And as I went amongst the throng I heard a voice cry out, “The tower
trembles, the tower rocks.” It was the voice of Eean. As the cry arose
the throngs drew back from before the tower. They ran, and I ran
carrying the mirror, and Eean ran beside me. And when we came to the
market place we two were alone.
We stood in the empty market place and we looked toward the Tower of
Babylon. In its great height it stood there, strong and wonderful. I
heard the shouting of people around it. Then I saw the great tower
swing like a child’s swing. Dust rose up, cloud after cloud, and cloud
over cloud. The cries of people came from out the clouds.
We stood there until we saw the sun shine through a cloud of dust.
Then we knew that the Tower of Babylon was indeed fallen. Never again
did we go near the place, but from travelers I have heard that where
the tower stood there is emptiness, and that great blocks of stone are
scattered far and wide.
VI. HOW EEAN AND BIRD-OF-GOLD WENT FROM BABYLON
We went into the King’s gardens, carrying with us the Magic Mirror of
the Babylonians. We saw the great cedar tree, and we went and sat under
its branches and spoke of what we should do. The Magic Mirror would
have to be given to the King, but for long Eean was fearful of going
into the palace.
At last we went to the doors. They were unguarded, and we went within
the palace. We came to the chamber where the King was wont to sit
upon his throne, and we saw the King there, and around him there were
bearded men with fierce eyes; by their fashion of carrying swords we
knew them to be the leaders of the King’s armies. These fierce-eyed men
stood with their feet upon the steps of the throne, speaking in anger
to the King. They did not see us as we came into the chamber. But in a
while one caught sight of us, and he uttered a fierce word. I went to
them, holding the Magic Mirror raised in my hands. The King raised his
head, and he saw the mirror, and he cried out to us.
I went and left the Magic Mirror on the throne, beside the King. I
lifted my voice and I told him how I had taken the mirror from the top
of the tower, and that now the tower was overthrown, but the mirror was
saved for the Babylonians. Then the King said to the fierce-eyed men,
“This is the Magic Mirror of the Babylonians, and I say to you that
Babylon is yet in safety.” Again he said to them, “Speak now and say
what is to be done about this girl who brought the mirror down from the
tower.”
One of the fierce-eyed men said, “Who is the boy who is with her?”
The King looked on Eean and knew who he was. He said, “This is the boy
who was with the Enchanter on whom be evil.”
The man said, “Banish the girl and the boy also, but do no evil to
them inasmuch as they have brought to us the Magic Mirror of the
Babylonians.”
The King said, “Take them from the city, but let some treasure be
given to them because they have brought to me the Magic Mirror of the
Babylonians.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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