Part 27 (1/2)

For the matter was this: The cruel Queen, full of joy at the thought that she was to be rid, once for all, of her step-daughter, had been making love to the wicked Sorcerer all the morning in the old King's absence.

”He shall be killed at once,” cried the Monarch. ”Such behaviour cannot be overlooked.”

”Thou wilt have much ado to find him, your Majesty,” said the girl, ”for 'tis more than an hour since he and the Queen fled together on the fleetest horses that they could find in the stables.”

”But I can find him,” cried a.s.sipattle; and he went off like the wind on his good horse Go-Swift.

It was not long before he came within sight of the fugitives, and he drew his sword and shouted to them to stop.

They heard the shout, and turned round, and they both laughed aloud in derision when they saw that it was only the boy who grovelled in the ashes who pursued them.

”The insolent brat! I will cut off his head for him! I will teach him a lesson!” cried the Sorcerer; and he rode boldly back to meet a.s.sipattle.

For although he was no fighter, he knew that no ordinary weapon could harm his enchanted body; therefore he was not afraid.

But he did not count on a.s.sipattle having the Sword of the great G.o.d Odin, with which he had slain all his enemies; and before this magic weapon he was powerless. And, at one thrust, the young lad ran it through his body as easily as if he had been any ordinary man, and he fell from his horse, dead.

Then the Courtiers of the King, who had also set off in pursuit, but whose steeds were less fleet of foot than Go-Swift, came up, and seized the bridle of the Queen's horse, and led it and its rider back to the Palace.

She was brought before the Council, and judged, and condemned to be shut up in a high tower for the remainder of her life. Which thing surely came to pa.s.s.

As for a.s.sipattle, when the proper time came he was married to the Princess Gemdelovely, with great feasting and rejoicing. And when the old King died they ruled the Kingdom for many a long year.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE FOX AND THE WOLF

There was once a Fox and a Wolf, who set up house together in a cave near the sea-sh.o.r.e. Although you may not think so, they got on very well for a time, for they went out hunting all day, and when they came back at night they were generally too tired to do anything but to eat their supper and go to bed.

They might have lived together always had it not been for the slyness and greediness of the Fox, who tried to over-reach his companion, who was not nearly so clever as he was.

And this was how it came about.

It chanced, one dark December night, that there was a dreadful storm at sea, and in the morning the beach was all strewn with wreckage. So as soon as it was daylight the two friends went down to the sh.o.r.e to see if they could find anything to eat.

They had the good fortune to light on a great Keg of b.u.t.ter, which had been washed overboard from some s.h.i.+p on its way home from Ireland, where, as all the world knows, folk are famous for their b.u.t.ter.

The simple Wolf danced with joy when he saw it. ”Marrowbones and trotters! but we will have a good supper this night,” cried he, licking his lips. ”Let us set to work at once and roll it up to the cave.”

But the wily Fox was fond of b.u.t.ter, and he made up his mind that he would have it all to himself. So he put on his wisest look, and shook his head gravely.

”Thou hast no prudence, my friend,” he said reproachfully, ”else wouldst thou not talk of breaking up a Keg of b.u.t.ter at this time of year, when the stackyards are full of good grain, which can be had for the eating, and the farmyards are stocked with nice fat ducks and poultry. No, no.

It behoveth us to have foresight, and to lay up in store for the spring, when the grain is all threshed, and the stackyards are bare, and the poultry have gone to market. So we will e'en bury the Keg, and dig it up when we have need of it.”

Very reluctantly, for he was thinner and hungrier than the Fox, the Wolf agreed to this proposal. So a hole was dug, and the Keg was buried, and the two animals went off hunting as usual.

About a week pa.s.sed by: then one day the Fox came into the cave, and flung himself down on the ground as if he were very much exhausted. But if anyone had looked at him closely they would have seen a sly twinkle in his eye.