登陆注册
38596800000042

第42章

Petru laughed, and waited for her to speak.

'You have borne yourself bravely,' went on the goddess, tapping him on the shoulder. 'Now you shall have your reward,' and she opened an iron chest, out of which she took a little box.

'Look!' said she; 'this little box has been lying here for ages, waiting for the man who could win his way through the Ice Kingdom. Take it, and treasure it, for some day it may help you.

If you open it, it will tell you anything you want, and give you news of your fatherland.'

Petru thanked her gratefully for her gift, mounted his horse, and rode away.

When he was some distance from the hut, he opened the casket.

'What are your commands?' asked a voice inside.

'Give me news of my father,' he replied, rather nervously.

'He is sitting in council with his nobles,' answered the casket.

'Is he well?'

'Not particularly, for he is furiously angry.'

'What has angered him?'

'Your brothers Costan and Florea,' replied the casket. 'It seems to me they are trying to rule him and the kingdom as well, and the old man says they are not fit to do it.'

'Push on, good horse, for we have no time to lose!' cried Petru;then he shut up the box, and put it in his pocket.

They rushed on as fast as ghosts, as whirlwinds, as vampires when they hunt at midnight, and how long they rode no man can tell, for the way is far.

'Stop! I have some advice to give you,' said the horse at last.

'What is it?' asked Petru.

'You have known what it is to suffer cold; you will have to endure heat, such as you have never dreamed of. Be as brave now as you were then. Let no one tempt you to try to cool yourself, or evil will befall you.'

'Forwards!' answered Petru. 'Do not worry yourself. If I have escaped without being frozen, there is no chance of my melting.'

'Why not? This is a heat that will melt the marrow in your bones--a heat that is only to be felt in the kingdom of the Goddess of Thunder.'[3]

[3] In the German 'Donnerstag'--the day of the Thunder God, i.e.

Jupiter.

And it WAS hot. The very iron of the horse's shoes began to melt, but Petru gave no heed. The sweat ran down his face, but he dried it with his gauntlet. What heat could be he never knew before, and on the way, not a stone's throw from the road, lay the most delicious valleys, full of shady trees and bubbling streams. When Petru looked at them his heart burned within him, and his mouth grew parched. And standing among the flowers were lovely maidens who called to him in soft voices, till he had to shut his eyes against their spells.

'Come, my hero, come and rest; the heat will kill you,' said they.

Petru shook his head and said nothing, for he had lost the power of speech.

Long he rode in this awful state, how long none can tell.

Suddenly the heat seemed to become less, and, in the distance, he saw a little hut on a hill. This was the dwelling of the Goddess of Thunder, and when he drew rein at her door the goddess herself came out to meet him.

She welcomed him, and kindly invited him in, and bade him tell her all his adventures. So Petru told her all that had happened to him, and why he was there, and then took farewell of her, as he had no time to lose. 'For,' he said, 'who knows how far the Fairy of the Dawn may yet be?'

'Stay for one moment, for I have a word of advice to give you.

You are about to enter the kingdom of Venus;[4] go and tell her, as a message from me, that I hope she will not tempt you to delay. On your way back, come to me again, and I will give you something that may be of use to you.'

[4] 'Vineri ' is Friday, and also 'Venus.'

So Petru mounted his horse, and had hardly ridden three steps when he found himself in a new country. Here it was neither hot nor cold, but the air was warm and soft like spring, though the way ran through a heath covered with sand and thistles.

'What can that be?' asked Petru, when he saw a long, long way off, at the very end of the heath, something resembling a house.

'That is the house of the goddess Venus,' replied the horse, 'and if we ride hard we may reach it before dark'; and he darted off like an arrow, so that as twilight fell they found themselves nearing the house. Petru's heart leaped at the sight, for all the way along he had been followed by a crowd of shadowy figures who danced about him from right to left, and from back to front, and Petru, though a brave man, felt now and then a thrill of fear.

'They won't hurt you,' said the horse; 'they are just the daughters of the whirlwind amusing themselves while they are waiting for the ogre of the moon.'

Then he stopped in front of the house, and Petru jumped off and went to the door.

'Do not be in such a hurry,' cried the horse. 'There are several things I must tell you first. You cannot enter the house of the goddess Venus like that. She is always watched and guarded by the whirlwind.'

'What am I to do then?'

'Take the copper wreath, and go with it to that little hill over there. When you reach it, say to yourself, "Were there ever such lovely maidens! such angels! such fairy souls!" Then hold the wreath high in the air and cry, "Oh! if I knew whether any one would accept this wreath from me . . . if I knew! if I knew!"and throw the wreath from you!'

'And why should I do all this?' said Petru.

'Ask no questions, but go and do it,' replied the horse. And Petru did.

Scarcely had he flung away the copper wreath than the whirlwind flung himself upon it, and tore it in pieces.

Then Petru turned once more to the horse.

'Stop!' cried the horse again. 'I have other things to tell you.

