“After the Sun people had reserved the country, the Earth people never remained long on that spot; they recognized the law and accepted it, only making short visits to the marvellous place. Sometimes, if one mortal, more daring than the rest, determined to live there, and built him a house, he was promptly punished, for the fairies at once opened a geyser directly under the carefully chosen home and destroyed it entirely. So this beautiful valley of yellow stones and brilliant lights and rushing waters is left to the Sun Princess and her people. It is certainly a valley of enchantment, for it is never very cold and never very hot there, but is an ideal workshop for a Prince. The geysers and boiling pools are just the escaping gas and steam of his big furnaces; for the fires in his furnaces under the earth are kept burning day and night. It is all very mysterious. In one part he has a big hot lake, and in another an ice-cold one. The cold lake is shaped like a human hand, and near it is a big fountain that dashes up clouds of white spray, hundreds of feet high, flecking the green surface of the water with foam.
“Nothing can be more beautiful than this enchanted valley. The fairies are busy beautifying it all the time. They have painted the colors of the rainbow in the rocks, and the great canyon looks now as if millions of jewels were piled up there. For it is a bewildering mass of color. Amethyst, topaz, and emerald tints sparkle everywhere, and when the sunshine pours down on it you feel as if all the wealth of the world must be hidden in the rocks, for they sparkle like diamonds and rubies. As the years go on the valley grows more beautiful, for the Sun Prince and his bride watch it by day,—and of course as the fairies have charge at night it is never neglected.
“When the Sun Prince has finished his great labors and solved his problem, of course, he will close his workshop, and with his lovely bride go back to their home in the Golden Palace of the Sun. But until then his workshop fires will burn. The geysers and fountains will spout up great volumes of water and steam, making the valley one of the wonders of the world. And all the Earth mortals who go there will be made welcome by the fairies.”
CHAPTER VII
THE STORY OF THE JEWELLED BEACH
“Do you wonder that I love the story?” said Princess Ethelda, as the guide finished.
“Oh,” replied the Moon maidens, almost in one voice, “it is an enchanting history, indeed.”
“See,” replied the guide messenger, pointing in the distance to a high mountain, “beyond that mountain lies the Beautiful Valley of which I have just told you.”
In a little while the merry party had reached the mountain top, and stood gazing in a bewilderment of pleasure at the wonderful valley below. Exquisite lakes and shining silver rivers lay beneath; beautiful hills stretched away in the distance; and the glorious colors in the rocks, which the fairies had painted so vividly, reflected the pinks and yellows in a growing radiance that lighted up the whole valley in splendor. Innumerable rays flashed out in little threadlike flames, flooding the world below in a blaze of color.
“How magnificent it is!” exclaimed the visitors; and the guide was well pleased with their admiration.
I could never describe to you properly the entertainments that followed their arrival, nor the joy of Dorion and Ethelda in meeting the beautiful Sun Princess. Princess Kuldah was as beautiful as ever, and spared no pains to make her brother and his bride and their companions welcome. The Prince, her husband, showed them his wonderful workshop, and they marvelled over the geysers, and listened with awe to the description of his great problem.
The days seemed all too short, and the guests were surprised when the time for their departure arrived. The feasting and dancing and sight-seeing were at last ended in the valley of enchantment; one glorious morning they rose with the Sun, and bidding good-bye to Princess Kuldah and her people, started to meet the black dwarf of the mountains. The same guide would accompany them to the place where they were to meet him. The Princess saw none of them felt much desire to go; Ethelda was particularly downcast, still she bore up bravely, and with a smiling face she began the journey.
Although Ethelda and her companions were charmed with the splendors of the deep, they were still more impressed with delight over the new beauties they discovered upon the land. They had seen the glittering mountains of the Moon and the fiery craters of the Sun, and had wondered at such magnificence, but the Earth’s fresh coloring was a revelation. And the Earth had decked herself right royally to receive them. The month was April, and the world, rioting in flowers, was aflame with color. The poppies, yellow and scarlet, burst forth from the meadows’ tenderest green. The white petalled, yellow centred daisies came out in thousands to greet them, while the roses, pink and white and red, flashed everywhere. The trees, too, dressed in the earliest Spring green, nodded and waved their long branches in a glad welcome, and the tiny wood violet, modest and sweet, sent forth its perfumed breath in waves of delight, filling the air with sweetness.
