Page:Select Popular Tales from the German of Musaeus.djvu/141

Rh appearance nor its position, they came to a resolution to seek more closely into the cause. They left their quarters under the oak, and after they had overcome many difficulties, fallen in the darkness over many stones, and run their heads against many branches, they arrived in a cleared spot before an upright wall of rock, where, to their great joy, they found a saucepan on a trivet over a fire. The bright ascending flames discovered to them at the same time the entrance to a cave, over which hung down branches of ivy, and which was closed by a strong door. Andiol approached and knocked, imagining that the inhabitant might perhaps be a pious, hospitable hermit. But he heard a woman’s voice from within, which asked, “Who knocks; who knocks at my house?”—“Good woman,” said Andiol, “open to us the door of your grotto; three wandering travellers wait here on the threshold, and are faint with hunger and thirst.”—“Patience,” answered the voice from within, “let me first put my house in order, and prepare it for the reception of my guests. The listener at the door heard then a great rustling within, as if the whole house were set in order and scoured. He ceased for an interval, as long as his impatience permitted; but, as the mistress of the house did not seem to put an end to her cleaning, he knocked again at the door after a soldierly fashion, and desired to be admitted, with his companions. The voice again answered softly, “I hear, but allow me time to put on my dress, that I may be fit to appear before my guests. Meanwhile, stir the fire that the pot may boil well, and eat none of the broth.”

Sarron, who had ever been accustomed in Knight Roland’s kitchen to peep into the pot, had, from natural instinct, already undertaken the office of keeping up the fire; he had also previously examined the pot, and made a discovery which did not quite please him. For when he raised the lid and dipped in the meat-fork, he drew forth a hedgehog, which cured his stomach of all its impetuous cravings. He did not, however, reveal this discovery to his companions, in order that, when the broth should be served up, he might not deprive them of their appetite. Amarin had fallen asleep through weariness, and had almost slept enough before the inhabitant of the grotto had finished her toilet. On awaking, he joined himself to the noisy Andiol, who was making conditions for admission with the proprietress of the cave, in a boisterous dispute. When at last all was adjusted, she had unluckily mislaid the house-door key, and as, in her great hurry, she had also overthrown her lamp, she could not find it again. The famished wanderers thus were compelled to exercise an already tried patience until, after a long delay, the key was at length found, and the door opened. But a new delay occurred to prove the resignation of the strangers. Scarcely was the door half opened, when a great black cat sprang out, with eyes emitting fire; immediately the mistress of the house shut the