Page:The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (c1899).djvu/203

 THE FELLOW-TRAVELLER

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and such weather suited her. At last she reached the mountain, and knocked for admittance. Then came a noise like a clap of thunder, while the mountain opened, and the princess went in. The fellow-traveller followed her, for nobody could see him, as he was invisible. They went through a long, wide passage, where the walls shone brilliantly from the light of above a thousand glittering spiders that were running up and down and illuminating them like fire. They next entered a large hall built of silver and gold ; red and blue flowers, as large as sunflowers, were beaming from the walls ; but nobody could pluck them, for the stems were ugly, venomous serpents, and the flowers were the flames their jaws kept vomiting forth. The whole ceiling was covered with glow-worms and light-blue bats that were flapping their thin wings. It looked quite frightful. In the middle of the floor stood a throne that was supported by the skeletons of fcur horses, whose harness had been furnished by the red, fiery spiders. The throne itself was of milk-white glass, and the cushions were little black mice that kept biting each other's tails. Above it was a canopy of a deep-red cobweb, dotted with the prettiest little green flies that sparkled like precious stones. On the throne sat an old magician, with a crown on his ugly head and a sceptre in his hand. He kissed the princess on her forehead, and placed her beside him on his splended throne,

THE JUDGES SAT IN THEIR ARM-CllAIKS, U 11 11 THEIR HEADS I'KOI'l'ED UP BY EIDER-DOWN CUSHIONS, BECAUSE

THEY HAD SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.

.md then the music struck up. Huge black grasshoppers played the jew's-harp, while the owl beat a tattoo on its own body, having no better drum. It was a ludicrous concert. Little dark-coloured goblins, with a will-o'-the-wisp in their caps, danced about the room. But nobody could see the fellow-traveller, who had placed himself right behind the throne, where he could see and hear everything. The courtiers, who now came in, were very delicate and genteel. But anbody who could see what is what, would quickly perceive what they were made of They were nothing better than broomsticks with cabbages for their heads, whom the magician had conjured into life, and whom he had tricked out in embroidered clothes. However, they did just as well, as they were only wanted for show.

After a little dancing, the princess related to the magician that she had a new suitor, and consulted him as to what she should ask him next morning when he came to the palace.

" I will tell you what," said the magician ; " you must choose something easy, and then he'll never hit upon it. Think of one of your shoes. He'll never guess that. Then you will have him beheaded, and mind you don't forget to bring me his eyes to-morrow night."

The princess bowed, and said she would not forget to bring them. The magician then opened the mountain, and she flew back ; but the fellow-traveller followed her, and struck her so smartly with the rod, that she sighed most deeply over such a hail-storm, and hastened all she could to