“Wonderful—wonderful!” cried Ethelda, throwing herself in an ecstasy of pleasure upon the soft greensward, and gathering handfuls of the flowers to weave into garlands. “I should like to live here always,” she said. The Sun Prince shared his bride’s delight, but he whispered cautiously: “Take care, sweetheart. Remember a Moon maiden and a Sun Prince can only visit for a twelvemonth. A longer stay would be dangerous; it would keep us here for ever.”
“O, yes,” answered Ethelda; “I was hardly in earnest when I spoke, for I could not leave my beloved mother sorrowing. Yet I am very happy here.”
Days of pleasure passed, on the journey. Days of wonderment too. When the strangers saw how the small seed planted in the ground—warmed by the sun and watered by the rain—throve and became a tiny blade of grass, a delicate flower, or a magnificent tree, this seemed a miracle to them, for nothing ever grows out of the soil of the Moon or the Sun.
One day as they stood on the top of a high mountain they saw a very strange sight. A great sea lay shining in the distance, sparkling and glittering in gold and blue. It washed the shores of magnificent valleys and rich gardens. Fruits and flowers grew in abundance, but the strange sight lay in the fact that the valleys and fruit gardens stretching out so broadly suddenly stopped at a line of yellow sand,—stopped so abruptly that it seemed almost a straight line, it was so clean cut,—and the sand covered hundreds and hundreds of miles of the Earth.
“How queer it looks!” they said among themselves; “not a blade of grass, not a tree, on the barren waste! We have never seen anything like it before. What is it?”
“It will take two stories to explain that wonderful view lying before us,” replied the guide.
“Oh, do tell them!” cried the Moon people in chorus; “we love stories”; and they settled themselves to listen.
“Well,” began the guide, “the first relates to the Princess Ethelda.”
“To me?” asked the Princess in astonishment.
“Yes,” answered the messenger; “look closely at the sea beach and tell me what you see.”
“Why, great shining jewels seem strewn over the yellow sands,” said the Princess, perfectly amazed; and in turn each of the Moon people saw the same.
“Well,” continued the messenger, turning to the Princess, “when her Imperial Majesty of the Moon consented to your coming to visit the Earth on your bridal trip, she ordered many wedding presents for you, and in finishing the loveliest that she gave you, it came about that that beach was formed. But I will begin the story of the Jewelled Beach.
“The Moon was shining through a turquoise-blue sky. Now and then a baby cloud passed before her face, but it was so white and airy that it did not even hide the dazzling lights of her silver palace. One could see them perfectly well, shining through the handsome windows.
“Serenely beautiful the Moon Queen moved through her star-studded pathway. She was calm and majestic. As she swung around the celestial circle that night she leaned down lower to watch the golden gleam of a small star shining far in the distance. For many reasons that particular star had occupied her mind of late, and that evening she seemed even more intent upon it than ever. How beautiful it was! Of all the millions of glittering points embroidered on the sky, that small one stood out the brightest. In bold relief its dancing lights sped out over the heavens in friendly twinkle toward the Moon.
“The Moon Queen smiled to herself as she watched, and then out from the jewelled windows of her home suddenly leaped a brilliant crystal light to meet the star rays. From that moment her Imperial Majesty made up her mind on a subject she had long thought of. Turning to one of her handmaidens who stood near, she bade her summon the master mechanic of her empire; when this had been done, and the man stood before her, she asked, in liquid tones, ‘How many workmen do I employ in the silver mountains?’
“‘Ah, your Majesty,’ was the reply, ‘you have so many thousands employed there, that it is almost impossible to say.’
“‘Good,’ replied the Queen thoughtfully, ‘I have sore need of thousands now. Bid them all meet me to-morrow. Call them together at the foot-hills of the mountains. Let no man be missing; from the greatest artist in your shops to the humblest workman, let not a sprite dare to forget my command!’
“The master mechanic promised obedience, and bowing low left her presence.
“When the hour arrived that the Queen had named, there gathered at the foot-hills of the mountains all her little workmen. Thousands and thousands of tiny sprites were there, and they glittered from head to toe in shining silver garments; silver dust powdered them until their clothes looked white as frost, and when they moved their sheen was like costly jewels. Talking together, they were wondering why the Queen should have commanded them to meet her at their busiest hour. Except that she was not fond of idlers, and required prompt and vigorous work from her people, she was a gentle mistress; but now, when they were rushing with the wedding presents for the marriage of her favorite daughter (which was soon to occur), she had called them from their shops. It surely seemed unwise. All work had ceased, for not a sprite in all Moonland was missing. What could it mean?
