African Americans -- Fiction; Short stories, American
Lubercal then followed this by freeing the nobleman, with a similar
injunction. When the nobleman was given his liberty, he distributed the
bag of gold among the poor, and, after awaiting Savoda's coronation,
departed to his own estates.
Then the giant Lubercal now, in keeping with King Mesina's will, put
Savoda upon the throne, and made Savo gate-keeper.
A good giant was Lubercal? Well, he was not so good, after all, as one
other act will show. Even giants must live by some law.
The law by which Lubercal was controlled allowed him to be king if he
could steal the whole nation at once. To do this all the people must be
gathered into one house. Lubercal's aim was to deceive the people into
building a house large enough to hold them all, and then proclaim
himself king.
He suggested to Savoda that he force his people to erect such a house,
so that the whole nation might come together and celebrate his
(Savoda's) accession to the throne. Savoda did so. After much time and
labor, the house was ready. The morning of the fatal day arrived--the
day on which Lubercal intended to put into execution his plan of
stealing the throne and Savoda's people. Lubercal stood upon the
mountain and sent his voice ringing over the country. Savoda and the
people thought this a good omen, and expected the giant to come down and
rejoice with them. While King Savoda was arranging his crown, in walked
the dwarf.
"Good morning, my King," said he. "I have come to rescue you and your
people this day from the hands of the designing Lubercal." Noting
Savoda's look of suspicion and incredulity the dwarf continued: "I see,
my King, that you have little faith in my remark. Go you now to the
temple, and ere the day is done you shall see your own salvation."
King Savoda and his people, after further insistence, though still not
convinced, went to the temple, while the dwarf hastened to encounter the
giant.
Again we must go back, in order to make clear events soon to be
narrated.
Savo had been too silly to remain king, yet he was wise enough to see
the force that removed him. He therefore set about finding the source of
Lubercal's strength. While Lubercal was away he went up into the
mountain and hid himself where he could see, but could not be seen.
Lubercal soon came, and straightway tried to pull up a large tree by the
roots. At first he failed to move it. He then went to a large cask
containing fluid of some kind, and smelled it. At the next trial he
pulled the tree halfway up. He went back to the cask and smelled again.
Then he walked to the tree and with a slight effort snatched it from the
ground and tossed it down the mountain.
"Ah," said Savo, "I have the secret of your strength. It is in that
fluid."
Then Lubercal sat down, and began to talk to himself of how his strength
lay in smelling the fluid in the cask, and how his length of days
depended upon the running of the old-fashioned clock that hung beside a
tree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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