Page:The Story and Song of Black Roderick.djvu/64

56 whirled three great black birds seeking for her destruction. And as she flew, one caught her by the long hair that swept behind her in the wind and drew her backward.

‘Now,’ quoth she with a cry, ‘I can fly upward no longer; some evil thing draws me back from heaven.’

And as she spoke a voice came out of the dark skies, and said:

‘Who holdeth back the passing soul?’

And the voice of the dark bird replied:

‘Her anger, for she hath not submitted to her trials, but held herself rebellious; therefore do I draw her down.’

And the voice from high Paradise called out, saying:

‘Is there none to come to her succor, lest she be brought to her destruction?’

And a bee humming on the hillside, hearing the voice, flew upward and stung the evil bird so it fell away into the darkness and was seen no more.

And the voice from the heavens cried again, saying: