The Seven Champions of ChristendomKingston, William Henry Giles
Science
The Seven Champions of Christendom
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Christian saints
Anxiously they watched the Enchantress, to try and discover where she
would place her silver wand. Day after day they followed her through
all the vast interminable recesses of her magic cavern. Every day she
grew more drowsy and less inclined to speak; which is not surprising,
considering how long she had been awake, and how sleepy she must have
become.
In spite of all this vigilance, however, at last she appeared without
her silver wand; and soon after they saw her sink down on a couch of
rose-leaves she had prepared for herself in a sumptuous apartment,
where, had it not been for her hideous countenance, where all the
malignant passions were portrayed, she would have looked like a
sovereign resting on her bed of state. The Prince was eager instantly
to set off to look for the silver wand.
"Stay," whispered the Fairy Sabrina, "she yet deeps with one eye open,
like a weasel; wait till she closes both, and snores." Accordingly they
waited till both Kalyb's eyes were closed, and loud snores echoed along
the vaulted roof. Then off they set.
"Nothing worth having can be gained without toil and trouble," observed
the Dwarf, as he parted from the Prince. All the other attendants of
the Enchantress had taken the opportunity to go to sleep likewise; so
silence profound reigned throughout the cavern, broken only by her
snores. The Prince searched and searched in every direction, under
heaps of costly jewels and glittering robes, piles of gold and silver,
and rich armour; but they had now no charms for him: the silver wand
which was to set him free to commence his noble career was all he sought
for--that wand, the type of knowledge, which can only be obtained by
study and perseverance. Day after day he sought for it; but at the end
of each day all he could say was that he believed he could tell where it
was not. The Dwarf came back equally unsuccessful; but still numberless
heaps had been turned over, intricate passages explored, profound depths
dived into, and unthought of recesses in the cavern discovered.
Five days had thus passed away; the Prince knew more about the cavern
than he had ever known before; the sixth day came, and that, too, ended.
He had added to his knowledge, but the silver wand had not been found.
He became anxious, as well he might. On the seventh the Enchantress
would awake and resume her power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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