learning, wealth, and merit. Why; therefore, does not Bee love him?
Further, he is good and wishes to be just. Poor little King Loc! Nur
introduces and describes himself in a speech worth learning and
remembering. His long speech about ourselves is full of wisdom and
warning. Read it again and again. The last portion is very beautiful.
And what a wonderful way the dwarfs had of finding things out without
books. George of the Moor was easily traced. King Loc is very
undwarflike or, let us say, very human when he learns where George is.
But would the laugh of these little creatures even in unison be a
"jovial great guffaw"? Surely it is only jolly giants who make great
guffaws. Perhaps you can describe the dwarf laughter in a better way.
What do you think the writer means by making Nur live in a deep well?
[Sidenote: _Chapter XVI._]
There is an interesting glimpse of one of the duties of the dwarfs in
the first paragraph of this chapter. Have you read Mrs. Ewing's
_Lob-lie-by-the-Fire_? If not, get it from the library and read about
what one of our poets calls "the lubber-fiend." Dwarf madness seems to
be an amiable thing. "A shell of mother-of-pearl _irisated_." Remember
that Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow. George was no more
happy among the beauties of the sea-world than was Bee among the
treasures of the caves, and he learnt the same lesson as she did. You
will find it in the sentence which begins: "The years went by." Compare
King Loc with the Princess of the Sylphs. Achilles was the Greek hero
who fought against Troy and killed their champion, Hector. Disguised as
a girl, he was once sent by his mother to the court of King Lycomedes
because she wished to prevent his setting out for the Siege of Troy.
Tannhauser is the hero of the German story, who visited the court of
Venus, the Goddess of Love, and there forgot everything but pleasure;
but later he repented. The story is set to music in Wagner's opera.
George was not the first, nor the last, to be saved from slackness and
inspired to deeds of courage by a book. Compare his request to be set
free with that of Bee in a former part of the story. What do you think
about Nur's opinion on science and poetry?
[Sidenote: _Chapter XVII._]
What is the "bezel" of a ring? And how would you like to go boating on
a petroleum lake? There is a wonderful description of King Loc's
journey through the sea cavern. Does it recall any piece of literature,
prose or verse, song or story. There is a good picture in the story of
the meeting of George and his rival. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher
who knew almost everything there was to be known. If King Loc had
belonged to our time we should call him a "sport." But it was too much
to hurl Bee's name at him without any preparation. On the whole the
shadows of the story appear to be lifting in this chapter, don't they?
[Sidenote: _Chapter XVIII._]
John's exclamation was not quite polite. If he did not see a ghost he
might have guessed that it was an angel. The people had given a natural
cause for the disappearance of George, but explained Bee's absence in a
more wonderful and mysterious way, with a touch of poetry. The
home-coming of George has various effects, according to the character of
the people he meets. Freeheart back again, too, and still at his old
game of "making a song about it"! The light grows brighter and
brighter.
[Sidenote: _Chapter XIX._]
It was the common people who were expected to know all about the habits
of the dwarfs. Glauce is good fun and a clever girl would love to act
her part in a play; she is by no means unimportant in the story. Cider
added to oats for a horse! I wonder what Glauce meant by "drinking
fair"? And what the neighbours said afterwards about her late husband's
story?
[Sidenote: _Chapter XX._]
An "espadon" must be a terrible weapon, judging by its name. Avalon
lies at the farthest verge of the western sea and is the last home of
all good knights, including King Arthur:
The island-valley of Avilion;
Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow,
Nor ever wind blows loudly: but it lies
Deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard-lawns
And bowery hollows crowned with summer sea.
And Thule is the northernmost land of all the world. Freeheart's ideas
of costume are quite original; but his notion of wine-inspired courage
is not so praiseworthy. He is, however, a better diplomatist than
George, and has a very charming way of telling the young lover that he
has been foolishly rude. George's entry, reception, and meeting with
little King Loc make a splendid moving picture. Disappointment in love
has not soured the little king, but has made him something of a poet;
and how gently he reproves the hot-headed George! How kind George is,
too, in the midst of his happiness. And all ends in mock-heroics and
good fun.