“At last her Majesty appeared. Her great retinue of nobles and gorgeously dressed maidens accompanied her, and with music and gay laughter they came nearer. Presently the sprites saw the Queen bid her attendants stop where they stood, and unaccompanied she approached the gallant army of her little workmen. She was well worthy the cheers of admiration that broke from their lips as she neared them. Tall and magnificent in form, she looked every inch a Queen, yet her bright blue eyes glowed with a tender light of love, showing a gentle nature, as she bowed her thanks for their affectionate greetings. Her long, fair hair floated softly about her, sometimes clinging to her white dress like threads of gold, and at her slender waist was gathered a graceful silver girdle, caught with a diamond crescent. At last, in all her splendor, she stood among them, and as she raised her hand asking for silence, absolute silence fell upon them.
“‘My good and loyal subjects,’ she began, ‘I have come to-day to intrust you with an important but secret work. No one in all the kingdom save yourselves must know of it. When all is completed, I myself will divulge the secret to my people, and I believe it will gladden them. But until then will you faithfully promise to help me and to keep my counsel?’
“‘Beloved Queen,’ they answered in one loud voice, ‘your will is ours; we will obey you gladly.’
“‘Then listen, friends and subjects,’ the Queen continued with smiling face, ‘for this is my command: That you make me a splendid silver ladder! Step by step must it be wrought, and with greatest care, for it must stretch out miles and miles in length. Strong as bands of steel each round must be, but finer in its texture than the gossamer web of the spider. Weave it with the fairies’ touch, making it exquisitely light, yet so bright withal that it can easily be seen for thousands of miles. Spare neither care nor labor, beloved subjects, for the ladder must be mine within the week.’
“Days and nights the hammers of the little workmen rang out clearly, like notes of merry music, and the Moon people said among themselves, ‘What gorgeous wedding presents our little Princess will receive!’ But they never dreamed of the mysterious ladder of glistening silver steps. And the Queen Mother kept her counsel. Only, each night as she sailed across the jewel-laden heavens, she leaned closer to the Earth Star and studied it.
“She saw great valleys and snow-clad mountains, barren deserts and limpid blue seas. She saw, too, great forests and boundless plains; but though her searching eye looked upon every inch of that beautiful bright ball whirling through space, she thought the loveliest spot on the whole globe was on the borders of the largest ocean. That ocean was so big that it measured just one half the star itself. All the other oceans and the land together could be taken up and put upon its broad blue surface.
“This splendid body of water washed the foot of a glorious country. Big mountains, raising their purple heads among the clouds, crept down to feel its cooling depths. Or, higher still, they reared their lofty peaks and held them scornfully aloft; and thus, capped with perpetual snow, they stood beautiful and glorified. Great plains stretched back from its curving yellow beach, and all the fruit one could name grew in the rich valleys. It was the garden spot of the world. Amid its groves of yellow oranges and lemons birds sang deliciously; flowers bloomed throughout the year, and the skies were nearly always sunny. In this earthly paradise palms lazily waved their feathery green arms, and trees grew so big that houses could be cut out of a single trunk. Here it was that the Moon Queen’s eye lingered longest, and it was almost with a child’s delight she saw the big blue waves roll in and break upon the sand in a fringe of soft white foam.
“The week had passed, and the Queen’s ladder was ready. One by one its silver steps were tested; ring by ring its loops were firmly fastened and bound together; for, dainty as it looked, the ladder must be strong for constant use.
“When all was ready the sprites were cautiously sent with it on a secret mission to the Earth. None but the Moon Queen knew their errand; but she smiled to herself, for after all, when completed, it was to be a wedding present and surprise to her favorite daughter.
“Down from the palace crept the little people, carrying their silver treasure. The night being dark, they reached the Earth without being discovered. In a little while they found the ocean beach the Queen so loved,—for it was here the first jewelled rounds of that sparkling ladder should be laid. By the soft light of the stars, the sprites saw that the Earth was very beautiful; but what were those queer, sad sounds they heard, mingling with the breaking of the waves upon the beach? The workmen stopped to listen, and caught the strains of music; then, looking closely at the water, they saw a line of lovely maidens, with flowing golden hair, which they continually combed as they sang. The Moon sprites were quite astonished at the sight. The maidens were surpassingly beautiful, but their song was very sad.