同类推荐
  • Where the Blue Begins

    Where the Blue Begins

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Mistletoe Bough

    The Mistletoe Bough

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Lilith

    Lilith

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 广群芳谱

    广群芳谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 忆钓舟

    忆钓舟

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 卡罗

    卡罗

    以“神”血为基的禁血世界。他们自诩神的后裔,流淌神之血的血脉者,以溶合血晶的数量来证明自己的信仰,自己的高贵。卡罗睁眼眯眼看过这个世界,血色迷人…“血继绝学?”卡罗十分怀疑那些开创血继绝学强者的心眼。难道你们不知道过个几百年,你们后代早留的不是你们身上的血了。白白浪费如此绝学,但现在有了我卡罗,相信我吧!我一定会替你们将它们发扬光大地!卡罗眉开眼笑的想着,也许你无视了那双动人明眸潜藏的笑。_____血色渲染的世界,卡罗,踏着武者的流浪路,跃龙门,登天梯。将血散在这个世界,只为换得一身神血。__如诗一样的男子,他卡罗
  • 神址之争

    神址之争

    关于一片魔法与科技混合的大陆,在一场变故中的出现
  • 撬动地球的力(探究式科普丛书)

    撬动地球的力(探究式科普丛书)

    本书详细介绍了各种力的运动规律、几种比较常见的力、力学的扩展等方面的知识,并配以相关插图,为青少年提供一个力学知识平台,让广大青少年朋友们更全面地了解力,为学好物理奠定基础。
  • 恶火

    恶火

    人心地恶火,连佛也灭不了,每步都是妄言,每步都是杀孽.................天下将乱未乱,各路诸侯揭竿而起,值此乱世,且看身怀异能地林云如何在此呼风唤雨!..............林云:呼风唤雨?这里的人每个都能飞天遁地,呼风唤雨个屁啊,保住小命要紧!
  • 她笑时阳光正好

    她笑时阳光正好

    ‘喂!’‘嗯?’‘如果我那天沒有路過化學實驗室......我們是不是就會錯過了?’‘我們在同一間學校......’‘可是從初中開始同校到高中,你還不是不認識我......要是那天......‘’沒有這個可能性。‘’嗯?為什麼?’‘因為我們是命中注定。’‘......你...你不是不信這些嘛......’‘遇見你之前是不信的......’‘嗯?接著說啊!’‘......’我該怎麼告訴你,對你的一見鍾情,打破了我生存了十幾年來的一切認知,從來都沒有設想過的情景就這樣發生,沒有邏輯,沒有科學根據,可是......我就是喜歡你。一見鍾情。也是命中注定。因為,你對我笑時,陽光正好。
  • 要拯救世界吗,少年

    要拯救世界吗,少年

    简介无能,作者去Uc部门观摩学习一阵子,需要一点时间一周更新,完全随缘,还请收藏,养肥再宰
  • 火爆鬼夫:猎爱小逃妻

    火爆鬼夫:猎爱小逃妻

    生于七月十五,算命的说我克亲克己,是个短命货。时来运转,一跃成为富家千金,好日子没过上却招来了惹不起的麻烦。什么鬼王的新娘!都是被强迫的,姑奶奶才不稀罕当!“你生是我的人,死是我的鬼。”帅到掉渣子的千年男鬼纠缠不清,还说是我上辈子未洞过房的夫君,每逢深夜,就会一遍一遍的加倍补偿。坟蛋,我只想安静的做个美少女,但是却把下半生的幸福都搭给了这只鬼!“娘子,你是不满意为夫身上哪一点么?”我娇羞状:“没有没有,哪哪都好,就是体力太旺盛~嘿嘿嘿嘿嘿~”大写的污,给个眼神你们自己体会!死鬼,不就是生猴子么?我给你生一打!
  • 阴阳搜神师

    阴阳搜神师

    在这地域分明的世界,人们平平安安的过了很多年。最终被吸血鬼所制造的鬼怪打破了这一平静。目睹家人死去,看见无数丑恶的脸,最后连她哥哥也被杀害的雨聆该怎么面对?可怜人的欲望和认为用金钱买得来任何东西的认知,被灵魂束缚肉体被控制毫无意识,这是他们游戏?不,这是可恶的悲剧。
  • 袖舞明天

    袖舞明天

    古有佳人,偶然相会。千年穿越,不期而遇。月光无影,黑夜无华。初次邂逅,实不浪漫。她的容颜,隐在黑夜里。她的身影,没在暗黑中。第一次的相遇本应该有个美好的画面,但我却未能看见她的容颜。然而缘分就因此而变得悠远......两千年的相遇,是否会阻挡你我的相见?胜过月华的容颜,可否变成我心中的思念?不用说出爱,因为彼此都已明白......
  • 卿世嫣

    卿世嫣

    一次意想不到的穿越,却让大明星易莫惜得知了自己的身世,与弟弟一起再度穿越到秦朝。为了自己的国家,为了被辱的尊严,在宫廷中,悄然无息的当着间谍。