[Sidenote: _Chapter XXI._]
The last scene of all makes one long to have a play based upon this
story. Who would not be proud to act King Loc and have such a lofty
mind? It would be difficult, of course, to get together such a wedding
present as he gave Bee, but the players could easily agree to play the
game of "Let's pretend," as Shakespeare did when he hung up a card, on
the curtain, bearing the words, "This is a wood."
A true story? Well---what is it all about? It is a story of
mother-love, child-love, and lover's love. It is full of kindliness,
courage, gaiety, forgiveness, compassion, helpfulness, resource, and
fortitude. And these things have always been true, are true to-day and
will be true long, long after we all reach the "island valley of
Avilion." So, what greater truth could we ask for?
We give here for purposes of enjoyment and comparison a prose story and
a poem, both of which tell the story of the Greek maiden who was carried
off to the dark Underworld, but who, unlike Bee, became the bride of its
king; also another story of dwarfs and their ways.
*THE SORROW OF DEMETER*
In the fields of Enna, in the happy island of Sicily, the beautiful
Persephone was playing with the girls who lived there with her. She was
the daughter of the Lady Demeter, and every one loved them both; for
Demeter was good and kind to all, and no one could be more gentle and
merry than Persephone. She and her companions were gathering flowers
from the field, to make crowns for their long flowing hair. They had
picked many roses and lilies and hyacinths which grew in clusters around
them, when Persephone thought she saw a splendid flower far off; and
away she ran, as fast as she could, to get it. It was a beautiful
narcissus, with a hundred heads springing from one stem; and the perfume
which came from its flowers gladdened the broad heaven above, and the
earth and sea around it. Eagerly Persephone stretched out her hand to
take this splendid prize, when the earth opened. and a chariot stood
before her drawn by four coal-black horses; and in the chariot there was
a man with a dark and solemn face, which looked as though he could never
smile, and as though he had never been happy. In a moment he got out of
his chariot, seized Persephone round the waist, and put her on the seat
by his side. Then he touched the horses with his whip, and they drew
the chariot down into the great gulf, and the earth closed over them
again.
Presently the girls who had been playing with Persephone came up to the
place where the beautiful narcissus was growing; but they could not see
her anywhere. And they said, "Here is the very flower which she ran to
pick, and there is no place here where she can be hiding." Still for a
long time they searched for her through the fields of Enna; and when the
evening was come, they went home to tell the Lady Demeter that they
could not tell what had become of Persephone.
Very terrible was the sorrow of Demeter when she was told that her child
was lost. She put a dark robe on her shoulders, and took a flaming
torch in her hand, and went over land and sea to look for Persephone.
But no one could tell her where she was gone. When ten days were passed
she met Hekate, and asked her about her child; but Hekate said, "I heard
her voice, as she cried out when some one seized her; but I did not see
it with my eyes, and so I know not where she is gone." Then she went to
Helios, and said to him, "O Helios, tell me about my child. Thou seest
everything on the earth, sitting in the bright sun." Then Helios said
to Demeter, "I pity thee for thy great sorrow, and I will tell thee the
truth. It is Hades who has taken away Persephone to be his wife in the
dark and gloomy land which lies beneath in the earth."
Then the rage of Demeter was more terrible than her sorrow had been; and
she would not stay in the palace of Zeus, on the great Thessalian hill,
because it was Zeus who had allowed Hades to take away Persephone. So
she went down from Olympus, and wandered on a long way until she came to
Eleusis, just as the sun was going down into his golden cup behind the
dark blue hills. There Demeter sat down close to a fountain, where the
water bubbled out from the green turf and fell into a clear basin, over
which some dark olive-trees spread their branches.
