Page:Segnius Irritant or Eight Primitive Folk-lore Stories.pdf/22

 And before time enough had passed for one to run three times round the cottage, lo! they were back again, and Long offered this acorn to the king’s son: “Master, drop it on the ground!” The king’s son dropped it on the ground, and at that moment the queen stood before him. And as the sun began to show itself beyond the mountains, the door flew open with a clatter, and Black-Prince entered the room and smiled maliciously; but when he perceived the princess he frowned, grumbled—and crack! one iron hoop on him split and bounded off. Then he took the virgin by the hand and led her away.

The whole day after this the king’s son had not anything to do but to wander through the castle and round the castle, and to gaze at all that was strange there. Everywhere it was just as though life had expired at one and the same moment. In one hall he saw some sort of royal personage who held in his two hands an uplifted hunting knife, as if he meant to cut someone in half, but the blow fell not, he was turned to stone. In one room was a knight also turned to stone; he fled as if in terror before someone, and stumbling at the threshold missed his footing but did not fall. In the chimney corner sat some servant or other; he held in one hand a piece of roast meat from supper, and with the other he carried a mouthful to his lips, but it never got so far; when it was just before his lips it also had been turned to stone. And many others besides he saw there turned to stone, every one exactly in the attitude he was in when the sorcerer said: “Be turned to stone.” And also many handsome horses he saw here which had been turned to stone. And in the castle and around the castle everything was dead and desolate; there were trees, but without leaves; there were meadows, but without grass; there was a river, but it did not flow; no little bird singing; no little flower springing—earth’s daughter, not one wee white fish in the water.

Morning, mid-day, evening, the king’s son and his companions found in the castle a good and abundant feast, the dishes served themselves up, the wine poured itself out. And when supper was over the doors again opened and the sorcerer led in the queen for the king’s son to guard. And although they all determined to try with all their might to prevent themselves from going to sleep, it was all of no use, off to sleep again they went. And when in the morning the king’s son awoke at daybreak and saw that the queen had vanished, he leapt out of bed and twitched Sharp-Eyes by the