“‘Who are you, and why do you sing so sadly?’ they called.
“‘Alas!’ replied the charming creatures, ‘we are mermaids. Our father is the Sea King. We have always been as happy as the day is long, until a few years ago, when a terrible misfortune came upon us. One of the prettiest of our sisters was about to be married. We were busy with the preparations for her wedding, gathering the seaweed and the pretty mother-of-pearl shells that float up on the land, to decorate her palace. We had searched carefully our large and magnificent sea-gardens for the finest specimens of weed and shells. But a beautiful shell, brilliantly tinted in every shade of rose and green and blue combined, had been thrown high upon the sandy beach, out of our reach. Our dear sister became too venturesome, and floating on a big wave she grasped the shell she coveted.
“‘At that moment, the hideous Gnome King sprang suddenly from behind a rock, and snatching her in his arms ran off. In vain we pleaded with him to restore our lost darling. The cruel monster only laughed, and swore she should become his wife. Her bridegroom of the Sea was almost beside himself with grief when he learned the awful news. He offered his life in exchange for hers, and we gathered together all our jewels for her ransom. But nothing would move the hard heart of the wicked Gnome King, and he still keeps our beloved sister in his power. That is why we sing so mournfully. The monster, finding she would not marry him, carried her to the top of a high mountain, where she could see her beloved home, but never reach it.
“‘She is helpless upon the land, and though she can look down at the foot of the mountains and see the curling waters of her home, she cannot reach it. Her lover sits below, encouraging her with words of love, but he is helpless to reach her. Miserable and longing for home, she watches all the ships that pass, and with her lute sings the most wonderful songs, begging the sailors to rescue her. Many have tried, and the mountain-side is white with the bones of those who have perished in the attempt. For the Gnome King makes mad those who try to save her; they lose their way and die.
“‘Alas, kind friends, unless you will help us, we fear she is lost to us for ever.’
“The kind-hearted Moon sprites were certainly touched by this pathetic tale, and they determined among themselves that they would form a plan to outwit the cruel Gnome King, and rescue the sea maid. Of course to do this they would have to delay a little the planting of the Moon ladder, but they felt that her Imperial Majesty would certainly have consented to delay in such a case. So, gathering up their precious burden, they climbed the mountain to seek the sea maid.
“Knowing that she could never reach her sisters alone, and enchanting all the mortals who tried to rescue her, the Gnome King had no guard to watch the maiden. She was left entirely alone upon a big rock overlooking the ocean. The wicked king came at rare intervals to see if she would consent to marry him, but otherwise she was left undisturbed.
“A glimmering figure sitting on a high cliff.” (Page 106)
“The Moon sprites, however, were not affected by the King’s enchantments, so they had no difficulty in reaching her. Suddenly the mermaid saw a gleam of brilliant silver flooding the darkness behind her, and in a moment she was surrounded by a thousand little silver-dressed creatures. At the same moment the Moon sprites caught sight of a glimmering figure of matchless beauty sitting on a high cliff. The maiden was a vision of loveliness. Long, waving, golden hair floated about her, and her eyes were the color of the sea. She held a lute in her hand; as her fingers moved softly across it, it gave forth a weird but beautiful sound, and to this accompaniment she sang charmingly. Quickly the Moon sprites told her of the plan for rescuing her, and joyfully she listened.
“They carefully suspended the silver ladder from her mountain cliff. Holding it tight between them to steady it, they flung it swiftly down until its brilliant steps touched the trembling water. At this moment they heard a faint noise like rumbling thunder, and the affrighted maiden bade them hurry with their work, as it was the signal that the Gnome King would soon visit her. In a twinkling they seized the maiden in their arms, and carried her down the brilliant steps. They were not a moment too soon, for hardly had they placed the maiden in her bridegroom’s arms and picked up their ladder, when the Gnome King and his legion of wicked gnomes were swarming on the mountain-top.
“The rage of the wicked King was fearful to see, but it was useless. He could not regain the mermaid and he could not harm a Moon sprite; but in his anger he pelted the beach with stones, venting his fury in destroying its beauty. Small but ugly, they fell in thousands, covering the golden yellow of the sand, and hiding its glistening splendor. Thus he showered his spite upon the beautiful playground of the mermaids.
