Good-bye,' said the giant, 'If I stay I shall steal a baby.'
"So he gnashed his ugly grim teeth and walked away with vast steps.
"When he was out of sight Prince Bluets came forth, and the Princess
and he laughed with joy, because of the babies whom they had saved. But
as there was no time to lose the Prince kissed her and wriggled through
the key-hole again.
"Then in haste he ran into the woods and took the road which led to the
city where King Hassan lived.
"On the way he heard voices, and climbing a tree he listened eagerly
until he learned that these came from five persons who were dressed in
long robes and were riding from the town. By good luck they rested a
little while just under the tree in which Bluets lay hidden. He soon
understood that all five were lawyers whom the King had sent to see
Krusstikuss, that they might offer the Princess in marriage to him with
half of the kingdom if he would send his brother away, and learn to eat
beef and mutton in place of babies.
"'Ho!' said the Prince, 'This won't do,' so he waited till they left,
and then descending ran back to the castle and called the Princess.
"Then through the key-hole he gave her a little advice about the five
lawyers. After this he went away once more towards the city.
"As for the Princess she waved her handkerchief from the castle wall
until Growlegrum espied her and strode over the hills and valleys to
the castle.
"'Sir,' she said, 'Do not be surprised if you see a party of men in
gowns coming from the city. Go and meet them, if they think you are
Krusstikuss they will tell you something.'
"'Good,' answered he. 'Now I perceive that you love me.'
"Then, without waiting, he walked towards the city. A little way on he
met the five lawyers. As soon as they saw him they dismounted and threw
themselves on the ground.
"'What do ye want?' roared Growlegrum.
"'Oh sir!' said they, 'we would see the great giant Krusstikuss.'
"'It is well,' returned the giant. 'Speak.'
"'Sir,' said they, 'We come to offer to the great giant Krusstikuss
one-half of the kingdom and the Princess for a wife.'
"'Ha!' answered the giant, 'and what shall his brother have?'
"'Perhaps,' returned one of the lawyers, 'he might be persuaded to
leave, or else your highness could quietly knock him on the head.'
"'Scoundrels!' roared Growlegrum, 'My name is not Krusstikuss. I'll
teach you to make trouble, you rascals.'
"Upon this he seized them one after another, and ate the whole five.
The effects of this meal were dreadful. In five minutes Growlegrum was
bent double with stomach-ache, for you see the lawyers disagreed with
him, and they also disagreed with one another inside of him.
"But this was not all, for in a few moments he began to grow so
quarrelsome that he became the most unsafe giant that could anywhere be
found.
"In half an hour he was outrageous, and by the time he met his brother
he was ready to fight anybody.
"Well the end of it was they did fight. They fought for two days and
two nights, when Krusstikuss got so weak that Growlegrum took him up by
the heels and stood him on his head and gave him a mighty spin, for he
was made just like a top, and then, while he was spinning, treated him
to a kick, and hoisted him over two hills into the sea, where he spun
to the bottom and never more was heard of.
"When this awful battle was over Growlegrum sat on a hill and began to
pick his teeth with a fence rail. Meanwhile Prince Bluets hastened to
the city.
"He had gone but a little way when who should he see but his
great-great-grandfather Jack, the Giant Killer, who had journeyed a
long way to see what had become of Bluets. After they had embraced one
another, the Prince told his grandfather all that had passed.
"'You have done well,' said Jack, 'but we must now get rid of this
other giant who I hear is a terrible fellow. Let us go and see him.'
"'Very well,' replied Bluets, 'We will go,' and so saying they turned,
and very soon spied Growlegrum sitting on the hill. As soon as ever he
saw them he roared out,
"'Dinner! Here comes my dinner!'
"When they had come still nearer Jack cried aloud, 'I am Jack, the
Giant Killer, and I have come to visit you.'
"'Ha, ha!' laughed the giant, 'You are a little man and brave.' 'There
is one thing you cannot do, big though you be,' said Jack.
"'Name it,' said Growlegrum. 'I can pull up trees and kick down towns
and chew cannon balls and eat you. What is there I cannot do?'
"'Sir,' answered Jack, 'All these things are easy.' 'If I cannot eat
anything and kill anybody I will quit this land and go home,' said the
giant in a rage.
"'Good!' cried Jack, 'Come with us.'
"Upon this the giant picked them both up and walked off in the
direction which Jack pointed out. Presently they came to a house.
"'Stop!' said Jack, and the giant set them down.
"'Eat the man who lives in that house,' said Jack.
"'Poh!' cried Growlegrum, and gave the house a kick which knocked it
down in a twinkling. Then he pulled out of the ruins a man who began to
roar for mercy.
"'Oh dear!' he said, 'Don't eat me, and I will never fib any more, and
never make any more speeches ever again.'
"'Who is he?' asked the giant. '_A member of Congress_,' cried Jack.
"'Eat _him?_ eat _him!_ said the giant, 'I don't want to be poisoned.
You must think I am a fool.'
"'Eat him!' cried Jack.
"'No, sir,' said Krusstikuss. 'I'd rather leave. If I must die I would
like to die easy.'
"So saying the giant gave a groan and set off across the hills. I do
not know where he went, but I suppose he travelled home to his mamma,
and told her what a fool Jack had made of him.
"As soon as the giant had gone Jack and Prince Bluets went to the
castle and set free the Princess and all the babies, who showed their
gratitude by screaming for a week. But perhaps this might have been
owing to the dough-nuts they had eaten.
"I do believe there never was such a wedding as that of Prince Bluets
and Princess Violet, for all the fairy folk came, and Cinderella and
all the fairy godmothers, and Aladdin, and Prince Nosey, and the seven
champions, and Hop O'my Thumb, Goody Two Shoes, and Red Riding Hood.
All of them brought presents to the bride, but the Prince gave her only
his love and took away from her the amulet for fear it should make any
one love her more than he could."
* * * * *