Just then the daughters of Keleos, the king of Eleusis, came to the
fountain with pitchers on their heads to draw water; and when they saw
Demeter, they knew from her face that she must have some great grief;
and they spoke kindly to her, and asked if they could do anything to
help her. Then she told them how she had lost and was searching for her
child; and they said, "Come home and live with us: and our father and
mother will give you everything that you can want, and do all that they
can to soothe your sorrow." So Demeter went down to the house of
Keleos, and she stayed there for a whole year. And all this time,
although the daughters of Keleos were very gentle and kind to her, she
went on mourning and weeping for Persephone. She never laughed or
smiled, and scarcely ever did she speak to any one, because of her great
grief. And even the earth, and the things which grow on the earth,
mourned for the sorrow which had come upon Demeter. There was no fruit
upon the trees, no corn came up in the fields, and no flowers blossomed
in the gardens. And Zeus looked down from his high Thessalian hill, and
saw that everything must die unless he could soothe the grief and anger
of Demeter. So he sent Hermes down to Hades, the dark and stern king, to
bid him send Persephone to see her mother Demeter. But before Hades let
her go, he gave her a pomegranate to eat, because he did not wish her to
stay away from him always, and he knew that she must come back if she
tasted but one of the pomegranate seeds. Then the great chariot was
brought before the door of the palace, and Hermes touched with his whip
the coal-black horses, and away they went as swiftly as the wind, until
they came close to Eleusis. Then Hermes left Persephone, and the
coal-black horses drew the chariot away again to the dark home of King
Hades.
The sun was sinking down in the sky when Hermes left Persephone, and as
she came near to the fountain she saw someone sitting near it in a long
black robe, and she knew that it must be her mother who still wept and
mourned for her child. And as Demeter heard the rustling of her dress,
she lifted up her face, and Persephone stood before her.
Then the joy of Demeter was greater, as she clasped her daughter to her
breast, than her grief and her sorrow had been. Again and again she
held Persephone in her arms, and asked her about all that had happened
to her. And she said, "Now that you are come back to me, I shall never
let you go away again; Hades shall not have my child to live with him in
his dreary kingdom." But Persephone said, "It may not be so, my mother;
I cannot stay with you always; for before Hermes brought me away to see
you, Hades gave me a pomegranate, and I have eaten some of the seeds;
and after tasting the seed I must go back to him again when six months
have passed by. And indeed, I am not afraid to go; for although Hades
never smiles or laughs, and everything in his palace is dark and gloomy,
still he is very kind to me: and I think that he feels almost happy
since I have been his wife. But do not be sorry, my mother, for he has
promised to let me come up and stay with you for six months in every
year, and the other six months I must spend with him in the land which
lies beneath the earth."
So Demeter was comforted for her daughter Persephone, and the earth and
all the things that grew in it felt that her anger and sorrow had passed
away. Once more the trees bore their fruits, the flowers spread out
their sweet blossoms in the garden, and the golden corn waved like the
sea under the soft summer breeze. So the six months passed happily
away, and then Hermes came with the coal-black horses to take Persephone
to the dark land. And she said to her mother, "Do not weep much; the
gloomy king whose wife I am is so kind to me that I cannot be really
unhappy; and in six months more he will let me come to you again." But
still, whenever the time came round for Persephone to go back to Hades,
Demeter thought of the happy days when her child was a merry girl
playing with her companions and gathering the bright flowers in the
beautiful plains of Enna.
*THE KING OF THE GOLDEN MOUNTAIN*
*FROM "GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES"*
There was once a merchant who had only one child, a son, that was very
young, and barely able to run alone. He had two richly laden ships then
making a voyage upon the seas, in which he had embarked all his wealth,
in the hope of making great gains, when the news came that both were
lost. Thus from being a rich man he became all at once so very poor
that nothing was left to him but one small plot of land; and there he
often went in an evening to take his walk, and ease his mind of a little
of his trouble.
One day, as he was roaming along in a brown study, thinking with no
great comfort on what he had been and what he now was, and was like to
be, all on a sudden there stood before him a little rough-looking black
dwarf. "Prithee, friend, why so sorrowful?" said he to the merchant;
"what is it you take so deeply to heart?" "If you could do me any good I
would willingly tell you," said the merchant. "Who knows but I may?"
said the little man: "tell me what ails you, and perhaps you will find I
may be of some use." Then the merchant told him how all his wealth was
gone to the bottom of the sea, and how he had nothing left but that
little plot of land. "Oh! trouble not yourself about that," said the
dwarf; "only undertake to bring me here, twelve years hence, whatever
meets you first on your going home, and I will give you as much as you
please." The merchant thought this was no great thing to ask; that it
would most likely be his dog or his cat, or something of that sort, but
forgot his little boy Heinel; so he agreed to the bargain, and signed
and sealed the bond to do what was asked of him.