“But the Sea King’s daughters were too happy over the return of their beloved sister to fret very much. True, their charmingly beautiful beach seemed ruined, but their beloved sister was home again. Thousands, indeed millions, of little stones were piled about in ugly confusion, and marred the soft, bright sand the sea people so loved, but they were powerless to prevent it. The Moon sprites went back to their work of fastening the moon-ladder to the Earth, and the Sea King invited them to remain for his daughter’s wedding the next night.
“The wedding spectacle was certainly a grand one, for the Ocean Monarch had ordered the greatest fireworks in his kingdom in honor of the event. The sea blazed up as though it were burning. Flames seemed to leap and flare up everywhere, and thousands of brilliant colors mixed and trembled in its depths. The phosphorescence was wonderful, and wherever the eye could reach, the brilliant lights shone and sparkled. The Moon sprites were amazed at such magnificence. The night was as brilliant and beautiful as day; and they felt that the wonders of the Earth world were great indeed.
“Just then a messenger arrived from her Imperial Majesty of the Moon, saying that she had watched her workmen rescuing the maiden, and had seen the wedding festival and the splendid illumination, and before recalling her little people to the Moon, she wished to give the bride a present. The wicked Gnome King had tried to ruin the playground of the mermaids, but she would restore it, making it more interesting and fascinating than ever.
“It was a royal gift the Moon Queen gave. She said that henceforth the beach should be enchanted. The hideous stones the gnomes had thrown should not ruin it after all, but should make it more precious to the world, for they should all turn to shining jewels. She chose to make the white pebbles the loveliest of them all, and so change them that the sea people could never forget her. These stones shone as clear as crystal, and in the pure depths of each one there trembled a moon-ray, a memento of her crystal kingdom. This brilliant ray glistened like a diamond, caught and held a prisoner, and was from that day called the moonstone. But it was hard indeed to choose the prettiest of the beach jewels. For opals clear as water, and with fire from the sea, sparkled beside the moonstones; sardonyx, chrysoprase, and emerald, jasper, aquamarine, and topaz, were piled so high that the beach was soon most widely known.
“The Earth people come in hundreds to seek these treasures, making them into precious necklaces and charms. But though they carry thousands and thousands away with them each day, the mermaids smile and do not mind at all, because the Moon-ladder, uncoiling every night in sparkling brilliancy, reaches down from the silver palace and touches the beach like a magician’s wand, and the mermaids know that so long as the shining steps of brilliant silver shall rest upon these sands, just so long will the beach continue enchanted, and splendid jewels be formed in such glittering quantities that they will last for ever.”
CHAPTER VIII
THE LOST OCEAN
The little company seemed well pleased with the explanation of the jewelled beach, but as soon as the messenger ceased, they asked for the explanation of the trackless sands.
“That is a longer story; shall I tell it now?” was the reply.
“O yes, do,” said the Princess Ethelda. “We are not a bit tired, and it is so pleasant to look down on the very spot while you tell us.”
Thus encouraged, the guide messenger began:—
“Ages ago, when the world was young, three great Kings ruled in the universe, the Sun King, the Ocean King, and the Earth King. The Earth King owned all the land of the world, and often travelled over it, watching it and caring for it. He was frequently accompanied by his favorite daughter, the beautiful Princess Selene. She was a graceful maiden of about eighteen. Her lovely brown eyes and long, wavy, golden-brown hair, and her white skin and pink cheeks, made her a very charming picture indeed. Being a fun-loving, merry little maiden, her cheerful disposition made her a delightful companion, so her father was always pleased to have her travel with him.
“On one of these journeys the young Princess seemed more serious than usual, and one morning she came to her father with a request which greatly surprised him. However, when he found her heart quite set upon it, he made up his mind to grant it. She said she had long contemplated doing her share of work in the world, and that she did not think she wished always to remain just a fun-loving and pleasure-seeking young woman. She asked her father to give her a portion of his vast kingdom to cultivate as a garden, declaring she would make it the most beautiful garden in the world, a sort of earthly paradise.
“As soon as her father consented to her wish, she chose a charming spot. It was on the borders of a great sea, and back of it were magnificent mountains. A large gulf, too, stood near, whose waters flowed into a shimmering sea beyond. Here Princess Selene, having chosen hundreds of companions, took up her abode. She planted trees for shade and sowed grass for a quiet, restful color, and then she laid out her garden according to a well-thought-out plan.
