_I enter the labyrinth and listen to the rules
governing my progress therein. I meet a terrible
lion which I overcome quite readily, as I likewise
do other difficulties I encounter, especially a huge
serpent which I gorge with an indigestible meal._
NOTWITHSTANDING what the hermit had said, I proceeded on my journey
across the mountains. When I reached the highest peak I saw a square of
white trees. This was of great extent, inclosing several hundred square
miles of land, which was full of hills and rivers. I noticed the trees
within the square were so closely set the ground was not visible from my
position, and if I had passed over it in my airship I should have been
none the wiser.
I observed, however, what I supposed to be an entrance on each of the
four sides, and made my way to the nearest one.
As I was about to enter, I was accosted by a voice (the owner of which I
could not discover, though I diligently sought to do so) which said:
“Enterest thou here as a suitor to the hand of the princess?”
“Thou dost speak with great truthfulness,” I made answer.
“Then harken thou to the following rules, each one of which must receive
strict attention at your hands under penalty of death.
“First: If thou hast fought because of the princess, turn back at once.
“Second: Thou shalt seek to gain the secret chamber by no unfair means.
“Third: Thou shalt not speak aloud, unless bidden so to do by the
princess herself.
“Fourth: Thou shalt not carry any weapon.
“Fifth: Thou shalt not kill anything.
“Sixth: Thou shalt not pluck any leaf, blossom, twig, or limb that is
alive.
“Seventh: Thou shalt not leave marks by the aid of which to retrace thy
steps.
“Eighth: Thou shalt not depart from the paths on any pretense
whatsoever.
“Dost thou agree to these rules?”
“I do,” was my reply.
“Know ye the breaking of any of them will result in thy instant death?”
“I know.”
“Proceed.”
I deposited all my weapons, of which I had a goodly number, on a pile of
several hundred others, and stood a moment in contemplation.
Before me were three avenues, so closely lined with trees with such
dense foliage the sky was nowhere visible and a deep twilight pervaded
beneath them. There was one straight ahead, one to the right, one to the
left, each leading at right angle to its neighbor. All were alike, with
this difference: that two of them somehow gave me the feeling they had
been well traveled, while the third, which was on the right, had been
little used.