Part 4 (1/2)
The moment the cap touched his head, Danilo disappeared.
”Ah!” he cried, ”it's a magic cap and the moment I put it on I become invisible! Now I can slip into Peerless Beauty's chamber and see her lovely face!”
With his magic cap pulled tightly down over his forehead, he set off once more for Peerless Beauty's castle. Sure enough he was able to pa.s.s unseen the guards at the gate, he was able to go boldly into the great hall, and beyond it through the curtain into Peerless Beauty's own chamber.
The Beauty was seated with her back to the curtain and a serving maid was combing out her hair for the night. It was lovely hair and it fell down over Beauty's shoulders like a mantle of gold. At mere sight of it Danilo was so overcome with emotion that he sighed.
”What's that?” Beauty cried. ”There's some one in my chamber!”
The serving maid looked under the bed and behind the chairs and in the corners.
”There's no one here, my lady.”
”That's strange!” Beauty said. ”I feel as though some one were looking at me.”
When Danilo saw the actual face of the enchanted maiden, it was all he could do to keep from crying aloud. She was so unutterably beautiful that he almost swooned away in ecstacy.
Presently the maiden went to bed and fell into an uneasy sleep. The light of a single candle shed a faint radiance over her face making it lovelier than ever. Through all the long hours of night Danilo stood perfectly still, gazing at her, afraid almost to breathe lest he should disturb her.
”Unless I win her for wife,” he thought to himself, ”I shall nevermore be happy!”
When morning came the maiden awoke with a start and said:
”There's some one looking at me! Who is it? Who is it?”
”It's only your poor Danilo,” a voice answered.
”Danilo? Who is Danilo?”
”The youth whom you have been treating so cruelly. But though you have treated me cruelly, I love you still!”
”If you love me still,” the maiden said, ”let me see you.”
Danilo took off the magic cap and there he stood, a handsome youth, at the foot of her bed. Then the crafty maiden spoke him fair and Danilo told her about the magic cap, and when she said to him that she repented having treated him so cruelly and asked him to let her see the cap, the poor young man was so dazzled by her beauty and her seeming kindness that he handed it to her at once.
Instantly she clapped it on her head and disappeared. Then she laughed in derision and called out loudly to the guards:
”Ho, there! Take out this young man and drive him forth! Let him return when he has another treasure to offer me!”
So the guards dragged Danilo out and drove him away.
With no more gold, with no more magic cap, Danilo returned to his father's house.
”Perhaps there are other treasures hidden away,” he thought. ”I'll search further.”
In his search he came upon an old pitcher and thinking it might be silver he began rubbing it. Instantly there was a clap of thunder and a company of soldiers appeared. Their captain saluted Danilo respectfully and said:
”We are the servants of that magic pitcher. What does our master wish?”
”Magic pitcher?” stammered Danilo. ”And am I your master?”
”Yes,” said the captain, ”you are our master as long as you hold the magic pitcher in your hands.”