“I could never begin to tell you in a short story how wonderfully beautiful she made it. Fruit trees of all descriptions grew there; lemons and oranges, citrons and bananas, peaches and apricots, flourished—everything nice you can think of. She did not forget the flowers, either. Magnolias and acacias, poinsettias and jasmines, and every Southern flower you could name, bloomed beautifully. Lovely birds flocked there, and rested in the cool trees, singing to the flowers and filling the garden with delicious music. The Princess and her companions worked hard and faithfully, and the garden became the most charming spot imaginable. All the world talked about it and came to visit it.
“The country about was very attractive. Great snow-capped mountains rose abruptly from the sea, and white clouds, nestling down to touch them, hovered like angels’ wings above the rich valleys as though in protection. The clouds were seldom dark, for it rarely rained there, and the sunny blue skies seemed to smile perpetually.
“Now, the powerful Sun King had many sons, but one of them was especially handsome, and, better than that, he was the soul of honor and truth. He was called Prince Corus. He often came to Earth to visit the Ocean King’s family, for one of the sons was his favorite companion. The two young men were inseparable; they were devoted to each other, and fond of the same sports.
“When the Ocean King’s son, Prince Fronto, grew to manhood, his father gave him control of a smaller kingdom, a beautiful sea that washed the shores of Princess Selene’s famous gardens. This sea was reached by sailing through the blue waters of the gulf; shining and beautiful, it stretched for miles and miles through a magnificent country. It was on the shores of this sea that the two Princes spent most of their time, and it was here one day that they came across the lovely Selene and her maidens. Both the young men felt at once that they had never before seen anything so perfectly charming as the Princess, and they lost no time in learning to know her.
“She treated them with the greatest courtesy; and in a little while the three had become firm friends, and spent many happy hours together. The young men did not attempt to disguise from themselves the fact that they both loved this royal maiden; but the Sun Prince, in a spirit of nobleness, offered to leave his friend Fronto alone to win her hand, though in losing her he would become the most miserable man in the world. Up to this point, however, Fronto apparently showed a similar generosity of spirit, and putting his arm about his friend, urged him to remain, saying: ‘We will abide by the decision of the Princess. Let her choose between us, and whoever wins her love shall marry her, letting the other suitor swear friendship to them both.’
“‘So be it,’ replied the generous Prince Corus, for it seemed a fair proposition. ‘Much as I care for her, I will promise to give her to you gladly if she loves you; for, after her, I love you best in the world.’
“They clasped hands, and swore a solemn oath to abide by this agreement.
“Selene was in no hurry to choose, and seemed equally fond of them both. Never by word or sign did she show which she preferred. Always together, the three wandered through her gardens, plucking the fruit or listening to the songs of the birds. The two young men came every day to see her, and strove to invent plans for her amusement. Corus brought his father’s golden chariot, and often the three took a mad race across the sky. But the maiden was never afraid. She loved the spirited, prancing steeds, and their flashing golden harness; and the wild ride brought a glorious color to her cheeks. She thrilled with pleasure when the rushing wind blew back her flowing hair, and her eyes caught a deeper blue from the heavens, and sparkled and danced with delight, so that Corus and Fronto thought her more bewitching than ever.
“Again, Fronto would invite them to see his father’s famous sea-gardens, and they would ride across the sapphire-blue waves until they reached a rocky island. Here they would rest, to watch the seals climbing over the rocks. They amused themselves long, laughing at the awkward antics of the fat baby seals, who would tumble with loud splashes into the water, and then frolic about noisily. The Princess loved these famous sea-gardens; they were very different from her own, but wonderfully interesting, nevertheless. Every sea-plant grew there. Huge trees of seaweed were plainly seen, and curious water-flowers in abundance. Magnificent shells bordered the walks, shells dyed with the mystic colors of the sea,—blue and green and opalescent,—others pink-lined, like the sky at sunset, or brilliant red, like the coral reef. Charming gold-fishes swam about these water-gardens, and their scales, glowing like fire, sent out great sparks of light. Mermaids floated through, with long golden hair and starry blue eyes, singing low to the music of their lutes. Thus many days and weeks were passed, and each hour the young Princes grew more madly in love with the charming Princess Selene.
“At last a day came when they could no longer resist asking her to choose between them. But when they stood before her, and waited for her answer in silence, the fun-loving little Princess suddenly became grave, and said most seriously: ‘Why make me choose at all? Your friendship may be broken if I do, and I could not bear that.’
“‘You need not fear for us, sweet Princess,’ said Fronto, ‘for we have sworn an oath, and will not break it.’