But as he drew near home, his little boy was so glad to see him that he
crept behind him, and laid fast hold of his legs, and looked up in his
face and laughed. Then the father started, trembling with fear and
horror, and saw what it was that he had bound himself to do; but as no
gold was come, he made himself easy, by thinking that it was only a joke
that the dwarf was playing him, and that, at any rate, when the money
came, he should see the bearer, and would not take it in.
About a month afterwards he went upstairs into a lumber-room to look for
some old iron, that he might sell it and raise a little money; and
there, instead of his iron, he saw a large pile of gold lying on the
floor. At the sight of this he was overjoyed, and forgetting all about
his son, went into trade again, and became a richer merchant than
before.
Meantime little Heinel grew up, and as the end of the twelve years drew
near the merchant began to call to mind his bond, and became very sad
and thoughtful; so that care and sorrow were written upon his face. The
boy one day asked what was the matter, but his father would not tell for
some time; at last, however, he said that he had, without knowing it,
sold him for gold to a little, ugly-looking, black dwarf, and that the
twelve years were coming round when he must keep his word. Then Heinel
said, "Father, give yourself very little trouble about that; I shall be
too much for the little man."
When the time came, the father and son went out together to the place
agreed upon: and the son drew a circle on the ground, and set himself
and his father in the middle of it. The little black dwarf soon came,
and walked round and round about the circle, but could not find any way
to get into it, and he either could not, or dared not, jump over it. At
last the boy said to him, "Have you anything to say to us, my friend, or
what do you want?" Now Heinel had found a friend in a good fairy, that
was fond of him, and had told him what to do; for this fairy knew what
good luck was in store for him. "Have you brought me what you said you
would?" said the dwarf to the merchant. The old man held his tongue,
but Heinel said again, "What do you want here?" The dwarf said, "I come
to talk with your father, not with you." "You have cheated and taken in
my father," said the son; "pray give him up his bond at once." "Fair
and softly," said the little old man; "right is right. I have paid my
money, and your father has had it, and spent it; so be so good as to let
me have what I paid it for." "You must have my consent to that first,"
said Heinel; "so please to step in here, and let us talk it over." The
old man grinned, and showed his teeth, as if he should have been very
glad to get into the circle if he could. Then at last, after a long
talk, they came to terms. Heinel agreed that his father must give him
up, and that so far the dwarf should have his way: but, on the other
hand, the fairy had told Heinel what fortune was in store for him, if he
followed his own course; and he did not choose to be given up to his
hump-backed friend, who seemed so anxious for his company.
So, to make a sort of drawn battle of the matter, it was settled that
Heinel should be put into an open boat, that lay on the sea-shore hard
by; that the father should push him off with his own hand, and that he
should thus be set adrift, and left to the bad or good luck of wind and
weather. Then he took leave of his father, and set himself in the boat;
but before it got far off a wave struck it, and it fell with one side
low in the water, so the merchant thought that poor Heinel was lost, and
went home very sorrowful, while the dwarf went his way, thinking that at
any rate he had had his revenge.
The boat, however, did not sink, for the good fairy took care of her
friend, and soon raised the boat up again, and it went safely on. The
young man sat safe within, till at length it ran ashore upon an unknown
land. As he jumped upon the shore he saw before him a beautiful castle,
but empty and dreary within, for it was enchanted. "Here," said he to
himself, "must I find the prize the good fairy told me of." So he once
more searched the whole palace through, till at last he found a white
snake, lying coiled up on a cushion in one of the chambers.
Now the white snake was an enchanted princess; and she was very glad to
see him, and said, "Are you at last come to set me free? Twelve long
years have I waited here for the fairy to bring you hither as she
promised, for you alone can save me. This night twelve men will come:
their faces will be black, and they will be dressed in chain armour.
