Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/130

116 uttering a peculiar hoarse, rumbling sound, frightful to hear. When the queen heard her lord, she went out to meet him, and with gentle words and soothing tones caressed him. When the king had rested for a while on his coral throne, and the queen had succeeded in putting him in a good humour, she said, "My dear husband, I have a great piece of news to tell you."

To this the monster replied, "Who has been here to bring you news?"

"Do not be alarmed, for the piece of news I have to tell you concerns my dear brother, who is come to see me, and is actually here. As I feared you might wish to kill him for intruding here, I bade him hide from you."

When the monster king of fishes heard that, he growled at first, but after a few minutes' reflection, he said, "Tell him to come before my presence. I shall be glad to see him, and I promise you I shall not attempt to kill him."

The queen's brother then came and stood before the great king of fishes, who received him with kindness, and was very gracious to him. After conversing for a short time the king told him he might leave the palace, and gave him a large sum of money, telling him that should he ever require assistance in any undertaking, he had only to say, "O king of the fishes, help me," and instantly he would find him by his side, ready to render assistance.