“Selene gazed earnestly at them, not understanding this reply. Then Corus, pale as death, nodded assent, saying: ‘It is even true, fair Selene; as you cannot choose but one, we both have promised allegiance to the one you favor. We love you too sincerely to do otherwise.’
“A brilliant color dyed Selene’s cheek as she heard these words, and turning to Prince Fronto she began softly: ‘So be it. We have passed many happy hours together, and in my heart, Prince Fronto, I have a deep affection for you.’
“Hearing her speak thus, Prince Corus grew very white, and turned away to hide his pain, whispering to himself: ‘They shall not see how I suffer. I have sworn an oath, and I will keep it.’
“But whatever the Princess continued to say to the Ocean Prince, it seemed not to please him. Finally she said to him, while she turned and beckoned to his friend: ‘Therefore, kind brother of the shimmering sea, you must forgive me; for, though I love you as a friend, my heart belongs to Corus, and him I choose to be my husband.’
“The Sun Prince could hardly believe he heard aright; but as the beautiful girl turned shyly toward him, he caught her hand, and kneeling, kissed it, thanking her for his great happiness.
“The Ocean Prince showed great surprise at Selene’s words, because he had always thought she preferred him to Corus; indeed, it was because of this he had made the compact so readily. Swiftly now his thoughts grew black with anger, but the two lovers were talking together and did not notice it. Soon he grew calmer; outwardly he seemed to be peaceful, and stooping, he too kissed Selene’s hand, and swore friendship to the two.
“Preparations began for the wedding, and each day, as the ceremony drew nearer, Fronto seemed happier. He really acted as though he had forgotten his wish to marry Selene. This, of course, made Corus and his bride more contented; they could not bear to be merry, and feel that Fronto was suffering. But the Ocean Prince was only pretending. Instantly, on leaving the lovers on the day of their betrothal, he had gathered together all the little demons and wicked imps he knew, and employed them to build big mountains on the shores of his sea. Soon precipitous mountains gathered in clusters about the water’s edge. They seemed only barren rock, as they loomed up from the flat sand, like watch-towers guarding a prison. Selene and Corus teased the Ocean Prince for building such ugly peaks, but he did not mind their jests. Finally he had his dominions hedged in with a dark-hued rocky range.
“Then, one day when the Sun Prince was absent, he deliberately carried out the plan he had so carefully concealed: he stole the Princess and hid her in the caverns of his great mountains. When Corus returned, broken-hearted and distressed over the loss of his bride and the treachery of his friend, and demanded her release, the Sea Prince absolutely refused to give her up—laughing to scorn his friend’s demand.
“War, of course, immediately followed. The Sun Prince was no slight enemy, for all his father’s powerful forces were at his command. The heavy bowlders piled up by the wretched little fiends the Ocean Prince had employed were not easily surmounted, however, for they were splendidly built. It would take years to pull them down. So Corus determined he would not even try. He would rescue his beloved bride in a simpler but more powerful manner, and in less time.
“A great river ran through the country, from the inland sea down to the blue waters of the ocean. Now, the Sun Prince closed up that river, shutting off all communication between the ocean and the inland sea. The Sea Prince laughed at first when he saw this. He had so much water in his own sea he never dreamed it could be exhausted.
“But now the Sun Prince tried new measures. As the tides could not bring the water to the foot of the big mountains to replenish them, he sent down burning rays upon the sea to dry it up. Evaporation began. Day by day the water decreased, and shrunk away slowly from the white face of the sand and the red sides of the mountains.
“A hundred feet of the water fell quickly, and then Fronto saw that the Sun Prince, in drying up the water, could doom him and his followers to death. Panic-stricken, he restored the Princess, and begged for mercy.
“Corus, though happy to have his beloved bride again, felt that the awful crime Fronto had committed should not be treated lightly. His punishment must serve as a warning to the world. Still, at the request of his gentle-hearted bride, he forgave his false friend, and sent him back safe with his companions to the Ocean King. However, he forced Fronto to remain in his father’s dominions for ever, saying that he had proven, by his treachery, he was unfit to govern a kingdom of his own. Moreover, that kingdom should exist no longer. He would dry it up and make it a huge desert, to mark the spot of a false friend’s perfidy.
