which the young warrior watched with amazement and horror. Suddenly,
the midnight hour being passed, the phantom cats disappeared, and all
was silence once more. The rest of the night passed undisturbed, and
the young warrior slept soundly until morning. When he awoke the sun
was already up, and he hastened to leave the scene of last night's
adventure. By the bright morning light he presently discovered traces
of a path which the evening before had been invisible. This he
followed, and found to his great joy, that it led, not as he had
feared, to the forest through which he had come the day before, but in
the opposite direction, toward an open plain. There he saw one or two
scattered cottages, and, a little farther on, a village. Pressed by
hunger, he was making the best of his way toward the village, when he
heard the tones of a woman's voice loud in lamentation and entreaty.
No sooner did these sounds of distress reach the warrior's ears, than
his hunger was forgotten, and he hurried on to the nearest cottage, to
find out what was the matter, and if he could give any help. The
people listened to his questions, and shaking their heads sorrowfully,
told him that all help was vain. "Every year," said they, "the
mountain spirit claims a victim. The time has come, and this very
night will he devour our loveliest maiden. This is the cause of the
wailing and lamentation." And when the young warrior, filled with
wonder, inquired further, they told him that at sunset the victim
would be put into a sort of cage, carried to that very ruined temple
where he had passed the night, and there left alone. In the morning
she would have vanished. So it was each year, and so it would be now;
there was no help for it. As he listened, the young warrior was filled
with an earnest desire to deliver the maiden. And, the mention of the
ruined shrine having brought back to his mind the adventure of the
night before, he asked the people whether they had ever heard the name
of Schippeitaro, and who and what he was. "Schippeitaro is a strong
and beautiful dog," was the reply; "he belongs to the head man of our
Prince who lives only a little way from here. We often see him
following his master; he is a fine, brave fellow." The young knight
did not stop to ask more questions, but hurried off to Schippeitaro's
master and begged him to lend his dog for one night. At first the man
was unwilling, but at length agreed to lend Schippeitaro on condition
that he should be brought back the next day. Overjoyed, the young
warrior led the dog away.
Next he went to see the parents of the unhappy maiden, and told them
to keep her in the house and watch her carefully until his return. He
then placed the dog Schippeitaro in the cage which had been prepared
for the maiden; and, with the help of some of the young men of the
village, carried it to the ruined temple, and there set it down. The
young men refused to stay one moment on that haunted spot, but hurried
down the mountain as if the whole troop of hobgoblins had been at
their heels. The young warrior, with no companion but the dog,
remained to see what would happen. At midnight, when the full moon was
high in the heaven, and shed her light over the mountain, came the
phantom cats once more. This time they had in their midst a huge black
tom-cat, fiercer and more terrible than all the rest, which the young
warrior had no difficulty in knowing as the frightful mountain fiend
himself. No sooner did this monster catch sight of the cage than he
danced and sprang round it, with yells of triumph and hideous joy,
followed by his companions. When he had long enough jeered at and
taunted his victim, he threw open the door of the cage.
But this time he met his match. The brave Schippeitaro sprang upon
him, and seizing him with his teeth, held him fast, while the young
warrior with one stroke of his good sword laid the monster dead at
his feet. As for the other cats, too much astonished to fly, they
stood gazing at the dead body of their leader, and were made short
work of by the knight and Schippeitaro. The young warrior brought back
the brave dog to his master, with a thousand thanks, told the father
and mother of the maiden that their daughter was free, and the people
of the village that the fiend had claimed his last victim and would
trouble them no more. "You owe all this to the brave Schippeitaro," he
said as he bade them farewell, and went his way in search of fresh
adventures.
* * * * *
End of Project Gutenberg's Tales of Wonder Every Child Should Know, by Various