They will ask what you do here, but give no answer; and let them do what
they will, beat, whip, pinch, prick, or torment you, bear all; only
speak not a word, and at twelve o'clock they must go away. The second
night twelve others will come: and the third night twenty-four, who will
even cut off your head; but at the twelfth hour of that night their
power is gone, and I shall be free, and will come and bring you the
water of life, and will wash you with it, and bring you back to life and
health." And all came to pass as she had said; Heinel bore all, and
spoke not a word; and the third night the princess came, and fell on his
neck and kissed him. Joy and gladness burst forth throughout the
castle, the wedding was celebrated, and he was crowned king of the
Golden Mountain.
They lived together very happily, and the queen had a son. And thus
eight years had passed over their heads, when the king thought of his
father; and he began to long to see him once again. But the queen was
against his going, and said, "I know well that misfortunes will come
upon us if you go." However, he gave her no rest till she agreed. At
his going away she gave him a wishing-ring, and said, "Take this ring,
and put it on your finger, whatever you wish it will bring you: only
promise never to make use of it to bring me hence to your father's
house." Then he said he would do what she asked, and put the ring on
his finger, and wished himself near the town where his father lived.
Heinel found himself at the gates in a moment; but the guards would not
let him go in, because he was so strangely clad. So he went up to a
neighbouring hill, where a shepherd dwelt, and borrowed his old frock,
and thus passed unknown into the town. When he came to his father's
house, he said he was his son; but the merchant would not believe him,
and said he had had but one son, his poor Heinel, who he knew was long
since dead: and as he was only dressed like a poor shepherd, he would
not even give him anything to eat. The king, however, still vowed that
he was his son, and said, "Is there no mark by which you would know me
if I am really your son?" "Yes," said his mother, "our Heinel had a
mark like a raspberry on his right arm." Then he showed them the mark,
and they knew that what he had said was true.
He next told them how he was king of the Golden Mountain, and was
married to a princess, and had a son seven years old. But the merchant
said, "That can never be true; he must be a fine king truly who travels
about in a shepherd's frock!" At this the son was vexed; and forgetting
his word, turned his ring, and wished for his queen and son. In an
instant they stood before him; but the queen wept, and said he had
broken his word, and bad luck would follow. He did all he could to
soothe her, and she at last seemed to be appeased; but she was not so in
truth, and was only thinking how she should punish him.
One day he took her to walk with him out of the town, and showed her the
spot where the boat was set adrift upon the wide waters. Then he sat
himself down, and said, "I am very much tired; sit by me, I will rest my
head in your lap, and sleep awhile." As soon as he had fallen asleep,
however, she drew the ring from his finger, and crept softly away, and
wished herself and her son at home in their kingdom. And when he awoke
he found himself alone, and saw that the ring was gone from his finger.
"I can never go back to my father's house," said he, "they would say I
am a sorcerer: I will journey forth into the world, till I come again to
my kingdom."
So saying, he set out and travelled till he came to a hill, where three
giants were sharing their father's goods; and as they saw him pass, they
cried out and said, "Little men have sharp wits; he shall part the goods
between us." Now there was a sword, that cut off an enemy's head
whenever the wearer gave the words, "Heads off!" a cloak, that made the
owner invisible, or gave him any form he pleased; and a pair of boots
that carried the wearer wherever he wished. Heinel said they must first
let him try these wonderful things, then he might know how to set a
value upon them. Then they gave him the cloak, and he wished himself a
fly, and in a moment he was a fly. "The cloak is very well," said he;
"now give me the sword." "No," said they; "not unless you undertake not
to say, 'Heads off!' for if you do, we are all dead men." So they gave
it him, charging him to try it on a tree. He next asked for the boots
also; and the moment he had all three in his power, he wished himself at
the Golden Mountain; and there he was at once. So the giants were left
behind with no goods to share or quarrel about.
As Heinel came near his castle he heard the sound of merry music; and
the people around told him that his queen was about to marry another
husband. Then he threw his cloak around him, and passed through the
castle-hall, and placed himself by the side of his queen, where no one
saw him. But when anything to eat was put upon her plate, he took it
away and ate it himself; and when a glass of wine was handed to her, he
took it and drank it: and thus, though they kept on giving her meat and
drink, her plate and cup were always empty.
Upon this fear and remorse came over her, and she went into her chamber
alone, and sat there weeping; and he followed her there. "Alas!" said
she to herself, "was I not once set free? why then does this enchantment
still seem to bind me?"