“So the Sun never relaxed his fierce gaze, nor the wind its hot breath. Together they scorched the seabed until the water disappeared, and the bottom looked like a huge white bowl. Then slowly the desert formed. The fierce heat became so intense that even the rains refused to fall there, and the earth was too salty to allow anything to grow. Every living creature shunned it. Neither bird nor beast would visit it, and thus it remained for thousands of years.
“When you are in the bottom of this bowl, you are nearly three hundred feet below the ocean. Upon all sides are great mountains, some over ten thousand feet high; and this spot is the hottest place in the world. The desert looks like a great plain leading out to the horizon. The soil is almost as fine as white flour.
“But, silent and deserted as it is, the Sun Prince declared that, because his beloved bride had been kept there, it should still be sacred in his eyes—still retain a certain fascination. So, in all its desolation, it does possess a weird beauty of its own. The sand dunes reflect the light of the sky. They are sometimes deep blue, sometimes topaz yellow, and again, at sunset, a brilliant rose.
“The quiet of the desert is profound, save when some whirling sand-storm blows. Then all living creatures caught there are lost unless they lie flat and cover heads and mouths. Except for this, the air is always magnificent. At times, it is all covered with a pink mist; at other times, it is a pure golden haze. The mountains, too, are in changing shades of purple and lilac and blue, with golden and blood-red colors mingled.
“All these years the place has remained a desert,—a monument to the treachery of Prince Fronto. Yet the bitterness of the Sun Prince seems to be lessening. Perhaps the sweet pleading of the beautiful Selene has won forgiveness, for of late that awful waste shows signs of life. True, its great mesas, in gray and gold, bordering its lonely hundreds of miles, are rocky and barren still; but now and then a green bush of elder arises on the sands, and the cacti and greasewood are beginning to flourish well. This is the first sign of life, but it means surely that Prince Corus has relented, and will remove the curse that ‘nothing shall ever live there.’
“Occasionally, too, an animal has been seen running across the dry, parched sands, and birds that once flew hundreds of miles to avoid the hot plains now skim lightly across them. Then, at times, trees and green grass and cool fresh lakes of water are visible. These last disappear quickly when one approaches and tries to drink from their curling waves. Wise people call these sights mirages, but perhaps, after all, they are real, and foreshadow what the desert will become.
“The Sun Prince is wise and merciful, and though justice must be done, when justice is appeased he can restore the cooling streams and vegetation to the parched sands. Some day, perhaps, the magic spell will be withdrawn from the mysterious desert, and its shining seas again smile beneath sunny skies. Even now, Prince Corus occasionally sends a great cloudburst to drench the scorching plains. At first, we know, he did not love the barren waste. It brought back too keenly the sorrow of his stolen bride; but time has softened that feeling, and with his beloved Princess by his side, he looks down and smiles upon its glare and glitter. He shows this in the wonderful sky effects above it. They are things of beauty. If clouds gather, he tips them with rainbow colors,—brilliant reds and oranges, purples and greens, melting into delicious pinks, soft lilacs, and grays. The sunset there is a glorious sight never to be forgotten.
“Its mountains, too, are beautiful. Often the ridges are clear-cut and sharp. Again, when the Sun pours his heat upon them, they seem as flat as the palm of your hand. They change color frequently, for at times startling reds and yellows and pinks are painted in stripes all over them. Later the canyons are flashing in brilliant needle-like points of superb color, but again they are a dull blue or gray, and lose their splendor.
“But most sublime of all the sights is still the mirage. Trembling and glowing in the sea, lie trees and mountain peaks, reflected clear and beautiful. Maybe it is only the reflection of the golden haze that lies in the canyons at sunset; but whatever it is, it is one of the desert’s splendors. And though the lilac mist and the purple shadows that creep between the valleys and climb the mountains seem more natural to its desolation and its silence, yet the glory of that mirage—glittering with its dazzling hue, and flashing its strange lights like the rays from a fire-opal—will cling the longest in one’s memory.”
CHAPTER IX
THE STORY OF PRINCESS SUNSET
When the story of the great desert or the lost ocean had been told, the little company of Moon people thanked the guide for his tales, and again started on their journey. Soon they approached the borders of a beautiful wood. The guide told them that he would turn back when they had travelled through the forest, for on the other side of the forest the black dwarf awaited them.
Princess Ethelda shuddered as she heard, but being a brave little Princess, she turned laughingly to the guide and said, “Well, Sir Guide, cannot you tell us another pretty story before you go?”
“Willingly,” replied the guide, and he at once began the story of Princess Sunset.