Page:Segnius Irritant or Eight Primitive Folk-lore Stories.pdf/47

 gigantic son sat down to it. “Come and eat,” he roared to the prince. The prince took the first dumpling and bit it, but two of his teeth snapped, for it was a dumpling of lead. “Nu! why dost thou” not eat? Perhaps it does not please thee?” asked Jezibaba’s son. “Oh, yes! indeed, they are excellent, but I am not hungry just now.” “Well, if thou art not hungry just now, put it in thy pocket and eat it on the road.” The poor young prince, must, willy-nilly, put the leaden dumplings into his pocket. After this he took himself off, and went forward.

On and on he went for three whole days and nights, and the further he went the more he wandered astray in the thick dark mountains. Before him was a desert, behind him a desert; not a single living creature was to be seen. Quite wearied out by the long journey he flung himself on the ground. The sound of the silver sabre spread far and wide. Above him croaked four-and-twenty ravens, scared by the clatter of the sabre, and rising on the wing, flew into the air. “A lucky sign!” cried the prince, I will go in the direction in which the ravens have flown.”

So he went in that direction, on and on, as far as his feet would carry him, until all at once a tall castle appeared. He was still far from the castle, and already its walls flashed brightly, for this castle was of pure silver. Before the castle stood a hump-backed old woman leaning on a long silver staff, and it was Jezibaba. “Eh! my son, whither wouldst thou this way? Here there is not even a little bird, not even a little butterfly, much less any little human being,” exclaimed Jezibaba to the prince. “As thy life is dear to thee, fly, for when my son comes he will eat thee.” Ah! old mother, he’ll scarcely eat me, I fancy; why, I have not yet saluted him from his brother of the castle of lead.” “Oh! if thou hast not yet saluted from the castle of lead, then go into the room, my son, and tell me what thou art looking for?” “Hey! old mother! what am I Jooking for? Now, for ever so long I have been looking for the hill of glass and the three citrons, and I cannot find them; and so I am come here to ask if you could not tell me something about them.” “About the hill of glass I know nothing; but stay until my son comes, perhaps he will be able to tell you something. Hide under the bed, and do not betray thy presence unless I summon thee.”

The mountains re-bellowed with a voice of a hundredfold compass, and the castle shook again, and the prince now knew that it